At first I was troubled
with seasickness, but speedily recovered my health, and was not
afterward subject to that complaint.
In our voyage we touched at several islands, where we sold or
exchanged our goods. One day, while under sail, we were becalmed near
a small island, but little elevated above the level of the water, and
resembling a green meadow. The captain ordered his sails to be furled,
and permitted such persons as were so inclined to land; of this number
I was one.
But while we were enjoying ourselves in eating and drinking, and
recovering ourselves from the fatigue of the sea, the island on a
sudden trembled, and shook us terribly.
The trembling of the island was perceived on board the ship, and we
were called upon to reembark speedily, or we should all be lost; for
what we took for an island proved to be the back[51] of a sea monster.
The nimblest got into the sloop, others betook themselves to swimming;
but as for myself, I was still upon the island when it disappeared
into the sea, and I had only time to catch hold of a piece of wood
that we had brought out of the ship to make a fire. Meanwhile the
captain, having received those on board who were in the sloop, and
taken up some of those that swam, resolved to improve the favorable
gale that had just risen, and hoisting his sails pursued his voyage,
so that it was impossible for me to recover the ship.
[Footnote 51: Milton thus describes the Leviathan:
"How haply slumbering on the Norway foam,
The pilot of some small night-founder'd skiff,
Deeming some island, oft as seamen tell,
With fixed anchor in his scally rind
Moors by his side.
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