[9] Cum intus intrāssent et aspexissent hūc atque illūc, mare appāruit illīs vitreum prae clāritāte, ita ut omnia quae subtus erant possent vidēre. [10] Nam basēs columnae poterant cōnsīderāre, et summitātem cōnōpēī similiter iacentem in terrā. Lūx sōlis nōn minor erat intus quam forīs.
[11] Tunc sānctus Brendānus mēnsūrābat forāmen ūnum inter quattuor cōnōpēōs, quattuor cubitīs in omnem partem. [12] Igitur nāvigābant per tōtum diem iuxtā latus ūnum illīus columnae, et semper umbram sōlis et calōrem poterant sentīre ultrā: ita usque ad hōram nōnam. [13] Sīc et ipse vir Deī semper mēnsūrābat latus ūnum: mīlle quadringentīs cubitīs mēnsūra ūna per quatuor latera illīus columnae erat. [14] Sīc per quatriduānum operābātur venerābilis pater inter quātuor angulōs praedictae turris.
notes
Once through the net, the water is so clear that they see the pillar and the net extending down to the sea floor. Brendan measures the opening of the net and then the side of the pillar itself. They spend four days examining each of the four sides of the pillar.
[10] basēs: accusative.
summitātem cōnōpēī similiter iacentem in terrā: they could see the bottom edge (summitātem), which was on the sea floor (in terrā).
[11] forāmen ūnum inter quattuor conopēōs: one hole on one of the four sides.
quattuor cubitīs in omnem partem: the hole was square, four cubits by four cubits (= 6 feet). For the ablative without a preposition used to express a measurement of space (see Pinkster, Oxford Latin Syntax I, 827).
[12] semper umbram sōlis et calōrem poterant sentīre ultrā: they could feel the heat despite the shade.
usque ad hōram nōnam: until around 3:00 PM.
mīlle quadringentīs cubitīs ... columnae erat: = mēnsūra illīus columnae, mīlle quadringentīs cubitīs, erat ūna per quatuor latera. In CL we would expect mēnūra ... erat eadem. mīlle quadringentīs cubitīs: 1400 cubits = 2100 ft = 700 yards = 7 football fields = almost half a mile.