It must be a marvel to you how, after having five times met with
shipwreck and unheard-of perils, I could again tempt fortune and risk
fresh trouble. I am even surprised myself when I look back, but
evidently it was my fate to rove, and after a year of repose I prepared
to make a sixth voyage, regardless of the entreaties of my friends and
relations, who did all they could to keep me at home. Instead of going
by the Persian Gulf, I travelled a considerable way overland, and
finally embarked from a distant Indian port with a captain who meant to
make a long voyage. And truly he did so, for we fell in with stormy
weather which drove us completely out of our course, so that for many
days neither captain nor pilot knew where we were, nor where we were
going. When they did at last discover our position we had small ground
for rejoicing, for the captain, casting his turban upon the deck and
tearing his beard, declared that we were in the most dangerous spot upon
the whole wide sea, and had been caught by a current which was at that
moment sweeping us to destruction. It was too true! In spite of all the
sailors could do we were driven with frightful rapidity towards the foot
of a mountain, which rose sheer out of the sea, and our vessel was
dashed to pieces upon the rocks at its base, not, however, until we had
managed to scramble on shore, carrying with us the most precious of our
possessions. When we had done this the captain said to us:--
"Now we are here we may as well begin to dig our graves at once, since
from this fatal spot no shipwrecked mariner has ever returned."
This speech discouraged us much, and we began to lament over our sad
fate.
The mountain formed the seaward boundary of a large island, and the
narrow strip of rocky shore upon which we stood was strewn with the
wreckage of a thousand gallant ships, while the bones of the luckless
mariners shone white in the sunshine, and we shuddered to think how soon
our own would be added to the heap. All around, too, lay vast quantities
of the costliest merchandise, and treasures were heaped in every cranny
of the rocks, but all these things only added to the desolation of the
scene. It struck me as a very strange thing that a river of clear fresh
water, which gushed out from the mountain not far from where we stood,
instead of flowing into the sea as rivers generally do, turned off
sharply, and flowed out of sight under a natural archway of rock, and
when I went to examine it more closely I found that inside the cave the
walls were thick with diamonds, rubies, and masses of crystal, and the
floor was strewn with ambergris. Here, then, upon this desolate shore we
abandoned ourselves to our fate, for there was no possibility of scaling
the mountain, and if a ship had appeared it could only have shared our
doom. The first thing our captain did was to divide equally amongst us
all the food we possessed, and then the length of each man's life
depended on the time he could make his portion last. I myself could live
upon very little.
Nevertheless, by the time I had buried the last of my companions my
stock of provisions was so small that I hardly thought I should live
long enough to dig my own grave, which I set about doing, while I
regretted bitterly the roving disposition which was always bringing me
into such straits, and thought longingly of all the comfort and luxury
that I had left. But luckily for me the fancy took me to stand once more
beside the river where it plunged out of sight in the depths of the
cavern, and as I did so an idea struck me. This river which hid itself
underground doubtless emerged again at some distant spot. Why should I
not build a raft and trust myself to its swiftly flowing waters? If I
perished before I could reach the light of day once more I should be no
worse off than I was now, for death stared me in the face, while there
was always the possibility that, as I was born under a lucky star, I
might find myself safe and sound in some desirable land. I decided at
any rate to risk it, and speedily built myself a stout raft of
drift-wood with strong cords, of which enough and to spare lay strewn
upon the beach. I then made up many packages of rubies, emeralds, rock
crystal, ambergris, and precious stuffs, and bound them upon my raft,
being careful to preserve the balance, and then I seated myself upon it,
having two small oars that I had fashioned laid ready to my hand, and
loosed the cord which held it to the bank. Once out in the current my
raft flew swiftly under the gloomy archway, and I found myself in total
darkness, carried smoothly forward by the rapid river. On I went as it
seemed to me for many nights and days. Once the channel became so small
that I had a narrow escape of being crushed against the rocky roof, and
after that I took the precaution of lying flat upon my precious bales.
Though I only ate what was absolutely necessary to keep myself alive,
the inevitable moment came when, after swallowing my last morsel of
food, I began to wonder if I must after all die of hunger. Then, worn
out with anxiety and fatigue, I fell into a deep sleep, and when I again
opened my eyes I was once more in the light of day; a beautiful country
lay before me, and my raft, which was tied to the river bank, was
surrounded by friendly looking black men. I rose and saluted them, and
they spoke to me in return, but I could not understand a word of their
language. Feeling perfectly bewildered by my sudden return to life and
light, I murmured to myself in Arabic, "Close thine eyes, and while thou
sleepest Heaven will change thy fortune from evil to good."
One of the natives, who understood this tongue, then came forward
saying:--
"My brother, be not surprised to see us; this is our land, and as we
came to get water from the river we noticed your raft floating down it,
and one of us swam out and brought you to the shore. We have waited for
your awakening; tell us now whence you come and where you were going by
that dangerous way?"
I replied that nothing would please me better than to tell them, but
that I was starving, and would fain eat something first. I was soon
supplied with all I needed, and having satisfied my hunger I told them
faithfully all that had befallen me. They were lost in wonder at my tale
when it was interpreted to them, and said that adventures so surprising
must be related to their King only by the man to whom they had happened.
