Part 25 (1/2)

”I don't wonder at that,” observed the pacha

I soon reached the tongue of the cloud, which appeared as if i within its attractive poas raised straight on end--then seized as it were and twisted round I was dragged up by it each moment with increased velocity, as I whirled round in my ascent At last I found myself safely landed, and sat down to recover my breath which I had nearly lost for ever

”And, pray, where did you sit, Huckaback?”

”On the cloud, your highness”

”Holy Prophet! What, a cloud bear your weight?”

”If your highness will call to mind that at the same time the cloud took up several tons of water, you cannot be surprised at its supporting me”

”Very true,” replied the pacha ”This is a very wonderful story; but before you go on, I wish to knohat the cloud was made of”

”That is rather difficult to explain to your highness I can only compare it to a wet blanket I found it excessively cold and daht a rheumatism while I was there, which I feel to this day”

When the cloud was saturated, the column divided, and we rapidly ascended until the cold beca, and I was very much surprised to find that the key of h the cloth ofthemselves firmly to the violet rays, fronetic I lish lady whom I met on her travels, and I have since learnt that she has communicated the fact to the learned societies as a discovery of her own However, as she is a very pretty woive her Anxious to look down upon the earth, I poked a hole with h the bottom of the cloud, and was astonished to perceive how rapidly it was spinning round We had risen so high as to be out of the sphere of its attraction, and in consequence reh I was close to the coast of America when I ascended, I could perceive that the Cape of Good Hope was just heaving in sight I was enabled to forlobe, for at that iht I could see to the very bottohness, if you wish to discover more than other people can, it is necessary to be ”up in the clouds”

”Very true,” replied the pacha; ”but go on”

”I was verythe salt water into fresh, which was going on with great rapidity while I was there Perhaps your highness would like me to explain it, as it will not occupy your attention o on”

But as soon as I had gratified an to be alarmed at my situation, not soexistence, for there was more than sufficient

”More than sufficient! Why what could you have to eat?”

Plenty of fresh fish, your highness, which had been taken up in the column of water at the same time I was, and the fresh water already lay in little pools around me But the cold was dreadful, and I felt that I could not support it ain was a problem which I could not solve

It was however soon solved forcompleted its chemical labours, descended as rapidly as it had risen, and joined ed in sharp conflict As I beheld the the electric fluid in the violence of their collision, I was filled with trepidation and dis an adversary, I should be hurled into the abyss below, or be withered by the artillery of heaven But I was fortunate enough to escape The cloud which bore me descended to within a hundred yards of the earth, and then was hurried along by the ith such velocity and noise, that I perceived ere assisting at a hurricane

As we neared the earth, the cloud, unable to resist the force of its attraction, was compelled to deliver up its burthen, and down I fell, with such torrents of water, that it reth The wind roared and shrieked in its wild fury, and such was its force that I fell in an acute angle

”What did you fall in?” interrupted the pacha ”I don't knohat that is”

”I fell in a slanting direction, your highness, describing the hypotenuse between the base and perpendicular, created by the force of the wind, and the attraction of gravitation”