We set sail, steering our course towards the East Indies through the Persian gulph, which is formed by the coasts of Arabia Felix on the right, by those of Persia on the left, and, according to common account, is seventy leagues in the broadest place.  The eastern sea, like that of the Indies, is very spacious.  It is bounded on one side by the coast of Abyssinia, and 4500 leagues in length to the isles of Vakvak[Footnote:  These islands, according; to the Arabians, are beyond China:  and are so called from a tree which bears a fruit of that name.  They are, without doubt, the isles of Japan; but they are not, however, so far from Abyssinia.].  At first I was troubled with sea-sickness, but speedily recovered, and was not afterwards troubled with that disease.

In our voyage we touched at several islands, where we sold or exchanged our goods.  One day, whilst under sail, we were becalmed near a little island, even almost with the surface of the water, which resembled a green meadow.  The captain ordered his sails to be furled, and suffered such persons as had a mind to land upon the island, amongst whom I was one.  But while we were diverting ourselves with eating and drinking, and refreshing ourselves from the fatigue of the sea, the island trembled all of a sudden, and shook us terribly.  They perceived the trembling of the island on board the ship, and called to us to re-embark speedily, else we should be all lost; for what we took for an island was only the back of a whale.  The nimblest got into the sloop, others betook themselves to swimming; but, for my part, I was still upon the back of the whale, when he dived into the sea, and I had time only to catch hold of a piece of wood that we had brought out of the ship to make a fire.  Meanwhile the captain, having received those on board who were in the sloop, and taken up some of those that swam, resolved to improve the favourable gale that was just risen, and, hoisting his sails, pursued his voyage, so that it was impossible to recover the ship.  Thus was I exposed to the mercy of the waves, and struggled for my life all the rest of the day and the following night.  Next morning I found my strength gone, and despaired of saving my life, when a wave threw me happily against an island.  The bank was high and rugged, so that I should scarcely have got up, had it not been for some roots of trees which fortune seemed to have preserved in this place for my safety.  Being got up, I lay down upon the ground half dead, until such time as the sun appeared.  Then, though I was very feeble, both by reason of my hard labour and want of victuals, I crept along to seek for some herbs fit to eat, and had not only the good luck to find some, but likewise a spring of excellent water, which contributed much to recover me.  After this I advanced further into the island, and came at last into a fine plain, where I perceived a horse feeding at a great distance.  I went towards him between hope and fear, not knowing