continued:—And after embarking my bales and leaving Bassorah in safety
and good spirits, we continued our voyage from place to place and from
city to city, buying and selling and profiting and diverting ourselves
with the sight of countries where strange folk dwell. And Fortune and
the voyage smiled upon us, till one day, as we went along, behold, the
captain suddenly cried with a great cry and cast his turband on the
deck. Then he buffeted his face like a woman and plucked out his beard
and fell down in the waist of the ship well nigh fainting for stress of
grief and rage, and crying, “Oh and alas for the ruin of my house and
the orphanship of my poor children!” So all the merchants and sailors
came round about him and asked him, “O master, what is the matter?”; for
the light had become night before their sight. And he answered, saying,
“Know, O folk, that we have wandered from our course and left the sea
whose ways we wot, and come into a sea whose ways I know not; and unless
Allah vouchsafe us a means of escape, we are all dead men; wherefore
pray ye to the Most High, that He deliver us from this strait. Haply
amongst you is one righteous whose prayers the Lord will accept.” Then
he arose and clomb the mast to see an there were any escape from that
strait; and he would have loosed the sails; but the wind redoubled upon
the ship and whirled her round thrice and drave her backwards; whereupon
her rudder brake and she fell off towards a high mountain. With this the
captain came down from the mast, saying, “There is no Majesty and there
is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great; nor can man prevent
that which is fore-ordained of fate! By Allah, we are fallen on a place
of sure destruction, and there is no way of escape for us, nor can any
of us be saved!” Then we all fell a-weeping over ourselves and bidding
one another farewell for that our days were come to an end, and we had
lost all hopes of life. Presently the ship struck the mountain and broke
up, and all and everything on board of her were plunged into the sea.
Some of the merchants were drowned and others made shift to reach the
shore and save themselves upon the mountain; I amongst the number, and
when we got ashore, we found a great island, or rather peninsula[72]
whose base was strewn with wreckage of crafts and goods and gear cast up
by the sea from broken ships whose passengers had been drowned; and the
quantity confounded compt and calculation. So I climbed the cliffs into
the inward of the isle and walked on inland, till I came to a stream of
sweet water, that welled up at the nearest foot of the mountains and
disappeared in the earth under the range of hills on the opposite side.
But all the other passengers went over the mountains to the inner
tracts; and, dispersing hither and thither, were confounded at what they
saw and became like madmen at the sight of the wealth and treasures
wherewith the shores were strewn. As for me I looked into the bed of the
stream aforesaid and saw therein great plenty of rubies, and great royal
pearls[73] and all kinds of jewels and precious stones which were as
gravel in the bed of the rivulets that ran through the fields, and the
sands sparkled and glittered with gems and precious ores. Moreover we
found in the island abundance of the finest lign-aloes, both Chinese and
Comorin; and there also is a spring of crude ambergris[74] which floweth
like wax or gum over the stream-banks, for the great heat of the sun,
and runneth down to the sea-shore, where the monsters of the deep come
up and swallowing it, return into the sea. But it burneth in their
bellies; so they cast it up again and it congealeth on the surface of
the water, whereby its colour and quantities are changed; and at last,
the waves cast it ashore, and the travellers and merchants who know it,
collect it and sell it. But as to the raw ambergris which is not
swallowed, it floweth over the channel and congealeth on the banks and
when the sun shineth on it, it melteth and scenteth the whole valley
with a musk-like fragrance: then, when the sun ceaseth from it, it
congealeth again. But none can get to this place where is the crude
ambergris, because of the mountains which enclose the island on all
sides and which foot of man cannot ascend.[75] We continued thus to
explore the island, marvelling at the wonderful works of Allah and the
riches we found there, but sore troubled for our own case, and dismayed
at our prospects. Now we had picked up on the beach some small matter of
victual from the wreck and husbanded it carefully, eating but once every
day or two, in our fear lest it should fail us and we die miserably of
famine and affright. Moreover, we were weak for colic brought on by
sea-sickness and low diet, and my companions deceased, one after other,
till there was but a small company of us left. Each that died we washed
and shrouded in some of the clothes and linen cast ashore by the tides;
and after a little, the rest of my fellows perished, one by one, till I
had buried the last of the party and abode alone on the island, with but
a little provision left, I who was wont to have so much. And I wept over
myself, saying, “Would Heaven I had died before my companions and they
had washed me and buried me! It had been better than I should perish and
none wash me and shroud me and bury me. But there is no Majesty and
there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!”——And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-first Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
continued in these words:—Now after I had buried the last of my party
and abode alone on the island, I arose and dug me a deep grave on the
sea-shore, saying to myself, “Whenas I grow weak and know that death
cometh to me, I will cast myself into the grave and die there, so the
wind may drift the sand over me and cover me and I be buried
therein.”[76] Then I fell to reproaching myself for my little wit in
leaving my native land and betaking me again to travel, after all I had
suffered during my first five voyages, and when I had not made a single
one without suffering more horrible perils and more terrible hardships
than in its forerunner and having no hope of escape from my present
stress; and I repented me of my folly and bemoaned myself, especially as
I had no need of money, seeing that I had enough and more than enough
and could not spend what I had, no, nor a half of it in all my life.
