"'Our terror at beholding this hideous thing was very great, but even surpassed by our astonishment, when upon getting nearer look, we perceived creature's back vast number of animals size and shape of men, and altogether much resembling them, except wore no garments (as men do), being supplied (by nature, ) with an ugly uncomfortable covering, like cloth, but fitting so tight skin, render the poor wretches laughably awkward, and put them apparently to severe pain very tips heads were certain square-looking boxes, which, at first sight, intended to answer as turbans, but I soon discovered were excessively heavy and solid, and I therefore concluded they were contrivances designed, by their great weight, the heads animals steady and safe upon their shoulders Around the necks creatures were fastened black collars, (badges of servitude, ,) such keep dogs, only much wider and infinitely stiffer, so quite impossible poor victims to move their heads in any direction without moving the body same time; and thus they were doomed to perpetual contemplation noses -- view puggish and snubby in wonderful, positively in an awful degree

"' monster had nearly reached the shore where we stood, it suddenly pushed out one eyes to great extent, and emitted terrible flash of fire, accompanied by dense cloud of smoke, and noise that compare to nothing but thunder smoke cleared away, we saw odd man-animals standing near the head large beast with trumpet hand, through which (putting it mouth) he presently addressed us in loud, harsh, and disagreeable accents, that, perhaps, mistaken for language, had they not come altogether nose

"'Being thus evidently spoken to, at loss how to reply, as in no manner understand said; and difficulty I turned porter, who was near swooning through affright, and demanded of him his opinion what species of monster , what it wanted, and what kind of creatures those were that so swarmed upon its back the porter replied, as for trepidation, that he had once before heard sea-beast; cruel demon, with bowels of sulphur and blood of fire, created by evil genii means of inflicting misery upon mankind; things upon its back were vermin, such as sometimes infest cats and dogs, only little larger and more savage; and vermin had their uses, however evil -- for, torture they caused the beast by their nibbling and stingings, goaded into that degree of wrath requisite it roar and commit ill, and so fulfil the vengeful and malicious designs wicked genii

"This account determined me to my heels, and, without once even looking behind me, I ran at full speed up hills, while the porter ran equally fast, although nearly in an opposite direction, , means, he finally made his escape with my bundles, excellent care -- although point determine, as remember that I ever beheld him again

"' , so hotly pursued by swarm men-vermin (who had come shore in boats) that overtaken, bound hand and foot, and conveyed beast, which immediately swam out again middle sea

"'I now bitterly repented my folly in quitting comfortable home to peril my life adventures ; but regret being useless, the best condition, and exerted myself to secure the goodwill man-animal that owned the trumpet, and who appeared to exercise authority over his fellows I succeeded endeavor that, , the creature bestowed upon me various tokens favor, and end even went trouble of teaching me the rudiments of what vain enough to denominate its language; , , enabled to converse with it readily, and came it comprehend the ardent desire I had of seeing the world

"'Washish squashish squeak, Sinbad, hey-diddle diddle, grunt unt grumble, hiss, fiss, whiss,' said he , one day after dinner- but I beg thousand pardons, I had forgotten that your majesty conversant dialect Cock-neighs (so the man-animals were called; I presume because their language formed the connecting link between that horse rooster) With your permission, translate 'Washish squashish,' and so forth: -- , ' happy , my dear Sinbad, that really very excellent fellow; now about doing thing called circumnavigating the globe; and since so desirous of seeing the world, strain point and free passage upon back beast '"

Lady Scheherazade had proceeded thus far, relates the "Isitsoornot," the king turned over left side right, and said:

" , , very surprising, my dear queen, that you omitted, hitherto, these latter adventures of Sinbad them exceedingly entertaining and strange ? "

The king having thus expressed himself, told, the fair Scheherazade resumed her history following words:

"Sinbad went on manner narrative caliph- 'I thanked the man-animal for its kindness, and soon found myself at home beast, which swam at prodigious rate ocean; although the surface latter is, part world, by no means flat, but round like pomegranate, we went -- so -- either up hill or down hill all the time '

"That , was very singular," interrupted the king

"Nevertheless, quite true," replied Scheherazade

" my doubts," rejoined the king; "but, pray, be so good go on story "

" ," said the queen "'The beast,' continued Sinbad caliph, 'swam, as related, up hill and down hill until, , we arrived at an island, many hundreds of miles in circumference, but which, nevertheless, built middle sea by colony of little things like caterpillars'" {*1}

"Hum ! " said the king

"'Leaving this island,' said Sinbad -- (for Scheherazade, it understood, took no notice of her husband's ill-mannered ejaculation) 'leaving this island, we came to another where the forests were of solid stone, and so hard shivered to pieces the finest-tempered axes we endeavoured to cut them down "' {*2}

"Hum ! " said the king, again; but Scheherazade, paying him no attention, continued language of Sinbad

"'Passing beyond this last island, we reached country where cave that ran distance of thirty or forty miles bowels earth, contained greater number of far more spacious and more magnificent palaces than are found in all Damascus and Bagdad roofs palaces there hung myriads of gems, liked diamonds, but larger than men; and in streets of towers and pyramids and temples, there flowed immense rivers as black as ebony, and swarming with fish that had no eyes '" {*3}

"Hum ! " said the king "'We then swam into region sea where lofty mountain, down whose sides there streamed torrents of melted metal, some were twelve miles wide and sixty miles long {*4}; while from an abyss summit, issued so vast quantity of ashes sun was entirely blotted out heavens, and it became darker darkest midnight; when we were even distance of hundred and fifty miles mountain, impossible 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 land nature of things seemed reversed -- for we here saw great lake, bottom , more than hundred feet beneath the surface water, there flourished in full leaf forest of tall and luxuriant trees '" {*6}

"Hoo ! " said the king

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

"Fiddle de dee," said the king

"Proceeding still same direction, we presently arrived most magnificent region whole world Through it there meandered glorious river for several thousands of miles This river was of unspeakable depth, and of transparency richer than that of amber 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 luxuriant land Kingdom of Horror, and to enter 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 soil, of funnel shape, and line the sides with, rocks, so disposed one other fall instantly, when trodden upon by other animals, thus precipitating them 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 district with vegetables that grew not upon any soil but air {*10} There were others that sprang substance of other vegetables; {*11} others that derived their substance bodies of living animals; {*12} and then again, there were others that glowed all over with intense fire; {*13} others that moved from place at pleasure, {*14} and still more wonderful, we discovered flowers that lived and breathed and moved their limbs at will and had, moreover, the detestable passion of mankind for enslaving other creatures, and confining them in horrid and solitary prisons until the fulfillment of appointed tasks '" {*15}

"Pshaw ! " said the king

"'Quitting this land, we soon arrived at another bees birds are mathematicians genius and erudition, give daily instructions science of geometry wise men empire The king place having offered reward solution of two very difficult problems, they were solved spot -- the one bees, other birds; but the king keeping their solution secret, only most profound researches and labor, writing of an infinity of big books, during long series of years, men-mathematicians arrived identical solutions which given spot bees and birds '" {*16}

"Oh my ! " said the king