shores were sometimes infested by the Cossacks and Infidel Russians, who made prisoners of the inhabitants. Hossein Páshá then renewed this castle at his own expense, and garrisoned it, so that the shores were protected from inroads; but the Great Vezír Kara Mustafa Páshá, having taken away the garrison in order to mortify Hossein Páshá, the castle remained deserted. Praise be to God, that after having escaped the dangers of the sea, and being delivered from it before, as the bird of the soul left the cage of the body, I passed eight months here in sweet conversation, till at the commencement of the spring I took leave of my friends and returned to Constantinople. _Return to Constantinople._ In the spring of 1054, I took leave of Kilghra Sultán and embarking with my four slaves coasted the shore of the Black Sea, so that at the least storm I could come to an anchor. Thus I passed on my road, Kavarna, Bálchik, Varna, Ahiebolí, Sízebolí, Missivra, Búrghás, Chenkina, the island of mirrors (Aina adassí or Inada) and the strong castle of Torkoz. Near this place is the flowery meadow, and pleasant place of Skúmrí-jair where the janissaries and kúrújis are encamped, and from hence watch over the security of the adjacent villages, because some years ago these shores were infested by Cossacks. From hence we came to the black stones (Cyanies), a rocky ground outside of the mouth of the Bosphorus. It was changed into stone by a woman’s distaff, and is a curious sight. We passed it, and in God’s name entered the channel of Constantinople, anchoring before the Castle of Kavák. I went on shore, and thanked God for the happy escape from the dangers of the Black Sea. The length of the Black Sea from the Bosphorus to Trebisonde at the mouth of the Phasus is fifteen hundred miles, the shores of the Abáza are seventeen hundred miles, and to the corner of the sea of Assov two thousand miles; seventeen hundred large and small streams fall into it. The largest is the Danube, which receives seven hundred rivers in its course, and disembogues into the Black Sea by five branches, at Kili, Túlja, Súlina, and Kara-khirmen; the Phasus, and Chúrúgh on the Asiatic side. The Kúbán near the castle of Tamán, the river of Assov, the river of Ozakov, and the Dniester; on the Asiatic shore the Kizil Irmák, the Wesnesday river, and the Sakaria. From Constantinople to Caffa is reckoned one thousand miles, to Báliklava eleven hundred, to A’kkermán fifteen hundred, to Varna five hundred; from the point of Kilghra to that of Sinope five hundred, from the mouth of the Bosphorus to Amassra one thousand, and to Heraclea one hundred. The whole circuit of the Black Sea, with that of Assov, is six thousand and sixty miles, and if made by land is one hundred and fifty days or five months journey, each day’s journey to be reckoned twelve hours. As soon as I arrived at Constantinople I hastened to Eyyúb to read once more the Korán there, having performed