A Trip to the Moon/Chapter 1
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A
Trip to the Moon, &c.
CHAP. I.
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O satisfy a violent Inclination which I always had to see foreign Countries, and being incapacitated by my Circumstances to travel barely for the Improvement of my Mind, I thought it most adviseable to turn Sailor; and in pursuance to my Design, I bound my self to one James Anderson, Master of the Runner, a Vessel of about 75 Tun, (tho' the Custom-house had it but 70) belonging to Dublin, in the Year 1718. This I did against the Will of my Mother, my Father being dead a little before, of which I have many Times since repented, and observ'd, that those who will not be directed by their Parents, meet with ill Success in their Undertakings.
On the 6th of June 1718, we set sail for the Canaries, being loaden with Beef, Butter, Cheese, Candles and Soap, and in a few Hours got clear of the Land. But here I cannot but mention the sad Condition my Mother was in at our parting; she accompanied me to the Side of the Vessel, and there, with abundance of Tears, represented to me the Dangers of the Sea; but finding it was too late to detain me, she swoon'd in my Arms. I then began to wish my self free, and could not forbear shedding some Tears. The Captain who was present at this Interview, being afraid my Mother's Tears would move him so much as to part with me, like a good Man that wou'd avoid Temptation, went down to his Cabbin, and gave Orders to bring me aboard by force. His Orders were obey'd, and my Mother was left as dead upon the Shore. I had no sooner got aboard, but I was set about some of the hardest Work of the Ship, and was comforted by being told it would make me forget my Mother. This I bore very patiently, having no Body to accuse but my self for my Sufferings. The Reader must excuse me if in this Voyage I do not give him an Account of our Courses, since I being unacquainted with sailing, and fully griev'd for my Mother, did not much mind them.
On the 12th of August following, we arriv'd at Teneriffe, being driven thither by stress of Weather, for our Design was to land at Palma, to take in Sugar; we got into Santa Cruz Bay, which is to the North East of the land, and rode in 17 Fathom of Water. The Storm continued for some Days after we had providentially cast Anchor; during which Time, my Curiosity and Rashness prompted me to ascend the Peak.
My Conversation with Sailors, and their Reports, had given me such strange and pleasing Ideas of remote Countries, during my stay in Dublin, especially of Teneriffe, (altho' they vary'd a little in their Computations; and many, I am persuaded, have affirm'd that they have been at the Top of the Mountain, when they never were within 1000 Leagues of the Island) that I resolv'd to be an Eye-witness of what T had heard.
The next Morning, I began to prepare for my intended Journey, just as the Sun was above the Horizon. I hasten'd Breakfast as much as I cou'd, and after I shifted my self I begg'd the Assistance of two of the Sailors to set me on Shore, which I obtain'd, on Condition that I wou'd divide whatever I got, with them. I consented and was set on Shore.
I was no sooner landed, than I began seriously to reflect on my folly, (then not hearing the Noise of the Seamen, or Curses of my Master) I remember'd my Mothers warnings, but above all her swooning: My Master's fair Promises before I was his Servant, and his hard Usage after, which made me often wish my self at home, and reckon my Stripes as my Deserts. I went on thus melancholy, till I perceiv'd my self to ascend the Hill, and then I bent my self wholly upon confirming what I had heard; but to my great surprize, I found scarce one Word I had heard to be true, except that the Mountain is very high. It is certain that it is very large too, and that many may have ascended it; but then they may have ascended by different Ways, and some may have met with more inequalities in their ascent than others, which may have occasion'd a Difference in their Accounts of its Height. I was wholly unprovided with Instruments to take its Altitude, having brought nothing along with me, but a Bottle of Brandy, a Piece of Cheese, and a few Biscuits. I only observ'd, that I was 56 times weary in my ascent; by which given Number, if my Health and habit of Body were now the same, I could easily find out the Number sought for, viz. the Height of it. For by going up and down any Mountain of a moderate Height, till I was 56 times weary, and by finding out a mean Proportional between ascending and descending, and by making allowances for Trips and Stumbles, and the Storm, I humbly conceive, an ordinary Mathematician may measure the Height of the Peak of Teneriffe.
With much difficulty I got within sight of the Top of the Mountain, (I mean so as to see every Part of it distinctly) where I sat down to refresh my self. I pull'd out a Biscuit and held it in my left Hand, whilst I employ'd my right in searching for my Cheese; but the Wind was so violent that it blow'd away half my Biscuit as if it had been a Wafer, which oblig'd me to hold my Head between my Legs, while I Eat what I thought proper; but I am not certain to this Day, whether the Biscuit was crack'd or not. At length I arriv'd at the very Summit of the Mountain, where I was oblig'd to discharge by Vomiting what I had lately eaten, that purer Air being very disagreeable to my gross Constitution; this made me think very meanly of my self, who in my own Country was constantly complaining of close and foggy Weather; when I found that such a Place was no more fit for me to breathe in, than Heaven is for habitual Sinners, if they might be permitted to go there without Repentance.
