_ 94 _ Item: [Benvit] is a small, poorly maintained settlement with few people. It is situated to the east and has good water. Here I saw many turpentine trees, low-growing and broad with needles like sand-pines. In Persian they are called chatalaguch. They give round white fruits, like apples, and inside they have a kemel which can be eaten. The turpentine they yield is white and transparent like crystal. There are many of these trees throughout Persia. On the following day we arrived at a smallholding, where we found only carrots and water. On the day after that we arrived at a place called Bagham. Item: Bagham is a large, populous place situated to the east-north-east with a good river and many plantations, vines and orchards with many peaches and fine, tender nuts; it is peopled by the same kind of Persians. On these days we travelled towards the north and north-north- east. On the following day we came to the town of Shiragian. Item: Shiragian is situated to the east-south-east [of the road], inhabited by the same kind of people, but they are rougher. The houses are poor and most of them are below ground-level like hovels. There are many orchards and a river, with a small castle well-built of mud. On the next day we travelled in the same direction and arrived in a large city called Ardestan.
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