At the end of a twelvemonth my
sisters again resolved to marry, and did so. After some months were
passed, they returned again in the same sad condition; and as they
accused themselves a thousand times, I again forgave them, and
admitted them to live with me as before, and we dwelt together for the
space of a year. After this I determined to engage in a commercial
speculation. For this purpose I went with my two sisters to
Bussorah,[28] where I bought a ship ready fitted for sea, and laded
her with such merchandise[29] as I had carried with me from Bagdad. We
set sail with a fair wind, and soon cleared the Persian Gulf; when we
had reached the open sea we steered our course to the Indies, and on
the twentieth day saw land. It was a very high mountain, at the bottom
of which we perceived a great town; having a fresh gale, we soon
reached the harbor, and cast anchor.
[Footnote 27: "The giving of alms is commanded in the Koran. Hasan,
the son of Ali, grandson of Mohammed, is related to have thrice in his
life divided his substance equally between himself and the
poor."--Sale's _Preliminary Dissertation_, p. 110.]
[Footnote 28: "At the distance of fourscore miles from the Persian
Gulf, the Euphrates and Tigris unite in a broad and direct current. In
the midway, between the junction and the mouth of these famous
streams, the new settlement of Bussorah was planted on the western
bank; the first colony was composed of eight hundred Moslems; but the
influence of the situation soon reared a flourishing and populous
capital.
Pages:
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116