And when he heard this, he sent the messenger to Akko (-Acre) to purchase passage on a boat from Regaz (-Ragosa, Present day Croatia. - Between the 14th century and 1808, Dubrovnik, the capital of the Republic of Ragosa, ruled itself as a free state, although it was a vassal from 1382 to 1804 of the Ottoman Empire and paid an annual tribute to its sultan.
With the help of skilled diplomacy, Dubrovnik merchants traveled lands freely and on the sea the city had a huge fleet of merchant ships (argosy) that traveled all over the world. From these travels they founded some settlements, from India to America, and brought parts of their culture and flora home with them. One of its keys to success was not conquering, but trading and sailing under a white flag with the word Libertas (freedom) prominently featured on it.
Many Jews from Spain and Portugal moved there in the 16th century), which is at peace with all the nations. That is, there is a country Regaz (-Ragosa) which maintains peace with all the kings, and when that boat unfurls its flag (then) it is not taken into the "plen" (-captivity - in Russian). Because the way of the battleships is to snatch at sea a boat with the people on board into the "plen" (-captivity), that is, into captivity, but when the aforementioned boat from the Republic of Regaz (-Ragosa) unfurls its flag, then they do not take them into the "plen" (-captivity). So it was that they purchased for him (passage on) such a boat.
And when the rav the tzadik, our teacher Rav Avrohom mentioned above, heard that Rabbainu o.b.m. wants to conduct travels to his home, he sent a special messenger to him with his letter and a general letter (t.n. these seem to be letters of introduction to aid Rabbainu in his travels), and he o.b.m. hustled himself immensely, and he did not want to wait for the letter of the Rav the gaon of the community of Shipeetuvkeh, and he embarked from there on erev (-day preceding) Shabbos Kodesh (-holy) of the Torah reading of the portion of Zachor (-remember- what Amulaik ambushed Israel etc., read on the Shabbos preceding Purim), and they went the whole night until three hours before kabulas (-the receiving - taking in - of) Shabbos; then they came to the coast of Akko (-Acre).
And they sent the temsilci (-agent - in Turkish) (to arrange) that he should take them on board the boat, and he came with the reply that it was impossible in any way to take them, because the boat was already full of people, too many had boarded it, and Rabbainu and the man that was with him were forced to enter the city of Akko (-Acre) to spend there Shabbos of the reading of the Torah portion Zachor.
And they went to the wealthy man that they had a letter for him from the aforementioned Rav the Kalisker, and they were guests by him. And there a very, very great fright fell upon them, because there were approximately 15,000 or more, Ishmaelite soldiers with all their accessories for waging war, and they closed the door of the city's wall.
And on Shabbos in the morning during the prayer the temsilci (-agent) came, and said that, "it is no longer possible to find any boat of Ragosa, just boats of Ishmaelite merchants that go to Istanbul with merchandise. And even though there is a fear of going with them, from the danger of the soldiers that were prevalent then on the sea that would take (whoever they could) into the 'plen,' that is - into captivity, even still it is better to enter this danger than to be here. Because the command had come that after two or three days there will be the battle, and probably they would kill many from the city, and why do you need this calamity. Therefore may his eminence by virtue of the honor of his Torah permit me to purchase (a fare on) a boat for you (plural - respectfully) on Shabbos, because saving life pushes away the obligations of Shabbos," and so it was, and the temsilci (-agent) went and purchased (fare on) a boat for them, and gave an adrof (adrog translated loosely as down payment, is earnest money, the term adrof is found in halachic responsa) of one gold dinar.
And in the meantime many, more boats came with soldiers from England, also to Akko (-Acre), and the fear there grew more and more. And there was great cramping in the city, because the place was inadequate to contain such a vast population. And there was great fear there on that Shabbos (and all the members of the household where Rabbainu was staying, they all spread out their hands (in prayer)).
However, even still Rabbainu o.b.m. and the man who was with him had a small consolation, that which they had already bought (fare on) a boat for them. Also they were dismayed for not having prepared for themselves at all any food or drink to take on the boat because the arrangement had been so sudden as mentioned above.
On Sunday morning Rabbainu o.b.m. sent the man that was with him to go with the temsilci (-agent) to buy provisions to take on the boat as is customary. But he did not find what to buy in the marketplace, and he returned to the lodgings. And Rabbainu o.b.m. was standing then wrapped in Talis and Tefilin and did not speak with him at all.
And the aforementioned man, fell asleep from the great plight and fear, and Rabbainu did not know that he was in the house. In the interim the great uproar occurred there, because the ordinance had came from the Pasha, that he will give an allowance of just two hours, whoever does not know how to wage war should see to escape by sea, because no gate was open to leave the city just by way of the sea.
And whoever is found inside the city after two hours they will slaughter him there. Because the Ishmaelites of the city wanted to make room inside the city so that they would not be so congested from so many people, before they wanted to slaughter those found there to make room for them so that they would not be so cramped. And there was a great ruckus there, and a great shouting in the city, and very great dread and terror, and during the great commotion Rabbainu o.b.m. fled from there towards the sea, and he did not look at all for the aforementioned man that was with him.
Afterwards the aforementioned man woke up and saw that Rabbainu was not in the house, and he waited protractedly, and afterwards he went to the courtyard and saw and heard (that) men, and women, and children screaming and crying extremely bitterly, and their outcry rose to the Heavens.
And the lady of the house, when she saw the man that was with Rabbainu o.b.m., she came to him and said to him: "Oy vavoy (-woe), I pity your (-respectful plural) youth that you (-plural) will be killed here, we at any rate received goodness here, now we need to accept as well what is decreed upon this place, but upon you it is a tremendous pity, because you will be lost here from your family etc.," and similar words like these.
And great trepidation fell upon him to the extent that he didn't have the ability to move. And he asked her about Rabbainu, and she answered: "I think he fled to the sea." And when he heard this, he wanted to take the chest with the money and their stuff, because Rabbainu o.b.m. fled there alone without anything. But the man was unable to carry the chest by himself, and Hashem summoned for him some Frank (-Sephardic Jew) and he gave him the chest with the stuff, and he fled with him to the sea.
And because of the great pandemonium that was in the city, (every)one almost stabbed their adjacent friend with their knife, and it was not possible to go about in the city. However, with Hashem's mercy, there was an induction from Hashem so that in that hour the Ishmaelites stood on the roof of the wall and made an announcement of some good tiding. And many people gathered by them. And because of this there was way to pass through the city to go to the sea.
And when the aforementioned men came to the sea he saw many boats, but he did not see Rabbainu there, and he was asking and searching ardently, with search after search very meticulously, until he found Rabbainu o.b.m. who was sitting on a boat, and the boat was full of Ishmaelites, and Rabbainu o.b.m. sat in the middle.
And when they met up together, Rabbainu o.b.m. with his aforementioned man, there was great joy between them, because originally they had very, very great distress because they didn't know from one another. And first they were sitting on the small boat which is called "barkas" (- this is the Russian word for longboat, the largest boat carried by a merchant sailing vessel), afterwards they went with this boat until they came to the big boat which is called "okret" (-okret is the Polish word for ship) which was standing near Haifa.