_ 56 _ encamped around some wells from which this city receives its water. The people in Mughistan were afraid of this force and withdrew to this city, and because they are on the caravan route they were preventing the caravans from coming, and paying dues to our Lord the King’s customs house here. The situation in Basra is as Your Lordship knows, so I will continue by telling Your Lordship the rest about this country and also about the situation in Basra. Luis Falcão had given permission to the terradas to take their merchandize to Basra, and when I arrived in this city he also gave leave to some nine terradas that could have been there. As soon as I reached this city I was told that the Captain of Basra, Muhammed Pasha, intended to send an ambassador to me, and on 7th July this ambassador arrived. He is an Arab merchant called Hajji Fayat, a respected men well-known to the Portuguese. With this present letter I am sending Your Lordship a copy of the letter written to me. After I had spoken to this Hajji Fayat several times he told me that in order that I should believe what he said he was willing to swear on the Koran that everything he told me was true.
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