All the troubles and calamities I had undergone could not cure me of
my inclination to make new voyages. I therefore bought goods, departed
with them for the best seaport, and there, that I might not be obliged
to depend upon a captain, but have a ship at my own command, I
remained till one was built on purpose, at my own charge. When the
ship was ready I went on board with my goods; but not having enough to
load her, I agreed to take with me several merchants of different
nations, with their merchandise.
We sailed with the first fair wind, and after a long navigation the
first place we touched at was a desert island, where we found the 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
making 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.[59] 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 reëmbark with
all speed, to prevent the misfortune which he saw would otherwise
befall us.
[Footnote 59: Mr. Marsden, in his notes to his translation of Marco
Polo's _Voyages_, supposes the roc to be a description of the
albatross or condor, under greatly exaggerated terms.]
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 in the 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, still holding
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 forever 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 coconuts, 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 coco palms,[60] 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.
[Footnote 60: Coco palms bear their fruit at the top.]
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 coconuts, and
from time to time threw stones to provoke the apes; so that by this
stratagem we filled our bags with coconuts. I thus gradually collected
as many coconuts as produced me a considerable sum.
Having laden our vessel with coconuts, 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 coconuts in those two islands for pepper and wood of
aloes, and went with other merchants pearl fishing.[61] 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.
[Footnote 61: Marco Polo, a famous voyager (1298), gives an account of
this pearl fishery.]
* * * * *
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.