This mountain," continued the pilot, "is
inaccessible. On the summit there is a dome of fine brass, supported
by pillars of the same metal, and on the top of that dome stands a
horse, likewise of brass, with a rider on his back, who has a plate of
lead fixed to his breast, upon which some talismanic characters are
engraved. Sir, the tradition is, that this statue is the chief cause
why so many ships and men have been lost and sunk in this place, and
that it will ever continue to be fatal to all those who have the
misfortune to approach, until it shall be thrown down."
The pilot having finished his discourse, began to weep afresh, and all
the rest of the ship's company did the same, and they took farewell of
each other.
The next morning we distinctly perceived the black mountain. About
noon we were so near that we found what the pilot had foretold to be
true; for all the nails and iron in the ships flew toward the
mountain, where they fixed, by the violence of the attraction, with a
horrible noise; the ships split asunder, and their cargoes sank into
the sea.
All my people were drowned, but God had mercy on me and permitted me
to save myself by means of a plank, which the wind drove ashore just
at the foot of the mountain. I did not receive the least hurt; and my
good fortune brought me to a landing place where there were steps that
led up to the summit of the mountain.
At last I reached the top, without accident.
Pages:
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93