And at the same time the bleating of sheep came to the heroes through the mist and the lowing of kine, near at hand, smote their ears.

And over the dewy leas Phaethusa, the youngest of the daughters of Helios, tended the sheep, bearing in her hand a silver crook; while Lampetia, herding the kine, wielded a staff of glowing orichalcum[1] as she followed.

These kine the heroes saw feeding by the river's stream, over the plain and the water-meadow; not one of them was dark in hue but all were white as milk and glorying in their horns of gold.

So they passed them by in the day-time, and when night came on they were cleaving a great sea-gulf, rejoicing, until again early rising dawn threw light upon their course.
[Footnote 1: A fabulous metal, resembling gold in appearance.] Fronting the Ionian gulf there lies an island in the Ceraunian sea, rich in soil, with a harbour on both sides, beneath which lies the sickle, as legend saith--grant me grace, O Muses, not willingly do I tell this tale of olden days--wherewith Cronos pitilessly mutilated his father; but others call it the reaping-hook of Demeter, goddess of the nether world.
For Demeter once dwelt in that island, and taught the Titans to reap the ears of corn, all for the love of Macris.

Whence it is called Drepane,[1] the sacred nurse of the Phaeacians; and thus the Phaeacians themselves are by birth of the blood of Uranus.