FOOTNOTES
[167] This Preface is by Ramusio; the rest is prepared by the same writer from the official letters of M. Caterino Zeno.
[169] Jehan Shah. Uzun Hassan was not his brother, as they were the respective chiefs of the rival tribes of Kârâ Koinloo and Ak-Koinloo. The dynasty founded by Uzun Hassan of the Ak-Koinloo tribe is termed Bâyenderee; the influence of the family dates from the reign of Timour, who made them grants of land in Armenia and Mesopotamia.
[170] Mahomet II, the first Emperor of the Turks, reigned from 1450-1481.
“Vixêre fortes ante Agamemnona
Multi.”—Horace, Book iv, ode 10.
[172] It was by no means the case that at that time the Persian monarchs had no poets or historians to celebrate their deeds, as the Augustan age, so to speak, of Persian literature was just then coming to a close, the two last of the great poets, Jami and Hatifi, flourishing at the Court of Abou-said and his successor Hoossein Meerza, the enlightened descendants of Timour. Hatifi died in 1522; his great poem was written to commemorate the victory of Ismael Shah over the Usbegs at Merv in 1514. The two famous historians, Mirkhond and Khondemir, also flourished at this time.
[173] Jehan Shah, Karâ Yusuf.
[174] Darius was the husband, not the son, of Atossa.
[175] There were two rival Toorkman tribes, as has already been noticed, the Kara-Koinloo and the Ak-Koinloo, who were engaged in continual struggles for the supremacy in Persia. Uzun Hassan was a chief of the Ak-Koinloo, or White Sheep.
[176] Jehan Shah.
[177] Hassan Beg, called Alymbeius by Knolles.
[178] He was called Uzun Hassan and Hassan et Taneel by the Arabs, from the fact, as the appellative denotes, of his height, which was far above the standard. Barbaro describes him as a very tall, thin man. Taneel, Arabic, is the translation of Uzun or Oozoon, Turkish, and means “tall”, not “great”. Oozoon, in Turkish, means essentially long, not great.
[179] Ak-Koinloo Chiefs:—
[180] Amida (Diarbekr) was founded, according to Oriental tradition, by Tahmuras of the Paishdadian dynasty, and fortified by the Emperor Constans, who probably surrounded it with the stupendous wall of black stone, from which the city is often called by the Turks Kârâ Amid, or Black Amid. Some of the masonry is evidently Roman, though there are Cufic inscriptions on different parts of the wall. Kinneir says:—
“The houses are built of stone, and have a good appearance, but the streets, although paved, are narrow and filthy. The castle is on the north side of the town; it is also surrounded by a strong wall, and divided into many courts and handsome buildings, where the Pasha and his officers reside. The population of the town is said to amount to thirty-eight thousand souls, of which the greater proportion are Turks, and the remainder Armenians, Kurds, Jacobites, and Catholics. The bazar is well supplied with corn and provisions, and the adjoining country is fruitful and well cultivated. Cotton, silk, copper, and iron are manufactured by the natives, and exported to Bagdad and Constantinople. When viewed from a distance, the city of Diarbekr has a fine appearance. The elevation of the surrounding mountains, the windings of the Tigris and height of the walls and towers with the cupolas of the mosques, give it an air of grandeur far above that of any other city which I have visited in this quarter of the world. In the spring the Tigris rises to a great height at this place, but in the month of December it was so shallow, that the water did not reach much above my horse’s knees. It is generally passed on a bridge of twelve arches, situated about half a mile below the town. Diarbekr is sixty miles from Merdin, two hundred and eighty-seven from Orfa, and a hundred and seventy-two and a half from Malatea. Its position is fixed in latitude 37° 55′ 40″ N., and longitude 39° 52′ E., as ascertained from actual observation by Mr. Simon.”
[181] Jehan Shah.
[182] Uzun Hassan was not a brother of Jehan Shah, but of a different tribe.
[183] Diarbekr.
[184] Jehan Shah was killed in the battle and his son Kara Yusuf taken prisoner.
