anne-lister-adventures

[anne-lister-adventures]

Thursday, 21 May 1840

7

9 55/’’

Breakfast at 9 in 3/4 hour – Very fine morning – Madame Pfoufonnoff sent us 8 of the little cakes – Reaumur 19 1/2º at 8 a.m. in the glimmer of sun – 

Madame T-[Tchekmareff] sent for us and off to church at 10 25/’’ just in time to see the loud neat little church and the finals of the ceremony of the Fête of St. Nicholas perhaps the saint and the most respected in Russia – Saw the prayer for the Commandant and his wife both stood together under and lastly kissed the Evangile – Then saw a Sous Officer take the Oath taken to Church and State on his promotion – 

Then sauntered thro’ the Bazaar to chez le Commandant to Tea till 12 1/4 – Then Mr. and Madame T-[Tchekmareff] and we went to the Tour de la Fille – Very interesting – Inside quite empty – Can see from bottom to top, looking up what were one 9 stories – From ground to 1st floor 18 steps – From 1st to 2d.[2nd] ditto 16 steps, then 7 stories of 12 steps each – The steps average 9 in.[inches] of rise? – Get out up flat bitumen covered top – On which flag-staff – Top about 12 yards diameter – Fine view of Town and sea and surrounding country – Not a tree or shrub to be seen – About 20 mast vessels of all sorts – 

The shore near the Maiden’s Tower at Baku in a painting by Alexey Bogolyubov (c. 1860).

Maiden’s Tower today. (Image Source)

Came home for 1/4 hour – And then dinner chez le Commandant at 2 – Hadji Baba came – Says the Silver set Turquoise ring I took from off the finger of the Indian from Lahore is not Turquoise – Argile – Called Meinou (Meinoo) wrought, made, not far from Bagdad – Not worth much – Gave it him to give back to the Indian – 

Spoke of going to Persia – From here to Astrabad 2 or 3 days (Mr. Pfouffonoff said the other day 200 v.[versts] i.e. a day i.e. 24 hours with favourable wind, from Astrabad to Teheran 10 days – But by land from Baku to better to prendre le costume d’homme – In Persian, passports made out to persons beings (sex not expressed) called so and so and travelling so and so - ∴[therefore] no difficulty in Persian about change of name – If asked whether man or woman to say yes! or no! as might suit the occasion best! – 

Madame T-[Tchekmareff] spoke of Alexandroff the femme auteur and militaire, Hulan, natural of Little Russia who served under Colonel Broussiloff, and to whom the Emperor Alexander gave the order of St. George (I think Madame T-[Tchekmareff] said) – Called originally Diourava or Ouroff the name of Alexandroff given to her by the Emperor Alexander – She is now (Madame T-[Tchekmareff] thinks) at St. P-[Petersburg]

Madame T-‘s[Tchekmareff’s] receipt for excellent sauce for fowl, pudding, asparagus, salad or what you like – 

For a moderate dish take (quite enough for 4 or 5 persons) 8 yolks of eggs well beaten till they become pale then add 2 teaspoonfuls fine sucre pilié (powdered loaf sugar) for each yolk and when beaten up to a proper consistence set over a spirit lamp (forcan in Russian – Little open saucer – No wick – Fixed in a little 3 legs supporting circle on which the little pan rests) and add a wine glass or two of Malaga, Madeira, or what wine you like – Stirring all the while – Then serve – This was the sauce cold, unboiled, that A-[Ann] enjoyed so much with the marinade de poulet the other night – And eggs thus beaten with beurre fendu instead of wine, and a little flour, and well beaten up into a paste and let to stand in a cool place for 1/2 hour and then baked in a not too quick oven make craklets &c. &c.      

Home at 4 55/’’ – Very fine day – Madame T-[Tchekmareff] came to us as at 5 1/2 to walk – Went to the sea side – Tasted the water A-[Ann] and I – Bitterish saltish – Then walked to and thro’ the faubourg – 

Back at 7 – Tea chez Madame T-[Tchekmareff] and home at 8 – She sent chicken again and rice cake pudding again for supper Reaumur 20º just before going out this evening –

Baku to Lenkoran      .                       240      

L-[Lenkoran] to Astāra(front[ie]r)    . 40?    

A-[Astrabad] to Zizĕli           .           140      

Z-[Zizĕli] to Reshd    .                       45        

R-[Reshd] to Casvin  .                       140      

C-[Casvin] to Teheran                       100      

705 v.[versts] on horseb[a]ck at 25 v.[versts] p[e]r day

[in the margin of the page:]             Tour de la Fille

[in the margin of the page:]            Indian from Lahore ring not Turquoise

[in the margin of the page:]            Distance from Baku to Teheran

[in the margin of the page:]            Alexandroff femme auteur et militaire

[in the margin of the page:]            Receipt for Sauce

Page Reference: SH:7/ML/E/24/0109

[anne-lister-adventures]

Wednesday, 20 May 1840

5 3/4

12 ½

An hour cleaning As[Ann’s] head very fine morning Reaumur 16 3/4º at 6 a.m. breakfast at 9 1/4 to 9 3/4 at which hour Reaumur 18 3/4º and Fahrenheit 74º on the window seat in glimmer of sun – Madame T-[Tchekmareff] had sent for us to go to the church 1/2 hour ago – Declined – Said not dressed – La benediction des eaux – Reaumur rose to 20º and Fahrenheit to 77º before 10 – 

Madame T-[Tchekmareff] sent Captain R.[Royal] N.[Navy] Pfouffanoff for us, and we went at 10 to see the Benediction – In a corner of the Jardin Public at the fountain or tank of water – The R.[Royal] N.[Navy] had arranged very nicely with flagstaffs and banners a sort of enclosure of the tank, and the thing was pretty – We kissed the cross and were gently sprinkled with the Eau Bénite – Then walked about the little garden that Mr. T-[Tchekmareff] takes pains with – Gained from the ramparts – Fine view over the Caspian – 

The gardens in the Old City of Baku (c. 1875 to 1900). (Image Source)

Then walked about Monsieur and Madame T-[Tchekmareff] and a Persian with us – Peeped down up the Fountain du Khan – A well descended to by a longish flight of stone steps – Then went into the Khan Bath – Square building outside domed dome resting on 4 pointed arches –

And 4 arched carpeted (divanned) rooms, and four lesser square rooms one at each corner and in these one could have vapour baths – The one I went into too hot to stay in – Tank in the middle under the centre of dome – Open a little to admit light and let out steam or bad air – Several people there lying or sitting on the divans – All dressed – Tolerably clean and tidy place – 

And then went to the Metched (Mosque) and ruined Palace of the Khan – The Mosque built A.H. 378 by Faruch Issar Shah – The square under the dome = 5 yards or nearly now a store Magazin of musquets swords and soldier’s cloth done up in barrels which supposed till explained to be barrels of powder went to top of Mosque – The flat bitumen covered roof round of dome done with blue tiles vernis – Fine view – 

The Bibi-Heybat Mosque before it was demolished. Shown here in a painting by Viggo Peter Olaf Langer "Mosque in Shikhov" (1911)

The Palace finely situated commanding the Town – A cloistered court (the divan) and handsome remain of the Hall of Judgment – Longed to have the Palace repaired for the residence of the Commandant – 

The Khan’s Palace in Baku (c. 1875 to 1900). (Image Source)

Back chez le Commandant to dine at 2 1/2 – Indian came – Wore 2 turquoise rings – I took one on trial at 5/- Silver – Home at 4 for about 1/2 and then back to Madame T-[Tchekmareff] sat about an hour and then she went with us (always à pied – No carriages going about here – Streets too narrow and up hill and distances too short) to pay our visit (return the call of the 1st evening) to Mr. and Madame Pfouffanoff – One gentleman (of the Douane) and his wife thence – 

Tea – Excellent little round cakes of flour and beurre fendu – Like English cream cakes – The house allowed to the Commodore as I call him par la bonté de Monsieur le Commandant otherwise their only house is the brig – Nice terrace from which fine view of the Town – 

All below the ruined bomb-struck minaret to which Madame P-‘s[Pfouffanoff’s] house is very near – The minaret near our lodging is that of the principal mosque which according to a Persian inscription (over one of the doors or somewhere) was repaired 800 years ago – 

The fine large round Tower close above the seashore is the Tour de la Fille so called because a Khan in love with his daughter imprisoned her there and she in despair threw herself down and was killed – Very ancient Tower – The promontory jutting out into the sea before us, just above the old ruined Caravanserai some of the old walls of which just seen above the water, is called the island of Bailofrinok (pronounced Bāh-ĕĕ-lŏ-frēē-nŏk) and beyond it is the island of Nargen, and the speck just visible beyond is Wolf island – 

View of embankment and Maiden’s Tower at Baku (c. 1875 to 1900). (Image Source)

Then in the distance sweeping round towards Baku is the promontory and District of Abscharon – A few drops of rain – Magnificent rainbow the arc quite perfect and fainter arc but perfect on this side of it – Never saw this phenomenon of double rainbow before? – 

Home at 7 5/’’ – Rained as we returned and had rained for 1/4 hour – A mere step from our lodging – 500 soldiers in the fortress – 4000 inhabitants in the Town and these included 14,000 inhabitants in the Town and environs – About 20 government employés here – 