However, after a while Allah sent me a thought and I said to myself, “By
God, needs must this stream have an end as well as a beginning; ergo an
issue somewhere, and belike its course may lead to some inhabited place;
so my best plan is to make me a little boat[77] big enough to sit in,
and carry it and launching it on the river, embark therein and drop down
the stream. If I escape, I escape, by God’s leave; and if I perish,
better die in the river than here.” Then, sighing for myself, I set to
work collecting a number of pieces of Chinese and Comorin aloes-wood and
I bound them together with ropes from the wreckage; then I chose out
from the broken up ships straight planks of even size and fixed them
firmly upon the aloes-wood, making me a boat-raft a little narrower than
the channel of the stream; and I tied it tightly and firmly as though it
were nailed. Then I loaded it with the goods, precious ores and jewels:
and the union pearls which were like gravel and the best of the
ambergris crude and pure, together with what I had collected on the
island and what was left me of victual and wild herbs. Lastly I lashed a
piece of wood on either side, to serve me as oars; and launched it, and
embarking, did according to the saying of the poet:—
Fly, fly with life whenas evils threat; ✿ Leave the house to tell of its
builder’s fate!
Land after land shalt thou seek and find ✿ But no other life on thy wish
shall wait:
Fret not thy soul in thy thoughts o’ night; ✿ All woes shall end or
sooner or late.
Whoso is born in one land to die, ✿ There and only there shall gang his
gait:
Nor trust great things to another wight, ✿ Soul hath only soul for
confederate.[78]
My boat-raft drifted with the stream, I pondering the issue of my
affair; and the drifting ceased not till I came to the place where it
disappeared beneath the mountain. I rowed my conveyance into the place
which was intensely dark; and the current carried the raft with it down
the underground channel.[79] The thin stream bore me on through a narrow
tunnel where the raft touched either side and my head rubbed against the
roof, return therefrom being impossible. Then I blamed myself for having
thus risked my life, and said, “If this passage grow any straiter, the
raft will hardly pass, and I cannot turn back; so I shall inevitably
perish miserably in this place.” And I threw myself down upon my face on
the raft, by reason of the narrowness of the channel, whilst the stream
ceased not to carry me along, knowing not night from day, for the excess
of the gloom which encompassed me about and my terror and concern for
myself lest I should perish. And in such condition my course continued
down the channel which now grew wider and then straiter till, sore
aweary by reason of the darkness which could be felt, I fell asleep, as
I lay prone on the raft, and I slept knowing not an the time were long
or short. When I awoke at last, I found myself in the light of Heaven
and opening my eyes I saw myself in a broad of the stream and the raft
moored to an island in the midst of a number of Indians and Abyssinians.
