And the Fians, who were wont to be wakened by the
twittering of birds over their hunting booths in the greenwood, now
delighted to hear, day after day as they roused themselves at morn,
the lapping of the wide waters of the world against their vessel's
bows, or the thunder of pounding surges when the wind blew hard.
At length after many days the sharpest-eyed of the men of Finn saw
far-off what seemed a mountain rising from the sea, and to it they
shaped their course. When they had come to that land they found
themselves under the shadow of a great grey cliff, and beneath it
slippery rocks covered with seaweed.
Then Dermot, who was the most active of the company, was bidden to
mount the cliff and to procure means of drawing up the rest of the
party, but of what land might lie on the top of that wall of rock none
of them could discover anything. Dermot, descending from the ship,
then climbed with difficulty up the face of the cliff, while the
others made fast their ship among the rocks. But Dermot having arrived
at the top saw no habitation of man, and could compass no way of
helping his companions to mount. He went therefore boldly forward into
the unknown land, hoping to obtain some help, if any friendly and
hospitable folk could there be found.
[Illustration: "Dermot took the horn and would have filled it"]
Before he had gone far he came into a wild wood, thick and tangled,
and full of the noise of streams, and the sough of winds, and
twittering of birds, and hum of bees.
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