Arabian Nights Entertainments (1706)/Volume 3/The Seventh and last Voyage
The Seventh and laſt Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor.
BEING return’d from my ſixth Voyage, I ab’olutely
laid aſide all Thoughts of Traveling any farther, For, beſides that my Years did now require Reſt, I was refſolv’d no more to expoſe my ſelf to ſuch Risks as I had run. So that I thought of nothing but to paſs the reſt of my Days in Quiet. One Day, as I was treating a Parcel of my Friends, one of my Servants came and told me, That an Officer of the Califf’s ask for me. I roſe from the Table, and went to him. The Calf, ſays he, has ſent me to tell you, that he muſt ſpeak with you, I follow’d the Officer to the Palace, where being preſented to the Califf, I ſaluted him by proſrating my ſelf at his Feet, Sindbad, ſays he to me, I ſtand in need of you, you muſt do me the Service to carry my Anſwer and Preſent to the King of Sererndib. It’s but juſt I ſhould return his Civility.
This Command of the Califf to me was like a Clap of Thunder. Commander of the Faithful, replied I, I am ready to do whatever your Majeſty ſhall think fit to command me, but I beſeech you moſt humbly to confider what I have undergone. I have alſo made a Vow never to go out of Bagdad. Hence I cook occaſion to give him a large and particular Account of all my Adventures, which he had the Patience to hear out.
As ſoon as I had finiſh’d, I confeſs, ſays he, that the Things you tell me are very extraordinary, yet you muſt for my ſake undertake this Voyage which I propoſe to you. You have nothing to do for to go to the Iſle of 5erendib, and deliver the Commiſſion which I give you. After that, you are at Liberty to return. But you muſt go, for you know it would be undecent, and not ſuitable to my Dignity to be indebted to the King of that Iſland; Perceiving that the Califf inſiſted upon it, I ſubmitted, and told him that I was willing to obey. He was very well pleas’d at it, and order’d me 1000 Sequins for the Charge of my Journey.
I prepar’d for my Departure in a few Days, and as ſoon as the Califf’s Letter and Preſent were delivered to me, I went to Belſora, where I embark’d, and had a very happy Voyage. I arriv’d at the Iſle of Serendib, where acquainted the King’s Miniſters with my Commiſſion, and pray’d ’em to get me ſpeedy Audience. They did ſo, and I was contacted to the Palace in an honourable Manner, where I ſaluted the King by Proſtration, according to Cuſtom. That Prince knew me immediately, and teſtified very great Joy to ſee me. O Sindbad, ſays he, you are welcome, I ſwear to you I have many times thought of you ſince you went hence, I bleſs the Day upon which we ſee one another once more, I made my Complement-to him, and after having thank’d him for his Kindneſs to me; I deliver’d him the Califf’s Letter and Preſent, which he receiv’d with all imaginable Satisfaction.
The Califf’s Preſent was a compleat Bed of Cloth of Gold, valu’d at a 1000 Sequins. Fifty Robes of rich Stuff, an Hundred others of white Cloth the fineſt of Cairo, Suez, Cuſa[1] and Alexandria,[2] another Crimſon Bed, and a third of another Faſhion, A Veſſel of Agat, broader than deep, of an Inch thick, and half a Foot wide, the Bottom of which repreſented in baſe Relief, a Man with one Knee on the Ground who held a Bow and an Arrow, ready to let fly at a Lion. He ſent him alſo a rich Table, which according to Tradition, belong’d to the Great Solomon. The Califf’s Letter was as follows.
WE received your Letter with Joy, and ſend you this letter from the Council of our Port; the Garden of ſuperior Wits. We hope when you look upon it, you will find our good Intention, and be pleas’d with it. Adieu.
The King of Serendib was mightily pleas’d, that the Califf anſwer’d his Friendſhip, A little time after this Audience, I ſollicited Leave to depart, and obtain’d the ſame with much Difficulty. I got it however at laſt, and the King when he diſcharg’d me, made me a very conſiderable Preſent. I embark’d immediately to return to Bagdad, but had not the-good Fortune to arrive there as I hop’d. God order’d it otherwiſe.
Three or four Days after my Departure, we were attack’d by Corſairs, who eaſily ſeized upon our Ship, becauſe it was no Veſſel of Force. Some of the Crew offer’d Reſiſtance, which coſt them their Lives. But for me and the reſt, who were not ſo prudent, the Corſairs ſav’d us on purpoſe to make Slaves of us.
Day beginning to appear, Scheherazade was oblig’d to keep ſilence, but next Night reſum’d the Story thus.
The Eighty Ninth Night.
