מכתב: T-S AS 149.184 + T-S AS 146.12 + T-S NS J181 + T-S 10J12.5

Recto

1. {and…

2. and not…

3. my lord. Making a bold demand on [your kindness, I have sent you a package]

4. through the agency of Sheikh Abū ʿAli b. Ṭayyib [and… (?) the Egyp]tians. In it are

5. goods, namely six manns of good [...] silk in a waterproof satchel.

6. On top of the satchel is a canvas on which is written ‘Abraham Yijū, sent by Joseph b. Abraham.’

7. Moreover, I had here a bag of yellow arsenic. I heard that arsenic in your place

8. is in demand, and in particular the people of Ceylon search for it a great deal. I have sent [it], my lord,

9. to you, its weight exactly 160 pounds. And it is fine arsenic. Please make an effort, [continues with III,5]}

Recto - margin

1. {[...Between us] is a commenda for 259 dinars. His share [(III,5:m1) in it is one third of the profit,]} [(III,4:m1) while I, your servant, get two thirds. Now, my lord, if he has traveled to Ceylon, nothing can be done. However, if he returns to you or if he did not make the journey] {[...perhaps he intends to travel to] a place other than to Aden.

2. a place other than to Aden. My lord, when [(III,5:m2) I learned this]} [(III,4:m2) news, that he was traveling to Ceylon, I became distressed. Afterwards I took courage and saw that Sheikh Ḍafīr b. Farāj was traveling to your place {lit., ‘to you’}]

Verso

1. {my lord, to sell it all, as you are graciously accustomed to do, for whatever price God apportions

2. as livelihood. With the proceeds purchase for me, your servant, a small quantity of iron, if available, and cardamom, and if

3. you can, a little borax, or whatever you consider proper. For one who is present sees [(III, 4:0) what is not seen by]

4. one who is absent. Send it to me on the first ship traveling to Aden. And you, my lord,} [(III, 4:1) are free of liability. And if]

5. {you, my lord, have an opportunity to come, bring it with you, God willing.}

6. [(III,4:2) Furthermore, I sent a mazza, in which there are 14 ½ pounds of copper,] {including a ewer} [continues with III,4:3]

Verso - margin

1. {[...Between us] [(III,6:m1) is a commenda for 259 dinars. His share] in it is one third of the profit,} [(III,4:m1)while I, your servant, get two thirds. Now, my lord, if he has traveled to Ceylon, nothing can be done. However, if he returns to you or if he did not make the journey]

2. {[...perhaps he intends to travel to] [(III,6:m2) a place other than to Aden. My lord, when] I learned this]} [III,4:m2) news, that he was traveling to Ceylon, I became distressed. Afterwards I took courage and saw that Ḍafīr b. Farāj was traveling to your place {lit., ‘to you’}]

Verso

1. [continues from III,5] {what is not seen by

2. [(III,5:4) one who is absent. Send it to me on the first ship traveling to Aden. And you, my lord,}] are free of liability. And if [(III,5:5) {you, my lord, have an opportunity to come, bring it with you, God willing.}]

3. Furthermore, I sent a mazza, in which there are 14 ½ pounds of copper, [(III,5:6) {including a ewer}]

4. that is broken, a broken stool and other things. Please be kind enough to make for me from it

5. a basin and ewer, which should be small and simple, their weight being exactly six pounds

6. or five and a half, more or less, and a small stand for a small

7. candle; its weight should be exactly from two to two and a half pounds; it should be simple

8. and of good workmanship of the type you find attractive. The rest of the copper should be sold and added

9. to the account (in my favor). I sent to your illustrious excellency what has no importance and which is not

10. worth mentioning, namely a large brazilwood box containing white sugar, an Alexandrian maqṭaʿ, a half a pound

11. Iṣbahānī kohl, half a pound of ʿilk gum, four dasts of Egyptian paper of small

12. size. Please accept this in return for some of your services. The paper, the kohl, and the ʿilk are in

13. the mazza with the copper. The maqṭaʿ alone is in a piece of cloth. All this, together with the bag of silk and the bag

14. of arsenic, is sent in the ship of Fidyār with the above-mentioned Sheikh Abū ʿAlī b. Ṭayyib al-Miṣrī.

15. And, my lord, I would like you to help him (Abū ʿAlī) in all he buys

16. and sells, for he is a stranger, unfamiliar with that country. Whatever you do for him

17. will reach me. May I never miss your favors! By God, my lord, I attempted to get

18. some raisins to send to your excellency. However, none whatsoever

19. was to be had in Aden this year. Please forgive your servant for this. On the bag of arsenic there is written ‘Abraham Yijū,

20. sent by Joseph b. Abraham.’ It is wrapped in hides. You, my lord, mentioned that the young man Abu ʾl-Faraj b. Moses

21. al-Baghdādī was traveling to Ceylon. I received his letter, in which he complained that the nākhudā

22. Ibn Abu ʾl-Katāʾib demanded from him payment for the hire of a compartment, even though he did not carry {alt tr.: did not agree to carry} for him anything

23. in his ship. He also mentioned that he might travel to Ceylon or stay on.

