ent his
trunk over his head, and gave the child to its mother, who stood above
in the door and received them from him without the least sign of fear,
and without any of the children crying from terror. The open mosque
was crowded with people, some of whom were offering thanks to Allah for
their happy return, while others were imploring a blessing on the
progress of their journey. Ali was so pleased with this singular and
motley assembly, that he loitered the whole day among them. Towards
the evening some merchants invited him into their tents, where Indian
youths and girls danced to the sound of the triangle and flute. These
hospitable Arabs were delighted at being able to offer him a good
supper and a comfortable resting-place for the night.

Early in the cool of the next morning he started on his way, and
wandered over a barren uninhabited plain. He found pleasure in working
his way through the sand to reach some fertile spots which lie, like
islands, in the yellow dust, with their verdant ground and their
isolated palm trees, which pleasantly spread their leaves like
parasols, while there is something divine in their refreshing coolness.

Ali felt himself inspired: the Arab in his desert feels like the
mountaineer on his rocky mountains, and like the islander at the sight
of the ocean. When he sees it for the first time, he finds himself
like a bird in its own element, and confidently abandons himself to the
impulse of his feelings. The over-excited youth exhausted all his
strength. Noon approached, and the heat was oppressive. Ali hastened
with quick pace towards the distant mountains, and, like his ancestress
Hagar, in former days, wished for a fountain to quench his thirst.

Having once heard of a fountain near the spot where he now was, his
delight was great on approaching a large tract where many palms of an
indifferent growth arched themselves over a spring. The rippling water
excited and increased his thirst as he stood near it.

Think of his sorrow when he saw, rising from the water, clouds of smoke
which smelt of sulphur! In despair at this disappointment he threw
himself on the ground under the palm trees, and, being exhausted from
heat, and wearied with his exertions, fell asleep immediately.

He had not been sleeping long, when he was suddenly aroused by a
powerful voice. On opening his eyes he perceived a man in a loose
linen gown, sitting on a camel which was laden with pitchers and
lea