In the second of these reports the soldiers who escaped while disembarking were later found and said they dared to escape because they could not stand their captain who was beating them with and without a reason.

QUESTION: What recourse, if any, did soldiers have against abusive captains? The anecdote suggests desertion was the only effective escape from arbitrary beating.

Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed…, loc. 1462