I fell into the hands of a rich merchant, who, as soon as he bought me, carried me to his house, treated me well, and clad me handsomely for a slave.  Some days after, not knowing who I was, he asked me if I understood any trade?  I answered, that I was no mechanic, but a merchant, and that the corsairs, who sold me, had robbed me of all I possessed.  “But tell me,” replied he, “can you shoot with a bow?” I answered, that the bow was one of my exercises in my youth.  He gave me a bow and arrows, and, taking me behind him upon an elephant, carried me to a thick forest some leagues from the town.  We penetrated a great way into the wood, and when he thought fit to stop, he bade me alight; then shewing me a great tree, “Climb up that,” said he, “and shoot at the elephants as you see them pass by, for there is a prodigious number of them in this forest, and if any of them fall, come and give me notice.”  Having spoken thus, he left me victuals, and returned to the town, and I continued upon the tree all night.

I saw no elephant during that time, but next morning, as soon as the sun was up, I perceived a great number.  I shot several arrows among them, and at last one of the elephants fell, when the rest retired immediately, and left me at liberty to go and acquaint my patron with my booty.  When I had informed him, he gave me a good meal, commended my dexterity, and caressed me highly.  We went afterwards together to the forest, where we dug a hole for the elephant; my patron designing to return when it was rotten, and take his teeth to trade with.

I continued this employment for two months, and killed an elephant every day, getting sometimes upon one tree, and sometimes upon another.  One morning, as I looked for the elephants, I perceived with extreme amazement, that, instead of passing by me across the forest as usual, they stopped, and came to me with a horrible noise, in such number that the plain was covered, and shook under them.  They encompassed the tree in which I was concealed, with their trunks extended, and all fixed their eyes upon.  At this alarming spectacle I continued immoveable, and was so much terrified, that my bow and arrows fell out of my hand.

My fears were not without cause; for after the elephants had stared upon me some time, one of the largest of them put his trunk round the foot of the tree, plucked it up, and threw it on the ground; I fell with the tree, and the elephant taking me up with his trunk, laid me on his back, where I sat more like one dead than alive, with my quiver on my shoulder.  He put himself afterwards at the head of the rest, who followed him in troops, carried me a considerable way, then laid me down on the ground, and retired with all his companions.  Conceive, if you can, the condition I was in:  I thought myself in a dream.  After having lain some time, and seeing the elephants gone, I got up, and found I was upon a long and broad hill, almost covered with the bones