The Cossacks Become Troublesome
The tribe of cossacks had been in the habit of coming along the Black Sea in skiffs, and ravaging the villages on the banks of the Danube, near the mouth of that river. In the month of Rajab of this year a party of them, conducted by some apostate runaways, came and reduced the city of Sinope, called Medinet-alashuk, situate on the shores of the Black Sea, in the province of Anatolia. The inhabitants of this ancient city were no way apprehensive of danger from these cossacks, and before they had the least intimation of their approach were attacked by this horde, who slew every Muselman that fell in their way. They plundered and ransacked the city, made its families slaves, and then set fire to the buildings. In short, they not only desolated the whole place, but robbed and spoiled every house and family in the neighbourhood, and afterwards set off in their boats. Ibrahím Páshá, who had been sent to guard the mouth of the Danube, hearing of the fate of Sinope, immediately prepared his boats, sixty in number, and sailed down one of the outlets of that river with the view of intercepting them, but in vain. The accursed infidels heard of this fleet of boats that was waiting their arrival, and therefore, before coming up to the mouth of the river, they drew to shore, fixed their boats on a kind of drays, and proceeded overland towards a part of the river higher up. Though they found means of avoiding Ibrahím and his fleet of boats, they did not escape the Tátárs. A party of this hardy and fearless race of men fell upon them just as they were in the act of launching their boats, and recovered the whole of the property and families they had carried off with them. Numbers of these barbarians perished in the struggle, and others of them were made prisoners. Some few of their boats which had succeeded in getting off before the Tátárs came upon them, were pursued by Ibrahím, and were either sunk or taken. In the beginning of Ramazán twenty cossacks were sent as trophies, under the charge of some of Ibrahím Páshá’s men, to the Sublime Porte. It is said, that one messenger after another had arrived in Constantinople with information respecting the assault which Sinope had sustained from the cossacks; and that when the emperor asked the grand vezír, Nesúh Páshá, concerning the truth of the matter, he declared, though falsely, that he knew nothing about it. The emperor, however, was not satisfied with this answer, and applied to the learned mufti for information, who unhesitatingly told him the truth. The emperor was exceedingly angry at the grand vezír for the falsehood he had told him.