Fine day but windy – North and South West the prevailing winds here – Sat writing out all but the first 5 lines of p.[page] 200, and pp.[pages] 201, 202, and first 8 1/2 lines of p.[page] 203 till 12 tonight –

[symbols in the margin of the page:]         ✓c

[in the margin of the page:]            Indian from Lahore – the 2 rings 10/- Silver

Page References: SH:7/ML/E/24/0108 and SH:7/ML/E/24/0109

[anne-lister-adventures]

Tuesday, 19 May 1840

6 3/4

10

([written on] Sunday 24 May)

Breakfast at 9 1/2 and busy about 1 thing or other till 11 20/’’ – Then sauntered out (alone) in the Bazaar for 1/2 hour – Very hot – Bought padlock for our room door, and the Cossack coming sent him for George and bought 2 lbs.[pounds] good rice at -/10 assignats and 4 oranges -/15 – Bazaar 1 long, narrow, busy, well furnished, Ealing boarded roofed sort of passage – Tailors and all trades at work there – To dine chez le Commandant at 1 1/2 – 

The Bazaar at Baku in the late 19th century. (Image Source)

Nice dinner – Monsieur and Madame Pfouffonoff R.[Royal] N.[Navy] commanding the brig Araxes off here and 2 other ladies and their husbands – Had a jeweller after dinner – Several rings and earrings and thimbles in enamel the latter 9/- Silver each – Beautiful little enamel cup 30 Ducats = 90/- Silver – Madame la Commandante helped us to choose stones (emeralds and rubies) and to bargain long about it – At last agreed for brooch to be done in 10 days (to be sent after us) for 13 Ducats and 1 Silver Ruble – He asked – 14 Ducats (1 Ducat = 3 Silver Rubles) home at 6 3/4 – Never staid so long at any Russian dinner – 

Fine day – Reaumur 15 1/2º at 7 a.m. and Fahrenheit 82º at 7 1/2 in the sun – A cup of warmed up tea between 8 and 9 – Madame Tchekmareff sent us cakes and 2 custards – Reaumur 15 1/2º+ at 9 3/4 p.m. –

[symbols in the margin of the page:]         ✓c

Page Reference: SH:7/ML/E/24/0108

[anne-lister-adventures]

Monday, 18 May 1840

4 20/’’

9 1/2

Reaumur 13 3/4º at 5 p.m. breakfast at 5 20/’’ – Fine but dullish morning – Off at 6 1/4 from Maraza Station House in the court of the remain of little square castle with little round Tower at each corner – Taken and ruined by Pasquevitch – 

Very pretty road from here – Up glen amid green, rocky, rounded hills – Set off with an additional horse and driver – 6 horses could not or would not get us up the hill – Sent back for a 7th horse – Delayed 20 minutes or more – At the top of the steep bit at 7 20/’’ when our extra pair and driver left us – 

All along fine drive thro’ the rich grassy narrow valley between green rounded rocky hills, more rocky, and (right) with arid whitish rounded ridges, and deepish furrows, Spain-like – Cool air and coldish over the hills – Never so jolted as since Saturday morning 1st Station from where we slept – Good enough road till then – Since then terrible – At Dorentchi the poorest looking little Station since Tiflis, but a nice enough little room and we could sleep very well – The hills beginning to sun-burn here – 

Off at 10 – At 11 1/4 1st sight of the Caspian – All white sand this stage (and good road) save a few green spots along the stream white muddy – At 12 2/’’ another little ruined square fort Station – 4 rounded corners, and a 1/2 round in the middle of 3 sides, and a projecting square with rounded corners and pointed arch gateway, and smaller square tower over the archway – 

The shore of the Caspian Sea. (Image Source)

At 1 40/’’ sent off one of our Cossacks with General Kotzebue’s letter to Colonel Tchekmareff Commandant à Bakou and desire to know where we are to lodge – Rain at 1 40/’’ – Caspian again at 2 50/’’ a milky green – Pass thro’ the faubourg and at 3 25/’’ alight at the fortress gate – The entrance and streets so narrow left our people to get the carriage along as they best, and we walked to our logement accompanied by an officer sent by the Commandant – 

Gate of the Old Town at Baku. (Image Source)

A 10 minutes walk at least to house lowish in the Town – Not far from the Sea – One good room painted à la Perse, and a little room adjoining for the servants, and a large shut up landing but not worth much because only lighted from the stairs and the 2 rooms – A balcony the whole length of our room about 9 x 5 1/2 yards from which fine sea-view – Close to the principal mosque, and very near the Commandants house and well situated and quiet – The stairs to ourselves – Built by a rich Armenian for travellers – 

Balcony of a 19th century house in the Old Town of Baku. (Image Source)

The Commandant and General Fezey to present him, and the General’s Aide de Camp, and the officer commanding the brig stationed off the Town, and another officer came for 10 minutes and went away at 4 50/’’ – It was General Fezey who had passed before us on the road and taken all the oxen and horses from New Shemacha – On his return to his post at Kuba 2 or 3 stages from the terrible river Soura so deep and broad and rapid and bad to cross – Impossible just at this time so impossible for us to go to Derbend – 

The gents[gentlemen] left us at 4 50/’’ and the ladies came for 10 minutes or 1/4 hour and went away at 5 50/’’ i.e. Madame Tchekmareff the Commandant’s wife and Madame Phophonoff the wife of the Naval Officer commanding the brig Araxe – 

Tea over at 7 25/’’ – Madame T-[Tchekmareff] had sent us cream and bread and a marinade of fowl (A-[Ann] never enjoyed any meal so much in Russia) and part of a sort of sausagemeat fish and fowl pie, and 2 custards – 

Rainy evening at 7 25/’’ fine day, but a little rain en route for about 20 minutes and beginning at 1 40/’’ and A-[Ann] had one door shut but taken off and put back into its bag at the side (that is opened again) 1/2 hour before Bakou –

6 1/4 to 9 25/’’ Maraza to Dorentchi                         32                              

10 to 12 2/’’ D-[Dorentchi] to Ardat  .           .           23                              

12 35/’’ to 3 25/’’ A-[Ardat] to Baku .                       30                              

                                                                                  85                              

[symbols in the margin of the page:]         L

[in the margin of the page:]             Jolting par excellence

Page Reference: SH:7/ML/E/24/0108

[anne-lister-adventures]

Sunday, 17 May 1840

3 40/’’

12 35/’’

Off at 5 10/’’ – Alighted in 5 minutes and walked along the plain – A-[Ann] joined me by and by – Rise gentle began at 6 25/’’ A-[Ann] walked 1 1/2 hour till 7 5/’’ when she got in at the foot of the mountain a German waggon and 4 horses were stopping here to bait and rest a little – And here and now 7 5/’’ begins the steep rise – 

At top at 7 50/’’? in 5 or 6 minutes turn rather right, and descend a little and lose sight of plain of New Shamacha – Green, fertile, patched with good corn, and strewed with lines of black, oblong, ealing topped huts looking like heaps of manure laid up to rot, and in lines of 4 or 5 or 10 or 12 huts – I once counted 30+ huts in one long line – 

Wind to the right all along – Beautiful green, pointed undulating hill mountains – Fine sheep walk – Much cattle and fat tailed sheep, of both more black or dark coloured than any other colour – The plain and hills covered with pheasant’s eye (Paeonia) and wild Chamomile, and Thistles, and Spurges, and Fennel, and much broad leafed Dock and large leafed Pencil-Geranium, and the pretty small leafed small pink flower Geranium so common at home – And the hills where shrubby covered with a bright dark green Myrtle leafed thorny bush (Caper?) and a very small leafed Elm, or is it Hazel? and Ash-Bushes cropped down low – And White Thorn, and Dog Rose, and Bramble and Sloe, and Salley, § and Hornbeam? and Rock Cistus? and a woolly Mountain Ash like leafed shrub, Sumach? occasional peeps at the plain – 

The German waggon and 4 horses had passed me at 8 – Now at 8 1/4 on looking back (had stood writing – Till A-[Ann] and the Kibitka had got within about 150 or 200 yards of me) saw all at a stand – Our oxen lying down, selon leur ordinaire, in a muddy spot where a little spring crosses the road too tempting for them to pass – A-[Ann] came up to me at 8 25/’’ – Delayed 20 minutes – 

At 8 3/4 see village in the other (left) prong of the fork head of our valley and in 2 minutes peep down into valley on the other side our Col – Many ups and downs since first thinking myself at the top – Then turn left round the head of our valley and at 9 5/’’ right over the village seen to the left at 8 3/4, and at the top? gather white aromatic herb Samphorin? that we used to have about Montpellier – 

At 9 1/4 at the top I think – A minute or 2 ago, fine peep of the plain of Novo Shemacha – A road all along our narrow valley on the opposite side to us, beginning at the foot of the valley opposite where the steep ascent began at 7 5/’’ – In the distance I had thought it was the road we had to go – In fact, it would have been to us a nearer tho’ a rather steeper? road – The plain of N.[Novo] S.[Shemacha] seems covered with tanks? 

