our goods. One day, whilst under sail, we were becalmed near a small
island, but little elevated above the level of the water, and resembling
a green meadow. The captain ordered his sails to be furled, and
permitted such persons as were so inclined to land; of which number I
was one.
"But while we were enjoying ourselves in eating and drinking, and
recovering ourselves from the fatigue of the sea, the island on a sudden
trembled, and shook us terribly.
"The motion was perceived on board the ship, and we were called upon to
re-embark speedily, or we should all be lost; for what we took for an
island proved to be the back of a sea monster. The nimblest got into the
sloop, others betook themselves to swimming; but for myself, I was still
upon the back of the creature when he dived into the sea, and I had time
only to catch hold of a piece of wood that we had brought out of the
ship. Meanwhile, the captain, having received those on board who were in
the sloop, and taken up some of those that swam, resolved to improve the
favourable gale that had just risen, and hoisting his sails, pursued his
voyage, so that it was impossible for me to recover the ship.
"Thus was I exposed to the mercy of the waves all the rest of the day
and the following night. By this time I found my strength gone, and
despaired of saving my life, when happily a wave threw me against an
island. The bank was high and rugged; so that I could scarcely have got
up, had it not been for some roots of trees, which chance placed within
reach. Having gained the land, I lay down upon the ground half dead,
until the sun appeared. Then, though I was very feeble, both from hard
labour and want of food, I crept along to find some herbs fit to eat,
and had the good luck not only to procure some, but likewise to discover
a spring of excellent water, which contributed much to recover me. After
this I advanced farther into the island, and at last reached a fine
plain, where at a great distance I perceived some horses feeding. I went
toward them, and as I approached heard the voice of a man, who
immediately appeared, and asked me who I was. I related to him my
adventure, after which, taking me by the hand, he led me into a cave,
where there were several other people, no less amazed to see me than I
was to see them.
"I partook of some provisions which they offered me. I then asked them
what they did in such a desert place, to which they answered, that they
were grooms belonging to the Maha-raja, sovereign of the island, and
that every year, at the same season they brought thither the king's
horses for pasturage. They added, that they were to return home on the
morrow, and had I been one day later, I must have perished, because the
inhabited part of the island was at a great distance, and it would have
been impossible for me to have got thither without a guide.
"Next morning they returned to the capital of the island, took me with
them, and presented me to the Maha-raja. He asked me who I was, and by
what adventure I had come into his dominions. After I had satisfied him,
he told me he was much concerned for my misfortune, and at the same time
ordered that I should want nothing; which commands his officers were so
generous as to see exactly fulfilled.
"Being a merchant, I frequented men of my own profession, and
particularly inquired for those who were strangers, that perchance I
might hear news from Bagdad, or find an opportunity to return. They put
a thousand questions respecting my country; and I, being willing to
inform myself as to their laws and customs, asked them concerning
everything which I thought worth knowing.
"There belongs to this king an island named Cassel. They assured me that
every night a noise of drums was heard there, whence the mariners
fancied that it was the residence of Degial. I determined to visit this
wonderful place, and in my way thither saw fishes of one hundred and two
hundred cubits long, that occasion more fear than hurt, for they are so
timorous, that they will fly upon the rattling of two sticks or boards.
I saw likewise other fish about a cubit in length, that had heads like
owls.
"As I was one day at the port after my return, a ship arrived, and as
soon as she cast anchor, they began to unload her, and the merchants on
board ordered their goods to be carried into the custom-house. As I cast
my eye upon some bales, and looked to the name, I found my own, and
perceived the bales to be the same that I had embarked at Bussorah. I
also knew the captain; but being persuaded that he believed me to be
drowned, I went, and asked him whose bales these were. He replied that
they belonged to a merchant of Bagdad, called Sinbad, who came to sea
with him; but had unfortunately perished on the voyage, and that he had
resolved to trade with the bales, until he met with some of his family,
to whom he might return the profit. 'I am that Sinbad,' said I, 'whom
you thought to be dead, and those bales are mine.'
"When the captain heard me speak thus, 'Heavens!' he exclaimed, 'whom
can we trust in these times? There is no faith left among men. I saw
Sinbad perish with my own eyes, as did also the passengers on board, and
yet you tell me you are that Sinbad. What impudence is this? You tell a
horrible falsehood, in order to possess yourself of what does not
belong to you.' 'Have patience,' replied I; 'do me the favour to hear
what I have to say.' Then I told him how I had escaped, and by what
adventure I met with the grooms of the Maha-raja, who had brought me to
his court.
