After my first voyage, I meant to spend the rest of my days at Bagdad, but I soon grew weary of an idle life, and put to sea a second time, with merchants of known honesty. We embarked on board a good ship, and after committing ourselves to God set sail. We traded from island to island with great profit. One day we landed on an island where we could see neither man nor animal. There were many fruits and flowers, and whilst some were gathering them, I took my wine and food, and sat down near a stream betwixt two high trees, which formed a thick shade. I made a good meal, and afterwards fell asleep. I cannot tell how long I slept, but when I awoke the ship was gone. In this sad plight, I was ready to die with grief. I cried out in agony, beat my head and breast, and threw myself upon the ground, where I lay some time in despair. Why was I not content with the produce of my first voyage, which would have kept me in comfort all my life? But it was too late to repent. At last I resigned myself to the will of God. Not knowing what to do, I climbed to the top of a lofty tree, where I could look about on all sides for signs of hope. Towards the sea there was nothing but sky and water. Looking over the land, I saw something white, and, coming down, took some of the food I had left, and went towards it, not knowing at the great distance what it was. As I drew near, I thought it to be a white dome of enormous size; and when I touched it I found it to be very smooth. There was no opening on any side, and there was no climbing to the top over the smooth surface. It was at least fifty paces round. By this time the sun was about to set, and all of a sudden the sky became as dark as if it had been covered with a thick cloud. I was amazed at this sudden darkness, but much more when I found it was caused by a bird of monstrous size that came flying towards me. I remembered that I had often heard mariners speak of a marvelous bird called the roc, and felt sure that the great dome by which I stood must be its egg. In short, the bird alighted and sat over the egg. As I saw her coming, I crept close to the egg, so that I had before me one of the legs of the bird, which was as big as the trunk of a tree. I tied myself strongly to it with my turban, in hopes that the roc next morning would carry me with her out of this desert island. After having passed the night in this condition, the bird flew away as soon as it was daylight, and carried me so high that I could not see the earth. Then she descended with so much speed that I lost my senses. But when I found myself on the ground, I quickly untied the knot, and had scarcely done so when the roc, having taken up a serpent of monstrous length in her bill, flew away.