next day to the village of Dushen Kia (the falling rock), on the frontier of Karss, with two hundred houses; then five hours, ascending and descending through high fir-woods and meadows to Wernishán on the frontier of Karss, formerly a sanjak. The opposite shore of the Aras belongs to the castle of Bayazíd, and the Alaï Beg of Wernishán resides here; it is an Armenian village of three hundred houses. Akhiska is two journeys from hence to the north; six hours further to the west through fields to Zeinkhán on the territory of Karss, of two hundred houses, a Dizdár, a garrison, a khán, a mosque, a bath, and forty shops; it is the seat of a Súbáshí subordinate to Karss; the castle is square and built of stone, the inhabitants are an obstinate people. We continued our journey through fir woods for seven hours to Soghánlí Belí, a strait famous all over Persia and Turkey for the difficulty in crossing it; three hours beyond this straight we reached the kent Kúmadámí, of a hundred and fifty houses, on the frontier of sanjak Pássín, an Armenian village on the banks of the Aras. Eight hours further is the village of Pássín, of three hundred Armenian houses, in a plain, it is the ziámet of Ja’afer Efendí the land registrar (Moharerí Wiláyet) at Erzerúm; five hours further along the Aras is the station of Goz; we passed in sight of the bridge of Chobán, built by the dynasty of that name, through level fields, and arrived at Hassan Kala’a, which has been already described. Four hours from hence we arrived safe at Erzerúm, where we found our gracious Lord the Páshá, on the walk of Abd-ur-rahman Ghází; I presented the camels, letters and caraván of the khán of Eriván, and reassumed my functions as Clerk of the Custom-house, assisting every night at the assemblies of the Páshá. At this time the Capijí Alí Aghá arrived from Constantinople, with a Khattí-sheríf of Sultán Ibrahím, by which the Páshá received the Imperial command to repair with all the troops of his government to Karss, to be ready for the war against the Infidel Persians. The Páshá paid obeisance to the noble túghra and instantly dispatched commissaries to Erzerúm, Mera’ash and Sívás, in order to raise and collect troops. I, poor Evliyá, received a commission to go to Sídí Ahmed Páshá, the governor of the sanjaks of Sánja and Tortúm. JOURNEY TO BAIBURD, JANJA, ISPER, TORTUM AND AKCHEKALA’A.