John Stathatos: Gauzaka

GAUZAKA

“The sixteenth day of October we arrived at a city called Ardabil, in the latitude of eight and thirty degrees, an ancient city in the province of Azerbaijan, wherein the princes of Persia are commonly buried: and there Alexander the Great did keep his court when he invaded the Persians. Four days' journey to the westward is the city Tabriz in old time called Tauris, the greatest in Persia, but not of such trade as it hath been, by mean of the great invasion of the Turk. The 21st we departed travelling for the most part over mountains all in the night season, and resting in the day, being destitute of wood, and therefore were forced to use for fuel the dung of horses and camels.
     But by the third day of November we found ourselves short of both meat and drink, there being few streams in such barren mountains, and those bitter: and our peril all the greater, for that the captain of the Tartars whom the king had appointed us fled in the night with all his men, so that we like to have perished either of want, or at the hands of the lawless rovers, whereof there was great plenty (though of little else). At which we carried on our march as best we could for five days more, growing weaker by the day: whereon Master Richard Johnson and I set out upon two horses not yet wholly foundered, to range the wilderness and seek succour, though we knew not whence.
     And it so chanced that on the evening of the second day, we escried far off divers horsemen which made towards us. When they came night unto us, we perceived them to be well armed with bows and swords, and the captain richly appointed: who to our surprise addressed us in kind most civil (though we understood him not), and bade us by gestures follow him, the which we did willingly. Thus proceeding we came when half the night was spent to a great wall, and passing through, were led to where our lodging was appointed.
    The next day I was sent for to come to the prince of this city, who said unto me, Quoshe quelde, that is to say, Welcome: and an interpreter being sent for, demanded of me of what country I was, and what affairs I had? Unto whom I answered that I was of the famous City of London within the noble realm of England, and that I was sent thither from the most excellent and gracious sovereign Lady Elizabeth Queen of the said realm for to treat of friendship, and free passage for our merchants: but that we had come near death in these inhospitable wastes. And then I fain would know what city this was, where none was known to be, and which was writ upon no map of ours: to which the prince, whose name was Alrazeik, answered that this was Gauzaka, which had in olden days been most puissant, but now was much reduced in size and power by mean of the black death in his grandsire's time, and latterly by malice of the Amir of Tabriz: and that he sought friendship with us, for protection against the enemies which pressed him sorely.
    Whereon I answered that such a worthy prince (as he was), could not but be under the protection of Mahomet: which pleased him greatly, adding, that his city was founded by no less a personage than Sekunder, by which name is designated Alexander. In proof whereof, he bid his servants show us sundry fine buildings of dressed stone, and a tiered theatre in the ancient style, and a great fount in the shape of a coiled dragon, and other such wonders: and the inscriptions thereon all in Greek. But of people there were few, and they ill-dressed, and the great wall in ruinous state. And that night we to horse again, with store for our people, and by many and winding tracks led from Gauzaka…” ~

From The Journey of Mr Anthony Jenkinson, from the famous city of London into the land of Persia, sent by the right worshipful
Society of the Merchants Adventurers, for the discovery of Lands, &c. (1561).