The History of the Maritime Wars of the Turks. Chapters I. to IV.Kâtip Çelebi
History
The History of the Maritime Wars of the Turks. Chapters I. to IV.
Kâtip Çelebi
Turkey -- History -- 1453-1683; Turkey -- History, Naval
Whenever the huge leviathan Death draws a breath, the ocean seems but a
drop to him.
To his friends Senan was another Joseph; to his enemies he was a dart.
Come, Sahari, let us offer up a prayer for him; “May God make glad his
pure spirit!”
The invisible Spirit has revealed the time of his death. “The capudan
has joined the Divine Mercy.”
THE APPEARANCE OF TORGHUDJEH BEG.
Torghudjeh was the son of a rayah called Veli, and was born at a
village in the neighbourhood of Seroloz, of the sanjak of Mantesheh.
Being of a brave spirit, at an early age he excelled in archery and
wrestling. He afterwards applied himself to navigation, in which he
acquired considerable fame, and was made capudan of a privateer. On
one occasion, as he was oiling his vessel, Oghlan, an infidel captain,
fell upon him, and carried him prisoner to Genoa. On this account
Khair-ad-din Pasha sailed against the Genoese with a fleet, threatening
that if they did not give up Torghudjeh he would spoil all their
villages: whereupon they immediately released him. The pasha also in
a divan spoke so highly of him, saying, Torghudjeh was braver than
himself, that they gave him a galley. After this he was in numerous
engagements with Khair-ad-din Pasha in the south, by which he became
rich, and increased the number of his ships to twenty-five, with which
he began to cruise about. Having obtained information of the position
of Senan Pasha, who was then at sea, he came out to meet him from
the south. On their approach they saluted each other; but the salute
from Torghudjeh’s ships being much louder than that of Senan Pasha,
the latter suspected him; and artfully representing to the Porte that
his not joining him was a proof of disaffection, and that to subdue
him would be a difficult matter, recommended that he should be called
to the capital. Thither Torghudjeh immediately proceeded with eight
vessels, and made offers of submission. With him also came his brave
companions in arms, Ghazi Mustaffa, Oluj Ali, Hassan Keleh, Mohammed
Reis, Sanjakdar Reis, Deli Jafar, and Kara Kazi, to each of whom a
fanar,[46] and a stipend of seventy or eighty aspres were allotted.
Both before and after his journey to the Sublime Porte, Torghudjeh was
engaged in several memorable battles; a few of which we shall mention.
THE OCCURRENCE AT JARBA.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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