Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 12 — page 2: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

-~ -to continue so till fiately off at a draught, which I might well do, down the (as I conjectured) following the first. I was. mishment, and roared so ane tha ate astonis a fright; and some em, as ~ oho Sie were sare : ” y from,.my sides upon the ground. awevver. they Soon ' “4 and one of them, who ventured so far as et a full sight of my face, lift- up his hands and eyes by way of admiration, ened Dat in a shrill but distinet voice, Hekinah dequl; the others re the same words several times, meant. I lay all this mut I then know not what the | the ler may believe, in great uneasi- E x to get loose, I had the s that fastened my left arm to the routes for, »y lifting it up to my face, I discovered the methods t had tale 1 to bind me, and, at the same time Ww pull, which gave me excessive pain, I a. little loosened the strings that tied down my hair on the left side, so that I was just able to turn my head about two inches. But the creatures ran off a second time before I could seize them; whereupon was a great shout in a very shrill accent, and er it Iheard one of them ery aloud, Zolgo jionac; when in an instant I felt about a hundred arrows discharged on my left hand, which pricked me like so many needles; and, besides, they shot an- other flight into the air, as we do bombs in Europe, whereof many, I suppose, fell on my body (though I felt them not), and some on my face, which I imme- diately covered with my left hand. When this show- er of arrows was over, I fell a-groaning with grief and pain, and then striving again to get loose, they discharged another volley larger than the first, and gome of them attempted with spears to stick mein the sides; but by good luck I had on me a buff jer- kin, which they could not pierce. I thought it the most prudent method to lie still, and my design was night, when my left hand being already loose, I could easily free myself; and as for the inhabitants, I had reason to believe i might be a match for the greatest army they could bring against mie, if they were all of the same size with him that I saw. But fortune disposed otherwise for me. When the people observed I was quiet, they discharged no more arrows; but, by the noise { heard, I knew their numbers increased: and about four yards from me, over against my right ear, I heard a knocking for above an hour, like that of a at work; when turning my head that way, as well as the pegs and strings would admit mo, I saw a stage erected about a foot and a half from the ground, capable of hold- ing four of the inhabitants, with two or three ladders to mount it; from whence one of them, who seemed pada pone of quality, made me a long speech whereof I understood not'one syllable, But I should have mentioned, that before the principal person be- gan his oration, he cried out three times, Langro de- san; (these words and the former were afterward eated and explained to me), Whereupon, imme- about fifty of the inhabitants came and cut the strings that fastened the left side of my head, which gave me the liberty of turning it to the right, and of hee Na person and gesture of him that was to speak. He appeared to be of a middle age, and taller than any of the other three who at- tended him, whereof one was a page that held he train, and seemed to be somewhat longer my middle finger; the other two stood one om each side to su “gd him. He acted every part of an orator, and I could observe many periods of threatenings, and others of promises, pity and kindness. I answered in a few words, but in the most submissive manner, psn Bed my left hand and both my eyes to the sun, as him for a witness; and yz almost famished with hunger, having not pate a morsel for some hours before I left the ship, I found the demands of nature so strong upon me, that I could not forbear showin my impatience perhaps against the strict rules of decency) by put- my finger frequently to my mouth, nify that I wanted food. The hurgo (for so they called @ great lord, as I afterward learnt) understood me very well. He descended from the stage, and com- manded that several ladders should be applied to my sides, on which above a hundred of the inhabitants mounted, and walked toward my mouth, laden with baskets full of meat, which had been provided and igence he received of me. I observed there was the flesh of several animals, but could not distinguish falligerice by the king’s orders, upon the first in- . them by the taste. There were shoulders, legs, and 8 loins, shaped like those of mutton, and very well dressed, but smaller than the wings of a lark. I ate gen by two or three at a mouthful, and took three ves at a time, about the bigness of musket bullets. They supplied me as fast as they could, showing a thousann marks of wonder and astonishment at m bulk and ee: I then made another sign, that I wanted . They found by my eati that a amall quantity would not suffice me; and being a most ingenious le, they slun up, with great rye ty, one of = largest hogsheads, then rolled wa my hand, and beat out the top; I drank it or it did not hold half a pint, and tasted like a small wine of Bur- y, but much more delicious. They brought me a second hogshead, which I drank in the same man- ner, and made signs for more; but they had none to give me. When I had performed these wonders, y shouted for joy, and danced upon my breast several times, as they did at first, Hekina M made me a sign gee 0 should throw , wo h heads, but beoramy the eos below to stand out of the way, crying aloud, ach mevolah ; and when they saw the vessels the air, there was a universal shout of Hekinah degul. ig btckvard and forwar on my body, to sale Forty er fifty of the first that came in my reach, and dash ——— eo oe Se them against the ground. But the remembrance them Thad