The Adventures of Captain Mago

CHAPTER XVI

PERILS OF THE OCEAN

For a whole week I followed the coast steadily to the north, and having rounded a lofty promontory, bore towards the east. In all my previous navigation I had never experienced such difficult sailing, nor seen waves more angry than those which dashed against the cliffs that formed the shore. One headland there was which took us little short of four days to double, and it was not until we had been battling for more than a fortnight with continual tempest that we found ourselves in calmer waters and off a flat coast, of which, after the mountains had come to their limit, the direction was again northwards. We were all greatly fatigued.

Before we had proceeded much further we came to a river with a mouth so wide that at first I imagined it to be a gulf; the shores on either hand were wooded and undulating, and the general aspect of the country was so inviting that I determined to lay to, and had no difficulty in finding excellent anchorage about half-way up the estuary.

"By all that's good!" exclaimed Gisgo, "I recognise those cabins. That's a Celtic village;" and he pointed to a cluster of huts, with conical roofs made of thatched reeds, and without more ado made four rowers pull him ashore in a boat to pay a visit to his former acquaintances.

He was not mistaken. In half an hour our vessels were surrounded by the ill-made coracles of the inquisitive Celts some of whom were so eager to scrutinise us that they swam out all the way from the shore; and our decks were soon invaded by numbers of them, who, with loud laughter and much gesticulating, began talking all at once in a language which was anything but euphonious. They appeared perfectly friendly, and were far less barbarous in their manners than the people of Tarshish. They were dressed in very short tunics, made of coarse material woven by themselves, and their legs were covered with trousers that came to the ankles; their faces were round, and generally bore a good-humoured expression; their eyes were bright, and for the most part blue; their hair light brown, and occasionally quite flaxen. Some of them had bronze weapons and jewellery, which had found their way from Phœnicia along the Rhone by means of the Salians; the majority of them, however, still retained their wooden, stone, or bone implements, many of which were very well made.

The Celts, as I learnt on visiting one of their villages built upon piles in the water, are very expert fishermen. I bought some gold dust of them in exchange for some of my goods, which they seemed glad to obtain. They all agreed in affirming that they had come from the north-east, and had been established for nearly a century in their present localities, whence they had driven out some people resembling the Iberians and Ligurians; and they said that in the regions behind them there were some other tribes of Celts, whom they called Gauls and Cymri.

After leaving their "mas," as they termed their village, I returned to the ships, and we resumed our northward course. Eight days' moderate sailing brought us into a labyrinth of rocky shoals and islands. On the mainland we found some more Celts, who told us that the name of the country was Ar-Mor, that is to say, "the land of the sea;" and relying on their statement that north of their own country there was a large island both rich and fertile, I resolved to prosecute my voyage in that direction.

Two days later we were overtaken by a tremendous tempest, and the sea being at the same time overhung by a dense fog, which my people called "the lungs of the ocean," we were tossed about by the foaming waves, and seemed for several succeeding days to be wandering in the gloomy realms of the dead. By the evening of the fifth day we had lost all reckoning of our position, and were drifting helplessly at the mercy of the wind and waves. Towards midnight, overcome with fatigue, I was dozing at the foot of the mast, when I was aroused by Himilco's stentorian shout, "Breakers ahead!"

In an instant I was upon my feet, and at the helmsman's side.

"Backwater!" I shouted, "and signal the other ships."

All hastened to light the torches and lamps; but it was too late – a long cry of distress made us aware that the Dagon had already stranded, and as I tacked about to effect a retreat, I witnessed the heart-breaking spectacle of the Cabiros completely heeled over, and lying in the very midst of the breakers.

The Ashtoreth, although she was hitherto uninjured, was environed by reefs which were level with the surface of the water. The current was so strong that all my efforts to get back to the channel by which we had entered were unavailing, and after an hour's struggle I still found myself near enough to hear the surf curling over the peaks of the rocks. For nearly the twentieth time I gave the order to tack, when a sudden and ominous crash revealed the appalling fact that we had struck the shoal, and were aground; and all through that pitch-black night we had to endure the torture of believing that all our vessels were irretrievably lost.