As soon as these blackamoors[80] saw that I was awake, they came up to
me and bespoke me in their speech; but I understood not what they said
and thought that this was a dream and a vision which had betided me for
stress of concern and chagrin. But I was delighted at my escape from the
river. When they saw I understood them not and made them no answer, one
of them came forward and said to me in Arabic, “Peace be with thee, O my
brother! Who art thou and whence faredst thou hither? How camest thou
into this river and what manner of land lies behind yonder mountains,
for never knew we any one make his way thence to us?” Quoth I, “And upon
thee be peace and the ruth of Allah and his blessing! Who are ye and
what country is this?” “O my brother,” answered he, “we are husbandmen
and tillers of the soil, who came out to water our fields and
plantations; and, finding thee asleep on this raft, laid hold of it and
made it fast by us, against thou shouldst awake at thy leisure. So tell
us how thou camest hither?” I answered, “For Allah’s sake, O my lord,
ere I speak give me somewhat to eat, for I am starving, and after ask me
what thou wilt.” So he hastened to fetch me food and I ate my fill, till
I was refreshed and my fear was calmed by a good belly-full and my life
returned to me. Then I rendered thanks to the Most High for mercies
great and small, glad to be out of the river and rejoicing to be amongst
them, and I told them all my adventures from first to last, especially
my troubles in the narrow channel.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-second Night,
[Illustration]
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
continued:—When I landed and found myself amongst the Indians and
Abyssinians and had taken some rest, they consulted among themselves and
said to one another, “There is no help for it but we carry him with us
and present him to our King, that he may acquaint him with his
adventures.” So they took me, together with the raft-boat and its lading
of monies and merchandise; jewels, minerals and golden gear, and brought
me to their King, who was King of Sarandib,[81] telling him what had
happened; whereupon he saluted me and bade me welcome. Then he
questioned me of my condition and adventures through the man who had
spoken Arabic and I repeated to him my story from beginning to end,
whereat he marvelled exceedingly and gave me joy of my deliverance;
after which I arose and fetched from the raft great store of precious
ores and jewels and ambergris and lign-aloes and presented them to the
King, who accepted them and entreated me with the utmost honour,
appointing me a lodging in his own palace. So I consorted with the chief
of the islanders, and they paid me the utmost respect. And I quitted not
the royal palace. Now the Island Sarandib lieth under the equinoctial
line, its night and day both numbering twelve hours. It measureth eighty
leagues long by a breadth of thirty and its width is bounded by a lofty
mountain[82] and a deep valley. The mountain is conspicuous from a
distance of three days and it containeth many kinds of rubies and other
minerals, and spice-trees of all sorts. The surface is covered with
emery wherewith gems are cut and fashioned; diamonds are in its rivers
and pearls are in its valleys. I ascended that mountain and solaced
myself with a view of its marvels which are indescribable and afterwards
I returned to the King.[83] Thereupon, all the travellers and merchants
who came to the place questioned me of the affairs of my native land and
of the Caliph Harun al-Rashid and his rule and I told them of him and of
that wherefor he was renowned, and they praised him because of this;
whilst I in turn questioned them of the manners and customs of their own
countries and got the knowledge I desired. One day, the King himself
asked me of the fashions and form of government of my country, and I
acquainted him with the circumstance of the Caliph’s sway in the city of
Baghdad and the justice of his rule. The King marvelled at my account of
his appointments and said, “By Allah, the Caliph’s ordinances are indeed
wise and his fashions of praiseworthy guise and thou hast made me love
him by what thou tellest me; wherefore I have a mind to make him a
present and send it by thee.” Quoth I, “Hearkening and obedience, O my
lord; I will bear thy gift to him and inform him that thou art his
sincere lover and true friend.” Then I abode with the King in great
honour and regard and consideration for a long while till, one day, as I
sat in his palace, I heard news of a company of merchants, that were
fitting out a ship for Bassorah, and said to myself, “I cannot do better
than voyage with these men.” So I rose without stay or delay and kissed
the King’s hand and acquainted him with my longing to set out with the
merchants, for that I pined after my people and mine own land. Quoth he,
“Thou art thine own master; yet, if it be thy will to abide with us, on
our head and eyes be it, for thou gladdenest us with thy company.” “By
Allah, O my lord,” answered I, “thou hast indeed overwhelmed me with thy
favours and well-doings; but I weary for a sight of my friends and
family and native country.” When he heard this, he summoned the
merchants in question and commended me to their care, paying my freight
and passage-money. Then he bestowed on me great riches from his
treasuries and charged me with a magnificent present for the Caliph
Harun al-Rashid. Moreover he gave me a sealed letter, saying, “Carry
this with thine own hand to the Commander of the Faithful and give him
many salutations from us!” “Hearing and obedience,” I replied. The
missive was written on the skin of the Kháwi[84] (which is finer than
lamb-parchment and of yellow colour), with ink of ultramarine and the
contents were as follows. “Peace be with thee from the King of Al-Hind,
before whom are a thousand elephants and upon whose palace-crenelles are
a thousand jewels. But after (laud to the Lord and praises to His
Prophet!): we send thee a trifling gift which be thou pleased to accept.
Thou art to us a brother and a sincere friend; and great is the love we
bear for thee in heart; favour us therefore with a reply. The gift
besitteth not thy dignity: but we beg of thee, O our brother, graciously
to accept it and peace be with thee.” And the present was a cup of ruby
a span high[85] the inside of which was adorned with precious pearls;
and a bed covered with the skin of the serpent which swalloweth the
elephant, which skin hath spots each like a dinar and whoso sitteth upon
it never sickeneth;[86] and an hundred thousand miskals of Indian
lign-aloes and a slave-girl like a shining moon. Then I took leave of
him and of all my intimates and acquaintances in the island and embarked
with the merchants aforesaid. We sailed with a fair wind, committing
ourselves to the care of Allah (be He extolled and exalted!) and by His
permission arrived at Bassorah, where I passed a few days and nights
equipping myself and packing up my bales. Then I went on to
Baghdad-city, the House of Peace, where I sought an audience of the
Caliph and laid the King’s presents before him. He asked me whence they
came and I said to him, “By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, I know
not the name of the city nor the way thither!” He then asked me, “O
Sindbad, is this true which the King writeth?”; and I answered, after
kissing the ground, “O my lord, I saw in his kingdom much more than he
hath written in his letter. For state processions a throne is set for
him upon a huge elephant, eleven cubits high: and upon this he sitteth
having his great lords and officers and guests standing in two ranks, on
his right hand and on his left. At his head is a man hending in hand a
golden javelin and behind him another with a great mace of gold whose
head is an emerald[87] a span long and as thick as a man’s thumb. And
when he mounteth horse there mount with him a thousand horsemen clad in
gold brocade and silk; and as the King proceedeth a man precedeth him,
crying, This is the King of great dignity, of high authority! And he
continueth to repeat his praises in words I remember not, saying at the
end of his panegyric, This is the King owning the crown whose like nor
Solomon nor the Mihraj[88] ever possessed. Then he is silent and one
behind him proclaimeth, saying, He will die! Again I say he will die!;
and the other addeth, Extolled be the perfection of the Living who dieth
not![89] Moreover by reason of his justice and ordinance and
intelligence, there is no Kazi in his city, and all his lieges
distinguish between Truth and Falsehood.” Quoth the Caliph, “How great
is this King! His letter hath shown me this; and as for the mightiness
of his dominion thou hast told us what thou hast eye-witnessed. By
Allah, he hath been endowed with wisdom as with wide rule.” Then I
related to the Commander of the Faithful all that had befallen me in my
last voyage; at which he wondered exceedingly and bade his historians
record my story and store it up in his treasuries, for the edification
of all who might see it. Then he conferred on me exceeding great
favours, and I repaired to my quarter and entered my home, where I
warehoused all my goods and possessions. Presently, my friends came to
me and I distributed presents among my family and gave alms and
largesse; after which I yielded myself to joyance and enjoyment, mirth
and merry-making, and forgot all that I had suffered. Such, then, O my
brothers, is the history of what befel me in my sixth voyage, and
to-morrow, Inshallah! I will tell you the story of my seventh and last
voyage, which is still more wondrous and marvellous than that of the
first six. (Saith he who telleth the tale), Then he bade lay the table,
and the company supped with him; after which he gave the Porter an
hundred dinars, as of wont, and they all went their ways, marvelling
beyond measure at that which they had heard.——And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sindbad the
Seaman had related the history of what befel him in his sixth voyage,
and all the company had dispersed, Sindbad the Landsman went home and
slept as of wont. Next day he rose and prayed the dawn-prayer and
repaired to his namesake’s house where, after the company was all
assembled, the host began to relate
_THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SEAMAN_.