ABSTRACT
Now having finished telling of all these matters we shall relate the events of the return journey and all that befell us on the road home. On starting from Samarqand our caravan was joined in the first place by the Ambassador of the Sultan of Egypt, and by several other persons, one of whom was the brother of a certain great nobleman of Turkey, and his name was Alaman Oglan, then next there was a man who had come from Sívás [in Asia Minor] and another person from the city of Altologo1 and again one from yet another city of those parts called Palatia [on the Ægean Sea]. Further yet another man from Altologo: and we all now were to travel in company together, for those Chamberlains of Timur understanding the condition to which his Highness was now brought were in haste to despatch us. Our journey was not at first by the way we had come, for on leaving Samarqand we immediately turned westward going in the direction of Tartary, It was Friday, the 21st of November, when we set out leaving Samarqand and our journey lay through the plain along a good road and through a populous country. We marched thus for six days passing through their villages, and we were everywhere supplied with provisions and well lodged.
