THE EXPEDITION TO BEJAIA AND THE CAPTURE OF SHARSHAL.
The warrior and his brother once more prepared ten vessels, and went out on an expedition to Bajaia. On their way they attacked a small fortress called Sharshal or Jajl, which they took without any difficulty; and putting into chains a hundred infidels whom they found in it, they left three ships with fifty men to guard it.
After this they went on to the castle of Bajaia, where they landed their men and took out their cannon. Having closely blockaded it, they took it by assault on the fourth day. Besides those who fell, they took five thousand prisoners; and the plunder of the castle they allotted to the twenty thousand Arabs who had come to their assistance. They then laid siege to the second castle, which they surrounded for twenty days; but at last, their ammunition falling short, they sent for assistance to the Sultan of Tunis, who however denied it them. In the mean time, an infidel fleet of two hundred vessels arrived, and placed more than ten thousand soldiers in the castle. Thus the Moslem troops were driven desperate and obliged to withdraw. Previously to this they had run their ships into the river; and the water having subsided, they were left on the land; and not being able to put them to sea again, they were obliged to fire them.
They then went overland to Jajl, taking with them the prisoners they had taken from the fortress. The distance was sixty miles. At this place were stationed Oruj’s ship and Khair-ad-din’s galley of twenty-four benches. Oruj Reis remained at Jajl, whilst Khair-ad-din with three ships proceeded to Tunis, where he bought four others, and with seven volunteer ships, making in all fourteen, he put out to sea. Soon after he was joined by Kurd Oghli Mussaleh-ad-din Reis with fourteen ships; and his fleet now consisting of twenty-eight sail, he proceeded to the infidel coasts. Near Genoa he saw eight barges laden with corn, and having made himself known, they suffered themselves to be taken without any resistance. On his return he met twelve more, all which he also took. These were laden with cloth. The twenty barges he sent by Kurd Oghli to Tunis, whilst he himself went to join his brother.