and others with gathering fruits, I took my wine and provisions, and sat down by a stream betwixt two great trees which formed a curious shade.  I made a very good meal, and afterwards fell asleep.  I cannot tell how long I slept, but, when I awaked, the ship was gone.  I was very much surprised, but got up, looking about every where, and could not see one of the merchants who landed with me.  At last I perceived the ship under sail, but 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, cried out sadly, beat my head and breast, and threw myself down upon the ground, where I lay some time in terrible agony, one afflicting thought being succeeded by another still more afflicting.  I upbraided myself 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 vain, and my repentance out of season.  At last I resigned myself to the will of God; and, not knowing what to do, I climbed to the top of a great tree, from whence I looked about on all sides to see if there were any thing that could give me hopes.  When I looked towards the sea, I could see nothing but sky and water; but, on looking towards the land, I saw something white; coming down from the tree I took up what provisions 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 touched 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 it was so smooth that there was no climbing to the top of it.  It was at least fifty 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 covered with a thick cloud.  I was much astonished at this sudden darkness, but much more when I found it occasioned by a bird of monstrous size, that came flying towards me.  I remembered a fowl called roc, that I had often heard mariners speak of, and conceived that the great bowl, which I so much admired, must needs be its egg.  In short, the bird lighted, and sat over the egg to hatch it.  As I perceived her coming, I crept close to the egg, so that I had before me one of the legs of the bird, that was as big as the trunk of a tree; I tied myself strongly to it with the cloth that went round my turban, in hopes that when the roc[Footnote:  Mark Paul in his Travels, and Father Martini in his History of China, speak each of this bird, and say it will take up an elephant and a rhinoceros.] flew away next morning, she would carry me with her out of this desert island.  After having passed the night in this condition, the bird actually flew away next morning as soon as it was day, and carried me so high that I could not see the earth; she afterwards descended