THE EXPEDITION TO AMASSERO, SINOPE, AND TREBISOND.
In the year of the Hejra 864 (A. D. 1459), the victorious sultan, Mohammed Khan, proceeded by land to reduce Amassero, a castle on the shores of the Black Sea; and at the same time sent forward other forces by sea. Being again crowned with success, he turned his attention to Sinope, then occupied by Ismael Beg, son of Isfendiar; and the grand vizier, Mohammed Pasha, having fitted up a fleet of one hundred vessels, manned by warlike heroes, set sail, and on his way to Trebisond touched at Sinope, where the land forces having also arrived, they besieged the castle both by sea and land. The helpless Emir Ismael surrendered without resistance, and delivered the castle to the Sublime Porte. Having, besides this, subjugated Kastamouni, the victorious fleet proceeded towards Sinope, whither the imperial forces also marched; and after a short siege, the enemy stipulated, and surrendered the city.
In the European history, which I translated from the Latin into Turkish, I have mentioned that at this time Ismael Beg built a very large ship of nine hundred tons. This vessel the Emperor sent to Constantinople. About the same time Alfonso, the king of Aragonia, built a vessel which held four thousand tons; and soon after built two others, which in point of size had never been equalled, but they could not use them; and striking against each other in the harbour, they were dashed to pieces.
The Venetians also at this period, having made peace with the Genoese, began to build immense vessels. Sultan Mahommed at the same time built one of three thousand tons, but, as they were launching it, it sunk in the harbour, and the builders were obliged to fly. Ton (fouchi) is a phrase peculiar to ships of the ocean, and is used to designate their size.