pacious bay, with a narrow entrance at either end. The island was
thickly covered with woods, giving shelter to a multitude of wild
goats, its only inhabitants. For the Cyclopes have no ships, so that
the goats were left in undisturbed possession, though the place was
well suited for human habitation, with a deep, rich soil, and
plentiful springs of water.

The first care of Odysseus was to supply the crews of his vessels,
which were twelve in number, with fresh meat. Armed with bows and
spears, he and a picked body of men scoured the woods in search of
game. They soon obtained a plentiful booty, and nine goats were
assigned to each vessel, with ten for that of Odysseus. So all that
day till the setting of the sun they sat and feasted on fat venison
and drank of the wine which they had taken in their raid on the
Thracians.

Early next morning Odysseus manned his own galley, and set forth to
explore the mainland, leaving the rest of the crews to await his
return on the island. As they drew near the opposite shore of the bay,
the mariners came in view of a gigantic cavern overshadowed by
laurel-trees. Round the front of the cavern was a wide court-yard
rudely fenced with huge blocks of stone and unhewn trunks of trees.

Having moored his vessel in a sheltered place, Odysseus chose twelve
of his men to accompany him on his perilous adventure, and charging
the others to keep close, and not stir from the ship, he prepared for
his visit to the Cyclops, who dwelt apart from his brethren in the
cavern. Amongst the spoils obtained in Thrace was a small store of
peculiarly rich and generous wine, which had been given him by a
priest of Apollo whom he had protected, with his wife and child, while
his men were pillaging the town. Twelve jars of this precious vintage
the priest brought forth from a secret hiding-place, known only to
himself and his wife and one trusty servant. So potent was the wine
that it needed but one measure of it to twenty of water to make a
fragrant and comfortable drink, from which few could refrain. Odysseus
now filled a great goatskin bottle with this wine, and carried it with
him. And well it was for him that he did so.

During the day the Cyclops was abroad, watching his flocks as they
grazed on the mountain pastures; so that when Odysseus and his men
came to the cavern, they had ample time to look about them. The
courtyard was fenced off into pens, well stocked with ewes and
she-goats, with their y