[Footnote71:Bougainville，Memoiresdel\'AcademiedesInscriptions，tom。xxvi。p。33，ontheAfricanvoyageofHannoandthecommerceofantiquity。]
ButtherichesofColchosshineonlythroughthedarknessofconjectureortradition；anditsgenuinehistorypresentsauniformsceneofrudenessandpoverty。IfonehundredandthirtylanguageswerespokeninthemarketofDioscurias，^72theyweretheimperfectidiomsofsomanysavagetribesorfamilies，sequesteredfromeachotherinthevalleysofMountCaucasus；andtheirseparation，whichdiminishedtheimportance，musthavemultipliedthenumber，oftheirrusticcapitals。InthepresentstateofMingrelia，avillageisanassemblageofhutswithinawoodenfence；thefortressesareseatedinthedepthsofforests；