Unknown

“ Every year these elephants used to kill of us much people on account of these bones; but God delivered thee from them and thou hast done us good service in the matter of these bones, of which thou hast given us to know; wherefore thou meritest a great recompense, and thou art free.’ ‘O my lord,’ answered I, ‘may God free thy neck from the fire! I desire of thee that thou give me leave to return to my own country.’ ‘So be it,’ replied he; ‘but we have a fair, on occasion whereof the merchants come hither to us and take of us these elephants’ bones. ”

“ So I took leave of him and shipped with divers merchants and others, intending for my own country and having no desire for travel or traffic. We sailed on, without ceasing, till we had passed many islands; but, one day, as we fared on over a certain tract of the sea, there came forth upon us a multitude of boats full of men like devils, clad in chain-mail and armed with swords and daggers and bows and arrows, and surrounded us on every side. ”

“ I blessed him and thanked him and abode with him in all honour and consideration, till, after a little, the merchants came, even as he had said, and bought and sold and bartered; and when they were about to depart, my master came to me and said, ‘The merchants are about to depart; arise, that thou mayst go with them to thy country.’ So I betook myself to the folk, and behold, they had bought great store of elephants’ bones and bound up their loads and embarked in the ship ”

“ III. p. 321. ↑ i.e. such as are fit to be sent from king to king. ↑ i.e. the price of his victual and other necessaries for the voyage. ↑ Lit. riding-beast (French monture, no exact English equivalent) , whether camel, mule or horse does not appear. ”