One day I found in my way several dry calabashes that had fallen from a tree: I took a large one, and, after cleaning it, pressed into it some juice of grapes, which abounded in the island; having filled the calabash, I set it in a convenient place, and, coming hither again some days after, I took up the calabash, and, setting it to my mouth, found the wine to be so good, that it made me presently not only forget my sorrow, but I grew vigorous, and was so light-hearted, that I began to sing and dance as I walked along. The old man, perceiving the effect which this drink had upon me, and that I carried him with more ease than I did before, made a sign for me to give him the calabash; and the liquor pleasing his palate, he drank it all off. There being enough of it to stupify him, he became drunk immediately; and the fumes getting into his head, he began to sing after his manner, and to dance with his breech upon my shoulders. His jolting made him vomit, and he loosened his legs from me by degrees; so that, finding he did not press me as before, I threw him upon the ground, where he lay without motion, when I took up a great stone, with which I crushed his head to pieces. I was extremely rejoiced to be freed thus for ever from this cursed old fellow, and walked upon the bank of the sea, where I met the crew of a ship that had cast anchor to take in water and refresh themselves. They were extremely surprised to see me, and to hear the particulars of my adventures. You fell, said they, into the hands of the old man of the sea, and are the first that ever escaped strangling by him. He never left those he had once made himself master of till he destroyed them; and he has made this island famous by the number of men he has slain, so that the merchants and mariners who landed upon it dared not to advance into the island but in numbers together. After having informed me of those things, they carried me with them to the ship; the captain received me with great satisfaction when they told him what had befallen me. He put out again to sea; and, after some days sail, we arrived at the harbour of a great city, the houses of which were built with good stone.