Page:Adventures of Baron Wenceslas Wratislaw of Mitrowitz (1862).djvu/246

 tection of the Turks, and driving herds of cattle, and droves of unbroken mares into the camp. These Tatars obtained such an abundance of cattle that they sold two Hungarian oxen for a dollar, more or less, and cows for twenty or thirty aspers the pair. We, too, bought a calf from under a cow for eight aspers, and eat meat to our heart’s content. The Turks, on killing an ox, cut the flesh into long thin stripes, salted it, stretched ropes from one tent to another, hung the meat on them and dried it in the sun. At that time, too, the Tatars captured many Christians daily and brought them to the Sultan. The Sultan lay before Belgrade for about a fortnight.

Meanwhile the English ambassador made application to Ibrahim Pasha to send us to Buda and set us at liberty, because he wished to write to our Emperor about making peace. He also procured us access to him and the aga in command of the janissaries, and when we were admitted into his presence in his tent, we kissed his feet, and besought him to set us free before the mighty Sultan marched to Erlau, because, eventually, our Emperor, owing to us, would send off commissioners to humble themselves to the Sultan in his stead, and sue for peace. The pasha asked us whether we had seen all their camp, the great might, and the number of the countless multitude of people that was marching against the giaours? When we replied that we had not seen it and could not see it, since we had travelled in the rearmost body amongst the camels and mules, he immediately commanded us to be conducted throughout the whole camp, and to be shown the artillery and other engines of war. When we had seen everything that we could that day,