We determined to go still farther into the interior, but we met some of the Hippogyps, as they call themselves, and they arrested us. These Hippogyps are men riding on great vultures, using the birds like horses, for the vultures are large and for the most part three-headed. You may understand their size from this: each of their feathers is longer and thicker than the mast of a good-sized merchantman. Now it was the business of our Hippogyps to fly about the country, and, if they found a stranger, bring him to the king. Accordingly, they took us in charge and
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brought us to him. When he had looked at us, he said: "I see, strangers, that you are Greeks.” For he judged from our appearance and clothing. Upon our replying that we were, he asked: "How, then, have you come hither, traversing such a waste of air?" We told him our whole story, and then he began in turn and told us about himself: how he, too, was a man, Endymion by name, and had once been snatched up from our earth in his sleep, and, arriving here, had become king of the country. He said that this earth was what appeared to us below to be the moon. But he bade us take heart and suspect no danger, for we should have everything we wanted.
"If," said he, "I bring to a successful issue the war I am now waging against the inhabitants of the Sun, you will find this the pleasantest place of residence in the universe." We asked who the enemy were and what was the matter in dispute. "Phaeton," said he, "the king of the Sun-folk -for the Sun is inhabited as well as the Moonhas been at war with us for a long time already. It began from this cause: I had collected the poorest of my subjects and planned to send them off to colonize the Morning-star, which is a wilderness, uninhabited by any one. Now Phaeton, in his jealousy, stopped the colonists, meeting
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them half-way on their journey with his Antcavalry. On that occasion we were beaten— for our numbers were not equal to theirs-and we retired, but now I want to march out again and convoy the colonists. So, if it be agreeable to you, join my expedition. I will furnish you with a vulture apiece from the royal stables and the rest of your equipment. We shall set out tomorrow." "We are at your service," said I.
He then invited us to supper, and we spent the night with him. [Here follows a detailed account of the extraordinary troops marshalled by Endymion and Phaeton, and the manner in which the battle was fought, the Moonites defeated, and the hero taken prisoner with two of his companions. The victorious Sun-folk built a wall between their country and the Moon, cutting off the sunlight, so that Endymion's people were forced to sue for peace, which was granted on easy terms, the chief stipulations being that the Moon should pay a yearly tribute of a hundred thousand gallons of dew, and that the Morning-star should be settled by colonists from the Sun as well as the Moon, and any one else who cared to join them.]
Such were the terms of the peace. The wall was forthwith torn down, and we prisoners-of-war were surrendered. On our return to the Moon
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our comrades and Endymion himself came out to meet us, and embraced us with tears; and he asked me to stay there and join his colony, promising to give me his own child in marriage. However, I by no means listened to him, but begged him to convey me down into the sea again; and when he saw it was impossible to move me he sent us off after feasting us for seven days.
Then, after making our adieux to the king and his people, we embarked and set sail. On me Endymion also bestowed some gifts, two of their crystal tunics, five bronze ones, and a suit of beanarmor-all of which I left in the whale. He sent also a thousand Hippogyps to escort us fifty miles.
On our voyage we sailed past a number of places, and put in at the Morning-star, which we had just helped to colonize, and disembarked and took in water. Going aboard again we made off into the Zodiac on the left, all but touching the Sun as we sailed past. We did not go ashore, though many of my mates were eager to, for the wind did not permit it. However, we saw the country, which was blooming, rich, well-watered, and full of all pleasant things. When the Cloud-centaurs, who are mercenaries of Phaeton, saw us, they flew towards the ship; but, on learning that we were allies, they withdrew.
The Hippogyps, too, had already left us.
