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+====== TRAVELS OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN ======
+===== CHAPTER I =====
+//The Baron relates an account of his first travels--The
+  astonishing effects of a storm--Arrives at Ceylon; combats and
+  conquers two extraordinary opponents--Returns to Holland.//
+Some years before my beard announced approaching manhood, or, in other
+words, when I was neither man nor boy, but between both, I expressed
+in repeated conversations a strong desire of seeing the world, from
+which I was discouraged by my parents, though my father had been no
+inconsiderable traveller himself, as will appear before I have reached
+the end of my singular, and, I may add, interesting adventures. A
+cousin, by my mother's side, took a liking to me, often said I was
+fine forward youth, and was much inclined to gratify my curiosity. His
+eloquence had more effect than mine, for my father consented to my
+accompanying him in a voyage to the island of Ceylon, where his uncle
+had resided as governor many years.
+We sailed from Amsterdam with despatches from their High Mightinesses
+the States of Holland. The only circumstance which happened on our
+voyage worth relating was the wonderful effects of a storm, which had
+torn up by the roots a great number of trees of enormous bulk and
+height, in an island where we lay at anchor to take in wood and water;
+some of these trees weighed many tons, yet they were carried by the
+wind so amazingly high, that they appeared like the feathers of small
+birds floating in the air, for they were at least five miles above the
+earth: however, as soon as the storm subsided they all fell
+perpendicularly into their respective places, and took root again,
+except the largest, which happened, when it was blown into the air, to
+have a man and his wife, a very honest old couple, upon its branches,
+gathering cucumbers (in this part of the globe that useful vegetable
+grows upon trees): the weight of this couple, as the tree descended,
+over-balanced the trunk, and brought it down in a horizontal position:
+it fell upon the chief man of the island, and killed him on the spot;
+he had quitted his house in the storm, under an apprehension of its
+falling upon him, and was returning through his own garden when this
+fortunate accident happened. The word fortunate, here, requires some
+explanation. This chief was a man of a very avaricious and oppressive
+disposition, and though he had no family, the natives of the island
+were half-starved by his oppressive and infamous impositions.
+The very goods which he had thus taken from them were spoiling in his
+stores, while the poor wretches from whom they were plundered were
+pining in poverty. Though the destruction of this tyrant was
+accidental, the people chose the cucumber-gatherers for their
+governors, as a mark of their gratitude for destroying, though
+accidentally, their late tyrant.
+After we had repaired the damages we sustained in this remarkable
+storm, and taken leave of the new governor and his lady, we sailed
+with a fair wind for the object of our voyage.
+In about six weeks we arrived at Ceylon, where we were received with
+great marks of friendship and true politeness. The following singular
+adventures may not prove unentertaining.
+After we had resided at Ceylon about a fortnight I accompanied one of
+the governor's brothers upon a shooting party. He was a strong,
+athletic man, and being used to that climate (for he had resided there
+some years), he bore the violent heat of the sun much better than I
+could; in our excursion he had made a considerable progress through a
+thick wood when I was only at the entrance.
+Near the banks of a large piece of water, which had engaged my
+attention, I thought I heard a rustling noise behind; on turning about
+I was almost petrified (as who would not be?) at the sight of a lion,
+which was evidently approaching with the intention of satisfying his
+appetite with my poor carcase, and that without asking my consent.
+What was to be done in this horrible dilemma? I had not even a moment
+for reflection; my piece was only charged with swan-shot, and I had no
+other about me: however, though I could have no idea of killing such
+an animal with that weak kind of ammunition, yet I had some hopes of
+frightening him by the report, and perhaps of wounding him also. I
+immediately let fly, without waiting till he was within reach, and the
+report did but enrage him, for he now quickened his pace, and seemed
+to approach me full speed: I attempted to escape, but that only added
+(if an addition could be made) to my distress; for the moment I turned
+about I found a large crocodile, with his mouth extended almost ready
+to receive me. On my right hand was the piece of water before
+mentioned, and on my left a deep precipice, said to have, as I have
+since learned, a receptacle at the bottom for venomous creatures; in
+short I gave myself up as lost, for the lion was now upon his hind-
+legs, just in the act of seizing me; I fell involuntarily to the
+ground with fear, and, as it afterwards appeared, he sprang over me. I
+lay some time in a situation which no language can describe, expecting
+to feel his teeth or talons in some part of me every moment: after
+waiting in this prostrate situation a few seconds I heard a violent
+but unusual noise, different from any sound that had ever before
+assailed my ears; nor is it at all to be wondered at, when I inform
+you from whence it proceeded: after listening for some time, I
+ventured to raise my head and look round, when, to my unspeakable joy,
+I perceived the lion had, by the eagerness with which he sprung at me,
+jumped forward, as I fell, into the crocodile's mouth! which, as
+before observed, was wide open; the head of the one stuck in the
+throat of the other! and they were struggling to extricate themselves!
+I fortunately recollected my //couteau de chasse//, which was by my
+side; with this instrument I severed the lion's head at one blow, and
+the body fell at my feet! I then, with the butt-end of my fowling-
+piece, rammed the head farther into the throat of the crocodile, and
+destroyed him by suffocation, for he could neither gorge nor eject it.
+Soon after I had thus gained a complete victory over my two powerful
+adversaries, my companion arrived in search of me; for finding I did
+not follow him into the wood, he returned, apprehending I had lost my
+way, or met with some accident.
+After mutual congratulations, we measured the crocodile, which was
+just forty feet in length.
+As soon as we had related this extraordinary adventure to the
+governor, he sent a waggon and servants, who brought home the two
+carcases. The lion's skin was properly preserved, with its hair on,
+after which it was made into tobacco-pouches, and presented by me,
+upon our return to Holland, to the burgomasters, who, in return,
+requested my acceptance of a thousand ducats.
+The skin of the crocodile was stuffed in the usual manner, and makes a
+capital article in their public museum at Amsterdam, where the
+exhibitor relates the whole story to each spectator, with such
+additions as he thinks proper. Some of his variations are rather
+extravagant; one of them is, that the lion jumped quite through the
+crocodile, and was making his escape at the back door, when, as soon
+as his head appeared, Monsieur the Great Baron (as he is pleased to
+call me) cut it off, and three feet of the crocodile's tail along with
+it; nay, so little attention has this fellow to the truth, that he
+sometimes adds, as soon as the crocodile missed his tail, he turned
+about, snatched the //couteau de chasse// out of Monsieur's hand, and
+swallowed it with such eagerness that it pierced his heart and killed
+him immediately!
+The little regard which this impudent knave has to veracity makes me
+sometimes apprehensive that my //real facts// may fall under suspicion,
+by being found in company with his confounded inventions.
+----
+Go to [[CHAPTER II]]