Specimen of the Sadasha Abáza.
One, weh; two, toka; three, sitte; four, pali; five, ashú; six, korn; seven, ipli; eight, ogha; nine, ipfi; ten, zú; eleven, wehzú; twelve, tokazú. Bread, sakha; meat, gha; water, beri; cheese, feh; curd, chehwáh; pear, kha; raisin, mosú; figs, lakhmak; chesnuts, akshú; salt, laka; seat, otúz; get up, odeto; don’t go, omke; I go, síkú; where do you go, síoken; I am busy, I go, súwú shakagh síkú; bring a girl, zinje doko; I found no girl, but a boy, zinje dokalmet zeni okhad, &c.
There are many other languages and dialects besides, but I have quoted only some words which I acquired in the course of trading; I have written them as I could, but there is a great difference between the speaking and writing, the pronunciation being extremely difficult, like the chirping of birds. A great deal of judgment and sagacity is required to converse with them, but a traveller who knows something of the world, and of God, and desires to travel quietly, must have a sufficient idea of every language to understand whether good or evil is intended to him, whether they are going to offer him bread or a box of the ear; the proverb says, “Men speak according to their intellect, and, therefore, it is very prudent to learn some languages for the use of the world;” such a man easily makes his way through strange countries, and returns safely into port.
We left the harbour of the Kútassí, and at the end of two days journey along the seacoast, reached the castle of Anapa. It is said that Alexander the Great, when commanded by God to build the wall of Gog and Magog, arrived at this place, he was so much pleased with its air and situation, that he built here a pentagon castle of immense stones (Shedádí, Cyclopean); the room of the diván was paved with rubies, emeralds, turquoises and cornelians, and for that reason was called the Castle Kevherpaí Anapaí. It afterwards fell into the hands of the Genoese, and when Timúr laid waste the towns of Dadián, Heshdek, and other towns amounting altogether to the number of seven hundred, in his expedition against Tokhatmish the Lord of Crimea, he also wasted the suburbs of the castle of Anapa, but the castle itself was spared. In the reign of Sultán Bayazíd II., the great Vezír Gedek Ahmed Páshá, leading the expedition against Kaffa, took this castle also from the Genoese, and put troops into it. It is situated at the extremity of the Cape which divides the territory of the Abáza from Circassia, on a clay cliff; it is a strong castle without a garrison, and has been several times ransacked by the Cossacks of the Tanais. Outside of the castle are one hundred and fifty houses built of reed; this village is called Kabák. North of the castle are the mountains of Anapa. The ships which go to Assov sail past these mountains, which extend as far as the Cossacks of Assov. The castle of Anapa is well built, and in such good preservation, that it appears as if it had just come out of the hands of the builder. Sheep and goats are kept inside during the winter. According to the description of Demir-oghlí Osmán Páshá, Anapa is the seat of a Voivode of the sanjak of Tamán in the province of Caffa. The people of Shefákí, which is the name of the inhabitants, only pay their tithes at the point of the halberd, and are three hundred rebellious subjects. This castle has a large port where a thousand ships tied together with one rope may ride in safety. It is a large harbour, sheltered against the wind from all quarters. There is no port like it in the Black Sea; a kind of pearl was formerly fished for here; the shells still lie on the shore; another reason why the castle is called Kevhergán (jewel-mine). The Russians anchor here every year, without the least apprehension, and fish for pearls. If this castle was put into good condition, with a sufficient garrison and ammunition, it would be easy to keep all Abáza and Circassia in complete obedience. The Noghais also bring merchandise to this port in complete security.
While I, poor Evliyá, was remaining at Anapa with the Yenicherí-agassí of Konia, the Imperial fleet made its appearance in the Black Sea, and came to anchor at noon in the port of Anapa. They stayed three days, during which time all the small craft which had been left behind arrived, and took in water. I and the Aghá of Konia waited on the Kaima-kám of the Aghá of the Janissaries with some presents. I then waited on the Lord High Admiral Delí Hossein Páshá, who assigned me a tent and rations, made me his Múezzin and gave me a passage on board the galley of his Kiaya Welí. On the following day the 12th Sha’bán, 1053, the Imperial flag was hoisted, and at noon, the gun for departure being fired, we left Anapa and made sail for Assov.
