Sindbad here concluded the relation of his fourth voyage, which occasioned still more surprise in his audience than the three preceding ones had done. He repeated his present of an hundred sequins to Hindbad, whom he requested, with the rest of the company, to return the following day to dine, and hear the detail of his fifth voyage. Hindbad and the others took their leave and retired. The next day, when all were assembled, they sat down to table, and when the repast was over, Sindbad began the account of his fifth voyage, as follows. THE FIFTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD, THE SAILOR. The pleasures I enjoyed soon made me forget the pains I had endured; yet they were not sufficiently attractive to prevent my forming the resolution of venturing a fifth time on the sea. I again provided myself with merchandize, packed it, and sent it by land-carriage to the nearest sea-port; where, unwilling to trust any more to a captain, and wishing to have a vessel of my own, I built and equipped one at my own expense. As soon as it was finished, I loaded it and embarked; and as I had not sufficient cargo to fill it myself, I received several merchants of different nations, with their goods. We hoisted our sails the first fair wind, and put to sea. After sailing a considerable time, the first place we stopped at was a desert island, where we found the egg of a roc, as large as that I spoke of on a former occasion; it contained a small roc, which was just ready to hatch, its beak having begun to make its appearance. The merchants who were with me broke the egg with hatchets, and cut out the young roc, piece by piece, and roasted it. I had seriously advised them not to touch the egg, but they would not attend to me. They had scarcely finished their meal, when two immense clouds appeared in the air at a considerable distance from us. The captain, whom I had hired to have the care of the vessel, knowing, by experience, what it was, cried out, that it was the father and mother of the young roc, and warned us to re-embark as quickly as possible, to avoid the danger which threatened us. We took his advice, and set sail immediately. The two rocs approached, uttering the most frightful screams, which they redoubled on finding the state of their egg, and that the young one was no more. Designing to revenge themselves, they flew away towards the part from whence they came, and disappeared for some time, during which we used all diligence to sail away, and prevent what nevertheless befel us.