Narrative of Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in the Seventeenth Century, Vol. IIEvliya Çelebi
History
Narrative of Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in the Seventeenth Century, Vol. II
Evliya Çelebi
Caucasus, South -- Description and travel; Istanbul (Turkey) -- Description and travel; Turkey -- History
To the north, in the midst of mountains, is Sadsha, the land belonging
to Sídí Ahmed Páshá; the inhabitants speak well the language of both
the Abáza and the Circassians; to the latter their country adjoins,
they are seven thousand brave stout men. The Abáza and Circassians
are continually on their guard, but keep up good intelligence by
trading together to the landing-place at Árt with slaves and wax. The
Circassians (Takakú) also come in ships, and trade in safety. We went
three stations further to the west, along the sea-coast, through a
woody tract, with high mountains, between which are many cultivated
villages, to the tribe of Kámish, ten thousand brave men; they defeated
the tribe of A’rt many times, and took their Begs prisoners, because
these Abázas steal each other’s children, and a man who does not steal
and plunder is thought to be bad company, so that they give him not
their daughters in marriage. In these mountains of Kámish swine are
fed to the size of asses; the landing-place is not much frequented on
account of the riotous character of the people. Among these people
of Kámish the children of the Abáza are sent from Constantinople and
Cairo; they have a Mesjíd, the air is pleasant, the villages all face
the Kiblah and the south. The market is held at the landing-place.
Three stations further to the west we came to the tribe of Sújalar, ten
thousand brave men; the ground being very rocky there are few houses.
There is a landing place, but I do not know its name. We remained as
guests one night in the village of Hádeka. As there happened to be a
wedding, they feasted us with a great many dishes, fine girls and boys
waited on us, and the next day the Aghá of Konia, our companion, gave
to the master of the house a turban, which was valued as much as though
it had been a crown, because having neither market, nor khán, nor bath,
nor church, they know nothing of cultivated manners. Their villages of
from forty to fifty houses are situated in the mountains. Ships of all
countries bring powder, lead, muskets, arrows, bows, swords, shields,
lances and other weapons, old shoes, borders of cloth, linen, bogassin,
kettles, hooks, salt, soap and similar articles, and take in exchange,
without using money, slaves, butter, wax and honey. From the Súchas we
went further on two stations to the west, along the seashore, to the
tribe of Dembe, who furnish two thousand armed men. We remained three
days at their landing-place and exchanged our old cloth for slave girls
and boys. I myself bought an Abáza boy. The fourth day we marched two
journies to the west to the tribe of Bozdúk, the Beg of which commands
seven thousand men. We found at their landing-place ten ships from
Constantinople and many of our friends, the meeting with whom was a
great treat to us. Mengelí-geraí Khán led three thousand men of the
Bozdúk to the war of Astrachan, which being ended he gave them a Yúrd
(Camp) in the Circassian mountains of Obúr where they remained. They
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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