Sultán Murad IV. had planned a great expedition against the Maltese, who alone remained to be subdued after the conquest of Baghdád, when he was removed by death; amongst the fleet fitted out for the purpose there were two immense large ships, called Kara Maona, of three hundred guns. After his death the Infidels everywhere raised their heads against the Ottoman Empire, and the Khán of the Crimea reported to Kara Mustafa Páshá, the great Vezír of Sultán Ibrahím, that the Russians had overran and plundered the districts of Crimea and Assov. At last one hundred thousand Cossacks took the fortress of Assov after a siege of forty days. Eighty thousand Cossacks remained in possession of it, and one hundred and fifty boats, manned by the rest, infested all the shores of the Black sea. This news having spread to Constantinople, Imperial rescripts were sent throughout the whole of Rúmelí. Kojá Gurjí Canaan Páshá, the governor of Ozakov, and the Governor of Rúmelí with twenty-eight sanjak Begs, forty thousand Tátárs of Búják, and forty thousand infidels of Moldavia and Valachia, and twenty thousand Transylvanians, surrounded the fortress of Assov on the land side. On the seaside came the Imperial fleet of one hundred and fifty galleys, as many frigates, two hundred shaikas and karamursal, altogether four hundred ships having forty thousand men on board, which had weighed anchor in the port of Anapa, passed the mouth of the river Kúbán, and the castle of Tamán; on our left hand was the Crimea with the point of Kilissejík, and opposite on the right, the point Chúcka on the peninsula of Tamán. These two points are but a mile distant, and the inside of this strait is called the sea of Assov. We entered it with a favourable wind, and came to an anchor in the port of Bálisíra. Here all the ammunition and provisions were embarked in small boats, called sandal, sacoleva, sarbúna, and túnbáza; and carried thirty miles further on to the castle of Assov, because galleys and chaiks drawing five feet water cannot be used here, as the water is but from two to three feet in depth. Bálisíra is on the western extremity of the steppes (Heihát Sahrassí) a lonely place; but the army and fleet having arrived, many thousand houses for men and wares were built, and it had the air of a large town, being the harbour of Assov. There arrived here from Circassia, which belongs to the Governorship of Caffa, of the tribes of Shagák, Shána, Meshúkh, Takafer, Bozúdúk, Pultakaí, Khatukaí, Kabartaí, and of the troops of Shám-khál Sultán the Lord of Taghistán forty thousand men, excellent troops, with seven thousand waggons, which served to transport a part of the munitions and provisions to Assov. The troops entered the trenches on the 21st of Sha’abán, and the 25th of the same month arrived from Anatolí seven Vezírs, eighteen Begler-Begs, seventy Sanjaks, and two hundred Alaï Begs with all the Zaims and Timariots, who with their men (Jebellí) were forty-seven thousand men. The Tátár Khán was ordered to keep the look-out, and he surrounded the camp with his army of Noghaí, Kechin-noghaí, Shedák-noghaí, Urúmpit-noghaí, Shirínlí, Manssúrlí, Sebhúnlí, Mankitlí, Nakshi-vánlí, Chekeshke, Irbátlí, Úlí, Olánlí, Badrákli, Arslán Beg Ilí, Chobán Ilí, Deví Ilí, Nevrúz Ilí, all Tátárs.
