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us ſtay together, and live as comfortably as we can. All my Perſuaſion was in vain, they were reſolv’d to marry, and ſo they did. But after ſome Months were paſt, they came back again, and begg’d my Pardon a thouſand times, for not following my Advice. You are our younger 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 alter’d 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 embrac’d them, and we liv’d together as we did formerly.
We continued thus a whole Year in perfect Love and Tranquillity; and ſeeing that God had encreaſed my ſmall Stock, I projected a Voyage by Sea, to hazard ſomewhat in Trade. To this end I went with my two Siſters to Baſra, where I bought a Ship ready fitted for Sea, and laded her with ſuch Merchandize as I brought from Bagdad; we ſet Sail with a fair Wind, and ſoon got through the Perſian Gulph; and when we got into the Ocean we ſteered our Courſe for the Indies, and ſaw Land the twentieth Day. ’Twas a very high Mountain, at the bottom of which we ſaw a great Town; and having a freſh Gale, we ſoon reach’d the Harbour, where we caſt Anchor.
I had not Patience to ſtay till my Siſters were drefs’d to go along with me, but went aſhore in the Boat by my ſelf; and making directly to the Gate of the Town, I ſaw there a great number of Men upon the Guard, ſome ſitting, and others ſtanding with Battons in their Hands; and they had all ſuch dreadful Countenances that it frighten’d me; but perceiving they had no Motion, nay not ſo much as with their Eyes, I took Courage and went nearer, and then found they were all turn’d into Stones. I enter’d the Town, and paſs’d through ſeveral Streets, where there ſtood every where Men in ſeveral Poſtures, but all unmoveable and petrified. On that ſide where the Merchants liv’d I found moſt of the Shops ſhut, and in ſuch as were open, I likewiſe found the people petrified. I looked up the Chimneys, but ſaw no Smoak, which made me conjecture that thoſe within as well as thoſe without, were all turned into Stones.
Being
