huge salmon came tumbling down in such vast numbers that the whole island was filled with the evil smell of the fish, nor could they gather them all because of their abundance.
From Sunday at eventide to Monday forenoon the stream was at rest. When Maelduin and his people had filled their boat with the largest salmon they continued their journey on the ocean.
Thus they voyaged till they came to a great silver column standing in mid-ocean. It had four sides, each of which measured two oar-strokes wide, so that the compass of the whole was eight oar-strokes. There was not a sod of earth about this column, only the boundless ocean. Its base could not be seen, nor could its summit, so high did it tower above the sea. A silver net hung down from the summit, through a single mesh of which the boat went, under full sail. And as they passed through it Diuran struck the mesh with the edge of his spear. "Destroy not the net," said Maelduin, "for what we see is the work of mighty men." But Diuran replied that he did it to the glory of God, and that his story might be the more believed; and he vowed if he ever reached Ireland he would offer this piece of mesh on the high altar of Armagh.
And they heard a voice from the summit of the pillar, mighty, clear, and distinct. But they knew not the language it spake, nor did they understand the words it uttered.
