40 THE SECOND VOYAGE OF

had suffered during my first voyage, and I felt
at the point of destruction, and said, “ Verily to
God we belong, and verily unto Him we return!” |
And I was in the predicament of the mad. After
that, I rose and stood up, and walked about the
island to the right and left, unable to sit in one
place. Then I climbed up a lofty tree; and
began to look from it to the right and left; but
saw nought save sky and water, and trees and
birds, and islands and sands. Looking, however,
with a scrutinising eye, there appeared to me
on the island a white object, indistinctly seen
in the distance, of enormous size: so I descended
from the tree, and went towards it, and proceeded
in that direction without stopping until I arrived
at it; and, lo, it was a huge white dome, of great
height and large circumference. I drew near to
it, and walked round it; but perceived no door
to it; and I found that I had not strength nor
activity to climb it, on account of its exceeding
smoothness. I made a mark at the place where
I stood, and went round the dome measuring its
circumference; and, lo, it was fifty full paces;
and I meditated upon some means of gaining
an entrance into it.

The close of the day, and the setting of the
sun, had now drawn near; and, behold, the sun