_ 328 _ We had to pay dues which he levies on everything which passes that way. Adjoining this caravanserai there is a building where there always live people selling the partridges which are caught at the “home of partridges” farther back, and fruits and supplies to travellers. At this time it was unoccupied, because the plague had decimated them so that it left no one. Having paid four xains per load, we left about three hours before dawn, crossing two bridges near this caravanserai over the stream of Betliz, which divides into two a little farther back, because of some mountains, and then joins there again. We travelled over the same roads, rough descents from steep mountains and great obstructions, for all this is a land of mud. We arrived a little after midday at a crossing of the stream of Betliz, along which we continued to travel all the time. It rises along the length of these mountains together with many other springs, and these join it. This forms a very deep, large stream, and we dared not ford it for fear that our loads would fall into it. We deviated about half a league to a very tall, fine bridge, which we crossed. About half a league farther on we arrived at a city called Hizu. We had been travelling on all these days towards the
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