understand them; for that the aruzbeg, who had formerly attempted to
explain them, had not the art of making things so clear to him as I had
done.'

"I felt a glow of pleasure at this compliment, and at the consciousness
that I deserved it. How little did I imagine, when I used to sit up at
nights studying my old master's books, that one of them would be the
means of procuring me such honour. [Footnote: Jervas here alludes to a
book entitled, "A Description of Pocket and Magazine Cases of Drawing
Instruments: in which is explained the use of each instrument, and
particularly of the sector and plain scale, Gunter's scale, &c. By J.
Barrow, private teacher of mathematics."]

"'What is contained in that box?' said the sultan, pointing to the box
which held the model of the tin-mine. 'I do not remember to have seen it
opened in my presence.'

"I replied that it had not been opened, because I feared that it was not
worthy to be shown to him. But he commanded that it should instantly
be exhibited; and, to my great surprise, it seemed to delight him
excessively: he examined every part, moved the wires of the puppets, and
asked innumerable questions concerning our tin-mines. I was the more
astonished at this, because I had imagined he would have considered
every object of commerce as beneath the notice of a sultan. Nor could
I guess why he should be peculiarly interested in this subject: but he
soon explained this to me, by saying that he had, in his dominions,
certain mines of tin, which he had a notion would, if properly managed,
bring a considerable revenue to the royal treasury; but that at present,
through negligence or fraud, these mines were rather burdensome than
profitable.