On our journey we passed a great river, which flows into the Kerkúk, and whose waters collect from the vallies of Mánd, Vál, and Kúrd-dereh. After six hours march to the west we reached the village of Yakúb-aghá and further on, along the shores of the Kerkúk, through steep and stony ways and the tremendous pass of Bogház-kessen, to where the river, which flows through Amasia, enters the Kerkúk, and falls into the sea at Ener. Having passed it we continued our way for eight hours over hills and valleys and arrived at the Castle of Hájí Murád, built by Uzún Hassan’s vezír. After the defeat of Uzún Hassan it surrendered its keys without contest to Mahmúd Páshá, the vezír of Sultán Mohammed II. It is a high and steep castle like that of Kavilí-hissár, of a thousand paces in circumference and without a ditch, which from its situation on a hill would be superfluous. In the castle are seventy small houses, but no market, khán, bath, college or imáret. There are a great number of nut-trees. On the border of the Kerkúk, which flows at the foot of the castle in a deep valley is a khán. The Súbashí resident here is subordinate to Shábín Kara-hissár. I here informed the Páshá of the strength of Shábín Kara-hissár, at which he was surprised. From hence we ascended a high mountain to the north and came in six hours to the village of Chaúdár; in seven more to Emírler, a village in the territory of Shábín; in five more to an Armenian village; in four more to the west to the village of Kílárjí Veliaga, on the border of a high mountain, consisting of two hundred houses, in the jurisdiction of Iskefser, in five more to the station of Básh-chiflik also in the jurisdiction of Iskefser on the frontier of Erzerúm and Sívás, which has already been mentioned on our road to Erzerúm. Further to the west is the castle of Ník-hissár (good castle) and five hours further the village of Kazán-kia in the province of Sívás, in the jurisdiction of Ník-hissár. Still passing to the west by Bogház-kessen we came through thick woods to the village of Kúmánova; in two hours more to the great village Sontissa, on the frontier of Nígissár, with three hundred houses, a mosque, and bath; and in five hours more to Zavádí-tekiessí, of two hundred houses, on a high mountain on the frontier of Ládík; a great foundation, being a great convent at the tomb of a great saint. Its Dervishes are almost all of the Prophet’s family. I here performed with the Páshá the prayer of I’idí-asha (Kurbán-bairám) and the Sheikh of the convent gave us a repast. The tails having been sent on, we passed the next morning in five hours the pass of Setlí-púlí, and arrived at the village of Hamíd, which has a mosque and gardens; and in five hours more to the west, at Ládík. _Description of the Castle of Ládík._