Les aventures du Capitaine Magon. English

by David-Léon Cahun

  CHAPTER II.

  THE SACRIFICE TO ASHTORETH.

  Two days before the great spring festival which celebrated there-opening of navigation, and which was observed as a nationalholiday, our ships were ready in the stocks, and in the course ofthree hours were launched without difficulty.

  The two galleys were each seventy-two ordinary cubits (or sixty-twosacred cubits) long by seventeen wide. The gaoul, with its keelof one solid piece of cedar, was sixty-seven cubits in length bytwenty in width; it had three decks and, as I have said, two tiersof rowers; the decks were four cubits apart, and were raised foreand aft, so as to make the elevation sixteen cubits above the water,whilst in the centre it did not exceed twelve cubits. The galleys,when carrying their full burden, and the double line of oarsmen,stood each eight cubits above the water-line. Each contained spaceenough to take 150 sailors and 50 rowers; but hitherto I had onlyengaged 200 seamen, expecting that I should be able to enlist theservices of 100 soldiers and archers who would be willing to take ashare of the working of the vessel. The number of the crew of thegaoul was complete; the _Gadita_ had likewise her full complementof thirty-seven men, and the barques their crews of eight. Thesetwo small craft were to be kept constantly in tow, and wouldconsequently be in no need of a pilot; but each of the larger vesselswas provided with two pilots, one at the prow, one at the stern,Himilco being pilot-in-chief. At the top of every mast, there was alook-out place, constructed of fir-wood from Senir, for the purposeof sheltering the man on watch. The apertures for the oars werearranged at equal distances along the sides; and all the vessels,after they had been caulked and tarred, were made to correspondwith the _Gadita_ by being painted black with red lines. Hanno haddrawn up a document for each of the captains, containing the namesof the respective crews, and a complete list of every piece of sparerigging on board, with a register of the place where every articlewas stored. All the arms, the bedding, the cooking-utensils, thewater-barrels, had their positions carefully recorded, and in thecrew's quarters between decks, each seaman and rower had his berthdistinctly marked with his own name. The cabin under the raised deckat the stern was reserved for the use of the captain and pilots,whilst that under the prow was set apart for the officers of thecrew, and the captains of the men-at-arms. On all the vessels thearrangements were identical, with the exception that at the sternof the galley which I had chosen for myself I had ordered a boardedcabin to be erected, divided into two compartments by a partition,and lighted by two small windows, for the especial use of the eunuchand the King's slave under his charge.

  Hanno was extremely interested in the selection of good andappropriate names for the ships. At his wish, the gaoul, which wasunder the command of Bodmilcar, and numbered a large proportion ofTyrians amongst its crew, was named after Melkarth, the god of Tyre.One of the galleys was named the _Dagon_, being placed under theprotection of the Philistine god of fish; whilst the one on whichwe ourselves were about to embark was dedicated to the Sidoniangoddess Ashtoreth, to whom we were personally bound by an especialreverence. Associated with these divinities, of course it was outof all character that the _Gadita_ should retain her previous name;accordingly, at Himilco's request, and in consideration that she wasto sail at the head of the squadron, we gave her the designation ofthe _Cabiros_. Bodachmon, the high priest of Ashtoreth, undertook topresent us with images of the various deities to be kept on board theships which were severally dedicated to them.

  Bodmilcar was assigned the command of the _Melkarth_, and herattendant barques; Hasdrubal, a Sidonian, was appointed to thecharge of the _Dagon_; and the _Cabiros_ was confided to the care ofHamilcar, another Sidonian, a bold and experienced seaman.

  On board the _Ashtoreth_, my flag-ship, I took for my personal staffHanno as scribe, Himilco as head pilot, and Hannibal of Arvad (whom Iknew to be a strong, brave man) as commander of my men-at-arms.

  Fore and aft of each of the ships Hannibal placed two machines of hisown invention for hurling stones and darts, and called "scorpions;"thus, with the exception of the _Cabiros_, which being small couldonly carry two, every vessel was provided with four of these powerfulengines.

  We worked hard throughout the greater part of the night and allthe following morning in packing and stowing the freight of ourlittle fleet as it lay in the inner basin of the trade harbour, andthe _Cabiros_ joined us to receive her portion of the cargo andprovisions. Towards the middle of the day we found time for restand refreshment. Anticipating our departure on the morrow, severalof us met for a frugal meal in a tent that had been erected for ouraccommodation on one of the quays. The three captains, the commanderof my men-at-arms, the chief pilot, and myself, had just seatedourselves at the table, when the curtain that covered the entrancewas drawn aside by one of the sailors, and Hazael the eunuch wasannounced.

  Hazael entered with his usual lazy saunter; behind him was a trainof six slaves carrying baskets, boxes, and bundles, and accompaniedby a workman with a hammer and a variety of tools. Outside, mountedon white asses, were two women, one of them closely veiled; the faceof the other was uncovered, and by her red skull-cap with its goldband and dependent white veil, as well as by her frizzled hair andprominent features, I recognised her at once as a daughter of Israel.

