Soon the village that we had left vanished; then
the mountains behind it grew dim and in time vanished also, and there
remained nothing but the great wilderness upon our left and the vast
sea around. Steering clear of the land so as to avoid sunken rocks, we
sailed on all that day and all the night that followed, and when the
light came again perceived that we were running past a coastline that
was backed by high mountains on some of which lay snow. By the second
evening these mountains had become tremendous, and between them I saw
valleys down which ran streams of water.
Thus we went on for three days and nights, the wind from the north
blowing all the while and the _balsa_ taking no hurt, by the end of
which time I reckon that we had travelled as far along the coast as we
had done in six months when we journeyed over land, at which I rejoiced.
Kari rejoiced also, because he said that the shape and greatness of the
mountains we were passing reminded him of those of his own country, to
which he believed that we were drawing near.
On the fourth morning, however, our troubles began, since the friendly
wind from the north grew steadily stronger, till at length it rose to a
gale.
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