“One day, I was asleep in the cabin, and the female slave was shampooing [294] me, when my second brother came in hastily and awaked me.  I started up in a hurry, and came forth [on deck].  This dog also followed me.  I saw my eldest brother leaning on his hands against the vessel’s side, and intensely looking at the wonders of the river, and calling out to me.  I went up to him and said, ‘is all well?’ He answered, ’Behold this strange sight; mermen are dancing in the stream, with pearl, oysters, and branches of coral in their hands.’  If any other had related this circumstance so contrary to reason, I should not, indeed, have believed it.  I imagined what my brother said to be true, and bent down my head to look at it.  How much soever I looked, I perceived nothing, and he kept saying, ’Do you now see it?’ Now, had there been anything, I should have seen it.  Perceiving me [by this trick] off my guard, my second brother came behind me, unperceived, and gave me such a push that, without choice, I tumbled into the water, and they began to scream and cry aloud, ‘Run, run, our brother has fallen into the river.’

“In the meantime the ship went on, and the waves carried me away from it; I was plunging in the water, and drifting amidst the waves.  I became at last quite exhausted; I invoked the aid of God, but nought was of any avail.  All of a sudden my hand touched something; I looked at it, and saw this dog.  Perhaps, when they pushed me into the river, he also jumped after me, and kept swimming close by my side.  I took hold of his tail, and God made him the cause of my salvation.  Seven days and nights passed in this manner; the eighth day we reached the shore.  I had no strength whatever left, but throwing myself on my back, I rolled along as well as I could, and threw myself on the land.  I remained senseless for one whole day; the second day the dog’s barking reached my ears; I came to myself, and I thanked God [for my salvation], I began looking around me, and perceived at a distance the environs of a city; but where had I strength, that I should attempt to reach it?  Having no other resource, I continued crawling along about two paces, and then rested; in this way I had finished a kos [295] of the road by the evening.

“Half way [to the city] I reached a mountain, and lay there all night; the next morning I reached the city; when I came to the bazar and saw the shops of the bakers and confectioners, my heart began to palpitate, for I had not money to buy, nor did I feel inclined to beg.  In this way, I went along, saying to myself, I will ask something in the next shop.  At last, strength had failed me, and my stomach [296] yearned with extreme hunger; life was nearly quitting my body.  By chance, I saw two young men dressed like Persians, walking along hand in hand.  On seeing them, my spirits revived, as they seemed [by their dress] to be my countrymen—­perhaps some of my acquaintance—­to whom, therefore,