Sl. Mas`ūd Mīrzā had a penchant for a daughter of Shaikh `Abdu'l-lāh _Barlās_, she indeed was his object in coming to Samarkand. He took her, laid world-gripping ambition aside [Sidenote: Fol. 38b.] and went back to Ḥiṣār. When I was near Shīrāz and Kān-bāī, Mahdī Sl. deserted to Samarkand; Ḥamza Sl. went also from near Zamīn but with leave granted. 902 AH.—SEP. 9TH. 1496 TO AUG. 30TH. 1497 AD.[309] (_a. Bābur's second attempt on Samarkand._) This winter, Bāī-sunghar Mīrzā's affairs were altogether in a good way. When `Abdu'l-karīm _Ushrit_ came on Sl. `Alī Mīrzā's part to near Kūfīn, Mahdī Sl. led out a body of Bāī-sunghar Mīrzā's troops against him. The two commanders meeting exactly face to face, Mahdī Sl. pricked `Abdu'l-karīm's horse with his Chirkas[310] sword so that it fell, and as `Abdu'l-karīm was getting to his feet, struck off his hand at the wrist. Having taken him, they gave his men a good beating. These (Aūzbeg) sulṯāns, seeing the affairs of Samarkand and the Gates of the (Tīmūrid) Mīrzās tottering to their fall, went off in good time (_āīrtā_) into the open country (?)[311] for Shaibānī. Pleased[312] with their small success (over `Abdu'l-karīm), the Samarkandīs drew an army out against Sl. `Alī Mīrzā; Bāī-sunghar Mīrzā went to Sar-i-pul (Bridge-head), Sl. `Alī Mīrzā to Khwāja Kārzūn. Meantime, Khwāja Abū'l-makāram, at the instigation of Khwāja Munīr of Aūsh, rode light against [Sidenote: Fol. 39.] Bukhārā with Wais _Lāgharī_ and Muḥammad Bāqir of the Andijān begs, and Qāsim _Dūldāī_ and some of the Mīrzā's household. As the Bukhāriots took precautions when the invaders got near the town, they could make no progress. They therefore retired. At the time when (last year) Sl. `Alī Mīrzā and I had our interview, it had been settled[313] that this summer he should come from Bukhārā and I from Andijān to beleaguer Samarkand. To keep this tryst, I rode out in Ramẓān (May) from Andijān. Hearing when close to Yār Yīlāq, that the (two) Mīrzās were lying front to front, we sent Tūlūn Khwāja _Mūghūl_[314] ahead, with 2 or 300 scouting braves (_qāzāq yīkītlār_). Their approach giving Bāī-sunghar Mīrzā news of our advance, he at once broke up and retired in confusion. That same night our detachment overtook his rear, shot a mass (_qālīn_) of his men and brought in masses of spoil.