Chapter X: Part 10

By this time the sun was ready to set, and all of a sudden the sky became as dark as if it had been covered with a thick cloud. I was much astonished at this sudden darkness, but much more when I found it occasioned by a bird of monstrous size, that came flying towards me. I remembered a fowl called *roc, that I had often heard mariners speak of, and conceived that the great bowl, which I so much admired, must needs be its egg. In short, the bird lighted, and sat over the egg to hatch it. As I perceived her coming, I crept close to the egg, so that I had before me one of the legs of the bird, that was as big as the trunk of a tree; I tied myself strongly to it with the cloth that went round my turban, in hopes that when the roc[Footnote: Mark Paul in his Travels, and Father Martini in his History of China, speak each of this bird, and say it will take up an elephant and a rhinoceros.] flew away next morning, she would carry me with her out of this desert island. After having passed the night in this condition, the bird actually flew away next morning as soon as it was day, and carried me so high that I could not see the earth; she afterwards descended all of a sudden, and with so much rapidity, that I lost my senses. But when the roc was sat, and I found myself on the ground, I speedily untied the knot, and had scarcely done so, when the bird, having taken up a serpent of a monstrous length in her bill, flew straight away. The place where it left me was a very deep valley, encompassed on all sides with mountains so high, that they seemed to reach above the clouds, and so full of steep rocks, that there was no possibility to get out of the valley. This was a new perplexity upon me; so that, when I compared this place with the desert island the roc brought me from, I found that I had gained nothing by the change.

As I walked through this valley, I perceived that it was strewed with diamonds, some of which were of a surprising bigness. I took a great deal of pleasure to look upon them, but speedily saw at a distance such objects as very much diminished my satisfaction, and which I could not look upon without terror; there were a great number of serpents, so big, and so long, that the least of them was capable of swallowing an elephant. They retired in the day-time to their dens, where they hid themselves from the roc, their enemy, and did not come out but in the night-time. I spent the day in walking about the valley, resting myself at times, in such places as I thought most commodious. When night came on, I went into a cave, where I thought I might be in safety; I stopped the mouth of it, which was low and straight, with a great stone, to preserve me from the serpents, but not so exactly fitted as to hinder light from coming in. I supped on part of my provisions; but the serpents, which began to appear, hissing about in the mean time, put me into such extreme fear, that you may easily imagine I did not sleep. When day appeared, the serpents retired, and I came out of the cave trembling; I can truly say, that I walked a long time upon diamonds, without having a mind to touch any of them. At last I sat down, and, notwithstanding my uneasiness, not having shut my eyes during the night, I fell asleep, after having ate a little more of my provisions. But I had scarcely shut my eyes, when something that fell by me with a great noise awakened me, and this was a great piece of fresh meat; at the same time I saw several others fall down from the rocks in different places.

I always looked upon it to be a fable, when I heard mariners and others discourse of the valley of diamonds, and of the stratagems made use of by some merchants to get jewels from thence; but I found it to be true; for, in reality, those merchants come to the neighbourhood of this valley when the eagles have young ones, and throwing great joints of meat into it, the diamonds upon whose points they fall stick to them: The eagles, which are stronger in this country than any where else, fall down with great force upon these pieces of meat, and carry them to their nests upon the top of the rocks, to feed their young ones with; at which time the merchants, running to these nests, frighten the eagles by their noise, and take away the diamonds that stick to the meat. And this stratagem they made use of to get the diamonds out of the valley, which is surrounded with such precipices that nobody can enter it. I believed, till then, that it was not possible for me to get out of this abyss,which I looked upon as my grave; but then I changed my mind, for the falling in of those pieces of meat put me in hopes of a way to save my life. I began to gather together the greatest diamonds I could see, and put them into a leather bag in which I used to carry my provisions. I afterwards took the largest piece of meat I could find, tied it close round me with the cloth of my turban, and then laid myself upon the ground with my face downward, the bag of diamonds being tied fast to my girdle, so that it could not possibly drop off. I had scarcely laid me down when the eagles came; each of them seized a piece of meat, and one of the strongest having taken me up with the piece of meat on my back, carried me to his nest on the top of the mountain. The merchants fell straightway a-shooting to frighten the eagles; and when they had forced them to quit their prey, one of them came up to the nest where I was: He was very much afraid when he saw me; but recovering himself, instead of inquiring how I came hither, he began to quarrel with me, and asked why I stole his goods? You will treat me, replied I, with more civility, when you know me better. Do not trouble yourself; I have diamonds enough for you and me too, more than all the merchants together. If they have any, it is by chance; but I chose myself, in the bottom of the valley, all those which you see in this bag; and, having spoken these words, I showed him them. I had scarcely done speaking, when the other merchants came trooping about us, very much astonished to see me; but they were much more surprised when I told them my story; yet they did not so much admire my stratagem to save myself, as my courage to attempt it. They carried me to the place where they staid all together, and there having opened my bag, they were surprised at the largeness of my diamonds, and confessed, that in all the courts where they had been, they never saw any that came near them. I prayed the merchant, to whom the nest belonged whither I was carried, (for every merchant had his own,) to take as many for his share as he pleased: He contented himself with one, and that too the least of them; and when I pressed him to take more without fear of doing me any injury, No, says he, I am very well satisfied with this, which is valuable enough to save me the trouble of making any more voyages, and to raise as great a fortune as I desire.

