reached the desired haven, when suddenly it changed, and a most
tremendous storm arose The waves threatened to swallow up or dash
the vessel in pieces, so that all gave themselves over for lost.
At this crisis the sailors, who believed that the tempest was
sent by Heaven as a judgment for their suffering the unfortunate
Mazin to be so cruelly tormented, went in a body to the accursed
Bharam, and accused him of having brought down the wrath of God
upon the crew by his persecution of the young Mussulmaun; at the
same time threatening to cast him overboard if he did not
instantly release the youth from his confinement. To show the
seriousness of their resolves, the sailors seized the slaves who
had been the instruments of the magician's cruelty, and threw
them into the sea, which so alarmed the treacherous Bharam that
he immediately released Mazin from his chains, fell at his feet,
begging pardon for his hard usage, and promising if they escaped
the storm to conduct him safely to his own country, and fulfil
his promise of instructing him in the secret of making gold.
Wonderful to relate! But no sooner was Mazin freed from his
fetters than the violence of the tempest lessened, by degrees the
winds subsided, the waves abated their swell, and the sea no
longer threatened to overwhelm them: in a few hours all was calm
and security, and a prosperous gale enabled the shattered vessel
to resume her course.
The sailors now regarding Mazin as one immediately befriended by
Heaven, treated him with the greatest respect and attention; and
the hypocritical magician pretending sorrow for his late
cruelties, strove to procure his forgiveness and good opinion by
every art of flattery and affected contrition; which had such an
effect on the ingenuous youth that he forgot his treachery, again
believed his fair promises and assurances that the torments he
had undergone had only been inflicted as trials of his constancy
and belief in the true religion, virtues necessary to be proved
before the grand secret of transmuting metals could be trusted to
his keeping.
The remainder of the voyage was prosperous and happy, and at the
expiration of three months more the vessel anchored on the wished
for coast, which was rocky, and the beach strewed with pebbles of
every colour. The magician having given orders to the master of
the vessel to wait a month for their return, disembarked with
Mazin, and they proceeded together into the country. When they
had got out of sight of the ship the magician sat down, and
taking from his vestband a small drum, began to beat upon it with
two sticks, when instantly a whirlwind arose, and a thick column
of dust rolled towards them from the desert. Mazin was alarmed,
and began to repent having left the vessel; when the magician,
seeing his colour change, desired him to calm his apprehensions,
for which there was no cause, that he had only to obey his orders
and be happy. He had scarcely spoken when the wind ceased, the
dust dispersed, and three camels stood before them, one of which
was laden with water and provisions; the others were bridled and
very richly caparisoned. Bharam having mounted one, and, at his
desire, Mazin the other, they travelled without ceasing, except
to take the necessary refreshment and repose, for seven days and
nights successively over a wild and sandy desert.
On the eighth morning they reached a beautifully fertile tract,
delightfully watered by clear streams; the ground verdant, shaded
by spreading trees laden with fruit, on whose branches various
birds warbled melodiously, and beneath them antelopes and other
forest animals sported unmolested. At the end of a thick avenue
rose to view a capacious dome of blue and green enamel, resting
upon four columns of solid gold, each pillar exceeding in value
the treasures of the sovereigns of Persia and Greece. They
approached the dome, stopped their camels and dismounted, and
turned the animals to graze. This splendid building was
surrounded by a delightful garden, in which the now happy Mazin
and the magician reposed themselves all that day and night. At
some distance from this enchanting spot appeared a stupendous
fabric, whose numerous turrets and lofty pinnacles glittered to
the eye, and denoted a palace of uncommon magnificence, so that
the curiosity of Mazin was raised, and he could not help
inquiring of his companion to whom such a superb edifice might
belong. The magician, rather roughly, desired him for the present
to ask no questions concerning a place which belonged to his most
bitter enemies, who were evil genii, and of whom at a proper time
he would give him the history. Mazin was silent, but from the
magician's manner he began to forbode some new treachery.
In the morning Bharam beat his magical drum, and the three camels
appealed, when Mazin and his companion mounted, pursuing their
journey in the same manner as before for seven days, with a speed
more resembling flight than the pace of travel, for their camels
were supernatural. On the eighth morning the magician inquired of
Mazin what he saw on the horizon. "I behold," said he, "to
appearance, a range of thick black clouds extending from east to
west." "They are not clouds," replied Bharam, "but lofty
mountains, called the Jubbal al Sohaub, or mountains of clouds,
from their cloud-like appearance, on their summit lies the object
of our journey, which with thy assistance we shall soon obtain,
and return to our vessel more enriched than all the sovereigns of
the world, but thou must be sure to obey me in whatever I may
command." Mazin promised to do so, but his heart trembled within
him as he beheld the gloomy prospect before him, and recollected
the boast which the accursed magician had made of his having
sacrificed thirty-nine youthful victims on these mountains, and
also his threat on board the ship to make the fortieth offering
of himself. He repented of having trusted himself from the
vessel, but it was now too late to recede. He resigned himself to
the same Providence who had relieved his sufferings in his
voyage, and concealed, as well as he could, his uneasiness from
the magician, who now endeavoured to sooth and flatter him with
artful promises and caresses.
