Fourth Voyage

A daring narrator sets out on a new trading voyage but is caught in a violent hurricane that destroys his ship. He washes ashore on an island inhabited by fierce black inhabitants who intend to fatten him for their meal. Fortunately, he realizes their plan and pretends to eat only small amounts while his companions are consumed. He eventually escapes into the forest and finds refuge with a group of white men gathering pepper. These men take him to their king, who receives him kindly and allows him to stay. The narrator becomes wealthy by inventing saddles and spurs for horses, which the locals have never seen before. The king offers him a rich wife to settle down permanently, and he accepts, though he secretly hopes to return home. His worries grow when he witnesses a cruel custom where living husbands are buried alive with their dead wives. When his wife falls ill and dies, he is forced to follow this dreadful law into a dark cavern. Trapped underground, he survives by taking provisions from other victims until he discovers an escape route through a narrow crack. He emerges on the beach, gathers a treasure of jewels from the cavern floor, and waits for a passing ship. After faking another shipwreck, he boards a vessel and returns to Bagdad with immense wealth. The narrator shares his incredible tale of survival and fortune with his friends, who listen in amazement.