SIR, ſays ſhe to the Sultan of the Indies, Sindbad, continued his Story, told the Company, we were all ſtript, and inſtead of our own Cloths, they gave us ſorry Rags, and carried us into a remote Iſland, where they ſold us.
I fell into the Hands of a rich Merchant, who, as ſoon as he bought me, carried me to his Houſe, treated me well, and clad me handſomely for a Slave. Some Days after, not knowing what I was, he ask’d me if I under ſtood any Trade? I anſwer’d, that I was no Mechanick, but a Merchant, and that the Corſairs who ſold me, robb’d me of all I had. But tell me, replies he, can you ſhoot with a Bow? I anſwer’d, That the Bow was one of my Exerciſes in my Youth, and I had not yet forgot it. Then he gave me a Bow and Arrows, and, taking me behind him upon an Elephant, carried me to a vaſt Forreſt ſome Leagues from the Town. We went a great way into the Foreſt, and when he thought fit to ſtop, he bid me alight, then ſhewing me a great Tree, Climb up that Tree, ſays he. and ſhoot at the Elephants as you ſee them paſs by, for there is a prodigious Number of them in this Forreſt and if any of ’em fall come and give me notice of it: Having ſpoke thus, he left me Victuals and returned to the Town, and I continued upon the Tree all the Night.
I ſaw no Elephant during that time, but next Morning, as ſoon as the Sun was up, I ſaw a great Number, I ſhot ſeveral Arrows among them, and at laſt one of the Elephants fell; the reſt retir’d immediately, and left me at Liberty to go and acquaint my Patron with my Booty. When I told him the News, he gave me a good Meal, commended my Dexterity, and careſſed me mightily. We went afterwards together to the Forreſt, where we dug a hole for the Elephant, my Patron deſigning to return when it was rotten, and to take his Teeth, out to trade with.
I continu’d this Game for two Months, and kill’d an Elephant every Day, getting ſometimes upon one Tree and ſometimes upon another. One Morning, as I look’d for the Elephants, I perceiv’d with an extream Amazement, that inſtead of paſſing by mea croſs the Forreſt as uſual, they ſtopp’d and came to me with a horrible Noiſe, in ſuch a Number that the Earth was cover’d with them, and fhook under them. They encompaſſ’d the Tree where I was, with their Trunk: extended and their Eyes all fix’d upon me, at this frightful Spectacle I continu’d unmoveable, and was fo much frightn’d that my Bow and Arrows fell out of my Hand.
My Fears were not in vain; for, after the Elephants had ſtar’d upon me ſometime, one of the largeſt of them put his Trunk round the Root of the Tree, and pull’d ſo ſtrong, that he pluck’d it up and threw it on the Ground; I fell with the Tree, and the Elephant taking me up with his Trunk, laid me on his Back, where I ſat more like one dead than alive, with my Quiver on my Shoulder: He put himſelf afterwards at the Head of the reſt, who followed him in Troops, and carried me to a Place where he laid me down on the Ground, and retir’d with all his Companions. Conceive, it you can, the Condition I was in, I thought my ſelf to be in a Dream, at laſt, after having lain ſome time, and ſeeing the Elephants gone, I got up and found I was upon a long and broad Hill, cover’d, all over with the Bones and Teeth of Elephants. I confeſs to you, that this Object furniſh’d me with abundance of Reflections. I admired the Inſtinct of thoſe Animals, I doubted not but that was their Burying Place, and that they carried me thither on purpoſe to tell me that I ſhould forbear to proſecute them, ſince I did it only for their Teeth: I did not ſtay on the Hill but turned towards the City, and, after having travell’d a Day and a Night I came to my Patron; I met no Elephant in my way, which made me think, they had retir’d further into the Forreſt, to leave me at Liberty to come back to the Hill without any Obſtacle.
As ſoon as my Patron ſaw me; Ah poor Sindbad, ſays he, I was in great Trouble to know hat was become of you. I have been at the Forreſt where I found a Tree newly pull’d up, and a Bow and Arrows on the Ground, and, after having ſought for you in vain, I deſpair’d of ever ſeeing you more. Pray tel! me what befel you, and by what good Hap thou art ſtill alive: I ſatisfied his Curioſity, and going both of us next Morning to the Hill, he found to his great Joy, that what I told him was true. We loaded the Elephant upon which we came, with as many Teeth as he could carry, and when we were returned, Brother, ſays my Patron for I will treat you no more as a Slave, after having made ſuch a Diſcovery as will enrich me, God bleſs you with all Happineſs and Proſperity. I declare before him that I give you your Liberty. I conceal’d from you what I am no going to tell you.
The Elephants of our Forreſt have every Year killed us a great many Slaves whom we ſent to ſeek Ivory. For all the Cautions we could give them, thoſe crafty Animals killed them one time or other. God has delivered you from their Fury, and has beſtowed that Favour upon you only. It’s a Sign that he loves you, and has uſe for your Service in the World. You have procured me incredible Gain. We could not have Ivory formerly, but by expoſing the Lives of our Slaves; and now our whole City is enriched by your Means. Don’t think I have pretended to have rewarded you by giving you your Liberty, I will alſo give you conſiderable Riches. I could engage all our City to contribute towards making your Fortune, but I will have the Glory of doing it alone.
To this obliging Diſcourſe I replied, Patron, God preſerve you. Your giving me my Liberty is enough to diſcharge what you owe me, and I deſire no other Reward for the Service I have had the good Fortune to do to you and your City, but leave to return to my own Country. Very well, ſays he, the Mocon[3] will in a little time bring Ships for Ivory. I will ſend you home then, and give you wherewith to bear your Charge. I thank’d him again for my Liberty, and his good Intentions toward me. I ſtaid with him expecting the Mocon, and during that time, we made ſo many Journeys to the Hill, that we filled all our Warehouſes with Ivory. The other Merchants who traded in it, did the ſame thing, for it could not be long concealed from them.
At theſe Words Scheherazade, perceiving Day, broke off, but reſumed the Story next Night.
The Nintieth Night.
SIR, ſays ſhe to the Sultan of the Indies. Sindbad went on with the Relation of his Seventh Voyage thus.
The Ships arrived at laſt, and my Patron him ſelf having made choice of the Ship wherein I was to embark, he loaded half of it with Ivory on my Account, he laid in Proviſions in abundance for my Paſſage, and befides obliged me to accept a preſent of the Curiolities of the Country of great Value. After I had return’d him a thouſand Thanks for all his Favours, I went aboard. We ſet ſail, and as the Adventure, which procured me this Liberty, was very extraordinary, I had it continually in my Thoughts.
We ſtopt at fome Iſlands to take in freſh Provitions, our Veſſels being come to a Port on the Terra Firma in the Indies, we touched there, and, not being willing to venture by Sea to Balſora, I landed my Proportion of the Ivory, reſolving to proceed on my Journey by Land. I made vaſt Sums of my Ivory, I bought ſeveral Rarities, which I intended for Preſents, and when my Equipage was got ready, I ſet out in Company of a large Caravan of Merchants, I was a long time on the way, and ſuffered very much, but endured all with Patience, when I conſidered that I had nothing to fear from the Seas, from Pirates, from Serpents, nor of the other Perils I had undergone.
All theſe Fatigues ended at laſt, and I came ſafe to Bagdad. I went immediately to wait upon the Califf, and gave him an Account of my Embaſſy, That Prince told me, he had been uneaſy, by reaſon I was ſo long a returning, but that he always hoped God would preſerve me. When I told him the Adventure of the Elephants, he ſeemed to be much ſurpriſed at it, and would never have given any Credit to it had he not known my Sincerity. He reckoned this Story and the other Relations I had given him to be ſo curious, that he order’d one of his Secretaries to write them in Characters of Gold, and lay them up in his Treaſury. I retir’d very well ſatisfy’d with the Honours I received, and the Preſents which he gave me, and after that I gave my ſelf up wholly to my Family, Kindred and Friends.
Sindbad finiſhed the Relation of his Seventh and laſt Voyage, and then addreſling himſelf to Hindbad, Well Friend, ſays he, did you ever hear of any. Perſon that ſuffered ſo much as I have done, or of any Mortal that has gone through ſo many Perplexities. Is it not reaſonable that after all this I ſhould enjoy a quiet and pleaſant Life. As he ſaid this, Hindbad drew near to him, and, kiſſing his Hand, ſaid, I muſt acknowledge, Sir, that you have gone thro’ terrible Dangers, my Troubles are not comparable to yours; if they afflict me for a time, I comfort my ſelf with the Thoughts of the Profit I got by them, You not only deſerve a quiet Life, but are worthy beſides of all the Riches you enjoy, becauſe you make ſuch a good and generous uſe of them. May you therefore continue to live in Happineſs and Joy till the Day of your Death. Sindbad gave him 100 Sequins more, receiv’d him into the Number of his Friends, and deſi’d him to quit his Porter’s Employ, and come and dine every Day with him, that he might all his Days have reaſon to remember Sindbad the Sailor.
Scheherazade, perceiving it was not yet Day, continued her Diſcourſe, and began another Story.
- ↑ A Port on the Red Sea.
- ↑ A Town of Arabia.
- ↑ A regular Wind that comes ſix Months from the Eaſt, and as many from the Weſt.