At dawn the wind slackened, but ere noon it once more
blew in terrible fury, and at the fourth hour from noon we came in sight
of the rocky coast of that cape in the island of Cyprus which is called
Dinaretum, where is a mountain named Olympus, and thither-wards we
drifted swiftly. Then, when the sailors saw the terrible rocks, and how
the great waves that smote on them spouted up in foam, once more they
grew much afraid, and cried out in their fear. For, seeing that I still
sat unmoved, they swore that I certainly was a wizard, and came to
cast me forth as a sacrifice to the Gods of the sea. And this time the
captain was over-ruled, and said nothing. Therefore, when they came to
me I rose and defied them, saying, "Cast me forth, if ye will; but if ye
cast me forth ye shall perish."
For in my heart I cared little, having no more any love of life,
but rather a desire to die, though I greatly feared to pass into the
presence of my Holy Mother Isis. But my weariness and sorrow at the
bitterness of my lot overcame even this heavy fear; so that when, being
mad as brute beasts, they seized me and, lifting me, hurled me into the
raging waters, I did but utter one prayer to Isis and made ready for
death. But it was fated that I should not die; for, when I rose to the
surface of the water, I saw a spar of wood floating near me, to which I
swam and clung.
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