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
Having rested the army for three days, the Turk resolved to go back again
by the way he had come. Therefore, raising his camp, he marched towards
Baibret,[392] where, on account of the rout of Ussun Cassano, he found
that the inhabitants of this city and of the surrounding country had
fled to the strongholds in the mountains. Nevertheless, the Aganzi took
some prisoners and plunder, and some of these Aganzi were assailed by
the Persians, and the prisoners and booty recaptured. On being pursued
they retired to the city of Baibret. And the Persians following in
pursuit, the Aganzi defended the place, the whole of one night and half
of the following day, until the news came to the army, when relief was
sent to them. The Persians hearing this, went off, not wishing to await
the attack. Proceeding on the march, we arrived on the banks of the
great river Euphrates, finding the castles and villages all abandoned,
and a good many of them burnt. Coming to the ford, the Aganzi crossed
without opposition, and traversed the country on the opposite shore for
one day’s journey in distance, seizing some small flocks as booty. When
they returned to the camp we directed our route towards Erfenia,[393] a
city in front, which had been abandoned; here we fixed our camp for one
night, and four days after leaving it we arrived at Carassar,[394] which
is situated on a black mountain, and has a very strong natural position,
from having high precipices all round, except on one side, where there is
one place that one can get up to the gate by a tortuous and rocky path.
Having encamped here, the people of the place stood silently on the walls
provided with sharp pikes and many bows; at first they would not listen
or speak to any one, but fired and hit everyone who approached, so that
they were obliged to direct five cannon against them. Two of these were
drawn up a hill not very far from the city, and did great harm. And after
they had bombarded it fifteen days, and killed a considerable number
of the people of the place, the latter were obliged to capitulate. The
governor of it was named Aarap,[395] a retainer of prince Zeinel, the
son of Ussun Cassano, who was killed in the above-mentioned battle, and
who possessed this Sangiacato[396] or territory. Aarap, hearing that his
master was dead and his head being shown him, wept bitterly, and then,
with some of the inhabitants, determined to make sure of his life and
property. The Turk promised him the conditions, and the seventeenth day
after we encamped they surrendered the place, and we returned, taking
Aarap with us, who, however, was shortly afterwards restored to liberty,
the Turk giving him a Sangiaccato on the borders of Hungary. In fact, if
he had held out eight days longer, we should have been forced to raise
the siege from want of provisions, and principally of fodder for the
horses, which had to be fed on oak leaves and twigs cut small.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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