I led this wearisome life for a whole month. At the expiration of this time I perceived that the sea had receded; that the island had increased in dimensions; the main land too seemed to be drawing nearer. In fact, the water sunk so low, that there remained between me and the continent but a small stream, which I crossed, and the water did not reach above the middle of my leg. I walked so long a way upon the slime and sand that I was very weary: at last I got upon more firm ground, and when I had proceeded some distance from the sea, I saw a good way before me something that resembled a great fire, which afforded me some comfort; for I said to myself, I shall find here some persons, it not being possible that this fire should kindle of itself. As I drew nearer, however, I found my error, and discovered that what I had taken for a fire was a castle of red copper, which the beams of the sun made to appear at a distance like flames. I stopped in the neighbourhood of the castle, and sat down to admire its noble structure, and to rest myself. Before I had taken such a view of this magnificent building as it deserved, I saw ten handsome young men coming along, as if they had been taking a walk; but what surprised me was, that they were all blind of the right eye. They were accompanied by an old man, who was very tall, and of a venerable aspect. I could not suppress my astonishment at the sight of so many half blind men in company, and every one deprived of the same eye. As I was conjecturing by what adventure these men could come together, they approached, and seemed glad to see me. After the first salutations, they inquired what had brought me thither. I told them my story would be somewhat tedious, but if they would take the trouble to sit down, I would satisfy their curiosity. They did so, and I related to them all that had happened to me since I had left my kingdom, which filled them with astonishment. After I had concluded my account, the young gentlemen prayed me to accompany them into the castle. I accepted their offer, and we passed through a great many halls, ante-chambers, bed-chambers, and closets, very well furnished, and came at last into a spacious hall, where there were ten small blue sofas set round, separate from one another, on which they sat by day and slept at night. In the middle of this circle stood an eleventh sofa, not so high as the rest, but of the same colour, upon which the old man before-mentioned sat down, and the young gentlemen occupied the other ten. But as each sofa could only contain one man, one of the young men said to me, "Comrade, sit down upon that carpet in the middle of the room, and do not inquire into anything that concerns us, nor the reason why we are all blind of the right eye; be content with what you see, and let not your curiosity extend any farther."