I spent the night with these merchants, to whom I told my story a second time, for the satisfaction of those who had not heard it. I could not moderate my joy, when I found myself delivered from the danger I have mentioned; I thought myself to be in a dream, and could scarcely believe myself to be out of danger. The merchants had thrown their pieces of meat into the valley for several days; and each of them being satisfied with the diamonds that had fallen to his lot, we left the place next morning all together, and travelled near high mountains, where there were serpents of a prodigious length, which we had the good fortune to escape. We took the first port, and came to the isle of Ropha, where trees grow that yield camphire. This tree is so large, and its branches so thick, that a hundred men may easily sit under its shade. The juice, of which the camphire is made, runs out from a hole bored in the upper part of the tree, is received in a vessel, where it grows to a consistency, and becomes what we call camphire; and the juice being thus drawn out, the tree withers and dies. There is here also the rhinoceros, a creature less than the elephant, but greater than the buffalo: it has a horn upon its nose about a cubit long; which is solid, and cleft in the middle from one end to the other, and there are upon it white draughts, representing the figure of a man. The rhinoceros fights with the elephant, runs his horn into his belly, and carries him off upon his head; but the blood and the fat of the elephant running into his eyes, and making him blind, he falls to the ground; and, what is astonishing, the roc comes and carries them both away in her claws, to be meat for her young ones.

I pass over many other things peculiar to this island, lest I should be troublesome to you. Here I exchanged some of my diamonds for good merchandise. From thence we went to other isles; and at last, having traded at several trading towns off the firm land, we lauded at Balsora, from whence I went to Bagdad. There I immediately gave great alms to the poor, and lived honourably upon the vast riches I had brought, and gained with so much fatigue. Thus Sindbad ended the story of his second voyage, gave Hindbad another hundred sequins, and invited him to come next day to hear the story of the third. The rest of the guests returned to their homes, and came again the next day at--the same hour; and certainly the porter did not fail, having almost forgotten his former poverty. When dinner was over, Sindbad demanded attention, and gave them the following account of his third voyage.

Sindbad the Sailor's Third Voyage.

The pleasures of the life which I then led soon made me forget the risks I had run in my two former voyages; but being then in the flower of my age, I grew weary of living without business; and hardening myself against the thoughts of any danger I might incur, I went from Bagdad with the richest commodities of the country to Balsora. There I embarked again with other merchants. We made a long navigation, and touched at several ports, where we drove a considerable commerce. One day being out in the main ocean, we were attacked by a horrible tempest, which made us lose our course. The tempest continued several days, and brought us before the port of an island, which the captain was very unwilling to enter; but we were obliged to cast anchor there. When we had furled our sails, the captain told us, that this and some other neighbouring islands were inhabited by hairy savages, who would speedily attack us; and though they were but dwarfs, yet our misfortune was such, that we must make no resistance, for they were more in number than the locusts; and if we happened to kill one of them, they would all fall upon us and destroy us. This discourse of the captain put the whole equipage into a great consternation, and we found very soon, to our cost, that what he had told us was too true; an innumerable multitude of frightful savages, covered over with red hair, and about two feet high, came swimming towards us, and encompassed our ship in a little time. They spoke to us as they came near, but we understood not their language; they climbed up the sides of the ship with so much agility as surprised us. We beheld all this with fear, without daring to offer at defending ourselves, or to speak one word to divert them from their mischievous design. In short, they took down our sails, cut the cable, and, hauling to the shore, made us all get out, and afterwards carried the ship into another island from whence they came. All travellers carefully avoided that island where they left us, it being very dangerous to stay there, for a reason you shall hear anon; but we were forced to bear our affliction with patience. We went forward into the island, where we found some fruits and herbs to prolong our lives as long as we could; but we expected nothing but death. As we went on, we perceived at a distance a great pile of building, and made towards it. We found it to be a palace, well built and very high, with a gate of ebony of two leaves, which we thrust open. We entered the court, where we saw before us a vast apartment, with a porch, having on one side a heap of men's bones, and on the other a vast number of roasting spits. We trembled at this spectacle, and being weary with travelling, our legs failed under us, we fell to the ground, and lay a long time immoveable. The sun was set, and whilst we were in this lamentable condition the gate of the apartment opened with a great noise, and there came out the horrible figure of a black man, as high as a palm-tree. He had but one eye, and that in the middle of his forehead, where it looked as red as burning coal. His foreteeth were very long and sharp, and came without his mouth, which was deep like that of a horse. His upper lip hung down upon his breast. His ears resembled those of an elephant, and covered his shoulders; and his nails were as long and crooked as the talons of the greatest birds.