[185] Erzingan, Eriza, a town and district of the same name. The town is situated on the eastern branch of the Euphrates, below Erzeroum. The fine plain slopes gently from north to south, acting as a kind of vast drain for the waters of the mountains on the north and two other sides—viz., the Mezoor Dagh and the Kesheesh Dagh, thus conveying them to the Kara Su. Otherwise, it is a perfect level, free from stone or elevation of any kind, but some artificial mounds at the east corner. It is a garrison town, with new barracks just built; the town and villages contain about twelve thousand houses, or, by the usual calculation, sixty thousand inhabitants. The soil is rich, producing abundance of grain, cotton, fruits, and melons.
[186] His dominions hardly extended so far, even after defeating Abou Said, the reigning prince of the House of Timour, as Khorassan, Herat, Cabul, etc., were governed by the successors of that prince.
[187] Georgia.
[188] Syria.
[189] The Caspian Sea.
[190] Bitlis, the Armenian Pangesh, about an equal distance between Diarbekr and Van, the scene of the signal defeat sustained by Solyman the Magnificent in 1535. Kinneir says:—
“The town extends across the greater part of the valley, the houses being built at some distance from each other in the manner of Rutnuz. The castle is situated on the top of a high mountain, which bounds the plain to the west. The inhabitants of the town and the neighbouring villages amount to about twenty-six thousand—Kurds, Turks, Armenians, and Syrians. The Armenians have four churches and four monasteries, and, upon the whole, enjoy more liberty and are treated with greater respect than in most Mahomedan States. The lands around Betlis are highly cultivated, and produce grain of several kinds—cotton, hemp, rice, olives, honey, truffles, and mushrooms. There is abundance of gravel in the neighbourhood, and the mountains are infested by lions, wolves, and bears. Quarries of red and white marble have also been discovered at a short distance from the town.”
[191] Calo Johannes, or Black John, brother of David, last Christian Emperor of Trebizond, was of the noble family of the Comneni, which became extinct with them. Trebizond was taken in 1461 by Mahomet II, Sultan of the Turks. Uzun Hassan had married Despina while still Prince of Diarbekr, before he had gained the throne.
[192] Rhodes, Cyprus, etc.
[193] Otranto was taken by the Turks in 1480, under Achmet Pasha, who embarked at Vallona in Macedonia, and ravaged a great part of Apulia; but, being called away to join Mahomet in his wars in Asia, the Turkish garrison, after holding the place for a year, surrendered at discretion to Alfonso, Duke of Calabria.—Knolles, Hist. of the Turks, p. 433.
[194] Bussora, or Basra, was founded by Omar in 636; has a population of sixty thousand at the present time. It is situated on the western bank of the Shat-ul-Arab and seventy miles from its mouth, with an immense trade. It was conquered by the Turks in 1668.
[195] At Tauris, or Tabreez. See Travels of a Merchant, [cap. 7].
[196] This covering, called Peychar, is now only used in Bagdad.
[197] David, last Emperor of Trebizond, was Despina’s uncle. Her father had died before.
[198] Peer Ahmed, who was afterwards defeated and killed in 1486 by Bajazet II, for having aided his brother Zizim in his revolt. See Knolles, Hist. of the Turks, p. 446.
[199] See Angiolello, [cap. 2].
