We weare no sowner come to an anker but the Turkes began to com aborde us, so that the verie firste day thar came abord us not so few as five hundrethe Rude Turkes, and lykwyse everie day that we stayed thare they seased not.
The nexte daye, beinge the 28 of this monthe, the Captaine basha, governer of the towne, beinge gone abrood with there galles on some greate busines, the Chia[83] his Debitie (deputy), who for the time was Captaine, he, with the chefeest men of the towne, came abord our ship, and she was trimed up in as handsom maner as we could for the time. Our gonroume was one of the fayereste Roumes in the ship, and pleasant to com into. In the gonroume I had a pare of virginals, the which our Mr. goner, to make the better showe, desired me to sett them open. When the Turkes and Jues came in and saw them, they wondered what it should be; but when I played on them, than they wondered more. Diveres of them would take me in there armes and kis me, and wyshe that I would dwell with them. When the Captaynes Debutie had well vewed our shipe, the Captaine and Mr. of our shipe, accordinge to the Custam of the contrie, did give unto this man as muche brode clothe for a present, as would make his Captaine a veste or a goune after the Turkie manere; and so they wente awaye. Assowne as they weare gone, the stuerde of our ship and his men, my mate Harvie and I, went on shore to se the towne within. When we came to the gate wheare we should enter, I louked well upon it, and saw a superscription wryten or coutt in stone, but I could not understand it, only the yeare of our Lorde, when this gate was bulte or Reedified, and it was thus sett downe: Ano Dom. 1475.
When we had entered this gate, the firste turninge that we could finde upon our Ryghte hande we turned up a verrie fine streete to go to the wales. We there founde myghtie greate ordenance, bothe of brass and Iron, the which was made by Christians; som great peecis of brass that weare burste when the Turkes lay seige unto the towne.
Ther weare marvalus greate peecis that weare made of hamered Iron, everie stafe[84] at the leaste 3 Inches square, and houped aboute lyke a barrell, the bore so bige as tow man myghte creep in bothe at once. A Greeke that gided us aboute the Wales tould us that one of these peecis, beinge once discharged, could not be charged a gaine, and made Reddie to be discharged, in less than tow houres.
This towne is Doble waled, betwixte the wales the distance of a pare of shorte butts (boats), and the ditche is verrie Depe, but drie.
To be shorte, havinge paste Rounde aboute the towne with oute any contradicktion or staye, only the time that we Dranke a pitcher of wyne which coste us but one penye, we made haste unto the seaye sid, and so to goe aborde. When we weare with oute the gate, loukinge for our bote, we se it cominge of from our shipe. When it cam to the shore, thare was in it Mr. Maye, our preatcher, and one that was appoynted to be our Imbaseders under butler. Cothe Mr. Maye to me: Ar you Reddie to goo aborde? Yeae, truly! said I; for I am verrie hungrie and wearrie with travell. I praye you, sayde he, go backe againe with me to the gate, that I maye but se the superscription over it, and sett one foute within the gate, and then I will go backe againe with you. So we wente all backe with Mr. Maye to the gate. When we weare thare, he saw a farr of a fountaine of water, made lyke one of our Conducktes, with a fayre, brighte Dishe of steele hanginge in a cheane, for the Turkes drinke nothinge but water. I praye you, cothe Mr. Maye, goe with me to yonder fountaine, that I may drinke som of that water, for it semethe to be verrie good, and I have a greate desier to drinke som of it. So we wente all with him to the fountaine, and everie one of us did drinke a dishe of water. As we weare a drinkinge, thare came unto us tow stout Turkes, and sayd: Parlye Francko, sinyore? which is: Can ye speake Ittallian, sinyor? Soe cothe Mr. Maye. Soe, as theye weare a talkinge, I louked aboute me, and a Turke, settinge upon his stale (stall), who did know me—for he had hard me play on my virginals and kissed me aborde our shipe—he beckened me to com unto him; and when I came som what neare him, in kindnes and som love he bore unto me, made me a sine to be gone; and poynted to the gate, and bid me make haste. So to the gate went I as faste as I coulde Truge, and my mate Harvie and the Reste of my Company followed after as faste as theye could; leavinge Mr. Maye and the under butler talkinge with the Turkes, for theye tow could speake Ittallian a litle, and so could none of us. When we weare gotten withoute the gate we Louked backe towardes the fountaine, but we se nobodye there; for the Turkes had carried Mr. Maye and the other man to prison. By chance we founde our bote and sayleres thare Reddie, and aborde our shipe we wente. When we came aborde, I wente presently to our Mr., and tould him all that had hapened. When I tould him how I had bene aboute the towne, he Imagened that we by that meanes had given som offence; because it is Daingerus for a stranger, beinge a Christian, to Take a vew of that towne, and so thoughte that for our faulte these men weare taken presoners. What wordes did pass betwyxte our Mr. and me I will omitt till God send us into Inglande. No man durste be so boulde as to goo ashore all that Daye, nether did any com abord us.
The nexte morninge a litle Greeke bote cam from the towne abord our shipe wythe a Letter from Mr. Maye, Direckted not onlye to our Mr. and marchantes, but also to the Reste of theyre companye. This Letter was wrytten so pittifully, as yf theye had bene presoneres thare seven yeares: showinge how they weare taken from the fountayne and copled together, lyke as theye hade bene tow Doggs, with a cheane of could Rustie Iron, and lede into a Darke dungeon, thare cheane fastened with a staple unto a poste wheare they muste continually stande, and nether sitt nor knele, and everye tow houres weare shaken over them whippes made of wyere, threatening most Crouell punishmente; and tharfore desiered that by all meanes thei would seke som meanes for theyer spedie Release, or eles that theye myghte be presently put to Deathe, for theye weare not able to Induer that myserable lyfe and sharp punishment, which was lykly to be Inflicted vpon them yf the ship did once departe. Our Mr. and marchantes weare so wounded with Reding this letter, and pittinge the presoneres case, and banishinge all feare, they Resolvede to go ashore. Our Mr. and five martchants havinge made themselves as brave as they could, they wente a shore verrie stoutly to the Captayns house, desieringe to speake with the chial, the Captain bassha his debutie, who after he had made them to staye whyle he came unto them to know the cose of theire cominge, one of our men that could beste speak Ittallian Tould him that Theye founde them selves verrie muche aggreved that theyer men should be stayede as presoneres, and not to be Informed of the Cause; and lyke wyse wondered how they Durste be so bould as to make stay of any one of our men, we beinge goinge with so Riche a presente to the Grand Sinyor, and those tow men which theye had stayed weare tow spetiall men, one of them our Divine and preacher, the other the chefe and princepall man for the presente. This, with other wordes, they sayed to feare them; also theye sayd that yf he would not presently deliver those men, they would hier a gallie and send to the Grand Sinyor, that he might understand how they wear wronged and hindred in their voyege without any occation given to our knowledge.
The Answer of the Chial was this:
Yeaster Day I was abord your Shipp presentinge my Captayn’s person in his absence; you gave me not suche entertainmente as my place Did Requier; you made me no good cheare, nether Did you give me a presente for my Captaine.