At last we came to ourselves, and saw him sitting in the porch looking at us: when he had considered us well, he advanced towards us, and laying his hand upon me, he took me up by the nape of the neck, turned me round as a butcher would do a sheep's head; and, after having viewed me well, and perceiving me to be so lean that I had nothing but skin and bone, he let me go. He took up all the rest one by one, viewing them in the same manner: and the captain being the fattest, he held him with one hand, as I would do a sparrow, and thrusting a spit through him, kindled a great fire, and roasted him in his apartment for supper; which being done, he returned to the porch, where he lay and fell asleep, snoring louder than thunder: he slept thus till morning; for our parts, it was not possible for us to enjoy any rest, so that we passed the night in the most cruel fear that can be imagined. Day being come, the giant awaked, got up, went out, and left us in the palace. When we thought him at a distance, we broke the melancholy silence we had kept all night; and, every one grieving more than another, we made the palace resound with our complaints and groans. Though there were a great many of us, and we had but one enemy, we had not at first the presence of mind to think of delivering ourselves from him by his death. This enterprise, however, though hard to put in execution, was the only design we ought naturally to have formed. We thought upon several other things, but determined nothing; so that, submitting to what it should please God to order concerning us, we spent the day in running about the island for fruit and herbs to sustain our lives. When evening came, we sought for a place to lie in, but found none; so that we were forced, whether we would or not, to return to the palace.

The giant failed not to come back, and supped once more upon one of our companions; after which he slept and snored till day, and then went out and left us as formerly. Our condition was so very terrible, that some of my comrades designed to throw themselves into the sea, rather than die so strange a death; and those who were of this mind argued with the rest to follow their example. Upon this, one of the company answered, that we were forbidden to destroy ourselves; but, allowing it to be lawful, it was more reasonable to think of a way to rid ourselves of the barbarous tyrant who designed so cruel a death for us. Having thought of a project for that end, I communicated the same to my comrades, who approved it. Brethren, said I, you know there is a great deal of timber floating upon the coast; if you will be advised by me, let us make several floats of it that may carry us, and, when they are done, leave them there till we think fit to make use of them. In the mean time we will execute the design to deliver ourselves from the giant; and, if it succeed, we may stay here with patience till some ship pass by that may carry us out of this fatal island; but, if it happen to miscarry, we may speedily get to our floats, and put to sea. I confess, that, by exposing ourselves to the fury of the waves, we run a risk of losing our lives; but, if we do, is it not better to be buried in the sea than in the entrails of this monster, who has already devoured two of us? My advice was relished, and we made floats capable of carrying three persons each.

