In My Way I
Had Entered Several Sepulchres, To The Surprise Of My Guide, But When He
Saw Me Turn Out Of The Footpath Towards The Kaszr, He Exclaimed:
“I see
now clearly that you are an infidel, who have some particular business
amongst the ruins of the
City of your forefathers; but depend upon it
that we shall not suffer you to take out a single para of all the
treasures hidden therein, for they are in our territory, and belong to
us.” I replied that it was mere curiosity, which prompted me to look at
the ancient works, and that I had no other view in coming here, than to
sacrifice to Haroun; but he was not easily persuaded, and I did not
think it prudent to irritate him by too close an inspection of the
palace, as it might have led him to declare, on our return, his belief
that I had found treasures, which might have led to a search of my
person and to the detection of my journal, which would most certainly
have been taken from me, as a book of magic. It is very unfortunate for
European travellers that the idea of treasures being hidden in ancient
edifices is so strongly rooted in the minds of the Arabs and Turks; nor
are they satisfied with watching all the stranger’s steps; they believe
that it is sufficient for a true magician to have seen and observed the
spot where treasures are hidden (of which he is supposed to be already
informed by the
[p.429] old books of the infidels who lived on the spot) in order to be
able afterwards, at his ease, to command the guardian of the treasure to
set the whole before him.
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