When the ship was
ready, I went on board with my goods; but not having enough to load
her, I took on board with me several merchants of different
nations, with their merchandise.
We sailed with the first fair wind, and after a long voyage, the
first place we touched at was a desert island, where we found an
egg of a roc, equal in size to that I formerly mentioned. There was
a young roc in it just ready to be hatched, and the bill of it
began to appear.
The merchants whom I had taken on board my ship, and who landed
with me, broke the egg with hatchets, and made a hole in it, from
whence they pulled out the young roc piece by piece, and roasted
it. I had earnestly persuaded them not to meddle with the egg, but
they would not listen to me.
Scarcely had they made an end of their feast, when there appeared
in the air, at a considerable distance from us, two great clouds.
The captain whom I hired to manage my ship, knowing by experience
what it meant, cried that it was the cock and hen roc that belonged
to the young one, and pressed us to re-embark with all speed, to
prevent the misfortune which he saw would otherwise befall us. We
made haste to do so, and set sail with all possible diligence.
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