the surprising adventures of baron munchausen-第10节

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I　was　once　in　great　danger　of　being　lost　in　a　most　singular　manner　in　the　Mediterranean：　I　was　bathing　in　that　pleasant　sea　near　Marseilles　one　summer's　afternoon；　when　I　discovered　a　very　large　fish；　with　his　jaws　quite　extended；　approaching　me　with　the　greatest　velocity；　there　was　no　time　to　be　lost；　nor　could　I　possibly　avoid　him。　I　immediately　reduced　myself　to　as　small　a　size　as　possible；　by　closing　my　feet　and　placing　my　hands　also　near　my　sides；　in　which　position　I　passed　directly　between　his　jaws；　and　into　his　stomach；　where　I　remained　some　time　in　total　darkness；　and　comfortably　warm；　as　you　may　imagine；　at　last　it　occurred　to　me；　that　by　giving　him　pain　he　would　be　glad　to　get　rid　of　me：　as　I　had　plenty　of　room；　I　played　my　pranks；　such　as　tumbling；　hop；　step；　and　jump；　&c。；　but　nothing　seemed　to　disturb　him　so　much　as　the　quick　motion　of　my　feet　in　attempting　to　dance　a　hornpipe；　soon　after　I　began　he　put　me　out　by　sudden　fits　and　starts：　I　persevered；　at　last　he　roared　horridly；　and　stood　up　almost　perpendicularly　in　the　water；　with　his　head　and　shoulders　exposed；　by　which　he　was　discovered　by　the　people　on　board　an　Italian　trader；　then　sailing　by；　who　harpooned　him　in　a　few　minutes。　As　soon　as　he　was　brought　on　board　I　heard　the　crew　consulting　how　they　should　cut　him　up；　so　as　to　preserve　the　greatest　quantity　of　oil。　As　I　understood　Italian；　I　was　in　most　dreadful　apprehensions　lest　their　weapons　employed　in　this　business　should　destroy　me　also；　therefore　I　stood　as　near　the　centre　as　possible；　for　there　was　room　enough　for　a　dozen　men　in　this　creature's　stomach；　and　I　naturally　imagined　they　would　begin　with　the　extremities；　however；　my　fears　were　soon　dispersed；　for　they　began　by　opening　the　bottom　of　the　belly。　As　soon　as　I　perceived　a　glimmering　of　light　I　called　out　lustily　to　be　released　from　a　situation　in　which　I　was　now　almost　suffocated。　It　is　impossible　for　me　to　do　justice　to　the　degree　and　kind　of　astonishment　which　sat　upon　every　countenance　at　hearing　a　human　voice　issue　from　a　fish；　but　more　so　at　seeing　a　naked　man　walk　upright　out　of　his　body；　in　short；　gentlemen；　I　told　them　the　whole　story；　as　I　have　done　you；　whilst　amazement　struck　them　dumb。

After　taking　some　refreshment；　and　jumping　into　the　sea　to　cleanse　myself；　I　swam　to　my　clothes；　which　lay　where　I　had　left　them　on　the　shore。　As　near　as　I　can　calculate；　I　was　near　four　hours　and　a　half　confined　in　the　stomach　of　this　animal。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　IX

　　/Adventures　in　Turkey；　and　upon　the　river　NileSees　a　balloon　　　over　Constantinople；　shoots　at；　and　brings　it　down；　finds　a　French　　　experimental　philosopher　suspended　from　itGoes　on　an　embassy　to　　　Grand　Cairo；　and　returns　upon　the　Nile；　where　he　is　thrown　into　an　　　unexpected　situation；　and　detained　six　weeks。/

