230 & | The Third Voyage of

scales made a rustling.as he crept along. He swallowed up one
of my comrades, notwithstanding his loud cries and the efforts he
made to rid himself from the serpent, which shook him’ several
times against the ground, and crushed him; and we could hear him
gnaw and tear the poor wretch’s bones, when we had fled a great
distance from him. Next day we saw the serpent again, to our
great terror, and I cried out, ‘O heaven, to what dangers are we
exposed! We rejoiced yesterday at having escaped from the cruelty
of a giant and the rage of the waves, and now are we fallen into
another danger altogether as terrible.’

As we walked about we saw a large tall tree, upon which we |
designed to pass the following night, for our security; and having
satisfied our hunger with fruit, we mounted it accordingly. A little
while after, the serpent came hissing to the root of the tree, raised
itself. up against the trunk of it, and meeting with my comrade,
who sat lower than I, swallowed him at once, and went off.

I staid upon the tree till it was day, and then came down, more
like a dead man than: oné alive, expecting the same fate as my
two companions... This filled me with horror, so that I was going
‘to throw myself into the sea; but nature prompting us to a desire
to live as long. as we can, I withstood this temptation to despair,
and submitted myself to the will of God, who disposes of our lives
at His pleasure. oes fe

In the meantime I gathered together a great quantity of small ©
wood, brambles, and dry thorns, and making them up into faggots
made a great circle with them round the tree, and also tied
- some of them to the branches over my head. Having done thus,
when the evening came I shut myself up within this circle, with
this melaricholy piece of. satisfaction, that I had neglected nothing
which could preserve me from the cruel destiny with which I was
threatened. The serpent failed not to’ come at the usual hour, —
and went round the tree, seeking for an opportunity to devour