chief tower had just been demolished by the powers of darkness, as they
retreated; but there were sitting within the halls men and women of
dignified appearance, who thanked them for the good service they had done.
Then they were taken over the island, which proved to be some sixty miles
long and thirty wide, abounding with horses, cattle, sheep, deer, rabbits,
and birds, but without any swine; it had also rich mines of silver and
gold, but few people, although there were ruins of old towns and cities.
The sailors, after being richly rewarded, were sent on board their vessel
and furnished with sailing directions to their port. On reaching home,
they showed to the minister of their town the pieces of gold and silver
that were given them at the island, these being of an ancient stamp,
somewhat rusty yet of pure gold; and there was at once an eager desire on
the part of certain of the townsmen to go with them. Within a week an
expedition was fitted out, containing several godly ministers, who wished
to visit and discover the inhabitants of the island; but through some
mishap of the seas this expedition was never heard of again.


Partly for this reason and partly because none of Captain Nesbit's crew
wished to return to the island, there came to be in time a feeling of
distrust about all this rediscovery of Hy-Brasail or O-Brazile. There were
not wanting those who held that the ancient gold pieces might have been
gained by piracy, such as was beginning to be known upon the Spanish main;
and as for the boy Kirwan, some of his playmates did not hesitate to
express the opinion that he had always been, as they phrased it, the
greatest liar that ever spoke. What is certain is that the island of
Brazil or Hy-Brasail had appeared on maps ever since 1367 as being near
the coast of Ireland; that many voyages were made from Bristol to find it,
a hundred years later; that it was mentioned about 1636 as often seen from
the shore; and that it appeared as Brazil Rock on the London Admiralty