Whilst I was thus meditating on my own corrupt Nature, a sudden Whirlwind came, that rais'd me from the Place I stood on; I suppose, that by Vomiting, (for it was very violent) I had increas'd the bulk of my Body, by the swelling of its Parts in my convulsive Motions; so that it then became equal to more columns of Air than it was equal to before my Vomiting; besides it was become lighter by the discharge I had made, which might alone produce what follow'd. For since we know that Vessels at a Key float or lye adrift as the Tide comes in, or goes out, and learned Men have given us this Reason for it, viz. That at high Water, the subjacent columns of Water are greater, or at least equal to the Bulk and Weight of the Vessel, and at low Water the contrary; it follows, that there must be a certain quantity of Water, less than which wou'd not be able to sustain a Body of a certain Weight and Magnitude. This may be easily apply'd, by considering that Air and Water are both Fluids, and differ only in their Density, and some other Properties which I have no occasion to mention; so that it is probable in the last Degree, that my Body became then so proportionate to the subjacent columns of Air, that it easily sustain'd me. Or admitting, not granting, that this will not clearly account for it, I can yet have recourse to the Storm, which was then the Occasion of the continued Motion of my Body. But leaving such Disquisitions to the Learned, and confessing my own Weakness in attempting any thing of this Kind, I shall proceed to relate what happen'd in my Voyage to the Moon, (for so I may call it) having already hinted at the Analogy between Air and Water. After I had been rais'd from the Mountain, I was carried at such a rate for a while, that I almost lost my Breath; but the Force of the Whirlwind gradually abating, my Passage became more easy, till I came to a Place of Resting. This was a Space between the Vortices of the Earth and Moon, where the Attraction of neither prevail'd, but the contrary Motions of their Effluvia destroy'd one another.
Here I began to look about me, and deplore my Condition; I feared that when my Provision was consum'd, (for that I happen'd to have kept, being better secur'd than my Hat, which had been blown away,) I must inevitably die with Hunger, tho' I were secure from being crush'd by filling to either of the Planets: But my Pride soon prevail'd over this desponding Humour, when I consider'd my Circumstances in another light. I began to think I was too good for the Society of Mortals, which Opinion I was encourag'd in, by calling to mind every Action which I thought shou'd be rewarded, throwing the bad Ones entirely out of the Account: So that I now fancied my self made a Star, and that as my Body was to give Light to Men's Eyes, so my Actions which I accounted good, were to be set as an Example they shou'd imitate. And altho' upon surveying my self, I found nothing Luminous about me, yet I was persuaded those on Earth wou'd think otherwise, and that I was render'd incapable of perceiving it my self at that Time, lest being conscious of it I shou'd become too haughty and unfit for that exalted Station. But then I began to consider, whether I might not derive the Light which I thought I gave from the Sun, and by the Motion of my Arms, and flowing of my Hair, be taken for a Comet. But this I rejected as erroneous, and wou'd not be oblig'd to the Sun for his Rays, so that I resolved to be independent, and model my Course by my own Reason. This I instantly set about, and resolving to be singular, and make People gaze at me, I intended to move from S. S. E. to N. N. W. and to perform but one Revolution in a royal Period, whether it happened to be long or short, so that I might be consulted about the Fate of a King, tho' I knew nothing of the Matter.
Pleas'd with those imaginary Prospects, and being well rested, I began to stir, and put my Projects in Execution; but this I found so difficult by means of the contrary Attractions, that my former desponding Humour return'd with an addition of Malice and Envy. I saw that I must Die, and perhaps never be heard of if I continued where I was, so that I strove with all my might, to throw my self back to the Earth, hoping I might kill some Body by my Fall, whose Friends wou'd spread abroad my Fame, tho' ignorant of my Intentions. To compass this, after much Labour, I remov'd my self somewhat farther from the Verge of the Earth's Atmosphere, intending to fall with the greater Rapidity, and bring certain Death to any Mortal I shou'd chance to light on. But this I shou'd never have any hopes of obtaining, had it not been that a Cloud full of Hail was driven towards me by the Whirlwind. I laid hold on the Opportunity, and putting both my Hands against it, by all Strength, I caus'd it to re-act upon me as much as I acted upon it, so that I was quickly remov'd into the Sphere of the Moon's Attraction, more than I intended; for two thirds of my Body being attracted by the Moon, the rest soon follow'd, so that I was carried with incredible swiftness, which still increas'd in my fall towards that Planet.
It was my good Fortune to fall into a Fish-pond, which our sharp-sighted Philosophers mistake for a Part of the Sea, and call it Sinus Rorum; but I hope they will not be so bold as to deny what I say, since they all confess that they never were there. It is call'd in the Language of the Moon Brugg-Quqns because it belongs to the King of Quqns. By good Fortune the King's Fisherman was angling for the Diversion of some of the Court, when I fell into the Pond, and the hook which was tied to his Line, got into one of my Button-holes, so that he was oblig'd either to draw me out, tho' my Fall had terribly affrighted them, or lose his Rod, which wou'd have been punish'd with Death, for there they are oblig'd to perform whatever they undertake, be it never so difficult.