  "We have come," said the eunuch, without pretence of courteoussalutation, "to take possession of our berths, and to stow away ourbaggage."

  Hanno started to his feet. I laid my hand upon his arm, and asked himwhat he was about to do.

  "To stow away the baggage for them," he replied; adding, "unless,captain, you forbid me."

 

  "Better for you," I continued, "to remain where you are; I haveother business for you to do. This falls best to Himilco's duty. Go,Himilco," I said, turning to the pilot, "go and assist Hazael toarrange his property and see to the accommodation of the women."

  Himilco emptied his glass, and, not without a longing glance towardsthe jar of wine round which we were sitting, left the tent. Hanno,who had fallen back to his seat with an assumed air of indifference,now asked:

  "And what is the business for which you want me?"

  "You must go," I answered, "to the temple of Ashtoreth to preparefor our sacrifice to-morrow: you must procure us some birds to takewith us on board our ships; in stormy weather they will show us whichway lies the land: you must find the naval suffect, and deliver hima list of all the crews, and a catalogue of all the cargoes; most ofall, you must wait upon the royal treasurer and furnish him with anabstract of all accounts. Is not all this enough for you to do?"

  "No time, I see, then, for me to lose," said Hanno, with impetuouseagerness; and snatching up his papyrus roll, he ran hastily away. Itwas my impression, as I caught sight of him through the half-openedcurtain of the tent, that he turned, not in the direction of thetemple, but towards the harbour-basin; however, when he came backin the evening all his commissions had been fully and faithfullyexecuted, and I thought no more of the matter.

  On his return he was accompanied by one of the officials ofthe temple, carrying on his head some large bird-cages made ofpalm-wicker. Hanno himself held a smaller cage, containing fourpigeons of a rarer sort, a beautiful shot plumage glittering gaily ontheir breasts.

  "If these birds don't bring us good luck," he said, "I am sure noothers will; they come straight from the temple of Ashtoreth, andwere handed over to me by the priestess herself, who made me promisethat they should be prized according to their worth."

  Each of the captains selected his proper share of the birds, with theexception of Bodmilcar, who contemptuously refused.

  "Don't the birds suit you?" said Hanno; "what's the matter with them?"

  "I want no pigeons," retorted Bodmilcar; "ravens are the birds forme, and I have taken enough of them on board already."

  Hanno turned his back; but Himilco, who had witnessed what waspassing, remarked:

  "Fortunate for the passengers that they will not be on board the_Melkarth_. Far more congenial, I should think, the cooing of dovesthan the
croaking of ravens, to the ears of an Ionian!"

  "Ionian!" ejaculated Bodmilcar, turning pale, "is the slave anIonian?"

  In an instant I gave Himilco a sharp dig below the ribs to recall himto his senses, and as quickly he clapped his finger on his forehead,pretending to recollect himself: "No, no; not an Ionian; I mean aLydian." And turning round to me he asked me whether he was right.

  I made a sort of a gesture which I hoped would satisfy Bodmilcar,but he was manifestly still agitated; he made no further remark,but shortly afterwards quitted the room, mumbling unintelligibly ashe went. As soon as his back was fairly turned, Hanno, who had beenseated quietly arranging his papyrus leaves, rose from his seat, andadvancing towards the door, made a low and solemn bow, a proceedingon his part that caused Himilco to burst into a roar of laughter.

  "Our friend Bodmilcar," remarked Hannibal, "seems to be rather amorose sort of gentleman."

  "Nothing of the sort, I assure you," said Hanno, satirically; "Ihardly know a man of a brighter and more genial temperament; however,I confess that we may thank our stars that we have not to sail in thesame ship with him."

  Hannibal smiled, in token of assent.

  Time to retire for the night had now arrived. We indulged in aparting glass, in recognition of our mutual hopes for the successfulissue of the enterprise before us, and with no little emotion, partedto seek the repose which should prepare us for the ceremonial of themorrow.

  Early in the morning I repaired to the arsenal, but not too soonto find the crews assembled each round its own captain. Hannibalhad been successful in collecting together all the archers and themen-at-arms. Every captain was attended by his own trumpeter,in a scarlet tunic, the trumpeter of the military captain beingdistinguished by the magnitude of his trumpet, which was double thesize of the others.

  With effective precision Hannibal had arranged his soldiers in theirranks. The first rank was composed of twenty archers in white tunics,their heads covered with white linen caps, which were encircled by aband of leather studded with nails, and of which the ends hung downbehind. They all wore scarlet waistbands, in which were insertedivory-handled broadswords; their quivers were attached to a belt ofox-hide, that passed over the shoulder, and was ornamented with aprofusion of copper studs. In his hand every one carried his longChaldean bow, the upper extremity of which was carved to represent agoose's head. Next behind the archers were two ranks of armed men,twenty in each rank: they wore cuirasses composed of small plates ofpolished copper, and had helmets of the same material. Their tunicswere scarlet, and hung below the cuirasses; on the left of theirbelts was a strong Chalcidian sword, and on the right an ivory-hilteddagger; one hand carried a large circular shield, ornamented in thecentre with a deep-red copper figure of the sun; the other hand borea lance, furnished with a long sharp point of bronze.

