These voyages gave me
some taste for navigation, in which I took so much pleasure that I
resolved to make some discoveries beyond my own territories; to which
end I caused ten ships to be fitted out, embarked, and set sail.
Our voyage was very pleasant for forty days successively; but on the
forty-first night the wind became contrary, and so boisterous that we
were nearly lost. I gave orders to steer back to my own coast; but I
perceived at the same time that my pilot knew not where we were. Upon
the tenth day a seaman, being sent to look out for land from the
masthead, gave notice that he could see nothing but sky and sea, but
that right ahead he perceived a great blackness.
The pilot changed color at this account, and throwing his turban on
the deck with one hand, and beating his breast with the other, cried,
"O sir, we are all lost; not one of us can escape; and with all my
skill it is not in my power to effect our deliverance."
I asked him what reason he had thus to despair.
He exclaimed, "The tempest has brought us so far out of our course
that to-morrow about noon we shall be near the black mountain, or mine
of adamant, which at this very minute draws all your fleet toward it
by virtue of the iron in your ships; and when we approach within a
certain distance the attraction of the adamant will have such force
that all the nails will be drawn out of the sides and bottoms of the
ships, and fasten to the mountain, so that your vessels will fall to
pieces and sink.
Pages:
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92