At 9 20/’’ at the spot where the 2 roads along the valley meet, and fine peep at the plain – At 9 50/’’ at the top – No! Wind right, and at 10 on Col looking down on to the plain (hazy now over it) – ([written on] Saturday 23 May) And to the left up a dell and 2 ranges, one above the other of hill, and large village of Sâcles, as before, on the ridge of the lower range – Still another hill-side to skirt along ascending – Cool air here – Even a wind from my right (the South?) – 

At 10 20/’’ apparently at the summit and about to begin the descent – Look into a bit of the valley I have left behind (I always turning right) and look down into valley thus sweeping before and behind me (1/4 mile before the carriage) and smaller valleys above and branching into it –

Fine green valley view, but not a tree to be seen – Good soil even at the very top of the Col – The hills rich pasture, and patched with dark green corn – 

At 10 20/’’ at top and 2 or 3 minutes farther little stone bridge over mountain misseau that crosses the road and just above a stone well or fountain supplied by a small spring and A-[Ann] came up on one of the Cossacks horses the man himself walking by and leading the animal, and our own Cossack Sous Officier following on horseback – A-[Ann] tired of the oxen, and had taken my hint, and mounted one of the horses – Picturesque village of Sâcles on hill just above (right) and gardens and vines at 10 35/’’ – We all went on together till 11 7/’’ another such fountain in a hollow and sheep and people and dogs and the German waggon and 4 were stopping to bait and steepish ascent again – And here A-[Ann] left me she riding up hill faster than I now felt inclined to walk – 

I was heated and began to feel that I should not be sorry to reach Old Shemacha – It occurred to me to mount the other horse – Then I thought I would walk it out from one Shemacha to the other – Toiled up the hill vainly hoping to see the Town from the top – But no! There was a large village of Sâcles on the hill of the opposite side the valley but S-[Semacha] was still out of sight – At the top of this hill at 11 35/’’ – Sheep and felt huts and shepherds and dogs – Wrote my notes leaning on a large sandstone with Persian inscription and did a little job and killed flea in my drawers A-[Ann] and the 2 Cossacks far on before – 

Fine cool air – Breeze – Thirsty for the last 20 minutes – Walked on a little farther and then sat down for 5 minutes on the green bank (right) at the side of the road – Then walked forwards again to the top of another hill and here at 12 I found A-‘s[Ann’s] Cossack waiting for me – He had left her at the Station and come to shew me the way – 

From here the descent began – The Town not seen for some minutes – In the hollow below – Left it to the left, and made straight along the rich flowery pastures for the Station House 1/2 mile or more from the Town – Nice walk – Gathered flowers – Abundance of a beautiful jonquil-like dark blue flower and of pretty single tulips – Pheasant’s eye – Pretty little red poppies as everywhere, and wild chamomile, and pretty vetches and forget-me-nots &c. &c. – 

Nice enough Station House – Fountain of excellent water close by – Found A-Ann loitering about – Heated – Lay down for a few minutes – Tea – A-[Ann] heated up our boiled rice – Not inclined to eat – But drank much Tea and ate some raisins – and did out of doors a large solid job – ([written on] Thursday 28 May )Tea over now at 2 50/’’ – Don’t feel much tired now after quenching my thirst with 1/2 dozen cups of warm Tea and a glass of cold water and frequent rinsings of the mouth with cold water – Sent General Kotzebue’s letter and our cards to the Commandant Colonel Ascheberg – 

Very hot – Not a dry thread on me on returning – Washed face and hands at the fountain of 1830 – Sandstone – 4 wells, and a beautiful inch-bore-pipe stream of soft clear water perpetually running – What a blessing to the Post Station-House, and Cossacks, and travellers and all the neighbourhood people! – 

The Town of Shemacha on the opposite hill side, a verst from our Station House – Must see the Town as we return – Our podorojna must be signed by the Commandant qui dormait – At 4 ordered the horses to be harnessed – Tiresome waiting – We have been out a little till now 4 35/’’   Off at 5 1/4 without podorojna – Had sent after – It in vain – On dormait toujours – Determined to wait at the door or in the Town till somebody was awake enough to get it signed – 

Alighted for a few minutes and walked up the hill to the mausolea – 4 – Went into each – Domed – Pretty little buildings – 3 tombs each within handsome carved and coloured with Persian inscriptions – In the last mausoleum the 3 tombs + the little tomb of an infant and in this last mausoleum measured the door (with A-‘s[Ann’s] 2 ft.feet rule) of beech wood? 3 ft.[feet] 5 1/2 in.[inches] within the styles – Styles 2 1/2 in.[inches] – 

The Yeddi Gumbaz Mausoleum about 1.5 km from Shamakhi. Of the 4 mausolea Anne saw, only 3 survive. The roof of the fourth has apparently collapsed. (Image Source)

The tombs inside one of these small buildings. Note the colorful inscriptions. (Image source)

‘Tis now 5 25/’’ – Soon down the hill (the carriage had gone forward) at the good bridge over the broadish bedded shallow river where the carriage waited for us – Waited in the Town sauntering under the arcades among the shops while our Cossack got the podorojna – The shops well stocked with the commodities fruits &c. common hereabouts – 

At the little river just out of the Town at 6 10/’’ – Over in 5 minutes – 2 little streams and afterwards a mere wide small-bouldery dry bed – At 6 1/2 short barley in car – They say, says George, this stage is 40 v.[versts] instead of 25, and the 33 v.[versts] tomorrow = 50 – Did not arrive at our Station tonight till 8 55/’’ – 

Very fine day and evening – Don’t feel much tired now, nor have I felt much tired – The great thirst allayed, I was quite right again – Tea at 10 and 1 thing or other till 11 1/2 – Undressing (to put on clean linen tomorrow) and catching fleas &c. till 12 1/2 Reaumur 14 1/3º at 11 1/2 p.m.

§ yellow Jasmin – a plant something like a wild parsley – Blue Symphitum (asperinum?) butter cups – Rose trees –

                                                                                  versts

a.m. 5 10/’’ to 1 New to Old Shemacha                    24 5/7            

p.m. 5 1/4 to 8 55/’’ Old S-[Shemacha] to Maraza   25                    

                                                                                  49 5/7            

[symbols in the margin of the page:]         L✓

[in the margin of the page:]            manure-like huts

[in the margin of the page:]             shrubs and flowers

[in the margin of the page:]             1st fountain

[in the margin of the page:]             2nd fountain

Page References: SH:7/ML/E/24/0106 and SH:7/ML/E/24/0107

[anne-lister-adventures]

Saturday, 16 May 1840

3 35/’’

12 10/’’

Reaumur 14 1/2º at 4 a.m. in our room and Fahrenheit 65º (both marked on same little Bate London thermometer) breakfast – Rice and tea – Washing up, and not off till 5 10/’’ – 

At 1st Station at 6 8/’’ i.e. 15 v.[versts] in 58 minutes! beautiful morning – Sun hot now at 6 1/4 – Fine rich pasture valley, grass and herbage, thistles, &c. all along – Much cattle – 

Station House just like that last night of Karamarianskoi – The 2 first of this kind low, one story building – 2 wings and a front something of this sort – One door in each wing and a room, and 2 doors in the front and a room on each side of each of these 2 doors –

Very fairly off last night – Better than in our Caravanserai at Elizabethpol – En route again at 6 35/’’ – 

At 7 1/4 at river – And river at 8 20/’’ and at 8 25/’’ village and Station House of Novo Shemacha (New Shemacha) – A General just gone, has taken 16 pair of oxen to get him up the mountain – No horses, nobody allowed to have horses but the Post – No oxen – Alight for the day – 

Main street of Shemakha in 1849.

A-[Ann] and I went out immediately and sauntered about till 10 1/2 – A little Gastinoi Dvor, Bazaar, at a little distance in front of the village well supplied with the usual commodities hereabouts – Dried fruits and nuts (walnuts and filberts almonds) and oates and jujubes, and rock salt, and garanca (madder) the root called ….. but the root ground to a fine powder is the henna with which they stain dye their nails a red orange colour – There was also abundance of the yellow green powder with which they dye their beards black – There were several sorts of cake (apparently of wheat flour) and split peas and beans, and lentils, and a largeish roundish 1/4 in.[inch] or less thick queer dark looking cake which they let us taste, a veritable plum cake i.e. of plums dried and pressed into this shape – 

There was a butcher’s shop, and the man killed a sheep (fat tailed) before our own eyes – Cut its throat and let it bleed to death – Several little sausage shops – The sausages in all stages of preparation, and also ready cooked to eat – There was also a plat of eggs poached in oil and eaten with cake, 1/2 dozen men at one dish – Disappointed in the cake, and took out the egg with their fingers, and one of the men held out a bit for me to taste – I ate it off the man’s finger and found it very eatable – 

Sauntered down into a nice garden – 3 or 4 houses (low mud-covered places as usual) but carpeted and neat within – The women flocked round us ditto their husbands (or 1 or 2 men) – They had largeish oblong shallow cartons in their room under the stone bench full of silk worm eggs placed on mulberry leaf buds – A youth offered us green plums (Magnum Bonums just well set) to eat carefully taking out the little kernel which they made us understand was unwholesome – They took us to another cottage where the husband was weaving a Tchadra veil of the women of the country – Shewed us one – Price 3 Monāt i.e. 3/- Silver Rubles – 

Sat down to my accounts at 11 – Dozed over them – Lay down – Slept till 3 – Then till now 5 1/2 finished my accounts – Then at Journal and map till dinner at 7 1/4 to 8 20/’’ – Then preparing bed &c. &c. Till now 9 1/2 – Then at journal again till now 11 p.m. beautiful night – Reaumur 14 3/4º and Fahrenheit 65º now 11 25/’’ p.m.

