The old man perceiving the effect this draught had taken on my spirits, made signs to me to let him taste it; I gave him the gourd, and the liquor pleased his palate so well, that he drank it to the last drop. There was enough to inebriate him, and the fumes of the wine very soon rose into his head: he then began to sing after his own manner, and to stagger on my shoulders. The blows he gave himself, made him return what he had on his stomach, and his legs loosened by degrees; so that finding he no longer held me tight, I threw him on the ground, where he remained motionless; I then took a large stone and crushed him to death.
I was much rejoiced at having so effectually got rid of this old man, and I walked towards the sea-shore, where I met some people, who belonged to a vessel which had anchored there to get fresh water. They were very much astonished at seeing me, and hearing the account of my adventure. “You had fallen,” said they, “into the hands of the Old Man of the Sea, and you are the first whom he has not strangled; he never left those he had once mastered, till he had put an end to their existence; and this island is famous for the number of persons he has killed. The sailors and merchants who land here, never dare approach excepting they are in a strong body.”
Having informed me of this, they took me to their ship, where the captain received me with the greatest politeness, when he heard what had befallen me. He set sail, and in a few days we landed at the port of a large city, where the bouses were built of stone.
One of the merchants of the ship having contracted a friendship for me, entreated me to accompany him, and conducted me to the lodging destined for foreign merchants. He gave me a large sack, and then introduced me to some people belonging to the city, who were also furnished with sacks; then having desired them to take me with them to gather cocoa, “Go,” said he, “follow them, and do as they do; and do not stray from them, for your life will be in danger if you leave them.” He gave me provisions for the day, and I set off with them.
We arrived at a large forest of tall, straight, trees, the trunks of which were so smooth, that it was impossible to climb up to the branches where the fruit grew. They were all cocoa-trees, and we wanted to knock down the fruit and fill our sacks. On entering the forest, we saw an amazing number of monkeys, of all sizes, which fled at our approach, and ran up the trees with surprising agility. The merchants I was with collected some stones, and threw them with great force at the monkeys, who had reached some of the highest branches. I did the same, and soon perceived that these animals were aware of our design; they gathered the cocoa-nuts, and threw them down at us, with gestures which plainly showed their anger and animosity. We picked up the cocoa-nuts, and, at intervals, threw up stones to irritate the monkeys. By this contrivance, we filled our sacks with the fruit: a thing utterly impracticable by any other method.
When we had got a sufficient quantity, we returned to the city, where the merchant who had sent me to the forest, gave me the value of the cocoa-nuts I had collected. “Continue to do the same every day,” said he, “till you have amassed sufficient money to convey you to your own country.” I thanked him for the good advice he gave me, and by degrees I acquired such a quantity of cocoa-nuts, that I sold them for a considerable sum.
The vessel in which I came had sailed with the merchants, who had loaded it with the cocoa-nuts they had purchased. I waited for the arrival of another, which shortly after came into harbour, for a lading of the same materials. I sent on board all the cocoa-nuts which belonged to me, and when it was ready to sail, I took leave of the merchant to whom I was under so many obligations. As he had not yet settled his affairs, he could not embark with me.
We set sail, and steered towards the island where pepper grows in such abundance. From thence we made the island of Comari, [7] where the best species of the aloe grows, and whose inhabitants submit themselves to a law not to drink wine, or suffer any kind of debauchery. In these two islands I exchanged all my cocoa-nuts for pepper and aloe-wood; and I then engaged myself, with the other merchants, in a pearl fishery, in which I employed many divers, on my own account. I collected, by these means, a great number of very large and perfect ones, with which I joyfully put to sea, and arrived safely at Balsora, from whence I returned to Bagdad, where I sold the pepper, aloes, and pearls, which I had brought with me, for a large sum. I bestowed a tenth part of my profit in charity, as I had done on my return from every former voyage, and endeavoured to recover from my fatigues by every kind of diversion.
Having concluded this narrative, Sindbad gave an hundred sequins to Hindbad, who retired with all the other guests. The same party returned to the rich Sindbad the next day: and after having regaled them in the same manner as on the preceding days, he requested silence, and began the account of his sixth voyage, in the following way.