not the honour to be born in any part of your majesty's empire. I
am a stranger, born at Cairo in Egypt, a Copt by nation, and by
religion a Christian. My father was a broker, and realized
considerable property, which he left me at his death. I followed
his example, and pursued the same employment. While I was
standing in the public inn frequented by the corn merchants,
there came up to me a handsome young man, well dressed, and
mounted on an ass. He saluted me, and pulling out a handkerchief,
in which he had a sample of sesame or Turkey corn, asked me how
much a bushel of such sesame would fetch.

I examined the corn the young man shewed me, and told him it was
worth a hundred dirhems of silver per bushel. "Pray," said he,
"look out for some merchant to take it at that price, and come to
me at the Victory gate, where you will see a khan at a distance
from the houses." So saying, he left me the sample, and I shewed
it to several merchants, who told me, that they would take as
much as I could spare at a hundred and ten dirhems per bushel, so
that I reckoned on getting ten dirhems per bushel for my
commission. Full of the expectation of this profit, I went to the
Victory gate, where I found the young merchant expecting me, and
he took me into his granary, which was full of sesame. He had
then a hundred and fifty bushels, which I measured out, and
having carried them off upon asses, sold them for five thousand
dirhems of silver. "Out of this sum," said the young man, "there
are five hundred dirhems coming to you, at the rate of ten
dirhems per bushel. This I give you; and as for the rest which
pertains to me, take it out of the merchants' hands, and keep it
till I call or send for it, for I have no occasion for it at
present." I answered, it should be ready for him whenever he