A True History (1.6-1.11)

Well, we sailed for a day and a night with a favorable wind, still in sight of land and making no great progress. But as the sun rose on the next day the wind increased, the sea rose, it grew dark, and it became impossible even to take in the sails. Accordingly, we surrendered ourselves to the wind, and were storm-tossed for seventynine days; but on the eightieth the sun suddenly shone out, and we perceived an island at no great distance, high and wooded, with no fierce breakers thundering about it, for the sea had already greatly subsided. So we brought the ship to land and disembarked, and for some time we lay on the ground, as was natural after our long distress. But when we had got upon our feet we chose out thirty of our number to stay and guard the ship, and twenty to go inland with me and reconnoitre the island.

When we had advanced as much as six hundred yards from the sea through the woods we saw a pillar of wrought brass, bearing an inscription in Greek characters, blurred and rubbed away, which read: "Herakles and Dionysos came to this point." And there were two footprints in the rock close by--one a hundred feet long, the

We took some jars, and laid in a supply of water and of wine, too, from the river, and having encamped near it on the beach for the night, we set sail at daybreak with a gentle breeze. But about noonday, when we had lost sight of the island, a whirlwind suddenly arose, spun the ship

For seven days and as many nights we coursed through the air, and on the eighth we saw a great earth in the air like an island, bright and round, and shining with a great light. We made for it, came to anchor, and went ashore. On examining the country we found it inhabited and cultivated. By day we could see nothing from it, but when night came on many other islands appeared in the neighborhood, some larger and some smaller, of the color of fire, and a certain other earth below them with cities on it, and rivers and seas and forests and mountains. This we judged was our own.

We determined to go still farther into the interior, but we met some of the Hippogyps, as they call themselves, and they arrested us. These Hippogyps are men riding on great vultures, using the birds like horses, for the vultures are large and for the most part three-headed. You may understand their size from this: each of their feathers is longer and thicker than the mast of a good-sized merchantman. Now it was the business of our Hippogyps to fly about the country, and, if they found a stranger, bring him to the king. Accordingly, they took us in charge and