As soon as I was under the vault of the cavern I lost the light of day; and the current carried me on without my being able to discern its course. I rowed for some days in this obscurity, without ever perceiving the least ray of light. At one time the vault of the cavern was so low, that it almost knocked my head, which rendered me very attentive to avoid the danger again. During this time I consumed no more of my provisions than was absolutely necessary to sustain nature: but however frugal I might be, I consumed them all. I then fell into a sweet sleep. I cannot tell whether I slept long, but when I awoke I was surprised to find myself in an open country, near a bank of the river, to which my raft was fastened, and in the midst of a large concourse of blacks. I rose as soon as I perceived them, and saluted them; they spoke to me, but I could not understand their language.
At this moment I felt so transported with joy, that I could scarcely believe myself awake. Being at length convinced that it was not a dream, I exclaimed in these Arabic words, “Invoke the Almighty, and he will come to thy assistance; thou needst not care for ought besides. Close thine eyes, and while thou sleepest, God will change thy fortune from bad to good.”
One of the blacks, who understood Arabic, having heard me pronounce these words, advanced towards me, and spoke as follows:—“Brother,” said he, “be not surprised at seeing us; we live in this country, and we came hither to-day to water our fields from this river, which flows from the neighbouring mountain, by cutting canals to admit a passage for the water.
“We observed that the current bore something along, and we immediately ran to the bank to see what it was, and perceived this raft; one of us instantly swam to it, and conducted it to shore. We fastened it as you see, and were waiting for you to wake. We entreat you to relate to us your history, which must be very extraordinary; tell us how you could venture on this river, and from whence you come.” I first requested him to give me some food, after which I promised to satisfy their curiosity.
They produced several kinds of meat, and when I had satisfied my hunger, I related to them all that had happened to me, which they appeared to listen to with great admiration. As soon as I had finished my history, their interpreter told me, that I had astonished them with my relation, and I must go myself to the king, to recount my adventures; for they were of too extraordinary a nature to be repeated by any one but by him to whom they had happened. I replied that I was ready to do any thing they wished. The blacks then sent for a horse, which arrived shortly after; they placed me on it, and whilst some walked by my side to show me the way, others, of a more robust make, hawled the raft out of the water, and carried it on their shoulders, with the bales of rubies, and followed me.
We went together to the city of Serendid, for this was the name of the island: and the blacks presented me to their king. I approached his throne, where he was seated, and saluted him, as it is usual to accost the kings of India; that is to say, I prostrated myself at his feet, and kissed the earth. The prince made me rise, and receiving me with an affable air, he placed me by his side. He first asked me my name; I replied, that I was called Sindbad, and surnamed the sailor, from having made several voyages; and added, that I was a citizen of Bagdad. “But,” replied he, “how then came you into my dominions, from whence are you arrived?”
I concealed nothing from the king, and related to him what you have just heard; he was so pleased with it, that he ordered the history of my adventures to be written in letters of gold, that it might be preserved amongst the archives of his kingdom. The raft was then produced, and the bales were opened in his presence. He admired the aloe-wood and ambergris, but above all the rubies and emeralds, as he had none in his treasury equal to them in value.
Perceiving that he examined my precious stones with pleasure, and that he looked repeatedly at the rarest of them, I prostrated myself before him, and took the liberty of saying, “Sire, not only my person is at your commands, but the cargo of my raft also, if your majesty will do me the honour of accepting it, and disposing of it as you think fit.” He smiled, and replied, that he did not desire any thing which belonged to me; for as God had given it me I ought not to be deprived of it; that instead of diminishing my riches, he should add to them; and that when I left his dominions I should carry with me proofs of his liberality. I could only reply to this by praying for his prosperity, and by praising his generosity.
He ordered one of his officers to attend me, and gave me servants to wait upon me at his own expence. The officers faithfully fulfilled the charge they were intrusted with, and conveyed all the bales to the place destined for my lodging.
I went every day at certain hours to pay my court to the king, and employed the rest of the time in seeing the city, and whatever was most worthy of my attention.