The enemy having made no speed in their method of operations, thought proper to change it. They recrossed at a place called the ford of Mohammed Khetkhodá, and in the direction of Sigetwar effected mounds and ditches to the number of fourteen, leaving, in the direction to Vienna, where they had first taken up their position, five pieces of ordnance and six thousand troops. After having accomplished these manœuvres, they now began to throw vast quantities of rushes into the Berk, over which a covering of wicker-work was placed. Over this again they finally, though it took them more than forty days to accomplish, made a kind of road or bridge corresponding in breadth to one of their ditches, with which it communicated. They carried their materials by means of light barrels made of fir, which were easily dragged by two men. After having extended this road or bridge to the walls of Kaniza, to which they firmly fixed it by means of iron rods, and when all things were nearly in a state of readiness for commencing an assault, Hasan Páshá, who was no careless observer of their manœuvres, and who knew when and how to baffle the enemy, sent a few heroes, who had volunteered their services, in a boat by night, when the infidels were drowned in sleep, to set fire to their huge labour, and which they punctually did. The bridge, and every living infidel who happened to remain on it, perished in the flames.
Some time before this event in the history of this memorable siege, Hasan Páshá wrote again to the commander-in-chief by the aforesaid Punjeh. In these communications he urged Yemishjí Páshá to come at least to Sigetwar, that by doing so he might encourage the spirits of the besieged. “If this fortress should happen to be taken out of our hands,” said he, “it will not easily again be retaken, and you will find some difficulty in exonerating yourself.” Karah Punjeh proceeded with this message, taking his two former companions along with him from Sigetwar, where they had stopped, and met the serdár at Usk. Instead of complying with the earnest request of Hasan, and fulfilling his former promise, the serdár only sent him an encouraging letter, telling him he was on his march to Alba Julia, but would, on his return, afford him the aid he demanded. Karah Punjeh returned to Kaniza, and delivered, secretly, his dispatches to Hasan Páshá, who, on reading them, immediately had them copied, and added, as if from the serdár, that he would soon arrive to the aid of the garrison. Next day he called a council, made this copy, or rather forged letter, to be read in their hearing, which produced all the effect the sagacious páshá wished. The people were overjoyed, and resolved, every man of them, to hold out, at the expense of life and all that was dear to them, to the very last; but they anxiously looked for the arrival of the serdár.
The enemy, after the burning of their bridge, tried to repair their loss by building another, in which labour they spent another twenty days; but it also met with the fate of the former. Finding themselves thus a second time foiled in their attempts, they commenced building boats of fir-wood at the head of the Berk, which they covered over with boards, over which they again placed cow-hides, with the view of preventing the small arms of the besieged injuring those on board of them. After having launched this flotilla, each of which carried one hundred men, the infidels, on the night on which this took place, began to make great rejoicings. Hasan Páshá, in the meantime, and on the same night, sent out a party to try and seize some prisoners, who returned with two. On their being presented before the páshá, he asked one of them, privately, the cause of the enemy’s rejoicing; and was answered that it was owing to the great success which had attended their arms at Alba Julia. “How comes it to pass,” asked the páshá, “that all the prisoners which we have hitherto taken belong to your nation (Germany)? Are there no Hungarians and Croatians among you?” “Why,” answered the prisoner, “the Hungarians are favourable to the Turks, and therefore none of them are allowed to straggle from the camp.” The páshá again asked him what number of Hungarians there might be in the army? He was told, that besides Croatians, there were about thirty thousand in it. After having thus questioned the first prisoner, he called the other and questioned him in the same way, and he returned similar answers to those given a little before by his fellow prisoner. The páshá, with a stern voice, ordered the prisoners to be led forth, and to have their heads struck off; secretly intimating, however, to Karah Omar, to whom this order was given, to take the prisoners and show them the one hundred and fifty pandúrs and the five hundred Hungarian horsemen who had accompanied the waggons of provisions which had entered Kaniza about the time the siege was begun, and whom the páshá had retained. “Tell them,” said the páshá to Karah Omar Aghá, “that they are all Hungarians, and that we expect a thousand volunteers of the same race to join us in two or three days more. Say to them,” continued the sagacious páshá, “that you yourself are one of their nation (Germany), but that you have been in the service of the páshá since your youth; that you have a thousand men under your command; that you have got so much property that you cannot think of relinquishing it: that you will be extremely happy if the German army succeed in taking Kaniza, but that there are many amongst them who wish for no such thing; that there is provision in the garrison of Kaniza sufficient for a whole year to supply the number of inhabitants within it, who amount to thirty thousand Turks alone; that there is abundance of gunpowder in it also: then invite them to wait till the ice is formed, when you will let them away. Our páshá, you will say to them, desired to have your heads, but I have interceded with him in your behalf: I now release you, and you may go when you please; but be sure to tell your superiors, when you reach your own camp, of the kindness I have shown to you.” Karah Aghá acted his part most masterly, gave them some pieces of white bread, and sent them away, secretly, as it were, in a boat to their own army. These two men had no sooner reached their companions, than they went to inform Ferdinand of the history of their captivity, which very much grieved him. The intelligence which the two captives seemed to have in their power to communicate was any thing but pleasing to King Ferdinand; and it was no less astonishing, when compared with his former information, than it was unwelcome and distressing.