"The captain was at length persuaded that I was no cheat; for there came
people from his ship who knew me, and expressed much joy at seeing me
alive. At last he recollected me himself, and embracing me, 'Heaven be
praised,' said he, 'for your happy escape. I cannot express the joy it
affords me; there are your goods, take and do with them as you please.'
I thanked him, acknowledged his probity, and offered him part of my
goods as a present, which he generously refused.
"I took out what was most valuable in my bales, and presented them to
the Maha-raja, who, knowing my misfortune, asked me how I came by such
rarities. I acquainted him with the circumstance of their recovery. He
was pleased at my good luck, accepted my present, and in return gave me
one much more considerable. Upon this, I took leave of him, and went
aboard the same ship, after I had exchanged my goods for the commodities
of that country. I carried with me wood of aloes, sandal, camphire,
nutmegs, cloves, pepper, and ginger. We passed by several islands, and
at last arrived at Bussorah, from whence I came to this city, with the
value of one hundred thousand sequins. My family and I received one
another with sincere affection. I bought slaves and a landed estate, and
built a magnificent house. Thus I settled myself, resolving to forget
the miseries I had suffered, and to enjoy the pleasures of life."
Sinbad stopped here, and ordered the musicians to proceed with their
concert, which the story had interrupted. The company continued enjoying
themselves till the evening, when Sinbad sent for a purse of a hundred
sequins, and giving it to the porter, said: "Take this, Hindbad, return
to your home, and come back to-morrow to hear more of my adventures."
The porter went away, astonished at the honour done, and the present
made him. The account of this adventure proved very agreeable to his
wife and children, who did not fail to return thanks to God for what
providence had sent them by the hand of Sinbad.
Hindbad put on his best apparel next day, and returned to the bountiful
traveller, who welcomed him heartily. When all the guests had arrived,
dinner was served. When it was ended, Sinbad, addressing himself to the
company, said, "Gentlemen, be pleased to listen to the adventures of my
second voyage; they deserve your attention even more than those of the
first." Upon this every one held his peace, and Sinbad proceeded.
THE SECOND VOYAGE
"I designed, after my first voyage, to spend the rest of my days at
Bagdad, but it was not long ere I grew weary of an indolent life. My
inclination to trade revived. I bought goods proper for the commerce I
intended, and put to sea a second time with merchants of known probity.
We embarked on board a good ship, and after recommending ourselves to
God, set sail. We traded from island to island, and exchanged
commodities with great profit. One day we landed on an island covered
with several sorts of fruit-trees, but we could see neither man nor
animal. We went to take a little fresh air in the meadows, along the
streams that watered them. Whilst some diverted themselves with
gathering flowers, and others fruits, I took my wine and provisions, and
sat down near a stream betwixt two high trees which formed a thick
shade. I made a good meal, and afterward fell asleep. I cannot tell how
long I slept, but when I awoke the ship was gone.
"I got up and looked around me, but could not see one of the merchants
who landed with me. I perceived the ship under sail, but at such a
distance, that I lost sight of her in a short time.
"In this sad condition, I was ready to die with grief. I cried out in
agony, and threw myself upon the ground, where I lay some time in
despair. I upbraided myself a hundred times for not being content with
the produce of my first voyage, that might have sufficed me all my life.
But all this was in vain, and my repentance came too late.
"At last I resigned myself to the will of God. Not knowing what to do, I
climbed up to the top of a lofty tree, from whence I looked about on all
sides, to see if I could discover anything that could give me hopes.
When I gazed toward the sea I could see nothing but sky and water; but
looking over the land I beheld something white; and coming down, I took
what provision I had left, and went toward it, the distance being so
great that I could not distinguish what it was.
"As I approached, I thought it to be a white dome, of a prodigious
height and extent; and when I came up to it, I touched it, and found it
to be very smooth. I went round to see if it was open on any side, but
saw that it was not, and that there was no climbing up to the top, as it
was so smooth. It was at least fifty paces round.
"By this time the sun was about 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 a monstrous size, that came flying toward me. I
remembered that I had often heard mariners speak of a miraculous bird
called the roc, and conceived that the great dome which I so much
admired must be its egg. As I perceived the roc coming, I crept close to
the egg, so that I had before me one of the bird's legs, which was as
big as the trunk of a tree. I tied myself strongly to it with my turban,
in hopes that next morning she would carry me with her out of this
desert island. After having passed the night in this condition, the bird
flew away as soon as it was daylight, and carried me so high, that I
could not discern the earth; she afterward descended with so much
rapidity that I lost my senses. But when I found myself on the ground, I
speedily untied the knot, and had scarcely done so, when the roc, having
taken up a serpent of a monstrous length in her bill, flew away.
