the first place we touched at was a desert island, where we found
an egg of a roc, equal in size to that I formerly mentioned. There
was a young roc in it, just ready to be hatched, and its beak had
begun to break the egg. The merchants who landed with me broke the
egg with hatchets, and made a hole in it, pulled out the young
roc, piecemeal, and roasted it. I had in vain entreated them not
to meddle with the egg.
Scarcely had they finished their repast, When there appeared in
the air, at a considerable distance, two great clouds. The captain
of my ship, knowing by experience what they meant, said they were
the male and female parents of the roc, and pressed us to re-
embark with all speed, to prevent the misfortune which he saw
would otherwise befall us.
The two rocs approached with a frightful noise, which they
redoubled when they saw the egg broken and their young one gone.
They flew back in the direction they had come, and disappeared for
some time, while we made all the sail we could to endeavor to
prevent that which unhappily befell us.
They soon returned, and we observed that each of them carried
between its talons an enormous rock. When they came directly over
my ship, they hovered, and one of them let go his rock; but by the
dexterity of the steersman it missed us, and fell into the sea.
The other so exactly hit the middle of the ship as to split it
into pieces. The mariners and passengers were all crushed to
death, or fell into the sea. I myself was of the number of the
latter; but, as I came up again, I fortunately caught hold of a
piece of the wreck, and swimming, sometimes with one hand and
sometimes with the other, but always holding fast the plank, the
wind and the tide favoring me, I came to an island, and got safely
ashore.
I sat down upon the grass, to recover myself from my fatigue,
after which I went into the island to explore it. It seemed to be
a delicious garden. I found trees everywhere, some of them bearing
green and others ripe fruits, and streams of fresh pure water. I
ate of the fruits, which I found excellent; and drank of the
water, which was very light and good.
When I was a little advanced into the island, I saw an old man,
who appeared very weak and infirm. He was sitting on the bank of a
stream, and at first I took him to be one who had been shipwrecked
like myself. I went toward him and saluted him, but he only
slightly bowed his head. I asked him why he sat so still; but
instead of answering me, he made a sign for me to take him upon my
back, and carry him over the brook.
I believed him really to stand in need of my assistance, took him
upon my back, and having carried him over, bade him get down, and
for that end stooped, that he might get off with ease; but instead
of doing so (which I laugh at every time I think of it), the old
man, who to me appeared quite decrepit, threw his legs nimbly
about my neck. He sat astride upon my shoulders, and held my
throat so tight that I thought he would have strangled me, and I
fainted away.
Notwithstanding my fainting, the ill-natured old fellow still kept
his seat upon my neck. When I had recovered my breath, he thrust
one of his feet against my side, and struck me so rudely with the
other that he forced me to rise up against my will. Having arisen,
he made me carry him under the trees, and forced me now and then
to stop, that he might gather and eat fruit. He never left his
seat all day; and when I lay down to rest at night, he laid
himself down with me, holding still fast about my neck. Every
morning he pinched me to make me awake, and afterward obliged me
to get up and walk, and spurred me with his feet.
One day I found several dry calabashes that had fallen from a
tree. I took a large one, and, after cleaning it, pressed into it
some juice of grapes, which abounded in the island; having filled
the calabash, I put it by in a convenient place, and going thither
again some days after, I tasted it, and found the wine so good
that it gave me new vigor, and so exhilarated my spirits that I
began to sing and dance as I carried my burden.
The old man, perceiving the effect which this had upon me, and
that I carried him with more ease than before, made me a sign to
give him some of it. I handed him the calabash, and the liquor
pleasing his palate, he drank it off. There being a considerable
quantity of it, he soon began to sing, and to move about from side
to side in his seat upon my shoulders, and by degrees to loosen
his legs from about me. Finding that he did not press me as
before, I threw him upon the ground, where he lay without motion;
I then took up a great stone and slew him.
I was extremely glad to be thus freed for ever from this
troublesome fellow. I now walked toward the beach, where I met the
crew of a ship that had cast anchor to take in water; they were
surprised to see me, but more so at hearing the particulars of my
adventures. "You fell," said they, "into the hands of the Old Man
of the Sea, and are the first who ever escaped strangling by his
malicious embraces. He never quitted those he had once made
himself master of till he had destroyed them, and he has made this
island notorious by the number of men he has slain." They carried
me with them to the captain, who received me with great kindness.