We returned to the palace towards evening, and the giant arrived a little while after. We were forced to submit to see a number of our comrades roasted; but at last revenged ourselves on the brutish giant thus. After he had made an end of his cursed supper, he lay down on his back, and fell asleep. As soon as we heard him snore[Footnote: It would seem the Arabian author has taken this story from Homer's Odyssey.] according to his custom, nine of the boldest among us, with myself, took each a spit, and putting the points of them into the fire till they were burning hot, we thrust them into his eye all at once, and blinded him. The pain occasioned him to make a frightful cry, and to get up and stretch out his hands, in order to sacrifice some of us to his rage; but we ran to such places as he could not find us; and, after having sought for us in vain, he groped for the gate, and went out howling dreadfully. We went out of the palace after the giant, and came to the shore, where we had left our floats, and put them immediately into the sea. We waited till day, in order to get upon them, in case the giant came towards us with any guide of his own species; but we hoped, if he did not appear by sun-rise, and give over his howling which we still heard, that he would die; and if that happened to be the case, we resolved to stay in the island, and not to risk our lives upon the floats. But day had scarcely appeared when we perceived our cruel enemy, accompanied with two others, almost of the same size, leading him; and a great number more coming before him with a very quick pace. When we saw this, we made no delay, but got immediately upon our floats, and rowed off from the shore. The giants, who perceived this, took up great stones, and running to the shore, entered the water up to the middle, and threw so exactly, that they sunk all the floats but that I was upon; and all my companions, except the two with me, were drowned. We rowed with all our might, and got out of the reach of the giants. When we got to sea, however, we were exposed to the mercy of the waves and the winds, tossed about sometimes on one side and sometimes on another, and spent that night and the following day under a cruel uncertainty as to our fate; but next morning we had the good luck to be thrown upon an island, where we landed with much joy. We found excellent fruit there that gave us great relief, so that we pretty well recovered our strength. In the evening we fell asleep on the bank of the sea, but were awaked by the noise of a serpent as long as a palmtree, whose scales made a rustling as he creeped along. He swallowed up one of my comrades, notwithstanding his loud cries, and the efforts he made to rid himself of the serpent; which, shaking him several times against the ground, crushed him, and we could hear him gnaw and tear the poor wretch's bones, when we had fled at a great distance from him. Next day we saw the serpent again, to our great terror, when I cried out, O Heaven, to what dangers are we exposed! We rejoiced yesterday at our having escaped from the cruelty of a giant, and the rage of the waves, and now are fallen into another danger equally as terrible.

As we walked about, we saw a large tall tree, upon which we intended to pass the following night for our security; and, having satisfied our hunger with fruit, we mounted it accordingly. A little while after, the serpent came hissing to the root of the tree, raised itself up against the trunk of it, and meeting with my comrade, who sat lower than I, swallowed him at once, and went off; I staid upon the tree till it was day, and then came down, more like a dead man than one alive, expecting the same fate with my two companions. This filled me with horror, so that I was going to throw myself into the sea; but as nature prompts us to a desire to live as long as we can, I withstood this temptation to despair, and submitted myself to the will of God, who disposes of our lives at pleasure.

In the mean time I gathered together a quantity of small wood, brambles, and dry thorns, and making them up into faggots, made a great circle with them round the tree, and tied some of them to the branches over my head. Having done this, when the evening came, I shut myself up within the circle, with this melancholy piece of satisfaction, that I had neglected nothing which could preserve me from the cruel destiny with which I was threatened. The serpent failed not to come at the usual hour, and went round the tree, seeking for an opportunity to devour me, but was prevented by the rampart I had made; so that he sat till day, like a cat watching in vain for a mouse, that has retired to a place of safety. When day appeared, he retired, but I dared not leave my fort until the sun rose. I was fatigued with the toil he had put me to, and suffered so much by his poisonous breath, that death seemed more eligible to me than the horror of such a condition. I came down from the tree and, not thinking on the resignation I had made to the will of God the preceding day, I ran towards the sea with a design to throw myself headlong into it. God took compassion on my desperate state; for, just as I was going to throw myself, into the sea, I perceived a ship at a considerable distance. I called as loud as I could, and taking the linen from my turban, displayed it so as they might observe me. This had the desired effect; the crew perceived me, and the captain sent me his boat. As soon as I came on board, the merchants and seamen flocked about me to learn how I came into that desert island; and after I had told them all that befell me, the oldest among them said to me, they had several times heard of the giants that dwelt in that island; that they were cannibals, and ate men raw as well as roasted. As to the serpents, they added, that there were abundance in the isle, that they hid themselves by day, and came abroad at night.

