ABSTRACT
The first passage by an organized military force - four regiments with cannon - was made in 1769 by General.Todleben, a German adventurer in the Russian service who had captured Berlin in 1760. The passage was unopposed and Todleben was met by the Georgian King Irakli 11 at Kobi. 'He had nothing but the beds of those two rivers (Terek and Aragvi) for road and to have got his artillery over them was an astonishing feat' (Badde1ey, RFC, Vol. I, p. 3 I, citing the Marquis Paulucci, Akty, Vol. 5). For Baddeley's cautious views on the practicability of the Daryal Gorge and the Krestovaya col as an invasion route before the road was built, see ibid., Vol. I, p. 191 and Vol. II, p. 241•
COMMENTARY 20
Ca) 'The great settlement of Soni and the monastery of the Immaculate Mother of God' (ref. Chap. 3, p. 133, n. I) There is an ancient settlement of Sioni on the upper Terek (Baddeley, RFC, Map I), described by Dubois (V 01. IV,
30 7
p. 64) in picturesque terms. In continuing south, the ambassadors would have taken the direction of Kartli via KohL Brosset, EC/BHP, Vol. 11, Nos 14-15, col. 237, n. 67, seems to accept this direction in suggesting that Qovlat-tsminda ( = 'the Immaculate Mother of God' marked on Wak./Brosset, Map 3) was 'le fameux couvent de Throuso' on the upper Terek (here erroneously called 'Aragvi' by Wakhusht). There is, however, another Qovlat-tsminda marked on Wak.! Brosset, Map 3, situated some three versts to the south-east of Sioni. This lies on the eastern side of the Atchkhotis-tsqali ( = 'river of Atchkhoti'), a right bank affluent of the upper T erek. Along the Atchkhoti ran the route which led to Gudamakari and the upper valley of the Black Aragvi (cf. Wak.jBrosset, p. 227; Wake Janashvili, pp. 76-7).
