chors they left them in the sea.
At the same time unloosing the ropes which tied the rudders and hoisting
the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach; but coming to a place
where two seas met they ran the ship aground. The prow stuck fast and
could not be moved, but the stern began to break up under the beating of
the waves. Then the soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners for fear some
of them might swim ashore and escape. But as the officer wished to save
Paul, he kept them from carrying out their plan, and ordered those who
could swim to jump overboard and get first to the land; the rest
followed, some on planks and some on other things from the ship. In this
way they all got safely to land. After we had escaped we found that the
island was called Malta.

THE END OF PAUL'S LONG JOURNEY

The natives of the island showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a
fire and welcomed us all, because of the pouring rain and the cold. Now
Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and was laying it on the fire when
a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.
When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to
one another, "Surely this man is a murderer; although he has been saved
from the sea, justice will not let him live." But he shook the creature
off into the fire and was unhurt. They expected that he would at once
swell up or fall down dead; but after they had waited a long time and
saw that no harm had come to him, they changed their minds and said that
he was a god.

On the part of the island where we landed there was an estate belonging
to Publius the governor. He welcomed us and entertained us most
generously for three days. Now it happened that the father of Publius
was lying ill from fever and dysentery. So Paul went to see him and
prayed, and, laying his hands on him, cured him. After this the other
sick people in the island came and were cured. They also presented us
with many gifts, and when we sailed, they put on board everything we
needed.

After three months we set sail on a ship from Alexandria called "The
Twin Brothers," which had wintered at the island. We put in at Syracuse,
and remained there three days. Then we tacked around and came to
Rhegium. The next day a south wind sprang up, and we arrived on the
following day at Puteoli, where we found Christian brothers who asked us
to spend a week with them, and so we reached Rome.

The brothers there, when th