 | Ranolf and Amohia |  |
V.
When from the beach with swollen corpses strewnLike seaweed, 'mid the waste of wreck upthrown
His sea-chest had been brought, and honestly
Returned him—as he much desired
More of this people and their land to see—
(Reports all made—leave asked and given first)
To the far neighbouring continent he sent,
To pay for food and service as required,
For woven stuffs and many an implement
And trinket these barbarians most admired.
Their language then he set himself to learn
With zeal, until the vessel's slow return;
And when in that, and their strange customs versed,
With followers often changed and cheaply paid
From place to place and tribe to tribe he strayed:
And so his way, amused and loitering, made
Into the interior far—to slake the thirst
Adventurous no disasters had allayed.
| Ranolf and Amohia | |