_ 459 _ Your Honour about the Turks' arrival in Muscat because they did not achieve much, although they attacked us many times, and it appears they would so again if this matter is not attended to by some means or other. In the last few days news came from Basra that many Turks had gathered in Baghdad, as well as that the King of Basra was fearful of their coming on to him. A few days ago a message came which confirmed that the people have been crushed by the Turk ordering the Captain in Baghdad not to do anything on his account until he receives orders from the Turk. Then the Turk sent one thousand five hundred of his men to the land bordering on Basra to protect the fortress which the Turks have there. The King of Basra felt reassured by the knowledge that the men had been sent on although the same fear remains. My Lord, these men are evil. Many of them have had much fighting experience and they are supplied with the relevant equipment. They are continuing to arrive at the entrance to this strait and have subjugated the Strait of Mecca, as Your Honour saw. You know that if they take Basra which the Moors consider to be theirs, they will create many difficulties in this strait. This is the opinion and reasoning of the men who know something about this. Reason shows that if they were to build a fortress in Basra,
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