_ 249 _ the land of Arag, and it extends to the province of Soltaniyah, a great and ancient city, which will be described later. From this city of Isfahan go to Natanx, another city well-supplied with fruits, vineyards and provisions, two days journey through inhabited lands; and from there to Kashan, two more days’ journey through inhabited lands, peopled by the same race. In this city of Kashan I heard that there was a great plague throughout Armenia and Turkey something which happens all the time, but these unfortunate people will not open heir eyes and understand that the problem arises from their own accursed blindness, but that it was already less severe, and that there were many cities where not one person was alive, these being Arzingao, Togate and Carahemite, as will be related when they are described. In spite of this news I wished to risk going through Tabriz and those places, persuading my companions that it would be the same as going through Baghdad. On account of the conflicts in Basra, I feared that if I were recognised as Portuguese some ill would be inflicted upon me; also I was afraid because one of the Jews in the caravan wished to see me in Turkish territory, to tell who I was, and to misreport the death of the Mother Superior and the property left behind, and to do me all the evil he could.
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