a mile in length. As we could take but
a small quantity of such a monstrous animal on board, we got our boats
out, and with much difficulty cut off his head, where, to our great joy,
we found the anchor, and above forty fathom of the cable, concealed on
the left side of his mouth, just under his tongue. [Perhaps this was the
cause of his death, as that side of his tongue was much swelled, with
a great degree of inflammation.] This was the only extraordinary
circumstance that happened on this voyage. One part of our distress,
however, I had like to have forgot: while the whale was running away
with the ship she sprung a leak, and the water poured in so fast, that
all our pumps could not keep us from sinking; it was, however, my good
fortune to discover it first. I found it a large hole about a foot
diameter; you will naturally suppose this circumstance gives me infinite
pleasure, when I inform you that this noble vessel was preserved, with
all its crew, by a most fortunate thought! in short, I sat down over
it, and could have dispensed with it had it been larger; nor will you
be surprised when I inform you I am descended from Dutch parents. [The
Baron's ancestors have but lately settled there; in another part of his
adventures he boasts of royal blood.]

My situation, while I sat there, was rather cool, but the carpenter's
art soon relieved me.

CHAPTER VIII

_Bathes in the Mediterranean--Meets an unexpected companion--Arrives
unintentionally in the regions of heat and darkness, from which he is
extricated by dancing a hornpipe--Frightens his deliverers, and returns
on shore._

I was once in great danger of being lost in a most singular manner in
the Mediterranean: I was bathing in that pleasant sea near Marseilles
one summer's afternoon, when I discovered a very large fish, with his
jaws quite extended, approaching me with the greatest velocity; there
was no time to be lost, nor could I possibly avoid him. I immediately
reduced myself to as small a size as possible, by closing my feet and
placing my hands also near my sides, in which position I passed directly
between his jaws, and into his stomach, where I remained some time in
total darkness, and comfortably warm, as you may imagine; at last it
occurred to me, that by giving him pain he would be glad to get rid of
me: as I had plenty of room, I played my pranks, such as tumbling, hop,
step, and jump, &c., but nothing seemed to disturb him so much as the
quick