und the captain's words but too true. A great multitude of
frightful savages, about two feet high, covered all over with red
hair, came swimming towards us, and surrounded the ship. They
chattered as they came near, but we understood not their language.
They climbed up the sides of the ship with surprising quickness. They
took down our sails, cut the cable, and, hauling the vessel to the
shore, made us all get out, and then carried the ship into another
island, from which they had come. We saw at a distance a vast pile of
building, and made towards it. We found it to be a palace, elegantly
built, and very lofty, with a gate of ebony of two leaves, which we
opened. Before us was a large room, with a porch, having on one side a
heap of human bones, and on the other a vast number of roasting spits.
We trembled at this sight, and were seized with deadly fear, when
suddenly the gate of the room opened with a loud crash, and there came
out the horrible figure of a black man, as tall as a lofty palm-tree.
He had but one eye, and that in the middle of his forehead, where it
blazed bright as a burning coal. His fore-teeth were very long and
sharp, and stood out of his mouth, which was as deep as that of a
horse. His upper lip hung down upon his breast. His ears were like an
elephant's, and covered his shoulders; and his nails were as long and
crooked as the talons of the greatest birds. At the sight of so
frightful a genie, we lost our senses, and lay like dead men.

At last we came to ourselves, and saw him sitting in the porch,
looking closely at us. Then he advanced, and, laying his hand upon me,
took me up by the nape of my neck, and turned me round, as a butcher
would turn a sheep's head. When he saw that I had nothing but skin and
bone, he let me go. He took up all the rest one by one, and viewed
them in the same manner. As the captain was the fattest, he held him
with one hand, as I would a sparrow, and thrust a spit through him; he
then kindled a great fire, roasted, and ate him for his supper. Then
he fell asleep, snoring louder than thunder. He slept thus till
morning. As to ourselves, it was not possible for us to enjoy any
rest, and we passed the night in the most painful fear. When day
appeared the giant awoke, went out, and left us in the palace.

The next night we revenged ourselves on the brutish giant in the
following manner. After he had finished his inhuman supper on another
of our seamen, he lay down on his