Other ships belonging to the island men came up, and other canoes were rammed. The men in the water tried to climb aboard the ships, but they were struck with axes, or pierced with spears, so that the water of the bay was red with blood. But the island men did not have things all their own way. Some of the canoes attacked the ships in pairs, one on each side, and their crews sprang aboard and fought with the island men on the decks, so that many were killed on both sides.
Some of the sea people ran their canoes ashore, and jumped out on the sand. Here they were met by the defenders on the beach, who fought with them to protect their homes.
The battle raged with fury for two or three hours, but at last, when many of their boats had been sunk, and the crews killed, the sea people gave up the fight and paddled out of the bay.
Modor now gave a great shout and called to his men to follow in pursuit. The ships, with their long oars, were faster than the canoes, in the rough water outside the bay, and rammed and sank many of them. Only twelve out of the fifty that came, managed to escape; their crews paddled away with all their might, and soon they were mere specks in the distance.
Then Modor and his ships came back to the bay, the wounds of his men were washed and bound up, and a great feast was held that night to celebrate the victory.
In the enemy's canoes that had been driven up on the shore they found all sorts of provisions; cakes made of grain meal, and jars of wine, neither of which they had ever seen before. They also found round wicker baskets, for holding fish, and strong cords of twisted grass, and many pottery jars and bowls.
THE FIRST MUSIC
One of the men had taken the shell of a sea turtle, and stretched some thin strings of gut across it and he picked these strings with his fingers while singing his song.