He put out again to sea, and, after some days' sail, we arrived at
the harbor of a great city, the houses of which overhung the sea.
One of the merchants who had taken me into his friendship invited
me to go along with him. He gave me a large sack, and having
recommended me to some people of the town, who used to gather
cocoanuts, desired them to take me with them. "Go," said he,
"follow them, and act as you see them do; but do not separate from
them, otherwise you may endanger your life." Having thus spoken,
he gave me provisions for the journey, and I went with them.
We came to a thick forest of cocoa trees, very lofty, with trunks
so smooth that it was not possible to climb to the branches that
bore the fruit. When we entered the forest we saw a great number
of apes of several sizes, who fled as soon as they perceived us,
and climbed to the tops of the trees with amazing swiftness.
The merchants with whom I was gathered stones, and threw them at
the apes on the trees. I did the same; and the apes, out of
revenge, threw coconuts at us so fast, and with such gestures, as
sufficiently testified their anger and resentment. We gathered up
the cocoanuts, and from time to time threw stones to provoke the
apes; so that by this stratagem we filled our bags with cocoanuts.
I thus gradually collected as many cocoanuts as produced me a
considerable sum.
Having laden our vessel with cocoanuts, we set sail, and passed by
the islands where pepper grows in great plenty. From thence we
went to the Isle of Comari, where the best species of wood of
aloes grows. I exchanged my cocoa in those two islands for pepper
and wood of aloes, and went with other merchants a-pearl-fishing,
I hired divers, who brought me up some that were very large and
pure. I embarked in a vessel that happily arrived at Bussorah;
from thence I returned to Bagdad, where I realized vast sums from
my pepper, wood of aloes, and pearls. I gave the tenth of my gains
in alms, as I had done upon my return from my other voyages, and
rested from my fatigues.
Sindbad here ordered one hundred sequins to be given to Hindbad,
and requested him and the other guests to dine with him the next
day, to hear the account of his sixth voyage.
THE SIXTH VOYAGE
I know, my friends, that you will wish to hear how, after having
been shipwrecked five times, and escaped so many dangers, I could
resolve again to tempt fortune, and expose myself to new
hardships. I am myself astonished at my conduct when I reflect
upon it, and must certainly have been actuated by my destiny, from
which none can escape. Be that as it may, after a year's rest I
prepared for a sixth voyage, notwithstanding the entreaties of my
kindred and friends, who did all in their power to dissuade me.
Instead of taking my way by the Persian Gulf, I travelled once
more through several provinces of Persia and the Indies, and
arrived at a seaport, where I embarked in a ship, the captain of
which was bound on a long voyage, in which he and the pilot lost
their course. Suddenly we saw the captain quit his rudder,
uttering loud lamentations. He threw off his turban, pulled his
beard, and beat his head like a madman. We asked him the reason;
and he answered that we were in the most dangerous place in all
the ocean. "A rapid current carries the ship along with it, and we
shall all perish in less than a quarter of an hour. Pray to God to
deliver us from this peril; we cannot escape if He do not take
pity on us." At these words he ordered the sails to be lowered;
but all the ropes broke, and the ship was carried by the current
to the foot of an inaccessible mountain, where she struck and went
to pieces; yet in such a manner that we saved our lives, our
provisions, and the best of our goods.
The mountain at the foot of which we were was covered with wrecks,
with a vast number of human bones, and with an incredible quantity
of goods and riches of all kinds. These objects served only to
augment our despair. In all other places it is usual for rivers to
run from their channels into the sea; but here a river of fresh
water runs from the sea into a dark cavern, whose entrance is very
high and spacious. What is most remarkable in this place is that
the stones of the mountain are of crystal, rubies, or other
precious stones. Here is also a sort of fountain of pitch or
bitumen, that runs into the sea, which the fish swallow, and
evacuate soon afterward, turned into ambergris; and this the waves
throw up on the beach in great quantities. Trees also grow here,
most of which are of wood of aloes, equal in goodness to those of
Comari.
