As soon as our janissary knew that they were Turks, he dismounted, saluted them, and informed them who we were and whither he was conducting us. Our interpreter also rode with him to the pasha, showed him our letters, and informed him that the Sultan was already moving towards Erlau with his whole army. He then returned to us again. When the pasha’s army had passed us, we made for Pesth, and arrived at the city about an hour before sunset.[1] Our janissary showed our letters to the cadi, and requested him to assign us a lodging, which was done. Although we were now safe from the Tatars, we were, nevertheless, still afraid that the Turks might send for us back, and order us to be again detained in prison.
In the morning, when the pasha returned home, the Sultan’s letter was delivered to him by us, in which orders were given him to escort us to the nearest Christian fortress, and set at liberty our five comrades, who had been in prison at Buda ever since the death of our ambassador. The pasha read the letter through, and not only immediately set our comrades at liberty, but also gave us plenty to eat and drink, and ordered boatmen[2]
- ↑ Literally, the twenty-third hour. This is the old Bohemian and Polish reckoning from sunset to sunset. There is still a twenty-four-hour clock outside the Rathshaus in the Altstadt at Prague.
- ↑ Martalozes. This word appears to mean “boatmen,” and is possibly connected with the French “matelot;” but it is omitted in Sumawsky’s dictionary, and Jungmann merely conjectures its meaning, and quotes this passage. The more usual meaning would be kidnappers, which is quite inapplicable here. It may, however, well mean the boatmen, &c. usually employed on predatory excursions up the Danube for the purpose of taking prisoners to sell as slaves.
