Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 18 — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

= — —— ---—-— ———_——— — <a SS ES 10 Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. self into it, since no one remained to perform this last duty. I must confess that while l was thus employed, Icould not avoid re- proaching myself as the sole cause of my misfortune, and most heartily repented of this last voyage. Nor was 1 satisfied with reproaches only, but I bit my hands with despair, and had nearly put an end to my existence. But God still had pity on me, and inspired me wih the thought of going to the river which lost itself in the hollow of the cave. I examined it with great attention, and it oc- curred to me that, as the river ran under- Pe it must in its course come out to aylight again. If I construct a raft, thought I, and place myself on it, the cur- rent of the water may perhaps bring me to some inhabited country; if I perish, it is but changing the manner of my death; but if, on the contrary, I get safely out of this fatal place, I shall not only avoid the cruel death by which my companions perished, but may also meet with some fresh opportu- nity of enriching myself. Who knows that fortune does not await me on my arrival out of this frightful cavern, to recompense me for all the losses I have sustained? I worked on my raft with fresh vigor after these reflections; I made it of thick pieces of wood and great cables, of which there was an abundance; I tied them closely to- ether, and formed a strong vessel. hen it was completed, I placed on it a cargo of rubies, emeralds, ambergris, crystal, and al- so some gold and silver stuffs. Having all these things in a proper equilibrium, and fastene | them to the planks, I embarked on my raft with two little oars which I provi- ded inyself with,and trusting to the cur- Pos resigned myself to the will of od. As soon as I was under the vault of the cavern, I lost the light of day, and the cur- rent carried me on without my being able to discern .its course. I rowed for some days in this obscurity without ever perceiving the least ray of light. At one time the vault of the cavern was so low that it almost knocked my head, which rendered me very attentive to avoid the danger again. During this time I constmed no more of my provisions than was absolutely necessary to ststain na- ture; but however frugal I might be, 1 con- sumed them all. I then fell into a sweet sleep. I cannot tell whether I slept long, but when I awoke I was surprised to find myself in an open country, near a bank of the river, to which my raft was fastened, and in the midst of a large concourse of blacks. I rose as soon as 1 perceived them, and saluted them; they spoke to me, but I could not understand their language. At this moment I felt so transported with joy that I could scarcely, believe myself awake. Being at length convinced that it was not a dream, I exclaimed in these Ara- bic words, “Invoke the Almighty, and He will come to thy assistance; thou needest not care for aught besides. Close thine eyes, and while thou sleepest, God will change thy fortune from bad to good.” One of the blacks, who understood Arabic, having heard me pronounce these words, advanced toward me, and spoke as follows; “ Brother,” said he, “ be not surprised at see- ing us; we live in this country, and we came hither to-day to water our fields from this river, which flows from the neighboring mountain, by cutting canals to admit a pas; sage for the water. © ‘¢ We observed that the current bore some- thing along, and we immediately ran to the bank to see what it was, and perceived this raft; one of us instantly swam to it, and conducted it to shore. e fastened it as you see, and were waiting for you to wake. e entreat you to relate to us your history, which must be very extraordinary; tell us how you could venture on this river, and from whence you come.” | first requested him to give me some food, after which I promised to satisfy their curiosity. They produced several kinds of meat, and when I had satisfied my hunger, I related to them all that had happened to me, which they appeared to Jisten to with great admi- ration. As soon as I had finished mv histo- ry, their interpreter told me that I had as- tonished them with my relation, and I must go myself to the king to recount my adven- tures, for they were of too extraordinary a nature to be repeated by any one but by him to whom they had happened. I replied that I was ready to do anything they wished. The blacks then sent for a horse, which ar- rived shortly after; they placed me on it, and while some walked by my side to show me the way, others of a more robust make hauled the raft out of the water, aad carried it on their shoulders, with the bales of rubies, and followed me. We went together to the city of Serendib, for this was the name of the island, and the blacks presented me to their king. I ap- proached his throne where he was seated, and suluted him as it is usual to accost the kings of India; that is to say, I prostrated myself at his feet and kissed the earth. The prince made me rise, and receiving me with an affa- ble air, he placed me by his side. He first asked me my name; I replied that I was called Sindbad, and surnamed the Sailor, from having made several voyages, and ad- ded that I was a citizen of Bagdad. “ But,” replied he, “ how then came you into my dominions? from whence are you arrived?” I concealed nothing from the king, and related to him what you have just heard ; he was so pleased with it, that he ordered the history of my adventures to be written in letters of gold, that it might be preserved among the archives of his kingdom. The raft was then produced, and the bales were opened in his presence. He admired the uloe-wood and ambergris, but, above all, the rubies and emeralds, as he had none in his treasury equal to them in value. Perceiving that he examined my precious stones with pleasure, and that he looked re- peatedly at the rarest of them, I prostrated myself before him, and took the liberty of saying, “ Sire, not only my person is at your commands, but the cargo of my rafé also, if your majesty will do me the honor of ac- cepling it, and disposing of it as you think fit.’ He smiled, and replied that he did not desire anything which belonged to me, for as God had given it me, I ought not to be de- prived of it; that instead of diminishing my riches, he shoald add to them; and that when I left his dominions I should carry with me proofs of his liberality. I could only reply to this by praying for his pros- perity and by praising his generosity. He ordered one of his officers to attend me, and gave me servants to wait upon me at his own expense. The officers faithfully fulfilled the charge they were intrusted with, and conveyed all the bales to the place des- tined for my lodging. I went every day at certain hours to pay my court to the king, and employed the rest of the time in seeing the city, and whatever was most worthy of my attention. The Island of Serendib is situated exactly under the equinoctial line, so that the days and nights are of equal length. It is eighty parasangs (470 miles) long, and as many in breadth. The principal town is situated at the extremity of a beautiful valley, formed by a mountain, which is in the middle of the island, and which is by far the highest in the world; it is discernible at sea within three days’ navigation of it. Rubies and many sorts of minerals are found in it, and ‘most of the rocks are formed of emery, which is a sort of metallic stone used for cutting precious stones. All kinds of rare and curious plants and trees, particularly the cedar and cocoa-tree, grow here in great abundance, and there are pearl fisheries on the coast, at the mouth of the rivers; some of its valleys also produce diamonds. 1 made a devotional journey up the mountain, to the spot where Adam was placed on his banishment from Paradise; and I had the curiosity to ascend to the sum- mit. When I came back to the city, I entreated the king to grant me permission to return to my native country, which he did in the most obliging and honorable manner. He com- pelled me to receive a rich present, which was taken from his treasury, and when I went to take my leave, he deposited in my care another still more considerable than the first, and at the same time gave me a letter for the Commander of the Believers, our sovereign lord, saying, “I beg you to pre- sent from me this letter and this present to the Caliph Haroun Alraschid, and to assure him of my friendship.’ I took the present and the Jetter with the greatest respect, and promised his majesty to execute the orders with which he was pleased to honor me, with the greatest punctuality. Before I em- barked, the king sent for the captain and the merchants with whom I was to sail, and charged them to pay me all possible atten- tion. The letter of the King of Serendib was written on the skin of a certain animal, high- ly prized in that country on account of its rareness, The color of it approaches to yel- low. The letter itself was in characters of azure, and it contained the following words in the Indian language: “ The of the Indi Theeane mm eer teal a Petana thecnat litters with the luster of a hundred thou- twenty poaania: sda eerohed with diamonds, to the Caliph Haroun Alraschid: =e ** Although the present that we send you be incon- siderable, yet receive it as a brother and a friend, in consideration of the friendship we bear you in our heart, and which we feel hap fn yenic eftees Sane we d it, be f a rank —- to that which Sot hold. We intone as a . Farewell.” The present consisted, first, of a vase made of one single ruby, pierced and worked into a cup of half a foot in hight and an inch thick, filled with fine round pearls, all weigh- ing half a drachm each; secondly, the skin of a serpent, which had scales as large asa in having an oppor- e ask eas same nel ‘common piece of money, the peculiar prop- erty of which was to preserve those who lay on it from all disease; thirdly, fifty thousand drachms of the most exquisite aloe-wood, together with thirty grains of camphor as large as a pistachio-nut; and lastly, all this was accompanied by a female slave of the most enchanting beauty, whose clothes were covered with jewels. Tbe ship set sail, and after a long though fortunate voyage, we landed at Balsora, from whence I returned to Bagdad. The first thing I did after my arrival was to execute the commission 1 had been intrusted with. I took the letter of the King of Serendib, and presented myself-at the gate of the Com- mander of the Faithful, followed by the beautiful slave, and some of my family, who carried the presents which had been committed to my care. I mentioned the reason Of my appearance there, and was im- mediately conducted before the throne of the caliph. I prostrated myself at his feet, and having made a short speech, gave him the letter and the present. When he had read the contents, he inquired of me whether it was true that the King of Serendib was as rich and powerful as he reported himself to be in his letter, I eres a myself a second time, and when I arose, ‘‘Commander of the Faithful,” said I,‘‘I can assure your majesty that he does not exaggerate his riches and grandeur; I have been witness to it. Nothing can excite greater admiration than the magnificence of his palace. When this prince wishes to appear in public, a throne is prepared for him on the back of an elephant; on this he sits, and proceeds OOO) €oim G cS