On the same night the Infidels in the fortress, made an immense noise by shouts and fireworks, which was caused by the arrival of ten thousand Cossacks, who came by the Tanais to the assistance of the castle, and did not cease firing all night, so that seven hundred men were killed. The next day the Tátár Khán and the Páshá of Silistra placed watches on the shore of the Tanais to prevent further reinforcement of the Infidels, foraging parties were sent out, the trenches opened in seven places, and on the side of the monument of Yogúrdí-Baba pushed to the edge of the ditch. The camp of the Moslims was out of reach of the cannon-shot from the castle. Next day Hossein Páshá, prepared twelve large cannon for the attack in the trench of Yogúrdí-Baba; and at the same time the Admiral Seyawúsh Páshá landed troops from a hundred boats, who entered the trenches from the side of the water tower. These boats (firkata), guarded the side of Úlúton, Deriton, Kánlijah, Uzegí and the island of Timúr. Above the water tower the troops of Anatoli with eight large guns, and ten regiments of janissaries entered the trenches; at those on the south was posted the troops of Karamania with six regiments; on the western suburb of Tayák, the governor of Silistra Canán Páshá led ten regiments of janissaries, one of armourers, and one of artillerymen, with ten large guns in the trenches. In short the castle was battered on seven sides by seventy large and small cannon, and the Infidels firing on their side, a terrible contest ensued during seven hours till daybreak, with an incredible noise and roaring. In the morning seven hundred martyrs were found, whose goods were consigned to the revenue. The fire was renewed, and the houses of the town dashed to pieces, but the walls having been strongly built by the Genoese, continued to resist. This lasted seven days, during which the Commander-in-chief continually made the round of the trenches, encouraging the Moslim warriors with words and presents, and carrying every thing on with deliberation. Several breaches being opened some volunteers ascended one of them, without order, and planted the Ottoman banner on the wall, which being seen by the Cossacks, they rushed on in superior numbers, and crushed many of them by throwing down a leaden basket. The rest, however, defended their post so well on the walls, that in the end the Ottoman banner was planted on seven places, and the Mohammedan prayer proclaimed. The Infidels getting new strength and rushing on like a herd of swine, with the cry “Ne bose,” drove back the Moslim victors, so that many standards and bodies remained on the breaches, and the victors solaced themselves with the idea that the conquest was predestined for another day. For ten days more the Infidels were kept in continual anxiety. Four thousand Cossacks who came to the assistance of the fortress in forty boats (firkata) were attacked by Canán Páshá, who brought his guns to bear upon them so completely, that more than a thousand men perished, and the Moslíms made an immense booty, which was some comfort for the hardships they had to struggle with. They rejoiced in the idea that the general assault was near, because of all the towers of the town there now remained but one, all the rest having been levelled with the dust by the seventy pieces of artillery. But the Infidels now intrenched themselves underground like so many Ferháds, and again fortified themselves in such a manner, that whenever an attempt was made to overwhelm them by a mine, they averted it, and threw the earth dug up for an intrenchment into the river. They were most able miners also, and continued to make mines even underneath the river, with resined boats. Thus they stopped the Ottoman army for the space of forty days, during which, notwithstanding great vigilance, many thousand Infidel Cossacks found means to enter the Castle by throwing themselves naked into the Tanais, and swimming across under water with a reed in their mouths; their arms and ammunition were put into leathern jacks, which they threw behind them while swimming, and thus relieved the fortress. To prevent this the Moslims shut the Tanais with a wall of stakes impenetrable even to fish, and by this means got great riches from the Infidels, who now having lost all hope of succour continued the war underground, killing a great number of the besiegers. A rumour began to spread that the Czar of Russia was coming with twenty thousand men, and this rumour, though it was only an invention of the enemy, caused a great deal of disturbance. A great council of war of all the commanders and officers was assembled to take into consideration, that though there was now no walls left, yet it had hitherto been found impossible to take the Castle; that a sedition of the janissaries, who are not obliged to continue above forty days in the trenches, was to be feared; that the winter was drawing near, when the Sea of Assov freezes, when all communication would be intercepted, and no safety for the fleet after the day of Kássim (S. Demetrius); that there would be no shelter nor provisions for the army, the country of the Infidels being on the north, and the salt steppes of Heihát on the east and south. After a long consultation, in which all these topics were touched upon, Canán Páshá and Piále Aghá, the Kiaya of the Arsenal, proposed to fix the general assault for the next morning. The Fátíhah being read on this resolution, great joy was spread in the Ottoman camp; seven thousand swords, two thousand shields, two thousand muskets, five thousand bows, forty thousand arrows, six thousand halberds, five thousand granades, and many thousand other articles of arms were distributed amongst the army, the cannons fired from seven sides and the shout of Allah raised so that it filled the steppes of Kipchák. The Moslims rushed into the castle and penetrated into the inmost recess of it, where they hoisted the banner and proclaimed the prayer of Islám.