After having testified their joy at my escaping so many dangers, they brought me the best of what they had to eat; and the captain, seeing that I was in rags, was so generous as to give me one of his own suits. We were at sea for some time, touched at several islands, and at last landed at that of Salabat, where grows sanders, a wood of great use in physic. We entered the port, and came to anchor. The merchants began to unload their goods, in order to sell or exchange them. In the meantime the captain came to me, and said, Brother, I have here a parcel of goods that belonged to a merchant, who sailed some time on board this ship; and he being dead, I design to dispose of them for the benefit of his heirs, when I know them. The bales he spoke of lay on the deck; and showing them to me, he says, There are the goods; I hope you will take care to sell them, and you shall have factorage. I thanked him for giving me an opportunity to employ myself, because I hated to be idle. The clerk of the ship took an account of all the bales, with the names of the merchants to whom they belonged; and when he asked the captain in whose name he should enter those he gave me the charge of, Enter them, says the captain, in the name of Sindbad the sailor. I could not hear myself named without some emotion; and looking steadfastly on the captain, I knew him to be the person who, in my second voyage, had left me in the island, where I fell asleep by a brook, and set sail without me, or sending to see for me. But I could not remember him at first, he being so much altered since I saw him. As for him, who believed me to be dead, I could not wonder at his not knowing me. But captain, says I, was the merchant's name, to whom those bales belonged, Sindbad? Yes, replies he, that was his name; he came from Bagdad, and embarked on board my ship at Balsora. One day when we landed at an island to take in water and other refreshments, I know not by what mistake, I set sail without observing that he did not re- embark with us; neither I nor the merchants perceived it till four hours after. We had the wind in our stern, and so fresh a gale, that it was not then possible for us to tack about for him. You believe him then to be dead, said I? Certainly answered he. No, captain, said I; look upon me, and you may know that I am Sindbad, whom you left in the desert island: I fell asleep by a brook, and, when I awaked, I found all the company gone. At these words the captain looked steadfastly upon me; and, having considered me attentively, knew me at last, embraced me, and said, God be praised that fortune has supplied my defect. There are your goods, which I always took care to preserve, and to make the best of them at every port where I touched. I restore them to you, with the profit I have made on them. I took them from him, and at the same time acknowledged how much I owed to him.

From the isle of Salabat we went to another, where I furnished myself with cloves, cinnamon, and other spices. As we sailed from the island, we saw a tortoise that was twenty cubits in length and breadth. We observed also a fish which looked like a crow, and gave milk, and its skin is so hard that they usually make bucklers of it. I saw another which had the shape and colour of a camel. In short, after a long voyage, I arrived at Balsora, and from thence returned to this city of Bagdad, with so great riches, that I knew not what I had. I gave a great deal to the poor, and added another great estate to those I had already.

Thus Sindbad finished the history of his third voyage; gave another hundred sequins to Hindbad, and invited him to dinner next day, to hear the history of his fourth voyage. Hindbad and the company retired: and next day when they returned, Sindbad, after dinner, continued the relation of his adventures.

The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor.

The pleasure, says he, and the divertisements I took after my third voyage, had not charms enough to divert me from another. I was again prevailed upon by my passion for traffic, and curiosity to see new things. I therefore put my affairs in order, and having provided a stock of goods fit for the places I designed to trade, I set out on my journey. I took the way of Persia, of which I travelled several provinces, and then arrived at a port, where I embarked. We set sail, and having touched at several ports of Terra Firma, and some of the eastern islands, we put out to sea, and were seized by such a sudden gust of wind, as obliged the captain to furl his sails, and to take all other necessary precautions, to prevent the danger that threatened us; but all was in vain; our endeavours took no effect; the sails were torn in a thousand pieces, and the ship was stranded, so that a great many of the merchants and seamen were drowned, and the cargo lost. I had the good fortune, with several of the merchants and mariners, to get a plank, and we were carried by the current to an island which lay before us. There we found fruit and fountain water, which preserved our lives. We staid all night near the place where the sea cast us ashore, without consulting what we should do, our misfortune having dispirited us so much.

Next morning, as soon as, the sun was up, we walked from the shore, and, advancing into the island, saw some houses to which we went; and as soon as we came thither, we were encompassed by a great number of blacks, who seized us, shared us amongst them, and carried us to their respective habitations. I, and five of my comrades, were carried to one place: they made us sit down immediately, and gave us a certain herb, which they made signs for us to eat. My comrades, not taking notice that the blacks ate none of it themselves, consulted only the satisfying their own hunger, and fell to eating with greediness. But I, suspecting some trick, would not so much as taste it, which happened well for me; for in a little time after I perceived my companions had lost their senses, and that when they spoke to me, they knew not what they said. The blacks filled us afterwards with rice, prepared with oil of cocoas; and my comrades, who had lost their reason, ate of it greedily. I ate of it also, but very sparingly. The blacks gave us that herb at first on purpose to deprive us of our senses, that we might not be aware of the sad destiny prepared for us; and they gave us rice on purpose to fatten us; for, being cannibals, their design was to eat us as soon as we grew fat. They accordingly ate my comrades, who were not sensible of their condition; but my senses being entire, you may easily guess, gentlemen, that instead of growing fat, like the rest, I grew leaner every day. The fear of death, under which I laboured, turned all my food into poison. I fell into a languishing distemper, which proved my safety; for the blacks having killed and eaten my companions, seeing me to be withered, lean, and sick, deferred my death till another time.

