Page:Voyages and travels of Sindbad the sailor (1).pdf/18

18 that part of the coast. I made a signal with my turban, they sent a boat to take me on board. I told the mariners had been wrecked, and had just been able to get on shore  the bales they saw. The captain questioned me no farther.

I found a ship ready to sail for Balsora, on board of which embarked, having presented some fine jewels to the captain  had brought me to Kela.

The rest of my voyage was prosperous, and I arrived at Bagdad with a vast increase of riches.

Sindbad made another present to Hindbad, with the charge of returning the next day to hear more  adventures.

THE FIFTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD.

Forgetting the perils I had suffered, I built me a ship at my own expense, loaded her with a rich cargo, and we set with a fair wind.

After being at sea several weeks, we landed upon a island in search of fresh water, where we found a roc's egg equal in size to that I formerly mentioned. The merchants and sailors gathered round it in great amazement, and though I entreated them not to meddle with the egg, they would forbear, but making a hole in it with their hatchets, they picked out the young roc, piece after piece, and roasted it.

Scarcely had they made an end of their treat, when there appeared in the air at a distance, two great clouds. I knew it was the rocs belonging to the young bird they had just devoured, and calling all the people together, I made them embark and set sail with the utmost speed.

The two roesrocs [sic], meantime, alighted on the island, and seeing their egg destroyed, made a most frightful noise. Presently they took flight and disappeared. It was not long before they returned with stones, or rather rocks, between their talons, of a monstrous size. When they came directly over my ship, they hovered, and one let his stone drop, but by the dexterity of the man at the helm, who turned the ship instantly aside, it missed us and fell into the sea. The other roeroc [sic], to our misfortune, threw the stone so exactly into tho very middle of the ship that it split into a thousand pieces. The mariners and passengers were all killed by the stone, or thrown into the sea. The latter was my fate, but I fortunately caught hold of a piece of the wreck, which carried me to an island.

On advancing into the island, I saw a little old man sitting upon the bank of a rivulet. He appeared very weak and