Evliya then relates how his master Mohammed Defterdár Zádeh came to Constantinople, and after a lively contest with Koja Mevleví, the grand vezír, obtained from him the nomination to the Governorship of Malatia, begging he would grant it him with the Kharáj (tribute), Awáriz (accidental duties) and the Mohassillik or collectorship, which was done. Evliya waited on him and with great difficulty obtained permission to go on the pilgrimage to Mecca. He then remained sometime at Constantinople, and attached himself to Silehdár Murteza Páshá, as Múezzin-báshí (chief proclaimer of prayer), he was also named Imám of the Mahmel (the Sultán’s annual present to Mecca), and went from Constantinople to Scutarí in the first days of the month Sha’abán, setting out with Murteza Páshá for the journey to Damascus. The Páshá’s Imám being an Arab whom Murteza disliked, the Arab performed prayers outside, and Evliya inside the Páshá’s tent and was continually in the Páshá’s company. During the time they remained at Scutari, the famous robber Hyder Oghlí, in whose hands Evliya had fallen when he lost his way in the pass as before related, was brought in by Hassan Aghá, and hanged at Parmak-kapú (finger-gate). The same night as the execution of the robber, Evliya slept in his paternal home at Constantinople, then took leave of his friends and relations and passed over to Scutarí, where he visited Mahmúd Efendí of Scutarí, and Saint Karají Ahmed and the tombs of all the great men in the burying ground, calling their spirits to his assistance in the Syrian voyage, which he was about to undertake. Amen, by the grace of the Lord of Apostles. END OF THE SECOND VOLUME. * * * * * Transcriber’s Notes Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. There are many variations in the spelling, hyphenation and accents of proper names and other non-English terms. Except in cases where there is an obvious dominant spelling and a variant that may legitimately be seen as a typographical error, these remain unchanged. Italics are represented thus _italic_. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Narrative of Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in the Seventeenth Centur, by Evliya Çelebi and Joseph Hammer-Purgstall