"I have been nearer to Scylla than any of you. One cloudy night I was at the prow, vainly endeavouring to make out the Cabiri, when all at once I felt her foamy mouth open gently, close behind me, and snap off my cap—lucky it wasn't my head too—and before I could turn round, Charybdis had swallowed a whole bottle of my best Berytos and three whole cheeses!"
Jonah, who was looking on intensely interested, said:
"And what did you do, pilot? I know what I should have done. I should have given her a good crack across her muzzle."
"O, it was no good my saying anything to her; she wouldn't have understood me; the only language she can comprehend is that of the Lœstrigonians."
He could hardly speak for laughing; but Aminocles cowered down upon the deck, and covered his head with his loose tunic, the other six Phocians scampering off in dismay to secrete themselves in the hold.
CHAPTER X.
GISGO THE EARLESS RECOVERS HIS EARS.
Notwithstanding the strong and rapid current which bears down upon the promontory to the right, and which has given rise to the marvellous stories with which sailors delight to awaken the fears of the inexperienced, we passed through the strait without the slightest difficulty; and so well did I know the channel, and so manageable were our ships, that we had no necessity to diminish our ordinary speed. The coast on either hand was covered with fine wooded hills, surmounted by jagged grey rocks, rising up almost perpendicularly, like the battlements of a fortress; there was good anchorage everywhere, and more especially in the bay on the side of the island in the strait itself. I did not, however, lay to, but hastened on with as much speed as possible, in order that before nightfall I might reach the roadstead in front of the promontory of Lilybœum, to which our countrymen are accustomed to pay periodical visits for the purpose of purchasing sulphur and lava-stones. The Siculians have a few cabins on the margin of the roadstead, and are on the whole less savage than their countrymen in the south and west of the island, more frequent intercourse with strangers having tended to soften their manners; but the ever-increasing immigration of the Latins is so continuously overwhelming their numbers, that in my opinion they will before long have entirely disappeared.
Rounding the cape, I steered due west along the shore of the island, leaving the Æolian peaks to our right, and by evening had reached the anchorage upon which I had settled, and where I found good moorings about two bowshots from the beach. I did not feel altogether sure of my quarters, so that I would not land any of my merchandise that night, and I resolved, moreover, to hold no communication of any kind with the natives till the morning. Some men came with torches to the water's edge and made signs of friendly intentions, but I merely told them that they might bring what sulphur, coral, or mother-of-pearl they could on the next day; and finding that I was resolute in my refusal to negotiate with them then, they went away.