Meanwhile I had a great deal of liberty, so that there was scarcely any notice taken of what I did; and this gave me an opportunity one day to get at a distance from the houses, and to make my escape. An old man who saw me, and suspected my design, called to me as loud as he could to return; but, instead of obeying him, I redoubled my pace, and, quickly got out of sight. At that time there was none but an old man about the houses, the rest being abroad, and not to come home till night, which was pretty usual with them. Therefore, being sure that they could not come time enough to pursue me, I went on till night, when I stopped to rest a little, and to eat some of the provisions I had taken care of; but I speedily set forward again, and travelled seven days, avoiding those places which seemed to be inhabited, and lived for the most part upon cocoa nuts, which served me both for meat and drink. On the eighth day I came near the sea, and saw all of a sudden white people like myself gathering pepper, of which there was great plenty in that place; this I took to be a good omen, and went to them without any scruple. The people who gathered pepper came to meet me, and, as soon as they saw me, asked me in Arabic, who I was, and whence I came? I was overjoyed to hear them speak in my own language, and willingly satisfied their curiosity by giving them an account of my shipwreck, and how I fell into the hands of the blacks. Those blacks, replied they, eat men; but by what miracle did you escape their cruelty? I told them the same story I now told you, at which they were wonderfully surprised. I staid with them till they had gathered their quantity of pepper, and then sailed with them to the island from whence they came. They presented me to their king, who was a good prince: He had the patience to hear the relation of my adventures, which surprised him; and he afterwards gave me clothes, and commanded care to be taken of me. The island was very well peopled, plentiful of everything, and the capital was a place of great trade. This agreeable place of retreat was very comfortable to me after my misfortune, and the kindness of this generous prince towards me completed my satisfaction. In a word, there was not a person more in favour with him than myself, and by consequence every man in court and city sought how to oblige me; so that in a very little time I was looked upon rather as a native than a stranger. I observed one thing which to me appeared very extraordinary; all the people, the king himself not excepted, rode their horses without bridles or stirrups. This made me one day take the liberty to ask the king how that came to pass. His majesty answered, that I talked to him of things which nobody knew the use of in his dominions. I went immediately to a workman, and gave him a model for making the stock of a saddle. When that was done, I covered it myself with velvet and leather, and embroidered it with gold. I afterwards went to a locksmith, who made me a bridle according to the pattern I showed him, and then he also made me some stirrups. When I had all things completed, I presented them to the king, and put them upon one of his horses. His majesty mounted immediately, and was so mightily pleased with them, that he testified his satisfaction by large presents to me. I could not avoid making several others for his ministers and principal officers of his household, who all of them made me presents that enriched me in a little time. I also made for the people of quality in the city, so that I gained great reputation and regard from everybody.

As I made my court very exactly to the king, he says to me one day, Sindbad, I love thee; and all my subjects, who know thee, treat thee according to my example. I have one thing to demand of thee, which thou must grant. Sir, answered I, there is nothing but what I will do as a mark of my obedience to your majesty, whose power over me is absolute. I have a mind thou shouldst marry, replies he, that thou mayst stay in my dominions, and think no more of thy own country. I dared not resist the prince's will, and he gave me one of the ladies of his court, a noble, beautiful, chaste, and rich lady. The ceremonies of marriage being over, I went and dwelt with the lady, and for some time we lived in perfect harmony. I was not, however, very well satisfied with my condition, and therefore designed to make my escape on the first occasion, and to return to Bagdad, winch my present establishment, however advantageous, could not make me forget. While I was thinking on this, the wife of one of my neighbours, with whom I had contracted a very strict friendship, fell sick and died. I went to see and comfort him in his affliction; and finding him swallowed up with sorrow, I said to him as soon as I saw him, God preserve you, and grant you a long life. Alas! replies he, how do you think I should obtain that favour you wish me? I have not above an hour to live. Pray, says I, do not entertain such a melancholy thought; I hope it will not be so, but that I shall enjoy your company for many years. I wish you, says he, a long life; but for me, my days are at an end, for I must be buried this day with my wife. This is a law which our ancestors established in this land, and always observed it inviolably. The living husband is interred with the dead wife, and the living wife with the dead husband. Nothing can save me; every one must submit to this law. While he was entertaining me with an account of this barbarous custom, the very hearing of which frightened me cruelly, his kindred, friends, and neighbours, came in a body to assist at the funeral. They put on the corpse the woman's richest apparel, as if it had been her wedding-day, and dressed her with all her jewels; then they put her into an open coffin, and, lifting it up, began their march to the place of burial. The husband walked at the head of the company, and followed the corpse. They went up to an high mountain, and, when they came thither, took up a great stone, which covered the mouth of a very deep pit, and let down the corpse with all its apparel and jewels. Then the husband, embracing his kindred and friends, suffered himself to be put into another open coffin without resistance, with a pot of water and seven little loaves, and was let down in the same manner as his wife. The mountain was pretty long, and reached to the sea. The ceremony being ever, they covered the hole again with the stone, and returned.

