njury, "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 camphor. The tree is so large,
and its branches so thick, that one hundred men may easily sit under
its shade. The juice, of which the camphor 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 camphor. After the
juice is thus drawn out, the tree withers and dies.

In this island is also found the rhinoceros, an animal less than the
elephant, but larger than the buffalo. It has a horn upon its nose,
which is solid, and cleft through the middle. The rhinoceros fights
with the elephant, runs his horn into his belly, and carries him off
upon his head; but the blood and the fat of the elephant running into
his eyes and making him blind, he falls to the ground, and then,
strange to relate, the roc comes and carries them both away in her
claws, for food for her young ones.

Here I exchanged some of my diamonds for merchandise. From hence we
went to other islands, and at last, having touched at several trading
towns of the continent, we landed at Bussorah, from whence I proceeded
to Bagdad. There I immediately gave large presents to the poor, and
lived honorably upon the vast riches I had brought, and gained with so
much fatigue.

THE HISTORY OF ALI COGIA, A MERCHANT OF BAGDAD

In the reign of the Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid there lived at Bagdad a
merchant named Ali Cogia, who was neither of the richest nor yet of
the lowest order. He dwelt in his paternal house without either wife
or children. He lived contented