CHAPTER XI

Arrival in Cairo.—The Story of Pedro de la Randa.—Administration
of justice,—Life in the Streets of Cairo.

Our journey occupied fifteen days, in view of the
great trouble we had in making it, but with the pleasure
of hearing such good things from Nicolo de' Conti I
did not notice the labour. We reached Babylonia, and
appointed to meet each day in the church of St. Martha,
where is interred the holy body of a Caftilian called Pedro
de la Randa, of whom mention is made later. This
was because I had to go and take my residence with
the Sultan's chief interpreter, and Nicolo de' Conti
had to seek lodgings among the Moors. When I
arrived at the house of my hoft, he received me with
as much joy as if his own son had come back to him.
The next day Nicolo de' Conti went to see the Sultan,
and made complaint of the way in which the people
had disregarded his safe-condu6t, and of the manner
in which they had forced him to become a Moor, and
had robbed him. The Sultan heard this with much
chagrin, and, to compensate de' Conti, he showed him
many favours and made him his chief interpreter,
equal with the other, and gave him a house and pos¬
sessions in Babylonia. The following day he came to
that church where we had appointed to meet, and told
me all that had happened between the Sultan and him,
and what they had done for him, and that as he now
held office under the Sultan, he could go through his
country and visit the sea ports, so that he hoped, with
the help of God, to reach Chriftian lands in safety with
his company. He asked me to carry certain letters to
Venice, since I was going there, and he wished to know
when I intended to depart, and I told him that I was

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