156 THE akaABIAN NIGHTS.

three preceding ones had done. He repeated his present of a

- hundred sequins to Hindbad, and when he and the other guests
had assembled on the following day, Sindbad began the account
of his fifth voyage as follows :—

THE FIFTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD, THE SAILOR.

The pleasures I enjoyed soon made me forget the pains I had
undergone ; yet they were not sufficiently attractive to prevent
my forming the resolution of venturing a fifth time on the sea.
I again provided myself with merchandise, packed it, and sent
it by land-carriage to the nearest seaport; where, unwilling to
trust any more to a captain, and wishing to have a vessel of my
own, I built and equipped one at my own expense. As soon as
it was finished, I loaded it and embarked; and as I had not
sufficient cargo to fill it myself, I received several merchants of
different nations with their goods.

We hoisted our sails the first fair wind, and put tosea. After
sailing a considerable time, the first place we stopped at was a
desert island, where.we found the egg of a roc, of an immense
size ; it contained a small roc, which was just ready to hatch, its
beak having begun to make its appearance. The merchants who
were with me broke the egg with hatchets, and cut out the young
roc piece by piece, and roasted it.

They had scarcely finished their meal, when two immense
clouds appeared in the air at a considerable distance from us.
The captain, whom I had hired to have the care of the vessel,
knowing, by experience, what it was, cried out that it was the
father and mother of the young roc, and warned us to re-embark
as quickly as possible, to avoid the danger which threatened us.
We took his advice, and set sail immediately.

The two rocs approached, uttering the most frightful screams,
which they redoubled on finding the state of their egg, and that
the young one was no more. Determining to revenge them-
selves, they flew away towards the part from whence they
came, and disappeared for some time, during which we used
all diligence to sail away, and prevent what nevertheless be
fell us. :

They returned, and we perceived that they each had an enor-