240 HASISADRA'S ADVENTURE vn 



The promised signal arrived. Wife and friends 

 embarked ; Hasisadra, following, prudently " shut 

 the door," or, as we should say, put on the 

 hatches ; and Nes-Hea, the pilot, was left alone 

 on deck to do his best for the ship. Thereupon 

 a hurricane began to rage ; rain fell in torrents ; 

 the subterranean waters burst forth ; a deluge 

 swept over the land, and the wind lashed it into 

 waves sky high ; heaven and earth became 

 mingled in chaotic gloom. For six days and 

 seven nights the gale raged, but the good ship 

 held out until, on the seventh day, the storm 

 lulled. Hasisadra ventured on deck ; and, seeing 

 nothing but a waste of waters strewed with 

 floating corpses and wreck, wept over the de- 

 struction of his land and people. Far away, the 

 mountains of Nizir were visible ; the ship was 

 steered for them and ran aground upon the 

 higher land. Yet another seven days passed by. 

 On the seventh, Hasisadra sent forth a dove, 

 which found no resting place and returned ; then 

 he liberated a swallow, which also came back ; 

 finally, a raven was let loose, and that sagacious 

 bird, when it found that the water had abated, 

 came near the ship, but refused to return to it. 

 Upon this, Hasisadra liberated the rest of the 

 wild animals, which immediately dispersed in all 

 directions, while he, with his family and friends, 

 ascending a mountain hard by, offered sacrifice 

 upon its summit to the gods. 



