of the ships on the Jorúgh were burnt, and two hundred Infidels, who could not re-enter the castle, were taken prisoners; seventy Moslims fell martyrs in this triple assault. The Páshá now pressed the arrival of the troops from the district of Sanjak Batúm. Finally there arrived some thousand Lázes armed with lances, casques, muskets, and sounding their war fifes, called Zígúla, with white banners waving; they joined the Páshá, halting on the bank of the river. The Páshá left them not a moment’s rest, but encouraged them by addressing them in the Circassian language. Thus a crowd was collected who threw up earth and faggots in mounds before the castle, on which the storming ladders were fixed. The neighbouring mountains re-echoed the shouts of Allah! the Moslims heaped bundles on bundles of twigs, and began to climb the ladders like spiders and goats of Isper; the bundles heaped up before the gate were set on fire. Ghází Ahmed Páshá himself mounted on the tower at the eastern corner, and by his example encouraged the general assault. From early dawn till the afternoon, neither the Páshá nor his troops had tasted a bit of bread; in the afternoon the castle was conquered, and I, poor Evliya, had the advantage of first proclaiming on its walls the sound of Ottoman prayer. The castle being now filed with victors, seven hundred Infidels were taken prisoners, and eight hundred heads cut off, and planted on the walls; the seventy-seven boats were towed back to the castle, and moored ready with all provisions and munition. The rejoicings lasted three days and three nights, during which the castle was illuminated. God be praised that I witnessed such a conquest. At the moment when prayer was first proclaimed on the wall, there appeared, on the eastern side of the Jorúgh, some thousand standards and banners, who answered the report of the salutes fired with the shouts of Allah; these were the troops of the Páshá of Karss, who had arrived before Gonia after a flying march from Erzerúm, and now encamped on the bank of the Jorúgh.