Part 25

It is built in a square form, on a high rock; an iron gate opens to the east; in the castle is a mosque of Sultán Súleimán’s time, and in the lower town is seven hundred houses and seven mosques, two baths, two kháns, twelve schools and seventy shops, but no stone bezestán, imáret or medresseh. The pears, grapes and peaches are much praised; as it is only two journeys from Erzerúm, the merchants send chests full of fruit to that place; the inhabitants are righteous, hospitable men; the river which flows through it goes into the Black Sea; in the town of Tortúm saltpetre is produced for Government. While I was collecting troops here, and visiting the town, news arrived to Ghází Sídí Ahmed, the Páshá of the place, that the Cossacks had assailed the castle of Gonia; he instantly put on his armour, mounted on horseback, summoned all the Zaims and Timariots who wished to volunteer in this expedition, assembled about a thousand men, and started with his troop under the triple shout of Allah. We marched a whole day and night, reinforcing our number on the road, and halted next morning in a valley. We continued our course to the north for the whole of the second day, passed on to the frontier of Trebisonde and entered that of Gonia: here we met the Mingrelian troops, which came to join the Páshá, and were honourably received, they consisted of three hundred well armed horsemen with lances, and about a thousand riflemen with flying hair, between forty and fifty years of age, with strange figures and ugly faces, whom the Páshá flattered with good words. This night we passed along the river Jorúgh, and arrived next morning at the castle of Gonia on the Black Sea, which we saw filled with Infidel Cossacks, who at the moment they saw us roared out, Jasus! Jasus! (Jesus); seventy Chaikas were moored behind the castle. The Páshá with a hundred and fifty Aghás, and all the troops which had joined him on the way, with loud cries of Allah, attacked the ships lying in the river, cut the cables, and let the boats float out into the Black Sea, cutting down or making prisoners, those who were left to guard the boats, and towing the Chaikas into a bay at a gunshot’s distance from the castle; the Infidels, seeing they could not escape in their boats, acted like swine that are laid hold of, and began to fire. The Moslim troops on their side prepared every thing for an assault; and made ladders of the masts and rigging of the captured ships. The Mingrelian and Georgian troops entered the trenches in broad daylight, the walls were fired upon, and the assault was made from all sides. The Páshá led the assault himself with such courage and spirit, that the Infidels had not time to recollect themselves, but fled to some ships, which were left on the Jorúgh. Some of these boats being overloaded went to the bottom, those who by swimming reached the opposite shore were received by the muskets of the Moslims and went to Hell: seventeen of the ships on the Jorúgh were burnt, and two hundred Infidels, who could not re-enter the castle, were taken prisoners; seventy Moslims fell martyrs in this triple assault. The Páshá now pressed the arrival of the troops from the district of Sanjak Batúm. Finally there arrived some thousand Lázes armed with lances, casques, muskets, and sounding their war fifes, called Zígúla, with white banners waving; they joined the Páshá, halting on the bank of the river. The Páshá left them not a moment’s rest, but encouraged them by addressing them in the Circassian language. Thus a crowd was collected who threw up earth and faggots in mounds before the castle, on which the storming ladders were fixed. The neighbouring mountains re-echoed the shouts of Allah! the Moslims heaped bundles on bundles of twigs, and began to climb the ladders like spiders and goats of Isper; the bundles heaped up before the gate were set on fire. Ghází Ahmed Páshá himself mounted on the tower at the eastern corner, and by his example encouraged the general assault. From early dawn till the afternoon, neither the Páshá nor his troops had tasted a bit of bread; in the afternoon the castle was conquered, and I, poor Evliya, had the advantage of first proclaiming on its walls the sound of Ottoman prayer. The castle being now filed with victors, seven hundred Infidels were taken prisoners, and eight hundred heads cut off, and planted on the walls; the seventy-seven boats were towed back to the castle, and moored ready with all provisions and munition. The rejoicings lasted three days and three nights, during which the castle was illuminated. God be praised that I witnessed such a conquest. At the moment when prayer was first proclaimed on the wall, there appeared, on the eastern side of the Jorúgh, some thousand standards and banners, who answered the report of the salutes fired with the shouts of Allah; these were the troops of the Páshá of Karss, who had arrived before Gonia after a flying march from Erzerúm, and now encamped on the bank of the Jorúgh.

