which tore the sails to rags and tatters: the anchor-cable parted
and, the ship foundering, we were cast into the sea, goods and
all. I kept myself afloat by swimming half the day, till, when I
had given myself up for lost, the Almighty threw in my way one of
the planks of the ship, whereon I and some others of the
merchants scrambled.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-first Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
Seaman continued as follows:--And when the ship foundered I
scrambled on to a plank with some others of the merchants and,
mounting it as we would a horse, paddled with our feet in the
sea. We abode thus a day and a night, the wind and waves helping
us on, and on the second day shortly before the mid-time between
sunrise and noon[FN#40] the breeze freshened and the sea wrought
and the rising waves cast us upon an island, well-nigh dead
bodies for weariness and want of sleep, cold and hunger and fear
and thirst. We walked about the shore and found abundance of
herbs, whereof we ate enough to keep breath in body and to stay
our failing spirits, then lay down and slept till morning hard by
the sea. And when morning came with its sheen and shone, we arose
and walked about the island to the right and left, till we came
in sight of an inhabited house afar off. So we made towards it,
and ceased not walking till we reached the door thereof when lo!
a number of naked men issued from it and without saluting us or a
word said, laid hold of us masterfully and carried us to their
king, who signed us to sit. So we sat down and they set food
before us such as we knew not[FN#41] and whose like we had never