When　I　was　in　the　service　of　the　Turks　I　frequently　amused　myself　in　a　pleasure…barge　on　the　Marmora；　which　commands　a　view　of　the　whole　city　of　Constantinople；　including　the　Grand　Seignior's　Seraglio。　One　morning；　as　I　was　admiring　the　beauty　and　serenity　of　the　sky；　I　observed　a　globular　substance　in　the　air；　which　appeared　to　be　about　the　size　of　a　twelve…inch　globe；　with　somewhat　suspended　from　it。　I　immediately　took　up　my　largest　and　longest　barrel　fowling…piece；　which　I　never　travel　or　make　even　an　excursion　without；　if　I　can　help　it；　I　charged　with　a　ball；　and　fired　at　the　globe；　but　to　no　purpose；　the　object　being　at　too　great　a　distance。　I　then　put　in　a　double　quantity　of　powder；　and　five　or　six　balls：　this　second　attempt　succeeded；　all　the　balls　took　effect；　and　tore　one　side　open；　and　brought　it　down。　Judge　my　surprise　when　a　most　elegant　gilt　car；　with　a　man　in　it；　and　part　of　a　sheep　which　seemed　to　have　been　roasted；　fell　within　two　yards　of　me。　When　my　astonishment　had　in　some　degree　subsided；　I　ordered　my　people　to　row　close　to　this　strange　a？rial　traveller。

I　took　him　on　board　my　barge　（he　was　a　native　of　France）：　he　was　much　indisposed　from　his　sudden　fall　into　the　sea；　and　incapable　of　speaking；　after　some　time；　however；　he　recovered；　and　gave　the　following　account　of　himself；　viz。：　〃About　seven　or　eight　days　since；　I　cannot　tell　which；　for　I　have　lost　my　reckoning；　having　been　most　of　the　time　where　the　sun　never　sets；　I　ascended　from　the　Land's　End　in　Cornwall；　in　the　island　of　Great　Britain；　in　the　car　from　which　I　have　been　just　taken；　suspended　from　a　very　large　balloon；　and　took　a　sheep　with　me　to　try　atmospheric　experiments　upon：　unfortunately；　the　wind　changed　within　ten　minutes　after　my　ascent；　and　instead　of　driving　towards　Exeter；　where　I　intended　to　land；　I　was　driven　towards　the　sea；　over　which　I　suppose　I　have　continued　ever　since；　but　much　too　high　to　make　observations。

〃The　calls　of　hunger　were　so　pressing；　that　the　intended　experiments　upon　heat　and　respiration　gave　way　to　them。　I　was　obliged；　on　the　third　day；　to　kill　the　sheep　for　food；　and　being　at　that　time　infinitely　above　the　moon；　and　for　upwards　of　sixteen　hours　after　so　very　near　the　sun　that　it　scorched　my　eyebrows；　I　placed　the　carcase；　taking　care　to　skin　it　first；　in　that　part　of　the　car　where　the　sun　had　sufficient　power；　or；　in　other　words；　where　the　balloon　did　not　shade　it　from　the　sun；　by　which　method　it　was　well　roasted　in　about　two　hours。　This　has　been　my　food　ever　since。〃　Here　he　paused；　and　seemed　lost　in　viewing　the　objects　about　him。　When　I　told　him　the　buildings　before　us　were　the　Grand　Seignior's　Seraglio　at　Constantinople；　he　seemed　exceedingly　affected；　as　he　had　supposed　himself　in　a　very　different　situation。　〃The　cause；〃　added　he；　〃of　my　long　flight；　was　owing　to　the　failure　of　a　string　which　was　fixed　to　a　valve　in　the　balloon；　intended　to　let　out　the　inflammable　air；　and　if　it　had　not　been　fired　at；　and　rent　in　the　manner　before　mentioned；　I　might；　like　Mahomet；　have　been　suspended　between　heaven　and　earth　till　doomsday。〃

The　Grand　Seignior；　to　whom　I　was　introduced　by　the　Imperial；　Russian；　and　French　ambassadors；　employed　me　to　negotiate　a　matter　of　great　importance　at　Grand　Cairo；　and　which　was　of　such　a　nature　that　it　must　ever　remain　a　secret。