One morning, about this time of the siege, a voice was heard as if coming from the enemy’s camp, which said, “Do not fire any of your guns; we (there were more than one) have something to tell you.” “What is it?” was the reply. “Why,” said these early visitors, “be it known unto you that your commander-in-chief, Yemishjí Hasan Páshá, has been completely defeated and routed at Alba Julia. The heads of Mohammed Ketkhodá and of Mohammed Páshá, the governor of Buda, have been sent to our commander-in-chief, thanks be to God. Behold, here they are!” and then held them up to the view of the besieged Moslems at the end of long poles. “To-morrow,” continued the early vagrants, “tomorrow our whole force will be brought to bear upon you. In whom is it that you place your reliance? Your commander-in-chief has been defeated and has fled. Deliver up this city and fortress, which belongs to our king, and save yourselves from certain and inevitable destruction. Your governor, Hasan Páshá, is a vain man, and seeks to ruin you: pay no further regard to him. Save yourselves and your property; for the king promises to secure both if you hearken to our advice. To-morrow, when Duke Mathias returns to us from Alba Julia, no mercy will be shown to you. If you stand in doubt with respect to the two heads now exposed to your view, let any one of your number, who was acquainted with their possessors, come forth and examine them, and satisfy himself. He shall sustain no injury: on the contrary, our king will confer favours upon him.”
These tidings greatly alarmed the inhabitants. “The serdár has been defeated; our provisions and our gunpowder will fail us if that mighty army should come against us,” said the frightened inhabitants to Hasan Páshá, the intrepid governor, who had a mind ready to act in every emergency. “My brave veterans, you all know,” said he, “that the accursed enemy has promised us nothing. Do not let the sight of the heads of the infidels, or their threatenings, by any means terrify you. I have a few things to say to you—hear me, therefore, patiently. Renew your engagements with me. Whether the heads which the infidels have shown you be really the heads of the persons they have said they are, is yet to be discovered. To ascertain this, let us send Karah Punjeh, who will bring us correct information on this point. And should it even turn out that they are the very heads of the two men above-mentioned, that is no reason why we should be any way discouraged. It is not on their account we have shut ourselves up in Kaniza. Long live the emperor! If the meanest slave were desired to sacrifice his life, he would willingly give his head, as those men gave theirs. We are here for the defence of our religion, though now cooped up within the narrow limits of this place. But I have some reason to think that this city and fortress, God willing, will not fall into the hands of the enemy. One of my reasons is as follows. When Ibrahím Páshá was, on a former occasion, employed for the same length of time we have been besieged in reducing a fortress, he would never have gained the victory, had he not said: ‘if God will prosper my undertaking, I shall devote this place to the illuminated city, Medina;’ when shortly afterwards it fell into his hands. It is hoped that he who has devoted himself to the Sultán of the prophets will not fall before the infidel. Another reason is: the enemy commenced the siege on the night of the 12th Rabia I., which is the birth-night of our prophet. There is, therefore, hope to his followers, who have been besieged on the very night which is held sacred to the memory of him who came into the world on that night to bless it, and is the rejoicing of all the prophets. Again: you, every evening, sound the Mohammedan signal or watch-word, Allah! Allah! and though the enemy were at once to discharge his forty pieces of cannon, yet God will manifest his care over those who trust in his name. I pray God, that as he has not permitted us to fall into the hands of the enemy, so this hateful army may never get away in safety.” This speech of the páshá had a powerful effect on the minds of the besieged, who were not only animated by it, but also prognosticated important good from it. He again counselled them to pay no regard to the words of their morning visitors, who had no other object, he said, but that of deceiving them. “Show them your swords,” cried he again, “and these dastardly fellows will see what metal you are of.”
The páshá, after having delivered the animated speech which we have here recorded, proposed sinking the two heads into the river, on the banks of which they were still exposed. He had scarcely spoken, when a cherí báshí came forward and proposed to direct a cannon against them. “Do so,” said the páshá, “and God prosper you.” The cherí báshí immediately pointed the cannon called Bulbul at them, and in a moment the two heads were at the bottom of the river. The infidels to whom the charge of the heads had been given, and who spoke in the ears of the besieged the speech on the occasion of their being first presented to them, returned to their camp vexed and disgraced. The successful cannoneer was honoured by the páshá with an annual pension.
When Ferdinand was informed of the result of his messengers’ embassy, he became enraged, and said he would present ten villages to any one who would bring him a prisoner from Kaniza. None of the infidels, however, though they did all they could to accomplish the king’s wishes, were able to succeed. God prevented them.
Arrival of the Archduke Mathias.
Early in the morning of the day the events of which we have just described, a movement was discovered among the enemy’s troops, and soon after their foot and horse moved in the direction of Komran. About mid-day the archduke, with his army and heavy baggage, made his appearance, and soon encamped. His army, one division after another, took up its position, and displayed immense pomp; no doubt with the view of inspiring the besieged with an idea of their might, and thus of dispiriting them.