Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 3.djvu/22

ding Day, I ran toward the Sea, with a Deſign to throw my ſelf in to it headlong. Here Scheherazade ſtopt, becauſe Day appeared, and next Night continued her Story thus,

Sindbad purſued the Account of his Third Voyage thus. God, ſays he, took Compaſſion on my deſperate State, for juſt as I was going to throw my ſelt into the Sea, I perceived a Ship at a conſiderable Diſtance. I called as loud as I could, and taking the Linnen from my Turban, diſplayed it that they might obſerve me. This had the deſired Effect, all the Crew perceived me, and the Captain ſent me his Sloop. As ſoon as I came aboard, the Merchants and Seamen flocked about me to know how I came into that deſart Iſland; and after I had told them all that befel me, the oldeſt among ’em ſaid to me, They had ſeveral times heard of the Giants who dwelt in that Iſland, that they were Canibals, and eat Men raw as well as roaſted; and as to the Serpents, they added, That there were abundance in the Iſle that hid themſelves by Day, and came abroad at Night. After having teſtified their Joy at my eſcaping ſo many Dangers, they brought me the beſt of what they had to eat; and the Captain, ſeeing that I was all in Rags, was fo generous as to give me one of his own Suits. We were at ſea for ſome time, touched at ſeveral Iſlands, and at laſt landed at that of Salabar, where there grows Sanders, a Wood of great Uſe in Phyſick. We entered the Port, and came to an Anchor. The Merchants began to unload their Goods, in order to ſell or exchange them. In the meantime the Captain called me and ſaid, Brother, I have here a Parcel of Goods that belonged to a Merchant, who ſailed ſometime on board this Ship, and he being dead, I deſign to diſpoſe of ’em for the Benefit of his Heirs, when I know them. The Bales he ſpoke of lay on the Deck, and ſhewing them to me, he ſays, There’s the Goods. I hope you will take care to ſell ’em, and you ſhall have Factorage. I thank’d him that he gave me an Opportunity to employ my ſelf becauſe I hated to be idle.

The Clerk of the Ship took an Account of all the Bales, with the Names of the Merchants to whom they belonged. And when he ask’d the Captain in whoſe Name he