[201] Kinneir, speaking of the Persian soldiery, says:—“What is denominated the standing army of the empire consists of the king’s body-guard, which amounts to about ten thousand men, and the Gholaums or royal slaves, in number about three thousand. The former are a kind of militia, which are obliged to have their habitations in the capital or its vicinity, and are liable to be called out at a moment’s warning: the latter are in constant attendance upon his majesty and more feared and respected than any other troops in his service. But it is the numbers and bravery of the wandering tribes which constitute the military force of the Persian empire. When the sovereign is desirous of assembling an army, the chiefs of the different tribes are commanded to send to the royal camp a number of men proportionate to the power and strength of his tribe: each town and village is also under the necessity of furnishing its quota. The army thus assembled, is consequently entirely irregular, chiefly consisting of cavalry; and, as they seldom receive either clothing or pay, only kept together by the hope of plunder. The present king, as an extreme effort, might probably in this manner be able to collect together a force of a hundred and fifty thousand or perhaps two hundred thousand men. To their cavalry, which is excellent, the rulers of Persia have hitherto, with success, solely entrusted the defence of their dominions. Their arms are a scimitar, a brace of pistols, a carabin, and sometimes a lance, or a bow and arrow—all of which they alternately use, at full speed, with the utmost skill and dexterity. The pistols are either stuck in the girdle or in the holsters of the saddle; the carabin or bow is slung across the shoulder; and the lance, which is light and shafted with bamboo, is wielded in the right hand. There is one great defect inherent in the constitution of their cavalry—a defect which cannot fail of proving highly detrimental to its success in the field, and of repressing the natural impetuosity and courage of the troops. His arms and horse in general belong not to the public, but to the individual; his whole property is often vested in these articles; and, as he receives no compensation in the event of losing them, his whole attention is naturally turned towards their preservation. This single circumstance, as must be obvious, may often be productive of the most disastrous consequences, and has, on more than one occasion, proved fatal to the honour and reputation of the Persian arms. They are not so gaudy in the trappings of their horses as the Turks; their saddles and bridles are more adapted for use than show; and the Arabian bit and stirrup were thrown aside by the orders of Nadir Shah for a plain snaffle and light iron stirrup. The saddle also is much more light than that in use among the Turks or Mamelukes, but somewhat too short in the seat, and inconvenient to a person who has not been accustomed to it. They ride with very short stirrups; but have, notwithstanding, a wonderful command over their horses, and can stop them in an instant in the midst of their career. Their cavalry, like all irregular horse, are incapable of acting in unison or of making any serious impression on a body of troops disciplined in the European fashion: but, as their evolutions and movements are extremely rapid and each individual is aware of the part he ought to act, they are nearly as formidable when broken and dispersed as when united. The Persian armies, as I have said before, receive no regular pay, and are only kept together by the hope of plunder; we therefore find, that it is considered as incumbent on the king to take the field once a year, either against the Russians, Affghans, or Turkomans, his immediate neighbours. They know nothing of the modern science of war, being entirely ignorant of the principles of fortification and of the arts of attack and defence. The field artillery is chiefly composed of zumbarooks or small swivels, mounted on, and fired from, the backs of camels. There are also small field-pieces attached to the army; but the roads on the frontier are but ill adapted for the transportation of cannon, and as the carriages are of a miserable construction, they are either broken by the rocks and precipices, or go to pieces after firing a few rounds. Another great defect in the organisation of the armies of this country is the total want of good officers, and therefore of a proper degree of subordination. Without able and experienced men to direct and command, and a regular system of payment, it is next to impossible that an army can arrive at anything like perfection. There is no separation of the civil from the military authorities. The troops are commanded by the chiefs of their own tribes, who are jealous of each other, and therefore not likely to act in concert or yield that obedience so absolutely necessary in military affairs. In the absence of the King and Prince, the Grand Vizier is the general-in-chief; and, as he is not unfrequently raised to that dignity from offices entirely civil, the army may be commanded by a man who has never witnessed an engagement.”
[202] Peer Ahmed. See [p. 15].
[203] Gerjannes, a district of Erzingan.
[204] Kharput, in the Valley of Sophene, as it was called by the ancients. See [Travels of a Merchant].
[206] Konieh (Iconium). Konieh, a city of Asia Minor, with a population of thirty thousand, employed mostly in the manufacture of carpets; it was a capital of the Seljook Sultans.
[207] Ofium Kara Hissar, a town of fifty thousand inhabitants, two hundred miles from Smyrna, where opium is raised in great quantities.
[208] Kutaieh.
[209] Daood.
[210] Boorsa.
[211] Amurath.
[212] This, according to Knolles, was a Persian victory, Mustafa being forced to fly.—History of the Turks, p. 410. See below, [p. 25].