For four days longer they pursued their route, when it was
stopped by the black mountains, which formed, as it were, a wall
inaccessible, for the precipices were perpendicular, as if
scarped by art, and their tremendous height cast a dark and
gloomy shade to a vast distance. They now dismounted, and turned
their camels to graze, when the magician took out of his package
three loaves and a sum of water, after which he lighted a fire;
then having beat his talismanic drum, the camels again appeared,
the smallest of which he killed, embowelled, and carefully flayed
off the skin, the inside of which he washed with water. Having
done thus, he addressed Mazin, saying, "My son, the task must now
be thine to crown our labours with success. Enter this skin, with
these loaves and this water bag for thy sustenance while thou
remainest on the summit of the mountain. Be not afraid, for no
harm can happen I will sew up the skin, leaving room enough for
the admission of air. By and by a roc will descend, and seizing
it in her talons carry thee easily through the air. When she
shall have alighted on the table-land of the mountain, rip open
the stitches of the skin with thy dagger, and the roc on seeing
thee will be instantly scared, and fly far away. Then arise,
gather as much as possible of a black dust which thou wilt find
thickly strewed on the ground; put it into this bag, and throw it
down to me, after which I will contrive an easy means for thy
descent, and when thou hast rejoined me we will return to our
vessel, and I will convey thee safely back to thy own country.
The dust, which has the quality of transmuting metals into gold,
we will share between us, and shall each have enough to rival all
the treasuries on earth."
Mazin finding it in vain to oppose, allowed himself to be sewn up
in the camel's skin with the loaves and water, recommending
himself by mental prayer to the protection of Allah and his
prophet. The magician having finished his work retired to some
distance, when, as he had said, a monstrous roc, darting from a
craggy precipice, descended with the rapidity of lightning,
grasped the skin in her widely extended talons, and soaring
swifter than the eagle soon alighted on the table-land of the
mountain; when Mazin, feeling himself on the ground, ripped the
stitches of his dangerous enclosure, and the roc being alarmed,
uttered a loud scream and flew away. Mazin now arose, and walked
upon the surface of the mountain, which he found covered with
black dust; but he beheld also the skeletons of the young men
whom the accursed Bharam, after they had served his purpose, had
left to perish. His blood became chilled with horror at the view,
as he apprehended the same unhappy fate: he however filled his
bag with the black powder, and advanced to the edge of a
precipice, from which he beheld the magician eagerly looking
upwards to discover him. Mazin called out; and when the hypocrite
saw him, he began dancing and capering for joy, at the same time
exclaiming, "Welcome, welcome, my son! my best friend, beloved
child! all our dangers are now over, throw me down the bag." "I
will not," said Mazin, "but will give it thee when thou hast
conveyed me safely from this perilous summit." "That is not in my
power," answered Bharam, "till I shall have the bag: cast it
down, and I swear by the fire which I worship immediately to
procure thee a safe descent." Mazin, relying on his oath, and
seeing no other chance of escape, cast down the bag; which having
taken up, the accursed sorcerer mounted his camel and was
departing. The unhappy Mazin in agony called after him, saying,
"Surely thou wilt not forfeit thy oath, nor leave me to perish!"
"Perish thou must, Mussulmaun dog!" exclaimed the treacherous
magician, "that my secret may be kept, nor can thy boasted
prophet save thee from destruction; for around thee are mountains
impassable, and below a fathomless sea. I have obtained what I
wished, and leave thee to thy fate." Having said thus he speeded
onwards, and was soon out of sight.
Mazin was now in an agony of despair, not a ray of hope comforted
his mind; he beat his bosom, threw himself on the ground amid the
mouldering skeletons of the former victims to the treachery of
the magician, and lay for some time in a state of insensibility.
At length the calls of hunger and thirst forced him back to a
sense of wretched existence; and the love of life, however
miserable, made him have recourse to his water and his loaves.
Being somewhat revived, religion came to his aid, and he began to
pray for resignation to submit to the decrees of Heaven, however
painful. He then walked to the edge of the mountain overhanging
the sea, which he observed to wash the base of the rock without
any beach, at sight of which a desperate chance of escape struck
his mind: this was, to throw himself from the precipice into the
ocean, in hopes, should he survive the fall and rise to the
surface, he might reach land. He commended himself to God, shut
his eyes, held in his breath, and giving a desperate spring,
plunged headlong into the dreadful abyss, which providentially
received him unhurt, and a friendly wave drove him on shore;
where, however, he remained some minutes in a lifeless stupor,
owing to the rapidity of his descent from the brain-sickening
precipice.