Verso - margin

1. {[...Between us] [(III,6) is a commenda for 259 dinars. His share] [(III,5) in it is one third of the profit,]} while I, your servant, get two thirds. Now, my lord, if he has traveled to Ceylon, nothing can be done. However, if he returns to you or if he did not make the journey

2. {[...perhaps he intends to travel to] [(III,6) a place other than to Aden. My lord, when] [(III,5) I learned this]} news, that he was traveling to Ceylon, I became distressed. Afterwards I took courage and saw that Ḍafīr b. Farāj was traveling to your place {lit., ‘to you’}

Recto

1. this year in the ship of ⟦Nbrdwy {or read: Nbyrwy}⟧ Fidyār. I sent with him {alt. tr.: wrote and sent with him} a letter of proxy,

2. {which I confirmed by witnesses; and the document} is (designated) “a letter of proxy against Abu ʾl-Faraj b. Mūsā

3. al-Baghdādī.” I did so as a matter of precaution. Now, may I, your servant, ask you a favor—may God make permanent

4. your honored position! If this young man is (still) with you, or has come back from Ceylon and is going to

5. Aden, let no one know that I sent a letter of proxy against him or against anyone else. Moreover, please tell Sheikh

6. Ḍāfir that in this case he should not undertake anything in the matter despite my instructions to him. However, if

7. —God forbid—he has deviated from the right path and has declared bankruptcy or intends to travel

8. to a place other than Aden, please inform Sheikh Ḍāfir to produce the letter of proxy against him in order to demand from him

9. what he owes. Sheikh Ḍāfir is a very busy man and perhaps will not attend to this matter {alt. tr.: will temporize} and not

10. ‘break’ him. I can rely only on your excellency and your kindness for reprimanding him, and for dealing with {alt. tr.: to counsel him and investigate}

11. this discreetly, not overtly. However, if he deviates from the right path, there is no choice 

12. but to deal with it overtly. Please make an effort to act for your servant in this matter as is right. Furthermore, my lord,

13. I wrote to this young man three letters, each sent on another ship and each accompanied by another copy {lit., ‘by your letter’},

14. and instructed those carrying them to hand them over only to your excellency; and

15. I told him in his letter what you will read {alt. tr.: are reading}. Please, open every letter addressed to him

16. and read it and give it to him, without his knowing (that you read it). I wrote to him in his letter

17. that I sent to you currency. If he wants {lit., ‘needs’} from you about ten dinars

18. or ten mithqāls from my goods, you should give it to him, my lord, if he is proceeding to 

19. Aden without delay. However, if he deviates from the path, do not pay him anything, my lord.

20. Thus, please inquire {alt. tr.: do not pay him anything, my lord, after you, my lord, have inquired} into that matter; and if he, my lord, is proceeding to Aden and asks

21. for ten mithqāls and even more, pay them to him from my goods. My lord,

22. I sent him (Baghdādī) a large brazilwood box with sugar, on [(III,5v:1) {which is his name, through the agency of Sheikh}] 

23. Abū ʿAlī, mentioned above. [(III,5v:2) {If he is at your place, give him the letters and the brazilwood box}]

24. with sugar.

Recto

1. {which is his name, through the agency of Sheikh}

2. [(III,4v:23) Abū ʿAlī, mentioned above.] {If he is at your place, give him the letters and the brazilwood box}

3. [(III,4v:24) with sugar.] {And if, God forbid, he is in Ceylon, kindly be so good as to send 

4. to him these letters and sugar with someone whom you trust, in your kindness. Accept, my esteemed lord,

5. for yourself, best, profuse greetings. Whatever need or service you require, my lord, [(III,6v:1) let me know to perform it. And upon you be peace!]

6. [continues with III,6v:2]}

Verso

1. {[(III,5v:5) for yourself, best, profuse greetings. Whatever need or service you require, my lord,] let me know to perform it. And upon you be peace!] On the first of the month of Elul, [...there were]

2. forwarded to his illustrious excellency three letters with the same text, this as a precaution. One is in

3. the ship of Fi[dyār wit]h Sheikh Abū ʿAlī. The second is in the ship of [Nbrdwy/Nbyrwy (?)]

4. with Muwaffaq al-ʿAshāʾirī. The third is in the ship of Ibn Abu ʾl-Katāʾib, with his son. 

5. And with your letter is a letter to Sheikh Abu ʾl-Surūr b. Khallūf al-Ṭalḥī. Please deliver/send it to him.}