felt, which probably might not be the — ngs, and wrench out the |, th Senne Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. of worst they could do, and the pro of honor I made them, for so I interpreted my submissive behavior, soon drove out these imaginations. Besides, I now considered myself as bound by the laws of hospi- tality, to a people who had treated me-with so much expense and magnificence. However, in my thoughts I could not sufficiently wonder at the intrepidity of these diminutive mortals, who durst venture to mount and walk upon my body, while one of my hands was at liberty, without trembling at the very sight of so prodigious a creature as I must appear to em. After some time, when the? observed that I made no more demands for meat, there appeared be- fore me a person of h rank from his imperial majesty. excellency, having mounted on the small of m right leg, advanced forward up to my face, with about a dozen of his retinue; and produc- ing his credentiais under the signet royal, which he applied close. to my eyes, spoke about ten minutes, without any si of anger, but with a kind of deter- minate resolution; often pointing forward, which, as I afterward found, was toward the capital city, about half a mile distant, whither it was agreed by his ma- jesty in council, that I must be conveyed. I answer- ed in few words, but to no purpose, and made a sign with my hand that was loose, putting it to the other, (but over his excellency’s head, for fear of hurting him or his train), and then to my own head and body to signify that I desired my mide It appearec that he understood me well enough, for he shook his head by way of disapprobation and held his hand in a posture to show that I must carried as a pris- oner. However, he made other signs to let me un- derstand that I should have meat and drink enough, and very good treatment. Whereupon, I once more thought of attempting to break my bonds; but again, when I felt the smart of their arrows upon my face and hands, which were all in blisters, and many of the darts still sticking in them, and observin likewise that the number of my enemies increased, I gave tokens to let them know that they might do with me what they pleased. Upon this, the hurgo and his train withdrew, with much civility and cheer- ful countenances. Soon after, I heard a general shout, with Po eae repetitions of the words Peplom selan; and I felt great numbers of people on my left side relaxing the cords to such a degree, that 1 was able to turn upon my ok gc and to ease myself with making water, which I very plentifully did, to the reat astonishment of the people; who, conjecturing y my motion what I was going to do, immediately opened to the right and Jeft on that side, to avoid the torrent which fell with such noise and violence from me. Butbefore this, they had daubed my face and both my hands with a sort of ointment, very pleasant to the smell, which, in a few minutes, removed all the smart of their arrows. These circumstances, add- ed to the refreshment I had received by their victuals and drink, which were very nourishing, disposed me to sleep. I slept about eight hours, as I was after- ward assured; andit was no wonder, for the physi- cians, by the emperor's orders, had mingled a sleepy potion in the hogshead of wine. It seems, that upon the first moment I was dis- covered sleeping on the ground, after my landing, the emperor had early notice of it by an express, and de- termined in council that I should be tied in the man- ner 1 have related (which was done in the night while I slept); that plenty of meat and drink shoul be sent me, and a machine prepared to carry me to the capital city. This resolution, perhaps, may appear very bold and dangerous, and I am confident would not be imitated by any prince in Europe on the like occa- sion. However, in my opinion, it was extremely prudent, as well as generous; for, supposing these people had endeavored to kill me with their spears and arrows, while I was asleep, I should certainl have awaked with the first sense of smart, which ro so far have aroused my rage and strength, as to have enabled me to break the strings where- with I was tied; after which, as they were notable to make resistance, so they could expect no mercy. These people are most excellent mathematicians, and arrived to a great perfection in mechanics by the countenance and encouragement of the emperor, who is a renowned patron of learni This prince has several machines fixed on wheels, for the car- riage of trees and other great weights. He often builds his largest men-of-war, whereof some are nine feet long, in the woods where the timber grows, and has them carried on these engines three or four hundreds yards to the sea, Five hundred carpen- ters and engineers were immediately set at work to prepare the greatest engine they had. Itwasa frame of wood, raised three inches from the ground, about seven feet long, and four wide, moving upon twenty-two wheels. The shout I heard was upon the arrival of this engine, which, it seems, set out in four hours after my anding. It was brought par- allel to me, as I lay. But the orincipal difficulty was to raise and place me in this vehicle. Eighty poles, each i one a high, were erected for this Lp and very strong cords, of the bigness of ackthread, were fastened by hooks to ba ban- ages, which the workmen had girt round my neck my hands, my body, and my legs. Nine hundred o the strongest men were employed to draw up these coat many pulleys fastened on the poles, and thus, in less than three hours, I wag raised and slung into the engifie, and there tied fast. All this I was ld; for, while the operation was rforming, I ay in a profound sleep, by the force of that soporifer- ous medicine infused into my liquor. Fifteen hun- dred of the emperor’s largest horses, each about four inches and a half high, were