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Geographical Notes

1884; Nature Portfolio; Volume: 30; Issue: 780 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1038/030569a0

1476-4687

Linguistics and Cultural Studies

To the Bolletino of the Italian Geographical Society for September Prof. Bcllio contributes an account of a curious manuscript by the Sicilian missionary Fra Teramo Castelli (1597-1659), who spent the better part of his life in Trans-Caucasia. This altogether unique work comprises seven thick folio volumes, originally preserved in the Theatine Convent, Palermo, but, after the suppression of the religious orders, rescued from destruction and removed by P. di Marzo to the communal library of that city. Its peculiar character will be at once evident when it is staled that there is no written text, all the volumes containing nothing but pen-and-ink sketches and other illustrations, accompanied by brief legends or explanations mostly in Italian or indifferent Latin, but occasionally also in Greek and Georgian. This method was deliberately adopted by the author or artist to convey his impression of men and things, because, as he naively remarks, “we thus see at a glance the fact, which, if written out, would take up much time both of the writer and of the reader.” Of the designs, of which there are altogether 1176, 347 are of little value, being occupied with mystic, devotional, or ascetic subjects. But all the rest are highly interesting, especially to students of geography and ethnography. The two regions chiefly illustrated are Mingrelia (basins of the Rion and Ingur) and Georgia proper (basin of the Kur), jointly stretching from the Euxine to the Caspian, and bounded on the south by Armenia, on the north by “the kingdom of Astacan,” that is, the Tatar khanate of Astra khan. Mingrelia is identified with the ancient Colchis, while Georgia, “quæ Gurgistan barbaris dicitur,” is said to comprise not only Iberia, but also a part of Greater Arme nia and a portion of Atropatia, or Atropatene. Frequent allusion is made to the great fertility, rank vegetation, and moist climate of the low-lying tracts, whence arise “dropsy, extremely dangerous tertian and quartan fevers, causing worms to abound in the stomach and flesh of the people, on which account they consume vast quantities of salt.” They are otherwise describey as Christians of the Greek rite “with a little difference,” very numerous and warlike, especially the highlanders, still sometimes wearing armour, and endowed with great physical beauty. There is a portrait of a certain Mamia “Gorielis Princeps Armatus,” mounted on a charger, and dressed in a complete coat-of-mail, with high boots, helmet, plume, spear, and shield. It is curious that this practice of wearing armour still lingers among the Khevsur highlanders of the same region. A striking contrast to the Gorelian warrior is presented by the picture of Vominissa, a poetess wearing a simple robe, a double row of pearls round her neck, a head dress also fringed with pearls, and a rich mantle lined with fur. She holds a quill in her right hand, a scroll of paper or parch ment in her left, and round about are disposed an ink-bottle, more paper, a penknife, a pair of scissors, and a vase apparently containing perfumes. Another lady, the Princess Lipardiani, is provided with a fan somewhat in the shape of a violin, with a little square mirror let in at the narrow part, exactly of the same form as is still fashionable in the country. “According to the seasons they gather the harvests of barley, millet, grapes, and nuts,” is a legend occurring under one of the numerous designs representing peasants reaping corn as high as a man and making sheaves such as are commonly seen in Italy. Elsewhere is figured a scene in a market town with the explanation: “Trade is carried on by barter; one hen for two pounds of salt, one sheep for two hens, one sword for two goats, one horse for three oxen,” adding that all these values are deter mined by official tariffs. Amongst the sports is one called trocus, which from the accompanying description seems to be identical with the game of polo recently introduced into England from the East. “Four horsemen gallop about playing with a ball the size of an orange, which they endeavour to pick up from the ground, hurl into the air, and drive forward with a racket.” Then it is added in Latin: “Equites ludentes hoc pacto ut aspicis rarissimi sciunt se ipsos gerere, requiritur agilitas quædam cum certo determinato impulsu ita ut si plus aut minores ponuntur spiritus non bene ludunt sæpeque quasi novi fetolontes cadunt in terra ab altis equis cursoribus.” Under several cha racteristic portraits of natives occur Latin verses pointing out how the mental faculties and moral tendencies may be deduced from the form of the head and expression of the features, thus anticipating the doctrine of Lavater, Of forty-six designs figuring the Sultan and his Court, his army and chief subjects, several are of considerable ethnological interest, comprising portraits of Persians, Arabs, Tatars, Egyptians, Circassians, Indians, Chinese, Portuguese, and other nationalities. Ap pended to these figures is the, for the times, remarkably liberal sentiment that all nations have good and bad qualities irrespective of their religions, and that the Chinese have a good system of philosophy and theology, although different from that of Christian peoples. Prof. Bellio's paper is enriched with a large number of facsimiles conveying an excellent idea of these curious volumes.