To finish the description of this place, it is not possible for
ships to get off when once they approach within a certain
distance. If they be driven thither by a wind from the sea, the
wind and the current impel them; and if they come into it when a
land wind blows, which might seem to favor their getting out
again, the height of the mountain stops the wind, and occasions a
calm, so that the force of the current carries them ashore: and
what completes the misfortune is that there is no possibility of
ascending the mountain, or of escaping by sea.
We continued upon the shore, at the foot of the mountain, in a
state of despair, and expected death every day. On our first
landing we had divided our provisions as equally as we could, and
thus every one lived a longer or shorter time, according to his
temperance, and the use he made of his provisions.
I survived all my companions; and when I buried the last I had so
little provisions remaining that I thought I could not long
survive, and I dug a grave, resolving to lie down in it, because
there was no one left to pay me the last offices of respect. But
it pleased God once more to take compassion on me, and put it in
my mind to go to the bank of the river which ran into the great
cavern. Considering its probable course with great attention, I
said to myself, "This river, which runs thus underground, must
somewhere have an issue. If I make a raft, and leave myself to the
current, it will convey me to some inhabited country, or I shall
perish. If I be drowned I lose nothing, but only change one kind
of death for another."
I immediately went to work upon large pieces of timber and cables,
for I had a choice of them from the wrecks, and tied them together
so strongly that I soon made a very solid raft. When I had
finished, I loaded it with some chests of rubies, emeralds,
ambergris, rock crystal and bales of rich stuffs. Having balanced
my cargo exactly, and fastened it well to the raft, I went on
board with two oars that I had made, and leaving it to the course
of the river, resigned myself to the will of God.
As soon as I entered the cavern I lost all light, and the stream
carried me I knew not whither. Thus I floated on in perfect
darkness, and once, found the arch so low that it very nearly
touched my head, which made me cautious afterward to avoid the
like danger. All this while I ate nothing but what was just
necessary to support nature; yet, notwithstanding my frugality,
all my provisions were spent. Then I became insensible. I cannot
tell how long I continued so; but when I revived, I was surprised
to find myself in an extensive plain on the brink of a river,
where my raft was tied, among a great number of negroes. I got up
as soon as I saw them, and saluted them. They spoke to me, but I
did not understand their language.
I was so transported with joy that I knew not whether I was asleep
or awake; but being persuaded that I was not asleep, I recited the
following words in Arabic aloud:
"Call upon the Almighty, He will help thee; thou needst not
perplex thyself about anything else: shut thy eyes, and while thou
art asleep God will change thy bad fortune into good."
One of the negroes, who understood Arabic, hearing me speak thus,
came toward me, and said: "Brother, be not surprised to see us; we
are inhabitants of this country, and water our fields from this
river, which comes out of the neighboring mountain. We saw your
raft, and one of us swam into the river, and brought it hither,
where we fastened it, as you see, until you should awake. Pray
tell us your history. Whence did you come?"
I begged of them first to give me something to eat, and then I
would satisfy their curiosity. They gave me several sorts of food,
and when I had satisfied my hunger, I related all that had
befallen me, which they listened to with attentive surprise. As
soon as I had finished they told me, by the person who spoke
Arabic and interpreted to them what I said, that I must go along
with them, and tell my story to their king myself; it being too
extraordinary to be related by any other than the person to whom
the events had happened.
They immediately sent for a horse, and having helped me to mount,
some of them walked before to show the way, while the rest took my
raft and cargo and followed.
We marched till we came to the capital of Serendib, for it was in
that island I had landed. The negroes presented me to their king;
I approached his throne, and saluted him as I used to do the kings
of the Indies; that is to say, I prostrated myself at his feet.
The prince ordered me to rise, received me with an obliging air,
and made me sit down near him.
I concealed nothing from the king; but related to him all that I
have told you. At last my raft was brought in, and the bales
opened in his presence: he admired the quantity of wood of aloes
and ambergris; but above all, the rubies and emeralds, for he had
none in his treasury that equalled them.
