ntered the water up to the middle, and threw
so exactly that they sunk all the rafts but that I was upon; and all my
companions, except the two with me, were drowned. We rowed with all our
might, and escaped the giants, but when we got out to sea we were
exposed to the mercy of the waves and winds, and spent that night and
the following day under the most painful uncertainty as to our fate; but
next morning we had the good fortune to be thrown upon an island, where
we landed with much joy. We found excellent fruit, which afforded us
great relief and recruited our strength.

"At night we went to sleep on the sea shore; but were awakened by the
noise of a serpent of surprising length and thickness, whose scales made
a rustling noise as he wound himself along. It swallowed up one of my
comrades, notwithstanding his loud cries, and the efforts he made to
extricate himself from it; dashing him several times against the ground,
it crushed him, and we could hear it gnaw and tear the poor wretch's
bones, though we had fled to a considerable distance.

"As we walked about, when day returned, we saw a tall tree, upon which
we designed to pass the following night, for our security; and having
satisfied our hunger with fruit, we mounted it before the dusk had
fallen. Shortly after, the serpent came hissing to the foot of the tree;
raised itself up against the trunk of it, and meeting with my comrade,
who sat lower than I, swallowed him at once, and went off.

"I remained upon the tree till it was day, and then came down, more like
a dead man than one alive, expecting the same fate as my two companions.
This filled me with horror, and I advanced some steps to throw myself
into the sea; but I withstood this dictate of despair, and submitted
myself to the will of God.

"In the meantime I collected a great quantity of small wood, brambles,
and dry thorns, and making them up into faggots, made a wide circle with
them round the tree, and also tied some of them to the branches over my
head. Having done this, when the evening came I shut myself up within
this circle, feeling that I had neglected nothing which could preserve
me from the cruel destiny with which I was threatened. The serpent
failed not to come at the usual hour, and went round the tree, seeking
for an opportunity to devour me, but was prevented by the rampart I had
made; so that he lay till day, like a cat watching in vain for a mouse
that has fortunately reached a place