ABSTRACT
‘The next day Pangoleen took an opportunity of inquiring into the customs and manners of this amphibious race. The good monarch, being at leisure, entered largely into discourse with him; observing, “that in the earlier ages of the world, a free intercourse and intercommunity subsisted, between the inhabitants of land and sea, and they probably lived as the same species. It was then, that, according to tradition, these extraordinary structures were formed, which were so admirable for their beauty; / as nothing of this nature had, so many ages, been attempted by his people, and the arts and sciences were found unnecessary to them, and rather productive of contention, anxiety, and artificial wants. They, therefore, now chiefly followed nature, and were satisfied with her gifts and beauties. In respect to mankind, so much had they deviated from their original purity, simplicity, integrity, and felicity, that it was found expedient to stop all intercourse with them; except the inhabitants at the poles, and of the central kingdoms of the globe. If we were not to conceal ourselves from some of the European nations, we should soon hear of bounties to carry on the mermen-fishery, as well as whale. Such is their spirit of enterprise and commerce, that they would claim a right to our bays, from discovery; employ those of us they could captive, as pearl-divers, or pilots to conduct their ships; or as slaves in their mines or plantations. We therefore / have abjured all free and open communication with them. I myself, when I was (as I told you) in the river Isis, near the learned university of Oxford, had nearly perished, by having reposed a confidence in a learned schoolman, to whom I discovered myself, as he was walking at night on its banks. We met frequently, and conversed together, but he treacherously contrived to have me taken, in hopes to make his fortune by exposing me in his laboratory, in complete preservation, or dried and stuffed like a crocodile. I broke, with great ease, the cords which the learned Doctor had thrown round me, and taking him in my arms, as his assistants approached, jumped with him into the river. I contented myself with rolling him in the mud; and then suffered him to crawl ashore, a spectacle of dread and 115ridicule to the by-standers, and retreated, myself, immediately towards the sea.”’ /