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After sailing all the next night and day we arrived towards evening at what is called Lamptown, having already entered upon our downward course. This city lies between the tracts of the Pleiades and the Hyades, a good deal lower than the Zodiac. Here we disembarked, but we found no human being, only a multitude of lamps running about and transacting business in the market-place and on the wharves. Some were small, the lower classes, as it were; but a few were large and of high rank, and these were brilliant, and could be seen afar. Each of them had his own private residence or lantern, and a name, like a man, and we heard them utter speech. They offered us no injury, but even invited us to be their guests. Still we were afraid of them, and not one of us dared either to sit at table or pass the night with them. They have erected a palace in the midst of the city, and there the ruler sits all night, calling on each by name. If any one does not respond, he is condemned to death as having deserted his post. Death with them is to be extinguished. We were present and saw what happened, and heard the lamps defending themselves and explaining the reasons for their tardiness. There I recognized also the lamp from our house, and, addressing him, asked him how things were going on at home, and he gave me a full account. We spent that one night there, and the next
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day we put out to sea again, being already nearer the clouds. And there we saw Cloudcuckootown (to our amazement), but we did not put in, as the wind was in the wrong direction. But Crow, son of Blackbird, was said to be on the throne, and I bethought me of Aristophanes the poet, a grave man and truthful, and one whose writings have been unworthily discredited. On the third day thereafter we also got plain sight of the ocean, but no land was anywhere to be seen save those islands in the air, and they had already taken on a fiery, dazzling look. On the fourth day, about noon, the wind fell gently and subsided, and we sank onto the sea.
When we touched the water it was wonderful to see the excesses of our joy and delight. We made what cheer our means would allow, and sprang overboard and swam about, for there happened to be a calm and the sea was quiet. But a change for the better seems to be often the beginning of greater evils, and so it was in our case. For two days only we sailed with fine weather, and at daybreak, on the third, just before sunrise, we suddenly sighted a great number of sea-monsters and whales, with one among them bigger than all the rest, a hundred and seventy miles long. It came on with its mouth yawning open, making wide commotion in the sea, scattering foam in all directions, and showing its great teeth. They
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were all as sharp as pickets and white as ivory. Well, we said our last farewells, embraced each other, and waited. The creature was already alongside, and swallowed us down at a gulp, ship and all. However, it did not close its teeth in time to crush us, but the ship slipped in through the openings.
When we were within, all was dark at first, and we saw nothing; but presently the creature opened its mouth, and we beheld a great cavern, so broad in all directions and so high that it might have held a city of ten thousand souls. In the midst lay the fragments of small fish and other animals, sails of ships, anchors, human bones, and merchandise; and down the middle there was dry land, with hills formed, I suppose, by the settling of the mud the creature drank down. At all events, there were woods on it, and plants of all sorts grew there and vegetables had sprung up, so that it was in all respects like tilled soil. The circumference of the land was twenty-seven miles. We could also see sea-fowl, gulls, and halcyons building nests in the trees.
Well, at first we wept a long time, but by-andby I roused my comrades and we propped the ship. Then we rubbed dry sticks together and made a fire, and cooked a meal of anything we could lay our hands on. There was an abundance of fish at hand of all sorts, and we still had some
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of the water we had laid in at the Morning-star. Next morning when we arose, every time the whale opened its mouth we saw now land, now mountains, now sky alone, and often islands. By this we perceived the creature was rushing swiftly through all parts of the sea. When we had already grown accustomed to this manner of life, I took seven of my companions and made my way into the forest, wishing to explore it thoroughly. I had not gone a thousand yards before I came upon a temple dedicated to Poseidon, as the inscription showed, and shortly after a number of graves with headstones, and near by a spring of clear water. Moreover, we heard the barking of a dog, and perceived smoke rising in the distance, so that we judged there must be a habitation of some sort.
