how I came
thither began to quarrel with me, and asked, why I stole his
goods? "You will treat me," replied I, "with more civility, when
you know me better. Do not be uneasy, I have diamonds enough for
you and myself, more than all the other merchants together.
Whatever they have they owe to chance, but I selected for myself
in the bottom of the valley those which you see in this bag." I
had scarcely done speaking, when the other merchants came
crowding about us, much astonished to see me; but they were much
more surprised when I told them my story. Yet they did not so
much admire my stratagem to effect my deliverance, as my courage
in putting it into execution.

They conducted me to their encampment, and there having opened my
bag, they were surprised at the largeness of my diamonds, and
confessed that in all the courts which they had visited they had
never seen any of such size and perfection. I prayed the
merchant, who owned the nest to which I had been carried (for
every merchant had his own), to take as many for his share as he
pleased. He contented himself with one, and that too the least of
them; and when I pressed him to take more, without fear of doing
me any injury, "No," said he, "I am very well satisfied with
this, which is valuable enough to save me the trouble of making
any more voyages, and will raise as great a fortune as I desire."

I spent the night with the merchants, to whom I related my story
a second time, for the satisfaction of those who had not heard
it. I could not moderate my joy when I found myself delivered
from the danger I have mentioned. I thought myself in a dream,
and could scarcely believe myself out of danger.

The merchants had thrown their pieces of meat into the valley for
several days. And each of them being satisfied with the diamonds
that had fallen to his lot, we left the place the next morning,
and travelled near high mountains, where there were serpents of a
prodigious length, which we had the good fortune to escape. We
took shipping at the first port we reached, and touched at the
isle of Roha, where the trees grow that yield camphire. This tree
is so large, and its branches so thick, that one hundred men may
easily sit under its shade. The juice, of which the camphire is
made, exudes from a hole bored in the upper part of the tree, is
received in a vessel, where it thickens to a consistency, and
becomes what we call camphire; after the juice is thus drawn out,
the tre