CHAPTER XXVI: THE SILVER PILLAR OF THE SEA

THE next thing they found after this was an immense silver pillar standing in the sea. It had eight sides, each of which was the width of an oar-stroke of the curragh, so that its whole circumference was eight oar-strokes. It rose out of the sea without any land or earth about it, nothing but the boundless ocean; and they could not see its base deep down in the water, neither were they able to see the top on account of its vast height.
A silver net hung from the top down to the very water, extending far out at one side of the pillar; and the meshes were so large that the curragh in full
sail went through one of them. When they were passing through it, Diuran struck the mesh with the edge of his spear, and with the blow cut a large piece off it.
"Do not destroy the net," said Maildun; "for what we see is the work of great men."
"What I have done," answered Diuran, "is for the honour of my God, and in order that the story of our adventures may be more readily believed; and I shall lay this silver as an offering on the altar of Armagh, if I ever reach Erin."
That piece of silver weighed two ounces and a half, as it was reckoned afterwards by the people of the church of Armagh.
After this they heard some one speaking on the top of the pillar, in a loud, clear, glad voice ; but they knew neither what he said, nor in what language he spoke.