as THE FIFTH VOYAGE OF

over whom I set my black slaves and my pages
as superintendents, and I embarked in it my
bales. And there came to me a company of
merchants, ‘who also embarked their bales in
it, and paid me hire. We set sail in the
utmost joy and happiness, and rejoicing in the
prospect of. safety and gain, and ceased not to
pursue our voyage from island to island and
from sea to sea, diverting ourselves with view-
ing the islands and towns, and landing at them
and selling and buying. Thus we continued to
do, until we arrived one day at a large island,
destitute of inhabitants. There was no person
upon it: it was deserted and desolate; but on
it was an enormous white dome, of great bulk ;
and we landed to amuse ourselves with a sight
of it, and, lo, it was a great egg of a rukh’.
Now when the merchants had landed, and were
diverting themselves with viewing it, not know-
ing that it was the egg of a rukh’, they struck
it with stones; whereupon it broke, and there
poured down from it a great quantity of liquid,
and the young rukh’ appeared within it. So’
they pulled it and drew it forth from the shell,
and killed it, and took from it abundance of
meat. I was then in the ship, and knew
not of it, and they acquainted me not with