_ 82 _ and some Portuguese pilgrims who were taking alms to Jerusalem. On the same day I crossed to the mainland at Bandel Gombroon, which in Persian and Turkish signifies customs-house, or place where dues are paid; it is three leagues by sea from Ormuz. The caravan gathered here; it consisted entirely of camels hired to carry goods. I also hired one so as to pass for a merchant, in those parts called sodagar. Item: We left on 8 July with the sun rising to the east-south-east and setting to the west-north-west. We arrived at a river called in Persian [Aobarique], a narrow waterway only three or four days’ journey from the Bandel, on 18th of the month; this was because the camel-drivers were not content with fifty-six xains per load, because this price was too high as far as the city of Kashan. The xain is worth forty reis, those in Turkey double, four vintens. There we waited for the captain of a nearby castle under the dominion of the King of Ormuz to come so as to pay the dues, half a fostão per load. Here almost everyone fell ill on account of the Incredible heat which affected us throughout this journey because the Shemal was blowing.
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