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before me one of the Legs of the Bird, that was as big as the Trunk of a Tree, I tied my ſelf ſtrongly to it with the Cloth that went round my Turban, in hopes that when the Roc[1] flew away next Morning, ſhe would carry me with her out of this deſart Iſland. And after having paſs’d the Night in this Condition, the Bird actually flew away next Morning, as ſoon as ’twas Day, and carry’d me ſo high that I could not ſee the Earth; ſhe afterwards deſcended all of a ſudden with ſo much Rapidity, that I loſt my Senſes. But when the Roc was ſate, and that I found my ſelf on the Ground, I ſpeedily untied the Knot, and had ſcarce done, when the Bird having taken up a Serpent of a monſtrous Length in her Bill, flew ſtrait away.

The Place where it left me was a very deep Valley, encompaſs’d on all Sides with Mountains ſo high, that they ſeem’d to reach above the Clouds, and ſo full of ſteep Rocks, that there was no Poſſibility to get out of the Valley. This was a new Perplexity upon me; ſo that when I compar’d this Place with the deſart Iſland, the Roc brought me from, I found that I gain’d nothing by the Change.

As I walk’d through this Valley, I perceiv’d it was ſtrew’d with Diamonds, ſome of which were of a ſurpriſing Bigneſs, I took a great deal of Pleaſure to look upon them; but ſpeedily ſaw at a Diſtance ſuch Objects as very much diminiſh’d my satisfaction, and which I could not look upon without Terror; that was a great Number of Serpents, ſo big, and ſo long that the !eaſt of ’em was capable of ſwallowing an Elephant. They retir’d in the Day Time to their Dens, where they hid themſelves from the Roc their Enemy, and did not come out but in the Night-time,

I fpent the Day in walking about the Valley, reſting my ſelf at Times in ſuch Places as I thought moſt commodious. When Night came on, I went into a Cave, where I thought I might be in ſafety; I ſtop’d the Mouth of it, which was low and ſtrait, with a great Stone, to preſerve me from the Serpents; but not ſo exacty fitted as to hin-

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  1. ↑ Mark Paul in his Travels, and Father Martini and his Hiſtory of China, ſpeak of this Bird, and ſay it will take up an Elephant, and a Rhinoceros.
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