Chapter XV: Part 15

These mountains are inhabited by some thousand unmerciful Turks, who live by cutting wood and loading it in ships, and sometimes by cutting passengers and unloading caravans. This forest extends through four Sanjaks, viz: Brússa, Ismíd, and Bolí, and a month is necessary to make the tour of it. In some places it is cut through like the road to Kíva. Three hours from Kíva we came to the castle of the shepherds (Chobán Kala’assí), a small castle towering to the skies. It is here that the shepherds of Princess Kekeva dwelled and took toll from those who passed; the passage being straightened between the mountains and the river Sakaria, they obliged every body to pay. We passed through it and continuing our way to the West along the bank of the Sakaria for seven hours we reached Sabánja, a cultivated place which has been already described on the way to Erzerúm. From hence we came to Nicomedia, also described in the journey to Erzerúm. We passed Herke, Gebize, the tomb of Gemiklí, Alí-bábá, Pendík, Kartál, the bridge of the Bostánji-bashí, and Kádíkoí, and arrived at the end of Jemazí-ul-akhir, 1058 (1648), in the great town of Scutarí, and at last, praise be to God! at Constantinople, with all my baggage. I kissed the hand of my mother and the eyes of my sisters, then mounted again on horseback to fulfil my vow by visiting the tomb of Eyyúb, where I immolated and distributed a victim, and returned home. In a dream I saw my father who wished me joy on my happy arrival and on my visit to the tomb of Er-Sultán. Having thrice said the Súra-et-tekátherí, I awoke and took a boat to visit the tomb of my father behind the arsenal, and my ancestors buried there since the time of Mohammed II, thrice said the above Súra, then returned home, took possession of my father’s heritage, and made a vow to consecrate two thousand zechins of it to the pilgrimage of Mecca; visited all my friends and acquaintances, and enjoyed with them the pleasures of conversation, when the great rebellion of the troops began on the eighteenth of Rejeb, 1058, and terminated in the dethronement of Sultán Ibrahím and the accession of his son Mohammed IV.

(_Here follows the account of the dethronement of Sultán Ibrahím, which is nearly the same as has been given, in the first volume, under this Sultán’s reign, and is therefore omitted here._)

Evliya then relates how his master Mohammed Defterdár Zádeh came to Constantinople, and after a lively contest with Koja Mevleví, the grand vezír, obtained from him the nomination to the Governorship of Malatia, begging he would grant it him with the Kharáj (tribute), Awáriz (accidental duties) and the Mohassillik or collectorship, which was done. Evliya waited on him and with great difficulty obtained permission to go on the pilgrimage to Mecca. He then remained sometime at Constantinople, and attached himself to Silehdár Murteza Páshá, as Múezzin-báshí (chief proclaimer of prayer), he was also named Imám of the Mahmel (the Sultán’s annual present to Mecca), and went from Constantinople to Scutarí in the first days of the month Sha’abán, setting out with Murteza Páshá for the journey to Damascus. The Páshá’s Imám being an Arab whom Murteza disliked, the Arab performed prayers outside, and Evliya inside the Páshá’s tent and was continually in the Páshá’s company. During the time they remained at Scutari, the famous robber Hyder Oghlí, in whose hands Evliya had fallen when he lost his way in the pass as before related, was brought in by Hassan Aghá, and hanged at Parmak-kapú (finger-gate). The same night as the execution of the robber, Evliya slept in his paternal home at Constantinople, then took leave of his friends and relations and passed over to Scutarí, where he visited Mahmúd Efendí of Scutarí, and Saint Karají Ahmed and the tombs of all the great men in the burying ground, calling their spirits to his assistance in the Syrian voyage, which he was about to undertake.

Amen, by the grace of the Lord of Apostles.

END OF THE SECOND VOLUME.

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Transcriber’s Notes

Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected.

There are many variations in the spelling, hyphenation and accents of proper names and other non-English terms. Except in cases where there is an obvious dominant spelling and a variant that may legitimately be seen as a typographical error, these remain unchanged.

Italics are represented thus _italic_.