bales opened in his presence: he admired the quantity of wood of aloes and ambergris; but, above all, the emeralds, for he had none in his treasury that equaled them.
Observing that he looked on my jewels with pleasure, and handled the most remarkable among them, one after another, I fell prostrate at his feet, and took the liberty to say to him, “Sire, not only my person is at your majesty’s service, but the cargo of the raft, and I would beg of you to dispose of it as your own.” He answered me with a smile, “Sindbad, I will take nothing of yours; far from lessening your wealth, I design to augment it, and will not let you quit my dominions without marks of my liberality.” He then charged one of his officers to take care of me, and ordered people to serve me at his own expense. The officer was faithful in the execution of his commission, and caused all the goods to be carried to the lodgings provided for me.
I prayed the king to allow me to return to my own country, and he granted me permission in the most obliging and honorable manner. He forced a rich present upon me; and at the same time charged me with a letter and present for the Commander of the Faithful, our sovereign, saying to me, “I pray you give this present for me, and this letter, to the Caliph Haroun al Raschid, and assure him of my friendship.”
The letter from the King of Serendib was written on the
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