Gonia now became the meeting-place of the whole army summoned by the governor of Erzerúm; forty or fifty boats of Láz Mengesile, who descended the river of Jorúgh, took to flight as soon as they were aware, that the castle was again in the hands of the Moslims, and that an Ottoman army was encamped along the shore of the river. They were pursued by Sídí Ghází Páshá, who captured forty-seven boats, made three hundred Mingrelians prisoners, and drowned about six hundred in the river. This expedition was thus crowned with three victories: 1. The conquest of the boats; 2. that of the castle; 3. the conquest of the Mingrelian boats, which had arrived to the assistance of the Cossacks with provisions. Sídí Ahmed Páshá distributed those provisions amongst the Moslim victors, so that plenty now prevailed in the Ottoman camp. The night was again passed with illuminations and feasting; the shouts of Allah, and the sounds of the Ottoman drum interrupting the silence of the night. The next day clouds of dust rising on the side of the Jorúgh announced the arrival of a new army, whose glittering armour dazzled the eyes; it was that of Koja Sefer Páshá, the Vezír of Chaldir, who summoned by the command of our Lord the Páshá of Erzerúm, arrived with the Georgian army in great speed to the assistance of the Castle of Gonia; Sídí Ahmed Páshá went with the other Páshás to meet them, and it was a grand sight to see these troops on fine horses, well armed with spears, swords, shields, and muskets, with flying hair and strange figures. When Sefer Páshá himself came with the train of his guards (Matarají, Tufenkjí, and Shátir), he received Sídí Páshá’s salute, and then rode on his right, Báki Páshá keeping on the left. When they approached the castle a general salute of guns and musketry gave them welcome. Provisions now arrived in abundance at the Imperial camp from Georgia, Mingrelia, Láz, and Batúm. Next day fresh troops appeared to the south of Gonia, it was the Páshá of Trebisonde, who came with three thousand good troops; in seventy boats (sandal) and a hundred ships of the Lázes, called Mengesila, he carried plenty of provisions, and ten guns. Sídí Ahmed Páshá being acquainted with his arrival neither went himself to meet him, nor sent any troops to perform that ceremony. He halted with his troops on one side of the castle. Having waited on Sídí Ahmed Páshá he received him without the least honour, but with the following speech.

“I am the Páshá of Tortúm, which is from four to five journeys distant from Gonia, and it was not my duty to hasten to its assistance; but I did it for the sake of the faith and the Empire. You, Páshá, who are the Governor of Trebisonde, and Begler-beg of two tails, and at only two journies from Gonia, why did you not arrive till within these seven days to its assistance. Quick, executioner!”

