Sindbad pursued the account of his third voyage thus: God, said he,
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, that they might observe me. This had the
desired effect; all the crew perceived me, and the captain sent his
boat for me. As soon as I came aboard, the merchants and seamen
flocked about me to know how I came to that desert island; and after
I had told them of all that befell me, the oldest of them said to
me, they had several times heard of the giants that dwelt in that
island, that they were cannibals, and eat men raw as well as
roasted; and as to the serpents, they added, that there were
abundance in the isle, that hid themselves by day, and came abroad
by 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 all 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 on that of Salabat, [22] where
there grows sanders, a wood of great use in physic. We entered the
port, and came to an anchor. The merchants began to unload their
goods, in order to sell or exchange them. In the mean time, 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 said, There are the goods; I hope
you will take care to sell them, and you shall have factorage. I
thanked him that he gave 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, said the captain, in the name of Sindbad the sailor.
I could not hear myself named without some emotion; and looking
steadfastly at 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 was so much altered since I saw
him.
And as for him, who believed me to be dead, I could not wonder at
his not knowing me. But, captain, said I, was the merchant’s name
to whom these bales belonged, Sindbad? --Yes, replied 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 that 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. --Here
Scheherazade perceiving day, broke off her story, and next day
resumed it thus: