Travels of Josaphat Barbaro from Venice to Tanna (now Asof), in 1436. VOLUME II.

It is bounded on the east by a desert towards Khorasmia; to the west is the great sea, or Euxine, and the sea of Tenue, Tanna, or Azof; to the north, is the empire of Kaffia or Kiow; and to the south it extends to the great river Etile or Wolga, which passes the capital.

The sea of Tenue is that of Tanna or Azof, the town at the mouth of the Tanais or Don having been known by both of these names,

Travels of Josaphat Barbaro, Ambassador from Venice to Tanna, now called Asof, in 1436.

Josaphat Barbaro, a Venetian, was sent, in the year 1436, by the republic of Venice, as ambassador to Tanna, now called Asof, which at that time was in the hands of the Genoese.

It would appear that he resided for some time at Tanna, now Asof, making several journeys into the Crimea, and among the nations which inhabit between the Don and the Wolga, the Black Sea and the Caspian; and that he returned home by way of Moscow, Novogorod, Warsaw, and Francfort on the Oder, and through Germany into Italy.

Josaphat Barbaro began his journey to Tanna in 1436, and explored that country with great assiduity, and a spirit of inquiry that does him much honour, partly by land and partly by water, for sixteen years.

Proceeding westwards to the left from Tanna or Asof, along the coast of the sea of Zabachi, or the Palus Maeotis, and then for some distance along the Great or Black Sea, quite to the province of Mingrelia, one arrives, after three days journey, at the province of Chremuch, Kremuk, or Kromuk, the sovereign of which is called Bisserdi, and his son is named Chertibei, which signifies the true or real lord.

Going from Tanna or Asof, by the river Don, and along the sea of Tabache or Asof, quite to Kaffa, and keeping that sea close on the left hand, we come to an isthmus or narrow neck of land, which connects the peninsula of the Crimea; with the mainland, and which is named Zuchala.

The chief province is called Gazzaria or Chazaria, in which Caffa is situate; and the measure of length used by merchants in all these countries is called the Gazzarian ell, which is even used at Tanna.

It was formerly a very considerable and celebrated place; as before the devastation of it by Tamerlane, the spices and silks which go to Syria were carried by Githercan, and thence to Tanna, from whence they were brought, by six or seven large gallies to Venice; for at that time no other nation besides Venice traded to Syria.

There is an obvious blunder here, for this account of the trade must be understood as follows: "That the trade in silks and spices from the East, which now come by way of Syria, came over land by way of Astracan to Tanna, whence it was transported by sea to Venice."

The concluding sentence, "That no other nation but the Venetians then traded with Syria," is quite inexplicable; as the Syrian trade could not possibly come to Venice by way of Astracan and Tanna.

E. There are a number of small rivers on the coast, between Cape Sagres and Cape Tagrin, such as Tofali, Dania, Buria, Berrea, Tanna, Pogone, Cagrance, dos Casas; but our modern charts have none named as in the text on this part of the coast.

Under the circumstances it was not considered worth while remaining, so the ship left for Tanna, some twelve leagues to the south.

A good anchorage was found at Tanna, and the ship warped close in.

After leaving Tanna, the western coasts of the different islands were followed up till De Bougainville's Passage was reached, when the course was set for Espiritu Santo.

PATON, JOHN GIBSON, missionary to the New Hebrides, son of a stocking-weaver of Kirkmahoe, Dumfriesshire; after some work in Glasgow City Mission was ordained by the Reformed Presbyterian Church, and laboured in Tanna and Aniwa for twenty-five years; his account of his work was published in 1890; b. 1824.