The Páshás of Pássín, Akhiska and Kaighí interfered, saying, that it was against constitutional law, that he being only a Páshá of one tail, should kill one of two. He replied, “By God! if it is righteous, according to religious duties, I’ll cut off his head, even if he be a Páshá of seven tails; in consideration, however, of your intercession, I won’t kill him, but relate the business to the Emperor; call quickly for the Diván Efendí (Secretary).” While the dispatch was being drawn up, orders were given to put seventy of the principal officers of the troops of Trebisonde into prison, and they were accordingly shut up in the castle, for not having urged the Páshá to hasten to the deliverance of Gonia. The Diván Efendí made out the account of the conquest of Gonia, and the accusation against the Páshá of Trebisonde; it was signed and sealed by the three Begler-Begs, by the Judges of Gonia and Trebisonde, and was ready to be sent off, when the inhabitants of Trebisonde threw themselves at the feet of Sídí Ahmed Páshá, supplicating not to be accused to the Porte. Sídí Páshá persisting in his resolution, showed all the obstinacy of a Circassian. The principal men of Trebisonde however, solicited the Páshás to intercede with the Commander-in-chief Sídí Ahmed; and it was ultimately arranged, after three days negotiation, that the Páshá and principal men of Trebisonde should give forty-three purses of money, three sable pelisses, twelve beautiful boys, twelve girls with eyes like Narcissuses, and of sweet language, a silken tent richly embroidered with gold, a sword set with jewels, a mare, seven quivers, vases of silver, the work of goldsmiths of Trebisonde, bridles, hatchets, candlesticks of silver, three strings of camels, three of mules, and a hundred and twenty horses. By these gifts they obtained the favour of not being named in the report to the Emperor; to whom only were mentioned the Begler Begs, Alaï and Sanjak Begs, who had hastened to the deliverance of Gonia, and this report was sent by Gurji Beg Zadeh to Constantinople. Another Kapijí Báshí was despatched with the same news to the governor of Erzerúm, but at the moment he was setting out, clouds of dust announced the arrival of fresh troops on the banks of the Jorúgh; these were the troops of Erzerúm sent to the succour of Gonia, under the command of Hassan Atlí Aghá. The Zaims, Timariots and Jebellis of Erzerúm with half the garrison, and the guards of the Páshá, forty banners of Segbán and Sáríja (irregular levies of the Páshá), led by their colonels (Bolúk Báshí). They were followed by a squadron of Delí, by another of Gonullí (Volunteers), six squadrons of Tatar horsemen, a squadron of six hundred Moteferrika, a squadron of two hundred Cháshnegírs (carvers), a squadron of two hundred Serraj (saddle-men), squadron of two hundred Kílarjí (men of the cellar), and lastly a squadron of two hundred Ichaga (indoor servants), led by the Key-keeper (Miftáh ghúlám agassí). They were also followed by forty chamberlains, each one surrounded by from forty to fifty men clad in armour, on horses of the finest breed, caparisoned with silver, and ornamented with sea-horses bristles; they rode two and two, and immediately after them came Hassan Atlí Aghá himself, with trumpets sounding, and took up his encampment on the border of the fortress. All these chamberlains were men, who had seen service in the quality of Kiayas (substitutes), Kaima Káms (Lieutenants), Motessellims (Vice-governors) and Administrators of provinces. Sídí Ahmed Páshá gave them a great repast, and next day assembled all the architects of the country to repair the castle of Gonia. The Turkish music played from seven sides, seventy tables were spread, and day and night was spent in festivities. The side of the castle that was damaged by the fire, and the mosque of Bayazíd II. was first put in repair. Seven hundred men forming a new garrison, with a new Beg, as Commander, were put into it with sufficient stores, and all the arms taken from the enemy. Thus the castle of Gonia shone forth in greater splendor than before. God be praised that I, poor Evliyá, was so fortunate as to proclaim the first prayer on its newly conquered walls!

The troops of the sanjaks of Trebisonde and Bátúm were left for the safety of the castle of Gonia, and the whole army of sixty thousand men, then began to march along the banks of the river Jorúgh towards Erzerúm. The army having halted on the bank of the river Jorúgh on a large meadow surrounded with trees, a council was held, and Sídí Ahmed Páshá, said:—“The Mingrelians, though belonging to the Province of Trebisonde have rebelled, and I have related to the Emperor, that we took their boats; which, together with those of the Russians, may now wait in the port of Gonia for the Emperor’s decision. I have also acquainted His Majesty that so many thousand Cossacks and Mingrelians have fallen to the share of the Ottoman victors, as prisoners, and I now intend to take vengeance on the Mingrelian infidels with this army, ready for expedition, that it may gain some booty as compensation for its journey.” The governor of Georgia, Sefer Páshá, who was very angry at the Mingrelians, proposed that all the horsemen should join the foot and undertake an inroad for booty, the Moslims of Akhiska and Georgia leading the way, who were then also to share the spoil. The Council broke up with this resolution, for the happy execution of which I said a Fátihah. The cryers gave notice, that all Moslims who wished for breeches and horses, for boys and girls, for money and booty, should be ready in arms. This notice produced an astonishing effect, the Moslim victors roared like lions, armed and washed themselves, and waited for the orders of the Commander.

