Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 3.djvu/26

Mean while, I had a great deal of Liberty, ſo that there was ſcarce any notice taken of what I did, and this gave me an Opportunity one Dy to get at a diſtance from the Houſes, and to make my Eſcape. An old Man, who ſaw me, and ſuſpectce my Delign, called to me as loud as he could to return; but inſtead of obeying him, I redoubled my pace and quickly got out of his ſight. At that time there was none but the oſd Man about the Houſes, the reſt being abroad, and not to come home till Night, which was pretty uſual with them. Therefore, being ſure that they could not come home time enough to purſue me, I went on till Night, that I ſtopt to reſt a little, and to eat ſome of the Proviſions that I had taken care for, but I ſpeedily ſet forward again, and travelled ſeven Days, avoiding thoſe Places which ſeemed to be inhabited; and lived for the moſt part upon Coco Nuts, which ſerved me both for Meat and Drink. On the eighth Day I came near the Sea, and ſaw all of a ſudden white People like my ſelf gathering of Pepper, of which there was great Plenty in that Place; this I took to be a good Omen, and went to them without any Scruple. Scheherazade broke off here, and went on with the Story next Night, as follows.

THE People who gathered Pepper, continued Sindbad, Came to meet me, as ſoon as they ſaw me and ask’d me in Arabick who I was, and whence I came? I was overjoy’d to hear them ſpeak in my own Language, and willingly ſatisfied their Curioſity, by giving them an Account of my Shipwreck and how I fell into the Hands of the Blacks. Thoſe Blacks, replied they, eat Men, and by what Miracle did you eſcape their Cruelty? I told them the ſame Story I now told you, at which they were wonderfully ſurprized.

I ftaid with them till they had gathered their Quantity of Pepper, and then ſailed with them to the Iſland from whence they came. They preſented me to their King, who was a good Prince, he had the Patience to hear the Relation of my Adventure, which ſurprized him and he afterwards gave me Cloaths, and commanded Care to be taken of me.