s, who
lives in a palace that shines with one hundred thousand rubies, and
who has in his treasury twenty thousand crowns enriched with diamonds,
to Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid:--

"'Though the present we send you be inconsiderable, receive it,
however, as a brother, in consideration of the hearty friendship which
we bear for you, and of which we are willing to give you proof. We
desire the same part in your friendship, considering that we believe
it to be our merit, being of the same dignity with yourself. We
conjure you this in quality of a brother. Adieu.'

"The present consisted, first, of one single ruby made into a cup, about
half a foot high, an inch thick, and filled with round pearls of half a
drachm each. 2. The skin of a serpent, whose scales were as large as an
ordinary piece of gold, and had the virtue to preserve from sickness
those who lay upon it. 3. Fifty thousand drachms of the best wood of
aloes, with thirty grains of camphire as big as pistachios. And, 4. A
female slave of ravishing beauty, whose apparel was all covered over
with jewels.

"The ship set sail, and after a very successful navigation we landed at
Bussorah, and from thence I went to Bagdad, where the first thing I did
was to acquit myself of my commission.

"I took the king of Serendib's letter and went to present myself at the
gate of the Commander of the Faithful, followed by the beautiful slave,
and such of my own family as carried the gifts. I stated the reason of
my coming, and was immediately conducted to the throne of the caliph. I
made my reverence, and, after a short speech, gave him the letter and
present. When he had read what the king of Serendib wrote to him, he
asked me if the prince were really so rich and potent as he represented
himself in his letter. I prostrated myself a second time, and rising
again, said: 'Commander of the Faithful, I can assure your majesty he
doth not exceed the truth. Nothing is more worthy of admiration than the
magnificence of his palace. When the prince appears in public he has a
throne fixed on the back of an elephant, and marches betwixt two ranks
of his ministers, favourites, and other people of his court; before him,
upon the same elephant, an officer carries a golden lance in his hand;
and behind the throne there is another, who stands upright, with a
column of gold, on the top of which is an emerald half a foot long and
an inch thick; before him march a guard of one thou