Observing that he looked on my jewels with pleasure, and viewed
the most remarkable among them, one after another, I fell
prostrate at his feet, and took the liberty to say to him, "Sire,
not only my person is at your majesty's service, but the cargo of
the raft, and I would beg of you to dispose of it as your own."
He answered me with a smile, "Sindbad, I will take nothing of
yours; far from lessening your wealth, I design to augment it, and
will not let you quit my dominions without marks of my liberality."
He then charged one of his officers to take care of me, and
ordered people to serve me at his own expense. The officer was
very faithful in the execution of his commission, and caused all
the goods to be carried to the lodgings provided for me.
I went every day at a set hour to make my court to the king, and
spent the rest of my time in viewing the city, and what was most
worthy of notice.
The capital of Serendib stands at the end of a fine valley, in the
middle of the island, encompassed by high mountains. They are seen
three days' sail off at sea. Rubies and several sorts of minerals
abound. All kinds of rare plants and trees grow there, especially
cedars and cocoanut. There is also a pearl-fishery in the mouth of
its principal river; and in some of its valleys are found
diamonds. I made, by way of devotion, a pilgrimage to the place
where Adam was confined after his banishment from Paradise, and
had the curiosity to go to the top of the mountain.
When I returned to the city I prayed the king to allow me to
return to my own country, and he granted me permission in the most
obliging and honorable manner. He would force a rich present upon
me; and at the same time charged me with a letter for the
Commander of the Faithful, our sovereign, saying to me, "I pray
you give this present from me, and this letter, to the Caliph
Haroun-al-Raschid, and assure him of my friendship."
The letter from the King of Serendib was written on the skin of a
certain animal of great value, very scarce, and of a yellowish
color. The characters of this letter were of azure, and the
contents as follows:
"The King of the Indies, before whom march one hundred elephants,
who lives in a palace that shines with one hundred thousand
rubies, and who has in his treasury twenty thousand crowns
enriched with diamonds, to Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid.
"Though the present we send you be inconsiderable, receive it,
however, as a brother and a friend, in consideration of the hearty
friendship which we bear for you, and of which we are willing to
give you proof. We desire the same part in your friendship,
considering that we believe it to be our merit, as we are both
kings. We send you this letter as from one brother to another.
Farewell."
The present consisted, first, of one single ruby made into a cup,
about half a foot high, an inch thick, and filled with round
pearls of half a drachm each. 2. The skin of a serpent, whose
scales were as bright as an ordinary piece of gold, and had the
virtue to preserve from sickness those who lay upon it. 3. Fifty
thousand drachms of the best wood of aloes, with thirty grains of
camphire as big as pistachios. And 4. A female slave of great
beauty, whose robe was covered over with jewels.
The ship set sail, and after a very successful navigation we
landed at Bussorah, and from thence I went to the city of Bagdad,
where the first thing I did was to acquit myself of my commission.
I took the King of Serendib's letter, and went to present myself
at the gate of the Commander of the Faithful, and was immediately
conducted to the throne of the caliph. I made my obeisance, and
presented the letter and gift. When he had read what the King of
Serendib wrote to him, he asked me if that prince were really so
rich and potent as he represented himself in his letter. I
prostrated myself a second time, and, rising again, said,
"Commander of the Faithful, I can assure your majesty he doth not
exceed the truth. I bear him witness. Nothing is more worthy of
admiration than the magnificence of his palace. When the prince
appears in public he has a throne fixed on the back of an
elephant, and rides between two ranks of his ministers, favorites,
and other people of his court. Before him, upon the same elephant,
an officer carries a golden lance in his hand; and behind him
there is another, who stands with a rod of gold, on the top of
which is an emerald, half a foot long and an inch thick. He is
attended by a guard of one thousand men, clad in cloth of gold and
silk, and mounted on elephants richly caparisoned. The officer who
is before him on the same elephant cries from time to time, with a
loud voice, 'Behold the great monarch, the potent and redoubtable
Sultan of the Indies, the monarch greater than Solomon, and the
powerful Maharaja.'
"After he has pronounced those words, the officer behind the
throne cries in his turn, 'This monarch, so great and so powerful,
must die, must die, must die!' And the officer before replies,
'Praise alone be to Him who liveth for ever and ever.'"
