130 THE FIFTH VOYAGE OF

sat an old man, a comely person, who was clad
from the waist downwards with a covering made
of the leaves of trees. So I said within myself,
‘“Perhaps this old man hath landed upon this
island and is one of the shipwrecked persons with
whom the vessel fell to pieces. I then approached
him and saluted him, and he returned the saluta-
tion by a sign, without speaking; and I said to.
him, “ O sheykh, what is the reason of thy sitting
in this place?” Whereupon he shook his head,
and sighed, and made a sign to me with his hand,
as though he would say, ‘‘ Carry me upon thy neck,
and transport me from this place to the other side
of the streamlet. I therefore said within myself,
“JT will act kindly with this person, and transport
him to this place to which he desireth to go:
perhaps I shall obtain for it a reward [in heaven ].”
Accordingly I advanced to him, and took him
upon my shoulders, and conveyed him to the place
that he had indicated to me; when I said to him,
‘“‘Descend at thine ease.” But he descended not
from my shoulders. He had twisted his legs round
my neck, and I looked at them, and I saw that
they were like the hide of the buffalo in blackness
and roughness. So I was frightened at him, and
desired to throw him down from my shoulders ;
but he pressed upon my neck with his feet, and