How the Author reached the City of Bagadad, of which he gives a short account; and of what took place up to his arrival at Damascus

[458/1] God was pleased to ordain that we should reach Bagadad twenty-seven days after leaving the Persian Court. Before entering it we were suspected by some Genizaris, ¹ who, after counting the people in the Caravan and the loads, ordered us to pass in, and accompanied us up to the custom-house, where they collected all our merchandise, putting such clothes as we were daily using in a neighbouring house, where the tribunal of the officials [458/2] in charge of that depot ² sat. On their arrival they examined that cloth and had it restored to the owners. As I had no more to do there, after they had given me what was mine, I went away with my companions and entered a caravansora in which they assigned us a room on an upper story, since we had only our usual clothes with us.