y pleased."

They immediately sent for a horse, which was brought in a little
time; and having helped me to mount, some of them walked before
to shew the way, while the rest took my raft and cargo and
followed.

We marched till we came to the capital of Serendib, for it was in
that island I had landed. The blacks presented me to their king;
I approached his throne, and saluted him as I used to do the
kings of the Indies; that is to say, I prostrated myself at his
feet. The prince ordered me to rise, received me with an obliging
air, and made me sit down near him. He first asked me my name,
and I answered, "People call me Sinbad the voyager, because of
the many voyages I have undertaken, and I am a citizen of
Bagdad." "But," resumed he, "how came you into my dominions, and
from whence came you last?"

I concealed nothing from the king; I related to him all that I
have told you, and his majesty was so surprised and pleased, that
he commanded my adventures to be written in letters of gold, and
laid up in the archives of his kingdom. At last my raft was
brought in, and the bales opened in his presence; he admired the
quantity of wood of aloes and ambergris, but, above all, the
rubies and emeralds, for he had none in his treasury that
equalled them.

Observing that he looked on my jewels with pleasure, and viewed
the most remarkable among them one after another, I fell
prostrate at his feet, and took the liberty to say to him, "Sir,
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, "Sinbad, I will take care not to
covet any thing of yours, or to take any thing from you that God
has given you; far from lessening your wealth, I design to
augment it, and will not let you quit my dominions without marks
of my liberality." All the answer I returned were prayers for the
prosperity of that nobly minded prince, and commendations of his
generosity and bounty. He charged one of his officers to take
care of me, and ordered people to serve me at his own expence.
The officer was very faithful in the execution of his commission,
and caused all the goods to be carried to the lodgings provided
for me.

I went every day at a set hour to make my court to the king, and
spent the rest of my time in viewing the city, and what was most
worthy of notice.

The isle of Serendib is situated just under the equinoctial line;
so that