THE ISLE OF INTOXICATING WINE-FRUITS.
They were now a long time tossed about on the great billows, when at
length they came in view of an island with many trees on it. These trees
were somewhat like hazels, and they were laden with a kind of fruit
which the voyagers had not seen before, extremely large, and not very
different in appearance from apples, except that they had a rough,
berry-like rind.
After the crew had plucked all the fruit off one small tree, they cast
lots who should try them, and the lot fell on Maildun. So he took some
of them, and, squeezing the juice into a vessel, drank it. It threw him
into a sleep of intoxication so deep that he seemed to be in a trance
rather than in a natural slumber, without breath or motion, and with the
red foam on his lips. And from that hour till the same hour next day, no
one could tell whether he was living or dead.
When he awoke next day, he bade his people to gather as much of the
fruit as they could bring away with them; for the world, as he told
them, never produced anything of such surpassing goodness. They pressed
out the juice of the fruit till they had filled all their vessels; and
so powerful was it to produce intoxication and sleep, that, before
drinking it, they had to mix a large quantity of water with it to
moderate its strength.