Part 21

I eat some food which they offered me; and having asked them what they did in a place which appeared so barren, they replied that they were grooms to king Mihragè, who was the sovereign of that isle; and that they came every year about that time with some mares belonging to the king, for the purpose of having a breed between them and a sea-horse, which came on shore at that spot. They tied the mares in that manner, because they were obliged almost immediately by their cries to drive back the sea-horse, otherwise he began to tear them in pieces. As soon as the mares were with foal, they carried them back, and these colts were called sea-colts, and set apart for the king’s use. To-morrow, they added, was the day fixed for their departure, and if I had been one day later I must certainly have perished; because they lived so far off that it was impossible to reach their habitations without a guide.

Whilst they were talking to me, the horse rose out of the sea as they had described, and immediately attacked the mares. He would then have torn them to pieces, but the grooms began to make such a noise that he let go his prey, and again plunged into the ocean.

The following day they returned to the capital of the island with the mares, whither I accompanied them. On our arrival, king Mihragè, to whom I was presented, asked me who I was, and by what chance I had reached his dominions: and when I had satisfied his curiosity, he expressed pity at my misfortune. At the same time, he gave orders that I should be taken care of, and have every thing I might want. These orders were executed in a manner that proved the king’s generosity as well as the exactness of his officers.

As I was a merchant, I associated with persons of my own profession. I sought, in particular, such as were foreigners, as much to hear some intelligence of Bagdad, as with the hope of meeting with some one whom I could return with; for the capital of king Mihragè is situated on the sea-coast, and has a beautiful port, where vessels from all parts of the world daily arrive. I also sought the society of the Indian sages, and found great pleasure in their conversation; this, however, did not prevent me from attending at court very regularly, nor from conversing with the governors of provinces, and some less powerful kings, tributaries of Mihragè, who were about his person. They asked me a thousand questions about my country; and I, on my part, was not less inquisitive about the laws and customs of their different states, or whatever appeared to merit my curiosity.

In the dominions of king Mihragè there is an island called Cassel. I had been told that in that island there was heard every night the sound of cymbals, which had given rise to the sailors’ opinion, that Degial [5] had chosen that spot for his residences. I felt a great desire to witness these wonders, and during my voyage I saw some fish, of one and two hundred cubits in length, which occasion much fear but do no harm; they are so timid, that they are frightened away by beating on a board. I remarked also some other fish, that were not above a cubit long, and whose heads resembled that of an owl.

After I returned, as I was standing one day near the port, I saw a ship come towards the land; when they had cast anchor they began to unload its goods, and the merchants, to whom they belonged, took them away to their warehouses. Happening to cast my eyes on some of the packages I saw my name written, and having attentively examined them, I concluded them to be those which I had embarked in the ship in which I left Balsora. I also recollected the captain; but as I was persuaded that he thought me dead, I went up to him, and asked him to whom those parcels belonged. “I had on board with me,” replied he, “a merchant of Bagdad, named Sindbad; one day when we were near an island, at least such it appeared, he with some other passengers went ashore on this supposed island, which was no other than an enormous whale that had fallen asleep on the surface of the water. The fish no sooner felt the heat of the fire they had lighted on its back to cook their provisions, than it began to move and flounce about in the sea. The greatest part of the persons who were on it were drowned, and the unfortunate Sindbad was one of the number. These parcels belonged to him, and I have resolved to sell them, that if I meet with any of his family, I may be able to return them the profit I shall have made of the principal.” --“Captain,” said I then, “I am that Sindbad whom you supposed dead, but who is still alive; and these parcels are my property and merchandize.”

When the captain of the vessel heard me speak thus, he exclaimed, “Great God, who shall I trust? There is no longer truth in man. I, with my own eyes, saw Sindbad perish; the passengers I had on board were also witnesses of it; and you have the assurance to say that you are that same Sindbad? what audacity! At first sight you appeared a man of probity and honour, yet you assert an impious falsity to possess yourself of some merchandize which does not belong to you.”--“Have patience,” replied I, “and have the goodness to listen to what I have to say.”--“Well,” said he, what can you have to say; speak, and I will attend.” I then related in what manner I had been saved, and by what accident I had met with king Mihragè’s grooms, who had brought me to his court.

He was rather staggered at my discourse, but was soon convinced that I was not an impostor; for some people arriving from his ship knew me, and began to congratulate me on my fortunate escape. At last he recollected me himself, and embracing me, “Heaven be praised,” said he, “that you have so happily avoided so great a danger; I cannot express the pleasure I feel on the occasion. Here are your goods, take them, for they are yours; and do with them what you like.” I thanked him, and praised his honourable conduct, and by way of recompense, I begged him to accept part of the merchandize, but that he refused.

