sed memory. This is a place of
pilgrimage of the Gentiles who come hither from the ends of the earth.
It is only three miles from the sea, and is situated upon the great
River Rhone, which flows through the whole land of Provence. Here
dwells the illustrious R. Abba Mari, son of the late R. Isaac; he is
the bailiff of Count Raymond[14].

[p.6]

Thence it is three parasangs to the city of Arles, which has about 200
Israelites, at their head being R. Moses, R. Tobias, R. Isaiah, R.
Solomon, the chief rabbi R. Nathan, and R. Abba Mari, since
deceased[15].

From there it is two days' journey to Marseilles[16], which is a city
of princely and wise citizens, possessing two congregations with about
300 Jews. One congregation dwells below on the shore by the sea, the
other is in the castle above. They form a great academy of learned
men, amongst them being R. Simeon, R. Solomon, R. Isaac, son of Abba
Mari[17], R. Simeon, son of Antoli, and R. Jacob his brother; also R.
Libero. These persons are at the head of the upper academy. At the
head of the congregation below are R. Jacob Purpis[18], a wealthy man,
and R. Abraham, son of R. Meir, his son-in-law, and R. Isaac, son of
the late R. Meir. It is a very busy city upon the sea-coast.

[p.7]

From Marseilles one can take ship and in four days reach Genoa, which
is also upon the sea. Here live two Jews, R. Samuel, son of Salim, and
his brother, from the city of Ceuta, both of them good men. The city
is surrounded by a wall, and the inhabitants are not governed by any
king, but by judges whom they appoint at their pleasure. Each
householder has a tower to his house, and at times of strife they
fight from the tops of the towers with each other. They have command
of the sea. They build ships which they call galleys, and make
predatory attacks upon Edom and Ishmael[19] and the land of Greece as
far as Sicily, and they bring back to Genoa spoils from all these
places. They are constantly at war with the men of Pisa. Between them
and the Pisans there is a distance of two days' journey.

Pisa is a very great city, with about 10,000 turreted houses for
battle at times of strife. All its inhabitants are mighty men. They
possess neither king nor prince to govern them, but only the judges
appointed by themselves. In this city are about twenty Jews, at their
head being R. Moses, R. Chayim, and R. Joseph. The city is not
surrounded by a wall. It is about six miles from the sea; the rive