Travels to Tana and Persia : $b A narrative of Italian travels in Persia, in the 15th and 16th centuriesBarbaro, Giosofat
History
Travels to Tana and Persia : $b A narrative of Italian travels in Persia, in the 15th and 16th centuries
Barbaro, Giosofat
Iran -- Description and travel; Voyages and travels
Now on arriving at the river Euphrates, and marching north-east along its
bank, we perceived that Ussuncassano had arrived with his army on the
other side, at the spot where he thought that the Turk would cross. The
river was wider in this place—divided into many streams by banks of mud;
here the armies encamped opposite each other, with the stream separating
them. Ussuncassano had an immense army, and with him were three of his
sons, the first named Calul,[382] the second Ugurlimehemet,[383] and the
third Zeinel, and also Pirahomat, the prince of Caramania, and many other
lords and men of various nationalities, namely, Persians, Parthians,
Albanians (?), Georgians, and Tartars. On Ussuncassano’s seeing the
Turkish army encamped, he was quite astonished at the multitude, and
stood some time without speaking, and then said in the Persian language,
“Baycabexen nede riadir,” which means, “O, son of a whore, what a sea!”
comparing the Turkish army to an ocean. On the same day that the armies
encamped in this place, about nine, it was decided to attempt a passage
and to attack the enemy, and that Asmurat,[384] Beglerbeg of Romania
should attempt it with all his men, and, as he was young, Mahumut Bassa
was given him as a colleague. Then having raised the standards, sounded
the drums, the naccare, and other warlike instruments, they began
to cross, swimming over certain streams, and going from sandbank to
sandbank, and so arrived nearly at the other side of the river.
Ussuncassano, seeing that the Turkish troops began to cross, and were
already near his bank, sent a body of his own men against them, who also
entered a good way into the river; but as a deep stream separated them,
they began the fight with arrows. Still the Turks, wishing to cross, made
great exertions; and a part of them crossing the stream, came to blows
with the Persians, the fight lasting more than three hours, with great
slaughter on both sides. The Persians being nearest their bank of the
river, easily received support from their own people; while the Turks,
being only able to cross by a narrow ford, arrived a few at a time,
swimming over with their horses, many also being drowned by the rush of
water which carried them away from the ford. At length the Turks were
overcome by the Persians, and made to retreat, recrossing the stream
in their flight. Mahumut Bassa, who was on a bank, half a mile distant
from the place where they were fighting, not only did not give them
assistance, but retreated across several streams to another sandbank. The
Persians pursued the Turks, killing and taking prisoners; and the Turks
in their flight got into disorder, and blocked up the passage, many being
drowned by falling into the whirlpools of which there are a great many in
this river, and among others Asmurat, Beglerbeg of Romania. When he, with
many others, fell into a large whirlpool, the Turks, and in particular
his slaves and retainers, endeavouring to assist him, made head, and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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