SINDBAD, THE SAILOR. 163

They produced several kinds of meat, and when I had satis-
fied my hunger, I related to them all that had happened to me,
which they appeared to listen to with great admiration. As
soon as I had finished my history, their interpreter told me that
I must go myself to the king to recount my adventures ; for
they were of too extraordinary a nature to be repeated by any
one but by him to whom they had happened. The blacks then
sent for a horse, which arrived shortly after ; they placed me on
it, and whilst some walked by my side to shew me the way,
others of a more robust make hauled the raft out of the water,
and 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 approached his throne, and prostrating myself at his feet, I
kissed the earth. The prince made me rise, and receiving me
with an affable air, he placed me by his side. He first asked
me my name; I replied that I was called Sindbad, and sur-
named the sailor, from having made several voyages; and added
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. The raft was then produced, and the
bales were opened in his presence. He admired the ambergris,
but above all, the rubies and emeralds, as he had none in his
treasury equal to them in value.

He ordered one of his officers to attend me, and gave me ser-
vants to wait upon me at his own expense. The officers faith-
fully fulfilled the charge they were intrusted with, and conveyed
all the bales to the place destined 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 what-
ever was most worthy of my attention.

In the island of Serendib, all kinds of rare and curious plants
and trees, particularly the cedar and cocoa-tree, grow in great
abundance, and there are pearl-fisheries on the coast, at the
mouth of the rivers ; some of its valleys also produce diamonds.
I made a devotional journey up a very high mountain, to the
spot where Adam was placed on his banishment from Paradise ;
and I had the curiosity to ascend to the summit