Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 3.djvu/38

veral ſizes, that ſled, as ſoon as they perceiv’d us, and climb’d up to the Top of the Trees with ſurprizing Swiftneſs.

Scheherazade would have gone on, but Day appearing prevented her, and next Night ſhe reſumed the Diſcourſe as follows.

THE Merchants with whom I was, continued Sindbad, gathered Stones, and threw them at the Apes on the Top of the Trees. I did the ſame, and the Apes out of Revenge threw Cocoe Nuts at us as faſt, and with ſuch Geſtures as ſufficiently teſtify’d their Anger and Refentment; we gather’d up the Cocoes, and from time to time threw Stones to provoke the Apes; fo that by this Stratagem, we fill’d our Bags with Cocoe Nuts, which it had been poſfible for us to have done otherwiſe.

When we had gather’d our Number, we return’d tothe City, where the Merchant, who ſent me to the Foreſt, gave me the Value of the Cocoes I brought: Go on, ſays he, and do the like every Day, until you have got Money enough to carry you home. I thank’d him for his good Advice, and inſenfibly gather’d together ſo many Cocoes as amounted to a confiderable Sum.

The Veſſel in which I came, ſail’d with Merchants who loaded her with Cocoes. I expected the Arrival of another, which landed ſpeedily for the like Loading. I embark’d on board the ſame all the Cocoes that belong’d to me, and when ſhe was ready to ſail, I went and took leave of the Merchant, who had been ſo kind to me, but he could not embark with me, becauſe he had not finiſh’d his Affairs.

We ſet ſail towards the Iſland where Pepper grows in great plenty. From thence we went to the Iſle of Comari,^[1] where the beſt ſort of Wood of Aloes grows, and whoſe Inhabitants have made it an inviolable Law to themſe’ves to drink no Wine, nor to ſuffer any Place of Debauch. I exchang’d my Cocoes in thoſe two Iſlands, for Pepper and Wood of Aloes