5 10/’’ to 6 8/’’ Karamarianskoi to Kululinskoi                      15               

6 35/’’ to 8 35/’’ K-[Kululinskoi] to Novoshemacha .            18 1/2                                                                                                                  33 1/2                     

[in the margin of the page:]             General Fezey Commandant at Kuba – who we met at Madame Latchinoff’s and found at Baku

[in the margin of the page:]             Henna

Page Reference: SH:7/ML/E/24/0106

[anne-lister-adventures]

Monday, 4 May 1840

7 20/’’

12 3/4

Very fine sunny morning Reaumur 11 2/3º at 6 20/’’ a.m. breakfast at 9 – Sat down to write to M-[Mariana] about 10 1/2 came Hajie Yoosoof with a native of Smyrna an interprète for Persia, or for our little journey here – He had travelled with Enlish people – Knew that they always liked to have the juste prix asked at once – Asked what was his price – He said he did not so much want a great price, as to travel for the sake of travelling – He would consider of the price no! pressed him to say at present – He spoke a little with Yoosoof in some language and then asked 60 Ducats per month – I merely observed that that was the usual and general price of interprètes and said that with the Cossack I should have, I should do well enough without interpreter – Explained that my journey to Persia was put off – Could not negotiate bills here – Must do what I could hereabouts for the present – Hajie and his friend gone had long potheration with George about the charges in copper he ought to have got me a week ago –

Captain Tolstoy came soon after General Kotzebue and sat talking till and some time after Madame Latchinoff and her Mademoiselle Sophie and they staid till 1 55/’’ – Madame L-[Latchinoff] très aimable A-[Ann] sitting working in the little room à coté all the morning till a few minutes before Madame L-[Latchinoff] went – She promised me a Translation of her paper Memoir or what on Erivan – And a translation of a sort of preface or what to a work to be published by ____ (an officer? Russian) on the Caucasus –

We were to dine chez Madame Besoc at 2 – The servant came to ask if we had forgotten – No! There (close to here) at 2 20/’’ – An elderly and a younger Georgian lady and 2 Georgian gents[gentlemen] and Monsieur and Madame B-[Besoc] and ourselves –

The Queen of Imérétie still living – At St. P-[Petersburg] the Georgian blood pure – The Georgians had hardly intermarried even with the Armenians till of late and then only few instances of it – But the neighbourhood countries much mixed with Georgian blood thro’ the Georgian female slaves – The Georgian an original language now spoken by about 350,000 persons –

Mr. B-[Besoc] going on Saturday to the copper mines about 80 v.[versts] from here wide of the Baku road – They pay government (net I suppose) 500 Silver Rubles per annum which B-[Besoc] reckoned = £100 – Said the revenues of this country might be doubled in a little care with good management tho’ he has hardly a moment to spare and does all his society duties in a visit once a week (evening parties) chez Madame Golovin (une auge said Madame B-[Besoc] – speaking of her) yet he has pride and pleasure in doing his duty ot his Emperor and country even to the loss of health and life and will continue at his post to the last moment that he is able to be of use – Will give us a letter to Baku – To his people there to shew us the naphta springs from which government makes a considerable revenue –

Denied that government had offered any price or wished to buy the sovereignty of Mingrelia of Prince Dadian – (Odd this?) – Government offered as we know 800 000/- Silver – Yes! Offered a million en argent and the Dadien had refused it – Tho’ our gay graceful princess wife of the prince héréditaire would be glad to take the price and live in princely dignity at St. P-[Petersburg] -  

Nice little well cooked dinner – Coffee immediately afterwards in the salon – Walked there and ditto back and home at 3 40/’’ – Had our washer woman – Changed our dress – Out A-[Ann] and I at 5 10/’’ – Shopping in the bazaar at our tea and singular shop, and afterwards bought raisins at our first shop, and came in at 7 1/4 – Ate raisins then tea – Had Domna –

Sat reading article Persia in vol.[volume] 2, Murray which came back today from Mr. Schwostoff after his having had the 2 vols.[volumes] since last Wednesday night – Then wrote all but the 2 first lines of today – Vide line 10 of today -

‘Captain Tolstoy came soon after General Kotzebue and sat ‘talking till and some time after Madame Latchinoff’ ….. General Kotzebue must have come about 11 – Brought me 6 letters and an open order tout ce qu’il faut for the comfort of our journey to Baku and across the country by Shusha to Nachitshevan to Erivan –Very gentlemanly sensible agreeable beautifully countenanced little man – Terribly overworked but always grateful to the Emperor for all he has done for him – He was a young Colonel – The Emperor made him General on his coming here, and never forgets to reward those who serve him well –

K-[Kotzebue] has 2 children tho’ married little more than 2 years and Madame K-[Kotzebue] enceinte again – She is a nice person – But he is particularly so – What is his age? Tolstoy is Æt [aetatis] 33 – Worn – Having the experience – Having lived, as it were, more than 43 years – His journey from Siberia to Erzeroum 9000 v.[versts] in 30 days always occurs to me = 12 1/2 v.[versts] per hour during every hour of the 30 days? (i.e. days and nights = 30 x 24 = 720 hours and 9000 v.[versts] ÷ 720 = 12 1/2)

Had just written so far now at 11 40/’’ p.m. my journal lying on the table this morning explained to Madame L-[Latchinoff] the use of my crypt and the principle on which it is composed, and how easily she might have use of some invention of the same sort – Convinced her, too, that I was not an author by profession – That I had never published anything in my life, and had no thought at present of writing and publishing anything on Russia – She said she could understand the love of travelling, and the great interest of travelling here – Where all is so new to a mere European traveller –

Very fine day – Fire this evening today our clean linen – Have had no fire for several days – But high wind all day, and very high whistling rather boisterous wind tonight – Terrible clouds of dust now and then in the streets this afternoon – Reaumur 12 1/4º now at 11 50/’’ p.m. found my cousin come this morning on getting up –

[symbols in the margin of the page:]         ✓        

[in the margin of the page:]            General Kotzebue

[in the margin of the page:]           line 25 of next p.[page]

[in the margin of the page:]           Dine chez Madame Besoc

[in the margin of the page:]           line 10 of today

[in the margin of the page:]           General Kotzebue

[in the margin of the page:]           9000 v.[versts] in 30 days

Page References: SH:7/ML/E/24/0095 and SH:7/ML/E/24/0096

[anne-lister-adventures]

Sunday, 3 May 1840

8 25/’’

11

Very fine morning Reaumur 11 2/3º at 9 a.m. breakfast at 9 55/’’ to 10 35/’’ – Some Officer called at 9 55/’’ but not admitted – Sorry we were just sitting down to breakfast – The Officer who came before breakfast came again just as we had began prayers about 11 and staid and staid till Madame Besoc and Madame Vassilikofski (right spelt 2 or 3 pp.[pages] ago – Madame Mendt’s sister) had come and gone and Madame B-[Besoc] asked us to dinner tomorrow – Very civil – 

The Officer of Belgian descent, Blaramberg, brother or cousin to a Colonel of the État Major from St. P-[Petersburg] of the suite of General du Hamel the Russian Ambassador in Persia now at Ispahan – He had just had letter from there in 24 days came on hearing of going to Persia to hope we should see his brother or cousin – Asked to bring his wife – A Greek, née Mavromichaly – Her uncle is Minister de la Guerre or something under K. Otho at Athens, and our Officer (degradé for 3 years for fighting a duel) if he does not get his father’s place at Kertch, head of the Musée of Antiquities there and settle comfortably there may probably go to and settle at Athens – The Emperor does not object to people leaving his service and settling in other countries but if they do this, does not permit them to return – 

Mr. B-[Blaramberg] gone, we were just beginning prayers a 2d.[2nd] time when the Directeur of the Gymnase called and sat talking a longish while – An agreeable man – Mentioned General Prince Barataieff as très instruit in the antiquities of this country – 

When he went recommenced prayers and had just finished when Mr. Roubetz called and sat perhaps 1/4 hour till 2 35/’’ – While the Directeur du Gymnase was here, a man brought 2 Billets d’Entrée invitation to the ball tonight – Much obliged – Sorry we could not go, I having nothing to go in but black which I could not appear in it being the fête day of the Empress of the Grand Duke Héritier and of one the Grand Duchesses – 

Wrote the above of today till now 3 1/4 when A-[Ann] prepared dinner – Dinner at 3 1/2 to after 4 – Then reading Dubois vol.[volume] 3, and dozing till 5 40/’’ very fine sunny afternoon – 

A-[Ann] and I out at 6 – But I found she could not get on – And turning back with her took 20 minutes – I took George and set off again at 6 20/’’ – Walked thro’ the low part of the Town, over the bridge to the hill on the other side the river – A great many people there – Fête for the 2 or 3 last Sundays – Today the last Sunday – 

View of Tiflis, by Roskoschny (c. 1884).

