HOMER II 



sitting upon them, I was borne by the destructive 

 •winds. 



Then indeed the West wind ceased raging with 

 a storm, and quickly the South wind came on, 

 bringing grief to my mind, that I should again 

 measure my way to destructive Charybdis. I was 

 borne along during the whole night ; and together 

 with the rising sun I came to the rock of Scylla 

 and terrible Charybdis. She gulped up the briny 

 water of the sea ; but I, raised on high to the lofty 

 fig-tree, held clinging to it, as a bat, nor could I 

 anywhere either fix myself firmly with my feet, or 

 ascend : for the roots were far off, and the 

 branches were wide apart, and both long and vast, 

 and they overshadowed Charybdis. But I held 

 without ceasing, until she vomited out again the 

 mast and keel ; and it came late to me wishing for 

 it : as late as a man has risen from the forum to 

 go to supper, adjudging many contests of disput- 

 ing youths, so late these planks appeared from 

 Charybdis. And I j)ut down my feel, and my 

 hands over them, to Ije carried along, and I fell 

 with a noise in the middle on the long planks, and 

 sitting upon them, I rowed with my hands. . . . 



Thus speaking, divine Ulysses went over the 

 threshold ; but with him the strength of Alcinous 

 sent forward a herald, to conduct him to the swift 

 ship and the shore of the sea. And Arete sent 

 women servants with him ; one having a well- 



