Thankful was she that her son Miguel dwelled ten leagues away! Else surely they would have taken him, as they were taking this one's son and that one's son! To hear her you would think of an ogre--of Polyphemus in the cave--reaching out fatal hand for this or that fattened body.

Nothing then, she said, to do but to pinch and save so that one might pay the priest for masses! She told me with great eyes that a hundred leagues west of Canaries one came to a sea forest where all the trees were made of water growing up high and spreading out like branches and leaves, and that this forest was filled with sea wolves and serpents and strange beasts all made of sea water, but they could sting and rend a man very ghastly.

After that you came to sirens that you could not help leaping to meet, but they put lips to men's breasts and sucked out the life.

Then if the wind drove you south, you smelled smoke and at night saw flames, and if you could not get the ship about-- In mid-afternoon I left the sands and took the road to La Rabida.

By the walled vineyard that climbs the hill I was met by three mounted men coming from the monastery.