  Hannibal stood at the head of his troop. He wore a Lydian helmet,surmounted with a silver crest, which was further adorned with ascarlet plume. The image of the sun in the middle of his shieldwas likewise silver, and around that was a circle of the elevenplanets. His sword-handle was carved into the figure of a lion, thelion's head forming the guard. Like all the rest of the company hecommanded, his feet and legs were protected by leather greaves orgaiters, laced up the front, and turned upwards at the point in theJewish fashion. He no sooner saw me approaching than he unsheathedhis sword, and his trumpeter sounded three blasts, an example whichwas followed by the other trumpeters, all blowing in unison, afterwhich the captains and pilots advanced and made me a general salute.

  Our seamen were provided with neither belts, shields, nor helmets,but carried large cutlasses below their kitonets; they wore pointedcaps that covered the nape of the neck, similar to those that areconstantly seen at Sidon. Hannibal proposed that they should bedrawn up and drilled like the soldiers, but I did not acquiesce inhis suggestion; I preferred allowing them to rove about at theirpleasure, knowing that they could be drilled far better on boardship, after they had been regularly assigned their proper place andduties.

  Hanno and Himilco, who had gone by my directions to see thateverything was in readiness for the sacrificial rites, now joinedus. They were accompanied by two men, each leading a superb bullockcovered with purple housings, and with their horns decorated byfillets of embroidery, to which were attached little bells, whichtinkled as they moved. Close in their rear followed my slave,carrying on his head a large basket of pomegranates, covered with anapkin embroidered with silver.

  After he had stationed our four trumpeters in couples behind hisown, Hannibal gave me to understand that he was only waiting forme to give the signal to march. No sooner had I signified mypermission, than he shouted out the word of command, and the archersand men-at-arms doubled file and faced about with an alertness thatelicited universal commendation. The trumpeters led the way with aflourish that was well-nigh deafening; the archers followed two andtwo; then came Hannibal at the head of his warriors, all shoulderingtheir lances. My own place was the next; and I marched on, supportedby Hanno and Himilco, and immediately followed by my slave and thetwo men who were in charge of the oxen devoted as victims for thealtar; whilst behind us were the four troops of sailors, not marchingin any special order, but each headed by its own captain and pilots.This irregular company brought up the rear.

  The thoroughfares along which we passed were decorated gaily. Inhonour of the great yearly festival of Melkarth, which attracted themass of all the surrounding population, they were profusely hungwith coloured canvas of many a hue, and floating streamers of linen,dyed with the richest shades of purple, orange, green, and vermilionwere interspersed amongst waving branches of palms and massy boughsof cedar. Each separate window was a separate centre of display. Thepeople, in holiday attire, were wending their way in crowds in thedirection of the island upon which stands the temple of Melkarth,but they stood aside in every portico to allow us to proceed; theywere eager in their inquiries as to the meaning and purpose of ourformal progress through the streets; and when they understood thatwe were marching to the shrine of the goddess Ashtoreth to make oursacrifice, and to intreat her favour upon an expedition to Tarshishwhich we were about to make, they rent the air with their boisterousacclamations. Men expressed their wonder at the concourse of oursailors and the quality of our oxen; women admired our attire and thecarriage of our officers, being especially lavish in their praiseof Hanno; the children ran after the procession, attracted equallyby the glittering crest in Hannibal's helmet, by the glowing redof the trumpeters' tunics, and the swelling notes of their martialmusic. Every one was unanimous in declaring that never before hadso magnificent a retinue left a Phœnician city on a distantenterprise.

  As we passed along beneath the sycamines in front of the King'spalace, the vast concourse that had assembled in readiness for theroyal procession parted asunder to allow us room to pass, and theKing's trumpeter and musicians, who were stationed at the gateway,broke out into strains of welcome. A messenger was observed hurryingdown from the palace, and it was soon known that he came with ordersfor us to halt. Hannibal immediately made his men face about; thesailors, as it were involuntarily, turned towards the palace, andI myself, with Hanno and Himilco, advanced in the direction of thewindow at which the King is accustomed to show himself to his people,and which is easily distinguishable from the others by the gildingand tapestried hangings with which it is decorated. Meanwhile ourtrumpeters had taken up the strains of the royal march in concertwith the King's musicians, and the melody was re-echoed by variousbands in other quarters of the palace-yard.

  Only a short time elapsed before the King presented himself at thewindow. An attendant, gorgeously attired, held over the King's head apurple canopy embroidered with gold and richly jewelled; behind himcould be seen the glittering helmets and cuirasses of his body-guard.Without a word of preface, he called me forth by name; and havingprostrated myself to the earth in deep obeisance, in another moment Iwas standing with folded arms before him awaiting his commands.

