our necessaries (i. e. our rags), and wait upon the English ambassador. It is impossible to express with what joy we returned back to the tower, for we forgot all our miseries and past troubles, thanked the Lord God heartily for this kindness, and rejoiced just as if we had been born again. As we drew near the Black Tower, the aga reminded us in the boat of the promise we had made him, viz. our engagement to give him 200 ducats. He immediately sent some of our number, with one fetter on, to Galata, to try to borrow the money amongst the Christian merchants. But they returned again to the tower without having been able to effect anything, by great entreaties, with any one who would take compassion on our misery, and lend us the 200 ducats, and told the aga that they had been unable to make arrangements anywhere. On hearing this, he was greatly enraged, imagining that we were able to obtain money, but were purposely endeavouring to avoid giving him anything. He, therefore, reproached us with threats, and angrily reminded us of the kindnesses he had done us in the prison, calling us ungrateful dogs and giaours, and swearing, by his Sultan’s head, that no one should make him release us from prison till we paid him the 200 ducats according to agreement. He then ordered the fetters to be fastened again on both our feet, and commanded us to go into the tower, and even into the stocks. We pacified him with tears, and affirmed with great oaths that we really could not make arrangements for such a sum, and begged him, nevertheless, to send some more of us on the morrow out among the merchants, to see whether we should be any more fortunate than we had been that day.
