Sinbad the Sailor EE 213

 

The eastern sea, as well as that of the Indies, is very spacious: it is
bounded on one side by the coasts of Abyssinia, and is 4,500 leagues
in length to the isles of Vakvak. At first I was troubled with
sea-sickness, but speedily recovered my health, and was not after-
wards troubled with that disease.

‘In our voyage we touched at several lands where we sold or:
exchanged our goods. One day, whilst under sail, we were ' be-
calmed near a little island, almost even with the surface of the
water, which resembled a green meadow. The captain ordered his
sails to be furled, and permitted such persons as had a mind to do
so to land upon the island, amongst whom I was one.

But while we were diverting ourselves with eating and drinking,
and recovering ourselves from the fatigue of the sea, the island on
a sudden trembled, and shook us terribly:

They perceived the trembling of the island on board: the ship,
and called us to re-embark speedily, or we should all be lost, for
what we took for an island was only the back of a whale. The
nimblest got into the sloop, others betook themselves to swim-
ming; but for my part I was still upon the back of .the whale when
he dived into the sea, and had time only to catch hold. of a: piece
of wood that we had brought out of the ship to make a fire. Mean-
while, the captain, having received those on board who were in the
sloop, and taken up some of those that swam, resolved to use the
favourable gale that had just risen, and hoisting his sails, pursued
his voyage, so that it was impossible for me to regain the ship.

Thus was I exposed to the mercy of the waves, and struggled for
my life all the rest of the day and the following night. Next morn-
ing I found my strength gone, and despaired of saving my life, when
happily a wave threw me against an island. The bank was high and
rugged, so that I could scarcely have got up had it not been for
some roots of trees, which fortune seemed to have preservéd in this
place for my safety. Being got up, I lay down upon the ground