ha's inquiry; "yes, she was as
pretty a craft to look at as you may set your eyes upon; fine round
counter--clean run--swelling bows--good figure-head, and hair enough for
a mermaid."

"What does he say?" inquired the pacha.

"The Frank declareth that her eyes were bright as those of the gazelle--
that her eyebrows were as one--her waist as that of the cypress--her
face as the full moon; and that she was fat as the houris that await the
true believers."

"Mashallah! all for a piastre. Ask him, Mustapha, if there are more
wives to be sold in that country?"

"More," replied the sailor in answer to Mustapha; "you may have a ship
full in an hour. There's many a fellow in England who would give a
handful of coin to get rid of his wife."

"We will make further inquiry, Mustapha; it must be looked to. Say I
not well?"

"It is well said," replied Mustapha. "My heart is burnt as roast meat
at the recollection of the women of the country; who are, indeed, as he
hath described, houris to the sight. Proceed, Yaha bibi, my friend, and
tell his--"

"Yaw Bibby! I told you my name was Bill, not Bibby; and I never yaws
from my course, although I heaves-to sometimes, as I do now, to take in
provisions." The sailor took another swig, wiped his mouth with the
back of his hand, and continued. "Now for a good lie."

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I sailed in a brig for the Brazils, and a gale came on, that I never
seed the like of. We were obliged to have three men stationed to hold
the captain's hair on his head, and a little boy was blown over the
moon, and slid down by two or three of her beams, till he caught the
mainstay, and never hurt himself.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Good," said Mustapha, who interpreted.

"By the beard of the Prophet, wonderful!" exclaimed the pacha.

Well, the gale lasted for a week; and at last one night, when I was at
the helm, we dashed on the rocks of a desolate island. I was pitched
right over the mountains, and fell into the sea on the other side of the
island. I swam on shore, and got into a cave, where I fell fast asleep.
The next morning I found that there was nothing to eat except rats, and
they were plentiful; but they were so quick, that I could not catch
them. I walked about, and at last discovered a great many rats
together; they were at a spring of water; the only one, as I afterw