_ 289 _ pipes and drums, and go to the King’s palaces and present him with the gifts you are taking and you are to tell him on my behalf how much I value his friendship and the alliance with him, and that I am assembling a great fleet which, when the winter is over, will go to him with the aim of conquering the whole coast of the Arabian Sea and handing it over to him. After you have conversed with him on these matters, you are to require him to sign the agreements and to swear on them in accordance with his religion, together with all his brothers; and when you have done so, you are to take leave of him with great courtesy and return in formation to the sea. Item: All the time you are anchored in the city, you are to keep close guard over the fleet, and every night you are to send two caturs which will go out of the port to keep watch over the sea and to give you a report of all that they see and hear there, so that nothing can enter or leave the port of which you are not informed in time to deal with all incidents and events which may occur. If, however, you hear for certain in Socotra that this great Turkish fleet is bound for Aden in a manner which makes it impossible for you to fight it or to make an agreement with the King, in such a case you are to make
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