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　THE　DEPARTURE　FROM　THE　CITY　OF　PEACE

　PRAISE　BE　TO　GOD；　THE　MERCIFUL；　THE　passionate；　the　Lord　of　the　Two　Worlds；　and　blessing　and　peace　upon　the　Prince　of　Prophets；　our　Lord　and　Master　Muhammad；　whom　God　bless　and　preserve　with　abiding　and　continuing　peace　and　blessings　until　the　Day　of　the　Faith！
　This　is　the　book　of　Ahmad　ibn…Fadlan；　ibnal…Abbas；　ibn…Rasid；　ibn…Hammad；　a　client　of　Muhammad　ibn…Sulayman；　the　ambassador　from　al…Muqtadir　to　the　King　of　the　Saqaliba；　in　which　he　recounts　what　he　saw　in　the　land　of　the　Turks；　the　Hazars；　the　Saqaliba；　the　Baskirs；　the　Rus；　and　the　Northmen；　of　the　histories　of　their　kings　and　the　way　they　act　in　many　affairs　of　their　life。
　The　letter　of　the　Yiltawar；　King　of　the　Saqaliba；　reached　the　mander　of　the　Faithful；　al…Muqtadir。　He　asked　him　therein　to　send　someone　who　would　instruct　him　in　religion　and　make　him　acquainted　with　the　laws　of　Islam；　who　would　build　for　him　a　mosque　and　erect　for　him　a　pulpit　from　which　might　be　carried　out　the　mission　of　converting　his　people　in　all　the　districts　of　his　kingdom；　and　also　for　advice　in　the　construction　of　fortifications　and　defense　works。　And　he　prayed　the　Caliph　to　do　these　things。　The　intermediary　in　this　matter　was　Dadir　al…Hurami。
　The　mander　of　the　Faithful；　al…Muqtadir；　as　many　know；　was　not　a　strong　and　just　caliph；　but　drawn　to　pleasures　and　the　flattering　speeches　of　his　officers；　who　played　him　the　fool　and　jested　mightily　behind　his　back。　I　was　not　of　this　pany；　or　especially　beloved　of　the　Caliph；　for　the　reason　that　follows。
　In　the　City　of　Peace　lived　an　elderly　merchant　of　the　name　ibn…Qarin；　rich　in　all　things　but　lacking　a　generous　heart　and　a　love　of　man。　He　hoarded　his　gold　and　likewise　his　young　wife；　whom　none　had　ever　seen　but　all　bespoke　as　beautiful　beyond　imagining。　On　a　certain　day；　the　Caliph　sent　me　to　deliver　to　ibn…Qarin　a　message；　and　I　presented　myself　to　the　house　of　the　merchant　and　sought　entrance　therein　with　my　letter　and　seal。　Until　today；　I　do　not　know　the　import　of　the　letter；　but　it　does　not　matter。
　The　merchant　was　not　at　home；　being　abroad　on　some　business；　I　explained　to　the　door　servant　that　I　must　await　his　return；　since　the　Caliph　had　instructed　I　must　deliver　the　message　into　his　hands　from　mine　only。　Thus　the　door　servant　admitted　me　into　the　house；　which　procedure　took　some　passing　of　time；　for　the　door　to　the　house　had　many　bolts；　locks；　bars；　and　fasteners；　as　is　mon　in　the　dwellings　of　misers。　At　length　I　was　admitted　and　I　waited　all　day；　growing　hungry　and　thirsty；　but　was　offered　no　refreshments　by　the　servants　of　the　niggardly　merchant。
　In　the　heat　of　the　afternoon；　when　all　about　me　the　house　was　still　and　the　servants　slept；　I；　too；　felt　drowsy。　Then　before　me　I　saw　an　apparition　in　white；　a　woman　young　and　beautiful；　whom　I　took　to　be　the　very　wife　no　man　had　ever　seen。　She　did　not　speak；　but　with　gestures　led　me　to　another　room；　and　there　locked　the　door。　I　enjoyed　her　upon　the　spot；　in　which　matter　she　required　no　encouragement；　for　her　husband　was　old　and　no　doubt　neglectful。　Thus　did　the　afternoon　pass　quickly；　until　we　heard　the　master　of　the　house　making　his　return。　Immediately　the　wife　arose　and　departed；　having　never　uttered　a　word　in　my　presence；　and　I　was　left　to　arrange　my　garments　in　some　haste。
　Now　I　should　have　been　apprehended　for　certain　were　it　not　for　these　same　many　locks　and　bolts　which　impeded　the　miser's　entry　into　his　own　home。　Even　so；　the　merchant　ibn…Qarin　found　me　in　the　adjoining　room；　and　he　viewed　me　with　suspicion；　asking　why　I　should　be　there　and　not　in　the　courtyard；　where　it　was　proper　for　a　messenger　to　wait。　I　replied　that　I　was　famished　and　faint；　and　had　searched　for　food　and　shade。　This　was　a　poor　lie　and　he　did　not　believe　it；　he　plained　to　the　Caliph；　who　I　know　was　amused　in　private　and　yet　pelled　to　adopt　a　stern　face　to　the　public。　Thus　when　the　ruler　of　the　Saqaliba　asked　for　a　mission　from　the　Caliph；　this　same　spiteful　ibn…Qarin　urged　I　be　sent；　and　so　I　was。
