After I had rested from the dangers of my third voyage, my passion for
trade and my love of novelty soon again prevailed. I therefore settled
my affairs, and provided a stock of goods fit for the traffic I
designed to engage in. I took the route to Persia, traveled over
several provinces, and then arrived at a port, where I embarked. On
putting out to sea, we were overtaken by such a sudden gust of wind as
obliged the captain to lower his yards, and take all other necessary
precautions to prevent the danger that threatened us. But all was in
vain; our endeavors had no effect. The sails were split in a thousand
pieces, and the ship was stranded, several of the merchants and seamen
were drowned, and the cargo was lost.
I had the good fortune, with several of the merchants and mariners, to
get upon some planks, and we were carried by the current to an island
which lay before us. There we found fruit and spring water, which
preserved our lives. We stayed all night near the place where we had
been cast ashore.
Next morning, as soon as the sun was up, we explored the island, and
saw some houses, which we approached. As soon as we drew near we were
encompassed by a great number of negroes, who seized us, shared us
among them, and carried us to their respective habitations.
I and five of my comrades were carried to one place; here they made us
sit down, and gave us a certain herb, which they made signs to us to
eat. My comrades, not taking notice that the blacks ate none of it
themselves, thought only of satisfying their hunger, and ate 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 negroes fed us afterward with rice, prepared with oil of coconuts;
and my comrades, who had lost their reason, ate of it greedily. I also
partook of it, but very sparingly. They 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 supplied us with rice to fatten
us; for, being cannibals, their design was to eat us as soon as we
grew fat. This accordingly happened, for they devoured my comrades,
who were not sensible of their condition; but my senses being entire,
you may easily guess that instead of growing fat, as the rest did, I
grew leaner every day. The fear of death turned all my food into
poison. I fell into a languishing distemper, which proved my safety;
for the negroes, having killed and eaten my companions, seeing me to
be withered, lean, and sick, deferred my death.
Meanwhile I had much liberty, so that scarcely any notice was 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 speed, and quickly
got out of sight. At that time there was none but the old man about
the houses, the rest being abroad, and not to return till night, which
was usual with them. Therefore, being sure that they could not arrive
in time to pursue me, I went on till night, when I stopped to rest a
little, and to eat some of the provisions I had secured; but I
speedily set forward again, and traveled seven days, avoiding those
places which seemed to be inhabited, and lived for the most part upon
coconuts, which served me both for meat and drink. On the eighth day I
came near the sea, and saw some 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 as soon as they saw me,
and asked me in Arabic who I was and whence I came. I was overjoyed
to hear them speak in my own language, and I satisfied their curiosity
by giving them an account of my shipwreck, and how I fell into the
hands of the negroes.
"Those negroes," replied they, "eat men; and by what miracle did you
escape their cruelty?" I related to them the circumstances I have just
mentioned, at which they were wonderfully surprised.
I stayed with them till they had gathered their quantity of pepper,
and then sailed with them to the island from whence they had come.
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 afterward gave me clothes, and commanded care to be taken of
me.
The island was very well peopled, plentiful in everything, and the
capital a place of great trade. This agreeable retreat was very
comfortable to me after my misfortunes, and the kindness of this
generous prince completed my satisfaction. In a word, there was not a
person more in favor with him than myself, and consequently every man
in court and city sought 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
bridle or stirrups. I went one day 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
afterward went to a smith, who made me a bit, according to the pattern
I showed him, and also 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 pleased with them
that he testified his satisfaction by large presents. I made several
others for the ministers and principal officers of his household,
which gained me great reputation and regard.
As I paid my court very constantly to the king, he said to me one day,
"Sindbad, I love thee. I have one thing to demand of thee, which thou
must grant. I have a mind thou shouldst marry, that so thou mayst stay
in my dominions, and think no more of thy own country."
