o the palace to receive final
instructions.

"The craft in which you are to travel is an Egyptian trader. As at
present war has not been formally declared between us and the sultan,
peaceful traders, as you know, carry on their avocations unmolested
either by the warships of the Turks or by ours; they do not enter our
ports without a special permit, and the crews are never allowed to land,
in order that no detailed account of our fortifications may be taken
to the sultan. Moreover, brawls might arise between them and the native
population, or they might aid slaves to escape. However, you will be
altogether safe from interference from Turkish war vessels, and if
overhauled by one of them the safe conduct will be sufficient to prevent
interference with you. But it is not so with pirates. They will plunder
their own countrymen as readily as they will Christians, and the safe
guard of the governor of Syria will be of no use whatever to you. In
this consists the danger of your mission. I cannot send one of our war
galleys on such an errand, and if there are not enough knights on board
to beat off any pirate, the fewer there are the better. I hear that
the craft is a fast sailor, and as the crew will be as anxious to avoid
pirates as you, they will do their best to escape. I leave it to you to
take any route. You can either sail hence direct for Acre, or you can
coast along the shores of Anatolia and Syria, lying up at night in bays.

"Should you be overtaken I do not think it would be of any use for you
to disguise yourself, for some of the crew would be sure to denounce
you. Should the worst happen, and you are captured by pirates, you will
of course in the first place show them your safe conduct, and if I find
that you do not return I shall send at once to the governor of Syria,
complaining of your capture when furnished with his safeguard, and
requesting him to order a search for you to be made at every port on the
coast, with instructions that you are to be at once released, and either
sent to him for return hither, or placed on board a craft bound for any
Christian port; while you, on your part, will endeavour to acquaint
the Turkish authorities with the fact that you have been seized while
travelling with a safe conduct from the governor of Syria.

"But, more than from any efforts on your part or mine, I rely upon
Suleiman Ali, who will, I am sure, as soon as he is set on shore, lose
no time in acquainting the pasha