The caliph was much pleased with my account, and sent me home with
a rich present.
Here Sindbad commanded another hundred sequins to be paid to
Hindbad, and begged his return on the morrow to hear his seventh
and last voyage.
THE SEVENTH AND LAST VOYAGE
On my return home from my sixth voyage, I had entirely given up
all thoughts of again going to sea; for, besides that my age now
required rest, I was resolved no more to expose myself to such
risks as I had encountered, so that I thought of nothing but to
pass the rest of my days in tranquillity. One day, however, an
officer of the caliph's inquired for me. "The caliph," said he,
"has sent me to tell you that he must speak with you." I followed
the officer to the palace, where, being presented to the caliph, I
saluted him by prostrating myself at his feet. "Sindbad," said he
to me, "I stand in need of your services; you must carry my answer
and present to the King of Serendib."
This command of the caliph was to me like a clap of thunder.
"Commander of the Faithful," I replied, "I am ready to do whatever
your majesty shall think fit to command; but I beseech you most
humbly to consider what I have undergone. I have also made a vow
never to leave Bagdad."
Perceiving that the caliph insisted upon my compliance, I
submitted, and told him that I was willing to obey. He was very
well pleased, and ordered me one thousand sequins for the expenses
of my journey.
I prepared for my departure in a few days. As soon as the caliph's
letter and present were delivered to me, I went to Bussorah, where
I embarked, and had a very prosperous voyage. Having arrived at
the Isle of Serendib, I was conducted to the palace with much
pomp, when I prostrated myself on the ground before the king.
"Sindbad," said the king, "you are welcome; I have many times
thought of you; I bless the day on which I see you once more." I
made my compliments to him, and thanked him for his kindness, and
delivered the gifts from my august master.
The caliph's letter was as follows:
"Greeting, in the name of the Sovereign Guide of the Right Way,
from the servant of God, Haroun-al-Raschid, whom God hath set in
the place of vicegerent to His Prophet, after his ancestors of
happy memory, to the potent and esteemed Raja of Serendib.
"We receive your letter with joy, and send you from our imperial
residence, the garden of superior wits. We hope when you look
upon it you will perceive our good intention, and be pleased with
it. Farewell."
The caliph's present was a complete suit of cloth of gold, valued
at one thousand sequins; fifty robes of rich stuff; a hundred of
white cloth, the finest of Cairo, Suez, and Alexandria; a vessel
of agate, more broad than deep, an inch thick, and half a foot
wide, the bottom of which represented in bas-relief a man with one
knee on the ground, who held a bow and an arrow, ready to
discharge at a lion. He sent him also a rich tablet, which,
according to tradition, belonged to the great Solomon.
The King of Serendib was highly gratified at the caliph's
acknowledgment of his friendship. A little time after this
audience I solicited leave to depart, and with much difficulty
obtained it. The king, when he dismissed me, made me a very
considerable present. I embarked immediately to return to Bagdad,
but had not the good-fortune to arrive there so speedily as I had
hoped. God ordered it otherwise.
Three or four days after our departure we were attacked by
pirates, who easily seized upon our ship, because it was not a
vessel of war. Some of the crew offered resistance, which cost
them their lives. But for myself and the rest, who were not so
imprudent, the pirates saved us, and carried us into a remote
island, where they sold us.
I fell into the hands of a rich merchant, who, as soon as he
bought me, took me to his house, treated me well, and clad me
handsomely as a slave. Some days after he asked me if I understood
any trade. I answered that I was no mechanic, but a merchant, and
that the pirates who sold me had robbed me of all I possessed.
"Tell me," replied he, "can you shoot with a bow?" I answered that
the bow was one of my exercises in my youth. He gave me a bow and
arrows, and, taking me behind him on an elephant, carried me to a
thick forest some leagues from the town. We penetrated a great way
into the wood, and when he thought fit to stop, he bade me alight;
then showing me a great tree, "Climb up that," said he, "and shoot
at the elephants as you see them pass by, for there is a
prodigious number of them in this forest, and if any of them fall,
come and give me notice." Having spoken thus, he left me victuals,
and returned to the town, and I continued upon the tree all night.