_Account of our Inroad into Mingrelia._

Ketgáj Páshá led the van of three hundred men, towards the Kiblah, followed by three thousand men of Georgia and Akhaska, and by Sídí Ahmed Páshá, at the head of nine thousand men. Bákí Páshá commanded the rear of three hundred men; the troops of Erzerúm and Kara Hissár formed the two wings; the sanjak Begs of Khinissin, Tekmán and Melázjerd were deputed to provide the forage. We marched this day ten hours to Zárchairí, a pleasant position between Mingrelia, and the sanjak of Batúm. The next day we passed the Jorúgh, and Sefer Páshá began to pillage the district of Darína; the twenty-two companies of Sárija (irregular levies) of the Páshá, our gracious Lord, two thousand two hundred brave men, pursued the fugitives in the mountains, made seven hundred prisoners, and lost seven men as martyrs. The troops proceeded till they arrived under the walls of castle of Merava, which was taken by assault, with the loss of seventy Moslims, who drank the sherbet of martyrdom; seven hundred men, five hundred women, two hundred girls, and six hundred boys, were made prisoners. The pillage was pushed as far as the districts of Georgia, and we arrived at the end of nine hours, at the field of Boghdú; here a Soffa (or meadow seat) is shown, where Sultán Selím I. was seated when Governor of Trebisonde. Two spies sent by the Prince of Mingrelia, were taken prisoners, and they showed the way (the necessary precautions being taken) to the district of Tamaras Khán, whose son with a thousand horsemen and two thousand infantry, met the Commander-in-chief, and led the Ottoman party of pillage further against the Mingrelians, with whom he was angry.

The pillaged districts were those of Pernák, Selsel, Perkán, Penák, Gúmle, and Samárgha; we halted before the castle of Akhár, a small round castle on a hill, built by Hormúz the son of Núshirván; the inhabitants are not very brave, but great thieves; two hundred and fifty castles and villages were pillaged, and nine thousand prisoners taken. Ketgáj Páshá, the leader of the van, alone took two thousand beautiful girls, whom the commander-in-chief bought for a thousand piastres, and sent them to Sultán Ibrahím with twenty other fine maidens; they were so beautiful that the text of the Korán, “We have created man in the finest shape,” seems to have been revealed only for their praise. The booty was so rich, that a slave was sold for ten piastres, an ox for half a piastre, and a sheep for five aspers. The Beg of Báshajik sent to the Commander-in-chief a present of five boys and five girls, and also gave me a boy and girl. We arrived after eleven hours predatory march at a plain, in the middle of which was a building raised by the Beg of Mingrelia, it was ruined by Uzún Hassan, and is now contiguous to Batúm on the frontier of Mingrelia. We passed the Castles, Nejákh, Merkhor, Akchekala’a, Chepek, Penkerd, Asherd, Kúchúk Akchekala’a, the Begs of which all came with presents, paying obeisance to Sídí Ahmed Páshá. These castles being situated on high mountains, and in woody tracts, were passed by indulgently, but the villages situated in the plain were all ravaged; the district of Yúvána, overrun for the space of seven days, furnished such beautiful boys and girls, that each of them was worth a treasure of Egypt. We halted underneath the castle of Tekrek, the inhabitants of which came with presents, to ward off the danger of the pillage, they were threatened with; six districts more, the names of which I am ignorant of, shared the common fate of havock. The Ottoman victors were now so loaded with spoils and booty, that it became impossible to carry it all away. Many of them returned bringing their booty to the Castle of Gonia, and from thence to Trebisonde.

_Of the Language of the Mingrelians._

Georgia is inhabited by seventeen Christian tribes, the principal of which are, the Achikbásh, Dadián, Shúshád, and Gúriel. The Mingrelians are the last and most despised specimen of their language: one, _artí_; two, _sherí_; three, _shumí_; four, _ámekh_; five, _khotí_; six, _pishkúí_; seven, _ishkúí_; eight, _rúo_; nine, _júghúr_; ten, _wetí_. Bread, _gúpál_; fire, _dájkhir_; shield, _púr_; sheep, _ashkhorí_; girdle, _derkát_; head, _dúdí_; wood, _deshke_; dog, _joghúr_; ox, _khijú_; calf, _kissin_; salt, _ajém_; swine, _gháj_; ass, _kirút_; bear, _nút_; cheese, _kúl_; curds, _merjván_; come, _wai_; man, _chaí_; sit down, _dakhúr_; girl, _tíne_; go, _halawlí_; come mother, _waí diás_, &c.

