distance of a hundred and fifty miles from the mountain, it was
impossible to see the whitest object, however close we held it to our
eyes.'" (*5)

"Hum!" said the king.

"'After quitting this coast, the beast continued his voyage until we met
with a land in which the nature of things seemed reversed--for we here
saw a great lake, at the bottom of which, more than a hundred feet
beneath the surface of the water, there flourished in full leaf a forest
of tall and luxuriant trees.'" (*6)

"Hoo!" said the king.

"Some hundred miles farther on brought us to a climate where the
atmosphere was so dense as to sustain iron or steel, just as our own
does feather.'" (*7)

"Fiddle de dee," said the king.

"Proceeding still in the same direction, we presently arrived at the
most magnificent region in the whole world. Through it there meandered
a glorious river for several thousands of miles. This river was of
unspeakable depth, and of a transparency richer than that of amber.
It was from three to six miles in width; and its banks which arose on
either side to twelve hundred feet in perpendicular height, were crowned
with ever-blossoming trees and perpetual sweet-scented flowers, that
made the whole territory one gorgeous garden; but the name of this
luxuriant land was the Kingdom of Horror, and to enter it was inevitable
death'" (*8)

"Humph!" said the king.

"'We left this kingdom in great haste, and, after some days, came to
another, where we were astonished to perceive myriads of monstrous
animals with horns resembling scythes upon their heads. These hideous
beasts dig for themselves vast caverns in the soil, of a funnel shape,
and line the sides of them with, rocks, so disposed one upon the other
that they fall instantly, when trodden upon by other animals, thus
precipitating them into the monster's dens, where their blood is
immediately sucked, and their carcasses afterwards hurled contemptuously
out to an immense distance from "the caverns of death."'" (*9)

"Pooh!" said the king.

"'Continuing our progress, we perceived a district with vegetables that
grew not upon any soil but in the air. (*10) There were others that
sprang from the substance of other vegetables; (*11) others that derived
their substance from the bodies of living animals; (*12) and then again,
there were others that glowed all over with intense fire; (*13) others
that moved from place to place at pleasure, (*14) and what was still
more wonder