colour), with ink of ultramarine and the contents were as
follows. "Peace be with thee from the King of Al-Hind, before
whom are a thousand elephants and upon whose palace-crenelles are
a thousand jewels. But after (laud to the Lord and praises to His
Prophet!): we send thee a trifling gift which be thou pleased to
accept. Thou art to us a brother and a sincere friend; and great
is the love we bear for thee in heart; favour us therefore with a
reply. The gift besitteth not thy dignity: but we beg of thee, O
our brother, graciously to accept it and peace be with thee." And
the present was a cup of ruby a span high[FN#85] the inside of
which was adorned with precious pearls; and a bed covered with
the skin of the serpent which swalloweth the elephant, which skin
hath spots each like a dinar and whoso sitteth upon it never
sickeneth;[FN#86] and an hundred thousand miskals of Indian lign-
aloes and a slave-girl like a shining moon. Then I took leave of
him and of all my intimates and acquaintances in the island and
embarked with the merchants aforesaid. We sailed with a fair
wind, committing ourselves to the care of Allah (be He extolled
and exalted!) and by His permission arrived at Bassorah, where I
passed a few days and nights equipping myself and packing up my
bales. Then I went on to Baghdad-city, the House of Peace, where
I sought an audience of the Caliph and laid the King's presents
before him. He asked me whence they came and I said to him, "By
Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, I know not the name of the
city nor the way thither!" He then asked me, "O Sindbad, is this
true which the King writeth?"; and I answered, after kissing the
ground, "O my lord, I saw in his kingdom much more than he hath
written in his letter. For state processions a throne is set for
him upon a huge elephant, eleven cubits high: and upon this he
sitteth having his great lords and officers and guests standing