The Project Gutenberg EBook of Hasisadra's Adventure, by Thomas Henry Huxley

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Title: Hasisadra's Adventure
Essay #7 from "Science and Hebrew Tradition"

Author: Thomas Henry Huxley

Posting Date: December 3, 2008 [EBook #2633]
Release Date: May, 2001

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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HASISADRA'S ADVENTURE

ESSAY #7 FROM "SCIENCE AND HEBREW TRADITION"

By Thomas Henry Huxley

Some thousands of years ago there was a city in Mesopotamia called
Surippak. One night a strange dream came to a dweller therein, whose
name, if rightly reported, was Hasisadra. The dream foretold the speedy
coming of a great flood; and it warned Hasisadra to lose no time in
building a ship, in which, when notice was given, he, his family and
friends, with their domestic animals and a collection of wild creatures
and seed of plants of the land, might take refuge and be rescued from
destruction. Hasisadra awoke, and at once acted upon the warning. A
strong decked ship was built, and her sides were paid, inside and out,
with the mineral pitch, or bitumen, with which the country abounded;
the vessel's seaworthiness was tested, the cargo was stowed away, and a
trusty pilot or steersman appointed.

The promised signal arrived. Wife and friends embarked; Hasisadra,
following, prudently "shut the door," or, as we should say, put on the
hatches; and Nes-Hea, the pilot, was left alone on deck to do his
best for the ship. Thereupon a hurricane began to rage; rain fell in
torrents; the subterranean waters burst forth; a deluge swept over
the land, and the wind lashed it into waves sky high; heaven and earth
became mingled in chaotic gloom. For six days and seven nights the gale
raged, but the good ship held out until, on the seventh day, the storm
lulled. Hasisadra ventured on deck; and, seeing nothing but a waste
of waters strewed with floating corpses and wreck, wept over the
destruction of his land and people. Far away, the mountains of Nizir
were visible; the ship was steered for them and ran aground upon the
higher land. Yet another seven days passed by