At last Jesus and His followers reached the sea.

When it lay before them in its immensity, and the white-winged ships flew over the blue surface; when they saw in the far distance the line drawn between sky and water, and the firmament rising behind so darkly mysterious, their courage was renewed, and Simon proposed that they should sail across to the cheerful Greeks and the strong Romans.
"Why not to the savage Gauls and the terrible Germans ?" exclaimed Bartholomew, with some ill-temper at such an adventurous spirit.
"Ever since I was a boy I longed to see Rome," said Simon.
Jesus replied: "Seek your strength in your native land.

Here in the land of the prophets grows the tree among the branches of which will dwell the birds of heaven.

Then the winds will come and carry the seeds out into the whole world." The disciples who had not hitherto travelled much, found a new world in the harbours of Tyre and Sidon, a world of folk and wares from every quarter of the earth, strange people and strange customs.

They had never before seen men work with such industry in the warehouses, on the wharves, on the ships; yet others gave themselves up to continual idleness, trotting half-naked along the beach, begging with loud pertinacity in the harbour, or shamelessly basking in the sun.