The Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor 6

When the sun rose I crept down from the tree with hardly a hope of escaping the dreadful fate which had over-taken my comrades; but life is sweet, and I determined¹ to do all I could to save myself. All day long I toiled² with frantic³（狂乱的） haste and collected quantities of dry brushwood, reeds and thorns, which I bound with faggots（柴把）, and making a circle of them under my tree I piled them firmly one upon another until I had a kind of tent in which I crouched⁴ like a mouse in a hole when she sees the cat coming. You may imagine what a fearful night I passed, for the snake returned eager to devour⁵（吞食，毁灭） me, and glided⁶ round and round my frail⁷ shelter seeking an entrance. Every moment I feared that it would succeed in pushing aside some of the faggots, but happily for me they held together, and when it grew light my enemy retired⁸, baffled and hungry, to his den⁹. As for me I was more dead than alive! Shaking with fright and half suffocated¹⁰ by the poisonous breath of the monster, I came out of my tent and crawled down to the sea, feeling that it would be better to plunge¹¹ from the cliffs and end my life at once than pass such another night of horror. But to my joy and relief I saw a ship sailing by, and by shouting wildly and waving my turban I managed to attract the attention of her crew. 

 

A boat was sent to rescue me, and very soon I found myself on board surrounded by a wondering crowd of sailors and merchants eager to know by what chance I found myself in that desolate¹² island. After I had told my story they regaled me with the choicest food the ship afforded, and the captain, seeing that I was in rags, generously bestowed¹³ upon me one of his own coats. After sailing about for some time and touching¹⁴ at many ports we came at last to the island of Salahat, where sandal wood grows in great abundance. Here we anchored, and as I stood watching the merchants disembarking their goods and preparing to sell or exchange them, the captain came up to me and said, 

 

"I have here, brother, some merchandise belonging to a passenger of mine who is dead. Will you do me the favour to trade with it, and when I meet with his heirs I shall be able to give them the money, though it will be only just that you shall have a portion for your trouble." 

 

I consented gladly, for I did not like standing¹⁵ by idle. Whereupon he pointed¹⁶ the bales out to me, and sent for the person whose duty it was to keep a list of the goods that were upon the ship. When this man came he asked in what name the merchandise was to be registered. 

 

"In the name of Sindbad the Sailor," replied the captain. 

 

At this I was greatly surprised, but looking carefully at him I recognised him to be the captain of the ship upon which I had made my second voyage, though he had altered much since that time. As for him, believing me to be dead it was no wonder that he had not recognised me. 

 

"So, captain," said I, "the merchant who owned those bales（捆） was called Sindbad?" 

 

"Yes," he replied. "He was so named. He belonged to Bagdad, and joined my ship at Balsora, but by mischance he was left behind upon a desert island where we had landed to fill up our water-casks, and it was not until four hours later that he was missed. By that time the wind had freshened, and it was impossible to put back for him." 

 

"You suppose him to have perished then?" said I. 

 

"Alas¹⁷! yes," he answered. 

 

"Why, captain!" I cried, "look well at me. I am that Sindbad who fell asleep upon the island and awoke to find himself abandoned!" 

 

The captain stared at me in amazement¹⁸, but was presently convinced that I was indeed speaking the truth, and rejoiced greatly at my escape. 

 

"I am glad to have that piece of carelessness off my conscience at any rate," said he. "Now take your goods, and the profit I have made for you upon them, and may you prosper¹⁹ in future." 

 

I took them gratefully, and as we went from one island to another I laid in stores of cloves²⁰（丁香）, cinnamon, and other spices. In one place I saw a tortoise which was twenty cubits long and as many broad, also a fish that was like a cow and had skin so thick that it was used to make shields. Another I saw that was like a camel in shape and colour. So by degrees we came back to Balsora, and I returned to Bagdad with so much money that I could not myself count it, besides treasures without end. I gave largely to the poor, and bought much land to add to what I already possessed²¹, and thus ended my third voyage. 

 

When Sindbad had finished his story he gave another hundred sequins to Hindbad, who then departed with the other guests, but next day when they had all reassembled, and the banquet（宴会，款待） was ended, their host continued his adventures. 

 

 

Rich and happy as I was after my third voyage, I could not make up my mind to stay at home altogether. My love of trading, and the pleasure I took in anything that was new and strange, made me set my affairs in order, and begin my journey through some of the Persian provinces, having first sent off stores of goods to await my coming in the different places I intended to visit. I took ship at a distant seaport²², and for some time all went well, but at last, being caught in a violent hurricane, our vessel²³ became a total wreck²⁴ in spite of all our worthy²⁵ captain could do to save her, and many of our company perished in the waves. I, with a few others, had the good fortune to be washed ashore²⁶ clinging to pieces of the wreck, for the storm had driven us near an island, and scrambling²⁷ up beyond the reach of the waves we threw ourselves down quite exhausted²⁸, to wait for morning. 

 

At daylight we wandered inland, and soon saw some huts, to which we directed our steps. As we drew near their black inhabitants swarmed²⁹ out in great numbers and surrounded us, and we were led to their houses, and as it were divided among our captors. I with five others was taken into a hut, where we were made to sit upon the ground, and certain herbs were given to us, which the blacks made signs to us to eat. Observing that they themselves did not touch them, I was careful only to pretend to taste my portion; but my companions, being very hungry, rashly ate up all that was set before them, and very soon I had the horror of seeing them become perfectly³⁰ mad. Though they chattered³¹ incessantly³² I could not understand a word they said, nor did they heed³³ when I spoke³⁴ to them. The savages³⁵ now produced large bowls full of rice prepared with cocoanut（椰子） oil, of which my crazy comrades ate eagerly, but I only tasted a few grains, understanding clearly that the object of our captors was to fatten³⁶ us speedily for their own eating, and this was exactly what happened. My unlucky companions having lost their reason, felt neither anxiety nor fear, and ate greedily all that was offered them. So they were soon fat and there was an end of them, but I grew leaner day by day, for I ate but little, and even that little did me no good by reason of my fear of what lay before me. However, as I was so far from being a tempting³⁷ morsel³⁸（一口，少量）, I was allowed to wander about freely, and one day, when all the blacks had gone off upon some expedition leaving only an old man to guard me, I managed to escape from him and plunged³⁹ into the forest, running faster the more he cried to me to come back, until I had completely distanced him.

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