Sinbad the Sailor we 215
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of the sea, and had a fine harbour, where ships arrived daily from
the different quarters of the world. I frequented also the society of
~ the learned Indians, and took delight in hearing them discourse; but
_withal I took care to make my court regularly to the king, and
conversed with the governors and petty kings, his tributaries, that
were about, him. They asked me a thousand questions about my
country, and I, being willing to inform myself as to their laws and
customs, asked them everything which I thought worth knowing.
There belonged to this king an island named Cassel. They
assured me that every night a noise of drums was heard there,
whence the mariners fancied that it was the residence of Degial. I
had a great mind to see this wonderful place, and on my way thither
- saw fishes of one hundred and two hundred cubits long, that occasion
more fear than hurt, for they are so timid that they will fly at
_ the rattling of two sticks or boards. I saw likewise other fishes,
about a cubit in length, that had heads like owls.
As I was one day at the port after my return, a ship arrived, and
as soon as she cast anchor, they begun to unload her, and the
merchants on board ordered their goods to be carried into the
warehouse. As I cast my" eye upon some bales, and looked at
the name, I found my own, and perceived the bales to be the
same that I had embarked at Balsora. I also knew the captain;
but being persuaded that he believed me to be drowned, I went and
asked him whose bales they were. He replied: ‘They belonged
to a merchant of Bagdad, called Sinbad, who came to sea with
us; but one day, being near an island, as we thought, he went
ashore with several other passengers upon this supposed island,
which was only a monstrous whale that lay asleep upon the surface
of the water; but as soon as he felt the heat of the fire they had
kindled on his back to dress some victuals he. began to move,
- and dived under water: most of the persons who were upon him
perished, and among them unfortunate Sinbad. Those bales