In the morning Bharam beat his magical drum, and the three camels appealed, when Mazim and his companion mounted, pursuing their journey in the same manner as before for seven days, with a speed more resembling flight than the pace of travel, for their camels were supernatural.  On the eighth morning the magician inquired of Mazim what he saw on the horizon.  “I behold,” said he, “to appearance, a range of thick black clouds extending from east to west.”  “They are not clouds,” replied Bharam,” but lofty mountains, called the Jubbal al Sohaub, or mountains of clouds, from their cloud-like appearance, on their summit lies the object of our journey, which with thy assistance we shall soon obtain, and return to our vessel more enriched than all the sovereigns of the world, but thou must be sure to obey me in whatever I may command.  “Mazin promised to do so, but his heart trembled within him as he beheld the gloomy prospect before him, and recollected the boast which the accursed magician had made of his having sacrificed thirty-nine youthful victims on these mountains, and also his threat on board the ship to make the fortieth offering of himself.  He repented of having trusted himself from the vessel, but it was now too late to recede.  He resigned himself to the same Providence who had relieved his sufferings in his voyage, and concealed, as well as he could, his uneasiness from the magician, who now endeavoured to sooth and flatter him with artful promises and caresses.

For four days longer they pursued their route, when it was stopped by the black mountains, which formed, as it were, a wall inaccessible, for the precipices were perpendicular, as if scarped by art, and their tremendous height cast a dark and gloomy shade to a vast distance.  They now dismounted, and turned their camels to graze, when the magician took out of his package three loaves and a sum of water, after which he lighted a fire; then having beat his talismanic drum, the camels again appeared, tne smallest of which he killed, embowelled, and carefully flayed off the skin, the inside of which he washed with water.  Having done thus, he addressed Mazin, saying, “My son, the task must now be thine to crown our labours with success.  Enter this skin, with these loaves and this water bag for thy sustenance while thou remainest on the summit of the mountain.  Be not afraid, for no harm can happen I will sew up the skin, leaving room enough for the admission of air.  By and by a roc will descend, and seizing it in her talons carry thee easily through the air.  When she shall have alighted on the table-land of the mountain, rip open the stitches of the skin with thy dagger, and the roc on seeing thee will be instantly scared, and fly far away.  Then arise, gather as much as possible of a black dust which thou wilt find thickly strewed on the ground; put it into this bag, and throw it down to me, after which I will contrive an easy means for thy descent, and when thou hast rejoined me we will return to our vessel, and I will convey thee safely back to thy own country.  The dust, which has the quality of transmuting metals into gold, we will share between us, and shall each have enough to rival all the treasuries on earth.”