_ 199 _ and also a certain Caleaço de Laballa, a Venetian, whom I relied on. The Governor commended me to them and they promised me all the favour and assistance which was in their hands. There was also the Mother Superior Mecia from Jhus travelling to Jerusalem carrying a certain amount of money for the maintenance of Bethlehem, alms which had been given to her by the Count Viceroy, and other devout persons. She was accompanied by one Simao Fernandes, an Armenian. I left Ormuz in a small boat on a Tuesday, 25th June, for Bandar Abbas, so called in Persian and Turkish, which means customs-house of place where dues are paid. It lies on the Persian side of the mainland about three leagues from Ormuz. There I waited for the caravan to finish being assembled. It consisted of many Persian Moors, Armenians, three or four Jews, and a few Turks and Arab Moors. When they were all assembled, and the camels ready and hired for the loads for I was also taking one of cloves in order to pass for a Sodagar, which is what merchants in those parts are called, we set out one Sunday, 8th July, with the sun rising in the east-south-east, and setting in the west-north-west [sic]. All this time was spent by the merchants in coming to an agreement with the camel-drivers, for the captain of the caravan with one large portion of
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