His Unwilling Return to the Moon

Next Day, and the Days following, we had some Discourses to the same purpose: But some time after, since the hurry of Affairs suspended our Philosophy, I fell afresh upon the design of mounting up to the Moon.

The next day and for several days afterward, we had similar discussions. But some time later, the press of business interrupted our philosophical talks, and I returned to my plan to travel to the Moon.

So soon as she was up, I walked about musing in the Woods, how I might manage and succeed in my Enterprise; and at length on St. John's¹ Eve, when they were at Council in the Fort, whether they should assist the Wild Natives of the Country against the Iroqueans; I went all alone to the top of a little Hill at the back of our Habitation, where I put in Practice what you shall hear. I had made a Machine which I fancied might carry me up as high as I pleased, so that nothing seeming to be wanting to it, I placed my self within, and from the Top of a Rock threw my self in the Air: But because I had not taken my measures aright, I fell with a sosh in the Valley below.

As soon as she was up, I walked through the woods, thinking about how to carry out my enterprise successfully. At last, on St. John's¹ Eve, they were meeting in the fort. They were deciding whether to help the Wild Natives of the country against the Iroqueans. Meanwhile, I went alone to the top of a small hill behind our settlement. There I put into practice what you are about to hear. I had made a machine that I thought could carry me as high as I pleased. Nothing seemed to be missing from it, so I climbed inside and threw myself into the air from a rock. But because I had miscalculated, I fell with a splash into the valley below.

Bruised as I was, however, I returned to my Chamber without loosing courage, and with Beef-Marrow I anointed my Body, for I was all over mortified from Head to Foot: Then having taken a dram of Cordial Waters to strengthen my Heart, I went back to look for my Machine; but I could not find it, for some Soldiers, that had been sent into the Forest to cut wood for a Bonnefire, meeting with it by chance, had carried it with them to the Fort: Where after a great deal of guessing what it might be, when they had discovered the invention of the Spring, some said, that a good many Fire-Works should be fastened to it, because their Force carrying them up on high, and the Machine playing its large Wings, no Body but would take it for a Fiery Dragon. In the mean time I was long in search of it, but found it at length in the Market-place of Kebeck (Quebec), just as they were setting Fire to it. I was so transported with Grief, to find the Work of my Hands in so great Peril, that I ran to the Souldier that was giving Fire to it, caught hold of his Arm, pluckt the Match out of his Hand, and in great rage threw my self into my Machine, that I might undo the Fire-Works that they had stuck about it; but I came too late, for hardly were both my Feet within, when whip, away went I up in a Cloud.

Though bruised, I returned to my room without losing courage. I rubbed beef marrow over my body, for I was battered from head to foot. Then I took a small drink of cordial water to strengthen my heart and went back to find my machine. But I could not find it. Some soldiers sent into the forest to cut wood for a bonfire had stumbled upon it. They had carried it to the fort, where people spent a long time guessing what it might be. When they discovered how its spring worked, some suggested fastening many fireworks to it. The fireworks would carry the machine high into the air, and its large wings would flap. Everyone would take it for a fiery dragon. Meanwhile, I searched for it for a long time. At last I found it in the marketplace of Kebeck (Quebec), just as they were setting fire to it. I was overcome with grief to see the work of my hands in such danger. I ran to the soldier who was lighting it, grabbed his arm, and snatched the burning match from his hand. In a rage, I threw myself into my machine to remove the fireworks they had attached to it. But I was too late. Hardly were both my feet inside when, whoosh, up I went in a cloud.

The Horror and Consternation I was in did not so confound the faculties of my Soul, but I have since remembered all that happened to me at that instant. For so soon as the Flame had devoured one tier of Squibs, which were ranked by six and six, by means of a Train that reached every half-dozen, another tier went off, and then another;² so that the Salt-Peter taking Fire, put off the danger by encreasing it. However, all the combustible matter being spent, there was a period put to the Fire-work; and whilst I thought of nothing less than to knock my Head against the top of some Mountain, I felt, without the least stirring, my elevation continuing; and adieu Machine, for I saw it fall down again towards the Earth.

The horror and shock I felt did not so overwhelm my mind that I forgot what happened at that moment. As soon as the flames consumed one row of squibs, which were arranged in groups of six, another row went off. A fuse reached each group of six, and row after row went off in turn.² So the saltpeter caught fire and delayed the danger by increasing it. But once all the combustible material was spent, the fireworks came to an end. I was not in the least expecting to knock my head against a mountaintop. Yet I felt myself continuing to rise without moving at all. And farewell to the machine, for I saw it fall back toward Earth.

That extraordinary Adventure puffed up my Heart with so uncommon a Gladness; that, ravished to see my self delivered from certain danger, I had the impudence to philosophize upon it. Whilst then with Eyes and Thought I cast about to find what might be the cause of it, I perceived my flesh blown up, and still greasy with the Marrow, that I had daubed my self over with for the Bruises of my fall: I knew that the Moon being then in the Wain, and that it being usual for her in that Quarter to suck up the Marrow of Animals, she drank up that wherewith I was anointed, with so much the more force that her Globe was nearer to me, and that no interposition of Clouds weakened her Attraction.³

That extraordinary adventure filled my heart with such unusual joy that I dared to philosophize about it. I was delighted to have escaped certain danger. As I looked around and wondered what had caused my escape, I noticed that my flesh was swollen. It was still greasy with the marrow I had rubbed on my bruises after my fall. I knew the Moon was waning and that she usually sucked up the marrow of animals during that phase. She was drawing up the marrow I had rubbed on myself. Her pull was all the stronger because her globe was nearer to me and no clouds stood between us to weaken its attraction.³

When I had, according to the computation I made since, advanced a good deal more than three quarters of the space that divided the Earth from the Moon; all of a sudden I fell with my Heels up and Head down, though I had made no Trip; and indeed, I had not been sensible of it, had not I felt my Head loaded under the weight of my Body: The truth is, I knew very well that I was not falling again towards our World; for though I found my self to be betwixt two Moons, and easily observed, that the nearer I drew to the one, the farther I removed from the other; yet I was certain, that ours was the bigger Globe of the two: Because after one or two days Journey, the remote Refractions of the Sun, confounding the diversity of Bodies and Climates, it appeared to me only as a large Plate of Gold: That made me imagine, that I byassed⁴ towards the Moon; and I was confirmed in that Opinion, when I began to call to mind, that I did not fall till I was past three quarters of the way. For, said I to my self, that Mass being less than ours, the Sphere of its Activity must be of less Extent also; and by consequence, it was later before I felt the force of its Center.

By my later calculations, I had traveled well over three quarters of the distance between Earth and the Moon. Suddenly, I fell headfirst, with my heels in the air, although I had not tripped. In fact, I would not have noticed it if I had not felt my body weighing down on my head. I knew very well that I was not falling back toward our world. I found myself between two moons, and I could easily see that I was moving closer to one and farther from the other. Yet I was certain that ours was the larger globe. After a day or two of travel, the distant refractions of the Sun blurred the differences between its bodies and climates. Earth appeared to me as nothing more than a large plate of gold. This led me to think I was moving toward⁴ the Moon. I became more certain when I remembered that I had not fallen until I was past three quarters of the way. For, I said to myself, the Moon is smaller than Earth, so its sphere of influence must also be smaller. As a result, I felt the force of its center later.