I selected the most precious and valuable things in my bales, as presents for king Mihragè. As this prince had been informed of my misfortunes, he asked me where I had gotten such rare curiosities. I related to him the manner in which I had recovered my property, and he had the complaisance to express his joy on the occasion; he accepted my presents, and gave me others of far greater value. After that, I took my leave of him, and re-embarked in the same vessel; having first exchanged what merchandize remained with that of the country, which consisted of aloes and sandal-wood, camphor, nutmegs, cloves, pepper, and ginger. We touched at several islands, and at last landed at Balsora, from whence I came here, having realized about an hundred thousand sequins. I returned to my family, and was received by them with the joy which a true and sincere friendship inspires. I purchased slaves of each sex, and bought a magnificent house and grounds. I thus established myself, determined to forget the disagreeable things I had endured, and to enjoy the pleasures of life.

Sindbad here ceased, and ordered the musicians to go on with their concert, which he had interrupted by the recital of his history. The company continued to eat and drink till night approached, and when it was time to retire, Sindbad ordered a purse, containing a hundred sequins, to be brought him, and giving it to the porter, “Take this, Hindbad,” said he, “return to your home, and come again to-morrow to hear the continuation of my adventures.” The porter retired, quite confused with the honour conferred on him, and the present he had received. The account he gave of this occurrence to his wife and children rejoiced them very much, and they did not fail to return thanks to Providence for the bounties bestowed by the means of Sindbad.

Hindbad dressed himself in his best clothes on the following day, and returned to the house of his liberal patron, who received him with smiling looks, and a friendly air. As soon as the guests were all arrived, the table was served, and they sat down to eat. When the repast was finished, Sindbad thus addressed his guests: “Gentlemen, I request you to have the complaisance to listen to me, while I relate the adventures of my second voyage. They are more worthy of your attention than were those of my first.” The company was silent, and Sindbad began as follows.

THE SECOND VOYAGE OF SINDBAD, THE SAILOR.

I had resolved, after my first voyage, to pass the rest of my days in tranquillity at Bagdad, as I had the honour to tell you yesterday. But I soon grew weary of an idle life; the desire of seeing foreign countries, and carrying on some negociation by sea, returned: I bought some merchandize, which I thought likely to answer in the traffic I meditated; and I set off a second time with some merchants, whose probity I could rely on. We embarked in a good vessel, and having recommended ourselves to the care of the Almighty, we began our voyage.

We went from island to island, and made some very advantageous exchanges. One day we landed on one, which was covered with a variety of fruit-trees, but so wild, that we could not discover any habitation, or the trace of a human being. We walked in the meadows, and along the brooks that watered them, and whilst some of my companions were amusing themselves with gathering fruits and flowers, I took out some of the wine and provisions I had brought with me, and seated myself by a little stream under some trees, which afforded a delightful shade. I made a good meal of what I had with me, and having satisfied my hunger, sleep gradually stole over my senses. I cannot say how long I slept, but when I awoke, the ship was no longer in view. I was much surprised at this circumstance, and got up to seek for my companions, but they were all gone and I could only perceive the vessel in full sail, and such a distance that I soon lost sight of it.

You may easily imagine the reflections that occurred to me in this dismal state. I thought I should have died with grief; I groaned and cried aloud; I beat my head, and threw myself on the ground, where I remained a long time, overwhelmed with a variety of thoughts, each more distressing than the other: I reproached myself a thousand times for my folly in not being contented with my first voyage, which ought to have satisfied my desire of seeking adventures; but all my regrets were of no avail, and my repentance came too late. At length I resigned myself to the will of Heaven; and not knowing what would become of me, I ascended a high tree, from whence I looked on all sides, to see if I could not discover some object to inspire me with hope. Casting my eyes towards the sea, I could discern only water and sky; but perceiving on the land side something white, I descended from the tree, and taking with me the remainder of my provisions, I walked towards the object, which was so distant that at first I could not distinguish what it was. As I approached, I perceived it to be a white ball of a prodigious size, and when I got near enough to touch it, I found it was soft. I walked round it, to see if there was an opening, but could find none; and it appeared so even, that it was impossible to get up it. The circumference might be about fifty paces.

The sun was then near setting; the air grew suddenly dark, as if obscured by a thick cloud. I was surprised at this change, but much more so, when I perceived it to be occasioned by a bird of a most extraordinary size, which was flying towards me. I recollected having heard sailors speak of a bird called a roc; and I conceived that the great white ball which had drawn my attention, must be the egg of this bird. I was not mistaken; for, shortly after, it lighted on it, and placed itself as if to sit upon it. When I saw it coming I drew near to the egg, so that I had one of the claws of the bird just before me; this claw was as big as the trunk of a large tree. I tied myself to it with the linen of my turban, in hopes that the roc, when it took its flight the next morning, would carry me with it out of that desert island. My project succeeded, for at break of day the roc flew away, and carried me to such a height, that I could not distinguish the earth; then it descended with such rapidity, that I almost lost my senses. When the roc had alighted, I quickly untied the knot, that confined me to its foot, and had scarcely loosed myself, when it darted on a serpent of an immeasurable length, and seizing it in its beak, flew away.

The place in which the roc left me, was a very deep valley, surrounded on all sides with mountains of such a height, that the tops of them were lost in the clouds, and so steep that there was no possibility of climbing them. This was a fresh embarrassment; for I had no reason to be satisfied with my change of situation, when I compared it with the island I had left.

In walking along this valley, I remarked that it was strewed with diamonds, some of which were of an astonishing size. I amused myself for some time in examining them, but soon perceived from afar, some objects which destroyed my pleasure, and created in me great fear; these were a great number of serpents, so long and large, that the smallest of them would have swallowed an elephant with ease. They hid themselves in caves during the day on account of the roc, their mortal enemy, and only came out when it was dark. I passed the day in walking about the valley, resting myself occasionally where an opportunity offered, and when the sun set, I retired into a small cave, where I thought I should be in safety. I closed the entrance, which was low and narrow, with a stone large enough to insure me from the serpents, but which yet admitted a little light. I supped on part of my provisions, accompanied by the sound of the serpents, which began to make their appearance. Their hissings caused me excessive fear, and as you may suppose, I did not pass the night very quietly. The day appearing, the serpents retired; I left my cave with trembling, and may truly say that I walked a long time upon diamonds, without feeling the least desire for them. At last I sat down, and notwithstanding my agitation, for I had not closed my eyes during the whole night, I fell asleep, after having made another meal on my provisions. I had scarcely began to dose, when something tumbling near me, with a great noise, awoke me. It was a large piece of fresh meat, and at the same moment I saw a number of them rolling down the rocks from above.

I had always supposed the account, which I had heard related by seamen and others, of the valley of diamonds, and of the means by which merchants procured them, to be fictitious: I now knew it to be true. The method is this; the merchants go to the mountains, which surround the valley, about the time that the eagles hatch their young. They cut large pieces of meat, and throw them into the valley; and the diamonds, on which they fall, stick to them. The eagles, which are larger and stronger in that country than in any other, seize these pieces of meat, to carry to their young at the top of the rocks. The merchants then run to their nests, and by various noises oblige the eagles to retreat; and then take the diamonds that have stuck to the pieces of meat. This is the method they employ to procure the diamonds out of the valley, which is inaccessible on every side. I had supposed it impossible ever to leave this valley, and began to look on it as my tomb; but on seeing this I changed my opinion, and turned my thoughts to the preservation of my life. I began by collecting the largest diamonds I could find, and with them filled my leather bag in which I had carried my provisions. I then took one of the largest pieces of meat, and tied it tight round me with the linen of my turban; in this state I laid myself on the ground, having first fastened on my leather bag in a secure manner.

I had not been long in this situation, before the eagles began to descend, and each seized a piece of meat, with which it flew away. One of the strongest having darted on the piece to which I was attached, carried me up with it to its nest. The merchants then began their cries to frighten away the eagles, and when they had obliged them to quit their prey, one of them approached me, but was much surprised and alarmed on seeing me. He soon, however, recovered from his fear, and instead of inquiring by what means I came there, began to quarrel with me for trespassing on what he called his property. “You will speak to me with pity instead of anger,” said I, “when you learn by what means I reached this place. Console yourself; for I have diamonds for you as well as for myself, which are more valuable than those of all the other merchants added together; I have myself chosen some of the finest at the bottom of the valley, and have them in this bag.” On saying this I showed it to him. I had scarcely finished speaking, when the other merchants perceiving me, flocked around me with great astonishment, which I increased not a little by the recital of my history. They were less surprised at the stratagem I had conceived to save myself, than at my courage in attempting to put it in execution.

They conducted me to the place where they lived together; and on seeing my diamonds they all expressed their admiration, and declared they had never seen any to equal them in size or quality. I entreated the merchant to whom the nest into which I had been transported belonged, for each merchant has his own; I entreated him, I say, to choose for himself as many as he pleased. He contented himself with taking only one, and that too of the smallest size; and as I pressed him to take more, without fear of depriving me, “No,” replied he, “I am very well satisfied with this, which is sufficiently valuable to spare me the trouble of making any more voyages to complete my little fortune.”

I passed the night with these merchants, to whom I recounted my history a second time, for the satisfaction of those who had not heard it before. I could scarcely moderate my joy, when I reflected on the perils I had gone through; it appeared as if my present state was but a dream, and I could not believe that I had nothing more to fear.

The merchants had been for some days in that spot, and as they now appeared to be contented with the diamonds they had collected, we set off the following day altogether, and travelled over high mountains, which were infested by prodigious serpents, but we had the good fortune to avoid them. We reached the nearest port in safety, and from thence embarked for the isle of Roha, which produces the tree whence camphor is extracted; a tree so large and thick that a hundred men may be shaded by it with ease. The juice of which the camphor is formed, runs out at a wound made at the top of the tree, and is received in a vessel, where it remains till it acquires a proper consistence, and becomes what is called camphor. The juice being thus extracted, the tree withers and dies.

The rhinoceros is a native of this island: it is a smaller animal than the elephant, yet larger than the buffalo. It has a horn on the nose, about a cubit in length; this horn is solid, and cut through the middle from one extremity to the other, and on it are several white lines, which represent the figure of a man. The rhinoceros fights with the elephant, and piercing him in his belly with his horn, carries him off on his head; but as the fat and blood of the elephant run down on his eyes and blind him, he falls on the ground, and what will astonish you, the roc comes and seizes them both in his claws, and flies away with them to feed its young.

I will pass over several other peculiarities of this island, lest I should tire you. I exchanged some of my diamonds for valuable merchandize: from thence we went to other islands, and at last, after having touched at several ports, we reached Balsora, from which place I returned to Bagdad. The first thing I did was to distribute a great deal of money amongst the poor, and I enjoyed with credit and honour the rest of my immense riches, which I had acquired with so much labour and fatigue.

Here Sindbad completed the relation of his second voyage. He again ordered a hundred sequins to be given to Hindbad, whom he invited to come on the morrow to hear the history of the third.

The guests returned home, and the following day repaired at the same hour to the house of Sindbad; where the porter, who had almost forgotten his misery, also made his appearance. They sat down to table, and after the repast was ended, Sindbad requested the company to attend to him, and he began the detail of his third voyage.

THE THIRD VOYAGE OF SINDBAD, THE SAILOR.

The comfortable way of life in which I had settled myself, soon obliterated the remembrance of the dangers I had experienced in my two voyages; but as I was in the prime of life, I grew tired of passing my days in a slothful repose; and banishing all thoughts of the perils I might encounter, I set off from Bagdad, with some rich merchandize of the country, which I conveyed to Balsora. There I again embarked with other merchants; we made a long voyage, and touched at several ports, and by these means made a very advantageous commerce.

One day, when we were in the open sea, we were overtaken by a violent tempest, which made us lose our reckoning. It continued for several days, and drove us near an island, which the captain would gladly have been excused from touching at, but we were under the necessity of casting anchor there. When the sails were furled, the captain told us, that this, as well as some of the neighbouring isles, was inhabited by hairy savages, who would come to attack us. That although they were only dwarfs, we must not attempt to make any resistance; for as their number was inconceivable, if we should happen to kill one, they would pour upon us like locusts, and destroy us. This account put the whole crew in a terrible consternation, and we were too soon convinced that the captain had spoken the truth. We saw coming towards us an innumerable multitude of hideous savages, entirely covered with red hair, and about two feet high. They threw themselves into the sea, and swam to the ship, which they soon completely encompassed. They spoke to us as they approached, but we could not understand their language. They began to climb the sides and ropes of the vessel with so much swiftness and agility that their feet scarcely seemed to touch them, and soon reached the deck.

You may imagine the situation we were in, not daring to defend ourselves, nor even to speak to them, to endeavour to avert the impending danger. They unfurled the sails, cut the cable from the anchor, and after dragging the ship to shore, obliged us to disembark: after this they conveyed us to another island, from whence they had come. All voyagers carefully avoided this island, for the dismal reason you are going to hear; but our misfortune had led us there, and we were obliged to submit.

We left the shore, and advancing farther into the island, we found some fruits and herbs, which we eat of, to prolong our lives as much as possible, for we all expected to be sacrificed. As we walked, we perceived at some distance a considerable edifice, towards which we bent our way. It was a large and high palace, with a folding-door of ebony, which opened as we pushed it. We entered the court-yard, and facing us saw a vast apartment, with a vestibule, on one side of which was a large heap of human bones, and on the opposite one a number of spits for roasting. We trembled at this spectacle; and as we were fatigued with walking, our legs failed us, and we fell on the earth, where we remained a considerable time, unable to move from fear.