t thee here, little one, to this isle, which is in
the sea and of which the shores are in the midst of the waves?' asked
the serpent.

"The sailor told his story kneeling on his knees, with his face bowed
to the ground.

"'Fear not, little one, and make not thy face sad,' continued the
serpent, 'for it is God who has brought thee to this isle of the blest,
where nothing is lacking and which is filled with all good things.
Thou shalt be four months in this isle. Then a ship shall come from
thy land with sailors, and thou shalt go to thy country. As for me,
I am a prince of the land of Punt. I am here with my brethren and children
around me; we are seventy-five serpents, children and kindred.'

"Then the grateful sailor promised to bring all the treasures of Egypt
back to Punt, and 'I shall tell of thy presence unto Pharaoh; I shall
make him to know of thy greatness,' said the Egyptian stranger.

"But the strange prince of Punt only smiled.

"'Thou shalt never more see this isle,' he said; 'it shall be changed
into waves.'"

Everything came to pass as the serpent said. The ship came, gifts were
lavished on the sailor from Egypt, perfumes of cassia, of sweet woods,
of cypress, incense, ivory tusks, baboons, and apes, and thus laden
he sailed home to his own people.

[Illustration: EGYPTIAN SHIP OF THE EXPEDITION TO PUNT, ABOUT 1600
B.C. From a rock-carving at Der el Bahari.]

Long centuries after this we get another glimpse at the land of Punt.
This time it is in the reign of Queen Hatshepsu, who sent a great trading
expedition into this famous country. Five ships started from Thebes,
sailing down the river Nile and probably reaching the Red Sea by means
of a canal. Navigation in the Red Sea was difficult; the coast was
steep and inhospitable; no rivers ran into it. Only a few fishing
villages lay along the coasts used by Egyptian merchants as markets
for mother-of-pearl, emeralds, gold, and sweet-smelling perfumes.
Thence the ships continued their way, the whole voyage taking about
two months. Arrived at Punt, the Egyptian commander pitched his tents
upon the shore, to the great astonishment of the inhabitants.

"Why have ye come hither unto this land, which the people of Egypt
know not?" asked the Chief of Punt. "Have ye come through the sky?
Did ye sail upon the waters or upon the sea?"

Presents from the Queen of Egypt were at once laid before the Chief
of Punt, and soon the seashore was alive with people.