Chapter 53

They Draw Nigh Unto Land

In good time, after many days sailing, we snuffed the land from afar,
and came to a great country, full of inland mountains, north and south
stretching far out of sight. "All hail, Kolumbo!" cried Yoomy.

Coasting by a portion of it, which Mohi called Kanneeda, a province of
King Bello's, we perceived the groves rocking in the wind; their
flexible boughs bending like bows; and the leaves flying forth, and
darkening the landscape, like flocks of pigeons.

"Those groves must soon fall," said Mohi.

"Not so," said Babbalanja. "My lord, as these violent gusts are formed
by the hostile meeting of two currents, one from over the lagoon, the
other from land; they may be taken as significant of the occasional
variances between Kanneeda and Dominora."

"Ay," said Media, "and as Mohi hints, the breeze from Dominora must
soon overthrow the groves of Kanneeda."

"Not if the land-breeze holds, my lord;--one breeze oft blows another
home.--Stand up, and gaze! From cape to cape, this whole main we see,
is young and froward. And far southward, past this Kanneeda and
Vivenza, are haughty, overbearing streams, which at their mouths dam
back the ocean, and long refuse to mix their freshness with the
foreign brine:--so bold, so strong, so bent on hurling off aggression
is this brave main, Kolumbo;--last sought, last found, Mardi's estate,
so long kept back;--pray Oro, it be not squandered foolishly.
Here lie plantations, held in fee by stout hearts and arms; and
boundless fields, that may be had for seeing. Here, your foes are
forests, struck down with bloodless maces.--Ho! Mardi's Poor, and
Mardi's Strong! ye, who starve or beg; seventh-sons who slave for
earth's first-born--here is your home; predestinated yours; Come over,
Empire-founders! fathers of the wedded tribes to come!--abject now,
illustrious evermore:--Ho: Sinew, Brawn, and Thigh!"

"A very fine invocation," said Media, "now Babbalanja, be seated; and
tell us whether Dominora and the kings of Porpheero do not own some
small portion of this great continent, which just now you poetically
pronounced as the spoil of any vagabonds who may choose to settle
therein? Is not Kanneeda, Dominora's?"

"And was not Vivenza once Dominora's also? And what Vivenza now is,
Kanneeda soon must be. I speak not, my lord, as wishful of what I say,
but simply as foreknowing it. The thing must come. Vain for Dominora
to claim allegiance from all the progeny she spawns. As well might the
old patriarch of the flood reappear, and claim the right of rule over
all mankind, as descended from the loins of his three roving sons.