The population of Venice is estimated to be three hundred thousand, and it is divided into three classes. Those of the first are called Patricii, and correspond to our Meshaiékh. To these belong the management of the state, and the affairs of government. Their principal is called Doge, which signifies Duke. He enters into all questions of law, but has not power to act until he has the voice of the people. Amongst the Christians a Duke corresponds to the Begler Beg of the Mussulmans, except that the former has his own coin. Those constituting the second order are called Istadinū,[5] and to them are committed civil affairs, customs, and education. The third class is composed of merchants and artisans. In former times the power of this people was vested in a consul, but in the year 555 from the birth of Christ (upon whom be peace!) it was committed to a tribune or chief of a tribe; and this government continued two hundred and fifty-two years, till, in A. D. 707, it became a dukedom: so that from the commencement of the dukedom to the time of the writing of this book, which is A. H. 1067 (A. D. 1656), is a period of nine hundred and fifty years. To proceed: Mercator, the author of the Atlas, describing this city, speaks very highly of it, and says that it is the most celebrated city in the world; and being the common port of the universe, merchants of all sorts, and from the most distant countries, trade in it. The number of its inhabitants, and the extent of their wealth, are beyond conception. On this account the Christians call it the Paradise of the Earth: for although during a period of one thousand years it suffered much, yet it never was under a foreign power. For this reason the Venetians represent their city by the figure of a virgin holding a sword; and this figure they place in all their offices: for they state that her still holding the sword, signifies her having continued a virgin down to the present time. The above-mentioned book, which is an European work, in describing this city, gives the following statement: “that the first founding of Venice was, according to several historians, in A. D. 421, when the inhabitants of Patavia, being attacked by the Hungarians, left that town, and settling on these islands, commenced the building of Venice.” Several rivers from the territory of Lombardy fall into the Gulf near it; and the greatest part of the provisions consumed in the city are brought down these rivers. Here terminates the description as given in European books; but Piri Reis in his Bahria says, that ships bound for Venice first touch at Parenza, which is a fort in the territory of Istria, and distant about one hundred miles from Venice. They cannot proceed without a pilot on account of the shallows; they therefore engage one to conduct them from this place. They then proceed till they come in sight of Iskandil and Marco-chaklik: the latter is a high castle, which appears first, and then when they can see the city they cast anchor. Soon after another pilot comes from the city with a small boat, which takes the vessel in tow; and thus they proceed to the harbour. It is forbidden to pilot foreign vessels. The quays are always kept open on account of the tides. In the city there are also water-boats; these they fill with water, and going about the streets they sell it by measure. Fish is plentiful here. The fishermen have boats like skimmers, in which they keep the fish alive; and carrying them through the streets, sell them. On the east side of the city is an island, which they call Muran, where crystal vessels and other glass articles are manufactured.
THE ITALIAN, FRENCH, AND SPANISH COASTS.
Having passed the city of Venice, we come to Ancona, Bashtia, Manfredonia, Brindisi, Cape Otranto, and Cape St. Maria, where the Gulf of Venice terminates. Turning thence to the west, we pass Taranto, Rossano, Cape Cotrone, Spartivento, and Cape Reggio: opposite which, in the island of Chichlia (Sicily), is Cape Messina; and the space between forms the Strait of Messina, which, like the Strait of Constantinople, is very narrow. Beyond these are Naples, Cape Gaeta, the river Rooma (Tiber), upon which a little farther in the land is the city (of Rome), Pantan, Leghorn, which is in the district of Florence, an independent dukedom bordering on the pope’s dominions. Farther on is the state of Genoa, which is also an independent government, bordering on Milan. In the French dominions are, Savona, Nice, Afwamort, and Marseilles. Perpignan, Davina, Barcelona, Tortosa, Cape Carthagena, Malaga, and Jabl-al-Fat’h (Gibraltar), on the Strait of Sabta, are on the Spanish coast. In the Atlas they are called Catalonia, Aragonia, Valencia, and Andalusia. According to computations in several histories, the Rumelian and European coasts are reckoned to be 8047 miles in length; and the Anatolian, Arabian, and western coasts, 5010 miles: in all 13,057 miles. The principal islands are Sardinia, Corsica, Minorca, Miorca, Ivica, Malta, Crete (or Candia), Cyprus, and Rhodes. In former times all these, except Rhodes, were captured; and how this was done, I have fully explained in my works called the Fezliket Tarikh and the Jehan Nemah. At present they are all, except Cyprus and Rhodes, in the possession of the Infidels; and even the subjugation of Candia has not yet been fully accomplished. God grant that it may soon be effected! Here our Introduction ends: we shall now proceed to our First Part.
PART FIRST.
Concerning the ancient fleets, victories, and naval wars; accounts of which have, for the sake of example, been arranged and collected from historical books. This Part consists of several Chapters.
CHAPTER I.
Of the Ottoman Capudans, and the expeditions and battles of several Sultans and Admirals, to the time of Kheir al Deen Pasha.