Serpent’s Pass

Serpent’s Pass is a ring of protruding stones between Hanter-broder and Hanter-hwor, a maritime hazard whose danger becomes fatal when darkness and storm make it impossible to see. Prince James recounts that his ship was driven onto the rocks there and smashed to pieces, with the entire crew lost.

Location and Navigation

The pass lies between the islands of Hanter-broder and Hanter-hwor. Its protruding stones make it difficult to navigate even in calm water; at night, with rough seas and rain, they could not be seen.

The Shipwreck

Prince James says that, a fortnight before recounting the event, he was traveling home from Hanter-broder when a storm drove his ship straight into the stones. The vessel was completely smashed, and all the crew were lost. The pass thus marks the site of a sudden catastrophe in James’s account, where a perilous route became lethal under conditions that concealed its hazards.