the surprising adventures of baron munchausen-第16节

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My　first　visit　to　England　was　about　the　beginning　of　the　present　king's　reign。　I　had　occasion　to　go　down　to　Wapping；　to　see　some　goods　shipped；　which　I　was　sending　to　some　friends　at　Hamburgh；　after　that　business　was　over；　I　took　the　Tower　Wharf　in　my　way　back。　Here　I　found　the　sun　very　powerful；　and　I　was　so　much　fatigued　that　I　stepped　into　one　of　the　cannon　to　compose　me；　where　I　fell　fast　asleep。　This　was　about　noon：　it　was　the　fourth　of　June；　exactly　at　one　o'clock　these　cannon　were　all　discharged　in　memory　of　the　day。　They　had　been　all　charged　that　morning；　and　having　no　suspicion　of　my　situation；　I　was　shot　over　the　houses　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　river；　into　a　farmer's　yard；　between　Bermondsey　and　Deptford；　where　I　fell　upon　a　large　hay…stack；　without　waking；　and　continued　there　in　a　sound　sleep　till　hay　became　so　extravagantly　dear　（which　was　about　three　months　after）；　that　the　farmer　found　it　his　interest　to　send　his　whole　stock　to　market：　the　stack　I　was　reposing　upon　was　the　largest　in　the　yard；　containing　above　five　hundred　load；　they　began　to　cut　that　first。　I　woke　with　the　voices　of　the　people　who　had　ascended　the　ladders　to　begin　at　the　top；　and　got　up；　totally　ignorant　of　my　situation：　in　attempting　to　run　away　I　fell　upon　the　farmer　to　whom　the　hay　belonged；　and　broke　his　neck；　yet　received　no　injury　myself。　I　afterwards　found；　to　my　great　consolation；　that　this　fellow　was　a　most　detestable　character；　always　keeping　the　produce　of　his　grounds　for　extravagant　markets。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　XX

　　/The　Baron　slips　through　the　world：　after　paying　a　visit　to　Mount　　　Etna　he　finds　himself　in　the　South　Sea；　visits　Vulcan　in　his　　　passage；　gets　on　board　a　Dutchman；　arrives　at　an　island　of　cheese；　　　surrounded　by　a　sea　of　milk；　describes　some　very　extraordinary　　　objectsLose　their　compass；　their　ship　slips　between　the　teeth　of　　　a　fish　unknown　in　this　part　of　the　world；　their　difficulty　in　　　escaping　from　thence；　arrive　in　the　Caspian　SeaStarves　a　bear　to　　　deathA　few　waistcoat　anecdotesIn　this　chapter；　which　is　the　　　longest；　the　Baron　moralises　upon　the　virtue　of　veracity。/