When his senses returned Mazin looked wildly around him, at first
scarcely able to bear the light from the recollection of the
dizzy eminence from which he had plunged; and an uneasy interval
elapsed before he could persuade himself that the certainty of
death was past. Convinced at length of this, he prostrated
himself to the earth, and exclaimed, "In God alone is our refuge
and support! I thought I should have perished, but his providence
has sustained me." He then wept exceedingly, entreated
forgiveness of his offences, read several passages from the
Koran, which he had preserved in his vestband, repeated the whole
of his rosary, and besought the intercession of the prophet for
his deliverance from future dangers. After this he walked onwards
till evening, the fruits of the forest his food, his drink the
water of the streams, and his resting place the green turf. Such
was his progress, that after three days he reached the spot under
the mountain where he had been taken up by the roc in the camel's
skin. He now recognized the road he had come; and after measuring
back his steps for nine days, beheld on the last the superb
palace, concerning which he had inquired of the magician, who had
informed him it was inhabited by evil genii, his most bitter
enemies.
For some time Mazin hesitated whether he should advance to the
gates of the palace; but considering that no greater calamity
could happen to him than he had already endured, he contemned
danger, and boldly advanced to a grand lodge built of white
marble exquisitely polished. He entered, and beheld on one of the
raised platforms which skirted the passage into the court two
beautiful damsels playing at the game of chess; one of whom on
beholding him exclaimed, "Surely, sister, this is the young man
who passed this way about a month ago with Bharam the magician?"
"I am he!" exclaimed Mazin, at the same time throwing himself at
her feet, "and entreat your hospitable protection." The lady,
raising him from the ground, said, "Stranger, you resemble so
much a once beloved brother, that I feel inclined to adopt thee
as such, if my sister will also agree to do so." The other lady
readily assented. They then embraced Mazin, seated him between
them, and requested to be informed of his adventures, of which he
gave them a true narration.
When Mazin had concluded his story, the ladies expressed
compassion for his misfortunes, and the strongest resentment
against the accursed magician, whom they vowed to punish by a
tormenting death for having had the insolence to accuse them of
being evil genii. They then proceeded to acquaint him with the
cause of their residence in this secluded palace, saying,
"Brother, for as such we shall henceforward regard you, our
father is a most potent sultan of a race of good genii, who were
converted by Solomon, the son of David, to the true faith; we are
seven daughters by the same mother; but for some cause which we
do not know the sultan our father, being fearful of our becoming
connected with mankind, has placed us in this solitary spot. This
palace was erected by genii for our accommodation; the meadows
and forests around it are delightful, and we often amuse
ourselves with field sports, there being plenty of every sort of
game, as you must have observed. When we want horses or camels we
have only to beat a small magical drum, and they instantly attend
our call, ready caparisoned. Our five sisters are at present at
the chase, but will soon return. Set thy heart at rest, forget
thy misfortunes, which are now at an end, and thou shall live
with us in ease and pleasure."
The five sisters soon returned, and Mazin's adventures being
recounted to them they also adopted him as their brother; and he
continued with these ladies, who strove to divert him all in
their power by repeated rounds of amusements: one day they
hunted, another hawked, another fished, and their indoor
pleasures were varied and delightful; so that Mazin soon
recovered his health, and was happy to the extent of his wishes.
A year had elapsed, when Mazin one day riding out for his
amusement to the enamelled dome supported on four golden columns,
perceived under it the accursed magician, and with him a youth,
whom, like himself, he had inveigled into his snares, and devoted
also to destruction. The rage of Mazin was kindled at the sight;
he drew his sabre, and rushing unperceived behind the sorcerer,
who was in the act of flaying a camel for the purposes already
described, seized him by his hair, and exclaimed, "Wretch! the
judgment of Heaven at length hath overtaken thee, and soon shall
thy impure soul be plunged into that fire thou hast blasphemously
adored." The magician struggled, but in vain. He then implored
for mercy and forgiveness; but Mazin, convinced by experience
that he deserved none, struck off his head at one blow. Then
informing the intended victim, who stood near gazing with
astonishment, of the wicked arts of the accursed Bharam, and of
his own narrow escape from almost certain destruction, he advised
the young man to remount his camel, and return to the spot where
he had disembarked from the vessel, which would safely convey him
back to his own country. The youth, having thanked him for his
deliverance, took his leave; and Mazin returned to the palace,
carrying with him the head of the magician as a trophy of his
victory. He was highly applauded for his prowess by the sisters,
who rejoiced in the destruction of so cruel an enemy to mankind.
