plate, and said to him; "Knowest thou, O my master, where is the
knife?" "See, here it is," he answered, "upon the shelf over my head." I
sprang up hastily, and took it from its sheath, and as I was drawing
back, my foot slipped, as God had decreed, and I fell upon the youth,
grasping in my hand the knife, which entered his body, and he died
instantly. When I perceived that he was dead, and that I had killed him,
I uttered a loud shriek, and beat my face, and rent my clothes: saying:
"This is, indeed, a calamity! O my Lord, I implore thy pardon, and
declare to Thee my innocence of his death! Would that I had died before
him!"

With these reflections I ascended the steps, and, having replaced the
trap-door, returned to my first station, and looked over the sea, where
I saw the vessel that had come before, approaching, and cleaving the
waves in its rapid course. Upon this I said within myself: "Now will the
men come forth from the vessel, and find the youth slain, and they will
slay me also:" so I climbed into a tree, and concealed myself among its
leaves, and sat there till the vessel arrived and cast anchor, when the
slaves landed with the old sheikh, the father of the youth, and went to
the place, and removed the earth. They were surprised at finding it
moist, and, when they had descended the steps, they discovered the youth
lying on his back, exhibiting a face beaming with beauty, though dead,
and clad in white and clean clothing, with the knife remaining in his
body. They all wept at the sight, and the father fell down in a swoon,
which lasted so long that the slaves thought he was dead. At length,
however, he recovered, and came out with the slaves, who had wrapped the
body of the youth in his clothes. They then took back all that was in
the subterranean dwelling to the vessel, and departed.

I remained, by day hiding myself in a tree, and at night walking about
the open part of the island. Thus I continued for the space of two
months; and I perceived that, on the western side of the island, the
water of the sea every day retired, until, after three months, the land
that had been beneath it became dry. Rejoicing at this, and feeling
confident now in my escape, I traversed this dry tract, and arrived at
an expanse of sand; whereupon I emboldened myself, and crossed it. I
then saw in the distance an appearance of fire, and, advancing toward
it, found it to be a palace, overlaid with plates of red copper, which,
refle