With him the three brothers undertook themost austere religious exercises, and after a year they came to St. Finnenand asked his punishment for their former crimes. "You cannot," he said,"restore to life those you have slain, but you can at least restore thebuildings you have devastated and ruined." So they went and repaired manychurches, after which they resolved to go on a pilgrimage upon the greatAtlantic Ocean. They built for themselves therefore a curragh or coracle,covered with hides three deep. It was capable of carrying nine persons,and they selected five out of the many who wished to join the party. Therewere a bishop, a priest, a deacon, a musician, and the man who hadmodelled the boat; and with these they pushed out to sea.It had happened some years before that in a quarrel about a deer hunt,the men of Ross had killed the king. It had been decided that, by way ofpunishment, sixty couples of the people of Ross should be sent out to sea,two and two, in small boats, to meet what fate they might upon the deeps.They were watched that they might not land again, and for many yearsnothing more had been heard from them. The most pious task which theserepenting pilgrims could undertake, it was thought, would be to seek thesebanished people. They resolved to spread their sail and let Providencedirect their course.
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