r of the
_Brahmans_ does not come herself to thee, let any one entreat thee
ever so much, consent thou not. At last, being compelled to it, she
will come to thee herself; she is very old, for she is two hundred and
forty years of age, and six and thirty sons, that have been born of
her, are the chief priests of the temple; and she is highly respected
by the great idol. For this reason she possesses such vast power that
all the little and great of this country deem her command [a matter
of] felicity; whatever she orders, that they perform with all their
heart and soul. Lay hold of the skirt of her garment, and say to her,
"O mother, if you do not exact justice from the oppressor to this
injured traveller, I will dash my head on the ground before the great
idol; he will at last pity me, and intercede for me with you."

"'When, after this, she asks thee all the particulars of thy complaint,
tell her, "I am an inhabitant of Persia; I am come here from a great
distance, both to perform a pilgrimage to the great idol, and in
consequence of having heard of your justice. For some days I lived
here in peace; my wife also came with me; she is young, her form and
figure are excellent, and her features perfect. I do not know how the
governor of the port saw her, but he forcibly took her away from me,
and shut her up in his house. With us _Musalmans_ it is a rule, that if
a stranger sees one of our wives, or takes her away, it is right that
the stranger be put to death by whatever means it may be accomplished,
and the wife be taken back; and otherwise, we must abandon food and
drink; for whilst the stranger lives, that wife is forbidden to the
husband. Now, having no other resource, I am come hither; let us see
what justice you do to me."' When the princess had fully instructed
me in all these circumstances, I took my leave, and came out by the
same sewer, and once more replaced the iron grating.

"As soon as the morning came, I went to the temple, and, having
covered myself with the black canvas, I sat down. In three days'
time so many pieces of gold, and silver, and articles of apparel were
heaped up near me, that it appeared a regular store. On the fourth
day, the priests, performing their devotion, and singing and playing,
came to me with a _khil'at_, and wished to dismiss me. I would not
agree to it, and called on the great idol for protection, and said,
'I am not come to beg, but to get justice from the great idol and the
m