employed to draw me toward the metropolis which, as d, was half a mile distant. ’ ee i,t» Per <7 a ; » id ; : - t = About four hours after we bees our journey, I awaked by a very ridiculous accident; for the ear- riage being stopped awhile to adjust somet t was out of order, two or three of the young natives had the curiosity to see how I looked when I was asleep; yf climbed up into the engine, and advanc- ing very softly to my face, one of an officer in the guards, put the sharp end of his half-pike a way up into my left nostril, which tickled like a straw, and made me sneeze violen upon, they stole off unperceived, and it y weeks before I knew the cause of my waki denly. We made a long mareh the remainir of the day, and rested at night with five hu ards on each side of me, half with torches, and alf with bows and arrows, ready to shoot me if I should offer to stir. The-next mo) at sun-rise we continued our march, and arrived within two hundred yards of the.city gates about noon. The emperor and all his court came out to meet us, but his great officers would by no means suffer his ma- esty to endanger his person by mounting on my AL the place where the carriage stop there stood an ancient temple, esteemed to be the largest in the whole kingdom; which, having been polluted some years before by an unnatur murder, Was, according to the zeal of those people, looked upon as profane, and therefore.had been applied to common use, and all the ornanfents and furniture carried away. In this edifice it was determined I should lodge. The great gate fronting to the north was about four feet high, and almost two feet wide, through which I could easily creep. On each side ef the gate was a small window, not above six in- ches from the ground; into that on the left side, the king’s smith conveyed fourscore and eleven chains, like those that hang to a lady’s watch in Euro and almost as large, which were locked to m fort leg with six- and-thirty padlocks. Over against this temple, on the other side of the great highway, at twenty feet distance, there was a turret at least five feet high. Here the emperor ascended, with many principal lords of his court, to have an opportunity of viewing me, as I was told, for I could not see them. It was reckoned that above a hundred thou- sand inhabitants came out of the town upon the same errand; and in spite of my guards, I believe there could not be fewer than ten thousand at seve-, ral times, who mounted my body by the help of lad- ders. But a proclamation was soon issued, to forbid it upon pain of death. When the workmen found it was impossible for me to break loose, they cut all the strings that bound me; whereupon, I rese up with as melancholy a disposition as ever I had in my life. But the noise and astonishment of the peo- ple, at mee | me rise and walk, are not to be ex- pressed. The chains that held my left leg were about two yards long, and gave me not only the lib- erty of walking backward and forward in a semicir- cle, but, being fixed within four inches of the gate, allowed me to creep in, and lie at my full length in, the temple, CHAPTER Ii. Wuen I found myself on my feet, Ilooked about me, and must confess I never eheld a more enter- taining prospect. The country around gh like a continued garden, and the inclosed fields, which were generally forty feet square, resembled so many beds of flowers. ese fields were intermin- gled with woods of half a steng (a stangis a pole or perch—sixteen feet anda half); and the tallest trees, as I could judge, appeared to be seven feet high. I viewed the town on my left hand, which looked like the painted scene of a city ina theater. I then came back out of my house, having occasion for fresh air. The wre ont was already descend- ed from the tower, and advancing on horseback toward me, which had like to have cost him dear; for the beast, though very well trained, yet, wholly unused to such a sight, which appeared asif a moun- tain moved before him, reared up on his hinder feet; but that prince, who is an excellent horseman, ke his seat, till his attendants ran in, and held the bridle, while his majesty had time to dismount. When alighted, he surveyed me round with great admira- tion; but kept beyond the length of my chain. He ordered his cooks and butlers, who were already pre- pared, to give me victuals and drink, which they pushed forward in a sort of vehicles upon whee till I eould reach them. I took these vehicles, an soon emptied them all. Twenty of them were filled with meat, and ten with liquor; each of the former afforded me two or three good mouthfuls; and I emptied the liquor of ten vessels, which was contain- ed in earthen vials, into one vehicle, drinking it off at a draught; and so 1 did with the rest. The empress, and young princes of the blood, of both sexes, at- tended by many ladies, sat at some distance in their chairs; but upon the accident that happened to the emperor’s horse, they alighted and came near his person, which I am now going to describe. He is taller by almost the breath of my nail than any of his court, which alone is enough to strike an awe into the beholders. His features are strong and mascu- line, with an Austrian lip and arched nose, his com- og ae Olive, his countenanée erect, his body and imbs well proportioned, all his motions graceful, and his deportment majestic. He was then past his prime, being twenty-eight years and three ra old, of which he had reigned about seven in great felicity, and generally victorious. For the better convenience of beholding him, I lay on my side, so that my face was parallel to his, and he stood but t ards off; however, Ihave had him since man times th my hand, and therefore cannot be deceiv in the description. His dress was very plain and simple, and the fashion of it between the Asiatic and European; but he had on his head a light helmet of oxofe: chooks 4 7