lende flesh one to another, because they will not cary raw
flesh with them, but pleasure one another by lending one one day and
another another day.

[Sidenote: 36. Dayes iourney ouer the wildernes.] From Babylon to Alepo is
40. dayes iourney, of the which they make 36. dayes ouer the wildernes, in
which 36. dayes they neither see house, trees nor people that inhabite it,
but onely a plaine, and no signe of any way in the world. The Pilots goe
before, and the Carouan followeth after. And when they sit downe all the
Carouan vnladeth and sitteth downe, for they know the stations where the
wells are. I say, in 36. dayes we pass ouer the wildernesse. For when wee
depart from Babylon two dayes we passe by villages inhabited vntil we haue
passed the riuer Euphrates. And then within two dayes of Alepo we haue
villages inhabited. [Sidenote: An order how to prouide for the going to
Ierusalem.] In this Carouan there goeth alway a Captaine that doth Iustice
vnto all men: and euery night they keepe watch about the Carouan, and
comming to Alepo we went to Tripoli, whereas Master Florin, and Master
Andrea Polo, and I with a Frier, went and hired a barke to goe with vs to
Ierusalem. Departing from Tripolie, we arriued at Iaffa: from which place
in a day and a halfe we went to Ierusalem, and we gaue order to our barke
to tary for vs vntill our returne. [Sidenote: The author returned to Venice
1581.] Wee stayed in Ierusalem 14. dayes, to visite those holy places: from
whence we returned to Iaffa, and from Iaffa to Tripolie, and there wee
shipped our selues in a ship of Venice called the Bagazzana: And by the
helpe of the deuine power, we arriued safely in Venice the fift of Nouember
1581. If there be any that hath any desire to goe into those partes of
India, let him not be astonied at the troubles that I haue passed: because
I was intangled in many things: for that I went very poore from Venice with
1200. duckets imployed in marchandize, and when I came to Tripolie, I fell
sicke in the house of Master Regaly Oratio, and this man sent away my goods
with a small Carouan that went from Tripolie to Alepo, and the Carouan was
robd, and all my goods lost sauing foure chests of glasses which cost me
200. duckets, of which glasses I found many broken: because the theeues
thinking it had bene other marchandize, brake them vp, and seeing they were
glasses they let them all alone. And with this onely stocke I aduentured to
goe into the Indies: And