[213] Yusuf Khan.
[214] Peer Ahmed.
[215] M. Josafat Barbaro’s account of his travels is in Ramusio’s Collection.
[216] Zumburka.
[217] Sanjak.
[218] Afterwards Bajazet II, reigned from 1481-1512.
[219] The unfortunate Djim-Zizim, or Zemes, who, being defeated by Bajazet in his struggle for empire, fled first to Egypt and then to Rhodes. He was sent to Rome to the Pope Innocent VIII, but was poisoned at the instigation of the infamous Alexander Borgia, who had been forced to give him up to Charles VIII of France.
[220] Ikindjis.
[221] Siwas, sixty miles from Tokat on the Kizzil Irmak, with manufactures of coarse woollen, etc.
[222] River Iris, the present Kizzil Irmak.
[223] Niksar.
[224] Koili Hissar, according to Kiepert’s Map on the Schonak or Owadmish Schai, which falls into the Yekyl Irmak. It is a little below Shebban Kara Hissar; it is also called Koyunlu Hissar.
[225] Shebban Kara Hissar, still noted for its alum mines. The castle is built on an isolated mountain about six hundred feet high and three miles in circumference, and is of great natural strength; it has the same contrivance common to most of the old castles for the supply of water during a siege, namely, a staircase excavated in the solid rock. It was probably one of the treasure-cities of Mithridates mentioned by Strabo. The trade in alum has greatly diminished, as it is now exported to Turkish provinces solely.
[226] Probably Egin on the Euphrates, on the route from Erzingan to Malatia. See Angiolello, [cap. 6].
[227] Compare the death of Archimedes.
[228] Ikindjis.
[230] Malatia, the ancient Melitene, near the Euphrates or Murad, in lat. N. 30 deg. 26 min., long. E. 38 deg. 27 min.
[231] This is only in the dry season, as there are no islands, only sandbanks.
[232] Peer Ahmed.
[233] See Angiolello, [cap. 7].
[234] This battle took place near Malatia 1473.
[235] Knolles says that Mustafà, Mahomet the Second’s eldest son, and Amurath, Pasha of Roumania (the latter of whom was killed in the battle), commanded the Turks when they were defeated in 1473. He also mentions another battle the next year in which Mahomet was present in person and was defeated, one of his great Pashas being killed. Perhaps two battles were made out of this one, or more probably the battle previously mentioned ([p. 20]) was a Persian victory.
[236] Baiboort, on the river Turak or Delchoroch Su, which flows into the Euxine near Batoum. It is situated nearly due north of Erzingan.
[237] The battle of Tabeada.
[238] Peer Ahmed.
[239] Knolles says that the Turkish artillery did great mischief to the Persians, as in the battle of Schalderan.
[241] Ikindjis.
[242] Erzingan.
[243] Shebban Kara Hissar. See [p. 23].
[244] After crossing the river the Turkish army evidently began to retreat to their own country. Why they went near Malatia is not very evident.
[245] Koili Hissar. See [p. 23]. According to Angiolello, it was near Erzingan that the Turks reached the Euphrates, and only the Acangi crossed on a foraging expedition, which is much more probable.
[246] Tocat, fifty-six miles from Sivas, with a population of forty thousand, and a very extensive trade.
[247] Sanjak.
[248] Achmet.
[249] It seems that the other Christian princes were not altogether so blind to the advantages of a Persian alliance as the Venetian writer would have us think.
[250] Caffa, anciently called Theodosia, situated in the Crimea, and then belonging to the Genoese, was a rich and busy port. It was subdued, with the rest of the Crimea, by Achmet Pasha in 1476.
[251] See [note, p. 16].
[252] Casimir IV reigned from 1447 to 1492. He defeated the Teutonic knights and also the Hungarians.
[253] Matthias Corvinus, son of the Great Huniades, the champion of Christendom against the Turks, reigned from 1458 to 1490.
[254] Bagdad.
[255] Diarbekr.
[256] Shiraz.
