We had not gone above five hundred stadia farther before we saw an immensely large and thick wood of pines and cypresses; we took it for a tract of land, but it was all a deep sea, planted with trees that had no root, which stood, however, unmoved, upright, and, as it were, swimming in it.  Approaching near to it, we began to consider what we could do best.  There was no sailing between the trees, which were close together, nor did we know how to get back.  I got upon one of the highest of them, to see how far they reached, and perceived that they continued for about fifty stadia or more, and beyond that it was all sea again; we resolved therefore to drag the ship up to the top boughs, which were very thick, and so convey it along, which, by fixing a great rope to it, with no little toil and difficulty, we performed; got it up, spread our sails, and were driven on by the wind.  It put me in mind of that verse of Antimachus the poet, where he says—­

     “The ship sailed smoothly through the sylvan sea.”

We at length got over the wood, and, letting our ship down in the same manner, fell into smooth clear water, till we came to a horrid precipice, hollow and deep, resembling the cavity made by an earthquake.  We furled our sails, or should soon have been swallowed up in it.  Stooping forward, and looking down, we beheld a gulf of at least a thousand stadia deep, a most dreadful and amazing sight, for the sea as it were was split in two.  Looking towards our right hand, however, we saw a small bridge of water that joined the two seas, and flowed from one into the other; we got the ship in here, and with great labour rowed her over, which we never expected.

From thence we passed into a smooth and calm sea, wherein was a small island with a good landing place, and which was inhabited by the Bucephali:  a savage race of men, with bulls’ heads and horns, as they paint the minotaur.  As soon as we got on shore we went in search of water and provision, for we had none left; water we found soon, but nothing else; we heard, indeed, a kind of lowing at a distance, and expected to find a herd of oxen, but, advancing a little farther, perceived that it came from the men.  As soon as they saw us, they ran after and took two of our companions; the rest of us got back to the ship as fast as we could.  We then got our arms, and, determined to revenge our friends, attacked them as they were dividing the flesh of our poor companions:  they were soon thrown into confusion and totally routed; we slew about fifty of them, and took two prisoners, whom we returned with.  All this time we could get no provision.  Some were for putting the captives to death, but not approving of this, I kept them bound till the enemy should send ambassadors to redeem them, which they did; for we soon heard them lowing in a melancholy tone, and most humbly beseeching us to release their friends.  The ransom agreed on was a quantity of cheeses, dried fish, and onions, together with four stags, each having three feet, two behind and one before.  In consideration of this, we released the prisoners, stayed one day there, and set sail.