man's hand.

When night fell they struck not sail, but went forth toward the land
fair and softly; for it was early summer, so that the nights were
neither long nor dark.

But when it was broad daylight, they opened a land, a long shore of
rocks and mountains, and nought else that they could see at first.
Nevertheless as day wore and they drew nigher, first they saw how
the mountains fell away from the sea, and were behind a long wall of
sheer cliff; and coming nigher yet, they beheld a green plain going
up after a little in green bents and slopes to the feet of the said
cliff-wall.

No city nor haven did they see there, not even when they were far
nigher to the land; nevertheless, whereas they hankered for the
peace of the green earth after all the tossing and unrest of the
sea, and whereas also they doubted not to find at the least good and
fresh water, and belike other bait in the plain under the mountains,
they still sailed on not unmerrily; so that by nightfall they cast
anchor in five-fathom water hard by the shore.

Next morning they found that they were lying a little way off the
mouth of a river not right great; so they put out their boats and
towed the ship up into the said river, and when they had gone up it
for a mile or thereabouts they found the sea water failed, for
little was the ebb and flow of the tide on that coast. Then was the
river deep and clear, running between smooth grassy land like to
meadows. Also on their left board they saw presently three head of
neat cattle going, as if in a meadow of a homestead in their own