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
anything of yours, nor 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 go out of my dominions without marks of my
liberality.'
All the answer I returned was prayers for the prosperity of this
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 charge. The officer was very faithful in the
execution of his orders, and caused all the goods to be carried to
the lodgings provided for me. I went every day at a set hour to pay
court to the king, and spent the rest of my time in seeing the
city, and what was most worthy of notice.
The Isle of Serendib is situated just under the equinoctial line,
so that the days and nights there are always of twelve hours each,
and the island is eighty parasangs in length, and as many in
breadth.
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