THE EXPEDITION OF TORGHUDJEH TO BASTIA.
In some historical works it is recorded that, in A. H. 960, Torghudjeh took the command of one hundred and twenty galleys, and sailed to Novocacia. Afterwards, in the month of Rajab, 961, he sailed up the gulf, and besieged Bastia, a Spanish castle on the Italian coast. After many attempts, he was on the point of taking it, when four thousand horse and three thousand infantry came to the assistance of the besieged, and repulsed the Moslems several times. At length, by the favour of God, on the seventh of Ramazan, the abject wretches outside the walls were defeated, and the infidels inside were obliged to fly and abandon the castle. The Moslems allowed forty or fifty of the principal inhabitants their liberty, but put all the others into chains. With the wealth which they found in the castle, and about seven thousand prisoners, they then sailed to Avlona, in the neighbourhood of which the Albanian rebels, by the aid of the governor Ahmed Beg, were vanquished both by sea and land, and rewarded according to their demerits. The Moslems now returned to the Porte with riches far exceeding what they had anticipated. The emperor, who duly appreciated merit, offered Torghudjeh, in addition to his office of capudan, the begler-begship of Algiers. Rustam Pasha, however, prevented his obtaining the latter post, insinuating that Torghudjeh having acquired wealth abroad, had no wish to be employed in the service of the Sublime Porte; and in consequence the sanjak of Carli-Eili (Acarnania) was given to him; but this he declined to accept. The emperor then determined to go out against him, and had actually taken horse for that purpose, when Torghudjeh came out to meet his sovereign, and in person petitioned for the governorship of Trabalos. This was granted him, and he immediately proceeded to Trabalos west, and held his office till he was slain at Malta.