At this particular time our sloop was becalmed, and not far from the
shore.
The bank of the river, covered with mammoth trees, rose up several
hundred
feet in beautiful fashion. We seemed to be on the edge of some
primeval
forest that doubtless stretched far inland. The immence craft paused,
and
almost immediately a boat was lowered and six men of gigantic stature
rowed
to our little fishing-sloop. They spoke to us in a strange language.
We knew
from their manner, however, that they were not unfriendly. They
talked a
great deal among themselves, and one of them laughed immoderately, as
though
in finding us a queer discovery had been made. One of them spied our
compass, and it seemed to interest them more than any other part of
our
sloop. Finally, the leader motioned as if to ask whether we were
willing to
leave our craft to go on board their ship. "What say you, my son?"
asked my
father. "They cannot do any more than kill us." "They seem to be
kindly
disposed," I replied, "although what terrible giants! They must be the
select six of the kingdom's crack regiment. Just look at their great
size."
"We may as well go willingly as be taken by force," said my father,
smiling,
"for they are certainly able to capture us." Thereupon he made known,
by
signs, that we were ready to accompany them. Within a few minutes we
were on
board the ship, and half an hour later our little fishing-craft had
been
lifted bodily out of the water by a strange sort of hook and tackle,
and set
on board as a curiousity. There were several hundred people on board
this,
to us, mammoth ship, which we discovered was called "The Naz,"
meaning, as
we afterward learned, "Pleasure," or to give a more proper
interpretation,
"Pleasure Excursion" ship. If my father and I were curiously observed
by the
ship's occupants, this strange race of giants offered us an equal
amount of
wonderment. There was not a single man aboard who would not have
measured
fully twelve feet in height. They all wore full beards, not
particularly
long, but seemingly short-cropped. They had mild and beautiful faces,
exceedingly fair, with ruddy complexions. The hair and beard of some
were
black, others sandy, and still others yellow. The captain, as we
designated
the dignitary in command of the great vessel, was fully a head taller
than
any of his companions. The women averaged from ten to eleven feet in
height.
Their features were especially regular and refined, while their
complexion
was of a most delicate tint heightened by a healthful glow.