44 



CALIPHS OF BAGDAD. 



barous festivity and triumph the last of the Abbas- 

 sides was now summoned, and required, as the host 

 of his conqueror, to produce something that should 

 be worthy the acceptance of such an exalted guest. 

 Condeiving that nothing more was intended than 

 expressed, the unhappy monarch gave direction that 

 a present of 2000 costly and magnificent robes, 2000 

 dinars of gold (925), together with a variety of gold 

 and silver plate, vases, and other articles, enriched 

 with jewels of the greatest price and beauty, should 

 be selected from his treasury and wardrobe, and laid 

 in the usual style, in trays, before Hoolaku. Sur- 

 veying them with an eye of contempt, the proud 

 Mogul distributed every article among his attend- 

 ants. " The whole of thy visible property," ad- 

 dressing Mostasem, " as well as that of the inhabit- 

 ants of Bagdad, is already at the disposal of my fol- 

 lowers. Of that it was needless to make an offer- 

 ing. What we require of thee is to give us some 

 indication with respect to thy hidden treasures." 

 The object of the barbarian could no longer be 

 misunderstood. The captive prince pointed in si- 

 lence to the area in the court of his palace; and 

 on opening the ground there was discovered what 

 might have been amply sufficient to glut the utmost 

 cravings of avarice ; a tank, or covered reservoir, 

 loaded to the brim with ingots of solid gold, each 

 weighing 100 meskals, or nearly a pound and a 

 quarter avoirdupois. This immense wealth did 

 not satiate the vengeance of the remorseless Hoola- 

 ku, who is said to have kept his illustrious but un- 

 fortunate prisoner several days without food or sus- 

 tenance of any kind. When the pangs of hunger 

 could no longer be endured, the wretched Mostasem 



