Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 9 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

& Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. oe all obliged to retreat to our respective ships immedi- ately, or run the risk of being drowned; some were obliged to swim for it, and with difficulty saved their lives, In a few hours after, we were more fortunate, we met again just after the monster had evacuated. I was chosen chairman, and the first thing I did was to propose splicing two main-masts together; and the next time he opened his mouth to be ready to wedge them in, so as to prevent his shutting it. It | ; i ly dispute, and not likely to be finished soon, I made | was unanimously approved. One hundred stout men were chosen upon this service. We had scarcely got our masts properly prepared, when an opportunity of- fered; the monster opened his mouth; immediately the top of, the mast was placed against the roof, and the other end pierced his tongue, which effectually prevented him from shutting his mouth, Assoon as ever mening in his stomach was afloat, we manned a few boats, who rowed themselves and us into the world. The daylight, after, as near as we could judge, three months’ confinement in total darkness, cheered our spirits surprisingly. When we had all taken our leave of this capacious animal, we mus- tered just a fleet of ninety-five <5 ¢ , of nations, who had been in this confined situation. We left the two masts in his mouth, to prevent others being confined in the same horrid gulf of darkness and filth. Our first object was to learn what part of the world we were in; this we were for some time at a loss to ascertain; at last I found, from former ob- servations, that we were in the Caspian Sea, which washes part of the country of the Calmuck Tartars! How we came here, it was impossible to conceive, as this sea has no communica- tion with any other. One of ‘he inhabitants of the Cheese Isla 1d whom I had promi with me, ac- counted for it thus:—that the monster, in whose stomach we had been so long confined, had carried us through some subter- ranean passage: however, we ushed to shore, and I was the rst who landed. Just as I put my foot upon the ground, a large bear leaped upon me with his fore-paws; I caught one in each hand, and squeezed him till he cried out most Sazsh however in this position I held him till I starved him to death. You may laugh, gentlemen, but this was soon accomplished, as I prevent- ed him licking his paws, From hence I traveled x St. Peters- burgh a second time: here an old friend gave me a most excel- lent pointer, descended from the famous bitch before mentioned, that littered while she was hunt- ing a hare. I had the misfor- tune to have him shot soon after by a blundering sportsman, who fired at him instead of a covey of partridges which he had jue set. Of this creature’s skin I have had this waistcoat made, (showing his waistcoat), which always leads me involuntarily to = if I walk in the fields in he proper season, and when I come within shot, one of the bul- tons constant!y flies off, and lodges upon the spot where the sport is; and as the birds rise, being al- ways primed and cocked, I never miss them. Here are now but three buttons left. I shall have a new set sewed on against the shooting season commences, When a covey of partridges is disturbed in this manner, by the button falling among them they always rise from the ground in a direct line before each oth- er. I one day, by forgetting to take my ramrod out of my gun, shot it straight through a leash, as regularly as if a cook had spitted them. I had forgot to ut in any shot, and the rod had een made so hot with the powder, that the birds were completely roasted by the time I reached home. Since my arrival in England, I have accomplished what I had very much at heart, viz., provid for the inhabitant of the Cheese Island whom T had brought with me, My old friend, Sir William Cham- bers, who is entirely indebted to me for all his ideas of Chinese gardening, by a description of which he has gained such high reputation—I say, gentlemen, in a discourse which I had with this gentleman, he seemed much distressed for a contrivance to lighv the lamps at the new buildings, Somerset House; the common mode with ladders, he observed, was both dirty and inconvenient. y native of the Checse Island popped into my head; he was only nine feet high when I first brought him from his own country, but was now increased to ten and a half; I introduced him to Sir William, and he is appointed to that honorable office. He is also to carry, under a large cloak, a utensil in cach coat pocket, instead of those four which Sir William has very properly fixed for private purposes in so conspicuous a situa- tion in the great quadrangle. He has | havin | place so obtained from Mr, Pitt the situation | CHAPTER XXI. EXTRAORDINARY FLIGHT ON THE BACK OF AN EAGLE, OVER FRANCE TO GIBRALTAR, SOUTH AND NORTE | AMERICA, THE POLAR REGIONS, AND BACK TO ENG- | LAND, WITHIN SIX-AND-THIRTY HOURS, Asovut the beginning of his present em iy reign, I had some business with a distant relation, who then lived on the Isle of Thanet; it was a fami- it a practice during my residence there, the weather being fine, to walk out every morning. After a few of these excursions, I observed an object upon a great eminence about three miles distant: I extend- ed my walk to it, and found the ruins of an ancient temple: I approached it with admiration and aston- ishment; the traces of grandeur and magnificence | roofs of its for- | which yet remained were evident mer splendor. Here I could not help lamenting the ravages and devastations of time, of which that once noble structure exhibited such a melancholy | proof. I walked around it several times, meditating — on the fleeting and transitory nature of all terres- trial things. On the eastern end were the remains of a lofty tower, near forty feet high, overgrown with ivy, the top apparently flat; I surveyed it on every side very minu oy thinking that if I could gain its summit, I sho d enjoy the most delightful ‘THEY WERE STRUNG LIKE PEARLS.”’ prospect of the circumjacent country. Animated with this hope, I resolved, if possible, to gain the summit, which I at length an means of the ivy, lee 9 not without great difficulty and danger: the top I found covered with this evergreen, except a large chasm in the middle. After I had surveyed with pleasing wonder the beauties of art and nature that conspired to enrich the scene, curiosity prompt- ed me to sound the opening in the middle, in order to ascertain its depth, as I entertained a suspicion coat it might probably communicate with some un- explored subterranean cavern in the hill: but hav- ing no line I was at a loss how to proceed. After re- volving the matter in my thoughts for some time, I resolved to drop a stone down and listen to the echo: found one that answered my purpose, myself over the hole, with one foot on each side, and stooping down to listen, dropped the stone, which I had no sooner done than I heard a rustling below, and sudden! & monstrous eagle put its head right opposite my face, and rising up with irresisti- ble foree, carried me away seated on its shoulders: I instantly grasped it round the neck, which was large — enough to fill my arms; and its wings, when extend- | of messenger to his Majesty’s lords of the bedcham- | ed, were ten yards from one extremity to the other. ber, whose principal employment will now be, di- vulging the secrets of the Royal Household, As it rose with a regular ascent, my seat was per- fectly easy, and I enjoyed the prospect below with | | inexpressible pleasure. some time, was seen by several It hovered over Margate for eople, and many shots were fired at it; one ball hit the heel of my shoe, but did me no injury! It then directed its course to Dover cliff, where it alighted, and'I thought of dismounting, but was prevented by a sudden dis- charge of musketry from a party of marines that were exercising on the beach; the balls flew about my head, and rattled on the feathers of the eagle like hail-stones; yet I could not perceive it had re- ceived any injury. It instantly reascended and flew over the sea toward Calais; but so very high, that the Channel seemed to be no broader than the Thames at London Bridge. Ina quarter of an hour I found myself over a thick wood in France, where the eagle descanded very rapidly, which caused me to slip down to the back part of its head; but alighting on a large tree, and raising its head, I recovered my seat as before, but saw no possibility of disengag- ing myself without the danger of being killed by the fall; so I determined to sit fast, thinking it would carry me to the Alps, or some other high mountain, where I could dismount without any. danger. After resting a few minutes, it took wing flew several times round the wood, and screamed loud enough to be heard across the English Chan- nel. In a few minutes, one of the same species arose out of the wood, and flew directly toward us; it surveyed me with evident marks of displeasure, and came very near me. After flying several times round, they both directed their course to the south-west. I soon observed that the one I rode upon could not keep pace with the other, but inclined to- ward the earth, on account of my weight; its companion per- ceiving this, turned round and placed itself in such a position that the other could rest ite head on its rump; in this manner they roceeded till noon, when I saw he rock of Gibraltar very dis- tinctly. The day being clear, notwithstanding .my degree of elevation, the earth’s surface ap- she just like a map, where and, sea, lakes, rivers, moun- tains, and the like were ect. ly distinguishable; and havin some knowledge of geography, te ws ae em pee, wha as the globe I was in. While I was contemplating this wonderful prospect, a dread- ful howling suddenly began all around me, and in a moment I was invested by thousands of small black, deformed, frightful- looking creatures, who pressed me on all sides in such a manner that I could neither move hand or foot: but I had not been in their possession more than ten minutes, when I heard the most delightful music that can possi- bly be imagined: which was sud- er changed into a noise, the m awful and tremendous, to which the report of cannon, or the loudest claps of thunder could bear no more proportion than the gentle zephyrs of the evening to the most dreadful hurricane: but the shortness of its duration prevented all those fatal effects which a prolonga- tion of it would certainly have been attended with. The music commenced, and I Saw a great number of the most beautiful little creatures seize the other party, and throw them with great violence into some- thing like a snuff-box, which they shut down, and one threw it away with incredible velocity ; then turning to me, he said, they whom he had secured were a party of devils, who had wander- ed from their proper habitation: and that the v e in which they were inclosed would ny ag unabating rapidi- ty for ten thousand years, when it would burst of its own accord, and the devils would recover their lib- erty and faculties,as at the present moment. He had no sooner finished this relation than the musié ceased, and they all disappeared, leaving me in a state of mind bordering on the confines of despair. When I had recomposed myself a little, and look- ing before me with inexpressible pleasure, I observed that the eagles were preparing to light on the peak of Teneriffe: they descended on the top of a rock; but seeing no bs a means of escape if Idismount- ed, determined me to remain where I was. The eagles sat down seemingly fatigued, when the heat of the sun soon caused them both to fall asleep; nor did I long resist its fascinating power. In the cool of the evening, when the sun had retired below the horizon. Iwas roused from sleep by the eagle moving under me; and having stretched myself along its back, | sat up, and resumed my traveling position, when my both took wing, and having placed themselves as before, directed their course to South America The moon shining bright during the whole night, I had a fine view of all the islands in those seas. _About the break of day we reached the great con- tinent of America, that part called Terra Firma. and descended on the top of a very high mountain. At JOO GoOmic “Ss (E@)