So, procuring a horse, they mounted me upon it, and we set out, followed
by several strong men carrying my raft just as it was upon their
shoulders. In this order we marched into the city of Serendib, where the
natives presented me to their King, whom I saluted in the Indian
fashion, prostrating myself at his feet and kissing the ground; but the
monarch bade me rise and sit beside him, asking first what was my name.
"I am Sindbad," I replied, "whom men call 'the Sailor,' for I have
voyaged much upon many seas."
"And how came you here?" asked the King.
I told my story, concealing nothing, and his surprise and delight were
so great that he ordered my adventures to be written in letters of gold
and laid up in the archives of his kingdom.
Presently my raft was brought in and the bales opened in his presence,
and the king declared that in all his treasury there were no such rubies
and emeralds as those which lay in great heaps before him. Seeing that
he looked at them with interest, I ventured to say that I myself and all
that I had were at his disposal, but he answered me smiling:--
"Nay, Sindbad. Heaven forbid that I should covet your riches; I will
rather add to them, for I desire that you shall not leave my kingdom
without some tokens of my good-will." He then commanded his officers to
provide me with a suitable lodging at his expense, and sent slaves to
wait upon me and carry my raft and my bales to my new dwelling-place.
You may imagine that I praised his generosity and gave him grateful
thanks, nor did I fail to present myself daily in his audience-chamber,
and for the rest of my time I amused myself in seeing all that was most
worthy of attention in the city. The island of Serendib being situated
on the equinoctial line, the days and nights there are of equal length.
The chief city is placed at the end of a beautiful valley, formed by the
highest mountain in the world, which is in the middle of the island. I
had the curiosity to ascend to its very summit, for this was the place
to which Adam was banished out of Paradise. Here are found rubies and
many precious things, and rare plants grow abundantly, with cedar-trees
and cocoa-palms. On the sea-shore and at the mouths of the rivers the
divers seek for pearls, and in some valleys diamonds are plentiful.
After many days I petitioned the King that I might return to my own
country, to which he graciously consented. Moreover, he loaded me with
rich gifts, and when I went to take leave of him he intrusted me with a
royal present and a letter to the Commander of the Faithful, our
sovereign lord, saying, "I pray you give these to the Caliph
Harun-al-Rashid, and assure him of my friendship."
I accepted the charge respectfully, and soon embarked upon the vessel
which the King himself had chosen for me. The King's letter was written
in blue characters upon a rare and precious skin of yellowish color, and
these were the words of it: "The King of the Indies, before whom walk a
thousand elephants, who lives in a palace, of which the roof blazes with
a hundred thousand rubies, and whose treasure-house contains twenty
thousand diamond crowns, to the Caliph Harun-al-Rashid sends greeting.
Though the offering we present to you is unworthy of your notice, we
pray you to accept it as a mark of the esteem and friendship which we
cherish for you, and of which we gladly send you this token, and we ask
of you a like regard if you deem us worthy of it. Adieu, brother."
The present consisted of a vase carved from a single ruby, six inches
high and as thick as my finger; this was filled with the choicest
pearls, large, and of perfect shape and lustre; secondly, a huge
snake-skin, with scales as large as a sequin, which would preserve from
sickness those who slept upon it. Then quantities of aloes-wood,
camphor, and pistachio-nuts; and lastly, a beautiful slave-girl, whose
robes glittered with precious stones.
After a long and prosperous voyage we landed at Balsora, and I made
haste to reach Bagdad, and taking the King's letter I presented myself
at the palace gate, followed by the beautiful slave, and various members
of my own family, bearing the treasure.
As soon as I had declared my errand I was conducted into the presence of
the Caliph, to whom, after I had made my obeisance, I gave the letter
and the King's gift, and when he had examined them he demanded of me
whether the Prince of Serendib was really as rich and powerful as he
claimed to be.
"Commander of the Faithful," I replied, again bowing humbly before him,
"I can assure your Majesty that he has in no way exaggerated his wealth
and grandeur. Nothing can equal the magnificence of his palace. When he
goes abroad his throne is prepared upon the back of an elephant, and on
either side of him ride his ministers, his favorites, and courtiers. On
his elephant's neck sits an officer, his golden lance in his hand, and
behind him stands another bearing a pillar of gold, at the top of which
is an emerald as long as my hand. A thousand men in cloth of gold,
mounted upon richly caparisoned elephants, go before him, and as the
procession moves onward the officer who guides his elephant cries aloud,
'Behold the mighty monarch, the powerful and valiant Sultan of the
Indies, whose palace is covered with a hundred thousand rubies, who
possesses twenty thousand diamond crowns. Behold a monarch greater than
Solomon and Mihrage in all their glory!'
"Then the one who stands behind the throne answers: 'This king, so great
and powerful, must die, must die, must die!'
"And the first takes up the chant again, 'All praise to Him who lives
for evermore.'
"Further, my lord, in Serendib no judge is needed, for to the King
himself his people come for justice."
The Caliph was well satisfied with my report.
"From the King's letter," said he, "I judged that he was a wise man. It
seems that he is worthy of his people, and his people of him."
So saying he dismissed me with rich presents, and I returned in peace to
my own house.
When Sindbad had done speaking his guests withdrew, Hindbad having first
received a hundred sequins, but all returned next day to hear the story
of the seventh voyage.