the happy hunter made all the haste he could, riding on the basket which had been given him by his friend. his queer boat seemed to go through the water of its own accord, and the distance was much shorter than he had expected, for in a few hours he caught sight of the gate and the roof of the sea king's palace. and what a large place it was, with its numberless sloping roofs and gables, its huge gateways, and its gray stone walls! he soon landed, and leaving his basket on the beach, he walked up to the large gateway. the pillars of the gate were made of beautiful red coral, and the gate itself was adorned with glittering gems of all kinds. large katsura trees overshadowed it. our hero had often heard of the wonders of the sea king's palace beneath the sea, but all the stories he had ever heard fell short of the reality which he now saw for the first time.