of the city, but little damage was sustained, because there was time for
precautions, and, by the stopping of the spouts, sufficient water was
preserved. People were awakened and warned of the danger, and they
consequently escaped unhurt.

"The next day, as soon as I made my appearance at the bezestein, the
merchants crowded round, called me their benefactor, and the preserver of
their lives and fortunes. Damat Zade, the merchant whom I had awakened
the preceding night, presented to me a heavy purse of gold, and put upon
my finger a diamond ring of considerable value; each of the merchants
followed his example in making me rich presents; the magistrates also
sent me tokens of their approbation; and the grand vizier sent me a
diamond of the first water, with a line written by his own hand, 'To the
man who has saved Constantinople.' Excuse me, gentlemen, for the vanity
I seem to show in mentioning these circumstances. You desired to hear my
history, and I cannot, therefore, omit the principal circumstance of my
life. In the course of four-and-twenty hours I found myself raised, by
the munificent gratitude of the inhabitants of this city, to a state of
affluence far beyond what I had ever dreamed of attaining.

"I now took a house suited to my circumstances, and bought a few slaves.
As I was carrying my slaves home, I was met by a Jew, who stopped me,
saying, in his language, 'My lord, I see, has been purchasing slaves; I
could clothe them cheaply.' There was something mysterious in the manner
of this Jew, and I did not like his countenance; but I considered that I
ought not to be governed by caprice in my dealings, and that, if this man
could really clothe my slaves more cheaply than another, I ought not to
neglect his offer merely because I took a dislike to the cut of his
beard, the turn of his eye, or the tone of his voice. I, therefore, bade
the Jew follow me home, saying that I would consider of his proposal.