Sinbad the Sailor ee me 231

me, but was prevented by the rampart I had made, so that he lay
till day, like a cat watching in vain for a mouse that has retreated
toa place of safety. When day eppeesed he retired, but I dared
not to leave my fort until the sun arose.
I was fatigued with the toil he had put me to, and suffered so
much from his poisonous breath that, death seeming preferable to
-me than the horror of such a condition, I came down from the
tree, and not thinking on the resignation I had made to the will
of God the preceding day, I ran towards the sea, with a design
to throw myself into it headlong. ome
God took. compassion on my desperate state, for just a as I was
going to throw myself into the sea, ‘I perceived a ship at a con-
siderable distance. I called as loud as I’ could, and taking the
linen from my turban, displayed it that ‘they | ‘might observe me.
This had the desired effect; all the crew perceived me, and the
‘captain sent his boat for me. As soon as:I came aboard, the
‘merchants and searfien flocked about me to know how: I came to
that desert island; and after I had told them of all that befell
me, the oldest among them’ said they had several: times heard
of the giants that dwelt in that island, that they were cannibals
and ate. men raw as well .as roasted ; and as to the serpents,
he added, there were abundance in. the isle that hid themselves:
by day and came abroad by night. After having ‘testified their
- joy at my escaping so many dangers, they brought me the best
of what they had to eat; and the captain, seeing that I was all
in rags, was so generous as to give me one of his own suits.
We were at sea for some time, touched ,at several islands, and
at last landed at that of Salabat, where there , igrows sanders, a wood
of great use in physic. We entered the port, and came ‘to anchor.
‘The merchants ‘began, to unload their goods, in order to sell or
exchange them: In the meantime the captain came-to me,’and said,
‘ Brother, I have here a par: cel of aoe that belonged to a merchant