Accordingly, we hastened our steps, and came upon an old man and a young one working very industriously in a garden-plot, and watering it with water from the spring. We halted, overjoyed, and at the same time filled with fear, and they must have had the same feeling towards us, for they stood speechless. But presently the old man said, "Who are you, strangers? Are you," said he, "some of the gods of the sea, or ill-fated mortals like ourselves? For we are men, and we were reared on dry land; but now we have become sea-dwellers, and we
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swim about in company with this monster who encloses us, not rightly knowing what condition we are in; for reason tells us we are dead, and yet we believe we are alive." In answer to this I, too, spoke: "We, too, are men, father-new-comers, at your service. We were gulped down, the other day, ship and all. We are making this expedition for the sake of knowing what is in the forest, for it seemed large and thickly wooded. Some god, I think, led us, so that we might see you, and know that we are not the only men penned up in this monster. But come, tell us your story-who you are and how you came hither." But he said he would neither give nor seek information until he had offered us such hospitality as was in his power; so he took possession of us and led us to his dwelling, which was tolerably made, with beds built in it and furnished with the other necessaries. He set before us vegetables and fruits and fish, and poured out wine for us, too; and when we had eaten our fill, he inquired what our adventures had been. I related them all in order-the storm, our experiences on the island, our voyage in the air, the war, everything up to our engulfment by the whale.
He was greatly astonished, and in turn gave us an account of his own fortunes. "By birth, friends, I am a Cypriote. Being engaged
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in commerce, I set out from my native land with my boy, whom you see, and a number of slaves as well, and sailed for Italy, carrying a cargo of all sorts of wares in a large ship, which you perhaps saw lying in fragments at the whale's mouth. Well, as far as Sicily we had a favorable voyage, but there a tempest fell upon us and drove us three days out to sea, where we fell in with the whale and were swallowed bodily. We two alone were saved; all the others perished. We buried our comrades and built the temple to Poseidon, and then we fell into our present mode of life, tilling our kitchen-garden, and eating fish and fruits. The forest, as you see, is extensive, and there are actually quantities of grapes in it, which make the sweetest wine. The spring, too, which perhaps you know, gives very clear and cold water. We make our bed of leaves; we have no lack of fire; we capture the birds that fly in; we take alive the fish that find their way into the monster's gills; and there, too, we bathe when we wish. There is a salt lake, also, not far off, more than two miles in circumference, stocked with fish of all sorts. There we swim and sail, too, in a small skiff that I built myself. This is the twenty-seventh year since we were swallowed.
As far as these things go, our life was perhaps tolerable; but our neighbors, the people who live near us, are extremely rough and violent, for they are savages
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who have never had commerce with civilization." "What!" said I, "are there, then, still other men in the whale ?" "Numbers of them," said he, "inhospitable and barbarous in their manners. The western territory towards the tail is inhabited by the Driedherring folk, an eel-eyed, lobster-faced race, warlike, fierce, and eaters of raw flesh. On the other side, towards the right, are the Triton-weasels, who are like men above but like weasels below. However, they are less unruly than the others. On the left are the Crabclaws and the Tunnyheads, who have made a friendly alliance between themselves. The country between is inhabited by the Crayfish and the Skaitfeet, a warlike race and very swift in running. The eastern part towards the mouth consists of waste deserts washed by the sea. But this region I hold, paying the Skaitfeet a yearly tribute of five hundred oysters.
Such is the nature of the country; it is for you to see to it that we may be able to hold our own in war with so many tribes and get our living." "What are their numbers in all ?" said I. "More than a thousand," he replied. "And what arms have they?" "None," said he, "except fish-bones." "Very well, then," I said; "it would be best to engage them in battle, for they are unarmed and
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we are armed. If we overcome them we shall dwell without fear of molestation for the future." This course was determined on, and we went back to the ship and made ourselves ready. The day for paying the tribute was at hand, and we were going to make a refusal to pay it the ground of war. Sure enough, the savages sent messengers to demand the tribute, but our friends answered them scornfully and chased them away. The Skaitfeet and the Crayfish were the first to advance, furious with Skintharos-for that was his name—and making a great noise.
But we had suspected their attack, and awaited them fully armed, having sent forward an ambuscade of twenty-five men. The order given to the men in ambush was that when they perceived the enemy had passed by they should spring out, and this is what they did. Springing out, they fell upon them from the rear; and we ourselves, who were also twenty-five in number (for Skintharos and his son fought with us), met them in front and joined battle, fighting desperately with might and main ; and finally we put them to flight and chased them to their caves. The enemy lost one hundred and seventy men; we lost one, and the pilot was wounded in the back with the rib of a mullet.
