The Consolidator; or, Memoirs of Sundry Transactions from the World in the Moon — John Shaqi
The Consolidator; or, Memoirs of Sundry Transactions from the World in the MoonDefoe, Daniel
Science
The Consolidator; or, Memoirs of Sundry Transactions from the World in the Moon
Defoe, Daniel
Fantasy fiction; Interplanetary voyages -- Fiction; Moon -- Fiction; Political fiction; Satire
If these Labours of mine shall prove successful, I may in my next
Journey that way, take an Abstract of their most admirable Tracts
in Navigation, and the Mysteries of Chinese Mathematicks; which
out-do all Modern Invention at that Rate, that 'tis Inconceivable:
In this Elaborate Work I must run thro' the 365 Volumes of
Augro-machi-lanquaro-zi, the most ancient Mathematician in all China:
From thence I shall give a Description of a Fleet of Ships of 100000
Sail, built at the Expence of the Emperor Tangro the 15th; who having
Notice of the General Deluge, prepar'd these Vessels, to every City
and Town in his Dominions One, and in Bulk proportion'd to the number
of its Inhabitants; into which Vessel all the People, with such
Moveables as they thought fit to save, and with 120 Days Provisions,
were receiv'd at the time of the Floud; and the rest of their Goods
being put into great Vessels made of China Ware, and fast luted down
on the top, were preserv'd unhurt by the Water: These Ships they
furnish'd with 600 Fathom of Chain instead of Cables; which being
fastned by wonderful Arts to the Earth, every Vessel rid out the
Deluge just at the Town's end; so that when the Waters abated,
the People had nothing to do, but to open the Doors made in the
Ship-sides, and come out, repair their Houses, open the great China
Pots their Goods were in, and so put themselves in Statu Quo.
The Draft of one of these Ships I may perhaps obtain by my Interest
in the present Emperor's Court, as it has been preserv'd ever since,
and constantly repair'd, riding at Anchor in a great Lake, about
100 Miles from Tonquin; in which all the People of that City were
preferv'd, amounting by their Computation to about a Million and half.
And as these things must be very useful in these Parts, to abate the
Pride and Arrogance of our Modern Undertakers of great Enterprizes,
Authors of strange Foreign Accounts, Philosophical Transactions, and
the like; if Time and Opportunity permit, I may let them know, how
Infinitely we are out-done by those refined Nations, in all manner of
Mechanick Improvements and Arts; and in discoursing of this, it will
necessarily come in my way to speak of a most Noble Invention, being
an Engine I would recommend to all People to whom 'tis necessary to
have a good Memory; and which I design, if possible, to obtain a
Draft of, that it may be Erected in our Royal Societies Laboratory:
It has the wonderfullest Operations in the World: One part of it
furnishes a Man of Business to dispatch his Affairs strangely; for if
he be a Merchant, he shall write his Letters with one Hand, and Copy
them with the other; if he is posting his Books, he shall post the
Debtor side with one Hand, and the Creditor with the other; if he be
a Lawyer, he draws his Drafts with one Hand, and Ingrosses them with
the other.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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