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moregorgeousthananybutterfliesingoldandscarletandyellow.
Oncesetfootonsuchanislandandyoubeginatoncetounderstand
thelegendsofenchantmentwhichageshavecollectedaroundsuch
spots.Climbtoitsheights,youseematthemastheadofsomelonely
vessel,keptforeveratsea.Youfeelasifnoonebutyourselfhadever
landedthere;andyet,perhaps,eventhere,lookingstraightdownward,
youseebelowyouinsomecreviceoftherockamastorsparofsome
wreckedvessel,encrustedwithallmannerofshellsanduncouth
vegetablegrowth.Nomatterhowdistanttheislandorhowpeacefully
itseemstolieuponthewater,theremaybeperplexingcurrentsthat
everfoamandswirlaboutit–currentswhichare,atalltidesandinthe
calmestweather,asdangerousasanytempest,andwhichmake
compassuntrustworthyandhelmpowerless.Itistoberemembered
alsothatanislandnotonlyappearsanddisappearsuponthehorizon
inbrighterordarkerskies,butitvariesitsheightandshape,doubles
itselfinmirage,orlooksasifbrokenasunder,dividedintotwo
orthree.Indeedthebuccaneer,Cowley,writingofonesuchisland
whichhehadvisited,says:˝MyfancyledmetocallitCowley's
EnchantedIsle,forwehavinghadasightofituponseveralpoints
ofthecompass,itappearedalwaysinsomanydifferentforms;
sometimeslikearuinedfortification;uponanotherpointlikeagreat
city.˝
Ifmuchofthisistrueevennow,itwasfartruerbeforethedays
ofColumbus,whenmenwereconstantlylookingwestwardacrossthe
Atlantic,andwonderingwhatwasbeyond.Inthosedays,whennoone
knewwithcertaintywhethertheoceantheyobservedwasasea
oravastlake,itwasoftencalled˝TheSeaofDarkness.˝Afriend
oftheLatinpoet,Ovid,describingthefirstapproachtothissea,says
thatasyousailoutuponitthedayitselfvanishes,andtheworldsoon
endsinperpetualdarkness:–
˝QuoFerimur?RuitipsaDies,orbemquerelictum
Ultimaperpetuisclauditnaturatenebris.˝
Nevertheless,itwasthevaguebeliefofmanynationsthattheabodes
oftheblestlaysomewherebeyondit–inthe˝otherworld,˝aregionhalf
earthly,halfheavenly,whencethespiritsofthedepartedcouldnot
crossthewatertoreturn;–andsotheywereconstantlyimagining
excursionsmadebyfavoredmortalstoenchantedislands.Toaddtothe
confusion,actualislandsintheAtlanticweresometimesdiscovered
andactuallylostagain,as,forinstance,theCanaries,whichwere
reachedandcalledtheFortunateIslesalittlebeforetheChristianera,
