Sinbad the Sailor | Be 235

the sea cast us ashore, without consulting what we should do, our
misfortune had dispirited us so much. . .

’ Next morning, as soon as ‘the sun was up, we walked from the
shore, and advancing into the island, saw some houses, to which
we went; and as soon as we came thither we were encompassed
by a great number of black men, who seized us, shared us amos
them, and carried us to their respective habitations.

I and five of my comrades were carried to one place ; they made
us sit down immediately, and gave us a certain herb, which they
made signs to us to eat. My comrades, not taking niotice that the
black men ate none of it themselves, consulted only the satisfying of
their own hunger, and féll to eating with greediness: but I, suspecting
some trick, would not so much as taste it, which happened well ©

for me; for in a little time I perceived my companions had lost
their senses, and that when they spoke to me they knew not what
they said.
' The black men fed us afterwards with rice, “prepared. with oil
of cocoanuts, and my comrades, who had lost their reason, ate of
it greedily. I ate of it also; but very sparingly. The black men
gave us that herb at first on purpose to deprive us of our senses,
that wé might not be aware of the sad destiny prepared for us; and
they gave us rice On purpose to fatten us, for, being cannibals, their
design was to eat us as soon as we grew fat. They did accordingly
eat my comrades, who were not aware of their condition ; but my
‘senses ‘being entire, you may easily guess that instead of growing
fat, as the rest did, I grew leaner every day. The fear of death
under which I laboured turned all my food into poison. I fell into
a languishing illness ‘which proved ‘my safety, for the black men
having killed and eaten’ up my companions, seeing me to be
withered, lean, and sick, deferred my death till another time.

Meanwhile, I had a. great deal of liberty, ‘so that there was

scarcely any notice taken of ‘what I did, ‘and this gave me an