"The spot where she left me was encompassed on all sides by mountains,
that seemed to reach above the clouds, and so steep that there was no
possibility of getting out of the valley. This was a new perplexity: so
that when I compared this place with the desert island from which the
roc had brought me I found that I had gained nothing by the change.
"As I walked through this valley, I perceived it was strewed with
diamonds, some of which were of a surprising bigness. I took pleasure in
looking upon them; but shortly saw at a distance such objects as greatly
diminished my satisfaction, namely, a great number of serpents, so
monstrous, that the least of them was capable of swallowing an elephant.
They retired in the daytime to their dens, where they hid themselves
from the roc, their enemy, and came out only in the night.
"I spent the day in walking about in the valley, resting myself at times
in such places as I thought most convenient. When night came on, I went
into a cave, where I thought I might repose in safety. I secured the
entrance with a great stone to preserve me from the serpents; but not so
far as to exclude the light. I supped on part of my provisions, but the
serpents, which began hissing round me, put me into such extreme fear,
that I could not sleep. When day appeared, the serpents retired, and I
came out of the cave trembling. I can justly say, that I walked upon
diamonds, without feeling any inclination to touch them. At last I sat
down, and notwithstanding my apprehensions, not having closed my eyes
during the night, fell asleep, after having eaten a little more of my
provision. But I had scarcely shut my eyes, when something that fell by
me with a great noise awaked me. This was a large piece of raw meat; and
at the same time I saw several others fall down from the rocks in
different places.
"I had always regarded as fabulous what I had heard sailors and others
relate of the valley of diamonds, and of the stratagems employed by
merchants to obtain jewels from thence; but now I found that they had
stated nothing but truth. For the fact is, that the merchants come to
the neighbourhood of this valley when the eagles have young ones; and,
throwing great joints of meat into the valley, the diamonds upon whose
points they fall stick to them; the eagles, which are stronger in this
country than anywhere else, pounce with great force upon those pieces of
meat, and carry them to their nests on the rocks to feed their young;
the merchants at this time run to the nests, drive off the eagles by
their shouts, and take away the diamonds that stick to the meat.
"Until I perceived the device I had concluded it to be impossible for me
to leave this abyss, which I regarded as my grave; but now I changed my
opinion, and began to think upon the means of my deliverance. I began to
collect the largest diamonds I could find, and put them into the leather
bag in which I used to carry my provisions. I afterward took the
largest of the pieces of meat, 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 made fast to my girdle.
"I had scarcely placed myself in this posture 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 to which I was fastened, carried me to his
nest on the top of the mountain. The merchants immediately began their
shouting to frighten the eagles; and when they had obliged them to quit
their prey, one of them came to the nest where I was. He was much
alarmed when he saw me; but recovering himself, instead of inquiring how
I came thither, 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 be uneasy, I have diamonds enough for you and myself,
more than all the other merchants together. What ever they have, they
owe to chance, but I selected for myself in the bottom of the valley
those which you see in this bag.' I had scarcely done speaking, when the
other merchants came crowding about us, much astonished to see me; but
they were much more surprised when I told them my story.
"They conducted me to their encampment, and there having opened my bag,
they were surprised at the largeness of my diamonds, and confessed that
in all the courts which they had visited they had never seen any of such
size and perfection. I prayed the merchant who owned the nest to which I
had been carried (for every merchant had his own), to take as many for
his share as he pleased. He contented himself with one, and that the
least of them; and when I pressed him to take more, 'No,' said he, 'I am
very well satisfied with this, which is valuable enough to save me the
trouble of making any more voyages, and will raise as great a fortune as
I desire.'
"I spent the night with the merchants, to whom I related 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 in a dream, and could scarcely believe
myself 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 the next morning and travelled
near high mountains, where there were serpents of a prodigious length,
which we had the good fortune to escape. We took shipping at the first
port we reached, and touched at the isle of Roha, where the trees grow
that yield camphire. This tree is so large, and its branches so thick,
that one hundred men may easily sit under its shade. The juice of which
the camphire is made exudes from a hole bored in the upper part of the
tree, is received in a vessel, where it thickens to a consistency, and
becomes what we call camphire; after the juice is thus drawn out, the
tree withers and dies.
