_ 338 _ On Tuesday morning, which was Christmas Day, we arrived at the city, having travelled from Hizu to here always towards the west. To get into it we deviated about half a league because of the large stream which flows around it, another tributary of the River Tigris, and joins the others at the city of Assinquif. All of them form the greatness and body of the river, which, as mentioned before, is two day’s journey from this city Carahemite. Once we had crossed this stream by a very large, long bridge, we came to the city, which lies at a further good distance from it up a poorly paved ascent and very bad road. A guard who had come with us from the city of Van it is the custom to send one with each caravan so that all the merchandise is not stolen on other roads took all of us to the customs-house, where all the loads were unloaded and remained for clearance. When we came out, they searched all of us, even the muleteers’ saddle-bags, and everything we were carrying. They even unstitched a cushion of mine. I concealed the letters I was carrying for the Governor and the Captain of Ormuz in a small saddle-bag on a little donkey, which held the bells and packsaddle-blankets for the animals. If they had found them, I do not know how I would have got them back, for there is never in the lands of the Turk any lack of renegades who can read them better than I myself.
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