Mingrelia is inhabited by a great number of different tribes, who speak different dialects; there are seventy different products; its sheep, goats, swine and fine breed of horses (Kohailán) are renowned; there are neither mules nor asses in the whole of Georgia and Mingrelia, but a great number of foxes, wild cats, and martens; corn and wheat are scarce as hardly any thing but millet and Lazúd (?) is sown; on the high mountains are many nut and fir-trees, box-trees and cedars. The inhabitants, like those of Mingrelia, Abaza, and Circassia, are settled in the mountains; they have castles with gardens and churches. In short, during seventy-seven days, we made the tour of Mingrelia and Georgia, after which time the Ottoman troops took the direction of Erzerúm; on the third day we came to the district of Darátlí, which is contiguous to the sanjak of Tortúm. Perfect security being restored, the troops were licensed to break up by the Vezír of Akhiska, Sídí Ahmed Páshá, and we then went with the Georgian Begs towards Chaldir. After fourteen hours we reached the valley of Yúvána, where the inhabitants of Isper and Tortúm met us with presents. At the public entrance into Tortúm, the Cossack and Mingrelian prisoners were dragged along in chains; the inhabitants of Tortúm all assembled to form the Istikbál (solemn meeting. See Morier’s travels). Sídí Páshá himself wore the plumes of honour (Jíghatelí) which the Governor of Erzerúm had sent to him, put on his well caparisoned state horse, trappings of six pieces of steel of Nakshiván, wrapped round his head a red sash in the Mohammedan fashion, clad himself in blue steel with armour on his thighs, and, looking of stupendous size, like a seven-headed dragon he passed through the crowd who received his salute crying, “Aleik awnallah eí ghází seifollah!” “God’s assistance be upon thee, O victor, sword of God!” The guns of the castle of Tortúm saluted and the mountains re-echoed the thundering noise. Sídí Páshá repaired to his palace, and Ketgáj Páshá, Bákí Páshá and eight Sanjak Begs encamped before the town for three days, and on the fourth the whole of the troops moved towards Erzerúm, the territory of which we reached on Kássim (St. Demetrius’ day) and passed the straight of Ghází-boghází. The governor expecting the troops, was in his tent at Gumishlí Kunbed (silver vault) where Sídí Ahmed, Ketgáj, and Bákí Páshá were received with the greatest distinction, treated with a splendid repast and invested with pelisses of honour. Here the Páshá and Sanjak Begs laid with great pomp their presents before the governor. The season being now too far advanced to think of the expedition against Eriván, we remained in this place spending our days in pleasure. The Governor, my gracious Lord, being a little angry with me on account of my having accompanied the expedition without leave, Sídi Ahmed Páshá interceded in my favour, saying, “If it is a fault that I took Evliyá with me to the siege of Gonia, it is he that proclaimed first the Mohammedan prayer on its walls; he is a traveller of the world, a good companion of mankind, a Háfiz (who knows the Korán by heart) and a warrior in the ways of God.” Having asked pardon for me in this gentle manner, the Páshá said, “His duty was to collect troops and not to assist at the siege of Gonia, I will not pardon this fault unless he finishes in eight hours the recital of the Korán (Khatem sheríf).” I began with the Bismillah and finished in somewhat more than nine hours, after which I kissed the earth before my gracious Lord, and received from him a sable pelisse, a thorough bred horse, two fine boys, and a sinecure; so that I now spent all my time both day and night in pleasure.

_Moral Reflections._

The end of all joy is disappointment, and the end of every day is bitter. There is no doubt about this. So at the end of this 1075th year we received the news by a swift messenger despatched from Constantinople, that Sultán Ibrahím had killed without reason the Grand Vezír Sáleh Páshá, and had appointed in his place Tezkereji Ahmed Páshá. Though this news greatly afflicted the Páshá yet he kept it secret not to spoil the pleasure of the company, and transacted the rest of his business at Erzerúm. Sáleh Páshá, who had been one of the favorite slaves of the father of our Governor, had for this reason given him the government of Erzerúm; but the present Grand Vezír, ever since he had been the Tezkerejí of Kara Mustafa Páshá, had become his mortal enemy. He kept however this secret to himself and continued to feast in his tent with his guests, Sídí, Ketgáj, Bákí and Dilaver Páshá.

(_Here follows the separate history of these four Páshás and of the Governor, which we omit. In the chapter of Sídí Páshá it is mentioned that playing at jeríd one day with Evliyá he broke four of his teeth._)

_Account of our return from Erzerúm to Constantinople in the month of Zílka’deh 1057 (1647)._