358 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS.

out of it, that he lived in the greatest splendour, was immensely
rich, highly respected and honoured, and was the husband of a
princess.

Early the next morning, he mounted a horse from Barbary,
which he had in his stable, and began his journey. Travelling
from city to city, and from province to province, without stop-
ping anywhere longer than was necessary to rest his horse, he
at last arrived in China, and soon reached the capital where the
sultan lived, whose daughter Aladdin had married. He alighted
at a public khan, where he ordered an apartment for himself.
He remained there the rest of the day and following night, in
order to recover from the fatigue of his journey.

The first thing the African magician did the next morning
was to inquire what was the general opinion formed of Aladdin,
and how the people spoke of him. In walking about the city,
he went into the most frequented and best known places.

The great thing to discover was the particular situation of the
lamp, and whether Aladdin carried it about with him, or where
he kept it ; and this discovery he was able to make by a certain
operation in geomancy. As soon, therefore, as he got back to
his lodging, he took his square box and his sand, which he
always carried with him wherever he went. Having completed
the operation, he found that the lamp was in Aladdin’s palace,
and his joy was so great on knowing this that he could hardly
contain himself.

It happened, most unfortunately for Aladdin, that he was
absent upon a hunting expedition that was to last eight days,
and only three of them were yet elapsed. Of this the African
magician got information.

The African magician did not want to know more; he took
leave of the master of the khan, and returned to his own apart-
ment. “This is the time for action,” said he to himself, “nor
must I let it escape.” He then went to the shop of a person
who made and sold lamps. “I want,” said he to the master,
“a dozen copper lamps: can you supply me with them?” The
man replied that he had not quite so many finished, but that if
he would wait till the next day he would have them ready for
him at any time he wished. The magician agreed to wait, and
desired him to take care and have them very well polished; and