The pleasures I enjoyed soon made me forget the pains I had endured;
yet they were not sufficiently attractive to prevent my forming the
resolution of venturing a fifth time on the sea. I again provided
myself with merchandize, packed it, and sent it by land-carriage to
the nearest sea-port; where, unwilling to trust any more to a
captain, and wishing to have a vessel of my own, I built and
equipped one at my own expense. As soon as it was finished, I loaded
it and embarked; and as I had not sufficient cargo to fill it
myself, I received several merchants of different nations, with
their goods.
We hoisted our sails the first fair wind, and put to sea. After
sailing a considerable time, the first place we stopped at was a
desert island, where we found the egg of a roc, as large as that I
spoke of on a former occasion; it contained a small roc, which was
just ready to hatch, its beak having begun to make its appearance.
The merchants who were with me broke the egg with hatchets, and cut
out the young roc, piece by piece, and roasted it. I had seriously
advised them not to touch the egg, but they would not attend to me.
They had scarcely finished their meal, when two immense clouds
appeared in the air at a considerable distance from us. The captain,
whom I had hired to have the care of the vessel, knowing, by
experience, what it was, cried out, that it was the father and
mother of the young roc, and warned us to re-embark as quickly as
possible, to avoid the danger which threatened us. We took his
advice, and set sail immediately.
The two rocs approached, uttering the most frightful screams, which
they redoubled on finding the state of their egg, and that the young
one was no more. Designing to revenge themselves, they flew away
towards the part from whence they came, and disappeared for some
time, during which we used all diligence to sail away, and prevent
what nevertheless befel us.
They returned, and we perceived that they each had an enormous piece
of rock in their claws. When they were exactly over our ship, they
stopped, and, suspending themselves in the air, one of them let fall
the piece of rock he held. By the address of the pilot, who suddenly
turned the vessel, it did not tumble on us, but fell close to us
into the sea, in which it made such a chasm, that we could almost
see the bottom. The other bird, unfortunately for us, let his piece
of rock fall so immediately on the ship, that it broke and split it
into a thousand pieces. The sailors and passengers were all either
crushed to death or drowned. I was myself under water for some time,
but rising again to the surface, I had the good fortune to seize a
piece of the wreck. Thus, swimming sometimes with one hand and
sometimes with the other, still holding what I had fixed myself to,
and having the wind and current both in my favour, I at length
reached an island, where the shore was very steep. I nevertheless
overcame this difficulty, and got on land.
I seated myself on the grass to rest from my fatigue, after which I
arose, and advanced into the island, to reconnoitre the ground. It
seemed to be in a delicious garden; wherever I turned my eyes I saw
beautiful trees, some loaded with green, others with ripe fruits,
and transparent streams meandering between them. I eat of the
fruits, which I found to be excellent, and quenched my thirst at the
inviting brooks.
Night being arrived, I laid down on the grass in a convenient spot,
but I did not sleep an hour at a time; my sleep was continually
interrupted by the fear of being alone in such a desert place, so
that I employed the greatest part of the night in lamenting and
reproaching myself for the imprudence of venturing from home, when I
had every thing to make me comfortable there. These reflections led
me so far, that I began to form a project against my life; but day
returning with its cheerful light, dissipated my gloomy ideas. I
arose, and walked amongst the trees, though not without some degree
of apprehension.
When I had advanced a little way in the island, I perceived an old
man, who appeared much broken down. He was seated on the bank of a
little rivulet; at first, I supposed he might be, like myself,
shipwrecked. I approached and saluted him, to which he made no other
return than a slight inclination of the head. I asked him what he
was doing, but instead of replying, he made signs to me to take him
on my shoulders, and cross the brook, making me understand that he
wanted to gather some fruit.
I supposed he wished me to render him this piece of service; so
taking him on my back, I stemmed the stream; when I had reached the
other side, I stooped, and desired him to alight; instead of which
(I cannot help laughing whenever I think of it,) this old man, who
appeared to me so decrepid, nimbly threw his tegs, which I now saw
were covered with a skin like a cow’s, over my neck, and seated
himself fast on my shoulders, at the same time squeezing my throat
so violently, that I expected to be strangled; this alarmed me so
much, that I fainted away.
Notwithstanding my situation, the old man kept his place on my neck;
he only loosened his hold sufficiently to allow me to breathe. When
I was a little recovered, he pushed one of his feet against my
stomach, and kicking my side with the other, obliged me to get up.
He then made me walk under some trees, and forced me to gather and
eat the fruit we met with. He never quitted his hold during the day,
and, when I wished to rest at night, he laid himself on the ground
with me, always fixed to my neck. He never failed to awaken me in
the morning, which he effected by pushing me, and then he made me
get up and walk, kicking me all the time. Conceive, gentlemen, the
plague of bearing this burden, without the possibility of getting
rid of it.
