Having collected together the largest diamonds I could find, and put
them into the leather bag in which I used to carry my provisions, I
took the largest of the pieces of meat, tied it close round me with
the cloth of my turban, and then laid myself upon the ground with my
face downward, the bag of diamonds being made fast to my girdle.
I had scarcely placed myself in this posture when one of the eagles,
having taken me up with the piece of meat to which I was fastened,
carried me to his nest on the top of the mountain. The merchants
immediately began their shouting to frighten the eagles; and when they
had obliged them to quit their prey, one of them came to the nest
where I was. He was much alarmed when he saw me; but, recovering
himself, instead of inquiring how I came thither, began to quarrel
with me, and asked why I stole his goods. "You will treat me,"
replied I, "with more civility when you know me better. Do not be
uneasy; I have diamonds enough for you and myself--more than all the
other merchants together. Whatever they have they owe to chance; but I
selected for myself, in the bottom of the valley, those which you see
in this bag." I had scarcely done speaking when the other merchants
came crowding about us, much astonished to see me; but they were much
more surprised when I told them my story.
[Illustration: The merchants began their shouting to frighten the
eagles]
They conducted me to their encampment, and there, having opened my
bag, they were surprised at the largeness of my diamonds, and
confessed that they had never seen any of such size and perfection. I
prayed the merchant who owned the nest to which I had been carried
(for every merchant had his own) to take as many for his share as he
pleased. He contented himself with one, and that, too, the least of
them; and when I pressed him to take more, without fear of doing me
any injury, "No," said he, "I am very well satisfied with this, which
is valuable enough to save me the trouble of making any more voyages,
and will raise as great a fortune as I desire."
I spent the night with the merchants, to whom I related my story a
second time, for the satisfaction of those who had not heard it. I
could not moderate my joy when I found myself delivered from the
danger I have mentioned. I thought myself in a dream, and could
scarcely believe myself out of danger.
The merchants had thrown their pieces of meat into the valley for
several days, and each of them being satisfied with the diamonds that
had fallen to his lot, we left the place the next morning, and
travelled near high mountains, where there were serpents of a
prodigious length, which we had the good-fortune to escape. We took
shipping at the first port we reached, and touched at the isle of
Roha, where the trees grow that yield camphor. The tree is so large,
and its branches so thick, that one hundred men may easily sit under
its shade. The juice, of which the camphor is made, exudes from a hole
bored in the upper part of the tree, is received in a vessel, where it
thickens to a consistency, and becomes what we call camphor. After the
juice is thus drawn out, the tree withers and dies.
In this island is also found the rhinoceros, an animal less than the
elephant, but larger than the buffalo. It has a horn upon its nose,
which is solid, and cleft through the middle. The rhinoceros fights
with the elephant, runs his horn into his belly, and carries him off
upon his head; but the blood and the fat of the elephant running into
his eyes and making him blind, he falls to the ground, and then,
strange to relate, the roc comes and carries them both away in her
claws, for food for her young ones.
Here I exchanged some of my diamonds for merchandise. From hence we
went to other islands, and at last, having touched at several trading
towns of the continent, we landed at Bussorah, from whence I proceeded
to Bagdad. There I immediately gave large presents to the poor, and
lived honorably upon the vast riches I had brought, and gained with so
much fatigue.