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91-2 -
The Second Voyage of Sindbaad of the Sea:
Sindbaad on the Mountains of the Diamonds
See
also for the account of this island "The
Fifth Voyage of Sindbaad of the Sea"
On
the 543rd Night
Shaharzaad continued - "So Sindbaad
started the story of his second voyage - "Thus I was living a very
comfortable life that it came to mind that I should again travel to other
places. So I purchased a large quantity of goods suitable for travels and
embarked a new vessel. We sailed, from one sea to another, from one land
to another, from island to island. Wherever we landed, we met
merchants, sellers and buyers, we sold and bought things. Thus we continued
to do until Destiny brought us to a beautiful island where there were
beautiful trees laden with fruits and flowers, flowing rivers, and
chirping birds; but there was no one living there, neither man nor a Jinn. We just landed there to
amuse ourselves.
I also
disembarked the ship and admiring God's creation came to a spring and sat
there to eat my food. After eating my food, I felt the cool breeze and I
slept. When I arose, I did not see any human being nor Jennie. The
vessel had gone and not any of them remembered me to take on the vessel. A
severe grief came upon me, I did not have anything with me, neither food,
nor drink, nor an extra pair of clothes. I felt at the point of
destruction, being mad. I thought, "I was saved last time but this time
there is no chance. I blamed myself for this but what to do now, so I
stood up and walked about the island. Once I climbed up a tree and looked
around. I happened to indistinctly see a white thing in the distance. So I
descended the tree and proceeded in the same direction until I arrived at
that place.
It was
a huge dome but it had no door to enter. I could not climb it because it
was very smooth. So I put a mark there where I was standing and went
around the dome measuring its circumference. It was 50 full paces. At the
close of the day, the Sun was hidden, darkness came over, so I imagined as
if a cloud came over it, but this was summer, so I looked above and found
that it was not a cloud, but it was huge bird whose wing had hidden the Sun.
So I
remembered the story ..."
On
the 544th Night
"So I
wondered at this and I remembered a story which travelers and voyagers told me long time ago,
that how on a certain island a huge bird named Rukh who used to feed its
young ones with elephants. So I became convinced that this dome was the
egg of the same Rukh. In the meantime the bird came down upon the dome, spread
its wings and slept over it. Glory be to Him who does not sleep.
I got
an idea, I arose, unwound my turban, twisted it to make a rope, tied its
one knot in my waist and the other one in one of the legs of that bird,
thinking it might take me to a land of cities. I did not sleep the whole
night lest the bird flies with me when I am unaware. In the morning the
bird rose from its egg and flew. I also flew with it. It descended me upon
upon a high hill. I loosened my turban and landed safely and
walked away. The bird took a serpent in its beak and flew up away again. As I
walked around, I found myself on a high spot beneath which was a large
deep valley, and by the side of it was a high mountain, no one could see
its summit.
I
again blamed myself for this situation. It was better to be on that island
where I could eat fruits and drink sweet water; but here, there was
nothing, neither trees, nor fruits, nor rivers. I had fallen into a worse
danger. So I descended and walked
towards the valley. I found the valley to be composed of diamonds,
minerals, jewels onyx etc. Besides that valley was full of venom snakes
also,
everyone as large as a palm tree, which could gulp an elephant. They appeared in night and hid
themselves in the day time fearing the Rukh birds etc. I passed the day
there, but as night fell I looked for a place to sleep. I have forgotten
the food or drink, first I had to save my life.
I
found a cave and its door too; so I entered it moving the stone covering
its mouth. I thought I would be safe here for the night, tomorrow I will
go from here. But as I entered the cave I saw a large snake sleeping over
its eggs. I submitted myself to my Fate and Destiny, passed the night
sleepless; and as soon as the morning broke, I removed the stone and I
came out of the cave giddy with sleeplessness and hunger and fear.
I was
walking around, that a great slaughtered animal fell before me, but I did not
see anyone around. I was extremely wondered at this. I remembered a story
told by the merchants and voyagers that in the mountains of the diamonds
they had experienced great terrors and no one could access the diamonds;
but the merchants who imported them knew some techniques how to obtain them.
They take a sheep, slaughter it, and skin it and cut up its flesh which
they throw down in the bottom of the valley. And when this flesh comes
down some precious stones stick to it. The merchants leave it till midday,
at that time the vultures etc come and take it away on the mountain top.
When they have come, the merchants come and cry out at them and they fly
away from the flesh. Then the merchants take out the stones from that
flesh and take them
away to their countries. This is the only way to take diamonds from there. So when I saw that slaughtered animal, I
remembered that story." Seeing the morning broke, Shaharzaad stopped the
story here.
On
the 545th Night
Shaharzaad again continued her story - "So Sindbaad the Seaman continued
telling his story to the other Sindbad - "Nobody can take diamonds other
than this way. So when I saw that animal, I rose
and went to the animal, selected a great number of stones, put them in my
pockets, girdle, in my turban; and while I was doing this, another
slaughtered animal fell in front of me. I bound myself to it with my
turban and laying myself on my back, placed it on my chest and grasped it
firmly. Thus it was raised high above the ground by a vulture. A vulture descended upon
it, seized it and flew up with me attached to it. It descended on the top
of a mountain. At the same time, something made a loud sound there, so it
left the animal there and flew away. I loosened myself from the animal and
stood aside.
The
merchant who made this sound came there and saw me standing there. He got
afraid seeing me there, he could not speak. He checked the beast and could
not find anything stuck to it, so he uttered a loud cry and beat his head.
I advanced to him and he asked me - "Who are you, and what is the
reason of your coming to this place?" I said - "Do not fear, nor
be alarmed. I am a good man and a merchant. My tale is extraordinary and the cause of my
coming to this mountain and this valley is also wondrous. You will receive
what will rejoice you. I have with me abundance of diamonds which I will
give to you as much as they suffice to you. And every piece, which I will
give to you, is better than all that would come to you by other
means." At this he thanked me and prayed for me.
Seeing
me talking to him, other merchants also came there and took me with them.
I told them my story on our way. They told me that no one came there alive from that
valley before me. I passed my night with them in a safe and pleasant place. Next day, we journeyed
looking at the valley of the serpents until we came at a garden in a
beautiful island where there were huge camphor trees under which a hundred men
could rest. Whoever wanted to have camphor from these trees, he would make
a cut in its upper part, the liquid camphor will flow from it, and will
solidify in camphor. After this the tree will dry up and can be used as a
firewood only.
In
that island there were rhinoceros also which roam like oxen and buffaloes
in our country, but the weight of that animal is greater than the camel
and it eats the tender leaves of trees. it is a huge beast with a single
horn, thick and in the middle of its head, about a half yard long. There were some
animals like buffaloes and oxen also hich are not found in our country. The people who have been here told me that this
rhino could lift the elephant on its horn and can roam about the island
eating grass without even sensing it. And when the elephant dies on its horn,
and the elephant's fat melts because of heat and flows upon the head of
the rhino, it enters the eyes of the rhino and makes it blind. Then
it lies down upon the shore, and Rukh comes and carries it off (with the
elephant) to feed its young ones with the elephant.
This
valley contains diamond in great quantity. I bought many goods in exchange
of those diamonds. Then I went to Basaraa, stayed there for a few days,
then I came back to Bagadaad to my home."
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