Went into the curious little old Georgian church or Monastery walled round – A priest preaching – The little church full – Passed under clocher into the churchyard – Then pronaos, church, and part under the dome (chancel) up to the alter table where the priest stood – Church full of people – All the plateau of the mountain in the vicinity of the church covered with tombs, and 3 little ruined brick chapels near – Walked over the tops of the Sacles – Fine views of the river – There was music said George a little farther on – But saw the whole and returned at 7 and home at 7 35/’’ – 

A[Ann] out of sorts but took no notice Tea – Had Domna at 8 40/’’ then sat reading till 10 – Have during the day spelt over the Etat Major map and read to p.[page] 155 vol.[volume] III. Dubois’s Caucasus – Very fine day – 

Roubetz said the whole of the troops here in the province sixty to eighty thousand are dead in ten years                      an officer of the etat major takes on an expedition two horses for himself to ride and one for his sservant and two for baggage – 

Told the Directeur du Gymnase I had wished before he mentioned it this morning to get some Armenian inscriptions copied – He said Mr. Brosset of the Academy of St. P-[Petersburg] had asked him to get all he could and he should set all the distant Maitres de Gymnase to work – He himself must learn Tatar, and will take lessons – Tatar is indispensable – Almost all the Georgians speak Tatar as well as their own language – 

Tis now 10 20/’’ p.m. very fine day –

[symbols in the margin of the page:]         ✓         ✓c       ✓         ✓         +

[in the margin of the page:]             Armenian inscriptions to be copied

Page References: SH:7/ML/E/24/0095

[anne-lister-adventures]

Saturday, 2 May 1840

6 3/4

1 3/4

Very fine morning and Reaumur 10 1/2º at 6 3/4 a.m. the German woman came with butter A[Ann] wrong again because I took one instead of half a pound      surely I shall now stick to my purpose and get rid of her some way or other as well as I can 

At 10 came Hoffman for 1/2 the money in advance for the carriage doing yet he has been since Wednesday morning and done nothing at it! I would give him the money if he would give me security for having it done as he promised I said on Tuesday but it was agreed to be done on Monday evening – No! He had taken 2 Calêches to do, and the Kibitka was to be ready next Tuesday week! No! said I, I must be auge or demidieu not to be out of patience with this – Tell the man I wish him good morning – And I sent George with compliments to Mr. Chwostoff to ask him to be so good as say when he could come –

I should go out today at 1 1/2 for a couple of hours except this had no engagement – George can literally do nothing i.e. get nothing done for us – What can be the reason of it? I cannot comprehend the man he is Russian – It is not that he cannot explain what is wanted – Had George in soon afterwards about what to do with Domna – Mentioned her going to Mr. Besoc’s – Longish talk – George went to her, and brought word back that she should not like to be at Mr. B-s[Besoc’s] all the people being Georgians – What would she like? To be at the house of a Marchand here whose wife had been to visit her – Said I had nothing to say against her objection to Mr. Besoc’s – Would consult Mr. Chwostoff tonight – George to inquire into the volonté of Domná and if her volonté and mine agreed, the matter would be easy – If not, I would arrange some other way – But if she returned I saw no way but his going with her – A-[Ann] and I sat talking things over she mending gloves &c. at my elbow, I drinking raisin tea and eating the raisins being thirsty – Then wrote the last 8 lines till now 1 5/’’ – 

At 1 1/2 Hajie Yoosoof came and brought a youth with him – At the moment Madame and Mademoiselle Golovin were announced sent off Hajie and received the ladies who sat some time very civil Mr. Stadler soon came and sat more than 1/2 the time they were here, and after they went took him with us to the Gymnase for Hajie returned for us soon after 2 – 

Large handsome building 60 élèves du Gouvernement – Building 50,000/- and 3,000/- (en argent) per annum allowed in the Directeur and Master of the School only arrived about a month ago from St. P-[Petersburg] the latter had been 3 years at St. P-[Petersburg] a student before that at Charkoff – 

The Tiflis Gymmase. (Image Source)

He shewed us his translation into Russian of Romeo and Juliet, and his Baudry-Paris Edition of Shakspeare[Shakespeare] in 2 volumes large 8vo.[octavo] – Good clear print – The edition corrected by Chalmers – Well-informed gentlemanly man – Turned to Macbeth – The beginning – Aroint thee witch – The glossary explained it – Avaunt – Begone – Mentioned the conjecture of a learned Scotsman (Dr. Hunter ages ago to my Aunt Anne) – That aroint thee should probably be a rowan tree, witch – i.e. the rowan tree or mountain ash was a spell against witchcraft – Or it might mean, that the shaft of the besom on which witches rode was generally of rowan tree, and that the witch should betake herself to it and begone – But now on writing this (at 10 55/’’ p.m.) it seems to me that the conjecture was that rowan tree witch, meant, there is, or I have, or beware of, a rowantree, or spell against thy powers, and will have nothing to say to thee – 

The rooms of the Gymnase large lofty and good – And the master’s apartment very nice and comfortable – Tasted the soup the roast beef and soup the 5 boys remaining (vacance – All the rest gone to their friends to return next week) had for dinner – very good beef – Tender – Best we have tasted here – The Maître de Pension gave us chocolate and excellent Savoy Biscuits as we talked over Shakespeare – Mr. Stadler, too, at home on the subject of English Literature – 

From there to Hajie Yoosoofs house in the square Abasabad – He shewed us several dictionaries and grammars – English Richardson’s Dictionary and Sir William Jones’s Grammar and Jauberts French Turkish Grammar – At last shewed his own MS. Grammar in Persian Tartar and Turkish – Had given 29 lessons to a young Prince Tchetchevadsoff (vide the name right spelt a p.[page] or 2 back) and he could already read and speak a little Persian – Mr. Stadler as we talked it over afterwards thought our Hajie’s grammar quite on an Eastern plan, no easier to an European, nor so easy as the common method – For my part, I am no judge – But it is probable that Lord Clanricarde will not trouble himself much about grammar or asiatic society in this case – Got away as soon as we could much obliged to Mr. S-[Stadler] – 

Came in at 4 50/’’ – Sat talking – Dinner about 5 17/’’ that is eggs and barley cake and butter and a little cheese and wine and water – Had just got all sided (about 7 p.m.) when Mr. Chwostoff came and staid till 10 25/’’ – Had stood some time but we somehow got to the subject of our English Ministers and their measures and Hein came – 

Soon after Mr. S-[Stadler] came we had sent for Hoffmann who arrived too tipsy to be fit for anything ∴[therefore] sent him off – With Hein la chose s’arrangeait – The carriage to be done on Thursday or Hein to forfeit (to pay) for 55/- S.[Silver] R.[Rubles] which it is now agreed to pay – He to send the carriage back but I to pay for its going to him = 3 or 4 abasses – Does not want paying till the work is done – 

Had talked over the affair of the servants – Of leaving Domna – On C-‘s[Chwostoff’s] saying it would be best to give her so much, and let her arrange for herself, but surprised she would not go chez Mr. Besoc, I proposed giving her her wages as usual and doubling her allowance for nourriture i.e. giving her 2/- a day – Yes! That would be quite enough – And if I gave George 1/- per day for the time he had been here it would be quite enough – 

All this settled we had tea – Green exprès for Mr. C-[Chwostoff] and he probably thought it good; for he took 2 cups – Did not know of any other place (Inn) for us to be at than this – Shops here where nothing but Persian things are sold in a Georgian (Colonel in the Russian Service) here learned in the Persian language and who has just finished or is finishing – Persian Grammar and Dictionary – 

On C-‘s[Chwostoff’s] going away asked what books we could bring from England, should we return to go to Persia, that he would like – But said he was of course aware of the difficulty – All must be sent to the Censureship – He said we should get the Russian Ambassador’s seal put on the package – Box or caisse – This led to explaining the difficulty of this – Lord S.[Stuart] de R-‘s[Rothesay’s] getting our passport signed Whig Ministers &c. &c. – But inquire again as to getting the Russian Minister’s seal – He might safely give it to us – We are certainly not likely to aid the spread of Whig politics – 

C-[Chwostoff] asked to see A-‘s[Ann’s] album – heard we had beautiful views &c. &c. !!! Explained – Shewed A-‘s[Ann’s] little unfinished sketches – I wish we could se fournir de jolies dessins –

Had Domna and had just read a few pp.[pages] of vol.[volume] 3 Dubois and had just written the last 4 1/2 lines of p.[page] 181 and the last p.[page] and so far of this now at 12 10/’’ – Very fine day, but rather windy – 

Mr. C-[Chwostoff] spoke of the amazing of trotting horses in America – The Marquis of Sligo had bought 2 horses in Philadelphia that trotted in double harness 19 English miles an hour with ease – He had given 2000 dollars for one horse – But for 600 dollars one could have a good horse that would trot 19 miles an hour in harness – The American horses taught to trot from their ‘infancy’ –Could trot a mile in 1 20/’’ minutes to 1 1/2 minutes – the latter pace common enough! – I had boasted that our English horses could trot as well as the American – no! said I – now I give in – we cannot do that – a mile in 1/2 minute a common trotting speed = 60 x 2 / 3 = 40 miles an hour!!! they can beat our best blood horses at gallop – Yes! They could – I said I had once ridden 2 miles in 4 minutes and thought it a great thing and I had trotted 14 miles in an hour (the little brown Buskett mare at Skelfler) and thought the galloping in particular a great thing – But I had only gone at the rate of 30 miles an hour and American horses can trot at the rate of 40!!! – 

