Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 3.djvu/11

I Was very much ſurpriz’d, ſays Sinbad, to find the Ship gone; got up, look’d about every where, and could not ſee one of the Merchants who landed with me. At laſt I perceived the Ship under ſail; bur at ſuch a Diſtance, that I loſt Sight of her in a very little Time,

I leave you to gueſs at my melancholy Reflections in this ſad Condition; I was like to die of Grief; I cry’d out ſadly; I beat my Head and Breaſt and threw my ſelf down upon the Ground, where I lay along Time in a terrible Agony, one afflicting Thought being ſucceeded by another ſtill more afflicting, I upbraided my ſelf an hundred times, for not being content with the Product of my firſt Voyage that might very well have ſerved me all my Life. But all this was in vain, and my Repentance out of Seaſon.

At laſt I reſign’d my ſelf to the Will of God; and not knowing what to do, I climb’d up to the Top of a great Tree, from whence I look’d about on all Sides to ſee if there were any Thing that could give me Hopes. When I look’d towards the Sea, I could ſee nothing but Sky and Water; but, looking towards the Land, I ſaw ſomething white; and coming down from the Tree, I took up what Proviſion I had left, and went towards it, the Diſtance being ſo great, that I could not diſtinguiſh what it was.

When I came nearer, I thought it to be a white Bowl, of a prodigious Height and Bigneſs; and when I came up to it, I touch’d it, and found it to be very ſmooth, I went round to ſee if it was open on any Side, but ſaw it was not, and that there was no climbing to the Top of it, it was ſo ſmooth. It was at leaſt 50 Paces round.

By this Time the Sun was ready to ſet, and all of a ſudden the Sky became as dark as if it had been cover’d with a thick Cloud. I was much aſtoniſh’d at this ſudden Darkneſs, but much more when I found it occaſion’d by a Bird of a monſtrous Size, that came flying towards me. I remembred a Fowl, call’d Roc, that I had often heard Mariners ſpeak of, and conceiv’d that the great Bowl, which I ſo much admir’d, muſt needs be its Egg. In ſhort the Bird lighted, and ſat over the Egg to hatch it. As I perceiv’d her coming, I crept cloſe to the Egg, ſo that I had