Page:Adventures of Baron Wenceslas Wratislaw of Mitrowitz (1862).djvu/208

 nothing gratis but salt, of which several vaults under ground had been full ever since Sultan Mahomet besieged Constantinople, and provisioned this fortress. Of this salt the aga sent us plenty.

When we had got used to the frightful darkness, and had formed this arrangement together, we obtained some Latin and German books, that is to say, the Bible, poems, and legends; and whenever our guards were changed we concluded that it was day, and all sang a morning hymn, and read a legend, praying to the Lord God for our release, and for the victory of the Christians over the Turks; after which each turned to his work and worked all day. In the evening, when they had examined our fetters, we again sang an evening hymn, and, after performing our devotions, concluded that it was night, and betook ourselves to repose, or read a brief hour by the light of the lamp. It was, indeed, a great comfort that we obtained those books, and read to each other in them.

The Turks certainly laughed at our singing and praying, but they offered us no hindrance therein, and when the time of their own devotions came they observed it also. We poor prisoners, seeing that it could not be helped, comforted each other, and having no other hope, unless it should come to a peace, committed ourselves in all respects to God, and patiently endured darkness, hunger, stench, and filth in abundance; for there was no other place for us to go to for easement except a large gutter, to which we were all obliged to go without exception, and wash away the filth with water. There arose thence a stench so great that sometimes it was an annoyance to the Turkish guards, and they held their noses