the Dardanelles by the castles built there, could obtain none. After the siege had been carried on for ten days, the Sultan assembled his faithful sheiks, saying, “See to what a condition we are reduced! The capture of this fortress will be very difficult, if the defence of it is thus continued from day to day.” Ak-Shemsu-d-dín told him that he must wait for a time, but would infallibly be conqueror: that there was within the city a holy man named Vadúd, and that as long as he lived it could not be taken; but that in fifty days he would die, and then at the appointed hour, minute, and second, the city would be taken. The Sultán therefore ordered Tímúr-tásh Páshá to employ 2,000 soldiers in constructing fifty galleys (kadirghah), in the valley near Kághid kháneh, and some villages were plundered to provide them with planks and other timber for that purpose. Kójah Mustafá Páshá had previously constructed, by the labour of all his Arab troops, fifty galleys and fifty horse-boats (káyik), at a place called Levend-chiftlik, opposite to the Ok-meïdán. The galleys built at Kághid kháneh being also ready on the tenth day, the Sultán went on that day to the Ok-meïdán, with some thousands of chosen men, carrying greased levers and beams to move the said ships. By the command of God, the wind blew very favourably; all sails were unfurled, and amidst the shouts of the Moslims crying _Allah! Allah!_ and joyful discharges of muskets and artillery, a hundred and fifty ships slid down from the Ok-meïdán into the harbour. The terrified Káfirs cried out “What can this be?” and this wonderful sight was the talk of the whole city. The place where these ships were launched is still shown, at the back of the gardens of the arsenal (Ters kháneh), at the stairs of Sháh-kulí within the Ok-meïdán.