  He
spoke to this effect:

  "Mago! content I am with the preparation you have made. Well pleasedI am with the way in which you have collected your seamen andequipped your warriors in behalf of my friend, my royal ally, KingDavid. You quit these realms for the distant shores of Tarshish. Mayour guardian gods protect you! Hazael will deliver you the letterssigned by my own hand, which you are to present to the varioussovereigns who are my allies; to him I have further intrusted thepapyrus roll on which my instructions are inscribed. Onwards now,fulfil your oblations to your goddess Ashtoreth. I go to render mysacrifice to our great Melkarth; but when I have discharged my vows,my purpose is to be myself a witness of your departure, and you shallnot fail to have still further tokens of my favour."

  Again I prostrated myself before the King, who then retired, leavingme to proceed upon my way, still heralded by the trumpets and greetedby the continuous acclamations of the people. We had hardly turnedaway, when the great gate of the palace was thrown open, and, headedby a band composed of trumpets, sistra, tambourines, and flutes,there issued the grand procession on its way to the island upon whichrose the columns of the temple of Melkarth, the supreme deity of Tyre.

  We had hardly reached the limit of the royal court-yard, whenBodmilcar, who had quickened his pace to overtake me, came to my sideand said mysteriously,

  "Melkarth is a great god!"

  "Assuredly!" I said, but did not in the least comprehend his meaning.

  "A great god is Melkarth of the Tyrians," he repeated. "Melkarthrequires greater sacrifices than Ashtoreth: his sacrifices are largeas Moloch's; and they are going to offer him some children to-day."

  I assented, yet still failed to see his purpose; but after a littlehesitation, he said:

  "Might it be permitted me to take my Tyrians and to join the worshipof our own Melkarth?"

  The discovery of his intention vexed me exceedingly; it wasmortifying to myself to see the number of my own retinue diminished,or to allow the dignity of our own observances to Ashtorethto be curtailed; but I felt that I had no alternative than tocomply with his request to make his sacrifice to the god of hispeculiar veneration. Reluctantly I gave him my assent, and whenwe reached the steep street that led up to the elevated groves of"Baaltis-Ashtoreth,"[23] I saw that, instead of continuing with us,he dropped out of our line and joined himself with about thirtyof our sailors to a procession that was conducting a chariot,resplendent with gold, and surmounted by a canopy ornamented withplumes of ostrich-feathers. This chariot was conveying the childrenthat were to be offered as the victims of the sacrifice. To welcomethe addition to the throng, the shouts of the populace and the clangof the cymbals burst forth with redoubled vehemence.

  [23] Baaltis, feminine of Baal, lord.

  "How I hate that sacrificing of children!" said Hanno to me.

  "Yes;" I concurred, "but if Moloch and Melkarth demand it, what canbe said?"

  "With all due reverence for Moloch and Melkarth," he continued, "Icannot but rejoice that Ashtoreth of Sidon makes no such request."

  We had now turned into the pathway through the grove that windsup to the temple of Baaltis. By far the greater proportion of thetemple-officials were absent, having gone to join the generalcelebration of the city in honour of Melkarth; only six priests andfour priestesses remained. Seen through the hazy glow of the risingsun, the grove and temple looked surprisingly lovely, and one couldhardly help being conscious of some feeling of regret at having toleave such charming scenes. But amidst all the fascination of theprospect, I realised how a perpetual residence in such an abode wouldmake a man effeminate, and unfit him for peril and adventure; andproudly I recalled the recollection that apart from the enterprise ofher sons, Phœnicia could have known no luxury: it was her commercethat had brought her wealth; and had it not been for their bold andundaunted navigation, the people might have seen their shores theprey of invading kings.

  Hanno had manifestly been under a like influence, and had beenfollowing a kindred train of thought.

  "Yes," he said, as if uttering aloud the conclusion of his ownreflections; "yes, even if Pharaoh, Melek-David,[24] the Chaldeansand Assyrians all were to concentrate their hosts and fall on usPhœnicians, we could betake ourselves to our ships and bravethem on the seas. Aye, though they should drive us out from ourown domain, build ships, and encounter us upon the ocean where thesupremacy has hitherto all of late been ours, yet we have Chittim,Utica, Carthage, Tarshish to fall back upon; the whole world is ours!"

  [24] Melek was the title of the Kings of Judah, as Pharaoh was that of the Kings of Egypt.

  "True," I replied; "in a sense, the world is ours: but it is nothingexcept our own undaunted perseverance that has made it so. We havehad no kings to lead us on to vanquish neighbouring states; wehave had no generals to gain us victories and acquire us power;but depending only on our native resources, trusting simply to ourown courage, and relying on the good protection of our gods, wehave traversed regions that were unexplored, and discovered wealththat was unknown. And now, none dares to assail us; we command therespect of all. None too proud to ask our aid, none too independentto own our service. Who procures Melek-David his choicest timber,his silver and gold? Who provides Pharaoh with balm, his jewels, hiscopper and his tin? From whom does the Assyrian seek his purple andglass, his ivory and embroidery? Who is the great purveyor of everyluxury for every prince and magnate of the world? A Tyrian may wellbe proud when he claims all this for the mariners of Sidon and themerchant-princes of Phœnicia."

