_ 63 _ Iudda was obliged to take a third of his load of pepper to the Sultan, selling it to him at the price he’d paid in Calicut, If a merchant carried 3000 cruzados worth of any merchandise other than spices, he had to give him 1000 cruzados’ worth of pepper, which he would buy in Iudda whenever he carried none. Although this was very expensive, they sold it to the Sultan at Calicut prices. As for the remaining 2000 cruzados they had left, they had to pay him a tax of 10%, after which they had 1800 cruzados and then a further 4% of this sum, which amounted to 272 cruzados which he still owed the Sultan’s factors in Iudda. This last sum was returned to them by the factors, in payment for the pepper, along with copper, which was worth more, because the merchants could sell it in Calicut. Copper was worth 7 cruzados per “quintal” in Iudda, and 12 in Calicut. With all this they made good business, without risks. With the copper given them by the Sultan’s factors, together with other articles they bought, they returned once more to Calicut, where they made profits, as I said. The merchants of ludda then took the Indian merchandise they bought in Calicut to Suez, where they paid other duties to the Sultan, at a rate of 5 percent, payable in money. This they did not carry with them but
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