He journeyed from city to city, from province to province, and from island to island; and in every place he visited, he could hear of nothing but the princess Badoura (which was the princess of China’s name) and her history.

About four months after, our traveller arrived at Torf, a sea-port town, large and populous, where the theme was changed; he no more heard of the princess Badoura, but all the talk was of prince Kummir al Zummaun, who was sick, and whose history greatly resembled hers.  Marzavan was extremely delighted on hearing this, and informed himself where the prince was to be found.  There were two ways to it; one, by land and sea; the other, by sea only, which was the shortest.

Marzavan chose the latter; and embarking on board a merchant ship, arrived safely in sight of Shaw Zummaun’s capital; but just before it entered the port, the ship struck upon a rock, by the unskilfulness of the pilot, and foundered:  it went down in sight of the castle, where at that time were the king and his grand vizier.

Marzavan, who could swim well, immediately upon the ship’s sinking cast himself into the sea, and got safe on shore under the castle, where he was soon relieved by the grand vizier’s order.  After he had changed his clothes, and been well treated, he was introduced to the grand vizier, who lead sent for him.

Marzavan being a young man of good address, the minister received him with great politeness; and was induced, from the just and pertinent answers he returned to the questions put to him, to regard him with great esteem.  Finding by degrees that he possessed great variety and extent of information, he said to him, “From what I can understand, I perceive you are no common man; you have travelled much:  would to God you had discovered some remedy for a malady which has been long a source of great affliction at this court.”

Marzavan replied, if he knew what malady it was, he might perhaps find a remedy applicable to it.

The grand vizier then related to him the story of prince Kummir al Zummaun.  He concealed nothing relating to his birth, which had been so earnestly desired, his education, the wish of the king his father to see him early married, his resistance and extraordinary aversion from marriage, his disobeying his father in full council, his imprisonment, his extravagancies in prison, which were afterwards changed into a violent passion for some unknown lady, who, he pretended, had exchanged a ring with him, though, for his part, he verily believed there was no such person in the world.

Marzavan gave great attention to all the grand vizier said, and was infinitely rejoiced to find that, by means of his shipwreck, he had so fortunately lighted on the person he was seeking.  He saw no reason to doubt that the prince was the man whom the princess of China so ardently loved, and that this princess was equally the object of his passion.  Without explaining himself farther to the vizier, he desired to see the prince, that he might be better able to judge of his disorder and its cure.  “Follow me,” said the grand vizier, “and you will find the king with him, who has already desired I should introduce you.”