“As the gloom of night advanced the plain appeared to my imagina­tion as a stormy sea, whose billows would swallow up the fish of the sky. The branches of the trees, beating against each other from the violence of the wind, bowed to the ground, the sand of which, agitated by the storm, rose in waves, so that you might call them the serpents of Pharoah’s rod, ready to devour the world. Helpless, I resigned my heart to destruction, and committing my head to fate, sat down, expecting death, at the foot of a tree; but, from excess of dread, such a trembling seized my body, as seemed to threaten the separation of my joints.

“Suddenly, the sound of human feet, by help of the wind, was heard, and on turning my eyes that way, I beheld a person advancing with great celerity, as is flying on the wings of speed. As the supposition of the son of man’s existence in this death-raging wilderness was improbable, I suspected it might be a deeo or ghole, who who was coming to destroy me, and crept into the corner of a pit. Here, among brambles and roots, like the death-devoted bird, whom the sharp-taloned faulcon is pursuing, I endeavoured to conceal myself, and invoked God for my protection. The man however coming up, without having recourse to search or examination, at once exclaimed with a loud voice, ‘Who art thou? and what dost thou in this peril-abounding desart alone? Perhaps thou art a deeo or a ghole, who would draw man into thy snare, and, having enticed them into this lonely desart, wouldst put them to death with variety of torments.’ My speech, from dread, became fastened like a knot in my throat, my teeth clung together, and, as a corpse void of animation, I remained without sense or motion.

“At my silence, anger overcame him, and the signs of rage appeared upon his countenance. Advancing with great fury towards me, he said, ‘Inform me of thy circumstances, or with my blood-drinking sabre, I will remove the load of thy head from thy shoulders.’ In dread for my life, fearful and trembling, I attempted to reply, and said, ‘O valiant youth, be not enraged, and give not way to passion, for I am a mortal, who by accident being separated from my camp, have been bewildered in this life-decaying desart. At present I know no remedy to my situation, nor how to commit my footsteps to the path of hope; pity, then, my forlorn condition, and have compassion on my helpless state; take me by the hand with the true valour of the brave, and, like Khizzer, be the guide of my path, till I can rejoin my friends, and reach our caravan.

“When the young man was informed of my unfortunate condition, the clouds of his fury which had been collected, dispersed, and the moisture of com­passion succeeded. He said, ‘Recover thy heart from the confusion of alarm, for thou shalt instantly be delivered from this dreadful place, and from the whirlpool of danger reach the shore of safety. Not far from hence is a most delightful city, whose site, like the gardens of paradise, dispelleth care, and whose inhabitants are enchanting as the dwellers in heaven. In every street of it various gratifications abound; its habitations are bright as the mirror, the Arzung of Mani is only an imitation of their paintings, and the azure skies a model of its spring-like borders.

“It has been from ancient days called the city of Laabutbauz,* and I am distinguished by the office of cutwaul in this capital, the envy of the gardens of Irim and paradise, and am named Rizwaun* by the happy inhabitants. Hasten then, and follow me, that having escaped from this life-destroying wild, and arrived at the charming city, thou mayest repose on the pillows of felicity.”

“As I had observed in the young man the manners of courtesy and an affable behaviour, I uttered thanksgivings to God and him, and fell behind him like his shadow; till at length we reached the gate of the city, and on seeing its beauty, I fancied myself in heaven, and gazed with astonishment.”