In the mean time I gathered together a great quantity of small wood, brambles, and dry thorns, and making them up into faggots, made a great 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, with this melancholy piece of satisfaction, 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 retired to a place of safety. When day appeared he retired, but I dared not leave my fort until the sun arose. I was fatigued with the toil he had put me to, and suffered so much by his poisonous breath, that death seemed more eligible to me than the horror of such a condition. I came down from the tree, and not thinking on the resignation I had made to the will of God the preceding day, I ran towards the sea, with a design to throw myself into it headlong. --Here Scheherazade stopt, because day appeared; and next night continued her story thus: SEVENTY-SEVENTH NIGHT. Sindbad pursued the account of his third voyage thus: God, said he, took compassion on my desperate state; for just as I was going to throw myself into the sea, I perceived a ship at a considerable distance. I called as loud as I could, and taking the linen from my turban, displayed it, that they might observe me. This had the desired effect; all the crew perceived me, and the captain sent his boat for me. As soon as I came aboard, the merchants and seamen flocked about me to know how I came to that desert island; and after I had told them of all that befell me, the oldest of them said to me, they had several times heard of the giants that dwelt in that island, that they were cannibals, and eat men raw as well as roasted; and as to the serpents, they added, that there were abundance in the isle, that hid themselves by day, and came abroad by night. After having testified their joy at my escaping so many dangers, they brought me the best of what they had to eat; and the captain, seeing that I was all in rags, was so generous as to give me one of his own suits. We were at sea for some time, touched at several islands, and at last landed on that of Salabat, [22] where there grows sanders, a wood of great use in physic. We entered the port, and came to an anchor. The merchants began to unload their goods, in order to sell or exchange them. In the mean time, the captain came to me, and said, Brother, I have here a parcel of goods that belonged to a merchant, who sailed some time on board this ship; and he being dead, I design to dispose of them for the benefit of his heirs, when I know them. The bales he spoke of lay on the deck, and showing them to me, he said, There are the goods; I hope