　In　our　pany　there　was　the　ambassador　of　the　King　of　Saqaliba　who　was　called　Abdallah　ibn…Bastu　al…Hazari；　a　tedious　and　windy　man　who　talked　overmuch。　There　was　also　Takin　al…Turki；　Bars　al…Saqlabi；　both　guides　on　the　journey；　and　I；　too。　We　bore　gifts　for　the　ruler；　for　his　wife；　his　children；　and　his　generals。　Also　we　brought　certain　drugs；　which　were　given　over　to　the　care　of　Sausan　al…Rasi。　This　was　our　parry。
　So　we　started　on　Thursday；　the　11th　of　Safar　of　the　year　309　＇June　21；　921＇；　from　the　City　of　Peace　＇Bagdad＇。　We　stopped　a　day　in　Nahrawan；　and　from　there　went　swiftly　until　we　reached　al…Daskara；　where　we　stopped　for　three　days。　Then　we　traveled　straight　onward　without　any　detours　until　we　reached　Hulwan。　There　we　stayed　two　days。　From　there　we　went　to　Qirmisin；　where　we　remained　two　days。　Then　we　started　and　traveled　until　we　reached　Hamadan；　where　we　remained　three　days。　Then　we　went　farther　to　Sawa；　where　we　remained　two　days。　From　there　we　came　to　Ray；　where　we　remained　eleven　days　waiting　for　Ahmad　ibn…Ali；　the　brother　of　al…Rasi；　because　he　was　in　Huwar　al…Ray。　Then　we　went　to　Huwar　al…Ray　and　remained　there　three　days。
　
　This　passage　gives　the　flavor　of　Ibn　Fadlan's　descriptions　of　travel。　Perhaps　a　quarter　of　the　entire　manuscript　is　written　in　this　fashion；　simply　listing　the　names　of　settlements　and　the　number　of　days　spent　at　each。　Most　of　this　material　has　been　deleted。
　Apparently；　Ibn　Fadlan's　party　is　traveling　northward；　and　eventually　they　are　required　to　halt　for　winter。
　
　Our　stay　in　Gurganiya　was　lengthy；　we　stayed　there　some　days　of　the　month　of　Ragab　＇November＇　and　during　the　whole　of　Saban；　Ramadan；　and　Sawwal。　Our　long　stay　was　brought　about　by　the　cold　and　its　bitterness。　Verily；　they　told　me　that　two　men　took　camels　into　the　forests　to　get　wood。　They　forgot；　however；　to　take　flint　and　tinder　with　them；　and　hence　slept　in　the　night　without　a　fire。　When　they　got　up　the　next　morning；　they　found　the　camels　had　been　frozen　stiff　from　the　cold。
　Verily；　I　beheld　the　marketplace　and　streets　of　Gurganiya　pletely　deserted　because　of　the　cold。　One　could　stroll　the　streets　without　meeting　anyone。　Once　as　I　came　out　of　my　bath；　I　entered　my　house　and　looked　at　my　beard；　which　was　a　lump　of　ice。　I　had　to　thaw　it　out　before　the　fire。　I　lived　night　and　day　in　a　house　that　was　inside　another　house；　in　which　a　Turkish　felt　tent　was　pitched；　and　I　myself　was　wrapped　up　in　many　clothes　and　fur　rugs。　But　in　spite　of　all　this；　my　cheeks　often　stuck　to　the　pillow　at　night。
　In　this　extremity　of　cold；　I　saw　that　the　earth　sometimes　forms　great　cracks；　and　a　large　and　ancient　tree　may　split　into　two　halves　from　this。
　About　the　middle　of　Sawwal　of　the　year　309　＇February；　922＇；　the　weather　began　to　change；　the　river　thawed；　and　we　got　ourselves　the　necessary　things　for　the　journey。　We　bought　Turkish　camels　and　skin　boats　made　out　of　camel　hides；　in　preparation　for　the　rivers　we　would　have　to　cross　in　the　land　of　Turks。
　We　laid　in　a　supply　of　bread；　millet；　and　salted　meat　for　three　months。　Our　acquaintances　in　the　town　directed　us　in　laying　in　garments；　as　much　as　was　needed。　They　depicted　the　ing　hardships　in　fearful　terms；　and　we　believed　they　exaggerated　the　story；　yet　when　we　underwent　this；　it　was　far　greater　than　what　had　been　told　to　us。
　Each　of　us　put　on　a　jacket；　over　that　a　coat；　over　that　a　tulup；　over　that　a　burka；　and　a　helmet　of　felt　out　of　which　only　the　two　eyes　could　look。　We　also　had　a　simple　pair　of　underdrawers　with　trousers　over　them；　and　house　shoes　and　over　these　another　pair　of　boots。　When　one　of　us　got　on　a　camel；　he　could　not　move　because　of　his　clothes。
　The　doctor　of　the　law　and　the　teacher　and　the　pages　who　traveled　with　us　from　Bagdad　departed　from　us　now；　fearing　to　enter　this　new　country；　so　1；　the　ambassador；　his　brother…in…law　and　two　pages；　Takin　and　Bars；　proceeded。1
　The　caravan　was　ready　to　start。　We　took　into　our　service　a　guide　from　the　inhabitants　of　the　town　whose　name　was　Qlawus。　Then；　trusting　in　the　all…powerful　and　exalted　God；　we　started　on　Monday；　the　third　of　Dulqada　of　the　year　309　＇March　3；　922＇　from　the　town　Gurganiya。
　That　same　day；　we　stopped　at　the　burg　called