Mr。　Drybones'　〃Travels　to　Sicily；〃　which　I　had　read　with　great　pleasure；　induced　me　to　pay　a　visit　to　Mount　Etna；　my　voyage　to　this　place　was　not　attended　with　any　circumstances　worth　relating。　One　morning　early；　three　or　four　days　after　my　arrival；　I　set　out　from　a　cottage　where　I　had　slept；　within　six　miles　of　the　foot　of　the　mountain；　determined　to　explore　the　internal　parts；　if　I　perished　in　the　attempt。　After　three　hours'　hard　labour　I　found　myself　at　the　top；　it　was　then；　and　had　been　for　upwards　of　three　weeks；　raging：　its　appearance　in　this　state　has　been　so　frequently　noticed　by　different　travellers；　that　I　will　not　tire　you　with　descriptions　of　objects　you　are　already　acquainted　with。　I　walked　round　the　edge　of　the　crater；　which　appeared　to　be　fifty　times　at　least　as　capacious　as　the　Devil's　Punch…Bowl　near　Petersfield；　on　the　Portsmouth　Road；　but　not　so　broad　at　the　bottom；　as　in　that　part　it　resembles　the　contracted　part　of　a　funnel　more　than　a　punch…bowl。　At　last；　having　made　up　my　mind；　in　I　sprang　feet　foremost；　I　soon　found　myself　in　a　warm　berth；　and　my　body　bruised　and　burnt　in　various　parts　by　the　red…hot　cinders；　which；　by　their　violent　ascent；　opposed　my　descent：　however；　my　weight　soon　brought　me　to　the　bottom；　where　I　found　myself　in　the　midst　of　noise　and　clamour；　mixed　with　the　most　horrid　imprecations；　after　recovering　my　senses；　and　feeling　a　reduction　of　my　pain；　I　began　to　look　about　me。　Guess；　gentlemen；　my　astonishment；　when　I　found　myself　in　the　company　of　Vulcan　and　his　Cyclops；　who　had　been　quarrelling；　for　the　three　weeks　before　mentioned；　about　the　observation　of　good　order　and　due　subordination；　and　which　had　occasioned　such　alarms　for　that　space　of　time　in　the　world　above。　However；　my　arrival　restored　peace　to　the　whole　society；　and　Vulcan　himself　did　me　the　honour　of　applying　plasters　to　my　wounds；　which　healed　them　immediately；　he　also　placed　refreshments　before　me；　particularly　nectar；　and　other　rich　wines；　such　as　the　gods　and　goddesses　only　aspire　to。　After　this　repast　was　over　Vulcan　ordered　Venus　to　show　me　every　indulgence　which　my　situation　required。　To　describe　the　apartment；　and　the　couch　on　which　I　reposed；　is　totally　impossible；　therefore　I　will　not　attempt　it；　let　it　suffice　to　say；　it　exceeds　the　power　of　language　to　do　it　justice；　or　speak　of　that　kind…hearted　goddess　in　any　terms　equal　to　her　merit。

Vulcan　gave　me　a　very　concise　account　of　Mount　Etna：　he　said　it　was　nothing　more　than　an　accumulation　of　ashes　thrown　from　his　forge；　that　he　was　frequently　obliged　to　chastise　his　people；　at　whom；　in　his　passion；　he　made　it　a　practice　to　throw　red…hot　coals　at　home；　which　they　often　parried　with　great　dexterity；　and　then　threw　them　up　into　the　world　to　place　them　out　of　his　reach；　for　they　never　attempted　to　assault　him　in　return　by　throwing　them　back　again。　〃Our　quarrels；〃　added　he；　〃last　sometimes　three　or　four　months；　and　these　appearances　of　coals　or　cinders　in　the　world　are　what　I　find　you　mortals　call　eruptions。〃　Mount　Vesuvius；　he　assured　me；　was　another　of　his　shops；　to　which　he　had　a　passage　three　hundred　and　fifty　leagues　under　the　bed　of　the　sea；　where　similar　quarrels　produced　similar　eruptions。　I　should　have　continued　here　as　an　humble　attendant　upon　Madam　Venus；　but　some　busy　tattlers；　who　delight　in　mischief；　whispered　a　tale　in　Vulcan's　ear；　which　roused　in　him　a　fit　of　jealousy　not　to　be　appeased。　Without　the　least　previous　notice　he　took　me　one　morning　under　his　arm；　as　I　was　waiting　upon　Venus；　agreeable　to　custom；　and　carried　me　to　an　apartment　I　had　never　before　seen；　in　which　there　was；　to　all　appearance；　/a　well/　with　a　wide　mouth：　over　this　he　held　me　at　arm's　length；　and　saying；　〃/Ungrateful　mortal；　return　to　the　world　from　whence　you　came/；〃　without　giving　me　the　least　opportunity　of　reply；　dropped　me　in　the　centre。　I　found　myself　descending　with　an　increasing　rapidity；　till　the　horror　of　my　mind　deprived　me　of　all　reflection。　I　suppose　I　fell　into　a　trance；　from　which　I　was　suddenly　aroused　by　plunging　into　a　large　body　of　water　illuminated　by　the　rays　of　the　sun！！

