Majorca

Majorca is the island where a storm-driven ship carrying Alatiel is wrecked, turning the end of her voyage into another abrupt reversal of fortune. The vessel reaches its shore nearly waterlogged; its beach becomes the first refuge for Alatiel and the few women who survive the crossing, and the setting of her rescue by Pericone da Visalgo.

On the Route from Alexandria

The ship leaves Alexandria in favorable weather and sails for many days. After passing Sardinia, its sailors believe the voyage is nearly over. Then several violent winds rise at once. For two days the crew struggles against the sea, but on the third night the storm worsens, the ship begins to come apart, and the sailors can no longer determine their position: clouds and darkness conceal the sky, and neither navigation nor sight can tell them where they are. They are not far from Majorca when the vessel starts to founder.

The Shipwreck and Its Survivors

The officers lower a small boat and climb into it, choosing to flee the leaking ship. Other sailors crowd aboard despite the first arrivals’ attempts to hold them back. Overloaded and unable to withstand the weather, the boat founders; all who escaped into it perish. The ship itself, driven swiftly by the wind, runs aground on a beach of Majorca. The impact drives it deep into the sand, where it remains through the night, battered by waves but no longer moved by the wind.

At daylight, the storm has eased somewhat. Alatiel, exhausted and scarcely able to raise her head, calls for her household but receives no answer. Many of the women aboard are dead from the ordeal and terror; a few still show signs of life. Though she does not know where she is or what has become of the men, necessity forces her to rouse the survivors. They find the ship stranded and full of water, and wait until noon before anyone appears along the shore.

Rescue on the Shore

Pericone da Visalgo happens upon the stranded ship while returning from one of his properties with servants on horseback. Recognizing what has happened, he sends a servant aboard to investigate. Alatiel and the remaining women, gathered beneath the bowsprit, plead for help, making their misfortune understood through gestures because they and the servant cannot understand one another’s speech. Pericone has them brought ashore with whatever precious goods can be recovered and takes them to his castle, where they receive food and rest.

Majorca’s role in the tale is brief but decisive: it marks the transition from a voyage that seemed nearly complete to sudden isolation, and from shipwreck to rescue. The island’s beach delivers Alatiel into Pericone’s power and begins the next stage of her journey.