to the Soul to be baffled by my own Invention, and be conquer’d by those very Arms I myself had devis’d. For a while however my Soldiers sustained the Attack of the rebellious Army, till a Ball took off _Tomopoloko_. Then every one lost his Courage, and we all turn’d our Backs and fled to the Woods and Mountains. I, for my Part, climb’d to the Top of a Rock, from whence I descended into the Valley on the other Side. There I paus’d a while to curse my Fate, or rather my Folly, and to pour out my Soul in Tears and Sighs. But, alas! it was all too late. So great was the Disorder of my Spirits, that I forgot to throw off my Diadem, which was the very thing that in all likelihood must have discover’d me. After I had sat trembling for half an Hour in that Valley, I heard the Voices of some Persons climbing the Rock, and roaring out Vengeance against me if they found me. I then look’d all round me for a Place to conceal myself in. There was hard by a deep Wood overgrown with Trees and Bushes. I presently enter’d into it, and having pick’d out something like a Path, I walk’d on till I came to a Cave. Here I stopp’d some Moments to take Breath. By and by I crept into the Cave, like a Serpent, upon my Belly, and as I perceiv’d it to be very deep and shelving, yet of easy Descent, I resolv’d to penetrate to the Bottom of it. But I had scarce walk’d a Quarter of a Mile, when all on a Sudden I tumbled down, and as if Thunder drove me, was hurry’d headlong through the thickest Darkness, till at last a faint glimmering Light dawn’d in upon me. With the Increase of that Light the Force of my Motion was proportionably diminish’d, so that by little and little, and in the gentlest Manner, like a Person rising out of the Water, I found myself among some Mountains, which to my unutterable Amazement, I observ’d to be the very same from whence some Years ago I was hurry’d down into the subterranean World. The Reason of that Abatement of my Motion, I found after some Reflection to be owing to the Quality of our Atmosphere, which is much denser, and consequently resists more than the subterranean Atmosphere. Unless it were so, the same Thing would have happen’d to me in my Ascent, as in my Descent, and in all likelihood I must then have been carry’d aloft through the Air as far as the Region of the Moon. Yet I submit this Hypothesis to the maturer Examination of Philosophers. CHAP. XVI. _The_ +Author’s+ _Return into his own Country_.