_ 54 _ from Jerusalem. Every race is here, for instance: Persians; Turks; Russians, who border on northern Germany; Georgians, who are tall like Germans; Brahmans, who appear to belong to the Jewish race; Gujaratis and many other heathen castes; Abyssinians, who are Prester John’s Christians; and many Castilian Jews, who come here by way of Venice. Among the last named there is a Bible scholar named Solomon. He debates with Master Gaspar. In a word, there are almost all the nations of the world here. In this country there are great money-lenders. All the horses destined for India leave from here. There are some Armenians in this place that go about dressed like Moors (and with skull-caps) but who are Christians. They change their clothes and their customs in whatever country they go to, and they speak many languages. One night two of these went to Master Gaspar, pleading with him to go and confess a brother of theirs who was on the point of death. He went there to do this, and after the confession, the man died and was buried in hallowed ground. There are a number of hermits in this land. These are looked upon as holy men and are venerated by these people. Many of them live covered with ashes in underground
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