The wind dropped with the first streak of dawn, and beyond the breakers I could distinguish that the sea was calm, and that we were not much more than half a stadium from the shore. Shipwrecked though we might be, our lives were spared, and our situation was not altogether so desperate as we had imagined. The Cabiros was safe, in spite of her disaster, and had been hauled up on shore; but the Dagon, it was only too evident, was in a very critical position. I ordered all my men to abandon the ships and make for land. Some of them hung back, unwilling to leave me; Chamai being so reluctant to go that he had to be sent ashore by main force, and Hamilcar, Hasdrubal, Gisgo, and Himilco all pleading so earnestly to remain with me that I was forced to consent. My own resolution, of course, was to abide, while the planks held together, with the ship that had carried us so far in safety.

As the day advanced the swell gradually abated, and the pale-blue sky was broken by fleecy clouds; not far away we could see the green shore, where our people were standing on the water's edge waving signs of encouragement, and very soon Bichri and Dionysos managed to clamber over the rocks and to come aboard our vessel.

At low tide I made a careful examination of the keels, and found that not only was the keel of the Ashtoreth very little injured, but that her stern was wedged so tightly between the two rocks that her position was secure; at the same time she had not been jammed in so violently but that I hoped a high tide might float her again. With the Dagon, however, the case was unfortunately very different; she had been dashed so hopelessly against the jutting crags that she must inevitably go to pieces, and I lost no time in beginning to unload her.

Our people had discovered a stream of fresh water, and a neighbouring wood afforded fuel, so that the spot was very favourable for a camp, the whole arrangement of which I deputed to Hannibal, who immediately enclosed the site with an intrenchment. Having completed the task of unloading both ships, we took down the mast of the Ashtoreth, and rescued from the Dagon as much planking and as many fittings as we could, as well as the best part of her copper sheathing. Lightened by the removal of her cargo and rigging, the Ashtoreth, under the influence of a stiffish breeze, was set afloat on the third day amidst general acclamation, and so admirably was she managed by Himilco, that she was soon brought to land, and laid high and dry upon the shore.

I did what I could to console Hasdrubal for the loss of his ship, but he wept tears of bitter sorrow as he saw his ill-fated Dagon break up before his eyes.

For some days we had seen no trace of any natives, and were in want of provisions. I was preparing to send out two boats on a fishing excursion, when we caught sight of a long coracle rounding the point that sheltered our position. It was made of hides stretched out upon a wooden frame, and was paddled by four men, half-naked. On nearing us they hesitated, but we made signs to them of our friendly intentions, and they came on and landed. Gisgo, recognising them as Celts, both by their physiognomy and general aspect, began to address them in their own language, and they answered him very volubly, making many gesticulations all the time they were speaking. So delighted did they profess themselves at meeting with people who understood their tongue, that they insisted on kissing us; and notwithstanding the smell of their long hair, which was reeking with rancid grease, we were obliged to submit to their embraces.

Gisgo told us that although they spoke a language similar to that of the southern and central Celts, they were really the Cymri, a kindred tribe from the north, where they inhabited an island which they called Prydhayn; they seemed restless and inquisitive, overwhelming us with all manner of questions; they were tall and handsome, and had pink and white complexions, eyes of azure blue, and hair of the colour of ripe corn.

"Fine soldiers these fellows would make," said Hannibal; "I should like to have a thousand of them to drill; I would soon be more than a match for Bodmilcar."

To Bichri's remark that they seemed to have no bows, Gisgo replied that he had seen them with bows occasionally, but that their ordinary weapons were lances and hatchets, of which the stone tips and blades were always sharp and often beautifully made.

I had the men questioned as to whether they had any previous knowledge of the Phœnicians. They said that their kinsmen, the Cymri of the north, had often spoken of strangers with dark skins and black hair, who came in large ships and brought beautiful merchandise, but that they themselves had never been thrown into contact with them.

