"However much I may confess," said Hannibal, interrupting Chamai's earnest protest, "that your mighty El may be the god of the mountains and the plains, it cannot be denied that our Ashtoreth is the goddess of the ocean. See what glorious victories she has gained for us Sidonians; she has made us monarchs of the sea! For Moloch and Melkarth I have no reverence whatever; but still I think that Baal and the gods of Arvad should be honoured in the countries they have favoured with their care."
"And don't forget our great Cabiri," put in Himilco; "what would all our Tyrian pilots do without their guidance and protection?"
"I know nothing about pilots," Chamai said; adding, "for my part I shall be content to worship El, our Lord Almighty, by land, by sea, and everywhere."
So ended the discussion; and every one having made his invocation to his own special divinity, all retired to rest.
There was little more to be gained from the Cydonians; accordingly, on the following morning, having made a few trifling purchases, I prepared to start. My own intention was first to round the western limit of the island and to steer full north; next, having sighted the two Cytheras, to coast along the mainland till we reached the mouth of the Achelous, where I hoped to replenish our supply of water, and to transact some profitable business with the natives; thence, passing between Zacynthus and Cephallenia, I reckoned I could take our course between the mainland and the island of the Siculi; once there, I would coast along the north of it to Lilybœum, from which headland the distance was only 380 stadia across to Carthage. Such was my project; but whether any of the gods had been incensed at our discussion the preceding night, or whether they were disposed to put the capabilities of our vessels to the test, certain it is that they had decreed that our course should be very different.
The sky was dull and lowering, and Himilco drew my attention to some lurid clouds that were gathering in the south-west.
"No time to lose," I said; "unless we can get ahead of the hurricane that is brewing down there, we shall run the risk of being dashed on this rugged and unsheltered coast. There is safe anchorage on the northern shore, and thither with all speed we must betake ourselves before the storm shall break."
The weather was unnaturally calm; but I knew the necessity of urging the rowers to full speed, and the ships made rapid progress to the west. In the course of twelve hours I calculated we had made about 450 stadia, and had got quite clear of the island; but by this time the sky had become obscured with low heavy clouds, and there was no room to doubt that the tempest was approaching. I continued to keep well out to sea, and fortunate for us I did so; for at nightfall, when we were, as I conjectured, about 150 stadia from the land, the storm overtook us in its fullest fury. The hurricane blew from the south-west and feeling satisfied that by abandoning ourselves to its violence we should be carried nearly north between Crete and the lesser Cythera, I ordered a sail to be hoisted, and permitted the wind to drive us on before it.
Throughout that night we knew not where we were. The rain poured down in torrents; wave followed wave in quick succession, dashing masses of water on to our decks, and our helmsmen had the utmost difficulty in controlling the vessels so that they should not present their broadsides to the squalls. The crash of the thunder was incessant, and by the vivid glare of the lightning we could see where the seething foam was rent asunder into black and yawning chasms.
In spite of the heavy seas that they continually shipped, our vessels, all three, bore up admirably. I made the rowers and the soldiers set to work with scoops to bale out the water, and under the supervision of Hannibal and the oarsman in command, who spared neither fair words nor hard blows to keep them to their task, they worked away with a will.