  Stirred to emotion by my enthusiasm, Himilco took up the strain:"Yes; great and deservedly great is Tyre's renown. May her spirit ofadventure never flag! For my part, give me but the favour of Cabirosfor my guiding star, and I would not exchange my peaked sea-cap andragged kitonet for the tiara sparkling with its fleur-de-lys,[25]and the mantle gorgeous with embroidered work that grace the King ofNineveh!"

  [25] See note on Chap. II. at end of Volume.

  Whilst we were thus indulging the spirit of our national pride, thepriests within had been lighting the altar-fires and preparing thesacrificial basins, some of which they filled with water, leavingthe rest empty. Hannibal had drawn up his men in order upon thetemple-steps, making an imposing array: he had just put them in theform of a crescent, of which the archers in double file at the topwere the extremities, the centre being made by the men-at-arms, fourdeep, and below, an avenue was left for the progress of myself and mycompanions, the oxen being conducted into the temple by an entranceat the back.

  On our approach, our trumpeters gave a loud flourish, which wasanswered by the flutes and instruments within. The high priestadvanced towards us and, in sonorous tones, exclaimed:

  "Let Mago, the Sidonian, the son of Maherbaal, now draw near.Commander of the expedition, he comes to present himself before thegoddess. Let him now approach, and all his followers attend him!"

  Obedient to the summons, I ascended the steps, followed immediatelyby my slaves; Hanno and Hannibal were on my right hand; Hasdrubal,Hamilcar and Himilco on my left; behind us was the general throngof sailors and of oarsmen. At a sign from Hannibal, the soldiersshouldered their bows and lances, and having faced about, entered thetemple by the two side doors, and completely lined the edifice.

  An official proclaimed silence. "Order!" he shouted; "Mago, son ofMaherbaal, makes an offering for his people."

  It was the work of but a short time to bring in the oxen, and havethem slain and quartered, and while this was being done my slavedistributed amongst us the pomegranates he had brought. The highpriest with much formality presented me with the shoulder of one ofthe victims, upon which, according to rule, I laid a purse containingsix shekels of coined money. The officiating priest accepted theoffering, and while he was proclaiming my liberality aloud, thesacerdotal scribe was inscribing the names of myself and my captains,together with the amount of my donation, in the temple register. Thechief priest then took the breasts of the victims and placed themupon the altar, whence the smoke ascended high towards th
e roundwindow in the dome. The black stone at Sidon is the true goddess, buthere at Tyre, Ashtoreth is merely represented by a statue. Standingwith his face towards this, the priest made his invocation andchanted some prayers to music, which gradually died away into perfectsilence.

  During the time that these ceremonies were proceeding, the remainingportions of the oxen were being steeped in the lavers, after whichthey were thrown into great caldrons, part to be boiled over thechafing-dishes in the temple-kitchen, and part to be cooked inthe open air of the sacred groves. The sailors lent their readyassistance in kindling the fires and superintending the boilers.

  The chief priest next handed me one of the bullock's breasts. Iraised it on high with both hands before the goddess, and deliveredit back to the priest, who turned it round three times, as ifsolemnly dedicating it to the deity on my behalf. Hanno went througha corresponding ceremony with the other breast, which was turnedround seven times in behalf of us all.

  I had given the scribe five shekels to provide us with bread for theentertainment, and in the name of the captains, pilots, and sailors,Hamilcar gave him eight shekels, a part to provide us with wine, apart as a free tribute to the goddess. He entered the several sumsupon the registers, and the officiating priest again made a publicannouncement of our liberality. One after another we prostratedourselves before the image of the goddess, the high priest made ashort final invocation, and full of joy we withdrew from the templeto the adjacent grove. At a sign from Hannibal, the soldiers, who hadstood mute and motionless throughout the ceremony, fell out of theirranks, and rushing in wild confusion, mingled with the sailors toassist them in preparing the banquet.

  I took my seat at the foot of a noble cypress, and Hanno, Hannibal,and Gisgo, placed themselves as my supporters on either hand, Himilcocharging himself with the duty of superintending the filling of alarge earthenware vase with wine. My slave arranged the drinking-cupsby placing mine (which had a lion's head at its mouth) in the centre,and disposing those of the captains in order round it. Hannibal'scup was of plated copper, with a stem and two handles, and embossedwith flowers and bunches of grapes. Having done this, the slave wentaway, and returned ushering in two soldiers, who carried a hugecaldron; they let the caldron down heavily on the ground, theircuirasses rattling again with their exertion. The lid of the caldronwas at once removed; a large basket of bread had been handed roundpreparatory to the repast, and each man having brought out the woodenknife and spoon that he carried at his waist, the whole of us setourselves to enjoy an abundant meal.

  When the wine-cups had been distributed and charged, I rose from myseat, and raising my cup on high, drank to the health and welfare ofthe whole assembly.

  "A goodly draught is this!" said Hannibal, when he had drained hiscup to the very dregs; "it is the wine of my own city Arvad; it giveslife and strength to those that drink it; hence Arvad's wide renownfor wits and warriors."

  "And Arvad's warriors," I said, turning to the captain, "deservetheir fame. By-the-by, have your wide wanderings by sea and land evertaken you into Judæa before? Thither it is, you know, that we firstdirect our course."