"In this island is also found the rhinoceros, an animal less than the
elephant, but larger than the buffalo. It has a horn upon its nose,
about a cubit in length; this horn is solid, and cleft through the
middle. 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 then, strange to relate! the roc comes and carries them
both away in her claws, for food for her young ones.
"In this island I exchanged some of my diamonds for merchandise. From
hence we went to other ports, and at last, having touched at several
trading towns of the continent, we landed at Bussorah, from whence I
proceeded to Bagdad. There I immediately gave large presents to the
poor, and lived honourably upon the vast riches I had gained with so
much fatigue."
[Illustration]
_The spot where she left me was encompassed on all sides by mountains
that seemed to reach above the clouds, and so steep that there was no
possibility of getting out of the valley._
Thus Sinbad ended his relation, gave Hindbad another hundred sequins,
and invited him to come the next day to hear the account of the third
voyage.
THE THIRD VOYAGE
"I soon lost the remembrance of the perils I had encountered in my two
former voyages," said Sinbad, "and being in the flower of my age, I grew
weary of living without business, and went from Bagdad to Bussorah with
the richest commodities of the country. There I embarked again with some
merchants. We made a long voyage and touched at several ports, where we
carried on a considerable trade. One day, being out in the main ocean,
we were overtaken by a dreadful tempest, which drove us from 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. 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 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.
"We soon found that what he had told us was but too true; an innumerable
multitude of frightful savages, about two feet high, covered all over
with red hair, came swimming towards us, and encompassed our ship. They
spoke to us as they came near, but we understood not their language and
they climbed up the sides of the ship with such agility as surprised us.
They took down our sails, cut the cables, and hauling to the shore, made
us all get out, and afterward carried the ship into another island, from
whence they had come.
"We went forward into the island, where we gathered some fruits and
herbs to prolong our lives as long as we could; but we expected nothing
but death. As we advanced, we perceived at a distance a vast pile of
buildings, and made toward it. We found it to be a palace, elegantly
built, and very lofty, with a gate of ebony, which we forced open. We
entered the court, where we saw before us a large apartment, with a
porch, having on one side a heap of human bones, and on the other a vast
number of roasting spits. We trembled at this spectacle, and being
fatigued with travelling, fell to the ground, seized with deadly
apprehension, and lay a long time motionless.
"The sun set, the gate of the apartment opened with a loud crash, and
there came out the horrible figure of a black man, as tall as a lofty
palm-tree. He had but one eye, and that in the middle of his forehead,
where it looked as red as a burning coal. His fore-teeth were very long
and sharp, and stood out of his mouth, which was as deep as 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 the sight of so
frightful a giant we became insensible, and lay like dead men.
"At last we came to ourselves, and saw him sitting in the porch looking
at us. When he had considered us well, he advanced toward us, and laying
his hand upon me, took me up by the nape of my neck, and turned me round
as a butcher would do a sheep's head. After having examined me, 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, and viewed them in the same
manner. The captain being the fattest, he held him with one hand, as I
would do a sparrow, and thrust a spit through him; he then kindled a
great fire, roasted, and ate him in his apartment for his supper. Having
finished his repast, he returned to his porch, where he lay and fell
asleep, snoring louder than thunder. He slept thus till morning. As to
ourselves, it was not possible for us to enjoy any rest, so that we
passed the night in the most painful apprehension that can be imagined.
When day appeared the giant awoke, got up, went out, and left us in the
palace.
"When we thought him at a distance, we broke the melancholy silence we
had preserved the whole of the night, and filled the palace with our
lamentations and groans.
"We spent the day in traversing the island, supporting ourselves with
fruits and herbs as we had done the day before. In the evening we sought
for some place of shelter, but found none; so that we were forced,
whether we would or not, to go back to the palace.
"The giant failed not to return, 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 before. Our situation appeared to us so dreadful that
several of my comrades designed to throw themselves into the sea, rather
than die so painful a death, upon which one of the company answered that
it would be much more reasonable to devise some method to rid ourselves
of the monster.
"Having thought of a project for this purpose, I communicated it to my
comrades, who approved it. 'Brethren,' said I, 'you know there is much
timber floating upon the coast; if you will be advised by me, let us
make several rafts capable of bearing us. In the meantime, we will
carry out the design I proposed to you for our deliverance from the
giant, and if it succeed, we may remain here patiently awaiting the
arrival of some ship; but if it happen to miscarry, we will take to our
rafts and put to sea.' My advice was approved, and we made rafts capable
of carrying three persons on each.