There was once a man of the people of Moroccocalled Abdurrehman the Moorand he was knownto bootas the Chinamanfor his long sojourn in Cathay. He had journeyed far and wide and traversed many seas and deserts and was wont to relate wondrous tales of his travels. He was once cast upon an islandwhere he abode a long while and returning thence to his native countrybrought with him the quill of the wing-feather of a young roewhilst yet unhatched and in the egg；and this quill was big enough to hold a skinful of waterfor it is said that the length of the young roe's wingwhen it comes forth of the eggis a thousand fathoms. The folk marvelled at this quillwhen they saw itand Abdurrehman related to them the following adventure.
He was on a voyage in the China seaswith a company of merchantswhen they sighted a great island so they steered for it and casting anchor before itsaw that it was large and spacious. The ship's people went ashore to get wood and water，taking with them skins and ropes and axesand presently espied a great white gleaming domea hundred cubits high. So they made towards it and drawing nearfound that it was a roe's egg and fell on it with axes and stones and stickstill they uncovered the young bird and found it as it were a firm-set mountain. They went about to pluck out one of its wing-feathers，but could not win to do sosave by helping one anotherfor all the feathers were not full grown；after which they took what they could carry of the young bird's flesh and cutting the quill away from the feather-partreturned to the ship.