  "Truly, yes;" replied Hannibal, with his mouth full; "this very swordthat I am wearing, and this purple shoulder-belt, were presents fromJoab, the general and cousin of the King. I commanded twenty archersunder him at the battle of Gebah, when the Philistines were defeatedat the mulberry groves. Nor was that the only time. I was garrisonedfor a year or more at Hamath, with the troops of Nahari, Joab'sarmour-bearer, one of David's thirty-seven mighty men. It was onreturning thence that I had the command of the soldiers on board theship of our friend Hasdrubal here, at the time when the galleys ofSidon were sent to engage the Cilician fleet."

  "Aye, I have heard of that expedition," said Himilco; "at that timewe were far away at Gades."

  "And we," broke in Hamilcar, "were in the service of Pharaoh, sailingalong the coast of Ethiopia, beyond the Sea of Reeds.[26] Whatsplendid shells were there, containing precious pearls! and one greatfish there was that could swallow a man entire!"

  [26] Jam Souph, the Red Sea.

  At this moment one of the young priestesses approached our party, andhanded Hanno a small packet, carefully wrapped in linen.

  "This," she said to him, "is the image of Baaltis. Over it I haveburnt the costliest perfumes; I have anointed it with the rarestointments; I have laid it before the goddess, who has graciouslyaccepted it. To you, Sidonian, I now entrust it, and may it bringgood fortune to yourself and all who share your enterprise."

  The high priest came in person to deliver us the other images of thegods, that of Melkarth alone excepted, which Bodmilcar himself was toconvey from the temple to which he had separately gone.

  The priestess offered to accompany us to our ships, that she mightsprinkle the images on board before we took our departure.

  Himilco craved permission to carry the image of the Cabiros down tothe quay before resigning it to the keeping of the captain.

  "How about your vow of twenty shekels and a bullock that you made tothe Cabiri?" I asked him, as we rose to go.

  "That will have to wait," he answered, "till I have come across thatTarshish rascal who deprived me of my eye. The patient gods, I haveno doubt, will give me credit, and not require me to pay at once, orin advance."

  Meantime Hanno had been uncovering his image of Ashtoreth, andwas standing holding it in both hands and gazing at it with theprofoundest admiration. It was an alabaster figure, with a necklaceof three rows of gold beads and a pointed cap, beneath which flowedample masses of wavy hair.

  "I, too," said Hanno, "have made a vow to my goddess, but she haspromised to abide my time, and to tarry till my expectations andmy longings are fulfilled;" and as he spoke, he stooped and kissedthe face of the image. I know not whether it was imagination on mypart, but I certainly thought the cypresses around gave a soft yetperceptible rustle in response to his words. Perhaps the priestessobserved it also, for she smiled on me, and laid her hand on Hanno'sshoulder.

  "But now, Captain Mago," she cried, "let us start. The time forembarkation is at hand, and the goddess pronounces that it is afavourable hour. Come, let us proceed!"

  "To your ships, men; to your ships!" I shouted; and turning for amoment towards the temple, said, "Farewell, Baaltis, Queen of Heaven:to-night thou shalt behold us on the waters of the Great Sea!"

  Hannibal, who had resumed his helmet, made a signal to the trumpetersto summon the soldiers and sailors. Hanno and the priestess came onone side of me; Himilco, carrying the image of his god, took hisplace on the other, and in the same order in which it had come, our_cortége_ wended its way along the decorated streets down towardsthe port. The roads adjacent to the harbour and all the quays wereso densely thronged, that it was only with considerable difficultythat we could force our way along. Every nation seemed to make itscontribution to the crowd: besides the native Phœnicians, therewere Syrians in their fringed and bordered robes; Chaldeans withtheir frizzled beards; and Jews in their short tunics and longgaiters, with panther-skins thrown across their shoulders. Again,there were Lydians with bands around their foreheads; Egyptians,some with shorn heads, and some with enormous wigs; Chalybeans,wild in aspect, and half naked; and men of Caucasus, gigantic insize and strength. Many a far distant land had sent its sons to ourPhœnician cities as the headquarters and the home of industry andcommerce; Arabs and Midianites were here looking with astonishmentat the height of the houses, and bewildered at the multitude of thepopulation; whilst the Scythians of Thogarma, their legs strap-bound,moved with heavy strides, and looked around amazed, perplexed at theabsence alike of horses and of chariots from the narrow streets.

  The air was filled with songs and shouts of many a different tongue;the people jostled one another in their eagerness to catch a sight ofwhatever company came last in view. Every band of musicians enlistedits own admirers; every troop of priests attracted the closestscrutiny. Every regiment with its painted shield excited a perpetualinterest; and as our own pro
cession, with its trumpeters and soldiersand promiscuous groups of sailors, could not fail to draw a large andcurious concourse, it was in the midst of a veritable whirl that wepassed the arsenal and made our way to the reserved quay, where ourships, poops inward to the shore, had been left under the care of afew sailors.

