"H. Warner Munn - The Ship from Atlantis" - читать интересную книгу автора (Munn H Warner)

After a tremendous meal in which none of the ship's stores had been
used, most of the men lay down to sleep near the fire. The night was warm
and no shelter was needed, although, as with most Saxon warships, it was
possible to unship the light mast and drop the tip of it into the forked
jackstaff at the prow.

Under this slanting ridgepole, when the sail was drawn over it and
made fast, the rowers' pit would remain dry and the crew could sleep in
comfort, either when drifting with a sea-anchor out or drawn up on a
beach till morning.

The night passed uneventfully though sentries had been posted and
regularly relieved. The next day Gwalchmai, following the instructions
given him by his father, directed the course steadily southward to parallel
the coastline of Florida, although at that time it had no name.

This had once been a country of dread. Even now it held few human
inhabitants in spite of its beauty and plenitude of game. It was noisy with
birds of all description during the day and the swamps boomed with the
roar of the bull-alligators. Occasionally the scream of a hunting panther
shrilled, but there was nothing to disturb the crew of the Feathered
Serpent.

The weather remained fine. The god Hurakan slept, it appeared. They
passed through a multitude of islands and coral reefs, still living off the
land, putting in only to sleep, hunt and maintain their water supply
carried in large earthenware pots. Then as they were about to round Cape
Sable adverse winds blew them southwesterly out of sight of land.

Had it not been for the little iron fish of Merlin's which, floating in a
bowl of water, had guided the Prydwen westward across the ocean to
Alata, they would have been well lost. As it was, when the seas quieted
they were glad to see land and feel it under their feet again. The vegetation
was lush and there was much fruit. On the beach they trapped a giant
turtle and feasted upon it.

After the others were asleep, Gwalchmai studied his maps in his little
cabin. This island was unmarked upon them, but so were hundreds of
others they had seen and the coastline itself had not been as the maps
presented it. He was forced to conclude that he could depend upon them
only in the most general manner and in the end he rolled them up again
and put the painted cotton strips back in Merlin's great chest.

Other magic things which he knew were more potent were kept there.
Merlin had called them his tools and they were as familiar to Gwalchmai
as his own right hand. Here were his witching herbs, his philters and his
amulets. In a casket, covered with carvings, which did not always remain
the same, were powders and pills not to be used without prayers and
spells. Here, in a little tray, was his wand of power and the wizard's ring