The Manatitlans: or, A record of recent scientific explorations in the Andean La Plata, S. A.Smile, R. Elton
Science
The Manatitlans: or, A record of recent scientific explorations in the Andean La Plata, S. A.
Smile, R. Elton
Science fiction, American
“‘Communing among themselves, with a deferential review of our persons
they seemingly acknowledged the superiority of our pretensions, while
questioning the cause of our forlorn condition when found. At length in
their doubt they appealed to an aged man whose appearance augured
wisdom, who answered sagely by addressing, for our comprehension and
approval, his symbolic exposition of the cause. Selecting two tall
spears of grass, overtopping the heads of their kind, he pointed to the
eldest parents of our group, then reversing the stalks with the roots
upward, he forced the symbols apart by introducing a younger female
blade between, adherent to the tendrils of the paternal branch, causing
the mother and her seed to fall to the earth. This disruptive
demonstration so clearly defined his knowledge of the human passions, in
accordance with the experienced injustice of our own race, that a blush
of shame suffused, with its evidence of conviction, the faces of some of
our elders whose withers of frailty had been touched. Taking these
symptoms of assent as evidences of conviction, the oracle, with a self-
complacent air, relapsed into silence, his kindred mingling their
admiration for his ability in prescientia with reverence for our
supposed paternity. Having arrived at the Ultima Thule of their
curiosity we endeavored to satisfy ours without lessening the kindly
reverence we inspired from our presumed descent from the gods. But
learned nothing beyond the impression that the land extended, in the
three opposed directions to the ocean, to the horizon, and that their
country was the full of a moon nearer the setting sun, to which they
invited us warmly to accompany them.
“‘Although still fancying that we were in a remote division of our own
land, yet hopeless of regaining our homes, or intelligence of our
people, we concluded to avail ourselves of their invitation, for an
attempt to return by the ocean augured sure destruction. Nourished with
fruits and wild game, which nature furnished and sustained without the
aid of human labor, and nursed with the tenderest care we soon regained
our strength. Signifying our readiness to accompany them, and desire to
take with us our household lares, utensils, harvest, and fruit seeds,
they brought, after the lapse of days, diminutive beasts of burden,
which seemed united in equal relationship to the camel and goat. When
the day of departure came, we bid tearful farewell to our vessel, then
with the ready aid of our benefactors buried it from vision that it
might escape desecration from wandering tribes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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