One day, having found on the ground several dried gourds, which had
fallen from the tree that bore them, I took a pretty large one, and
after having cleared it well, I squeezed into it the juice of
several bunches of grapes, which the island produced in great
abundance. When I had filled the gourd, I placed it in a particular
spot, and some days after returned with the old man, when tasting
the contents, I found it to be converted into excellent wine, which
for a little time made me forget the ills that oppressed me. It gave
me new vigour, and raised my spirits so high, that I began to sing
and dance as I went along.
The old man perceiving the effect this draught had taken on my
spirits, made signs to me to let him taste it; I gave him the gourd,
and the liquor pleased his palate so well, that he drank it to the
last drop. There was enough to inebriate him, and the fumes of the
wine very soon rose into his head: he then began to sing after his
own manner, and to stagger on my shoulders. The blows he gave
himself, made him return what he had on his stomach, and his legs
loosened by degrees; so that finding he no longer held me tight, I
threw him on the ground, where he remained motionless; I then took a
large stone and crushed him to death.
I was much rejoiced at having so effectually got rid of this old
man, and I walked towards the sea-shore, where I met some people,
who belonged to a vessel which had anchored there to get fresh
water. They were very much astonished at seeing me, and hearing the
account of my adventure. “You had fallen,” said they, “into
the hands of the Old Man of the Sea, and you are the first whom he
has not strangled; he never left those he had once mastered, till he
had put an end to their existence; and this island is famous for the
number of persons he has killed. The sailors and merchants who land
here, never dare approach excepting they are in a strong body.”
Having informed me of this, they took me to their ship, where the
captain received me with the greatest politeness, when he heard what
had befallen me. He set sail, and in a few days we landed at the
port of a large city, where the bouses were built of stone.
One of the merchants of the ship having contracted a friendship for
me, entreated me to accompany him, and conducted me to the lodging
destined for foreign merchants. He gave me a large sack, and then
introduced me to some people belonging to the city, who were also
furnished with sacks; then having desired them to take me with them
to gather cocoa, “Go,” said he, “follow them, and do as they
do; and do not stray from them, for your life will be in danger if
you leave them.” He gave me provisions for the day, and I set off
with them.
We arrived at a large forest of tall, straight, trees, the trunks of
which were so smooth, that it was impossible to climb up to the
branches where the fruit grew. They were all cocoa-trees, and we
wanted to knock down the fruit and fill our sacks. On entering the
forest, we saw an amazing number of monkeys, of all sizes, which
fled at our approach, and ran up the trees with surprising agility.
The merchants I was with collected some stones, and threw them with
great force at the monkeys, who had reached some of the highest
branches. I did the same, and soon perceived that these animals were
aware of our design; they gathered the cocoa-nuts, and threw them
down at us, with gestures which plainly showed their anger and
animosity. We picked up the cocoa-nuts, and, at intervals, threw up
stones to irritate the monkeys. By this contrivance, we filled our
sacks with the fruit: a thing utterly impracticable by any other
method.
When we had got a sufficient quantity, we returned to the city,
where the merchant who had sent me to the forest, gave me the value
of the cocoa-nuts I had collected. “Continue to do the same every
day,” said he, “till you have amassed sufficient money to convey
you to your own country.” I thanked him for the good advice he
gave me, and by degrees I acquired such a quantity of cocoa-nuts,
that I sold them for a considerable sum.
The vessel in which I came had sailed with the merchants, who had
loaded it with the cocoa-nuts they had purchased. I waited for the
arrival of another, which shortly after came into harbour, for a
lading of the same materials. I sent on board all the cocoa-nuts
which belonged to me, and when it was ready to sail, I took leave of
the merchant to whom I was under so many obligations. As he had not
yet settled his affairs, he could not embark with me.
We set sail, and steered towards the island where pepper grows in
such abundance. From thence we made the island of Comari, [7] where
the best species of the aloe grows, and whose inhabitants submit
themselves to a law not to drink wine, or suffer any kind of
debauchery. In these two islands I exchanged all my cocoa-nuts for
pepper and aloe-wood; and I then engaged myself, with the other
merchants, in a pearl fishery, in which I employed many divers, on
my own account. I collected, by these means, a great number of very
large and perfect ones, with which I joyfully put to sea, and
arrived safely at Balsora, from whence I returned to Bagdad, where I
sold the pepper, aloes, and pearls, which I had brought with me, for
a large sum. I bestowed a tenth part of my profit in charity, as I
had done on my return from every former voyage, and endeavoured to
recover from my fatigues by every kind of diversion.
Having concluded this narrative, Sindbad gave an hundred sequins to
Hindbad, who retired with all the other guests. The same party
returned to the rich Sindbad the next day: and after having regaled
them in the same manner as on the preceding days, he requested
silence, and began the account of his sixth voyage, in the following
way.