Mountain _Tenera_, where 'tis said none can inhabit on that
account. But I have my self flown to the top of this Mountain, and
carry'd with me a wet Spunge, thro' which I drew my Breath for some
time, but by Degrees I became habituated to this Tenuity, and
respired with Ease; nay, after staying there some few Days, I found
the denser Air, on my Descent, caus'd a Difficulty in my
Respiration: From whence I concluded, that, by Degrees, the thinnest
Air may become Natural; and as I felt no Hunger while on the
Mountain, I may suppose the same Air we breathe may also nourish us.
And this is no vain Imagination, for the _Aker_ (that is, Viper) we
see live by the Spirit included in the Air, which is the Principle
of Life in all; but in case I am out in this Conjecture, we may
carry Provisions with us.

"As to the resting our selves, I affirm from the Principles of sound
Philosophy, that when once out of the Reach of the magnetick Power
of the Earth, we shall no longer gravitate, for what we call
Gravity, is no other than Attraction, consequently we may repose our
selves in the Air, if there is Occasion, which I believe there will
not; for as we shall then have no Weight to exhaust the Spirits,
there can be no Need of refreshing them either with Meat or Sleep."

The Minister rose up, and said he was fully satisfied with his Answers;
the only Thing gave him Uneasiness, was the Length of Time I said was
requisite to make this Journey.

"My Lord, _replied the Projector_, I can't agree that such a Time is
necessary; for being above the Attraction of the Earth, which is the
only laborious Part of our Passage, we may go with an inconceivable
Swiftness, especially when we come within the Attraction of the
Moon, which will certainly be encreas'd by the Weight of Provisions,
which we shall by way of Precaution carry with us, and which will be
no Burthen after we have pass'd the Atmosphere; so that what Weight
a Thousand _Cacklogallinians_ can hardly raise to that Heighth, one
might support, the rest of the Journey."

His Excellency perceiv'd by my Countenance I was not satisfied, and
therefore bid me take Heart, he wou'd send a Number of _Palanquins_ with
us, and if we found the second Region impervious by Reason of the Cold,
we shou'd have the Liberty to return.

The only Talk now in Town was our designed Journey to the Moon, for
which a great many of the swiftest Flyers were