It seems the great Western America-going steamer is taken up by our government for the India Mail to Alexandria and letters do not now go viâ Marseilles – And by this new arrangement government would save £60,000 a year – Speaking on the head of Whig savings, I said we paid the same taxes as before the petites économies of clerks and ladies pensions &c. &c. and in a time of and after 20 years of profound peace, we still borrowed, Ministers could not make all ends meet! – 

C-[Chwostoff] said we were better off in war – No nation had gained by the peace – Nor England nor Russia nor France still in a precarious state – And we should go on from change to change till we had (such was the sense of his phrase) run the whole rig – Had just written so far now at 12 40/’’

[symbols in the margin of the page:]         ✓       ✓       +          ✓       +          +

[in the margin of the page:]             Hoffman again

[in the margin of the page:]            Gymnase

[in the margin of the page:]            Mr. C-[Chwostoff] drank tea with us

[in the margin of the page:]            Agreement with Hein

Page References: SH:7/ML/E/24/0093 and SH:7/ML/E/24/0094 and SH:7/ML/E/24/0095

[anne-lister-adventures]

Friday, 1 May 1840

11 a.m.

10 10/’’

Fine morning – Jumped up to pay for our 50 cards apiece engraved here = 4/ en argent for the engraving of the cards and 8 abasses for the cards (small – gentlemans size) and gave the Orloffs’ servant 2 abasses = 6 rubles en argent! – Breakfast not over till 1 1/2 – 

Dressed for dinner almost on getting up – Mr. Koun came about horses – Only just up – Sorry could not see him – Said Mr. Besac was arranging for me – The carriage came at little before 2 – Waited some minutes – 

Off to dinner chez Madame Latchinoff at 2, and back at 4 – The General Fay? as pronounced Commandant at Baku and thereabouts and residing at Kouba on one side Madame L-[Latchinoff] and I on the other and next me left Colonel Brousiloff he and General F-[Fay] who do all he could for us and offered his house at Kouba should we go there in passing to Derbend, quite against our having free horses from here to Baku – By all means to go with post horses – Colonel B-[Brousiloff] promised to call on Mr. Besoc and arrange this – 12 rivers or branches to pass between Baku and Derbend and 300 versts to go – How again we are to go with post horses – How difficult to know what to do for the best! 

No lady at dinner but ourselves – The oldest Golovin and the lame gentleman – 2 other gents[gentlemen] Aides de Camp perhaps on some unspeaking employés – Colonel B-[Brousiloff] as usual aimable and gentlemanly and without him …… Madame L-‘s[Latchinoff’s] talents not those to make her dinners preeminently agreeable over those of everybody else – 

Somehow there was a General je ne sais quoi that made me feel it the least agreeable dinner we have had in Russia – The talents of Madame L-[Latchinoff] had the same sort of effect at our supper table last night – Yet she is the Savante Belle – Le bel esprit de Tiflis! 

The servants went to dinner and returned at 6 just as I had written so far – A-[Ann] and I had stood talking – terrible this morning            she would never leave home again on the same terms it seemed as if everything was all mine &c. &c. she had not meant to say anything till our return but it had come out now   I never consulted her &c. &c. she told me at Moscow bringing Domna would not answer but I never attended         she owned however that she had pointed out nothing better      I said this morning as often always before if she would but say what she wished it should be done if possible regretted my inability to manage better &c. &c.           as usual          it is really terrible      little difficulties would be nothing if I had an affectionate reasonable person at my elbow       how will it end            we always make it up again        but it wearies me I am tired of this thraldom – 

A-[Ann] and I out at 6 20/’’ sauntered along the high bank of the river towards Kutais to beyond the brick-kilus and came in at 7 3/4 – Tea till 9 –

[symbols in the margin of the page:]         ✓c

[in the margin of the page:]            Dinner chez Madame Latchinoff

Page Reference: SH:7/ML/E/24/0093

[anne-lister-adventures]

Thursday, 30 April 1840

7 20/’’

3 1/2

Fine morning but high whistling wind this morning and all last night Reaumur 10 1/2º now at 8 45/’’ – One of the German colony brought in some new milk this morning 1st time – Sent by Madame Orloff – Ought to have come at 1st – Says he has been twice – The Master of the House said we did not want milk – Breakfast over at 10 – 

Then had Captain Tolstoy – He directed in Russian under my English direction my letter to ‘Messrs. A. Marc and Co. Moscow’ enclosing 8 circulars nos.[numbers] 8597,8,9, 8600, 1, 2, 3 and 4 of £25 each = £200 – The Master of the House (as desired by Captain Tolstoy took the letter and circulars open to the Post Office which exchanges at 21/- per £1 I valued at 4200/ assignats – The Master of the House brought a receipt for this sum and paid 4/30 postage – 

Madame Latchinoff and her companion Mademoiselle Sophie came 1/4 hour before I had sent off my letter and got ready – All off to the Monastery of St. David at near 11 I think it must have been – High wind – A-[Ann] turned back before we had got many yards beyond our own square – Madame L-[Latchinoff] much tired and out of breath – 

The church of St. David.

Small church – Saw the pretty little carpet Madame Golovin had worked and given to the church – Went into 2 of the houses of the Religieuses – Armenian like – Divans or estrades? Pilgrims often sleep there – 2 of these devout ladies asleep after their fatigues – An image there famous for giving children to those who lack and pray for them – 

The tomb of Mr. Griboudieff Russian Ambassador at Teheran and murdered by a mob there – Husband of our Georgian Princess sister of Princess Dadian – If one makes a stone stick against the wall of the church whatever one wishes is to come true – Argillacious stones and church wall – A little strength of hand is all required – Of course Captain T-[Tolstoy] and I réussirent – 

The tomb of Mr. Griboyedov (right). (Image source)

He had been here since 1829 – Travelled 9500 v.[versts] in 30 days from Siberia to Erzeroum to join the army in the Campaign in Turkey – Took leave of Madame L-[Lachtinoff] at my own door – Captain T-[Tolstoy] came in and sat perhaps near 1/2 hour – We found Madame Orloff here who staid a long while after T-[Tolstoy] was gone – General O-[Orloff] offered me Sous Officier Cossack – Gladly accepted him for our journey to Baku and back – Madame O-[Orloff] agreeable – Left us at 1 40/’’ – 

A-[Ann] and I off in a few minutes to Madame Scallon to thank for the wine and flowers – Sat 5 minutes perhaps with her – Then called and left our cards chez les Kotzebue – Doubled i.e. for Madame and Mademoiselle – Then to the Bazaar A-[Ann] bought 2 gown pieces &c. –

 On returning (after 4) met Hajie Yoosoof whom Mr. Chwastoff had sent to us – Received him very civilly – He is to come for us to go and see his curiosities and works at 1 1/2 on Saturday – 

Then dinner and wrote the above of today all now (I can only just barely see) 7 3/4 – Off to Madame Golovin’s ball at 8 3/4 – Supper at 1 home at 2 – Saw all my gents[gentlemen] and settled all – Fine but very windy day –

[symbols in the margin of the page:]         L         ✓c       ✓       ✓c

[in the margin of the page:]             Hajie Yoosoof

[in the margin of the page:]            3 1/2 a.[archinos] of cloth for his Persian coat at 12/- Silver

[in the margin of the page:]            Ball at Madame G-‘s[Golovin’s]

Page References: SH:7/ML/E/24/0092 and SH:7/ML/E/24/0093

[anne-lister-adventures]

Wednesday, 29 April 1840

7

11 3/4

Fine but dull morning Reaumur 12 3/4º now at 8 10/’’ – Breakfast at 8 40/’’ to 9 20/’’ – Wrote and sent note ‘to Monsieur Monsieur Besoc’ to ask him to come during today if he could and what could be got for the Billets d’Échange – And to help me about horses – 

Then had Hoffman, and afterwards himself and his son-in-law (and had a servant to offer who however not speaking Tatar would could do me no good ∴[therefore] dismissed him with this answer) – Till 12 40/’’ – After much talked settled to have the wheels and all necessary done to our Kibitka and a large new box behind for 52/- in Silver –

tire of wheels 5 poods of iron at 4/- =                       32.00              

wood-work of wheels repairing .       .                       8.00                  

chevrile ouvrière (main bolt) .           .                       2.00                  

Box behind and doors fixing, and marche pied        10.00

To be ready – All done complete next Monday evening – 

Then wrote the above of today till now 12 50/’’ – Had George – Domna afraid of something happening if we are too long en voyage – Would like to go back if she had an opportunity – I think there is nothing to fear – Hoped to be back and off from here the end of July and at Odessa in a month – Would not take her to Baku – But for toilette could not do without her – 

Dawdling over 1 thing or other till Madame Tchevtchivadzeiff and her sister Princess Dadian called at 1 40/’’ and sat 1/2 hour – George and Domna out – Had locked all never said a word – Left without a soul – This is terrible – 

