, 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 anything of yours, or to
take anything 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.' 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 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 capital of Serendib stands at the end of a fine valley, in the
middle of the island, encompassed by mountains the highest in the world.
Rubies and several sorts of minerals abound, and the rocks are for the
most part composed of a metalline stone made use of to cut and polish
other precious stones. All kinds of rare plants and trees grow there,
especially cedars and cocoa-nut. There is also a pearl-fishing in the
mouth of its principal river; and in some of its valleys are found
diamonds. I made, by way of devotion, a pilgrimage to the place where
Adam was confined after his banishment from Paradise, and had the
curiosity to go to the top of the mountain.

"When I returned to the city, I prayed the king to allow me to return to
my own country, and he granted me permission in the most honourable
manner. He would needs force a rich present upon me; and when I went to
take my leave of him, he gave me one much more considerable, and at the
same time charged me with a letter for the Commander of the Faithful,
our sovereign, saying to me: 'I pray you give this present from me, and
this letter, to the Caliph, and assure him of my friendship.' I took the
present and letter and promised his majesty punctually to execute the
commission with which he was pleased to honour me.

"The letter from the King of Serendib was written on the skin of a
certain animal of great value, because of its being so scarce, and of a
yellowish colour. The characters of this letter were of azure, and the
contents as follows:

"'The King of the Indies, before whom march one hundred elephant