ταῖς μὲν οὖν ἄλλαις οὐ προσέσχομεν, ἧς δὲ ἐπέβημεν, τοιάδε ἦν· κύκλῳ μὲν πᾶσα κρημνώδης καὶ ἀπόξυρος, πέτραις καὶ τράχωσι κατεσκληκυῖα, δένδρον δ᾽ οὐδὲν οὐδὲ ὕδωρ ἐνῆν· ἀνερπύσαντες δὲ ὅμως κατὰ τοὺς κρημνοὺς προῄμεν διά τινος ἀκανθώδους καὶ σκολόπων μεστῆς ἀτραποῦ, πολλὴν ἀμορφίαν τῆς χώρας ἐχούσης. ἐλθόντες δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν εἱρκτὴν καὶ τὸ κολαστήριον, πρῶτα μὲν τὴν φύσιν τοῦ τόπου ἐθαυμάζομεν· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἔδαφος αὐτὸ μαχαίραις καὶ σκόλοψι πάντῃ ἐξηνθήκει, κύκλῳ δὲ ποταμοὶ περιέρρεον, ὁ μὲν βορβόρου, ὁ δὲ δεύτερος αἵματος, ὁ δὲ ἔνδον πυρός, πάνυ μέγας οὗτος καὶ ἀπέρατος, καὶ ἔρρει ὥσπερ ὕδωρ καὶ ἐκυματοῦτο ὥσπερ θάλαττα, καὶ ἰχθῦς δὲ εἶχεν πολλούς, τοὺς μὲν δαλοῖς προσεοικότας, τοὺς δὲ μικροὺς ἄνθραξι πεπυρωμένοις· ἐκάλουν δὲ αὐτοὺς λυχνίσκους.
notes
προσέσχομεν: ao. of προσ-ἔχω, “we did not put in”
ἧς δὲ: rel. pron. gen. s. “but the island on which we landed”
ἐπέβημεν: ao. of ἐπι-βαίνω, “we landed”
κατεσκληκυῖα: perf. part. nom. f. s. of κατα-σκλέλλομαι, “hardened”
ἐνῆν: impf. of ἐν-εἰμι, “there was on it”
ἀνερπύσαντες: ao. part. of ἀνερπύζω, “having crawled”
προῄειμεν: impf. of προ-ἔρχομαι, “we approached”
τῆς χώρας ἐχούσης: gen. abs., “the land having”
κολαστήριον: “the place of punishment”
ἐξηνθήκει: plupf. of ἐξ-ἀνθέω, “had bloomed with” + dative
περιέρρεον: impf. of περι-ρέω, “was flowing around”
ἔρρει: impf. of ῥέω, “was flowing”
ἐκυματοῦτο: impf of κυματέω, “undulated”
εἶχεν: impf. of ἔχω, “it had”
δαλοῖς: “torches”
προσεοικότας: perf. part., “very like” + dat.
ἄνθραξι: dat. pl., “coals”
πεπυρωμένοις: perf. part. dat. pl. of πυράω, “burning”
λυχνίσκους: “candlefish”
vocabulary
προσέχω: bring to shore
ἐπιβαίνω: go upon
κρημνώδης, -ες: precipitous
ἀπόξυρος, -ον: cut sharp off, abrupt
πέτρα, ἡ: a rock, a ledge or shelf of rock
τραχύς , -εῖα, -ύ: rough
κατασκέλλομαι: whither, harden
δένδρον, τό: a tree
ἀνερπύζω: to creep up or upwards
κρημνός, οῦ: an overhanging bank
ἀκανθώδης, -ες: full of thorns, thorny
σκόλοψ, -οπος, ὁ: anything pointed
μεστός, -ή, -όν: full, filled
ἀτραπός: a path with no turnings
ἀμορφία, ἡ: unshapeliness, unsightliness
εἱρκτή, ἡ: an inclosure, prison
κολαστήριον, ου, τό: a house of correction
ἔδαφος, -εος, τό: a bottom, foundation
μάχαιρα, ἡ: a large knife
σκόλοψ, -οπος, ὁ: anything pointed
ἐξανθέω: put out flowers
περιρρέω: flow round
βόρβορος, ὁ: mud, mire
ἔνδον: in, within
ἀπέρατος, -ον: not to be crossed
ἔρρω: go slowly, wander about
κυματόω: cover with waves
δαλός: a fire-brand, piece of blazing wood
προσέοικα: be like, resemble
ἄνθραξ, -ακος, ὁ: charcoal, coal
πυρόω: burn with fire, burn up
λυχνίσκος, ὁ: fish