A Voyage to the Moon

[wolfinthewood]

About noon ... on a sudden a most violent whirlwind arose, and carried the ship above three thousand stadia,* lifting it up above the water, from whence it did not let us down again into the seas but kept us suspended in mid air, in this manner we hung for seven days and nights, and on the eighth, beheld a large tract of land, like an island, round, shining, and remarkably full of light; we got on shore, and found on examination that it was cultivated and full of inhabitants, though we could not then see any of them. As night came on, other islands appeared, some large, others small, and of a fiery colour; there was also below these another land with seas, woods, mountains, and cities in it, and this we took to be our native country.

***

I will now tell you every thing which I met with in the Moon, that was new and extraordinary. ... Amongst them, when a man grows old he does not die, but dissolves into smoak, and turns to air. They all eat the same food, which is, frogs roasted on the ashes from a large fire; of these they have plenty which fly about in the air, they get together over the coals, snuff up the scent of them, and this serves them for victuals. Their drink is air squeezed into a cup, which produces a kind of dew. ...

He who is quite bald, is esteemed a beauty amongst them, for they abominate long hair; whereas, in the comets, it is looked upon as a perfection; at least, so we heard from some strangers who were speaking of them; they have, notwithstanding, small beards a little above the knee; no nails to their feet, and only one great toe. ... They make use of their belly, which they can open and shut as they please, as a kind of bag, or pouch, to put any thing in they want: it has no liver or intestines, but is hairy and warm within, insomuch, that new-born children, when they are cold, frequently creep into it. The garments of the rich amongst them, are made of glass, but very soft: the poor have woven brass, which they have here in great abundance, and by pouring a little water over it, so manage as to card it like wool. I am afraid to mention their eyes, lest, from the incredibility of the thing, you should not believe me. I must, however, inform you that they have eyes which they take in and out whenever they please; so that they can preserve them any where till occasion serves, and then make use of them; many who have lost their own, borrow from others; and there are several rich men who keep a stock of eyes by them. ... I saw likewise another very extraordinary thing in the king’s palace, which was a looking-glass that is placed in a well not very deep; whoever goes down into the well hears everything that is said upon earth, and if he looks into the glass, beholds all the cities and nations of the world as plain as if he was close to them. I myself saw several of my friends there, and my whole native country; whether they saw me also I will not pretend to affirm. He who does not believe these things, whenever he goes there will know that I have said nothing but what is true.

* 1 stadium = about 194 yards

Lucian of Samosata (c. 120–after 180)

from The True History

trans. Thomas Francklin (1721–1784)


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