I　could；　from　my　infancy；　swim　well；　and　play　tricks　in　the　water。　I　now　found　myself　in　paradise；　considering　the　horrors　of　mind　I　had　just　been　released　from。　After　looking　about　me　some　time；　I　could　discover　nothing　but　an　expanse　of　sea；　extending　beyond　the　eye　in　every　direction；　I　also　found　it　very　cold；　a　different　climate　from　Master　Vulcan's　shop。　At　last　I　observed　at　some　distance　a　body　of　amazing　magnitude；　like　a　huge　rock；　approaching　me；　I　soon　discovered　it　to　be　a　piece　of　floating　ice；　I　swam　round　it　till　I　found　a　place　where　I　could　ascend　to　the　top；　which　I　did；　but　not　without　some　difficulty。　Still　I　was　out　of　sight　of　land；　and　despair　returned　with　double　force；　however；　before　night　came　on　I　saw　a　sail；　which　we　approached　very　fast；　when　it　was　within　a　very　small　distance　I　hailed　them　in　German；　they　answered　in　Dutch。　I　then　flung　myself　into　the　sea；　and　they　threw　out　a　rope；　by　which　I　was　taken　on　board。　I　now　inquired　where　we　were；　and　was　informed；　in　the　great　Southern　Ocean；　this　opened　a　discovery　which　removed　all　my　doubts　and　difficulties。　It　was　now　evident　that　I　had　passed　from　Mount　Etna　through　the　centre　of　the　earth　to　the　South　Seas：　this；　gentlemen；　was　a　much　shorter　cut　than　going　round　the　world；　and　which　no　man　has　accomplished；　or　ever　attempted；　but　myself；　however；　the　next　time　I　perform　it　I　will　be　much　more　particular　in　my　observations。

I　took　some　refreshment；　and　went　to　rest。　The　Dutch　are　a　very　rude　sort　of　people；　I　related　the　Etna　passage　to　the　officers；　exactly　as　I　have　done　to　you；　and　some　of　them；　particularly　the　Captain；　seemed　by　his　grimace　and　half…sentence　to　doubt　my　veracity；　however；　as　he　had　kindly　taken　me　on　board　his　vessel；　and　was　then　in　the　very　act　of　administering　to　my　necessities；　I　pocketed　the　affront。

I　now　in　my　turn　began　to　inquire　where　they　were　bound？　To　which　they　answered；　they　were　in　search　of　new　discoveries；　〃/and　if/；〃　said　they；　〃/your　story　is　true；　a　new　passage　is　really　discovered；　and　we　shall　not　return　disappointed/。〃　We　were　now　exactly　in　Captain　Cook's　first　track；　and　arrived　the　next　morning　in　Botany　Bay。　This　place　I　would　by　no　means　recommend　to　the　English　government　as　a　receptacle　for　felons；　or　place　of　punishment；　it　should　rather　be　the　reward　of　merit；　nature　having　most　bountifully　bestowed　her　best　gifts　upon　it。

We　stayed　here　but　three　days；　the　fourth　after　our　departure　a　most　dreadful　storm　arose；　which　in　a　few　hours　destroyed　all　our　sails；　splintered　our　bowsprit；　and　brought　down　our　topmast；　it　fell　directly　upon　the　box　that　enclosed　our　compass；　which；　with　the　compass；　was　broken　to　pieces。　Every　one　who　has　been　at　sea　knows　the　consequences　of　such　a　misfortune：　we　now　were　at　a　loss　where　to　steer。　At　length　the　storm　abated；　which　was　followed　by　a　steady；　brisk　gale；　that　carried　us　at　least　forty　knots　an　hour　for　six　months！　＇we　should　suppose　the　Baron　has　made　a　little　mistake；　and　substituted　/months/