q4 THE THIRD VOYAGE OF

up it, and slept upon it; I having ascended to
the highest of its branches. But when the night
arrived, and it was dark, the serpent came, look-
ing to the right and left, and, advancing to the
tree upon which we were, came up to my com-
panion, and swallowed him to his shoulders;
and it wound itself round the tree with him,
and I heard his bones break in pieces in its
belly: then it swallowed him entirely, while I
looked on; after which it descended from the
tree, and went its way. I remained upon that
tree the rest of the night; and when the day
came, and the light appeared, I descended from
the tree, like one dead, by reason of excessive
fear and terror, and desired to cast myself into
the sea, that I might be at rest from the world;
but it was not a light matter to me to do so; for
life is dear. So I tied a wide piece of wood
upon the soles of my feet, crosswise, and I tied
one like it upon my left side, and a similar one
upon my right side, and a similar one upon the
front of my body, and I tied one long and wide
upon the top of my head, ‘crosswise, like that
which was under the soles of my feet. Thus I
was in the midst of these pieces of wood, and
they enclosed me on every side. I bound them
tightly, and threw myself with the whole upon