  Bodmilcar and the eunuch had arrived before us, and were standingin eager conversation on the gangway that led to the poop of the_Melkarth_. As soon as they observed us, they stopped abruptly, andBodmilcar whistled for his sailors, whilst the eunuch advanced tomeet me.

  "Is all your baggage duly stowed on board?" I asked Hazael.

  "It is," he answered; "but it disappoints me much that our berthshave not been made upon this larger ship; here we might have far morespace and comfort: however, it matters little; at the first pointwe touch we can make a change. Bodmilcar thinks it will be best weshould."

  "It cannot be," I said; "the King's slave has been entrusted tomyself, and under my supervision she must be. The _Melkarth_ isa transport, and the captain of a transport has no concern withpassengers. I must hear no more of this. Do I understand aright thatyou have letters for me from the King?"

  Without one word in reply, the eunuch handed me a box of sandal-wood,which I opened, and found it to contain several sheets of papyrus, onwhich were written various instructions to myself.

  I was about to give orders to my trumpeter to proclaim silence, butbefore the words were out of my mouth, Bodmilcar rushed forward andthrew himself into my arms.

  "I have been sacrificing to Melkarth," he exclaimed; "I have paidmy vows to my god, and I must unburden my conscience. I wish toask pardon of any and of all to whom I have shown insolence orill-temper."

  Without hesitation, Hanno offered him his hand, assuring him that hefully forgave everything that had happened in the past, and that,forgetting all previous quarrels, for the future he would show himall proper deference, and yield to his authority. Pleased with thisopen reconciliation, I expressed my satisfaction that we were ablethus to set out with so universal a spirit of harmony and of concord.

  In the meanwhile the captains had severally collected their crews,and Hannibal had told off his men-at-arms, reserving ten archersand ten soldiers for our own ship. The priestess then, with theaccustomed solemnities, presented each vessel with the image of itsown peculiar divinity.

  Before we started, our host, with whom we had been sojourning,accompanied by his wife and son, forced his way through the guardsthat had been keeping the inclosure, and came in haste to me.

  "Mago, dear friend," he said, "I could not suffer you to go withoutseeing you once more. Here are cakes, and here is a basket of driedgrapes; but, most of all, here are two goat-skins of genuine nectar.Accept them from me in token of my good-will. Farewell, and the godsgrant you a prosperous voyage!"

  "Farewell, honest pilot," said my host's wife to Himilco; "for youI have brought this goat-skin of Byblos, because I know there is nowine you like so well."

  "Thanks, good hostess, many thanks," replied Himilco; "to me thereis no wine that can compare with the rich and luxurious produce ofPhœnicia. I shall not forget your bounty, and if only our starshall favour us, and the _Cabiros_ shall safely bring us home again,I promise to bring you such a gift as shall make the Tyrian women diewith envy."

  The son, a youth of about sixteen, was devotedly attached to Hanno,and only with the greatest difficulty could be dissuaded fromaccompanying him upon his voyage. As a farewell gift, he had broughthis friend a large packet of the choicest reeds for writing; and thetwo parted with mutual expressions of affection.

  Amongst those present there was yet another whom I regarded with theprofoundest reverence, and whose knowledge was accounted as littleshort of divine. This was an aged priest, named Sanchoniathon,[27]the historian and chronicler of past events; although no travellerhimself, he had acquired the fullest information concerning well-nighevery country of the world.

  [27] I am guilty of an anachronism here for the mere satisfaction of introducing the name of the great historian.

  Addressing himself to me, he said: "Mago, my son, Hanno your scribehas undertaken to transmit to me, in writing, an account of whateverhe may see rare or wonderful in the far-off lands to which you go;his genius seems bright and quick, but his youth renders him wild andunstable as a kid. Is it too much to ask of you that you will urgehim on to keep his word?"

  "To gratify you, my father," said Hanno, "I will do all I canto control the caprices and irregularities of my youth. My ownindebtedness to you is great. I trust that I may not forget thelessons you have taught me; and if I can render any aid in enablingyou to keep the Phœnicians informed of the wonders of the world, Ishall be ready to show myself a pupil worthy of my master."

  The aged Sanchoniathon then gave us his blessing. He had scarcelyconcluded his benediction when the priestess of Ashtoreth came by,returning from the ships. As she passed Hanno I distinctly heard hersay in an undertone:

  "She is as good as she is beautiful!"

  "Hush!" he murmured; "I must forget her! Happy Pharaoh!"

  Everything being reported ready, I ordered the trumpeters to soundthe signal for departure, and we proceeded to embark. The first manto step on board was old Gisgo, the pilot of the _Cabiros_, commonlyknown as Gisgo the Celt, and perhaps still more frequently spokenof as Gisgo the Earless. He had been eight times on a voyage to theRhone, and the story went that on one of his visits there he hadmarried a Celtic wife, with yellow hair, who was still awaiting himin her native forests; on another occasion he had been taken prisonerby the Siculians, who had cut off both his ears. Having mounted thepoop, the old man waved his cap and shouted cheerily:

  "Mariners, mariners all! quick and ready! quick on board! rulers ofthe ocean! sons of Ashtoreth! listen to your captain's call. Tyriansand Sidonians! To sea! to sea! and long live Captain Mago!"

