the town, so that by this means I did not want for provisions. One day, as I had despatched another woman, I heard something walking, and blowing or panting as it walked. I advanced towards that side from whence I heard the noise, and, upon my approach, the thing puffed and blew harder, as if it had been running away from me. I followed the noise, and the thing seemed to stop sometimes, but always fled and blew as I approached. I followed it so long and so far, that at last I perceived a light resembling a star: I went on towards the light, and sometimes lost sight of it, but always found it again; and at last discovered that it came through a hole in the rock, large enough for a man to get out at. Upon this, I stopped for some time to rest myself, being much fatigued with pursuing this discovery so fast: Afterwards coming up to the hole, I went out at it, and found my self upon the banks of the sea. I leave you to guess at the excess of my joy; it was such, that I could scarcely persuade myself of its being real. But when I recovered from my surprise, and was convinced of the truth of the matter, I found the thing which I had followed, and heard puff and blow, to be a creature which came out of the sea, and was accustomed to enter at that hole to feed upon the dead carcases. I considered the mountain, and perceived it to be situate betwixt the sea and the town, but without any passage or way to communicate with the latter, the rocks on the side of the sea being rugged and steep. I fell down upon the shore to thank God for his mercy, and afterwards entered the cave again to fetch bread and water, which I did by daylight, with a better appetite than I had done since my interment in the dark hole. I returned thither again, and groped about among the biers for all the diamonds, rubies, pearls, gold, bracelets, and rich stuffs I could find; these I brought to the shore, and tying them up neatly into bales with the cords that let down the coffins, I laid them together upon the bank, waiting till some ship passed by, without any fear of rain, for it was not then the season. After two or three days, I perceived a ship that had but just come out of the harbour, and passed near the place where I was. I made signs with the linen of my turban, and called to them as loud as I could: they heard me, and sent a boat to bring me on board. When the mariners asked by what misfortune I came thither, I told them that I suffered shipwreck two days ago, and made shift to get ashore with the goods they saw. It was happy for me that these people did not consider the place where I was, nor inquire into the probability of what I told them, but, without any more ado, took me on board with my goods. When I came to the ship, the captain was so well pleased to have saved me, and so much taken up with his own affairs, that he also took the story of my pretended shipwreck upon trust, and generously refused some jewels which I offered him.