on I had
the horror of seeing them become perfectly mad. Though they chattered
incessantly I could not understand a word they said, nor did they heed
when I spoke to them. The savages now produced large bowls full of
rice prepared with cocoanut oil, of which my crazy comrades ate
eagerly, but I only tasted a few grains, understanding clearly that the
object of our captors was to fatten us speedily for their own eating,
and this was exactly what happened. My unlucky companions having lost
their reason, felt neither anxiety nor fear, and ate greedily all that
was offered them. So they were soon fat and there was an end of them,
but I grew leaner day by day, for I ate but little, and even that
little did me no good by reason of my fear of what lay before me.
However, as I was so far from being a tempting morsel, I was allowed to
wander about freely, and one day, when all the blacks had gone off upon
some expedition leaving only an old man to guard me, I managed to
escape from him and plunged into the forest, running faster the more he
cried to me to come back, until I had completely distanced him.

For seven days I hurried on, resting only when the darkness stopped me,
and living chiefly upon cocoanuts, which afforded me both meat and
drink, and on the eighth day I reached the seashore and saw a party of
white men gathering pepper, which grew abundantly all about. Reassured
by the nature of their occupation, I advanced towards them and they
greeted me in Arabic, asking who I was and whence I came. My delight
was great on hearing this familiar speech, and I willingly satisfied
their curiosity, telling them how I had been shipwrecked, and captured
by the blacks. "But these savages devour men!" said they. "How did
you escape?" I repeated to them what I have just told you, at which
they were mightily astonished. I stayed with them until they had
collected as much pepper as they wished, and then they took me back to
their own country and presented me to their king, by whom I was
hospitably received. To him also I had to relate my adventures, which
surprised him much, and when I had finished he ordered that I should be
supplied with food and raiment and treated with consideration.

The island on which I found myself was full of people, and abounded in
all sorts of desirable things, and a great deal of traffic went on in
the capital, where I soon began to feel at home and contented.
Moreover, the king treated me with