[257] Sanjak.
[258] Amasia, the birthplace of Strabo and Mithridates, is now an important town with thirty thousand inhabitants and great trade in silk, situated on the Yekyl Irmak.
[259] Yakoob, who succeeded Ussun Cassano in 1478.
[260] It was Achilles, not Hercules, who is said to have preferred a short and famous career to a long life of inglorious ease.
[261] Persian literature at that time was in a most flourishing condition, the age comprising some of the most illustrious names in their annals. Vide [p. 2].
[262] Caton-Khatoon, meaning “Madam” or “Lady”, and so “Queen.” Despina, Δεσποινα, means the same thing.
[263] Calo Johannes. See [p. 9].
[264] Calul.
[265] Yakoob.
[266] From what appears in the other books this must be meant for Cartibiert Kharput, in the province of Diarbekr. See Angiolello, [cap. 1].
[267] See Travels of a Merchant, [cap. 3].
[268] She was buried in the town of Diarbekr.
[269] Sheikh Hyder.
[270] Ardebil, where are the tombs of Sheikh Hyder and Shah Ismael Sufi, is situated in the plain of Mogam. It has now entirely declined from its former importance.
[271] Kârâ Koyun.
[272] This was not the case, as the Suffavean family did not belong to either of the Toorkman tribes.
[273] Ak Koyun.
[274] Also called Alumut or Eluanbeg; he was not left in undisturbed possession of the throne, as his brother Morad Khan disputed it with him, and established himself in Babylonia and Fars.
[275] Kârâ Koinloo. See [previous page].
[276] Follower of Ali, Alanee.
[277] See Angiolello, [cap. 12].
[278] Ardebil.
[279] Shirvan, the largest and most important division of the Southern Caucasus, is watered by numberless rivers, the largest of which is the Kur. Its capital is Schamachi, under which name, according to Kinneir, there are two cities, the old and the new. He says: “New Schamachi is situated in a plain on the river Aksui, about fifty versts from the Kur, and the same distance from the sea. The form is quadrangular, each side being eight hundred paces in length. The walls are in tolerable repair, built of unburnt brick, and surrounded with a very deep and broad ditch. When this town was taken by Aga Mahomed Khan in 1795, the inhabitants were supposed to amount to six thousand souls; but the city, as well as the villages nearest the plain, were reduced to ruins by that relentless tyrant, who did not retire till the month of February of the following year. The ruins of the old Schamachi, once a large and populous city, are still extant, but they are almost hid from the view by thick brushwood. This is the Schamacha of the ancients and stands in a fine situation, in an angle formed by the southern branch of Mount Caucasus.”
[280] Derbend, a strong fortress on the Caspian, the Peninsula of Apshernon, near the Demir Kapoo or Iron Gates of the Caucasus. See [note] to Angiolello, [cap. 16].
[281] Compare the Long Walls at Athens.
[282] Demir Kapoo.
[283] Sheikh Hyder.
[284] Aktamar or Van Lake, so called from the island of Ak Tamar, where the Catholicos of the Armenians resides.
[285] Knolles says he fled into Hyrcania to Pyrcales. See Travels of a Merchant, [cap. 13], and [next page].
[286] The accounts of authors vary as to Ismael’s age (see Travels of a Merchant, [cap. 13]); but I believe this to be the correct statement.
[287] Kara Bagh, the country between the rivers Kur and Aras, the former river dividing it from Shirvan.
[288] Ghilan, a province along the south-west shore of the Caspian, is rich and populous, the soil exceedingly fertile, fruits, rice, and grain being cultivated with great success; but the cultivation of silk constitutes the principal trade, and quantities are exported annually to Astrakhan from Resht and Lankeroon, the two principal towns in the province. Its population amounts to about six hundred thousand.
[289] Followers of Ali, or rather of Sheikh Hyder, from the name of his ancestor Sheikh Suffee-u-deen Ishack. The family were lineally descended from Môossâh, the seventh Imaum.
[290] Also mentioned at [page 57].