I made them a number of presents, and much to Himilco's annoyance (for he knew our supply was rapidly diminishing), I gave them some wine. This exhilarated them very much for a time, although their shouting and screaming ended in some bickerings amongst themselves; to us, however, they were civil, and in spite of a little roughness, we found their manners so kind, that it was impossible to be in any way alarmed at them. When they went away they promised to return in the evening, and bring their whole population and some goods in return for our presents, but we saw nothing more of them until the next morning, when they came followed by a whole retinue of men, women, and children, but all of them quite empty-handed. Rushing into the camp with great excitement, they overwhelmed us with their embraces, and asked such countless questions that I was quite bewildered; they insisted upon helping us to arrange our camp, but introduced disorder wherever they went: loud in their praises of what they saw, they were scrupulously honest, and did not attempt to purloin the smallest article, but their inquisitiveness and their meddling rendered them a perpetual nuisance. They tried Hannibal's temper sorely, by handling his cuirass and helmet; the more he pushed them off the more they laughed and enjoyed his annoyance. Chryseis and Abigail had a hard matter to keep them from stripping them, in their curiosity to examine their clothes. Judge Gebal did not fail to provide them boundless amusement, and they roared with laughter as Bichri and Dionysos made their mischievous little quadruped show off his antics. Some of my people regretted that we had lost the attraction of Jonah's trumpet, but there was a sufficient variety of objects without that to give them abundance of diversion.

Amidst all this, however, I did not suffer myself to forget either of the two grand objects of my voyage, the discovery of new lands and the acquisition of rare commodities; and accordingly I took much pains to examine the people about the situation and configuration, both of their own islands and of the land we had just left. They seemed a very intelligent race, and I found that they were adventurous, frequently accomplishing long distances in their canoes of hide. According to their information we were now on the largest and most important of a group of twelve small islands,42 but that the great island Prydhayn was so large that it took them no less than two months to circumnavigate it in their canoes, from which I drew the inference that it must be as large as Tarshish. I requested the men to bring me whatever food they had for sale, and they never failed subsequently in keeping me well supplied with fish and venison. Seeing at once that they were not an agricultural people, I made no demands for corn and vegetables; but as some time afterwards a small quantity of barley and some other edible grain arrived from Prydhayn, I conjectured that some of the natives are beginning to have some notion of husbandry.

I was much struck by the number of trinkets that the Cymri wore about their persons; and observing that the metal of which many of them were made was singularly white, I was curious to know what it was and where it could be procured. To my surprise, and I may add to my delight, I was informed that the island on which we were encamped yielded it in great abundance, and I lost no time in investigating the veins of ore. Accompanied by a few men, I set out upon a search which was rewarded by the discovery that the entire island was one vast mine of tin.

A scheme suggested itself to my mind which I resolved to carry out. With the wood obtained either here or from the neighbouring large island, I determined to build a new ship to replace the shattered Dagon; and during the time that it was being constructed I purposed gathering such a store of metal as would form a cargo far surpassing anything of the kind which Phœnicia had witnessed before. Every one around me most heartily approved of my project.

In return for a few trifling knick-knacks, and for some fragments of the old copper sheathing of the Dagon, the natives willingly acquiesced in our working their mines, and in letting us portions of their territory for as long as we pleased to retain it; in fact, they seemed to wish that we would settle permanently amongst them; they volunteered their assistance in every way, and our camp was quite over-stocked with the produce of their hunting and fishing, whilst for the presents we made them they were profuse in their expressions of pleasure and gratitude. In spite of their restlessness, inquisitiveness, and love of talking, I have no hesitation in pronouncing them the most favourable specimens of savages we had hitherto seen.

Our arrangements were soon made. Hamilcar, with Bichri and twenty archers, started on board the Cabiros to explore the islands and the coast of Prydhayn; Hasdrubal and Gisgo undertook the supervision of the working of the mines; I remained with Himilco in the camp to devote myself to the construction of our new ship; and, first of all, in order to protect our men against the rainy and rigorous climate, I had some substantial huts erected, as being more suitable than the tents. For Hannibal and Chamai there was no definite employment, and they spent most of their time in hunting and fishing, and in joining in the sports of the islanders, whom they began to instruct in military drill; and never had they found more apt or devoted learners.

One day Hannibal and Chamai made their appearance among us with their chins closely shorn, and no hair left on the face except a moustache on the upper lip; they had fraternised so far with the savages as to conform to their fashion.

"You cut fine figures," I said, laughing; "go and paint your faces, and you will make capital Cymri."

Hannibal tried by very elaborate reasoning to justify his proceeding, alleging that one ought to conform to national customs, and that as the warriors here had their faces shorn, it was right that he as a warrior amongst warriors should do the same.

