_ 52 _ Item: I also found that from these same places came many oars, as if making hajj pilgrimage. They are used for many purposes. Item: The river is very bad for these galleys, for they rot quickly in use and when beached they split in the dry winds and the sun. In themselves they are also not very reliable, and they are always having to be repaired. After I arrived in Basra they emptied a galliot and a brig because they were so damaged. They repaired the brig immediately whilst I was there. It was half rotten along the bottom, but they renewed it completely within a very short space of time. Item: In view of the position of the land I feel that this armada can very easily be burned, in collusion with the Gizares. Without doubt I believe they will cooperate when they see the power of the King our master in that Strait of Basra, because they desire nothing more. Item: The wood comes to Basra from a place called Haderna, where they cut the boards, joints, yards and masts. From here they go by river to Hamacy, which is another city eight days away from Baghdad. It takes three days for them to be taken in carts from this place to the river of Baghdad. On the river they are put on rafts and
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTg0NzAy