BOCeE The Story of

T carried with me to the seaside, and set myself astride upon it, with
a stick in each hand to serve me for oars,

I launched out in this .posture, and advanced near the ship.
When I was near enough to be known, the seamen and passengers
that were upon the deck thought it an extraordinary sight, and
all of them looked upon’ me with great astonishment. In the
meantime I got aboard, and laying hold of a rope, I jumped upon
the deck, but having lost my speech, I found myself in great
perplexity ; and indeed the risk I ran then was nothing i than
when I was at the mercy of the genie,

The merchants, being both superstitious and scrupulous, believed
I should occasion some mischief to their voyage if they received
me; ‘therefore, said one, ‘I will knock him down with a haind-
spike’; said another, ‘I will shoot an arrow through him’ ;. said
a third, ‘Let us throw him into the sea.’ Some of them would
not have failed to do so, if I had not got to that side where the
captain was. I threw myself at his feet, and took him by. the
coat in a begging posture. This’ action, together with the’ tears
which he saw. gush from my eyes, moved his compassion ; so: that
he took me under his protection, threatening to be: revenged on him:
that would do me the least hurt; and he himself made very much of
me, while I on my part, though I had no- power to speak, ones all
possible signs. of gratitude by my gestures,

The wind that succeeded the calm was gentle and pvcieble wid
did not change for. fifty days, but. brought us safe to the port of
a fine city, well peopled, and of great trade, the oe of a powerful
State, where we came to anchor. &

Our vessel was speedily ‘surrounded with an infinite nannber
of boats full of people, who came to congratulate their friends upon
their safe arrival, or to inquire for those they had left behind them
in the country from whence they came, or out of curiosity to see a
ship that came! from a far. coun