Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 3.djvu/17

THIS Diſcourſe of the Captain, ſays Sindbad, put the whole Equipage into a great Conſternation, and we found very ſoon to our Coſt, that what he told us was but too true. An innumerable multitude of frightful Savages, cover’d all over with red Hair, and about two Foot high, came ſwimming towards us, and encompaſs’d our Ship in a little Time. They ſpoke to us as they came near, but we underſtood not their Language; they climb’d up the Sides of the Ship with ſo much Agility as ſurpriz’d us. We beheld all this with a mortal Fear, without daring to offer at defending our ſelves, or to ſpeak one Word to divert them from their miſchievous Defign. In ſhort, they took down our Sails, cut the Cable, and hawling to the Shore, made us all get out, and afterwards carry’d 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 here anon, but we were forc’d 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 perceiv’d at a Diſtancea 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. We enter’d the Court, where we ſaw before us a vaſt Apartment, with a Porch, having on one Side a Heap of Men’s Bones, and on the other a vaſt Number of roaſt Spits. We trembled at this Spectacle, and being weary with travelling, our Legs ſail’d under us, we fell to the Ground, being ſeiz’d with a mortal Fear, and lay a long Time immoyeable,

The Sun was ſet, and whilſt we were in this lamentable Condition juſt now mention’d, the Gate of the Apartment open’d with a great Noiſe, and there came out the horrible Figure of a black Man, as high as a tall Palm-Tree. He had but one Eye, and that in the middle of his Forehead, where it look’d as red as a burning Coal. His Fore-teeth were very long and ſharp, and came without his Mouth,