I continued to visit him successively for nine days: and every time that I wished to feel his pulse, he still presented his left hand to me. On the tenth day he appeared to be so much recovered, that I told him he had no more occasion for me, or indeed for any thing else but to go to the bath. The governor of Damascus, who was present, in order to prove how very well he was satisfied with my abilities and conduct, made me put on a very rich robe in his presence, and appointed me on the spot physician to the hospital of the city, and physician in ordinary to his house, where I might go whenever I pleased, as there was constantly a place provided at his table for me.
The young man also gave me many proofs of his friendship, and requested me to accompany him to the bath. I did so; and when we were gone in, and his slaves had undressed him, I perceived that he had lost his right hand. I even remarked, that it had not been long cut off; that this was in fact the cause of his disease, which he had concealed from me; and that while the most proper applications were used to cure his arm as quickly as possible, they only called me in to prevent any bad consequences arising from a fever which had come on. I was both astonished and afflicted to see him in that condition. Nor could my countenance conceal the state of my mind. The young man remarked it, and said to me, “Do not be surprised at seeing me without my right hand, I will one day inform you how it happened, and you will then hear a most wonderful and strange adventure.”
When we came from the bath, we sat down to table, and began to converse together. He asked me, if he might, without endangering his health, take a walk out of the city to the garden of the governor; I replied, that it would be very beneficial to him to go into the air. “If so,” said he, “and you will like to accompany me, I will there relate my history.” I told him I was at his disposal for the rest of the day. He immediately ordered his people to prepare a slight collation, and we set out for the garden of the governor. We walked two or three times round the garden, and after seating ourselves on a carpet, which his people spread under a tree, that formed a delightful shade, the young man thus began the relation of his history.
“I was born at Moussoul; and am of a family which is one of the most considerable in that city. My father was the eldest of ten children, whom my grandfather, when he died, left living and all married. But amongst this number of brothers, my father was the only one who had any offspring; and he had no other child besides myself. He took great care of my education, and had me taught every thing which a boy in my situation of life ought to be acquainted with.
“I was grown up, and began to associate with the world, when one Friday I went to the noon-day prayers, in the great mosque of Moussoul, with my father and my uncles. After the prayers were over, every one retired, excepting my father and my uncles, who seated themselves on the carpet which covered the whole floor of the mosque. I sat down with them, and discoursing on various topics, the conversation insensibly turned on travels. They praised the beauties and peculiarities of some kingdoms, and of their principal towns; but one of my uncles said, that if one might believe the account of an infinity of travellers, there was not in the world a more beautiful country than Egypt, on the banks of the Nile, which all universally agreed in praising. What he related of it gave me such vast ideas, that I from that moment formed the wish of travelling thither. All that my other uncles could say, in giving the preference to Bagdad and the Tigris, calling Bagdad the true abode of the mussulman religion, and the metropolis of all the cities in the world, did not make half so much impression on me. My father maintained the same opinion with that brother who had spoken in favor of Egypt, which caused me very great pleasure. ‘Let people say what they will,’ cried he, ‘he who has not seen Egypt, has not seen the greatest wonder in the world. The earth is all gold, that is to say, so fertile, that it enriches the inhabitants beyond conception. All the women enchant, either by their beauty or their agreeable manners. If you mention the Nile, what river can be more delightful? What water was ever so pure and delicious? The mud that remains after its overflowings enriches the ground, which produces, without any trouble, a thousand times more than other countries do with all the labor that it costs to cultivate them. Hear what a poet, who was obliged to quit Egypt, addressed to the natives of that country: ‘Your Nile heaps riches on you every day; it is for you alone that it travels so far; alas! at leaving you, my tears will flow as abundantly as its waters; you will continue to enjoy its pleasures, whilst I, contrary to my inclinations, am condemned to deprive myself of them.’
