THE SUPPLEMENT OF ABELIN.
Niels Klim lived to the year 1695. His irreprehensible life and amiable disposition endeared him to all. Yet were the priests now and then angry with him for his great sedateness and reservedness, which they called pride and haughtiness. I, who knew the man, wondered much at the modesty, humility and patience with which he, who had been monarch over many nations, executed his mean and vulgar duties. So long as his strength permitted, he would, at a certain time in the year, ascend the mountain and gaze into the cave, out of which he came to the surface. His friends observed that he always returned weeping, and immediately shut himself in his chamber, where he remained alone the rest of the day.
His wife informed me, that she frequently heard him murmur in his dreams, of armies and navies. His library consisted mostly of political works; for this selection he was blamed by several, who thought this description of books unfit for a sacristan.
Of the "subterranean travels," there is but a single copy, written by his own hand, which is in my possession.
I have often had it in mind to publish them, but several important reasons have hindered me from doing so.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] A porteur is one who carries his employer in a chair, from place to place.
[2] This name is taken to be predicated.
Transcriber's Notes
Page 30: form amended to from ("My European clothes were taken from me....")
Page 43: pennyless amended to penniless
Page 50: sapplings amended to saplings
Page 55: pityless amended to pitiless
Page 56: chrystal amended to crystal; nutricious amended to nutritious
Page 70: Closing quotes added to the paragraph ending "... mitigate our torments."
Page 98: Martianic amended to Martinianic
Page 109: sea-yoyage amended to sea-voyage
Page 122: unwieldly amended to unwieldy
Page 127: indescriminately amended to indiscriminately
Page 135: Tanquites amended to Tanaquites
Page 144: "they have made no advance because": no punctuation at end of paragraph sic
Page 155: Opening quotes added to the paragraph starting "The learned and unlearned...."
Page 157: prëeminent amended to preëminent
Page 161: Kispusiania amended to Kispunianania
Page 165: Tanqui amended to Tanaqui
Page 168: Full stop after "battle array" amended to a comma.
Page 172: Kespusianania amended to Kispunianania
Page 183: hefore amended to before
Page 185: Closing quotes added after "... plunged into the mountain cave."