The Story of Sinbad the Voyager - TheThird Voyage

I soon lost the remembrance of the perils I had encountered
in my tw^o former voyages," said Sinbad, "and being in the
flower of my age, I grew weary of living without business, and
went from Bagdad to Bussorah with the richest commodities of
the country. There I embarked again with some merchants. We
made a long voyage and touched at several ports, where we car-
ried on a considerable trade. One day, being out in the main
ocean, we were overtaken by a dreadful tempest, which drove
us from our course. The tempest continued several days, and
brought us before the port of an island, which the captain was
very unwilling to enter, but we were obliged to cast anchor.
When we had furled our sails, the captain told us that this, and
some other neighbouring islands, w^ere inhabited by hairy savages,
who would speedily attack us; and, though they were but dwarfs,
yet we must make no resistance, for they were more in number
than the locusts; and if we happened to kill one of them they
would all fall upon us and destroy us.

"We soon found that what he had told us was but too true;
an innumerable multitude of frightful savages, about two feet
high, covered all over with red hair, came swimming towards us,
and encompassed our ship. They spoke to us as they came
near, but we understood not their language and they climbed
up the sides of the ship with such agility as surprised us. They
took down our sails, cut the cables, and hauling to the shore,
made us all get out, and afterward carried the ship into another
island, from whence they had come.

"We went forward into the island, where we gathered some
fruits and herbs to prolong our lives as long as w^e could ; but we
expected nothing but death. As we advanced, we perceived at
a distance a vast pile of buildings, and made toward it. We
found it to be a palace, elegantly built, and very lofty, with a gate
of ebony, which we forced open. We entered the court, where
we saw before us a large apartment, with a porch, having on one
side a heap of human bones, and on the other a vast number of
roasting spits. We trembled at this spectacle, and being fatigued
with travelling, fell to the ground, seized with deadly apprehen-
sion, and lay a long time motionless.

"The sun set, the gate of the apartment opened with a loud
crash, and there came out the horrible figure of a black man, as
tall as a lofty palm-tree. He had but one eye, and that in the
middle of his forehead, where it looked as red as a burning coal.
His fore-teeth were very long and sharp, and stood out of his
mouth, which was as deep as that of a horse. His upper lip hung
down upon his breast. His ears resembled those of an elephant,
and covered his shoulders; and his nails w^ere as loner and
crooked as the talons of the greatest birds. At the sight of so
frightful a giant we became insensible, and lay like dead men.

"At last we came to ourselves, and saw him sitting in the porch
looking at us. When he had considered us w^ell, he advanced
toward us, and laying his hand upon me, took me up by the nape
of my neck, and turned me round as a butcher would do a sheep's
head. After having examined me, and perceiving me to be so
lean that I had nothing but skin and bone, he let me go. He
took up all the rest one by one, and viewed them in the same
manner. The captain being the fattest, he held him with one
hand, as I would do a sparrow, and thrust a spit through him;
he then kindled a great fire, roasted, and ate him in his apartment
for his supper. Having finished his repast, he returned to his
porch, where he lay and fell asleep, snoring louder than thunder.
He slept thus till morning. As to ourselves, it w^as not possible
for us to enjoy any rest, so that we passed the night in the most
painful apprehension that can be imagined. When day appeared
the giant awoke, got up, went out, and left us in the palace.

"When we thought him at a distance, we broke the melan-
choly silence we had preserved the whole of the night, and filled
the palace with our lamentations and groans.

"We spent the day in traversing the island, supporting our-
selves with fruits and herbs as we had done the day before. In
the evening we sought for some place of shelter, but found none ;
so that we were forced, whether we would or not, to go back to
the palace.

"The giant failed not to return, and supped once more upon
one of our companions, after which he slept and snored till day,
and then went out and left us as before. Our situation appeared
to us so dreadful that several of my comrades designed to throw
themselves into the sea, rather than die so painful a death, upon
which one of the company answered that it would be much more
reasonable to devise some method to rid ourselves of the monster.

"Having thought of a project for this purpose, I communi-
cated it to my comrades, who approved it. 'Brethren,' said I,
*you know there is much timber floating upon the coast; if you
will be advised by me, let us make several rafts capable of bearing
us. In the meantime, we will carry out the design I proposed
to you for our deliverance from the giant, and if it succeed, we
may remain here patiently awaiting the arrival of some ship;
but if it happen to miscarry, we will take to our rafts and put
to sea.' My advice was approved, and we made rafts capable
of carrying three persons on each.

"We returned to the palace toward the evening, and the
giant arrived shortly after. We were forced to submit to seeing
another of our comrades roasted, but at last w^e revenged our-
selves on the brutish giant in the following manner. After he
had finished his supper he lay down on his back and fell asleep.
As soon as we heard him snore, according to his custom, nine of
the boldest among us, and myself, took each of us a spit, and
putting the points of them into the fire till they were burning hot,
we thrust them into his eye all at once and blinded him. The
pain made him break out into a frightful yell: he started up, and
stretched out his hands, in order to sacrifice some of us to his
rage : but we ran to such places as he could not reach ; and after
having sought for us in vain, he groped for the gate and went out,
howling in agony.

"We quitted the palace after the giant and came to the shore,
where we had left our rafts, and put them immediately to sea.
We waited till day, in order to get upon them in case the giant
should come toward us with any guide of his own species; but
we hoped if he did not appear by sunrise, and gave over his
howling, w^hich we still heard, that he would prove to be dead;
and if that happened, we resolved to stay in that island, and not
to risk our lives upon the rafts. But day had scarcely appeared
when we perceived our cruel enemy, accompanied with two others
almost of the same size, leading him; and a great number more
coming before him at a quick pace.

