Page:History of Sindbad the sailor.pdf/12

12 with a mortal fear, without daring to offer at defending ourselves, or to speak one word to divert them from their mischievous design. In short they took down our sails, cut the cable, and hauling to the shore, made us all get out, and afterwards carried the ship into another island, from whence they came. All travellers carefully avoided that island, where they left us, it being very dangerous to stay there, for a reason you shall hear anon, but we were forced to bear our affliction with patience.

We went forward into the island, where we found some fruits and herbs to prolong our lives as long as we could; but we expected nothing but death. As we went on, we perceived at a distance a great pile of building, and made towards it. We found it to be a palace well built, and very high, with a gate of ebony of two leaves, which we thrust open. On entering the court, we saw before a vast apartment, with a porch, having on one side a heap of men’s bones, and on the other, a vast number of roasting spits. We trembled at this spectacle, and being wearied with travelling, our legs failed under us, we fell to the ground, being seized with a mortal fear, and lay a long time immoveable.

The sun was set, and while we were in this lamentable condition just now mentioned, the gate of the apartment opened with a great noise, and there came out the horrible figure of a black man, as high as a tall palm tree. At the sight of so frightful a giant, we lost all sense, and lay as dead men.

At last we came to ourselves, and saw him sitting in the porch looking at us; when he considered us well, he advanced towards us, and laying his hands upon me, he took me up by the nape of my neck, and turned me round as a butcher would do a sheep’s head; after having viewed me well,