The Elchee had returned from his first mission by the route of Hamadân: he now determined to go to Bagdad by that of Kûrdistan, the ancient Carduchia, a province to which the sword and the pen of Xenophon have given celebrity. I was delighted at the prospect of visiting this country, which I found, by a Persian History[164] belonging to the Elchee, had a particular claim to the attention of the Christian world. It was the birthplace of the famous Saladin,[165] whose sword arrested the progress of the conquerors of Palestine. According to my author, Shadi Ben Mirvan, a native of Kûrdistan, was kutwal or magistrate of Tekreet.[166] In this office he was succeeded by his eldest son, Nizâm-ood-Deen Ayoob, who was compelled to leave the country in consequence of his younger brother, Assad-ood-Deen, having, in defence of an injured female, killed a man of a powerful family. The governor of the province is said to have admired the spirit and humanity which prompted this deed; but being unable to protect the brothers against the relations of the deceased, he recommended and aided their flight. They went first to Moosul,[167] and thence to Balbec, the prince of which, Noor-ood-Deen, was an intimate ally of Azad Ismael, the Waly of Egypt, who was then warring, according to the Mahomedan writer, against the accursed infidels of Europe! Noor-ood-Deen, pleased with the bold, manly character of Assad-ood-Deen, sent him in command of his forces to Egypt; where, our Eastern author tells us, he rose so high in the favour of the Waly, that he employed him to put to death his vizier, and rewarded him with the vacant office! He died soon after,[168] and his high station devolved upon his nephew Saladin, son of Nizâm-ood-Deen Ayoob. The young Saladin is described by this author in glowing colours. His qualities were of the highest order; even in youth he soon outstript all competitors. He became the sole manager of affairs in Egypt under the title of Mallik Nasser: he wrote to the prince of Balbec to permit his father to join him, and on the twenty-fourth day of Rejib, in the year of the Hegira 565, the old man, who a few years before had considered himself and his family ruined, on being compelled to abandon the office of a petty magistrate, was met and welcomed at some distance from his son's palace by the Waly of Egypt; for that prince thought he could not too highly honour the parent of the man, to whom he ascribed the safety and glory of his country. Saladin wished to make over his station to his father; but the latter declined the offer, and continued, during the three years he lived, without any public employment. The Waly of Egypt having died, Saladin, already in possession of the power, succeeded to the name of sovereign of that kingdom. The riches of which he became possessed are minutely described by the Persian author. Amongst them was a staff of emeralds of extraordinary value, and a library of one hundred thousand select volumes.