Many days had not elapsed after this event, when one morning
Mazin and the sisters sitting together in a gallery of the
palace, observed a thick cloud of dust rising from the desert and
approaching towards them. As it came nearer they perceived
through it a troop of horsemen; upon which the sisters, desiring
Mazin to retire into an inner chamber, went to the gateway to
inquire who the strangers might be. They were servants of the
genie sultan, father to the ladies, and sent by him to conduct
them to his presence, in order to attend the nuptials of a near
relation. Upon this summons the sisters prepared for the journey,
and at the end of three days departed, assuring Mazin that they
would return in a month. At taking leave they gave him the keys
of every apartment in the palace, telling him that he might open
every door except one, which to enter might be attended with
unpleasant consequences, and therefore had better be avoided.
Mazin promised to observe their caution; and for many days was so
well amused in examining the magnificent rooms and curiosities of
the palace, that he did not feel a wish to transgress till the
forbidden door alone remained unopened. Having then nothing to
divert him, he could not resist the impulse of curiosity, but
unlocked the door, which opened on a marble staircase by which he
ascended to the terraced roof of the palace, from whence a most
delightful prospect feasted his sight. On one side his eye was
arrested by an extensive garden, in the centre of which, under
shady trees, was a basin of clear water, lined with gems of every
colour and description. He resolved to visit this enchanting
object; and descending the staircase, explored his way through a
long arcade, which led him at length into the garden, in which he
diverted himself with the scenery it afforded for some time. He
then retired to an alcove on the margin of the basin, and sat
down; but had not rested many moments, when to his astonishment
he beheld descending from the sky a company of beautiful damsels,
whose robes of light green silk floating in the air seemed their
only support. Alarmed at such a preternatural appearance, he
retired to the end of the alcove, from whence he watched their
motions. They alighted on the brink of the water, and having
thrown off their robes, stood to the enraptured view of Mazin in
native loveliness. Never had he beheld such enchanting beauty;
but one even more exquisitely charming than the rest attracted
his gaze, and from the instant fixed the affections of his heart.
They now plunged into the basin, where for some time they amused
themselves by swimming, every now and then playfully dashing the
water over themselves and at each other. When satiated with
frolic they came out of the water, sat for some time on the
verdant margin, then dressed themselves, and adjusting their
robes to the air, soared aloft, and were soon far from the sight
of the enamoured Mazin, who followed them till his eyes could
stretch no farther; then despairing of ever again beholding the
object of his affections, he fainted on the grass, and it was
some time before he recovered his senses. He returned melancholy
to the palace, and spent the night in reposeless agitation.
The following morning the seven sisters returned; and she who had
first welcomed him to their abode, and had ever since retained
for Mazin the purest affection, ran with eagerness to inquire
after his health. Great was her affliction on beholding him upon
his bed, pale, and apparently in a state of rapid decay. After
many kind questions, to which he returned no answers, she
entreated earnestly, by the vow of brotherly and sisterly
adoption which had past between them, that he would inform her of
the cause of his unhappy dejection; assuring him that she would
use every exertion to remove it, and gratify his wishes, be they
what they might, however difficult to be obtained. Mazin upon
this, in a feeble tone, related his adventure in the garden; and
declared that unless the beautiful (he supposed celestial) damsel
could be obtained for him he must die of grief. The sister bade
him be comforted, for in a short time his desires should be
satisfied, which revived his spirits, and he accompanied his kind
hostess to welcome home her sisters, who received him with their
usual hospitality, but were grieved and alarmed at the sad
alteration in his appearance, of which they inquired the reason,
and were informed that it was the effect of absence from his
generous patronesses.
The next morning the sisters went upon a hunting excursion for
ten days, only one (his kindest friend) remained in the palace,
under pretence of attending Mazin, whose health, she said, was
too delicate to bear the exercise of the chase. When the others
were departed, she informed Mazin that the beautiful beings he
had seen in the garden were of a race of genie much more powerful
than her own, that they inhabited a country surrounded by seas
and deserts not to be approached by human exertion, that the
ladies he beheld were sisters to the queen of these genii, whose
subjects were entirely female, occasionally visited by male
genii, with whom they were in alliance for the sake of
population, and to whom all the males were sent away as soon as
born. She further told him, that these females had the power,
from their silken robes, of soaring through the air with a flight
an hundred times swifter than that of any bird, that they were
fond of recreating in verdant spots, and bathing in the clearest
waters, and that the garden he had seen them in was a favourite
place of their resort, so that they would probably soon visit it
again. "Possibly," continued she, "they may recreate themselves
there to-day; we will be on the watch, and if they appear, you
must fix your eye on your favourite, mark where she places her
robes, and while they are in the water seize and conceal them,
for deprived of these she cannot fly away, and you may make her
your prisoner. Bring her to the palace, and endeavour by
tenderness and endearing attention to gain her affection and
consent to marriage; but remember when she is in your power to
keep her robes from her, for should she regain possession of them
she would certainly return to the Flying Islands, and you would
see her no more."