required of them.
When he had acquitted himself of the duties of his pilgrimage, he
exposed the merchandise he had brought with him for sale.

Two merchants, who were passing that way, and saw the goods of Ali
Cogia, found them so beautiful that they stopped to look at them,
although they did not want to purchase them. When they had satisfied
their curiosity, one said to the other as he was walking away: "If
this merchant knew the profit he could make of his goods at Cairo, he
would take them there in preference to selling them here, where they
are not of so much value."

This speech did not escape Ali Cogia, and as he had often heard of the
beauties of Egypt, he instantly resolved to travel to that country.
Having, therefore, packed up his bales, he joined the caravan that was
going to Cairo. When he arrived he found it so much to his advantage,
that in a few days he had disposed of all his merchandise with much
greater profit than he could possibly have expected. He then purchased
other goods, intending to go to Damascus, and while he was waiting for
the convenience of a caravan, which was to go in six weeks, he not
only visited everything that was worthy of his curiosity in Cairo, but
also went to view the pyramids, extended his journey to some distance
up the Nile, and inspected the most celebrated cities that are
situated on its banks.

As the caravan was passing through Jerusalem, Ali Cogia took the
opportunity to visit the temple, which is considered by all Mussulmans
as the most sacred after that of Mecca, and from which the place
itself has obtained the title of the Holy City. Ali Cogia found the
city of Damascus so delicious a spot, from the abundance of its
streams, its meadows, and enchanting gardens, that everything he had
read of its delights, in different accounts of the place, appeared to
be far below the truth, and he was tempted to prolong his stay. As,
however, he did not forget that he had to return to Bagdad, he at
length took his departure and went to Aleppo, where he also passed
some time, and from thence, after having crossed the Euphrates, he
took the road to Moussoul, intending to shorten his journey by going
down the Tigris.

But when Ali Cogia had reached Moussoul, the Persian merchants with
whom he had travelled from Aleppo, and had formed an intimacy, gained
so great an ascendancy over his mind by their obliging manners and
agreeable conversation, that they had no difficulty in persua