In this episode: corsairs!

Now, it seems we ain’t got no asterlabe, and our third-rate charts don’t serve no use, seein’ there ain’t no land in sight. So we sets course by the sun’s disk crossin’ the horizon dawn and dusk, and by the moon’s rise halfway thru night, hopin’ we don’t stray far from east, aimin’ ourselves for Sicily’s coast.

As the sun rises on our third day, from the crow’s nest a bellowin’ cry,

“At the horizon of the port prow, land! It looks like coastal cliffs.”

Shouts of joy from many of the crew but the captain’s face remains a mask. Settin’ our course on that point of land, it were still mid-mornin’ when I could discern — based on my readin’ of our crude charts — I’m guessin’ it’s the south shore of that island ruled by Aragon, Sardinia. No respite there. But that means Sicily is east-south-east, and probably less than two days........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)