cely food sufficient to preserve her miserable existence.

The infidel Hijjemmee, who was a wicked magician and a worshipper
of fire, by name Bharam, hated the true believers, one of whom
annually for several years past he had inveigled by his offers of
instructing in the science of transmuting metals into his power;
and after making him subservient to his purposes in procuring the
ingredients necessary for his art, had treacherously put him to
death, lest the secret should be divulged: such was now his
intention towards the unfortunate Mazin.

On the evening of the second day after the sailing of the vessel,
Bharam thought proper to awaken his victim to a sense of his
misery. He opened the chest, which had been placed in his cabin,
and poured a certain liquid down the throat of Mazin, who
instantly sneezed several times; then opening his eyes, gazed for
some minutes wildly around him. At length, seeing the magician,
observing the sea, and feeling the motion of the ship, his mind
surmised to him the misfortune which had happened; and he guessed
his having fallen into the snares of the treacherous Bharam,
against which his mother had warned him, but in vain. Still,
being a virtuous Mussulmaun, he would not complain against the
decrees of Heaven; and instead of lamentation uttered the
following verse of the sacred Koran: "There is no support or
refuge but from the Almighty, whose we are, and to whom we must
return. Deal gently with me, O my God, in the dictates of thy
omnipotence; and make me resigned under thy chastening, O Lord of
all being."

Having finished the above prayer, Mazin turning humbly towards
his accursed betrayer, said in a supplicating tone, "What hast
thou done, my father? didst thou not promise me enjoyment and
pleasure?" The magician, after striking him, with a scowling and
malignant sneer, exclaimed, "Thou dog! son of a dog! my pleasure
is in thy destruction. Nine and thirty such ill-devoted wretches
as thyself have I already sacrificed, and thou shalt make the
fortieth victim to my enjoyment, unless thou wilt abjure thy
faith, and become, like me, a worshipper of the sacred fire, in
which case thou shalt be my son, and I will teach thee the art of
making gold." "Cursed be thou, thy religion, and thy art,"
exclaimed the enraged Mazin: "God forbid that for the pleasures
of this world I should apostatize from our holy prophet, and give
up the glorious rewards reserved in certain store for his
fait