Page:The Strange Voyage and Adventures of Domingo Gonsales, to the World in the Moon.djvu/19

Rh much Pleasure. If in the Night I would signify any Thing to him, I set up a Light in the Bell Tower, which was a pretty large Room with a fair Window well glazed, and the Walls within plaistered white, so that though the Light were but small, it made a great Show; after this Light had stood half an Hour, I covered it, and then if I saw any Signal of Light again from my Companion I knew he waited for my Notice, and so by hiding and shewing my Light according to the Agreement betwixt us, I certified him of what I pleased. In the Day I advertised him by Smoke, Dust, and other refined Ways. After a while I grew weary of it as too painful, and again used my winged Messengers; upon the Shore, about the Mouth of our River, I found Store of a kind of wild Swans feeding upon Prey, both of Fish and Birds, and which is more strange, having one Claw like an Eagle, and the other like a Swan. These Birds breeding here in infinite Numbers, I took thirty or forty of them young, and bred them up by Hand for Recreation; yet not without some Thoughts of that Experiment which I after put in Practice. These being strong and able to continue a great Flight, I taught them first to come at Call afar off, not using any Noise, but only shewing them a white Cloth; and here I found it true what Plutarch affirms, That Creatures which eat Flesh are mere docible than others. ’Tis wonderful to think what Tricks I taught them ere they were a Quarter old, amongst others I used them by Degrees to fly with Burdens, wherein I found them able beyond Belief, and a white Sheet being displayed to them by Diego, upon the Side of a Hill, they would carry from me to him Bread, Flesh, or whatever I pleased, and upon the like Call come to me again. Having proceeded thus Rh