It is needless, gentlemen, for me to tell you that I was the only melancholy spectator of this funeral; whereas the rest were scarcely moved at it, the thing being customary to them. I could not forbear speaking my thoughts of this matter to the king: Sir, says I, I cannot enough admire the strange custom in this country of burying the living with the dead. I have been a great traveller, and seen many countries, but never heard of so cruel a law. What do you mean, Sindbad? says the king; it is a common law. I shall be interred with the queen my wife, if she die first. But, sir, says I, may I presume to demand of your majesty, if strangers be obliged to observe this law? Without doubt, replies the king, (smiling at the occasion of my question,) they are not exempted, if they be married in this island. I went home very melancholy at this answer, from fear of my wife dying first, and lest I should be interred alive with her, which occasioned me very mortifying reflections. But there was no remedy; I must have patience, and submit to the will of God. I trembled, however, at every little indisposition of my wife: but, alas! in a little time my fears came upon me all at once; for she fell sick, and died in a few days. You may judge of my sorrow: to be interred alive seemed to me as deplorable an end as to be devoured by cannibals. But I must submit; the king and all his court would honour the funeral with their presence, and the most considerable people of the city would do the like. When all was ready for the ceremony, the corpse was put into a coffin, with all the jewels and magnificent apparel. The cavalcade was begun; and, as second actor in this doleful tragedy, I went next the corpse, with my eyes full of tears, bewailing my deplorable fate. Before I came to the mountain, I made an essay on the minds of the spectators; I addressed myself to the king in the first place, and then to all those who were round me, and, bowing before them to the earth to kiss the border of their garments, I prayed them to have compassion upon me. Consider, said I, that I am a stranger, and ought not to be subject to this rigorous law, and that I have another wife and children in my own country[Footnote: He was a Mahometan, and this sect allows polygamy.]. It was to no purpose for me to speak thus, for no soul was moved at it; on the contrary, they made haste to let down my wife's corpse into the pit, and put me down the next moment in an open coffin, with a vessel full of water, and seven loaves. In short, the fatal ceremony being performed, they covered up the mouth of the pit, notwithstanding the excess of my grief, and my lamentable cries. As I came near the bottom, I discovered, by help of the little light that came from above, the nature of this subterraneous place; it was a vast long cave, and might be about fifty fathoms deep. I immediately felt an insufferable stench, proceeding from the multitude of dead corpses which I saw on the right and left; nay, I fancied that I heard some of them sigh out their last. However, when I got down, I immediately left my coffin, and getting at a distance from the corpse, held my nose, and lay down upon the ground, where I staid a long time, bathed in tears. Then reflecting upon my sad lot, It is true, said I, that God disposes all things according to the decrees of his providence; but, poor Sindbad, art not thou thyself the cause of being brought to die so strange a death? Would to God thou hadst perished in some of those tempests which thou hast escaped; then thy death would not have been so lingering and terrible in all its circumstances. But thou hast drawn all this upon thyself by thy cursed avarice. Ah, unfortunate wretch! shouldst thou not rather have staid at home, and quietly enjoyed the fruits of thy labour?

