(_Author's note._) The Gūk Sarāī is one of Tīmūr Beg's great buildings in the citadel of Samarkand. It has this singular and special characteristic, if a Tīmūrid is to be seated on the throne, here he takes his seat; if one lose his head, coveting the throne, here he loses it; therefore the name Gūk Sarāī has a metaphorical sense (_kināyat_) and to say of any ruler's son, "They have taken him to the Gūk Sarāī," means, to death.[305] To the Gūk Sarāī accordingly Sl. `Alī Mīrzā was taken but when the fire-pencil was drawn across his eyes, whether by the surgeon's choice or by his inadvertence, no harm was done. [Sidenote: Fol. 37b.] This the Mīrzā did not reveal at once but went to Khwāja Yahya's house and a few days later, to the Tarkhāns in Bukhārā. Through these occurrences, the sons of his Highness Khwāja `Ubaidu'l-lāh became settled partisans, the elder (Muḥammad `Ubaidu'l-lāh, Khwājakī Khwāja) becoming the spiritual guide of the elder prince, the younger (Yahya) of the younger. In a few days, Khwāja Yahya followed Sl. `Alī Mīrzā to Bukhārā. Bāī-sunghar Mīrzā led out his army against Bukhārā. On his approach, Sl. `Alī Mīrzā came out of the town, arrayed for battle. There was little fighting; Victory being on the side of Sl. `Alī Mīrzā, Bāī-sunghar Mīrzā sustained defeat. Aḥmad Ḥājī Beg and a number of good soldiers were taken; most of the men were put to death. Aḥmad Ḥājī Beg himself the slaves and slave-women of Darwesh Muḥammad Tarkhān, issuing out of Bukhārā, put to a dishonourable death on the charge of their master's blood. (_e. Bābur moves against Samarkand._) These news reached us in Andijān in the month of Shawwāl (mid-June to mid-July) and as we (_act._ 14) coveted Samarkand, we got our men to horse. Moved by a like desire, Sl. Mas'ūd Mīrzā, his mind and Khusrau Shāh's mind set at ease by Sl. [Sidenote: Fol. 38.] Ḥusain Mīrzā's retirement, came over by way of Shahr-i-sabz.[306] To reinforce him, Khusrau Shāh laid hands (_qāptī_) on his younger brother, Walī. We (three mīrzās) beleaguered the town from three sides during three or four months; then Khwāja Yahya came to me from Sl. `Alī Mīrzā to mediate an agreement with a common aim. The matter was left at an interview arranged (_kūrūshmak_); I moved my force from Soghd to some 8m. below the town; Sl. `Alī Mīrzā from his side, brought his own; from one bank, he, from the other, I crossed to the middle of[307] the Kohik water, each with four or five men; we just saw one another (_kūrūshūb_), asked each the other's welfare and went, he his way, I mine. I there saw, in Khwāja Yahya's service, Mullā _Binā'ī_ and Muḥammad Ṣāliḥ;[308] the latter I saw this once, the former was long in my service later on. After the interview (_kūrūshkān_) with Sl. `Alī Mīrzā, as winter was near and as there was no great scarcity amongst the Samarkandīs, we retired, he to Bukhārā, I to Andijān.