Some Fortresses Built on the Ouzi (Borysthenes)
About this time Ahmed Páshá, the beglerbeg of Romeili, crossed the Danube with his provincial troops, and proceeded, in conformity to imperial orders, to the ford of Aksú, the place at which the mischievous cossacks in Moldavia were accustomed to cross, where he was ordered to erect two fortresses, one on each side of that ford. On arriving at the place of his destination he found that the persons who had been appointed to provide materials for the proposed buildings had, in fact, done nothing. The journey to Aksú was a pathless desert of twenty days’ march, and presented nothing but brackish water and barrenness the whole way. The páshá sent a report to the emperor of the state of things, and was recalled; but as the infidels had been threatening another irruption, the páshá repaired and strengthened all the other fortresses in that quarter. About this same time, also, Karah Kásh Mohammed Páshá, beglerbeg of Kaniza, rebuilt or repaired about ten of the fortresses which had formerly been wrested from the infidels, and had lain waste or unoccupied ever since. Three new ones were added to these, and whilst employed in erecting them the infidels became alarmed, and sent friendly letters; because, in fact, they began to anticipate, when they perceived the activity of the Osmánlís, that the peace was at an end.