"And Abigail," said Chamai, "thinks the change is very becoming to me."

This argument being unanswerable, I had not another word to say.

Days, weeks and months glided on whilst we continued our active though somewhat monotonous labours.

When Hamilcar returned from his cruise, he informed us that he had not only made his way along the west coast of the great island, but that, still farther to the west, he had discovered a somewhat smaller island which he had completely circumnavigated; the natives, he said, called it Erin, or "the green isle," from its remarkable verdure, and I retained the name.

The winter came on, cold and drear. I have no power to describe the consternation of those of our party who had never before seen frost or snow; nothing but the sternest necessity could induce them ever to leave their huts. The poor monkey suffered excessively. Bichri and Dionysos alone seemed unaffected by the fall of temperature; they were always ready to join the young Cymri in games of snowballing, and would glide along the frozen surface of the water until their faces glowed again with the exertion.

Under Bichri's tuition the little Phocian boy was becoming an adept in the use both of the sling and of the bow; he seemed always delighted to be bringing back from his hunting excursions fresh trophies of his skill.

The most hipped of all the party was Himilco; not that the sturdy pilot had more dread than the rest of mists and frosts, but because he was much disconcerted at the rapid diminution in our stock of wine.

"Ah me!" he would sigh, as each goat-skin was drained; "another gone! we shall have nothing but water with which to greet the advent of spring. Ah, yes! it is time we were back again in Phœnicia; it would do one good to see the vines on the hill-side of Berytos."

In his forebodings Himilco found a genuine sympathiser in Hannibal, who (although I should not like to say that there was one amongst us who would not be sorry for all our wine to be exhausted) was the only one who openly shared the regret of our thirsty pilot.

At length the days grew longer and brighter, and the sea, which had been almost always angry and restless, settled down into something of a calm. Our new ship was finished. We launched it on our feast of navigation, and not only did the Cymri come to assist, but in honour of the occasion their priests and priestesses stripped themselves of their clothes, and stained their bodies with blue and black paint. In the evening we had a banquet of fish, venison, barley, and some of the esculents of the country. We also finished the last drop of our wine.

"Let us drink to our prosperous return," said Himilco.

"It is much too soon to speak about that," I rejoined; "our voyage as yet is far from its end."

Every one looked at me in bewilderment; it had never occurred to them that we could be bound elsewhere than for Sidon. Chamai asked whether we were going to have a little further benefit of "the lungs of the sea."

"You are perfectly at liberty to go home," I answered him. "This new ship has been built, and I am quite prepared to let her return with her cargo and as many of you as are no longer disposed to encounter the cold and mists."

Chamai started to his feet, and said impulsively:

"Surely, captain, you did not suppose I was in earnest; you cannot believe I was thinking of leaving you. I profess I do not like this chill and dreary climate; but you may rely on this, wherever you go, I shall go also."

I gave him my hand, assuring him that I had every confidence in his fidelity, and then proceeded to explain the motive that induced me to extend my voyage. I showed them a fragment of a transparent yellow substance, which appeared to be comparable to some of the jewels of our own land. The Celt who had given it me called it amber, and told me that thirty days' sailing to the east would bring me to the shore of a large continent where it was washed up in great abundance. Here truly was a gift from Ashtoreth!

"And who knows," I continued, "whether the vast ocean which is united to the Great Sea at the Straits of Gades may not again be united to it in the east? Hitherto we have learnt nothing about the northern shores of the Black Sea, and who can tell whether we shall not be able to return to Sidon by way of Caria and Chittim?"

The familiar sound of these names rekindled the courage of my people, who one and all avowed their intention of accompanying me eastwards to the amber-coast.

"Yes," said Himilco, "although the wine is all gone."

Our new vessel (which was called the Adonibal, after the naval suffect at Utica) was well freighted with our cargo of tin; like the other ships, she took in a good supply of water and a quantity of dry salted meat, as well as some grain and some of the sour native fruits.

After bidding farewell to the kindly-disposed Cymri, who had contributed so much to our comfort during our long sojourn among them, we put out to sea. The islanders accompanied us for some distance in their canoes, but we soon outstripped them and left them out of sight as we doubled the western extremity of Prydhayn.