Masu-Beg Endeavoured To Raise Money From The Inhabitants
Of Tauris For The Purpose Of Levying Soldiers, But They Resisted His
Demands, And All The Shops Of The City Were Shut Up.
In this emergency,
being unable to procure provisions, I was obliged to quit my lodgings,
with all my people,
Taking refuge in an Armenian church, where they gave
us a small place in which to keep our horses; and I ordered all my people
to keep constantly within doors, to avoid meeting with injury. My
apprehensions on this occasion may easily be conceived; but God, who had
already protected us in so many dangers, was mercifully pleased to deliver
us from that which now hung over us. On the 7th of September, _Bertonius
Liompardus_[8], whom I had before seen at Kaffa, and who had been sent by
our illustrious republic, arrived at Tauris. He was accompanied by his
nephew, named _Brancalione_, and having come by way of Trebisond was a
month later than me in reaching Tauris. I now dispatched Augustin de Pavia,
of whom I have before made mention, with letters to the republic of Venice,
in which I gave an account to the senate of all that had happened to us
hitherto. I sent this man by way of Alapia, where he at length arrived in
good health, after having escaped many dangers.
Although I remained in Tauris till the 22d of September, I was not able
to acquire any exact knowledge of the city, having been forced to conceal
myself the whole time. It is a large city, but its territory in some
places is uncultivated, and I believe nowhere very populous; it abounds,
however, in all the necessaries of life, but these are dear. Much silk is
produced in this neighbourhood, which is exported by way of Alapia. A
considerable quantity of cloth is manufactured in the place, which
likewise abounds in various merchandize, but I did not hear of any pearls
or precious stones. Fortunately for us a Cadilaskir, one of the
counsellors of Uzun-Hassan, arrived about this time at Tauris, who
returned from an embassy into Turkey, where he had unsuccessfully
endeavoured to negociate a peace between his master and the Turkish
government. Immediately on learning the arrival of this person, I used
every effort to procure an interview, in which I succeeded, and by means
of a present, I prevailed on him to admit me and my retinue into his
suite. He received me with much civility, and granted all I asked,
assuring me that, with the blessing of God, he would conduct me in safety
to the king. Among his slaves there were two Illyrian renegadoes, who
formed a strict intimacy with my people, to whom they promised to give
every assistance in their power, and to give us due notice of the
departure of their master, which they faithfully performed, and for which
I rewarded them.
On the 22d of September we departed from Tauris with the Persian
counsellor, accompanied likewise by a great many merchants and others,
who took the advantage of travelling under his protection, from fear of
being plundered by the rebels.
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