CHAPTER II.
Respecting the Affairs of Khair-ad-din Pasha.
This pasha, who arrived at the highest honours of his country, was a brave and valiant soldier, and altogether an astonishing person. When he was brought before the Sultan Soleiman Khan, he was treated with the greatest attention, and was requested to write an account of his adventures. In compliance with this request he selected, from the writings of those who had been with him, accounts of his principal adventures; and having formed them into a book, he forwarded it to the Sultan of happy memory.
The greater part of these adventures we have extracted from that work, and shall here insert them in order.
The pasha’s name was Hezr. His father Iacub was a soldier’s son at Aja Ava, and at the capture of Metylini enlisted in the volunteers, and remained in that island. He had four sons, Is’hak, Oruj, Hezr, and Elias, each of whom carried on a trade at sea. Is’hak afterwards settled at Metylini; Oruj continued his voyages to Egypt and Trabalos Sham; and Hezr to Saros and Salonica. Whilst Oruj and his brother Elias were sailing to Trabalos, they were attacked by some infidels of Rhodes, and Elias fell in the struggle. Hezr was also made a prisoner, and remained some time in the island. When he regained his liberty, he petitioned Sultan Corcud, who was then in Anatolia, for permission to go out as a corsair; which being granted, he sailed with a galley of eighteen benches. He first plundered the infidels’ ships about Rhodes, and then passed over to the coasts of Italy, where he attacked some boats, and after several engagements, in which he took considerable booty, returned and wintered at Eskenderia. Thence he went to the island of Jarba, where he left his cargo, and made preparations for a voyage to the infidel countries. On the accession of Sultan Selim to the throne, his brother, Corcud Khan, was obliged to conceal himself, and the Mediterranean ships were prohibited from sailing. Khair-ad-din therefore took ship at Metylini, and sailed to Maghreb; whilst his brother Oruj proceeded to the island of Jarba. Here the two brothers met, and formed an agreement to carry on their wars together; after which they repaired to Tunis, and requested some place of abode from the governor. At that time Tunis was held by Beni Hefs, who appointed for their use the castle of Halk-al-vad, upon condition that he should receive a fifth part of all their plunder.