Ekaterine Dadiani, Princess of Mingrelia

Our visitors très aimable – A perfectly Europeanized specimen of Georgian ladies – Très comme il faut – The father of our friends (Prince Schevtchivadzieff) bought the house cheap they now live in at 3500/- en argent but with furnishing and all, it had cost him 10,000/- en argent – 

Our visitors gone A-[Ann] and I talked over our being so left and agreed to let Domna go back to Moscow if she preferred it – Then till now 3 35/’’, wrote the last 8 or 9 lines – Had George – Said he and Domna must think about what would be best – She might return to Moscow if she thought it better to do so – 

Dinner over and had ice at 5 1/2 (1st time from a man near serf of the Princess Tcherkaski) each of us an ice à la rose – 20 S.[Silver] K.[Kopek] each – Very small glasses, and tolerably good – 

Out at 6 1/4 to the garden for 1/2 hour – Name day of the grand héritière – Military band – Not many ladies but the greater part of our Society – And several of the gents[gentlemen] – The Golovins Chwostoffs Orloffs Madame Latischeff Madame Besoc &c. &c. – Colonel Broussiloff who will give us notes for Baku and says the road is good and we shall do very well – Captain Tolstoy &c. &c. mentioned our going on Tuesday next with post horses to Baku – Sent message to General Kotzebue by Miss K-[Kotzebue] his sister – Asked General O-[Orloff] for escort, and the Chef de Police for a place for the servants’ Kibitka – He will order it to have a place here – Captain Tolstoy to come at 10 tomorrow to direct and forward my letter to Mr. Marc –

On leaving the garden and coming home A-[Ann] sent the 2 vols.[volumes] of Murrays Geography by George to Madame Chwostoff for her husband to keep till we go away and I walked with him and to the end of the street under the castle-mountain from end to end and back by the Bazaar in 3/4 hour hour at 8 1/2 – Hot with walking fast –

Strong wind all today and this evening – Tea – Sat long over it then had Domna – Asleep while A-[Ann] had her – And then wrote the last 11 1/2 or 12 lines till now 10 1/2 a few drops of rain 2 or 3 times during the day with high wind – Fair this evening and my walk did me good –

[in the margin of the page:]            settled about the carriage

Page Reference: SH:7/ML/E/24/0092

[anne-lister-adventures]

Tuesday, 28 April 1840

7 40/’’

1

Very fine morning Reaumur 10 1/2º at 8 a.m. breakfast at 9 1/4 and afterwards sat reading Malcolm vol.[volume] 1 and making notes to p.[page] 10 – Till 11 1/4 – 

Out at 11 1/2 and making calls till home at 2 20/’’ sat reading till 3 3/4 when note in English from Madame Golovin to ask A-[Ann] to ride this afternoon at 5 and myself to go with Madame G-[Golovin] in her Calêche – Wrote back 

Mrs. Lister and Miss Walker are very much obliged to Madame de Golovin for her so kind attention and will be ready at five o’clock – Tuesday ‘À Madame Madame de Golovin’ – 

One of the Cossack avant couriers brought the note and a hat of Mademoiselle G-‘s[Golovin’s] for A-[Ann] and took back the answer on a 1/4 sheet paper – 

Called on the Braikos, Kotzebuis, Madame Vassilkovsky, Les Dames Georgiennes Madame Gribōdyef (as pronounced but Gribodoff as written for us by Madame Mendt) and her sister Princess Dadian – The Princess Tchevtchivadzieff their mother and their Aunt Madame Orbelianoff not speaking they promised to faire nos complimens and on return home we found the cards, 2, of Prince Tchartchavadge Général Major – 

Handsome house – Fine view over the Town on the Koutaïs road – Well furnished – Several Georgian ladies and 3 or 4 Russian high employés – The Georgian ladies pretty themselves and in their pretty picturesque costume, and the Princess herself charmante – Her sister Madame G-[Golovin] prettyish and very agreeable – Their little sister beautiful little Georgian child of 7 or 8 – 

Then to the Golovins, Madame Besoc Madame Mendt and Madame Latchinoff and Madame Orloff, and sent message to say we would go to Madame Chwastoff at 7 1/2 this evening (accepted) and then to Madame Scallon for 5 minutes where we met the Golovins – 

Did not have cards anywhere having sent them on Sunday and no where admitted except chez Madame Vassilkosky and les Dames Georgiennes, and Madame Latchinoff and Madame Scallon – A-[Ann] seemed rather warm with walking but I not at too warm – Agreeable morning – A little air now and then and the sun couvert – Had just written so far now at 4 1/4 – Dinner in 1/2 hour till 4 3/4 – 

Off from here at 5 the carriage having waited 10 minutes – Alighted chez Madame Golovin for 2 or 3 minutes – And then off she and I in the phaeton and A-[Ann] and Miss G-[Golovin] and her 2 brothers and Miss Kotzebue, and the Aide du Camp and Colonel Broussiloff on horseback – Drove thro’ the Town on the Erivan road to opposite the great hospital and back fine views of reaches of river and gardens and mountains – Madame G-[Golovin] set me down at home at 6 3/4 – 

Old Tbilisi – Lev Lagorio (Image source)

The servants out – All looked up – Walked on the balcony 25 minutes before George came then waited as much longer for Domna – Then off at 7 55/’’ and in 20 minutes walked to Madame Chwastoffs Madame Scallon there – Tea very soon and sat long at table – 

Mr. C-[Chwastoff] all croaking about the difficulties of our journey – As easy to go to Ispahan as Baku – Could as easily go to I-[Ispahan] in a carriage as to B-[Baku] nothing to repay us at B-[Baku] the naphta springs curious but to a person who had seen Pausiliffo &c. nothing worth going for – Had better go on horseback – If any accident to the carriage en route must sent here to be repaired – The Germans very dear would charge 1000 S.[Silver] R.[Rubles] for going from there to B-[Baku] and back by Erivan – On arriving the C-s[Chwastoffs] had left their carriage a hundred vv.[versts] from here and they paid the Germans 50 S.[Silver] R.[Rubles] for taking them to bring it here – Or did he mean for going for the carriage and bringing it here empty – 

Returned in their phaeton at 9 55/’’ and home probably in 10 minutes – Had Domna – Tea – Stood talking – Wrote all but the 1st 4 lines of this p.[page] till now 12 3/4 – Fine hottish dullish day – Threatening rain this evening and much lightning as we walked to the C-s[Chwastoffs]

[symbols in the margin of the page:]         N         N         ✓         ✓         ✓

Page References: SH:7/ML/E/24/0091 and SH:7/ML/E/24/0092

[anne-lister-adventures]

Monday, 27 April 1840

8 10/’’

12 25/’’

Dullish morning Reaumur 12 1/2º at 9 a.m. – Breakfast over about 10 1/2 – Mr. Koun came – I think he is disappointed that the Persian journey is given up – 

20 days journey from here to Trebisond where the Russians have a Consul in constant communication with the Chancellerie here and with the Russian Ambassador at Constantinople – An individual has just began running (or is it a steam boat?) a new small vessel, bought in England, between Redout Kale and Trebisond – 

One can go now a Redout Kale – One horse would even carry 2 tents, wood, poles, and all, and a servant ride the horse besides, supposing the tents not too large (buy them at Erzeroum) 3 yards diameter – One man could set them up asked for someone to go with us into Armenia – Vide next p.[page] – 

Then had the Courier – Potheration – Offered him 4 /02 1/2 for yesterday and today and a little piece of 10 S.[Silver] K.[Kopek] for the eggs he gave us yesterday and extra (today inclusive) for the 83 days offered him 50/- - Saying I was tout à fait mécontente de lui and ∴[therefore] I gave him 50/- instead of 83/- as I should otherwise have done – He said I had promised him 4/- a day – And would not take the 50/- - he would have 100/- or he would complain at Moscow – Very well – He might do so – Messages afterwards – I got annoyed – Said he might take the money or not but he should leave my apartment – I would not let him stay – Then settled with George – 

Madame Mendt called – and sat a longish while till Madame Chwastoff called and she sat till Madame and Mademoiselle Kotzebue called and sat till 2 3/4 – Madame M-[Mendt] from Odessa – Letters arrive here direct in a month and parcels in 6 weeks – Fruit and vegetables from Constantinople at Odessa, cheap and good – Good, handsome hotels – The Worouzoffs give parties and balls in the Winter, and make the place gay and agreeable – Italian opera and good theatre – And winters not severe tho’ more so than here – 

Madame C-[Chwastoff] proposed our making a little party to see some harem a few versts from here, belonging to a Persian the owner of their house has a large Droshky that he lets – we can hire this, and go, Madame C-‘s[Chwastoff’s] equipage being too small to accommodate us all – 

Shewed Mademoiselle Kotzebue Hoffman’s estimate of repairs to the carriage – Dear to all but more so to us – But he or any Allemand would do the work better than the soldiers – Nikolai came in – Sent for George to tell him, he might take the money or not but he should absolutely leave the house or I would send for the Maître de la Maison – Or the Chef de Police – Explained to the Kotzebuis – After they were gone (they seemed to think I had paid or rather offered the man quite enough especially considering the good time he had of it = about 400/- from Moscow to Astracan) wrote journal of today – 

