Page:The Strange Voyage and Adventures of Domingo Gonsales, to the World in the Moon.djvu/25

Rh People who live upon the Sides of that Hill, the Top whereof is for the moil Part covered with Snow, and formerly accounted, for its Steepness, inaccessible, either for Man or Beast, yet these Savages fearing the Spaniards keep as near the Top as they can, never coming down into the fruitful Vallies but to seek for Booty; a Crew of these Outlaws happened to spy me soon after I landed, and thinking they had got a Prize, approached me with all Speed; I guest their Design before they came within half a Mile, when perceiving them come down the Hill directly toward me, with long Staves and other Weapons, I thought it necessary to secure myself from these Villains, who out of Hatred to us Spaniards, would have cut me to Pieces; the Country was sandy, but the Pike beginning to lift up itself, I espied in the Side a white Cliff, which I hoped my Ganzas would take for a Mark, and being put up, would make all that way, whereby I might be carried so far, that those barbarous Rascals should not overtake me, before I got to some Spaniard’s House, or hid myself, till by the Covert of the Night I might travel to Laguna, the chief City of the Island, three Miles off. So I settled myself upon my Engine, and let loose the Reins to my Gansas, who by good Fortune took all one Course, tho’ not just the Way I aimed at. But what of that! O Reader prick up thy Ears, and prepare thyself to hear the strangest Chance that ever happened to any Mortal, and which I know thou wilt not have the Grace to believe till thou seest the like Experiment, which I doubt not in a short Time may be performed. My Gansas, like so many Horses that had gotten the Bit between their Teeth, made not their Flight toward the Cliff I intended, though I used my wonted Means to direct the Leader of Rh