been identified as the men who had sailed in the vessel,
and occasion my being burnt as a necromancer by the Inquisition. I
directed my course for Naples, where I arrived in safety. Having
disembarked my metamorphosed crew, I hired a large room to exhibit them,
and expected to realise a considerable sum; but as I could not name the
artist, and the figures had not the grace which the Italians admire,
they remained on my hands, and were even found fault with as not being
well executed. I sold two of the least prepossessing to a Sicilian
nobleman, who I understood had a large country seat decorated with
monstrosities; and I then determined, as I had received a high price for
the pieces of the one which had been broken up, to retail the others in
the same way. It answered admirably, and I received more money for the
fragments than I had asked for the images in an unmutilated state. The
remainder of the golden flasks also realised a large sum; I produced
them one by one, and disposed of them to English collectors, as having
been purloined by the excavators from the ruins of Pompeii. I had now
plenty of money, and resolved to return to my native city. An
opportunity offering, I embarked, and safely arrived at Marseilles.

* * * * *

"Did you fulfil your promise to the Italian captain, by having five
hundred masses said for his soul?" inquired Mustapha.

"Upon my salvation! I never thought of it to this moment," replied the
renegade.

"Such, your highness, are the adventures of my Fifth Voyage; and I trust
that the narration of them has afforded you entertainment."

"Yes," observed the pacha, rising, "that was something like a voyage.
Mustapha, give him thirty pieces of gold. Huckaback, we will hear your
sixth voyage to-morrow"--and the pacha retired behind the screen, and,
as usual, went into the apartment of the women.

"Pray, Selim, was there any truth in that history of the princess? I
thought at first that it was all invention; but when you wept----"

"That was for the sake of effect," answered the renegade: "when I get
warmed with my story, I often work myself up to a degree that I almost
believe it myself."

"Holy prophet! what a talent!" rejoined Mustapha. "What an excellent
prime minister you would have made in your own country! Here's your
money; will your next voyage be as good?"

"I'll try, at all events; as I find that the _principal_ increases with
the _interest_" said th