hen to all those that were round me;
bowing before them to the earth, and kissing the border of their
garments, I prayed them to have compassion upon me. "Consider,"
said I, "that I am a stranger, and ought not to be subject to
this rigorous law, and that I have another wife and children in
my own country." Although I spoke in the most pathetic manner, no
one was moved by my address; on the contrary, they ridiculed my
dread of death as cowardly, made haste to let my wife's corpse
into the pit, and lowered me down the next moment in an open
coffin, with full of water and seven loaves. In short, the fatal
ceremony being performed, they covered over the mouth of the pit,
notwithstanding my grief and piteous lamentations.

As I approached the bottom, I discovered by the aid of the little
light that came from above the nature of this subterranean place,
it seemed an endless cavern, and might be about fifty fathom
deep. I was annoyed by an insufferable stench proceeding from the
multitude of bodies which I saw on the right and left; nay, I
fancied that I heard some of them sigh out their last. However,
when I got down, I immediately left my coffin, and getting at a
distance from the bodies, held my nose, and lay down upon the
ground, where I stayed a considerable time, bathed in tears. At
last, reflecting on my melancholy case, "It is true," said I,
"that God disposes all things according to the degrees of his
providence; but, unhappy Sinbad, hast thou any but thyself to
blame that thou art brought to die so strange a death? Would to
God thou hadst perished in some of those tempests which thou hast
escaped! then thy death had not been so lingering, and so
terrible in all its circumstances. But thou hast drawn all this
upon thyself by thy inordinate avarice. Ah, unfortunate wretch!
shouldst thou not rather have remained at home, and quietly
enjoyed the fruits of thy labour?"

Such were the vain complaints with which I filled the cave,
beating my head and breast out of rage and despair, and
abandoning myself to the most afflicting thoughts. Nevertheless,
I must tell you, that instead of calling death to my assistance
in that miserable condition, I felt still an inclination to live,
and to do all I could to prolong my days. I went groping about,
with my nose stopped, for the bread and water that was in my
coffin, and took some of it. Though the darkness of the cave was
so great that I could not distinguish day and night, yet