can I do. it is my duty.' We arrived at the jetty and there agreed on a price with a boatman. He accepted to take us for fifty Kurus. Bediuzzaman Efendi got cut the money for the boat and paid him. Then he gave a further ten kurus and got them to buy a kilo of seedless raisins. When boarding the boat he had in his hand a basket containing his belongings: a teapot and kettle, a few glasses, and a prayer-rug. In his other hand was a Qur'an. With the two boatmen, a friend of the boatmen's, and the two of us, we were five in the boat. It was afternoon. The weather was cold. It was round about the time when the first signs of spring were appearing. The lake was iced over in places. The front boatman broke the ice with a long pole he had in his hand opening a way for the sailing boat. Bediuzzaman offered each of us raisins and pieces of dried pressed fruit from the East on the way. I was watching him carefully; he was completely calm and steady. He was looking at the lake and surrounding mountains. His fingers were long and thin. He was shipping as though electric was burning inside him. He was wearing a silver ring set with a stone, and on his back was a garment of very high quality cloth.
"It was immediately the time for the afternoon prayers since the days were short. He wanted to perform them in the boat. We turned the boat towards the kible, then I heard the sound of `Allahu Ekber'. The first time I heard the words uttered in this awe-inspiring and solemn way was from him. He declared the words `Allahu Ekber', `God is Most Great', in such a fashion that we all shivered. His manner did not resemble that of any other hoca. We were trying not to let the boat veer away from the direction of the kible. Bediuzzaman offered the words of peace and completed the prayers, then turned to us and said: `Yes, brother... that was a bother for you.' He was a most polite and gentlemanly person. We arrived at the Barla jetty after a voyage of some two hours. The forester Burhan was wandering up and down on the jetty. I called out to him: `Hey, son, come here!' He came immediately. We took the Hoca's basket and sheepskin from him and put them on the donkey.
"At this point, the boatman Mehmed took the forester's rifle intending to shoot partridges with it, but Bediuzzaman prevented him saying: `The spring is close now and their mating season. It's a shame, give up the idea if you like.' He stopped him shooting them.