The people who gathered pepper, continued Sindbad, 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 satisfied their curiosity by giving them an account of
my shipwreck, and how I fell into the hands of the blacks. Those
blacks, replied they, eat men; and by what miracle did you escape
their cruelty? I told them the same story I now tell you, at which
they were wonderfully surprised.
I staid with them till they had gathered their quantity of pepper,
and then sailed with them to the island from whence they came. 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 afterwards gave me clothes, and commanded care to be taken of
me.
The island was very well peopled, plentiful in every thing, and the
capital was a place of great trade. This agreeable retreat was very
comfortable to me after my misfortune, and the kindness of this
generous prince towards me completed my satisfaction. In a word,
there was not a person more in favour with him than myself; and, by
consequence, 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. This made me one day take the liberty to ask the
king how that came to pass. His majesty answered, that I talked to
him of things which nobody knew the use of in his dominions.
I went immediately 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 afterwards went
to a locksmith, who made me a bridle according to the pattern I
showed him, and then he made me 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 to me. I could not avoid making several others for his
ministers and principal officers of his household, who all of them
made me presents that enriched me in a little time. I also made for
the people of best quality in the city, which gained me great
reputation and regard.
As I made my court very constantly to the king he said to me one
day, Sindbad, I love thee; and all my subjects who know thee treat
thee according to my example. I have one thing to demand of thee,
which thou must grant. --Sir, answered I, there is nothing but what
I will do, as a mark of my obedience to your majesty, whose power
over me is absolute. --I have a mind thou shouldst marry, replied
he, that so thou mayst stay in my dominion, and think no more of thy
own country. --I dared not resist the prince’s will, and so he
gave me one of the ladies of his court, a noble, beautiful, chaste,
and rich lady. The ceremonies of marriage being over, I went and
dwelt with the lady, and for some time we lived together in perfect
harmony. I was not, however, very well satisfied with my condition,
and therefore designed to make my escape on the first occasion, and
to return to Bagdad, which my present settlement, how advantageous
soever, could not make me forget.
While I was thinking on this, the wife of one of my neighbours, 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
swallowed up with 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 that favour you wish me? I have not above
an hour to live. --Pray, said I, do not entertain such a melancholy
thought; I hope it will not be so, but that I shall enjoy your
company for many years. --I wish you, said he, a long life; but for
me, my days are at an end, for I must be buried this day with my
wife. [29] This is a law which our ancestors established in this
island, and always observed it inviolably. The living husband is
interred with the dead wife, and the living wife with the dead
husband. Nothing can save me; every one must submit to this law.
While he was entertaining me with an account of this barbarous
custom, the very hearing of which frighted me cruelly, his kindred,
friends, and neighbours came in a body to assist at the funerals.
They put on the corpse the woman’s richest apparel, as if it had
been her wedding-day, and dressed her with all her jewels; then they
put her into an open coffin, and lifting it up, began their march to
the place of burial. The husband walked at the head of the company,
and followed the corpse. They went up to a high mountain, and when
they came thither, took up a great stone, which covered the mouth of
a very deep pit, and let down the corpse, with all its apparel and
jewels. Then the husband, embracing his kindred and friends,
suffered himself to be put into another open coffin without
resistance, with a pot of water, and seven little loaves, and was
let down in the same manner as they let down his wife. The mountain
was pretty long, and reached to the sea. The ceremony being over,
they covered the hole again with the stone, and returned.
It is needless, gentlemen, for me to tell you that I was the only
melancholy spectator of this funeral, whereas the rest were scarcely
moved at it, the practice was so customary to them. I could not
forbear speaking my thoughts of this matter to the king: Sir, said
I, I cannot but wonder at the strange custom in this country, of
burying the living with the dead. I have been a great traveller, and
seen many countries, but never heard of so cruel a law. --What do
you mean, Sindbad? said the king: it is a common law. I shall be
interred with the queen, my wife, if she die first. --But, sir, said
I, may I presume to ask your majesty, if strangers be obliged to
observe this law? --Without doubt, replied the king, (smiling at the
occasion of my question,) they are not exempted, it they be married
in this island.
I went home very melancholy at this answer; for the fear of my
wife’s dying first, and that I should be interred alive with her,
occasioned me very mortifying reflections. But there was no remedy;
I must have patience, and submit to the will of God. I trembled,
however, at every little indisposition of my wife: but alas! in a
little time my fears came upon me all at once, for she fell sick,
and died in a few days.
Scheherazade stopt here for that time, and resumed the thread of her
story next night thus: