498 SINDBAD, THE SAILOR.

and placed in an open coffin. The procession then began, the
husband following the corpse. They ascended the top of an
exceedingly high mountain, and a great stone was removed,
which covered the mouth of a very deep pit. The corpse
was let down and the husband, having taken leave of his
friends, was put into another open coffin with a pot of water,
and seven small loaves, and he was let down. The stone was
replaced and they all returned. The horror of this scene was
still fresh upon my mind, when my wife fell sick and died,
The king and the whole court, out of respect to me, instantly
prepared to assist at a similar ceremony with me. I restrained
the feelings of despair until we arrived at the top of the moun-
tain, when I fell at the feet of the king, and besought him to
spare my life. All I said was ineffectual, and after my wife
was interred, I also was put down into the deep pit, totally in-
different to my cries and lamentations. I made the cave echo
with my unavailing complaints. I lived some days on the
bread and water which had been put into my coffin ; but this
supply was at length exhausted. I then wandered to a remote
part of this frightful cave, and lay down to prepare for death,
I was thus lying, wishing only for a speedy termination to-my
misery, when I suddenly heard something walking and panting
very much; I started up, upon which the thing panted still
more, and then ran away: I pursued it, and sometimes it
seemed to stop, but on my approach it continued to go on
before me. I pursued it, until at last I saw a glimmering light
like a star ; this redoubled my eagerness, until at last I disco-
vered a hole large enough to allow my escape. I crept through
the aperture, and found myself on the sea-shore, and discovered
that the creature wasa sea-monster, which had been accustomed
to enter at that hole to feed upon the dead bodies. The moun-
tain, I perceived, extended some miles between the town and