In the month of July annually, many thousand men from Constantinople assemble here, and live merrily under tents during the space of forty days and nights, amusing themselves with firing muskets and guns. Sick persons drink of the water from the well for three days, which causes vomiting, and relieves the stomach of a quantity of offensive bile, while the lower evacuations cleanse the intestines of worms and similar matters. It is a white, clear water, with a slight bitter taste, and issues from a chalk cliff. The regulations prescribed for its use enjoin a three days fast as a preliminary, no meat or any thing salt must be eaten; on the fourth day the patient drinks a cup of water morning and evening, taking care to keep himself warm: he continues to drink the water for the next three days, taking for food chicken-broth without salt. When the water has had its effect fifteen times, further operation is stopped, by drinking soup seasoned with lemon-juice. After this regimen the patients embark and go to the hot-bath of Yalova directly opposite, where they rest themselves, washing and cleansing their bodies. We then re-embarked, and after half an hour’s rowing arrived at the village of Ainehájí on the sea-coast, a Turkish village with a mosque and sixty houses. Eight hours further rowing brought us to the village of Zeitún-burní (Olive Cape) a port of Nicomedia, where the ships belonging to the Aghá of the Janissaries take in their cargoes; we were pleased with the cultivated appearance of the country on either side the gulf, and at the end of eight hours more came to the large town of Nicomedia. It was formerly a strong built and populous place, the ruins of which still remain; and is said to have been built by Alexander, to whom the foundation of Scutari is also ascribed; and the canal which was cut from the lake of Sábanja to the gulf on one side, and from the river Sakaria to the Black Sea on the other, causing Kojá Ilí and Nicomedia to be completely insulated; but that communication was choked up by Constantine, and Nicomedia ceased to be an island. It would be an easy thing to re-establish this canal, by which means wood might be procured at a very low price. Nicomedia was conquered by Sultán Orkhán in the year 731 (1330) and destroyed, in order that it should never again afford shelter to the Infidels. A large square tower of that period is still standing on the sea-coast, garrisoned by seamen, which is now a repository for wood and timber. When Orkhán besieged this town he gave the first command of his troops to Kojá Baí, to whom he said, “Isnim vár git,” (You have my leave, go,) which became the name of the town, by contraction of Isnim-git into Ismit. After the conquest of Nicomedia, and Kojá-Baí had subdued the adjacent country, it was called after his name Kojá Ilí and Nicomedia was made the capital of it; but by the order of Sultán Mohammed II., Nicomedia was added to Anatoli, and many times since has been given as Arpalik