The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-28
GULLIVER AND THE AIRSHTP
From Gulliver's Travels.

From Gulliver's Travels.
 " HIS island was at greater dis tance than I expected. and I did A not reach it in less than five hours. I eneompassed it almost round before I could find a convenient place to land in; which was small creek,
 about threee times the wideness of my canoe
 I found the island to be all rocky.
 only little interming1ed wire tufts of grass and sweet smelling herbs. I took
 out my small provisions, and, after
 having refreshed myself I secured the l remainder in a cave, whereof there
 were great numbers; I gathered plenty
 of eggs upon the rocks, and got a quantity of dry seaweed and parched grass, which I designed to Sindle the
 next day. and roast my eggs as we'll as I could; for I had about me my flint steel, match, and burning glass. I lay all night in the cave where I had lodged by provisions. My bed was the same dry grass and seaweed which
 intended for fuel I slept very little, for the disquiets of my mind prevailed " VI my NNoA AAiNSSs teiib NCPl iiiO d etfN
 I considered how impossible it was to preserve my life in so desolate a place,
 and how miserable my end must be. Yet I found myself so listless and Responding that I had not the heart to
 rise; and, before I could get spirits enough to creep out of my cave the day was far advanced I walked a while l among the rocks; the sky was perfect
 ly clear and the sun so hot that I was forced to turn my face from it; when,
 all on a sudden, it became obscure, as thought, in a manner very different from what happens by the interposi- ton of a cloud.
 turned back and perceived a vast opaque body between me and the sun,
 moving forward toward the island; it
 seemed to be about two miles high and
 hid the sun six or seven minutes; but I did not observe the air to be much colder, or the sky more darkened than if I had stood under the shade of a
 mountain. AS it approached nearer
 over the place where I was, it appeared
 to be firm substance, the bottom flat smooth and shining very bright, from
 the reflection of the sea below. l stood
 upon a height about 200 yards from
 the shore, and saw this vast body de-
 scending almost to a parallel with me-
 at less than an English mile distance I took out my pocket perspective and
 could plainly discover numbers of peo-
 pie moving up and down the sides of it. which appeared to be sloping; but what
 those people were doing I was not able
 to distinguish
 The natural love of life gave me some
 inward motions of joy and l was ready
 to entertain a hope that this adventure
 might, some way or other, help to de-
 liver me from the desolate place and
 condition I was in. But at the same
 time the reader can hardly conceive my astonishment to behold an island in the
 air. inhabited by men who were able
 Gas it should seem) to raise or sink or
 put it in progressive motion, as they
 pleased. But not being at that time in
 disposition to philosophze upon this
 phenomenon, I rather chose to observe
 what course the island would take, be-
 cause 1t seemed for a while to stand
 still. Yet soon after, it advanced near
 CT, and I could see the sides of it en-
 compassed with several gradations of
 galleries, and stairs at certain inter-
 vals to descend from one to the other.
 In the lowest gallery I beheld some
 people fishing with long angling rods and others looking on.
 Iwaved my cap ffor my hat was long
 since worn out) md my handkerchief toward the island; and upon it's nearer approach l called and shouted with the utmost strength of my voice; and then looking circumspectly. beheld crowd gather to that side which was most in my view I found by their pointing to- ward me, and to each other, that they plainly discovered me, although they made no return to my shouting. But l could see four or five men running at the island. who then disappeared. happened rightly to conjecture that these men were sent for orders. to some person in-authority upon this oc- casion.
 The number of people increased and in less than an hour the island was moved and raised in such a manner that the lowest gallery appeared in parai- iei of less than loo yards distance from the height where I stood. I then put myself into the most supplicating pos lures and spoke in the humblest ac- cent, but received no answer. Those who stood nearest over against me seemed to be persons of distinction, as I supposed from their habit. They con- ferred earnestly with each other. look | ing often upon me At length one of them called out in clear, polite, smooth dialect, not unlike in sound to
 the Italian: and. therefore. I returned