I left Erzerúm with nine servants, proceeding to the north in the plain of Erzerum, two hours to the village of Kán, of two hundred Armenian houses; five hours more to the north we came to the village of Sheikh Umúdúm, which has been described in our journey to Georgia. Six hours further to the north, through vallies and hills, to the bridge of the Georgian straight, a bridge built over the Euphrates by Shah Uzún Hassan. It is on this spot that the rebel Abáza Páshá cut to pieces forty regiments of janissaries sent against him; their bones are piled up near the bridge: the village of Gúrgí-boghází (Georgian straight), has two hundred houses, in the district of Erzerúm. We passed to the north over flowery meadows nine hours to Rúmlí Sultán, a great saint buried underneath a cupola. Here is the cave whence springs the Euphrates, which is above all praise, since it is mentioned with praise in the Korán. At Keifí, one of the sanjaks of Erzerúm, are the iron mines, where iron shot are cast; several hundred little rivulets run from these iron mines into the Euphrates, and somewhat spoil the sweetness of the water; but from its source in the rock of Rumlí Sultán unto Keifí it is the most delicious and most healthy water in the world. Rumlí Sultán was a Saint, who appreciating the good qualities of this river, took up his residence at its source; it is a village of two hundred houses. We advanced three hours to the north to Akchekala’a in the territory of the sanjak of Tortúm, built by Ulama Páshá in order to control Georgia; in course of time the castle has been dismantled of its walls and garrison. It lies north of Tortúm, and has six hundred houses, a khán, and a mosque; it was destroyed by Bayazíd II. when governor of Trebisonde in his youth. We proceeded six hours to the west, to the village of Saúlú of a hundred houses in the territory of Jánja, on the top of a high mountain without gardens; and seven hours further to the west, to the castle of Jánja, otherwise Gumish Kháneh (silver house). I went straight to the Court of Justice, and read the firman, which all the inhabitants were ready to obey. I remained as guest in the house of the inspector of the silver mines and began to visit the town. It was built by Alexander, one of whose philosophers discovered the silver mines. Mohammed II. conquered it by the sword after the defeat of Uzún Hassan in the field of Terján. Silver is here found in such abundance, that every child has a silver plate. The inspectorship is let for seven million aspers; the inhabitants are exempted from all taxes, because they are obliged to labour in the silver mines, seventy of which are worked. These are the richest silver mines in Turkey, the others are those of Kághzemán, Hakkárí, Bingol, Sanjar, Akár, Aswán, Libanon, and Merzifún. These are the Asiatic and African silver mines of the Ottoman Empire; the European ones are the following: on the frontier of Bosnia, Sira, Berinjesse near Uskúb at