Having^finished his repast; he murn0ZUt his porch, where kc
lay and- jell asleep,- snorvng^ hudef than thunder^

We did not hesitate to take to our rafts, and put to sea
with all the speed we could. The giants, who perceived this,
took up great stones, and running to the shore, entered the
water up to the middle, and threw so exactly that they sunk all
the rafts but that I was upon ; and all my companions, except the
two with me, were drowned. We rowed with all our might,
and escaped the giants, but when we got out to sea we were ex-
posed to the mercy of the waves and winds, and spent that night
and the following day under the most painful uncertainty as to
our fate ; but next mornng we had the good fortune to be thrown
upon an island, where we landed with much joy. We found
excellent fruit, which afforded us great relief and recruited our
strength.

At night we went to sleep on the sea shore; but were
awakened by the noise of a serpent of surprising length and
thickness, whose scales made a rustling noise as he wound himself
along. It swallowed up one of my comrades, notwithstanding
his loud cries, and the efforts he made to extricate himself from
it; dashing him several times against the ground, it crushed him,
and we could hear it gnaw and tear the poor wretch's bones,
though we had fled to a considerable distance.

"As we walked about, when day returned, we saw a tall tree,
upon which we designed to pass the following night, for our
security ; and having satisfied our hunger with fruit, we mounted
it before the dusk had fallen. Shortly after, the serpent came
hissing to the foot of the tree; raised itself up against the trunk
of it, and meeting with my comrade, who sat lower than I, swal-
lowed him at once, and went off,

I remained upon the tree till it was day, and then came down,
more like a dead man than one alive, expecting the same fate as
my two companions. This filled me with horror, and I advanced
some steps to throw myself into the sea; but I withstood this
dictate of despair, and submitted myself to the will of God.

"In the meantime I collected a great quantity of small wood,
brambles, and dry thorns, and making them up into faggots,
made a wide circle with them round the tree, and also tied some
of them to the branches over my head. Having done this, when
the evening came I shut myself up within this circle, feeling that
I had neglected nothing which could preserve me from the cruel
destiny with which I was threatened. The serpent failed not to
come at the usual hour, and went round the tree, seeking for an
opportunity to devour me, but was prevented by the rampart I
had made; so that he lay till day, like a cat watching in vain for
a mouse that has fortunate'y reached a place of safety. When
day appeared he retired, but I dared not to leave my fort until
the sun arose.

*'I felt so much fatigued by the labour to which it had put
me, and suffered so much from the serpent's poisonous breath,
that death seemed more eligible to me than the horrors of such
a state. I came down from the tree, and was going to throw my-
self into the sea, when God took compassion on me and I per-
ceived a ship at a considerable distance. I called as loud as I
could, and taking the linen from my turban, displayed it, that
they might observe me. This had the desired effect; the crew
perceived me, and the captain sent his boat for me. As soon as
I came on board, the merchants and seamen flocked about me, to
know how I came into that desert island; and after I had re-
lated to them all that had befallen me, the oldest among them said
that they had often heard of the giants that dwelt in that island,
that they were cannibals; and as to the serpents, they added,
that there were abundance of them that hid themselves by day,
and came abroad by night. After having testified their joy at
my escaping so many dangers, they brought me the best of their
provisions; and the captain, seeing that I was in rags, was so
generous as to give me one of his own suits. We continued at sea
for some time, touched at several islands, and at last landed at
that of Salabat, where sandal wood is obtained, which is of great
use in medicine. We entered the port, and came to anchor. The
merchants began to unload their goods, in order to sell or
exchange them. In the meantime, the captain came to me and
said: 'Brother, I have here some goods that belonged to a
merchant, who sailed some time on board this ship, and he being
dead, I design to dispose of them for the benefit of his heirs.'
The bales he spoke of lay on the deck, and showing them to
me, he said : ' There are the goods ; I hope you will take care to
sell them, and you shall have factorage.' I thanked him for thus
affording me an opportunity of employing myself, 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 asked the captain in whose name he should enter those he had
given me the charge of, 'Enter them,' said the captain, *in the
name of Sinbad.' I could not hear myself named without some
emotion; and looking steadfastly on the captain, I knew him to
be the person who, in my second voyage, had left me in the island
where I fell asleep.

"I was not surprised that he, believing me to be dead, did not
recognise me. 'Captain,' said I, 'was the merchant's name, to
whom those bales belonged, Sinbad .?' 'Yes,' replied he, 'that
was his name; he came from Bagdad, and embarked on board
my ship at Bussorah.' 'You beheve him, then, to be dead.?'
said I. 'Certainly,' answered he. 'No, captain,' resumed I;
*look at me, and you may know that I am Sinbad.'

"The captain, having considered me attentively, recognised
me. *God be praised,' said he, embracing me, 'I rejoice that
fortune has rectified my fault. There are your goods, which I
always took care to preserve.' I took them from him, and made
him the acknowledgments to which he was entitled.

"From the isle of Salabat, we went to another, where I
furnished myself with cloves, cinnamon, and other spices. As
we sailed from this island, we saw a tortoise twenty cubits in
length and breadth. We observed also an amphibious animal
like a cow, which gave milk; its skin is so hard, that they usually
make bucklers of it.

"In short, after a long voyage I arrived at Bussorah, and from
thence returned to Bagdad, with so much wealth that I knew not
its extent. I gave a great deal to the poor, and bought another
considerable estate in addition to what I had already."

Thus Sinbad finished the history of his third voyage; gave
another hundred sequins to Hindbad, and invited him to dinner
again the next day to hear the story of his fourth series of ad-
ventures.