prevent the misfortune which he saw would otherwise befall us. We made haste to do so, and set sail with all possible diligence. In the mean time the two rocs approached with a frightful noise, which they redoubled when they saw the egg broken, and their young one gone. But, having a mind to avenge themselves, they flew back towards the place from whence they came; and disappeared for some time, while we made all the sail we could to prevent that which unhappily befell us. They returned, and we observed that each of them carried between their talons stones, or rather rocks, of a monstrous size. When they came directly over my ship, they hovered, and one of them let fall a stone; but, by the dexterity of the steersman, who turned the ship with the rudder, it missed us, and falling by the side of the ship into the sea, divided the water so that we could almost see to the bottom. The other roc, to our misfortune, threw the stone so exactly upon the middle of the ship, that it split it in a thousand pieces. The mariners and passengers were all killed by the stone, or sunk. I myself had the last fate; but as I came up again, I caught hold, by good fortune, of a piece of the wreck; and swimming sometimes with one hand, and sometimes with the other, but always holding fast my board, the wind and the tide being for me, I came to an island whose banks were very steep; I overcame that difficulty, however, and got ashore. I sat down upon the grass to recover myself a little from my fatigue, after which I got up, and went into the island to view it. It seemed to be a delicious garden. I found trees everywhere, some of them bearing green, and others ripe fruits, and streams of fresh pure water, with pleasant windings and turnings. I ate the fruits, which I found excellent, and drank of the water, which was very pleasant.