The ambassadors were in this city of Erzingan until Thursday, the 15th day of May, when they departed. The road that day led over high mountains, without vegetation, and the snow fell, so that it was very cold. They passed the night in a town called Xabega, which had a small castle, and a river flowed near it; and they passed many corn fields and villages that day. On Saturday they passed the night in a town called Pagarrix, which had a lofty castle on the top of a rock; and in this town there were two wards, one inhabited by Armenians, and the other by Turks; and they said that it was a year since Timur Beg passed through it, when he ordered the churches of the Armenians to be pulled down; and the Armenians gave three thousand asperas, each aspera being half a rial, to ransom their churches; but he ordered the money to be taken, and the churches to be destroyed also. On Sunday, the day of Pentecost, they set out, and reached a town, where there was a castle on the top of a rock, which belonged to Erzingan . On Monday they passed the night in the open air; and the road they travelled over that day passed over high mountains, without vegetation, from which many streams descended; but there was much pasture, both above and below; and this land belonged to the Turcomans, who wander as far as this, and they are a nation of Moors, allied to the Turks. On Tuesday they departed, and travelled over a plain, with much pasture, and plenty of water. At noon they came to a town called Erzurum {Erzurum or Erzeroum}, which belonged to Timur Beg. It was in a plain, and was surrounded by a strong stone wall with towers, and it is very large. It also had a castle, but it is not very populous. In it there is a handsome church, for this city used to belong to the Christians of Armenia, and many Armenians lived in it. Formerly it was the largest and the richest city in all this country. The lord of the city was a Turcoman named Subail.