[291] Mazenderan, part of ancient Hyrcania, is separated from Irak by the Elburz Mountains; in its soil and climate it resembles Ghilan, except in being more mountainous and wooded. Silk is not cultivated to so great an extent, though the commerce of the province is considerable. The inhabitants were regarded as the most warlike of the Persians, and even held out for a considerable time against the whole power of Tamerlane. The population is about one million five hundred thousand; the principal towns are Sari, the capital, Balfrush, with upwards of a hundred thousand inhabitants, Amol, Ferrabad, and Ashraff, famous for the palace of Shah Abbas the Great, who also executed that stupendous work named the Causeway of Mazenderan, which at present has been allowed to fall into disrepair.
[292] Alamur, or Eluan Beg, was not in sure possession of the throne, as he was engaged in a struggle with his brother Morad Khan, who ruled over Bagdad, Shiraz, etc. See [page 43].
[293] Also mentioned at [page 56].
[294] Either the Kur or the Aras, more probably the latter.
[295] Diarbekr.
[296] Tauris, or Tabreez. See Travels of a Merchant, [cap. 7].
[297] Morad Khan, brother, not son, of Eluan Beg, ruler of Fars, Babylonia, etc.
[298] Diarbekr. Eluan Beg had also taken refuge here.
[299] Allà-ed’ Douleh.
[300] Albistan, sixty miles from Marash; ten thousand inhabitants.
[301] Marash, sixty miles from Iskenderoon; ancient capital of Karamania.
[302] Kara Dagh, or Black Mountain.
[303] Shiraz in this case, not Sivas.
[304] Ispahan.
[305] Bagdad.
[306] Diarbekr.
[307] Shiraz.
[308] Sheibani Khan, or Shahabeg Khan, a descendant of the Great Zengis, the enemy of Baber the first of the Moguls, was the founder of the Usbeg power on the ruins of that of Timour, in Central Asia. He was defeated and killed by Shah Ismael Sofi at the battle of Merv Shah Jehan in 1514. See Baber’s Memoirs, translated by Mr. Erskine.
[309] Sunnees.
[310] Herat, a city of great importance in the history of Persia, and the key or gate of India, as it has been aptly described; it is well fortified, and the emporium of commerce between Cabul, Bokhara, Hindostan, and Persia, with a population of forty thousand; it is now subject to Affghanistan.
[311] Khaf.
[312] Sanderem, probably Amol or Balfrush, in Mazanderan.
[313] Sari, the capital of Mazanderan, a well fortified town of fifteen thousand inhabitants, with a brisk trade with Astrakhan and the interior of Persia, twenty miles from Balfrush.
[314] The Caspian.
[315] Ispahan.
[316] Sheibani Khan.
[317] Shirvan.
[318] Kara Bagh.
[319] Canar.
[322] The great battle of Merv Shah Jehan, 1514. The city of Merv, the ancient capital of Margiana, was founded by Alexander the Great, and embellished by Antiochus Nicator, who gave it the name of Antiochia. It was long the seat of the Seljooks and also of the great Alp Arslan, whose tomb is there. It has now declined in importance, having been repeatedly sacked by the Usbegs.
[323] He was killed in the battle.
[324] Samarcand, a city once almost the capital of the world, being well known as the seat of Timour, but now greatly declined in importance. It is a hundred and thirty miles from Bokhara, and is still the entrepôt for a caravan trade, with ten thousand inhabitants.
[325] The Iris, present Kizzil Irmak.
[326] Iris.
[327] Erzingan.
[328] Khoi, the capital of a rich district, with a considerable trade between Turkey and Persia; it has a population of twenty-five thousand, and is a well-built, handsome town, on the Ak Schai, a tributary of the Aras.