I durst not resist the prince's will, and he gave me one of the ladies
of his court, noble, beautiful, and rich. The ceremonies of marriage
being over, I went and dwelt with my wife, and for some time we lived
together in perfect harmony. I was not, however, satisfied with my
banishment. Therefore I designed to make my escape at the first
opportunity, and to return to Bagdad, which my present settlement, how
advantageous soever, could not make me forget.
At this time the wife of one of my neighbors, 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 absorbed in sorrow,
I said to him, as soon as I saw him, "God preserve you, and grant you
a long life."
"Alas!" replied he, "how do you think I should obtain the favor you
wish me? I have not above an hour to live, for I must be buried this
day with my wife. This is a law on this island. The living husband is
interred with the dead wife, and the living wife with the dead
husband."
While he was giving me an account of this barbarous custom, the very
relation of which chilled my blood, his kindred, friends, and
neighbors came to assist at the funeral. They dressed the corpse of
the woman in her richest apparel and all her jewels, as if it had been
her wedding day; then they placed her on an open bier, and began their
march to the place of burial. The husband walked first, next to the
dead body. They proceeded to a high mountain, and when they had
reached the place of their destination they took up a large stone
which formed the mouth of a deep pit, and let down the body with all
its apparel and jewels. Then the husband, embracing his kindred and
friends, without resistance suffered himself to be placed on another
bier, with a pot of water and seven small loaves, and was let down in
the same manner. The ceremony being over, the mouth of the pit was
again covered with the stone, and the company returned.
I mention this ceremony the more particularly because I was in a few
weeks' time to be the principal actor on a similar occasion. Alas! my
own wife fell sick and died. I made every remonstrance I could to the
king not to expose me, a foreigner, to this inhuman law. I appealed in
vain. The king and all his court, with the most considerable persons
of the city, sought to soften my sorrow by honoring the funeral
ceremony with their presence; and at the termination of the ceremony I
was lowered into the pit with a vessel full of water, and seven
loaves. As I approached the bottom I discovered, by the aid of the
little light that came from above, the nature of this subterranean
place; it seemed an endless cavern, and might be about fifty fathoms
deep.
I lived for some time upon my bread and water, when, one day, just as
I was on the point of exhaustion, I heard something tread, and
breathing or panting as it moved. I followed the sound. The animal
seemed to stop sometimes, but always fled and breathed hard as I
approached. I pursued it for a considerable time, till at last I
perceived a light, resembling a star; I went on, sometimes lost sight
of it, but always found it again, and at last discovered that it came
through a hole[58] in the rock, which I got through, and found myself
upon the seashore, at which I felt exceeding joy. I prostrated myself
on the shore to thank God for this mercy, and shortly afterward I
perceived a ship making for the place where I was. I made a sign with
the linen of my turban, and called to the crew as loud as I could.
They heard me, and sent a boat to bring me on board. It was fortunate
for me that these people did not inspect the place where they found
me, but without hesitation took me on board.
[Footnote 58: "Aristomenes, the Messenian general, thus escaped from a
cave. He perceived a fox near him gnawing a dead body; with one hand
he caught it by the hind leg, and with the other held its jaws, when
it attempted to bite him. Following, as well as he could, his
struggling guide to the narrow crevice at which he entered, he there
let him go, and soon forced a passage through it to the welcome face
of day."--Hole, 141. Sancho's escape from the pit into which he
tumbled with Daffle is somewhat similar.]
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. Lead mines are found in the
island; also Indian canes, and excellent camphor.
The King of the Isle of Kela is very rich and powerful, and the Isle
of Bells, which is about two days' journey away, is also subject to
him. The inhabitants are so barbarous that they still eat human flesh.
After we had finished our traffic in that island we put to sea again,
and touched at several other ports; at last I arrived happily at
Bagdad. Out of gratitude to God for His mercies, I contributed
liberally toward the support of several mosques and the subsistence of
the poor, and enjoyed myself with my friends in festivities and
amusements.
* * * * *
Here Sindbad made a new present of one hundred sequins to Hindbad,
whom he requested to return with the rest next day at the same hour,
to dine with him and hear the story of his fifth voyage.