“’After some time, when I awoke, a man, from among them came to me, and began to show me [by signs] the road; I plucked up some more of the graum, and followed the road [he pointed out].  A great level plain appeared before me, vast as the plain of the day of judgment. [347] I proceeded, eating the graum as I went; after four days, I perceived a fort; when I went near it, then I saw it was a very high fort, all built of stone, and each side of which was two kos in length, and the door was cut out of a single stone, and had a large lock attached; but I could see no trace of any human being.  I proceeded on from thence and saw a hillock, the earth of which was in colour black as surma; [348] when I passed over the hillock, I saw a large city, surrounded with a rampart with bastions at regular intervals; and a river of great width flowed on one side of the city.  Proceeding on, I reached a gate, and invoking God, I entered it.  I saw a person who was dressed in the garment of the people of Europe, and seated on a chair; the moment he saw I was a foreign traveller, and heard me invoke God, he desired me to advance.  I went up to him, and made him a salam; he returned my salutation with great kindness, and laid on the table instantly some bread and butter, and a roast fowl and wine, and said, “Eat thy belly full.”  I ate a little, and drank [some of the wine], and fell sound asleep.  When the night came, I opened my eyes, and washed my hands and face; he gave me again something to eat, and said, “O son, relate thy story.”  I told him all that had happened to me.  He then said, “Why art thou come here?” I became vexed, and replied, “Perhaps thou art mad; after hardships of long duration, I have at last seen the appearance of [human] dwellings.  God has conducted me so far, and thou askest me why I am come here.”  He answered, “Go and rest thyself now; I will tomorrow tell thee what I have to say.”

“’When the morning came he said to me, “There are in this room a spade, a sieve, and a leather bag; bring them out.”  I said to myself, God knows what labour he will make me undergo because he has made me eat of his bread; having no help for it, I took up those articles and brought them to him.  He then ordered me to go to the black hillock [I had passed] and dig a hole a yard deep, and “whatever you find in it pass it through this sieve; whatever cannot pass through, put it in the leather bag, and bring it to me.”  I took all those implements and went there, and having dug as much [as I was ordered], I passed it through the sieve, and put what remained into the bag, [as directed]; I then saw they were all precious stones of different colours, and my eyes were dazzled with their brilliancy.  In this manner I filled the bag up to the mouth, and carried it to that person; on seeing it, he said, “Whatever is in the bag take it for thyself, and go away from hence; for thy stay in this city will not do thee good.”