ABSTRACT
ON Sunday the 29th of June we took our departure and left the city of Sultáníyah, where we had sojourned during three days, being now provided with excellent horses from the government stables, and that night we slept at a village that is called Sáin Qal‘ah. The next morning passing on we came at midday to a very large hamlet known as Abhar, and that same evening reached the village of Sagzíábád where we slept: this is a large place surrounded by many well irrigated orchards. The following day Wednesday we came to a castle that had been but recently left in ruins and depopulated. They related to us that Timur with his host had passed through this place, it might be about a month before our coming, and because he had failed to find here a proper supply of corn and no straw or even hay for feeding the cattle and horses of his host, he had allowed his men to supply the lack from the standing crops which were then ripe. After which the camp-followers of the army, when Timur had passed on, immediately had turned to rob and plunder all that was left in the place, for which reason it had been abandoned by its inhabitants. We however now found here encamped a company of men who had charge of over a hundred horses, of those as already explained that are kept for the government service. Travelling from Sultáníyah to this place indeed we had already passed two stations where there had been no government horses ready for us or procurable for our journey onwards: but on that Thursday the 3rd of July good horses were immediately provided for our use and we set forth from the castle
aforesaid arriving about midday at the town which is called Shahraqán1 where we were given excellent lodgings and such food as we needed.
