Two measures of flour, a large dish of rice, two great
basins full of things preserved with sugar, a pot of honey, some garlic,
onions, salt, several sorts of herbs, a bottle of dirapum[36], and a
basin of walnuts, filberts, chesnuts, and other dried fruits. They were
likewise attended from morning till night by a number of handsome servants.
[1] The capital of Khorassan, or Corassan, in the north-east of Persia,
then the residence of Shah Rokh. - Astl.
[2] Or Zu'lkaadeh, as pronounced by the Persians, called Dhu'lkaddeh by the
Arabians, which is the eleventh month of the Mahometan year. As this
year is lunar, the months run through all the seasons, for want of a
properly regulated kalendar, or a period like the Julian or Gregorian.
To enable the reader to understand the journal, we give the Persian
names of the months in their order: 1. Moharram; 2. Safar; 3.
Rabiya-al-awal, or Prior; 4, Rabiya-al-Akher, or Latter; 5. Jomada-al-
awal; 6. Jomada-al-akher; 7. Rajeb; 8. Shaaban; 9. Ramazan; 10.
Shawal; 11. Zu'lkaadeh; 12. Zu'lhejjeh. - Astl.
[3] This year began on Thursday, 16th January, 1420. - Astl.
[4] Ulug-Beg was the son and successor of Shah-Rokh, and was famous for his
astronomical tables. - Astl.
The Kathayans of Ulug-Beg, here mentioned, were probably Chinese
astronomers in the service of that prince, sent on the present
occasion to ascertain and report the geographical circumstances of the
journey.
