[p.1]

His book commences as follows:—­I journeyed first from my native town to the city of Saragossa[3], and thence by way of the River Ebro to Tortosa.  From there I went a journey of two days to the ancient city of Tarragona with its Cyclopean and Greek buildings[4].  The like thereof is not found among any of the buildings in the country of Sepharad.  It is situated by the sea, and two days’ journey from the city of Barcelona, where there is a holy congregation, including sages, wise and illustrious men, such as R. Shesheth[5], R. Shealtiel, R. Solomon, and R. Abraham, son of Chisdai.  This is a small city and beautiful, lying upon the sea-coast.

[p.2]

Merchants come thither from all quarters with their wares, from Greece, from Pisa, Genoa, Sicily, Alexandria in Egypt, Palestine, Africa and all its coasts.  Thence it is a day and a half to Gerona, in which there is a small congregation of Jews[6].  A three days’journey takes one to Narbonne, which is a city pre-eminent for learning; thence the Torah (Law) goes forth to all countries.  Sages, and great and illustrious men abide here.  At their head is R. Kalonymos, the son of the great and illustrious R. Todros of the seed of David, whose pedigree is established.  He possesses hereditaments and lands given him by the ruler of the city, of which no man can forcibly dispossess him[7].  Prominent in the community is R Abraham[8], head of the Academy:  also R. Machir and R. Judah, and many other distinguished scholars.  At the present day 300 Jews are there.

Thence it is four parasangs[9] to the city of Beziers, where there is a congregation of learned men.  At their head is R. Solomon Chalafta, R Joseph, and R. Nethanel.  Thence it is two days to Har Gaash which is called Montpellier.  This is a place well situated for commerce.

[p.3]

It is about a parasang from the sea, and men come for business there from all quarters, from Edom, Ishmael, the land of Algarve[10], Lombardy, the dominion of Rome the Great, from all the land of Egypt, Palestine, Greece, France, Asia and England.  People of all nations are found there doing business through the medium of the Genoese and Pisans.  In the city there are scholars of great eminence, at their head being R. Reuben, son of Todros, R. Nathan, son of Zechariah, and R. Samuel, their chief rabbi, also R. Solomon and R. Mordecai.  They have among them houses of learning devoted to the study of the Talmud.  Among the community are men both rich and charitable, who lend a helping hand to all that come to them.

From Montpellier it is four parasangs to Lunel, in which there is a congregation of Israelites, who study the Law day and night.  Here lived Rabbenu Meshullam the great rabbi, since deceased, and his five sons, who are wise, great and wealthy, namely:  R. Joseph, R. Isaac, R. Jacob, R. Aaron, and R. Asher, the recluse, who dwells apart from the world; he pores over his books day and night, fasts periodically and abstains from all meat[11].