On Learning The State Of Affairs
In This Place, I Resolved To Leave It As Soon As Possible, That I Might
Get To The King; But I Could Neither Procure A Guide, Nor Prevail On The
Governor To Shew Me Any Favour.
By the advice of my landlord I kept
myself very much concealed, and employed my interpreter and Augustin of
Pavia, whom I had brought with me from Kaffa because he understood a
little Persian, to purchase our provisions, in which employment they were
exposed to much ill treatment, and were often in hazard of their lives.
Some days afterwards, one of the sons of Uzun-Hassan, named Masu-beg[7],
came to Tauris with 1000 horse, to defend the city from the incursions of
Zagarli. I waited on this prince, having great difficulty to obtain an
audience, telling him that I was sent as ambassador to his father, and had
need of guides, whom I prayed him to provide me; but it was quite
ineffectual, as he hardly deigned to answer me, and took no kind of
interest in me or my affairs, so that I was obliged to return disappointed
to my lodgings. 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.
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