15
senses, and when they spoke to me they knew not what they said; I threw away the herbs, resolving never to taste them.
I soon understood that the savages had given us the herbs in
order to rob us of our senses, to make us very fat, and then
devour us. Accordingly I saw the cannibals eat my comrades
one after another; but I, instead of growing fat, grew more
thin daily, and I fell into a languishing disorder which proved
my safety, for the savages did not think me fit to be eaten.
They now entirely neglected me, and one day when they were
gone into the woods, I determined to make my escape.
I took a contrary way to that the savages were gone, and
travelled all night. 1 travelled in this manner during seven
days, avoiding every place where I saw habitations that
appeared to belong to savages, and living on fruit and cocoa
nuts, and on the eighth day I came in sight of the sea shore,
where I beheld a number of white persons gathering pepper.
I approached them without fear, and as I drew near they
ran to meet me, and questioned me in Arabic as to who I was
and whence I came: I speedily satisfied their curiosity, by
giving them an account of my shipwreck and my escape from
the savage negroes. In a few days I recovered my strength,
and after they had gathered a sufficient quantity of pepper, I
sailed with them to the island from whence they came. They
presented me to their king, who was a good prince; he listened
to my adventures, gave me clothes and commanded me to be
taken care of.
I esteemed myself very fortunate in the kind treatment I
received from this generous monarch and his whole court.
It appeared to me very extraordinary to see that when the
king and his nobles went a hunting, they rode their horses
without bridle or saddle. I could not forbear to question his
majesty upon the reason of his avoiding the use of bridles and
saddles. The king heard me with a look of surprise, and then
assured me he was quite at a loss to know what I meant, by the
things called saddle and bridle. Upon this I went to a very
skilful workman, and gave him the model of the stock of a
saddle, and under my constant superintendence he made it very
well. I covered it myself with embroidered velvet; I then
went to another mechanic, for whom I drew the pattern of a
bridle and stirrups. I put them upon one of the king’s horses
and presented him to his majesty, who was so delighted, that
he mounted immediately, and rode about the grounds belonging
to the palace almost the whole of the day, while his ministers,
the principal officers of the court, and others of the nobility,
gathered round me, entreating that I would furnish them. I
received such magnificent presents for my saddles and bridles,
that I presently grew rich.