That day and night we encamped on the battle-field, and raised a trophy by fixing the dried spine of a dolphin upright. But the next day all
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the others who had learned what was going on presented themselves. The Dried-herrings were on the right wing, with Pelamos in command, the Tunnyheads were on the left, and the Crab-claws occupied the centre. The Triton-weasels remained neutral, not choosing to join either side. We took the initiative, advanced to meet them, and engaged with a great shout close by the temple of Poseidon. The hollow chamber echoed our cry as if it had been a cavern. We routed them, unarmed as they were, and chasing them into the depths of the forest, made ourselves masters of the rest of the country.
Soon after they sent messengers, who gathered up their dead and discussed an alliance; but we decided not to treat with them. On the contrary, we marched against them next day, and literally cut them to pieces, with the exception of the Triton-weasels. These, when they saw what had happened, rushed out through the gills and threw themselves into the sea. We marched into the country, stripped already of enemies, and dwelt securely thereafter, instituting exercises of various sorts and hunting; and we cultivated the vines, and gathered the fruits from the trees, and were in every respect like well-fed prisoners left at large in a great prison, from which escape was impossible. We lived in this fashion for a year and eight months;
but on the fifth day of the ninth month
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I rose at about the second yawning of the whale -for he opened his mouth once in every hour, so that we reckoned our time by it—well, about the second yawning, as I said, a sudden great uproar was heard, and what sounded like the commands of officers and the rhythmic cry of rowers. Startled, as you may suppose, we crept up to the very mouth of the monster, and standing inside the teeth, we beheld the most amazing sight I ever saw-namely, giants a hundred yards tall, sailing towards one another on huge islands as if they were triremes. Now I know that what I am going to recount will seem highly incredible, nevertheless I shall tell it. The islands were long, but not particularly high, and each was as much as twelve miles in circumference. About twenty-eight of the giants sailed on each, part of them seated in order on either side, and rowing with great pine-treesbranches, leaves and all—for oars. Aft, as if on the poop, stood the pilot on a high hill, handling a bronze rudder five hundred yards long. At the prow stood as many as forty in armor, fighting. They were like men in all respects save their hair, but that was of flaming fire, so that they had no need of helmets. They had no sails, but the wind, striking against the trees, which grew in forests on each, filled them, and drove the island whithersoever the pilot wished. A boatswain
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stood over the rowers to give them their time, and the islands moved quickly at his order like so many great ships.
At first we saw only two or three islands, but afterwards as many as six hundred appeared, ranged themselves in opposition, and began a naval battle. Many dashed against each other's prows, many were run into and sunk, but some grappled and fought vigorously, and could not easily be shaken off, for the warriors at the prow showed the greatest spirit in boarding the other vessel and killing her men, but no one took a prisoner alive. Instead of grappling-irons they threw great polyps, fastened one to another. These entangled themselves in the trees and so held the island itself. Their missiles and weapons were oysters large enough to fill a cart and sponges thirty yards round.
The commander on one side was Fleet-foot, on the other Sea-Drinker. The cause of the battle appeared to be a dispute about plunder, for Sea-Drinker was said to have driven off many herds of dolphins belonging to Fleetfoot, as we could hear from what they shouted to one another, and in the same way we learned the names of the kings. Finally, Fleet-foot and his party were victorious, and they sank about a hundred and fifty of the enemy's islands and captured three more with their crews, but the others backed water and
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fled. The victors gave chase for a while, but when evening had fallen they returned to where the débris floated, took possession of most of the enemies' belongings and recovered their own; for not less than eighty of their own islands had sunk. They also raised a trophy in honor of the victory on the whale's head, by setting one of the enemy's islands on a post. That night they encamped round the whale, floating close by, having fastened their hawsers and anchors to him, for they had anchors, too-large ones made of glass and very strong. The next day they sacrificed on the whale, buried their comrades on him, and sailed off rejoicing and apparently singing a song of victory. Such are the details of the island engagement.