'You are our youngest
sister,' said they, 'and much wiser than we; but if you will
vouchsafe to receive us once more into your house and account us
your slaves, we shall never commit such a fault again.' My answer
was, 'Dear sisters, I have not altered my mind with respect to you
since we last parted from one another; come again and take part of
what I have.' Upon this I embraced them again, and we lived
together as we did formerly.
We continued thus a whole year in perfect love and tranquillity;
and seeing that God had increased my small stock, I projected a
voyage by sea, to hazard somewhat by trade. To this end I went with
my two sisters to Balsora, where I bought a ship ready fitted for
sea, and laded her with such merchandise as I brought from Bagdad.
We set sail with a fair wind, and soon cleared the Persian gulf;
and when we got into the ocean we steered our course to the Indies,
and on the twentieth day saw land. It was a very high mountain, at
the foot of which we saw a great town, and having a fresh wind we
soon reached the harbour, where we cast anchor.
I had not patience to stay till my sisters were ready to go with
me, but went ashore in the boat by myself; and, making directly for
the gate of the town, I saw there a great number of men on guard,
some sitting and others standing, with sticks in their hands; and
they had all such dreadful countenances that it frightened me; but
perceiving they had no motion, not so much as with their eyes, I
took courage, and went nearer, and then found they were all turned
into stone.
Pages:
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266