Page:Voyages and travels of Sindbad the sailor (3).pdf/15

15 senses, and when they spoke to me they knew not what they said; I threw away the herbs, resolving never to taste them.

I soon understood that the savages had given us the herbs in order to rob us of our senses, to make us very fat, and then devour us. Accordingly I saw the cannibals eat my comrades one after another; but I, instead of growing fat, grew more thin daily, and I fell into a languishing disorder which proved my safety, for the savages did not think me fit to be eaten. They now entirely neglected me, and one day when they were gone into the woods, I determined to make my escape.

I took a contrary way to that the savages were gone, and travelled all night. I travelled in this manner during seven days, avoiding every place where I saw habitations that appeared to belong to savages, and living on fruit and cocoa nuts, and on the eighth day I came in sight of the sea shore, where I beheld a number of white persons gathering pepper.

I approached them without fear, and as I drew near they ran to meet me, and questioned mo in Arabic as to who I was and whence I came: I speedily satisfied their curiosity, by giving them an account of my shipwreck and my escape from the savage negroes. In a few days I recovered my strength, and after they had gathered a sufficient quantity of pepper, I sailed with them to the island from whence they came. They presented me to their king, who was a good prince; he listened to my adventures, gave me clothes and commanded me to be taken care of.

I esteemed myself very fortunate in the kind treatment I received from this generous monarch and his whole court.

It appeared to me very extraordinary to see that when the king and his nobles went a hunting, they rode their horses without bridle or saddle. I could not forbear to question his majesty upon the reason of his avoiding the use of bridles and saddles. The king heard me with a look of surprise, and then assured me he was quite at a loss to know what I meant, by the things called saddle and bridle. Upon this I went to a very skilful workman, and gave him the model of the stock of a saddle, and under my constant superintendence he made it very well. I covered it myself with embroidered velvet; I then went to another mechanic, for whom I drew the pattern of a bridle and stirrups. I put them upon one of the king's horses and presented him to his majesty, who was so delighted, that, he mounted immediately, and rode about the grounds belonging to the palace almost the whole of the day, while his ministers, the principal officers of the court, and others of the nobility, gathered round me, entreating that I would furnish them. I received such magnificent presents for my saddles and bridles, that I presently grew rich.