Sinbad the Sailor MK 261

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to give him ‘a large and particular account of all my adventures;
which he had the patience to hear out.

As soon as I had finished, ‘I confess, said he, ‘that the none
you tell me are very extraordinary, yet you must for my sake
undertake this voyage which I propose to you. You have nothing
to do but to. goto the Isle of Serendib, and deliver the commission
which I give you After that you are at liberty to return. But
you must go; for you know it would be indecent,.and not suitable
to my dignity, to. be indebted to the king of that island’ Per-
ceiving that the caliph insisted upon it, I submitted, and told him
that I was willing to obey. He was very well pleased at it, and
ordered me a thousand sequins’ for the expense, of my journey.

I prepared for my departure in a few days, and as soon as the
caliph’s letter and present were delivered to me, I went to Balsora,
where I embarked, and had a very happy voyage. I arrived at
the Isle of Serendib, where I acquainted the king’s ministers with
my commission, and prayed them to get. me speedy atidience.
They did so, and I was conducted to the palace in. an honourable
‘manner, where I saluted the king by prostration, according to
custom. That prince knew me immediately, and testified very
great joy to see me. ‘O Sinbad, said he, ‘you are welcome; I
swear to you I have many times thought of you since you went
hence ; I bless the day upon which we see one another once more.’
I made my compliment to him, and after having thanked: him for
his kindness to me, I delivered the’ caliph’s letter and present, which
he received with all imaginable satisfaction.

- The caliph’s present was a complete set of cloth of gold: Walued
at one. thousand sequins; fifty robes of rich stuff, a hundred others of
white cloth, the finest of, Cairo, Suez, Cusa, and, Alexandria ; a royal
crimson bed, and a second of another fashion ; a vessel of agate
broader than deep, an inch thick, and half a foot wide, the bottom of
which represented in bas-relief a man with one knee on the ground,