I saw- I felt that I
had perfect command of my senses- and these senses now brought to my
soul a world of novel and singular sensation. The heat became all at
once intolerable. A strange odor loaded the breeze. A low,
continuous murmur, like that arising from a full, but gently flowing
river, came to my ears, intermingled with the peculiar hum of
multitudinous human voices.
"While I listened in an extremity of astonishment which I need not
attempt to describe, a strong and brief gust of wind bore off the
incumbent fog as if by the wand of an enchanter.
"I found myself at the foot of a high mountain, and looking down
into a vast plain, through which wound a majestic river. On the margin
of this river stood an Eastern-looking city, such as we read of in the
Arabian Tales, but of a character even more singular than any there
described. From my position, which was far above the level of the
town, I could perceive its every nook and corner, as if delineated
on a map. The streets seemed innumerable, and crossed each other
irregularly in all directions, but were rather long winding alleys
than streets, and absolutely swarmed with inhabitants. The houses were
wildly picturesque. On every hand was a wilderness of balconies, of
verandas, of minarets, of shrines, and fantastically carved oriels.
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