Page:Voyages and travels of Sindbad the sailor (1).pdf/22

22 many unfortunate persons must have perished there. To this mountain, which almost reached the skies, was  for it was formed of smooth granite, mixed with rocks of  finest crystal, which hung over us, and seemed every  ready to fall upon our heads. In the midst of the was a monstrous dark cavern into which ran a broad  river, the roaring of whose waves stunned us with the sound.

In this wretched place we continued till my comrades one after the other. I survived them all, and my stock of being exhausted, I suddenly made a desperate resolution  trust myself to the current of the black river.

I made a float, and I loaded it with bales of rich stuffs, fastening my eargocargo [sic] with ropes, I went on board my float  two little oars, and left it to the mercy of the eurrentcurrent [sic].

As soon as I was in the cavern, I lost all light. I for some days, and once found the arch so low that it  broke my head. At length a pleasing sleep seized upon me when I awoke, I found myself in a vast eountrycountry [sic], at the brim of a river, where my float was tied up, amidst a great  of negroes. I exelaimedexclaimed [sic] aloud, "Alla be praised!" and one the blacks who understood Arabic, came towards me and said "Brother, we came hither to-day to dig canals from this  which comes out of yonder mountain to water our fields when we found you floating in this manner. Pray inform  whence you came."

I begged of them to give me food, which they did, and I had appeased my hunger, I gave them a true aecountaccount [sic] of  that had befallen me. They requested I would go with to their king, and they placed me on a fine horse, bringing my cargo and float after me.

We marched thus till we came to Serindib, for it was in island I landed. I prostrated myself before the monarch, whom I related my story, with which he was so surprised and pleased, that he ordered it to be written in letters of gold, and laid up among the archives of the kingdom. He then ordered one of his officers to take care of me, by whom I was conduetedconducted [sic] to the apartments provided for me, where I found my goods already placed in safety.

When I paid my next visit to the king, I presented him with the choicest pieces of my rock crystal, and then prayed him to allow me to return to my own country, which request he granted, and sent by me a letter and a brilliant present to the sovereign, the Caliph Haroun Alraschid, with many rich gifts for myself, I returned to Bagdad, where my first earecare [sic] was to present myself at the throne of the Caliph, who received the letter and present of the king of Serendib with thothe [sic] greatest