The prince having done speaking, the king said, I rejoice that I have by this means come to the knowledge of you.  I not only give you your own and my master of the horse’s life, whom I commend for his civility to you, but I restore him to his office:  and as for you, prince, I declare you my grand vizier, to make amends for your father’s unjust usage of you, though it is also excusable; and I permit you to employ all the authority I now give you to find out prince Assad.

Prince Amgrad having thanked the king of the city and country of magicians for the honour he had done him, and taken possession of his office of grand vizier, ordered the common crier to promise a great reward to any one who should bring forth prince Assad, or tell any tidings of him.  He sent men up and down the country to the same purpose; but, notwithstanding all his and their diligence, they could hear nothing.

THE SEQUEL OF THE STORY OF PRINCE ASSAD.

Assad, in the mean while, continued in the dungeon in chains; Bostava and Cavama, the cunning old conjurer’s daughters, treating him daily with the same cruelty and inhumanity as at first.

The solemn festival of the adorers of fire approached, and a ship was fitted out for the Fiery Mountain as usual.  The captain’s name was Behram, a great bigot to that religion.  He loaded it with proper merchandise; and, when it was ready to sail, he put Assad in a chest, half full of goods, a few crevices being left open to admit air sufficient to keep him alive.  The chest was stowed in the bottom of the hold for greater security.

Before the ship sailed, the grand vizier Amgrad, Assad’s brother, who had been told that the adorers of fire usually sacrificed a Mussulman every year on the Fiery Mountain, suspecting that Assad might unhappily have fallen into their hands, and designed as a victim at that bloody sacrifice, resolved to search the ship in person.  He ordered all the passengers and seamen to be brought upon deck, and commanded his men to search every part of the ship; which they did; and yet Assad could not be found, being too artfully concealed.

When the grand vizier had done searching the vessel, she sailed; and as soon as Behram was got out to sea, he ordered prince Assad to be taken out of the chest and fettered, to prevent him from throwing himself into the sea, since he knew he was going to be sacrificed.  The wind was favourable for two or three days; after which it proved contrary, and there arose a furious storm, which drove the vessel so far out of her course, that neither Behram nor his pilot knew where they were.  They were afraid that the ship would be dashed against the rocks; for they discovered land and a dreadful shore before them.  Behram saw that he was driven into the port and capital of queen Margiana, which was a great mortification to him.

Queen Margiana was a very devout professor of the Mahomedan religion, and a mortal enemy to the adorers of fire.  She banished all of them out of her dominions, and would not let any of their ships touch at her ports.