Page:The Strange Voyage and Adventures of Domingo Gonsales, to the World in the Moon.djvu/20

14 far, I consulted how to join a Number of them together, so as to carry a heavier Weight, which if I could compass, I might enable a Man to be carried safely in the Air from one Place to another. I puzzled my Wits extremely with this Thought, and upon Trial found, that if many were put to the bearing of one great Burthen, by reason it was impossible all of them should rise together just at one Instant, the first that rise finding himself stayed by a Weight heavier than he could stir, would soon give over, and so the second, third, and all the rest. I contrived at last a Way whereby each might rise with only his own Proportion of Weight; I fastened about each Gansa a little Pulley of Cork, and putting a String of a just Length through it, I fastened one End to a Block of almost eight Pounds Weight, and tied a two Pound Weight to the other End of the String, and then causing the Signal to be erected, they all arose together, being four in Number, and carried away my Block to the Place appointed. This hitting so luckily, I added two or three Birds more, and made Trial of their carrying a Lamb, whose Happiness I much envied, that he should be the first living Creature to partake of such an excellent Device.

At length after divers Trials, I was surprized with a great Longing to cause myself to be carried in the same Manner, Diego my Moor was likewise possessed with the same Desire, and had I not loved him well, and wanted his Service, I should have resented his ambitious Thought; for I count it greater Honour to have been the first Flying Man, than to be another Neptune who first adventured to sail on the Sea. Yet seeming not to understand his Intention, I only told him, that all my Gansas were not strong enough to carry him, being a Man though of no great Bulk, yet twice heavier than