On first entering the assembly the mist was so thick, and the confusion from the noise of the savages, who were raving like maniacs, was so great, that I could not distinguish the venerated deity; but as I gradually got accustomed to the smoky glare and the boisterous hubbub, I made out that there was a kind of dais or altar piled up with every conceivable variety of natural products,—skins of beasts, intestines of fishes, bladders of sea-calves, feathers of birds—mounted upon which, daubed with blue and crimson, and adorned with bulls' horns and sea-calves tusks, was the god himself. Not a feature could I distinguish; one only object seemed familiar; in one of his crimson hands the god held the very trumpet which I had purchased for twelve silver shekels of Khelesh-baal the merchant of Tyre.
The savages did more than make room for us to pass; they thrust us forward till we were close in front of the altar-shrine. Hanno placed himself at the side of the god, who, at a given signal, raised his trumpet to his mouth and blew a deafening blast. A few words from Hanno made the entire assembly, except ourselves, prostrate themselves with their faces to the very ground, and thus left standing conspicuously above the rest, the god could not fail to recognise us.
No words of mine can describe Jonah's amazement. Eyes, nose, and mouth, were all distended until the very paint broke in scales upon his face. He was dumbfounded for the time, and only after a long stare of astonishment, exclaimed:
"Baal Chamaim! lord of the heavens!"
A sensation of terror thrilled through the prostrate worshippers. The mighty Jono had spoken!
"Hold your tongue, you fool!" exclaimed Hannibal, with sonorous solemnity, but in plain Phœnician. The god started, and said no more.
The crowd of worshippers shivered with awe.
All at once a piercing shriek echoed through the temple. A black-haired object, ill-defined, had made a tremendous bound, and perching upon the head of the divinity himself, began tearing his hair, scratching his face, and hugging and caressing him with wild delight. The savages started to their feet in consternation, and some of them fled at once; but when they saw their god drop his trumpet and take the apparition in his arms, and heard him say to it, "Gebal, Gebal! dear little man! and have you found out your poor old Jonah?" their terror knew no bounds, and they rushed frantically out, leaving us absolutely by ourselves.
Chamai on one side gave the god a good dig in his ribs, while Hanno on the other kicked him pretty sharply on the leg, but neither of these attentions seemed to disconcert him in the least; he came forward and said:
"Delighted to see you all, my friends; an unexpected pleasure: you know I am a god now; what shall I order for you to eat?"