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 Nile—­Sees a balloon over Constantinople; shoots at, and brings it down; finds a French experimental philosopher suspended from it—­Goes 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 aerial traveller.