The Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor 10

 

It must be a marvel¹ to you how, after having five times met with shipwreck² and unheard of perils³, I could again tempt⁴ fortune and risk fresh trouble. I am even surprised myself when I look back, but evidently it was my fate to rove, and after a year of repose⁵ I prepared to make a sixth voyage, regardless of the entreaties⁶ of my friends and relations, who did all they could to keep me at home. Instead of going by the Persian Gulf⁷, I travelled a considerable way overland, and finally embarked⁸ from a distant Indian port with a captain who meant to make a long voyage. And truly he did so, for we fell in with stormy weather which drove us completely out of our course, so that for many days neither captain nor pilot knew where we were, nor where we were going. When they did at last discover our position we had small ground for rejoicing, for the captain, casting his turban（穆斯林头巾） upon the deck and tearing his beard, declared that we were in the most dangerous spot upon the whole wide sea, and had been caught by a current which was at that minute sweeping⁹ us to destruction. It was too true! In spite of all the sailors could do we were driven with frightful¹⁰ rapidity towards the foot of a mountain, which rose sheer out of the sea, and our vessel¹¹ was dashed to pieces upon the rocks at its base, not, however, until we had managed to scramble¹² on shore, carrying with us the most precious of our possessions. When we had done this the captain said to us: 

 

"Now we are here we may as well begin to dig our graves at once, since from this fatal spot no shipwrecked mariner¹³ has ever returned." 

 

This speech discouraged us much, and we began to lament¹⁴（哀悼） over our sad fate. 

 

The mountain formed the seaward boundary of a large island, and the narrow strip of rocky shore upon which we stood was strewn with the wreckage¹⁵ of a thousand gallant¹⁶（英勇的，华丽的） ships, while the bones of the luckless mariners¹⁷ shone white in the sunshine, and we shuddered¹⁸ to think how soon our own would be added to the heap. All around, too, lay vast quantities of the costliest¹⁹ merchandise, and treasures were heaped in every cranny of the rocks, but all these things only added to the desolation of the scene. It struck me as a very strange thing that a river of clear fresh water, which gushed²⁰ out from the mountain not far from where we stood, instead of flowing into the sea as rivers generally do, turned off sharply, and flowed out of sight under a natural archway of rock, and when I went to examine it more closely I found that inside the cave the walls were thick with diamonds, and rubies²¹, and masses of crystal, and the floor was strewn with ambergris. Here, then, upon this desolate²² shore we abandoned ourselves to our fate, for there was no possibility of scaling the mountain, and if a ship had appeared it could only have shared our doom²³. The first thing our captain did was to divide equally amongst us all the food we possessed²⁴, and then the length of each man's life depended on the time he could make his portion last. I myself could live upon very little. 

 

Nevertheless, by the time I had buried the last of my companions my stock of provisions was so small that I hardly thought I should live long enough to dig my own grave, which I set about doing, while I regretted bitterly the roving disposition²⁵（处置，性情） which was always bringing me into such straits, and thought longingly²⁶ of all the comfort and luxury that I had left. But luckily for me the fancy took me to stand once more beside the river where it plunged²⁷ out of sight in the depths of the cavern²⁸, and as I did so an idea struck me. This river which hid itself underground doubtless emerged again at some distant spot. Why should I not build a raft and trust myself to its swiftly flowing waters? If I perished before I could reach the light of day once more I should be no worse off than I was now, for death stared me in the face, while there was always the possibility that, as I was born under a lucky star, I might find myself safe and sound in some desirable land. I decided²⁹ at any rate to risk it, and speedily built myself a stout³⁰ raft of drift-wood with strong cords, of which enough and to spare lay strewn upon the beach. I then made up many packages of rubies, emeralds, rock crystal, ambergris, and precious stuffs, and bound them upon my raft, being careful to preserve the balance, and then I seated myself upon it, having two small oars³¹ that I had fashioned laid ready to my hand, and loosed the cord which held it to the bank. Once out in the current my raft flew swiftly under the gloomy archway, and I found myself in total darkness, carried smoothly³² forward by the rapid river. On I went as it seemed to me for many nights and days. Once the channel became so small that I had a narrow escape of being crushed against the rocky roof, and after that I took the precaution of lying flat upon my precious bales. Though I only ate what was absolutely necessary to keep myself alive, the inevitable³³ moment came when, after swallowing my last morsel（一口，少量） of food, I began to wonder if I must after all die of hunger. Then, worn out with anxiety and fatigue³⁴, I fell into a deep sleep, and when I again opened my eyes I was once more in the light of day; a beautiful country lay before me, and my raft, which was tied to the river bank, was surrounded by friendly looking black men. I rose and saluted³⁵ them, and they spoke³⁶ to me in return, but I could not understand a word of their language. Feeling perfectly³⁷ bewildered by my sudden return to life and light, I murmured to myself in Arabic, "Close thine eyes, and while thou sleepest Heaven will change thy fortune from evil to good." 

 

One of the natives, who understood this tongue, then came forward saying: 

 

"My brother, be not surprised to see us; this is our land, and as we came to get water from the river we noticed your raft floating down it, and one of us swam out and brought you to the shore. We have waited for your awakening³⁸; tell us now whence you come and where you were going by that dangerous way?" 

 

I replied that nothing would please me better than to tell them, but that I was starving, and would fain eat something first. I was soon supplied with all I needed, and having satisfied my hunger I told them faithfully all that had befallen me. They were lost in wonder（惊异不已） at my tale when it was interpreted to them, and said that adventures so surprising must be related to their king only by the man to whom they had happened. So, procuring³⁹ a horse, they mounted me upon it, and we set out, followed by several strong men carrying my raft just as it was upon their shoulders. In this order we marched into the city of Serendib, where the natives presented me to their king, whom I saluted in the Indian fashion, prostrating⁴⁰ myself at his feet and kissing the ground; but the monarch⁴¹ bade me rise and sit beside him, asking first what was my name. 

 

"I am Sindbad," I replied, "whom men call 'the Sailor,' for I have voyaged much upon many seas." 

 

"And how come you here?" asked the king. 

 

I told my story, concealing⁴² nothing, and his surprise and delight were so great that he ordered my adventures to be written in letters of gold and laid up in the archives of his kingdom. 

 

Presently my raft was brought in and the bales opened in his presence, and the king declared that in all his treasury⁴³ there were no such rubies and emeralds as those which lay in great heaps before him. Seeing that he looked at them with interest, I ventured to say that I myself and all that I had were at his disposal, but he answered me smiling:

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