In his letters the Dutch ambassador at Constantinoplr informed the States General what was going on in the Ottoman Empire. I only used his passages dealing with naval affairs.
Letter dated 10 May 1786. Despite that everyone expected that the capitan pacha wouldn’t leave the town, he still sailed 5th May with the fleet towards the Archipelago. Immediately the fire-raisings and riots started. The Dutch ambassador and others expected that the sultan would call him back.
Letter dated 9 September 1786. The Porte intended to have in the harbours of the several governments continuously 6 ships-of-the-line available. The new prince of Walachije, Nicolae Mavrogheni, tried to expand his goodwill and to be useful for the Porte. So on his own expenses he completed a ship of which the building begun by his predecessors and even set a new one on stocks.
Letter dated 25 November 1786. The fact that there was no news in a long time from the capitan pacha caused a fear for what was happening in Upper Egypt. The 21st got the sultan a message that the captain pacha was doing well and at Cairo. He ordered two other pacha’s to pursuit with 20.000 men the rebelling Beys among which were Ibrahim and Murat Bey. In a fierce, bloody the rebellion army of 60 men, mostly Arabs, was defeated and fled.
Letter dated 23 December 1786. Things are not going so well in Upper Egypt where a corps of 1000 men was defeated on 26 October and most of the soldiers killed. The fleet, who sailed out in the spring towards the Archipelago and of which the main part went to Alexandria, returned the 18th. She numbered 13 ships-of-the-line, 4 galleys and a bomb galliot. The ships returning from Alexandria had hardly any marines on board. So the ambassador expected that there were either killed or employed elsewhere. In Alexandria were on that moment just 2 warships and a small advice boat. However the Port considered that not enough and two more ships were fitted out to depart with the first favourable wind, with plans for more ships.
Letter dated 24 March 1787. A courier brought the news that the rebelling Beys were defeated near the city Girgi.
Letter dated 10 May 1787. It became more obvious that the rebelling Beys were completely defeated. In last week several ships loaded with provisions arrived from Cairo and the rebels left Upper Egypt. In Turkey however the situation was rapidly changing with all the war preparations. Continuously troops and ships were sent to the Black Sea en within short time a fleet destined for the White Sea or Archipelago was to depart. In the meantime several people had doubts if the Russian empress continued her journey to Cherson. The 5th departed 3 frigates from this harbour. Two were destined to served at the blockade of Schutari, where the well-known Mahumut Pacha was heavily defeated by the Bosnians. The third frigate brought the pacha, which succeeded the passed pacha of Gidda to this new post.
Source
Archive Legatie Turkey no. 804 (National Archive at The Hague).
Note
1. www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Mavrogenes. Was used to wear sailor’s clothes in private. Was Dragoman or Hasan Pasha, commander of the fleet. His friend was grand vizier Yusef Pasha.
Letter dated 10 May 1786. Despite that everyone expected that the capitan pacha wouldn’t leave the town, he still sailed 5th May with the fleet towards the Archipelago. Immediately the fire-raisings and riots started. The Dutch ambassador and others expected that the sultan would call him back.
Letter dated 9 September 1786. The Porte intended to have in the harbours of the several governments continuously 6 ships-of-the-line available. The new prince of Walachije, Nicolae Mavrogheni, tried to expand his goodwill and to be useful for the Porte. So on his own expenses he completed a ship of which the building begun by his predecessors and even set a new one on stocks.
Letter dated 25 November 1786. The fact that there was no news in a long time from the capitan pacha caused a fear for what was happening in Upper Egypt. The 21st got the sultan a message that the captain pacha was doing well and at Cairo. He ordered two other pacha’s to pursuit with 20.000 men the rebelling Beys among which were Ibrahim and Murat Bey. In a fierce, bloody the rebellion army of 60 men, mostly Arabs, was defeated and fled.
Letter dated 23 December 1786. Things are not going so well in Upper Egypt where a corps of 1000 men was defeated on 26 October and most of the soldiers killed. The fleet, who sailed out in the spring towards the Archipelago and of which the main part went to Alexandria, returned the 18th. She numbered 13 ships-of-the-line, 4 galleys and a bomb galliot. The ships returning from Alexandria had hardly any marines on board. So the ambassador expected that there were either killed or employed elsewhere. In Alexandria were on that moment just 2 warships and a small advice boat. However the Port considered that not enough and two more ships were fitted out to depart with the first favourable wind, with plans for more ships.
Letter dated 24 March 1787. A courier brought the news that the rebelling Beys were defeated near the city Girgi.
Letter dated 10 May 1787. It became more obvious that the rebelling Beys were completely defeated. In last week several ships loaded with provisions arrived from Cairo and the rebels left Upper Egypt. In Turkey however the situation was rapidly changing with all the war preparations. Continuously troops and ships were sent to the Black Sea en within short time a fleet destined for the White Sea or Archipelago was to depart. In the meantime several people had doubts if the Russian empress continued her journey to Cherson. The 5th departed 3 frigates from this harbour. Two were destined to served at the blockade of Schutari, where the well-known Mahumut Pacha was heavily defeated by the Bosnians. The third frigate brought the pacha, which succeeded the passed pacha of Gidda to this new post.
Source
Archive Legatie Turkey no. 804 (National Archive at The Hague).
Note
1. www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Mavrogenes. Was used to wear sailor’s clothes in private. Was Dragoman or Hasan Pasha, commander of the fleet. His friend was grand vizier Yusef Pasha.
