It was a huge piece of fresh meat, and as I stared at it several more
pieces rolled over the cliffs in different places. I had always
thought that the stories the sailors told of the famous valley of
diamonds, and of the cunning way which some merchants had devised for
getting at the precious stones, were mere travellers' tales invented to
give pleasure to the hearers, but now I perceived that they were surely
true. These merchants came to the valley at the time when the eagles,
which keep their eyries in the rocks, had hatched their young. The
merchants then threw great lumps of meat into the valley. These,
falling with so much force upon the diamonds, were sure to take up some
of the precious stones with them, when the eagles pounced upon the meat
and carried it off to their nests to feed their hungry broods. Then
the merchants, scaring away the parent birds with shouts and outcries,
would secure their treasures. Until this moment I had looked upon the
valley as my grave, for I had seen no possibility of getting out of it
alive, but now I took courage and began to devise a means of escape. I
began by picking up all the largest diamonds I could find and storing
them carefully in the leathern wallet which had held my provisions;
this I tied securely to my belt. I then chose the piece of meat which
seemed most suited to my purpose, and with the aid of my turban bound
it firmly to my back; this done I laid down upon my face and awaited
the coming of the eagles. I soon heard the flapping of their mighty
wings above me, and had the satisfaction of feeling one of them seize
upon my piece of meat, and me with it, and rise slowly towards his
nest, into which he presently dropped me. Luckily for me the merchants
were on the watch, and setting up their usual outcries they rushed to
the nest scaring away the eagle. Their amazement was great when they
discovered me, and also their disappointment, and with one accord they
fell to abusing me for having robbed them of their usual profit.
Addressing myself to the one who seemed most aggrieved, I said: "I am
sure, if you knew all that I have suffered, you would show more
kindness towards me, and as for diamonds, I have enough here of the
very best for you and me and all your company." So saying I showed
them to him. The others all crowded round me, wondering at my
adventures and admiring the device by which I had escaped from the
valley, and when they had led me to their camp and examined my
diamonds, they assured me that in all the years that they had carried
on their trade they had seen no stones to be compared with them for
size and beauty.