ne is endued at one of its sides
with an attractive power, and at the other with a repulsive. Upon
placing the magnet erect, with its attracting end towards the earth, the
island descends; but when the repelling extremity points downwards, the
island mounts directly upwards. When the position of the stone is
oblique, the motion of the island is so too: for in this magnet, the
forces always act in lines parallel to its direction.

By this oblique motion, the island is conveyed to different parts of the
monarch's dominions. To explain the manner of its progress, let _A_ _B_
represent a line drawn across the dominions of Balnibarbi, let the line
_c_ _d_ represent the loadstone, of which let _d_ be the repelling end,
and _c_ the attracting end, the island being over _C_: let the stone be
placed in position _c_ _d_, with its repelling end downwards; then the
island will be driven upwards obliquely towards _D_. When it is arrived
at _D_, let the stone be turned upon its axle, till its attracting end
points towards _E_, and then the island will be carried obliquely towards
_E_; where, if the stone be again turned upon its axle till it stands in
the position _E_ _F_, with its repelling point downwards, the island will
rise obliquely towards _F_, where, by directing the attracting end
towards _G_, the island may be carried to _G_, and from _G_ to _H_, by
turning the stone, so as to make its repelling extremity to point
directly downward. And thus, by changing the situation of the stone, as
often as there is occasion, the island is made to rise and fall by turns
in an oblique direction, and by those alternate risings and fallings (the
obliquity being not considerable) is conveyed from one part of the
dominions to the other.

But it must be observed, that this island cannot move beyond the extent
of the dominions below, nor can it rise above the height of four miles.
For which the astronomers (who have written large systems concerning the
stone) assign the following reason: that the magnetic virtue does not
extend beyond the distance of four miles, and that the mineral, which
acts upon the stone in the bowels of the earth, and in the sea about six
leagues distant from the shore, is not diffused through the whole globe,
but terminated with the limits of the king's dominions; and it was easy,
from the great advantage of such a superior situation, for a prince to
bring under his obedience whatever country lay within the attracti