“‘If,’ continued my father, ‘you cast your eyes on the island, which is formed by the two largest branches of the Nile, what a variety of verdure will gratify them! What a beautiful enamel of all kinds of flowers! What a prodigious quantity of cities, towns, canals, and a thousand other pleasing objects! If you turn on the other side, looking towards Ethiopia, how many different subjects for admiration! I can only compare the verdure of so many meadows, watered by the various canals in the island, to the brilliancy of emeralds set in silver. Is not Cairo the largest, the richest, the most populous city in the universe? How magnificent the edifices, as well private as public! If you go to the pyramids, you are lost in astonishment! you remain speechless at the sight of those enormous masses of stone, which lose their lofty summits in the clouds: you are forced to confess, that the Pharaohs, who employed so many men, and such immense riches in the construction of them, surpassed all the monarchs who have succeeded them, not only in Egypt, but over the whole world, in magnificence and invention, by leaving monuments so worthy of them. These monuments, which are so ancient, that the learned are at a loss to fix the period of their erection, still brave the ravages of time? and will remain for ages. I pass over in silence the maritime towns of the kingdom of Egypt, such as Damietta, Rosetta, and Alexandria, where so many nations traffic for various kinds of grain and stuffs, and a thousand other things for the comfort and pleasure of mankind. I speak of it from knowing the place; I spent some years of my youth there, which I shall ever esteem the happiest of my life.’
“My uncles had nothing to say in reply to my father, and agreed to all he had said about the Nile, Cairo, and the whole of the kingdom of Egypt. As for me, my imagination was so filled with it, that I could not sleep all night. A short time after, my uncles also evinced how much they had been struck with my father’s discourse. They all proposed to him to travel together into Egypt: he accepted the proposal, and, as they were rich merchants, they resolved to take with them such goods as they might dispose of with profit. I heard of their preparations for the journey, and I went to my father to entreat him, with tears in my eyes, to permit me to accompany them, and to allow me a stock of merchandise to sell on my own account. ‘You are too young,’ said he, ‘to undertake such a journey; the fatigue would be too much for you; besides which, I am persuaded you would be a loser by your bargains. This speech did not diminish my desire of travelling; I engaged my uncles to intercede for me with my father, and they at length obtained his permission, that I should go as far as Damascus, where they would leave me, whilst they continued their journey into Egypt. ‘The city of Damascus,’ said my father, ‘has its beauties; and he must be satisfied that I give him leave to go thus far.’ However strong my inclination was to see Egypt after the accounts I heard, I was obliged to relinquish the thought; for he was my father, and I submitted to his will.
“I set off from Moussoul with my father and my uncles. We traversed Mesopotamia, crossed the Euphrates, and arrived at Aleppo, where we remained a few days, and from thence proceeded to Damascus, the first appearance of which agreeably surprised me. We all lodged in the same khan. I here saw a large and well fortified city, populous, and inhabited by civilized people. We passed some days in visiting those delightful gardens, which adorn the suburbs, as we may see from this spot, and we agreed, that what was said of Damascus was true, that it was in the midst of Paradise. After staying some time, my uncles began to think of proceeding on their journey, having first taken care to dispose of my merchandize, which they did so advantageously, that I gained a profit of five per cent. This produced a considerable sum for me, the possession of which quite delighted me.
“My father and my uncles left me at Damascus, and continued their journey. After their departure, I was very careful not to spend my money in useless things. I, however, hired a magnificent house; it was built entirely of marble, and ornamented with paintings, and there was a garden attached, in which were some very fine mountains. I furnished it, not indeed so expensively as the magnificence of the place required, but at least sufficiently so for a young man of my condition. It had formerly belonged to one of the principal grandees of the city, named Modoun Abdaltaham, and it was then the property of a rich jeweller, to whom I paid only two scherifs [5] a month for the use of it. I had a numerous retinue of servants, and lived well. I sometimes invited my acquaintance to dine with me, and occasionally partook of entertainments at their houses; thus I passed my time at Damascus during the absence of my father. I had no passion to disturb my repose, and the society of agreeable people was my only pleasure and occupation.
“One day, when I was sitting at the door of my house, enjoying the fresh air, a lady very well dressed, and of a good figure, came towards me, and asked me if I did not sell stuffs; and saying this, walked into my house. When I saw she was gone in, I got up and shut the door, and ushered her into a room, where I entreated her to be seated. ‘Madam,’ said I, ‘I have had some stuffs, which were worthy of being shewn to you, but I have not any at present, for which I am extremely sorry.’ She took off the veil which concealed her face, and discovered to my eyes a countenance, the beauty of which made me experience sensations I had till then been a stranger to. ‘I do not want any stuffs,’ replied she, ‘I come to see you, and to pass the evening in your company if you do not disapprove it; I only require a slight collation.’