I　went　there　in　great　state　by　land；　where；　having　completed　the　business；　I　dismissed　almost　all　my　attendants；　and　returned　like　a　private　gentleman；　the　weather　was　delightful；　and　that　famous　river　the　Nile　was　beautiful　beyond　all　description；　in　short；　I　was　tempted　to　hire　a　barge　to　descend　by　water　to　Alexandria。　On　the　third　day　of　my　voyage　the　river　began　to　rise　most　amazingly　（you　have　all　heard；　I　presume；　of　the　annual　overflowing　of　the　Nile）；　and　on　the　next　day　it　spread　the　whole　country　for　many　leagues　on　each　side！　On　the　fifth；　at　sunrise；　my　barge　became　entangled　with　what　I　at　first　took　for　shrubs；　but　as　the　light　became　stronger　I　found　myself　surrounded　by　almonds；　which　were　perfectly　ripe；　and　in　the　highest　perfection。　Upon　plumbing　with　a　line　my　people　found　we　were　at　least　sixty　feet　from　the　ground；　and　unable　to　advance　or　retreat。　At　about　eight　or　nine　o'clock；　as　near　as　I　could　judge　by　the　altitude　of　the　sun；　the　wind　rose　suddenly；　and　canted　our　barge　on　one　side：　here　she　filled；　and　I　saw　no　more　of　her　for　some　time。　Fortunately　we　all　saved　ourselves　（six　men　and　two　boys）　by　clinging　to　the　tree；　the　boughs　of　which　were　equal　to　our　weight；　though　not　to　that　of　the　barge：　in　this　situation　we　continued　six　weeks　and　three　days；　living　upon　the　almonds；　I　need　not　inform　you　we　had　plenty　of　water。　On　the　forty…　second　day　of　our　distress　the　water　fell　as　rapidly　as　it　had　risen；　and　on　the　forty…sixth　we　were　able　to　venture　down　upon　/terra　firma/。　Our　barge　was　the　first　pleasing　object　we　saw；　about　two　hundred　yards　from　the　spot　where　she　sunk。　After　drying　everything　that　was　useful　by　the　heat　of　the　sun；　and　loading　ourselves　with　necessaries　from　the　stores　on　board；　we　set　out　to　recover　our　lost　ground；　and　found；　by　the　nearest　calculation；　we　had　been　carried　over　garden…walls；　and　a　variety　of　enclosures；　above　one　hundred　and　fifty　miles。　In　four　days；　after　a　very　tiresome　journey　on　foot；　with　thin　shoes；　we　reached　the　river；　which　was　now　confined　to　its　banks；　related　our　adventures　to　a　boy；　who　kindly　accommodated　all　our　wants；　and　sent　us　forward　in　a　barge　of　his　own。　In　six　days　more　we　arrived　at　Alexandria；　where　we　took　shipping　for　Constantinople。　I　was　received　kindly　by　the　Grand　Seignior；　and　had　the　honour　of　seeing　the　Seraglio；　to　which　his　highness　introduced　me　himself。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　X

　　/Pays　a　visit　during　the　siege　of　Gibraltar　to　his　old　friend　　　General　ElliotSinks　a　Spanish　man…of…warWakes　an　old　woman　on　　　the　African　coastDestroys　all　the　enemy's　cannon；　frightens　the　　　Count　d'Artois；　and　sends　him　to　ParisSaves　the　lives　of　two　　　English　spies　with　the　identical　sling　that　killed　Goliath；　and　　　raises　the　siege。/

During　the　late　siege　of　Gibraltar　I　went　with　a　provision…fleet；　under　Lord　Rodney's　command；　to　see　my　old　friend　General　Elliot；　who　has；　by　his　distinguished　defence　of　that　place；　acquired　laurels　that　can　never　fade。　After　the　usual　joy　which　generally　attends　the　meeting　of　old　friends　had　subsided；　I　went　to　examine　the　state　of