The merchants with whom I was, continued Sindbad, gathered stones, and threw them at the apes on the top of the trees. I did the same, and the apes, out of revenge, threw cocoa-nuts at us as fast, and with such gestures, as sufficiently testified their anger and resentment: we gathered up the cocoa-nuts, and from time to time threw stones to provoke the apes; so that by this stratagem we filled our bags with cocoa-nuts, which it had been impossible for us to have done otherwise. When we had gathered our number, we returned to the city, where the merchant who sent me to the forest gave me the value of the cocoas I brought: Go on, said he, and do the like every day, until you have got money enough to carry you home. I thanked him for his good advice, and insensibly gathered together so many cocoa-nuts as amounted to a considerable sum. The vessel in which I came, sailed with merchants, who loaded her with cocoa-nuts. I expected the arrival of another, which landed speedily for the like loading. I embarked on board the same all the cocoa-nuts that belonged to me, and when she was ready to sail, I went and took leave of the merchant who had been so kind to me; but he could not embark with me, because he had not finished his business. We set sail towards the islands, [37] where pepper grows in great plenty. From thence we went to the isle of Comari, [38] where the best sort of wood of aloes grows, and whose inhabitants have made it an inviolable law to themselves, to drink no wine, nor to suffer any place of debauch. I exchanged my cocoa, in those two islands, for pepper and wood of aloes, and went, with other merchants, a pearl fishing. [39] I hired divers, who fetched me up those that were very large and pure. I embarked joyfully, in a vessel that happily arrived at Balsora; from thence I returned to Bagdad, where I made vast sums of my pepper, wood of aloes, and pearls. I gave the tenth of my gains in alms, as I had done upon my return from other voyages, and endeavoured to ease myself from my fatigues by diversions of all sorts. When Sindbad had finished his story, he ordered one hundred sequins to Hindbad, who retired with all the other guests; but next morning, the same company returned to dine with rich Sindbad, who, after having treated them as formerly, demanded audience, and gave the following account of his sixth voyage: The sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor. Gentlemen, said he, you long, without doubt, to know, how after being shipwrecked five times, and escaping so many dangers, I could resolve again to try my fortune, and expose myself to new hardships: I am astonished at it myself when I think on it, and must certainly have been induced to it by my stars. But be that as it will, after a year’s rest, I prepared for a sixth voyage, notwithstanding the entreaties of my kindred and friends, who did all that was possible to prevent me.