my eyes down,
and perceived the vessel not far off, the captain and crew holding up
their eyes in amazement at the extraordinary spectacle.

* * * * *

"I don't wonder at that," observed the pacha.

* * * * *

I soon reached the tongue of the cloud, which appeared as if impatient
to receive me--the hair of my head first coming within its attractive
powers was raised straight on end--then seized as it were and twisted
it round. I was dragged up by it each moment with increased velocity, as
I whirled round in my ascent. At last I found myself safely landed, and
sat down to recover my breath which I had nearly lost for ever.

* * * * *

"And, pray, where did you sit, Huckaback?"

"On the cloud, your highness."

"Holy prophet! What, a cloud bear your weight?"

"If your highness will call to mind that at the same time the cloud took
up several tons of water, you cannot be surprised at its supporting me."

"Very true," replied the pacha. "This is a very wonderful story, but
before you go on, I wish to know what the cloud was made of."

"That is rather difficult to explain to your highness. I can only
compare it to a wet blanket. I found it excessively cold and damp, and
caught a rheumatism while I was there, which I feel to this day."

* * * * *

When the cloud was saturated, the column divided, and we rapidly
ascended until the cold became intense. We passed a rainbow as we
skimmed along, and I was very much surprised to find that the key of my
chest and my clasp knife, forced themselves through the cloth of my
jacket, and flew with great velocity towards it, fixing themselves
firmly to the violet rays, from which I discovered that those peculiar
rays were magnetic. I mentioned this curious circumstance to an English
lady whom I met on her travels, and I have since learnt that she has
communicated the fact to the learned societies as a discovery of her
own. However, as she is a very pretty woman, I forgive her. Anxious to
look down upon the earth, I poked a hole with my finger through the
bottom of the cloud, and was astonished to perceive how rapidly it was
spinning round. We had risen so high as to be out of the sphere of its
attraction, and in consequence remained stationary. I had been up about
six hours, and although I was close to the coast of America when I
ascended, I could perce