hardships by the way, came to me in so lamentable a condition, as would have moved the hardest heart to compassion.  I received her with all the tenderness she could expect; and inquiring into the cause of her sad condition, she told me, with tears, how inhumanly her husband had dealt by her.  I was so much concerned at her misfortune, that tears flowed from my eyes:  I put her into a bagnio, and clothed her with my own apparel, and spoke to her thus:  Sister, you are the elder, and I esteem you as my mother:  During your absence, God has blessed the portion that fell to my share, and the employment I follow to feed and bring up silk-worms.  Assure yourself that there is nothing I have but what is at your service and as much at your disposal as my own.

We lived very comfortably together for some months; and as we were often discoursing together about our third sister, and wondering we heard no news of her, she came in as bad a condition as the elder; her husband had treated her after the same manner, and I received her with the same affection as I had done the former.  Some time after, my two sisters, on pretence that they would not be chargeable to me, told me they had thoughts to marry again.  I answered them, that if their putting me to charge was the only reason, they might lay those thoughts aside, and be very welcome to stay with me; for what I had would be sufficient to maintain us all three, answerably to our condition:  But, said I, I rather believe you have a mind to marry again; which if you have, I am sure it will very much surprise me:  After the experience you have had of the small satisfaction there is in wedlock, is it possible you dare venture a second time?  You know how rare it is to meet with a husband that is a real honest man.  Believe what I say, and let us stay together, and live as comfortably as we can.  All my persuasion was in vain; they were resolved to marry, and so they did; but, after some months were past, they came back again, and begged my pardon a thousand times for not following my advice.  You are our youngest sister, said they, and abundantly more wise than we; but if you will vouchsafe to receive us once more into your house, and account us your slaves, we shall never commit such a fault again.  My answer was, Dear sisters, I have not altered my mind with respect to you since we last parted from one another; come again, and take part of what I have.  Upon this, I embraced them cordially, and we lived together as formerly.

We continued thus a whole year in perfect love and tranquillity; and seeing that God had increased my small stock, I projected a voyage by sea to hazard somewhat in trade.  To this end, I went with my two sisters to Balsora, where I bought a ship ready fitted for sea, and loaded her with such merchandise as I brought from Bagdad.  We set sail with a fair wind, and soon got through the Persian gulph; and when got into the ocean, we steered our course for the Indies, and saw land the twentieth day.