PICKLED-FISH
MEN.
HE western side and hinder parts of the whale are inhabited by the Pickled-fish-Men, an eel-faced, beetle-browed race that is brave, warlike, and lives on raw flesh.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Lucian’s Wonderland, being a Translation of the ‘Vera Historia,’ by St J. Basil Wynne Willson, M. A., illustrated by A. Payne Garnett; Edinburgh and London: Blackwood and Sons; 1899, pp. 63-77.
THE OLD MAN’S STORY CONTINUED — STRANGE RACES.
THE
PICKLED-FISH
MEN.HE western side and hinder parts of the whale are inhabited by the Pickled-fish-Men, an eel-faced, beetle-browed race that is brave, warlike, and lives on raw flesh.
“On the other side along the right-hand wall live Mermen-Stoats, in their upper parts resembling men and in their lower weasels. These, however, were less aggressive than the rest.
64“The left side was inhabited by the Crabclaw-Fists and Tunny-Heads, who had formed an alliance and friendship together. The central portion is held by the Lobster-Tails and Flounder-Foots, a very swift and warlike race. A large part of the eastern side at the mouth itself is waste land, washed by the sea. However, I occupied this, paying each year a tribute to the Flounder-Foots of five hundred oyster-shells.
“Such is the character of the country. Your duty now is, to consider the method of making war on so many nations, and how we may obtain sustenance.”
“How many,” I asked, “are there in all?”
“More than a thousand,” he replied.
“What arms have they?”
“None except fish-bones.”
65THE
FLOUNDER
FOOTS.
“Then it would be best to risk a battle with them, seeing that we are armed and they are unarmed; for if we conquer them, we shall secure a peaceful existence in the future.”
So we determined on this course, and, returning to the ship, proceeded to make ready for battle.
It was settled that the cause of the war should be a refusal to pay the tribute, the appointed day of payment being near at hand.
Accordingly when the Flounder-Foots sent demanding payment, the old man returned the messengers a haughty answer and drove them away. In great anger the Flounder-Foots and Lobster-Tails were the first to attack Scintharus (for that was the old man’s name), and to make an onset with great uproar. 66
We, in expectation of their approach, armed ourselves and waited, after laying an ambush of five-and-twenty men, who had orders to lie in concealment, and, as soon as the enemy and marched past, to spring up. This stratagem they duly executed. They rose and attacked the enemy in the rear, and cut them to pieces, whilst we ourselves, in force five-and-twenty (Scintharus and his boy having joined our ranks), met them, and, reckless of our lives, engaged them hand to hand with the utmost courage and prowess. At length we routed the foe and pursued them to their dens. There fell of the enemy one hundred and seventy, whilst our loss amounted only to one — the pilot, who was priced through the breast with the rib of a mullet.
All that day and night we encamped on the
A
COMPLETE
ROUT.67
field of battle and set up a trophy, fixing on the top the dry spine of a dolphin.
On the following day the other inhabitants, who had heard of the engagement, took the field against us.
The right wing was held by the Pickled-fish-Men, under the leadership of Tunnyman; the left by the Tunny-Heads, and the centre by the Crabclaw-Fists. The Mermen-Stoats remained neutral, preferring to ally themselves with neither side.
We advanced to meet them at the shrine of Poseidon, and fell upon them with a loud shout that made the whale echo like a cavern. Lightly armed as they were, we easily routed and pursued them to the wood, and took possession of their territory. Before long the enemy sent envoys asking leave to take up 68 their dead, and proposing terms of friendship and amity. We refused all overtures for peace, and on the following day marched against them, and utterly exterminated all except the Mermen-Shoats, who, on seeing what was happening, hastily threw themselves from the gills into the sea. Having explored the country, for the rest of our stay, we occupied the land, now well rid of our enemies, in perfect security. We often indulged in sports and hunting expeditions; we cultivated vines, and gathered in the fruit from the trees. In short, we were like men shut up in a huge prison, without chance of escape, but withal living a free and comfortable life. Such was our mode of existence for a year and eight months.
On the fifth day of the ninth month, about the time of the second opening of the whale’s
SAILING
ISLANDS.69
mouth (for this the monster used to do once every hour, so that we could reckon the time thereby), suddenly a great shouting and commotion was heard. It sounded like the splashing of oars and the call of boatswains to rowers. In alarm we crept to the very mouth of the monster, and, standing between the teeth, beheld the very strangest sight that ever I saw — great giants, as much as three hundred feet high, sailing islands, as if they were ships. Full well I know that what I am about to relate will appear incredible to you, my reader but I will hazard it.
The islands were long, but not very steep, each being about twelve or thirteen miles in circumference. On them were some hundred and twenty of these gigantic figures. Some of them were sitting along each side of an island, rowing in regular order, and using as 70 oars great cypress-trees with all their boughs and leaves on. Behind in the stern there stood on an eminence a pilot, holding a brazen tiller about six hundred feet long. On the prow there stood about forty of them fighting in full armour, resembling men in all respects except their hair, which was a mass of blazing fire, so that they had no need of helmets. They had no sails, but the wind beat on the woods that abounded in each island, and filling them like a sail, drove the strange vessel in the direction that the helmsman desired. Over the rowers stood a boatswain, and they pulled hard at their oars as if they were ship’s sweeps.
At first we saw only two or three islands, but afterwards as many as six hundred came into sight, which, forming into two lines, immediately began a furious engagement. Many
THE MEN ON SAILING ISLANDS.
[72]
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73
crashedISLANDS
IN
ACTION.
into one another prow to prow, many were rammed and sank, whilst those that became locked together fought stubbornly and were with difficulty parted. Those who were posted on the prow displayed the greatest keenness, boarding each other’s vessels and making great slaughter. No quarter was given.
Insteand of iron grapnels they hurled on board great octopuses bound together, which, becoming entangled in the woods, held the island fast. Their missiles were oyster-shells, each of which was a waggon-load, and sponges of a quarter of an acre in size. By what we could gather from their shouts the leader of one side was Sea-Drinker, and of the other Speedy-Centaur. The cause of the battle, as far as I could tell, was a dispute about plunder; for Sea-Drinker was said to have driven off 74 many herds of dolphins that were the rightful property of Speedy-Centaur. At last the followers of Speedy-Centaur were victorious. One hundred and fifty of the enemy’s islands were sunk, and three others captured with their crew. The rest backed water and fled.
Their conquerors pursued them some distance, but when evening drew on, turned to the wrecked vessels, took most of them as prizes, and recovered their own, — for they had lost as many as eighty in the battle.
As a trophy to commemorate the island-fight, one of the enemy’s islands was nailed to the head of the whale.
All that night they lay near the monster, having fastened their hawsers to it and cast
A
GLORIOUS
VICTORY.75
anchor. The anchors they used were prodigiously large, and made of glass.
Next day, after offering sacrifices on the whale and burying their dead, they sailed away singing songs of great jubilation. Such is the story of the great island-battle.
Next:
BOOK II.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