  The men all hastened to their several ships, and as soon as I hadtaken my station on the raised bench of the poop of the _Ashtoreth_,my standard was hoisted as the signal of departure, the gangways wereremoved, the boathooks were driven vigorously towards the facing ofthe quay, and we were on our way.

  The _Cabiros_, with its twenty-two oarsmen, took the lead; next camethe _Ashtoreth_; the _Dagon_ towed the _Melkarth_, which was toolarge to hoist a sail in port. Our little squadron floated on pastthe numerous ships that lined the quays, making its way throughcrowds of boats that darted to and fro, conveying the countlessvisitors to the island where the feast of Melkarth was still incourse of celebration. Our trumpeters continued to blow, our oarsrose and fell in regular cadence, and the voices of thousands ofspectators kept up a perpetual acclamation.

  From my own position I could overlook the decks of all the othervessels. Hanno was at my side, and Himilco stood at the bow givinghis orders to the helmsman. Hannibal had made his warriors hang theirshields over the ship's sides; every one had betaken himself to hisproper post, Hazael the eunuch being no exception, as he had retiredto the privacy of his own cabin.

 

  Passing the mouth of the trade-harbour, with its two watch-towers,we entered the canal that led to the island; it was covered withboats decorated with holiday-trappings; above it rose the palace ofthe naval suffect, its terraces all decked with coloured hangings,and thronged with a motley crowd. Beyond again, in the centre ofthe island, I could see the dome of the temple of Melkarth, theblue smoke of the sacrifices rising high above its ochred roof. Icould even hear the uproarious clanging of the cymbals and the otherinstruments within.

  The royal galley, escorted by the galley of the naval suffect, cameforth to meet us. On the poop of the royal vessel was a raisedplatform, which shone as if it were a mass of solid metal, beingcovered entirely with cloth of gold and silver. The oars werefaced with ivory; the sails were embroidered with silver thread,with representations of Melkarth, Moloch, and Ashtoreth, the largehyacinth-coloured sail in the middle being worked with green toimitate waves, from which rose the figure of Ashtoreth protectingthe f
ish from the fury of Dagon. A full band of musicians wasplaying at the bows, and, on deck, a number of graceful women,wearing state tiaras and triple necklaces, performed upon gailypainted tambourines, and waved light rods adorned with little bellsand tassels of pale green and purple. At the stern sat King Hiram.He wore a Phœnician cap, his beard was frizzled in the Syrianfashion, and he had two gold bracelets on each arm. His throne wasof gold and enamel; the back of it was carved into the image of aship, and the arms were representations of dolphins. In attendance,standing with folded arms, were his scribe and the keeper of theseals; behind him stood two officers, one of them holding the purplecanopy of state, fringed with gold, the other carrying the royalstandard, which bore, worked in silver on a hyacinth-coloured ground,representations of the sun and the planets, with the crescent moonabove. The suffects were on board the Admiralty galley, surroundedby guards in Lydian helmets, whose silver shields and cuirassesglittered brightly in the sun.

  At sight of the royal _cortége_ I ordered my men to ship their oarsand to bring our vessels to a standstill. A corresponding order wasgiven to the royal ships, and it was but the work of a few minutesfor the slaves to throw the ebony gangway across, and to cover itwith a brilliant carpet. King Hiram rose from his seat and steppedon board, and I had the honour of conducting him all over my vessel,and of showing him the double deck, the stowage of the cargo, and thegreat earthen reservoirs of water. He went, unaccompanied, to visitthe berth that had been provided for the slave, and before leaving,presented me, through his treasurer, with two talents of silver. Whenhe had returned to his throne, the temporary passage was withdrawn,and at a signal from me, our hundred and twenty-two oars cleft thewater without a splash. The trumpets sounded; soldiers, sailors,rowers, raised a tremendous cheer, and from my place I shouted aloud:

  "Farewell, my King! Tyre and Phœnicia, farewell! And now, childrenof Ashtoreth, my crew, forwards, forwards!"

  Quickly the squadron made its way past the two towers that guardedthe military harbour, and on which perpetual watch was kept. I castone look back at the canal with its swarm of gala-boats; at the quaysstill thronged with the motley crowd; at the city, rising like avast white amphitheatre intersected by the threading of its narrow,crooked streets; at the mass of the yellow temple of Melkarth; atthe great Admiralty Palace, above which were the glittering walls ofthe temple of Baaltis; and, last of all, at the heights of Libanusbeyond, standing out green and black against the background of thesky. I turned away to give my attention to the ships that weredashing the snowy foam from their prows. The _Cabiros_ was riding thewaves like a dolphin; the _Melkarth_, now no longer in tow, and the_Dagon_ were crowded with sail.

  A favourable wind bore us onwards to the south-west, so that I gaveorders that the galleys should hoist their sails, and that half therowers should ship their oars and take an interval of rest. I satdown and gazed upon the broad and glittering ocean.

  We were now fairly on our way to Tarshish.