culty therein, as morass in general is of a soft and yielding
texture. Thus he hoped to undermine Wauwau, and suddenly rising, seize
her by the foot, while his brother Gog ascended the air in a balloon,
hoping to catch her if she could escape Magog. Thus the animal was
surrounded on every side, and at first was very much terrified, knowing
not which way she had best to go. At length hearing an obscure noise
under ground, Wauwau took flight before Magog could have time to catch
her by the foot. She flew to the right, then to the left, north, east,
west, and south, but found on every side the company prepared upon their
nets. At length she flew right up, soaring at a most astonishing rate
towards the sun, while the company on every side set up one general
acclamation. But Gog in his balloon soon stopped Wauwau in the midst of
her career, and snared her in a net, the cords of which he continued to
hold in his hand. Wauwau did not totally lose her presence of mind, but
after a little consideration, made several violent darts against the
volume of the balloon; so fierce, as at length to tear open a great
space, on which the inflammable air rushing out, the whole apparatus
began to tumble to the earth with amazing rapidity. Gog himself was
thrown out of the vehicle, and letting go the reins of the net, Wauwau
got liberty again, and flew out of sight in an instant.

Gog had been above a mile elevated from the earth when he began to fall,
and as he advanced the rapidity increased, so that he went like a ball
from a cannon into the morass, and his nose striking against one of
the iron-capped hands of his brother Magog, just then rising from the
depths, he began to bleed violently, and, but for the softness of the
morass, would have lost his life.

CHAPTER XXXII

_The Baron harangues the company, and they continue the pursuit--The
Baron, wandering from his retinue, is taken by the savages, scalped, and
tied to a stake to be roasted; but he contrives to extricate himself,
and kills the savages--The Baron travels overland through the forests of
North America, to the confines of Russia--Arrives at the castle of the
Nareskin Rowskimowmowsky, and gallops into the kingdom of Loggerheads--A
battle, in which the Baron fights the Nareskin in single combat, and
generously gives him his life--Arrives at the Friendly Islands, and
discourses with Omai--The Baron, with all his attendants, goes from
Otaheite to the isthmus of Darien, and