he printed the following notice at the beginning of
his book:

_TO THE PUBLIC:_--Having heard, for the first time, that my adventures
have been doubted, and looked upon as jokes, I feel bound to come
forward, and vindicate my character _for veracity_, by paying three
shillings at the Mansion House of this great city for the affidavits
hereto appended.

This I have been forced into in regard of my own honor, although I have
retired for many years from public and private life; and I hope that
this, my last edition, will place me in a proper light with my readers.

AT THE CITY OF LONDON, ENGLAND

We, the undersigned, as true believers in the _profit_, do most solemnly
affirm, that all the adventures of our friend Baron Munchausen, in
whatever country they may _lie_, are positive and simple facts. _And_,
as we have been believed, whose adventures are tenfold more wonderful,
_so_ do we hope all true believers will give him their full faith and
credence.

GULLIVER.

SINBAD.

ALADDIN.

_Sworn at the Mansion House 9th November last, in the absence of the
Lord Mayor_.

JOHN (_the Porter_).

In this volume a few of his most amusing stories are printed--all,
perhaps, that it is worth while to read.

I

Some years before my beard announced approaching manhood, or, in other
words, when I was neither man nor boy, but between both, I expressed in
repeated conversations a strong desire of seeing the world, from which I
was discouraged by my parents, though my father had been no
inconsiderable traveler himself, as will appear before I have reached
the end of my singular, and, I may add, interesting adventures. A
cousin, by my mother's side, took a liking to me, often said I was a
fine, forward youth, and was much inclined to gratify my curiosity. His
eloquence had more effect than mine, for my father consented to my
accompanying him in a voyage to the island of Ceylon, where his uncle
had resided as governor many years.

We sailed from Amsterdam with despatches from their High Mightinesses
the States of Holland. The only circumstance which happened on our
voyage worth relating was the wonderful effects of a storm, which had
torn up by the roots a great number of trees of enormous bulk and
height, in an island where we lay at anchor to take in wood and water;
some of these trees weighed many tons, yet they were carried by the wind
so amazingly high that they appeared like the feathers of small birds
floating in