The Strange Voyage and Adventures of Domingo Gonsales, to the World in the MoonGodwin, Francis
Science
The Strange Voyage and Adventures of Domingo Gonsales, to the World in the Moon
Godwin, Francis
Moon -- Fiction; Voyages, Imaginary -- Early works to 1800
I shall now declare the Quality of the Place wherein I was: The Clouds
I perceived to be all under between me and the Earth. The Stars,
because it was always Day, I saw at all Times alike, not shining
bright, as we see in the Night upon Earth, but of a whitish Colour,
like the Moon with us in the Day-Time, those that were seen, which
were not many, shewed far greater than with us, yea, as I guessed no
less than ten Times bigger: As for the Moon, being then within two
Days of the Change, she appeared of an huge and dreadful Greatness.
It is not to be forgot, that no Stars appeared but on that Part of
the Hemisphere next the Moon, and the nearer to her, the larger they
appeared again; whether I lay quiet and rested, or were carried in the
Air, I perceived myself to be always directly between the Moon and the
Earth, whereby 'tis plain, that my _Gansas_ took their Way directly
toward the Moon, and that when we rested, as we did at first for many
Hours, either we were insensibly carried round about the Globe of the
Earth, though I perceived no such Motion, or else that, according to
the Opinion of _Copernicus_, the Earth is carried about, and turneth
round perpetually, from West to East, leaving to the Planets only that
Motion which the Astronomers call natural, and is not upon the Poles
of the Equinoctial, commonly called the Poles of the World, but upon
those of the Zodiac; the Air in that Place I found without any Wind,
and exceeding temperate, neither Hot nor Cold, where neither the Sun
Beams had any Object to reflect upon, nor the Earth and Water appear
to affect the Air with their natural Quality of Coldness; as for
the Philosophers attributing Heat and Moisture to the Air, I always
esteem'ed it a Fancy: Lastly, I remember that after my Departure from
the Earth, I never felt either Hunger or Thirst, whether the Purity of
the Air, freed From the Vapours of the Earth and Water, might yield
Nature sufficient Nourishment, or what else might be the Cause I cannot
determine, but so I found it, though I was perfectly in Health both of
Body and Mind, even above my usual Vigour.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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