it were divided among our captors. I with five others was taken into
a hut, where we were made to sit upon the ground, and certain herbs were
given to us, which the blacks made signs to us to eat. Observing that
they themselves did not touch them, I was careful only to pretend to
taste my portion; but my companions, being very hungry, rashly ate up
all that was set before them, and very soon I had the horror of seeing
them become perfectly mad. Though they chattered incessantly I could not
understand a word they said, nor did they heed when I spoke to them. The
savages now produced large bowls full of rice prepared with cocoanut
oil, of which my crazy comrades ate eagerly, but I only tasted a few
grains, understanding clearly that the object of our captors was to
fatten us speedily for their own eating, and this was exactly what
happened. My unlucky companions having lost their reason, felt neither
anxiety nor fear, and ate greedily all that was offered them. So they
were soon fat and there was an end of them, but I grew leaner day by
day, for I ate but little, and even that little did me no good by reason
of my fear of what lay before me. However, as I was so far from being a
tempting morsel, I was allowed to wander about freely, and one day, when
all the blacks had gone off upon some expedition leaving only an old man
to guard me, I managed to escape from him and plunged into the forest,
running faster the more he cried to me to come back, until I had
completely distanced him.

For seven days I hurried on, resting only when the darkness stopped me,
and living chiefly upon cocoanuts, which afforded me both meat and
drink, and on the eighth day I reached the sea-shore and saw a party of
white men gathering pepper, which grew abundantly all about. Reassured
by the nature of their occupation, I advanced towards them and they
greeted me in Arabic, asking who I was and whence I came. My delight was
great on hearing this familiar speech, and I willingly satisfied their
curiosity, telling them how I had been shipwrecked, and captured by the
blacks. "But these savages devour men!" said they. "How did you escape?"
I repeated to them what I have just told you, at which they were
mightily astonished. I stayed with them until they had collected as much
pepper as they wished, and then they took me back to their own country
and presented me to their King, by whom I was hospitably received. To
him also I had to relate my adventures,