Such were the vain complaints with which I made the cave to echo, beating my head and stomach out of rage and despair, and abandoning myself to the most afflicting thoughts. Nevertheless, I must tell you, that instead of calling death to my assistance in that miserable condition, I felt still an inclination to live, and to do all I could to prolong my days. I went groping about, with my nose stopped, for the bread and water that was in my coffin, and took some of it. Though the darkness of the cave was so great that I could not distinguish day and night, yet I always found my coffin again, and the cave seemed to be more spacious and fuller of corpses than it appeared to be at first. I lived for some days upon my bread and water; which being all spent, at last I prepared for death. As I was thinking of death, I heard the stone lifted from the mouth of the cave, and immediately the corpse of a man was let down. When men are reduced to necessity, it is natural for them to come to extreme resolutions. While they let down the woman, I approached the place where her coffin was to be put, and as soon as I perceived they were covering the mouth of the cave, I gave the unfortunate wretch two or three great blows over the head with a large bone that I found; which stunned, or, to say the truth, killed her. I committed this horrid action merely for the sake of the bread and water that were in her coffin, and thus I had provisions for some days more. When that was spent, they let down another dead woman, and a living man; I killed the man in the same manner; and, as good luck would have it for me, there was then a sort of mortality in the town, so that by this means I did not want for provisions.

One day, as I had despatched another woman, I heard something walking, and blowing or panting as it walked. I advanced towards that side from whence I heard the noise, and, upon my approach, the thing puffed and blew harder, as if it had been running away from me. I followed the noise, and the thing seemed to stop sometimes, but always fled and blew as I approached. I followed it so long and so far, that at last I perceived a light resembling a star: I went on towards the light, and sometimes lost sight of it, but always found it again; and at last discovered that it came through a hole in the rock, large enough for a man to get out at. Upon this, I stopped for some time to rest myself, being much fatigued with pursuing this discovery so fast: Afterwards coming up to the hole, I went out at it, and found my self upon the banks of the sea. I leave you to guess at the excess of my joy; it was such, that I could scarcely persuade myself of its being real. But when I recovered from my surprise, and was convinced of the truth of the matter, I found the thing which I had followed, and heard puff and blow, to be a creature which came out of the sea, and was accustomed to enter at that hole to feed upon the dead carcases. I considered the mountain, and perceived it to be situate betwixt the sea and the town, but without any passage or way to communicate with the latter, the rocks on the side of the sea being rugged and steep. I fell down upon the shore to thank God for his mercy, and afterwards entered the cave again to fetch bread and water, which I did by daylight, with a better appetite than I had done since my interment in the dark hole. I returned thither again, and groped about among the biers for all the diamonds, rubies, pearls, gold, bracelets, and rich stuffs I could find; these I brought to the shore, and tying them up neatly into bales with the cords that let down the coffins, I laid them together upon the bank, waiting till some ship passed by, without any fear of rain, for it was not then the season. After two or three days, I perceived a ship that had but just come out of the harbour, and passed near the place where I was. I made signs with the linen of my turban, and called to them as loud as I could: they heard me, and sent a boat to bring me on board. When the mariners asked by what misfortune I came thither, I told them that I suffered shipwreck two days ago, and made shift to get ashore with the goods they saw. It was happy for me that these people did not consider the place where I was, nor inquire into the probability of what I told them, but, without any more ado, took me on board with my goods. When I came to the ship, the captain was so well pleased to have saved me, and so much taken up with his own affairs, that he also took the story of my pretended shipwreck upon trust, and generously refused some jewels which I offered him.

We passed by several islands, and, among others, that called the isle of Bells, about ten days sail from Serendib, with a regular wind, and six from that of Kela, where we landed. This island produces lead mines, Indian canes, and excellent camphire. The king of the isle of Kela is very rich and potent, and the isle of Bells[Footnote: Now Ceylon.], which is about two days journey in extent, is also subject to him. The inhabitants are so barbarous, that they still eat human flesh. After we had finished our commerce in that island, we put to sea again, and touched at several other ports, and at last arrived happily at Bagdad with infinite riches, of which it is needless to trouble you with the detail. Out of thankfulness to God for his mercies, I gave great alms for the entertainment of several mosques, and for the subsistence of the poor, and employed myself wholly in enjoying my kindred and friends, making good cheer with them.

Here Sindbad finished the relation of his fourth voyage, which was more surprising to the company than all the three former. He gave a new present of a hundred sequins to Hindbad, whom he prayed to return next day at the same hour to dine with him, and to hear the story of his fifth voyage. Hindbad and the rest of his guests took leave of him, and retired. Next day, when all met, they sat down at table; and when dinner was over, Sindbad began the relation of his fifth voyage.

The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor.