e next ship
departs for the blue sea and the fiery mountain, where he shall
be offered up an acceptable sacrifice to our divinity."

As soon as the old man had given the cruel order, Gazban hurried
prince Assad under the hall, through several doors, till they
came to a dungeon, down to which led twenty steps; there he left
him in chains of prodigious weight and bigness, fastened to his
feet. When he had done, he went to give the old man's daughters
notice: but their father had before sent for them, and given them
their instructions himself: "Daughters," said he to them, "go
down and give the Mussulmaun I just now brought in the bastinado:
do not spare him; you cannot better shew your zeal for the
worship of the fire."

Bostama and Cavama, who were bred up in their hatred to the
faithful, received this order with joy. They descended into the
dungeon that instant, stripped Assad, and bastinadoed him
unmercifully, till the blood issued out of his wounds and he was
almost dead. After this cruel treatment, they put a loaf of bread
and a pot of water by him, and retired.

Assad did not come to himself again for a long time; when he
revived, he burst out into a flood of tears, deploring his
misery. His comfort however was, that this misfortune had not
happened to his brother.

Amgiad waited for his brother till evening with impatience; as
two, three, or four of the clock in the morning arrived, and
Assad did not return, he was in despair. He spent the night in
extreme uneasiness; and as soon as it was day went to the city,
where he was surprised to see but very few Mussulmauns. He
accosted the first he met, and asked him the name of the place.
He was told it was the city of the Magicians, so called from the
great number of magicians, who adored the fire; and that it
contained but few Mussulmauns. Amgiad then demanded how far it
was to the isle of Ebene? He was answered, four months' voyage by
sea, and a year's journey by land. The man he talked to left him
hastily, having satisfied him as to these two questions.

Amgiad, who had been but six weeks coming from the isle of Ebene
with his brother Assad, could not comprehend how they had reached
this city in so short a time, unless it was by enchantment, or
that the way across the mountain was a much shorter one, but not
frequented because of its difficulty.

Going farther into the town, he stopped at a tailor's shop, whom
he knew to be a Mussulmaun by his dress. Having