[329] Battle of Schalderan, fought, according to Knolles, on the 7th August, 1514. He says that Ismael himself was present in the battle and did wonders in arms, as, with only thirty thousand men he attacked the Turkish army three hundred thousand strong. The Persian cavalry bore down the Turks on every side, though with the loss of one of their great chiefs, Usta-ogli. “The Persians were now ready on everie side to have assailed Selymus in his greatest strength; when Sinan Bassa, although the wing he led was sore rent and weakened, yet following the Persians through the middest of the heaps of the slaine footmen, came in, in good time for Selymus, and with certaine fresh troups which had escaped from the furie of Usta-ogli restored the battell before almost lost; but, especially by the invincible courage of Alisbeg and Mahomet his brother, descended of the honourable familie of the Molcozzii, which for nobilitie among the Turks is accounted next unto the Ottomans; both of them for courage resembling their warlike father Molcozzius, famous for that wofull expedition he made into Friuli against the Venetians in the raigne of Baiazet. Selymus, also not yet discouraged, but still in hope, commaunded all the great ordinance wherewith he was environed which he had reserved as his last refuge, to be discharged; by the violence whereof such slaughter was made as well of his owne men as of his enemies, mingled togither, that what for dust, what for smoake, and thundering of the artillerie, having on both sides almost lost the use of sight and hearing; and their horses being so terrified with the thundering report of the great ordinance that they were not now to be ruled, the battell was broken off, the victorie yet doubtfull.” He goes on to say that Ismael was slightly wounded, and had to retire from the field, which gave the Turks breathing time.
[330] The site of the ancient Artaxarta is fixed on the Aras, a little to the south of Erivan.
[331] Knolles says:—“This was that notable battell fought in the Calderan fields neare unto the city of Coy, betwixt these two great princes, the 7th day of August, in the yeare of our Lord 1514. In which battell Selymus lost above thirtie thousand men, amongst whom was Casan Bassa, his great lieutenant in Europe; seaven Sanzackes, in which were the two Malcozzian brethren, who, labouring the one to rescue the other, were both togither slaine. Beside his common footmen, of whom he made least reckoning, he lost most part of his Illirian, Macedonian, Servian, Epirot, Thessalian, and Thracian horsemen, the undoubted flower and strength of his army, which were in that mortall battell almost all slaine or grievously wounded. Selymus, for all this great losse, by the confession of his enemies having gotten the victorie, and receiving embassadours from Coy and the cities thereabout, and the great citie of Tauris, promising to relieve him with whatsoever he needed, and to doe what else he should commaund, marched directly to Tauris, desiring both to see and possesse himself of that citie as one of the chiefe pallaces of the Persian kings. This citie is two daies’ journey distant from Coy, where the battell was fought, and is probably supposed to be the famous citie called in auntient time Ecbatana, about an hundred and fiftie miles distant from the Caspian Sea. The citizens were readie at the comming of the Turks, and brought them great store of victuals out of the gates of the citie, where Selymus had lodged his army in the suburbs, thinking it no safetie to lodge within that great and populous citie, contenting himselfe to have the gates thereof delivered unto him, which he kept with strong guard.”
[332] Caseria, probably Casbin.
[333] The janissaries mutinied, according to Knolles.
[334] Knolles says:—“Yet for all the speed he could make, the Georgian horsemen, the forerunners of Hysmaell, his armie being come within sight before the Turkes were all got over, raised such a feare and a stirre all alongt that side of the river that two thousand of the Turkes were in their hastie passage there drowned, divers field pieces left sticking in the mud, and much of their baggage carried away with the force of the river. The Georgians contenting themselves with such things as were left, pursued them no farther.”
[335] Ikindjis.
[336] Khafour el Ghouri.
[337] Syria.
[338] Knolles gives a different reason, namely, that the Persian soldiery were well suited for defending, but not for fighting out of their own country: so Ismael would not risk an invasion.
[339] Amasia, birthplace of Strabo. See [page 37].
DISCOURSE OF
MESSER GIOVAN BATTISTA RAMUSIO
ON THE
WRITINGS OF GIOVAN MARIA ANGIOLELLO AND OF A MERCHANT WHO WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE OF PERSIA; IN WHICH ARE NARRATED THE LIFE AND DEEDS OF USSUN CASSANO.