ou may easily imagine I did not sleep. When day
appeared, the serpents retired, and I came out of the cave
trembling. I can justly say, that I walked upon diamonds, without
feeling any inclination to touch them. At last I sat down, and
notwithstanding my apprehensions, not having closed my eyes
during the night, fell asleep, after having eaten a little more
of my provision. But I had scarcely shut my eyes, when something
that fell by me with a great noise awaked me. This was a large
piece of raw meat; and at the same time I saw several others fall
down from the rocks in different places.

I had always regarded as fabulous what I had heard sailors and
others relate of the valley of diamonds, and of the stratagems
employed by merchants to obtain jewels from thence; but now I
found that they had stated nothing but truth. For the fact is,
that the merchants come to the neighbourhood of this valley, when
the eagles have young ones, and throwing great joints of meat
into the valley, the diamonds, upon whose points they fall, stick
to them; the eagles, which are stronger in this country than any
where else, pounce with great force upon those pieces of meat,
and carry them to their nests on the precipices of the rocks to
feed their young: the merchants at this time run to their nests,
disturb and drive off the eagles by their shouts, and take away
the diamonds that stick to the meat.

Until I perceived the device I had concluded it to be impossible
for me to get from this abyss, which I regarded as my grave; but
now I changed my opinion, and began to think upon the means of my
deliverance.

I began to collect together the largest diamonds I could find,
and put them into the leather bag in which I used to carry my
provisions. I afterwards took the largest of the pieces of meat,
tied it close round me with the cloth of my turban, and then laid
myself upon the ground with my face downward, the bag of diamonds
being made fast to my girdle.

I had scarcely placed myself in this posture when the eagles
came. Each of them seized a piece of meat, and one of the
strongest having taken me up, with the piece of meat to which I
was fastened, carried me to his nest on the top of the mountain.
The merchants immediately began their shouting to frighten the
eagles; and when they had obliged them to quit their prey, one of
them came to the nest where I was. He was much alarmed when he
saw me; but recovering himself, instead of enquiring