A few days after D. Garcia de Noronha had set out on his voyage, there arrived from Persia a caravan with many merchants from Tartary, and Russia, and all that part of the world, with their merchandise, whereby the city began to grow very much ennobled; and in company with them came a captain from the Xeque Ismael, who had set out from the Court with the object of seeing the great Afonso Dalboquerque, on account of the great reputation which he had there, whereat he was highly delighted.

And because it was but a little time past since the Xeque Ismael had had a fierce battle with the Turk, in which this captain had taken part, he asked him all about the engagement; and he told him that the Turks came down with thirty thousand horse, and a large force of infantry, to attack a pass in the mountain range, so as to be enabled to pass through it to Tauriz, and the captains of the Xeque Ismael who were in the van first reached the mountain, and took up a commanding position on it and withstood the passage of the enemy. But when the Xeque himself came up he was angry that they had not allowed the Turk to pass through, and ordered his captains to abandon the pass.