At 3 20/’’ Nikolai sent word, he would take what I had offered him – Sent it by George and he (Nikolai) went away – George and Domna were waiting to go out to diner en ville – Said I could not let George go till Nikolai was gone – Domna enceinte, but said George this morning can go on very well till 8br[October] – 

Had just written so far now at 3 50/’’ Mr. Koun gave us the address (said he would send and desire him to come) of Mr. Salzmann, Cordonnier of Catharinenfeld, Allemand – Of the German colony there – Very respectable family man – Give him 1/- a day nourriture and if I doubled that for wages, it would be enough – Speaks German (from Wurtemburg 15 years ago when he was quite young) Russian, Armenian, and very well Tatar – 

Had just written so far now at 4 1/2 – Dinner at 4 40/’’ to 5 1/2 – Very fine and sunny – A-[Ann] and I out at 6 to the Golovin’s garden – Met Mademoiselle Kotzebue and Mr. Krusenstiern and another gentleman coming away – Found Captain Tolstoy and the 2 Golovin-sons (one Æt [aetatis] 22 Aide de Camp to the Emperor just arrived from St. P-[Petersburg]) and Madame Orloff – And soon came Madame Latchinoff, and Madame and Mademoiselle Golovin and then Madame Mendt walked some time till returned with Madame G-[Golovin] to tea –

The other 3 ladies invited – O-[Orloff] and M-[Mendt] went home and dressed – Madame L-[Latchinoff] walked till dark and then came – Madame G-[Golovin] draws and colours heads beautifully – Agreeable evening – To go to Madame G-‘s[Golovin’s] soirée on Thursday – And on Thursday at 10 a.m. Madame L-[Latchinoff] and Captain T-[Tolstoy] to call for us to go to the Monastery of St. David –

Returned in Madame G-‘s[Golovin’s] Droshky and home at 10 5/’’ – Tea – Fine warm but rain-threatening day – Stood read Malcolm last few pp.[pages] chapter 5 and several of the first pp.[pages] of chapter 6 till now 12 20/’’ and Reaumur 12 1/2º at that hour

[symbols in the margin of the page:]         ✓c       ✓c       ✓c

[in the margin of the page:]            Mr. Koun

[in the margin of the page:]            Potheration with the Courier on his leaving us.

[in the margin of the page:]             Salzman to go with it - Armenia

Page Reference: SH:7/ML/E/24/0091

[anne-lister-adventures]

Sunday, 26 April 1840

8 1/4

12 35/’’

Easter Sunday O.S. breakfast over at 10 40/’’ and had had Colonel Broussiloff and Captain Tolstoy who came together very soon after we had sat down to breakfast – Had been up all night 4 hours at church in the night – And today a day of toil and visits – 

Each took a cup glass of tea and a mouthful of bread and butter – Colonel B-[Broussiloff] said on my offering to pay him for the wine no! but he would pay himself – Would take a cup of tea – Gentlemanly pleasant agreeable – And T-[Tolstoy] also – A-[Ann] wondered I would admit them – they would go away better pleased as it was than as it would have been had I been A-[Ann]

Have just sent cards (received them from Mesdames Orloff and then Golovin) to Mesdames

✓Galovin       Chwastoff

Braïko            Latchinoff

✓Orloff           Besoc              

Kotzebue        Mendt

Scallon

The names marked ✓ have sent cards – 

‘Tis now 11 1/4 then A-[Ann] and I read prayers before we had quite done had Mr. Krusenstiern cousin to General Kotzebue who staid with us till 12 55/’’ – Agreeable gentlemanly man – 

Then sat making some notes on Ispahan from Malcolm vol.[volume] 1 and reading Dubois vol.[volume] 3 route from here to Erivan and looking at the map (État Major map) till dinner at 5 in 26 minutes – Then wrote the last 4 lines – Then at map and reading again till Mademoiselle Kotzebue came about 6 and soon after Mr. ______ the Armenian who went to the top of Ararat with Professor Parrot – 

Khachatur Abovian (or “Obuvian”, as Anne writes him in later pages), was the Armenian who worked as guide and interpreter for Professor Parrot when he climbed Mt. Ararat.

Vide Dubois III. 343. 31 v.[versts] from Erivan to the foot of the mountain in a direct line but 60 v.[versts] by the road – The Monastery 2 v.[versts] up the mountain – Parrot ascended in August – Left the monastery at 6 a.m. and reached the sleeping place at 6 or 7 a.m. arranged their sleeping on the rocks very conveniently – The rocks below the snow – Set off next morning at 4 and reached the summit at 3 p.m. – On the top 1 1/2 hour – Barometer at top – Pendulum at the bottom – Returned to the sleeping place that night, and next day to the Monastery – Rode 4 or 5 hours on leaving the Monastery on the ascent – No difficulties – Only the fatigue – Thinks I can do it – 

Mt. Ararat seen from the Arch of Charents in Armenia. (Image Source)

Where the wind had swept off the snow and left bare ice, they made steps with an ax which took much time – No shingle it would seem – Tolerably good walking on the lava rock – Ascended Southwest – Tried South? or West? 1st and could not get up – It seemed as if there was a sort of cheminée to climb up at the last – But tiresome to make inquiries thro' an interpreter – Mr. ___ would like to go again – Will be at liberty 15 June O.S. 15/27 June for a month – 1/2 agreed to go with him – To think about it and let him know – Thought I could arrange so as to do this – They both went away after 7 – 

Then walked 50 minutes on the gallery-balcony looking into our court – Then tea – Then sat reading and looking into Malcolm and at map and wrote the last 12 lines of the last p.[page] and so far of this till now 12 10/’’ – Very fine day – 

Nikolai brought us each a Oeuf Béni this morning asked for his bellet – Gave it him – He is to be off on Thursday with the Post Bags – Told George he hoped I should give him something more than the 2/- per day – Our landlord sent to borrow 200/- tonight whilst I had Domna about 10 p.m. sent him 100/- in ℀ [account] of our 14 days at 2 1/2 Silver Rubles – Reaumur 12 3/4º now at 12 20/’’ tonight

[symbols in the margin of the page:]         ✓c       ✓c

[in the margin of the page:]            the Armenian who ascended Ararat with Professor Parrot.

Page References: SH:7/ML/E/24/0090 and SH:7/ML/E/24/0091

[anne-lister-adventures]

Saturday, 25 April 1840

8 1/4

12 40/’’

Fine morning Reaumur 12º at 9 1/4 a.m. but the fire (the stove) had been lighted above an hour – breakfast at 10 40/’’ – Sat reading and making notes till now 1 1/2 to p.[page] 507 vol.[volume] 1 Malcolm – 

Out at 2 A-[Ann] and I to the Armenian Monastery – No ceremony there today – tomorrow – Sauntered about in the church and at it 20 minutes – Good handsome neat not large Armenian church – 12 lancet window lighted dome at the top – God the father with a triangle cap and a dove covering the middle of his stomach –

Then sauntered about the Town – Tried for a watch glass for my little French watch – The German had not one – The French Magasin all packed up for Pettigorsk, and nothing of the sort to be had at the Great German Magasin - ∴[Therefore] my Perrelet watch of no further use for the present – 

Home at 4 55/’’ – Ordered Semovar – Singular interesting Eastern-like Town – Went into a Caravanserai – A Bazaar – Wildcat skins 3 S.[Silver] R.[Roubles] each and black fox (blueish, yellowish greyish colour) 7 S.[Silver] R.[Roubles] each – Saw a Karabagh perfect horse lightish bay perfect little horse Æt [aetatis] 2 the man had refused 25 Ducats – 

A Karabagh horse (image c. 1867).

Tea over at 6 50/’’ from then to 12 1/2 except having Domna read and made notes to end of vol.[volume] I Malcolm p.[page] 644 fine day –

[symbols in the margin of the page:]         +

Page Reference: SH:7/ML/E/24/0090

[anne-lister-adventures]

Friday, 24 April 1840

9

1 1/2

Windy but fair – No sun – Reaumur 10 1/4º at 10 a.m. breakfast – Hardly over when Mr. Besac came and then Captain Tolstoy and the latter staid till 2 – 

No Persia for the present – A-[Ann] and I sat talking till 3 – Then dressed off to the Kotzebues’ in their carriage at 4 to dinner and back at 6 changed our dress – Had Mr. Besoc’s Cuisinier who brought for the 200/- bill 50 S.[Silver] R.[Roubles] + 16 two abasse pieces and a small piece = 1/2 abasse? i.e. 50 S.[Silver] R.[Roubles] + 32 1/2 abasse 1 abasse = 20 Silver Kopek ∴[therefore] I have received 197/75 for the 200/- - very well – 

A-[Ann] and I out at 7 5/’’ for about 40 minutes having somehow lost George returned by ourselves – Tea till now 9 1/2 – Sat reading and making notes till 10 55/’’ 

A-[Ann] and I and George and Domna and the Courier off at 11 1/4 to the Armenian Monastery – No service there tonight – Returned after a difficult dirty with difficulty found route and home at 12 25/’’ – Fine day –

[symbols in the margin of the page:]         ✓c

Page Reference: SH:7/ML/E/24/0090