The guns were now silenced, and the swords alone were clashing. During seven hours and a half the Mussulmáns were raging in the castle like wolves amongst sheep, and stained with blood like butchers. It was a complete victory to which none can be compared excepting those of Kossova and Mohacs. The rest of the Infidels hidden beneath the ground, now set fire to the mines, and sent by that means great numbers of the Moslim besiegers to Heaven; others shot them from the loopholes so that they were in great distress. It being now near sunset, and the victors being exhausted by fatigue and hunger, were called on to retire by the Chaúshes, who admonished them to leave the end to the next day. They carried an immense deal of booty with them, arms of all kinds and three thousand heads of Infidels, besides one thousand and sixty prisoners. A general salute was fired, and the martyrs buried, after the funeral prayer was said over them. The wounded and maimed received pensions, and were given into the hands of the surgeons. Those who brought heads received a reward of a hundred piastres, and those who had made prisoners were allowed to keep them. Chelenks, ziámets, timárs, and all kind of military rewards were distributed, and the property of seven hundred janissaries who were killed was made over to the revenue. Of the troops on the seven sides of the attack one thousand two hundred men became martyrs and ascended to Heaven. On this night the Infidels made incredible efforts to repair the works of the castle, by raising walls and digging ditches, opening loopholes and pointing guns. The foundations of the castle resembled the wall of Gog and Magog, to the great consternation of the Moslims, who solaced themselves, saying: “Man proposes and God disposes,” recommending their business to God. They continued the war, but not with the same unanimity, though not with less zeal than before. A great council of war was held, under the consideration that there now remained only forty days to Kássim (S. Demetrius). The result of the council was, that Geraï-Khán, with seventy thousand regular troops, and eight hundred thousand horse, was ordered to ravage the provinces of Russia. So they did, and this Tátár army returned on the 14th day to the Ottoman camp at Assov, with forty-five thousand prisoners and two hundred thousand horses as booty, besides a great number of valuable things, pelisses, rich cloth, &c. By this arrival, the hearts of the Moslims were comforted, and those of the Infidels afflicted, when they saw the triumphal procession with the prisoners fettered, and the crosses upset. Since the time of Jenguíz Khan the Tátárs had not made a richer booty. This sight raised a howl among the Infidels in the castle, who pierced the skies with their lamentations. The same night seventy Infidels, hungry and sad, left the castle, and were brought into the presence of the Commander-in-Chief, Hossein Páshá. Some of them embraced the Islám, and received presents, then were sent altogether to the castle of Khoros Kermán near Assov.
By this immense booty every thing became immensely cheap in the Ottoman camp, so that a horse was sold for one piastre, a girl for five, and a boy for six piastres. The safe return of the Tátár army was celebrated by a triple salute of muskets and guns, and the whole camp illuminated during the night. But winter drawing near, a new council was held, all the seniors of the regular troops and of the Tátárs agreed, and signed unanimously a petition of three hundred signatures of Vezírs, and officers of all ranks, saying: “that for this year it was impossible to take the castle, that one of the Russian Capitals had been laid waste, that seventy thousand Infidels had been taken prisoners, and more than one hundred thousand destroyed by the sword.” At the same time two of the prisoners, who had been instructed accordingly, were sent back into the castle to say; “that if the Turks had intended to take the castle, they might have taken it in a month, but their object was to pillage the Russian countries, and to return with a rich booty, which they had now accomplished.” The same night as the messengers went off to Constantinople there was such a hard frost that all the Moslim warriors thought they could not stand it, and by this specimen found out that the salt steppe of Heihát was as unmerciful as the Black Sea. At last the despair of conquering the castle becoming general, the whole army at once resolved to raise the siege. The trumpets were sounded, the artillery and ammunition embarked and carried to Bálisíra, where the fleet was lying at anchor. The army returned by different ways, some by sea and some by land, to Constantinople; some by the desert of Kipchák in six days and nights to the river Kúbán, to Circassia, Taman and Crimea; some through the steppes (Heihát), returned by the north into their native country Circassia. When the Imperial fleet weighed for Constantinople I got permission, from the Commander-in-Chief Hossein Páshá, to accompany the Khán of Crimea into his country, and the Imperial fleet sailed, trusting in God, through the sea of Assov.