the feeres had never been accomplished seamen , after all , and the isles , apart from their erratic rising and falling ( which had been the cause of every fatal wreck , when the poorly-made boats were shattered to pieces by the emerging reefs of jagged black rock ) were surrounded by another gloomy myth , suggesting that they were still haunted by the souls of all the drowned ancient islanders , whose only release was to drag whomever approached down to the same watery grave .