A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper CylinderPlot summary: Adam More is stranded at sea. He ends up in a world populated by a strange race and encounters fantastical creatures. This anti-utopian satire has everything important in a 19th century adventure story. |
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Agnew Almah amazement amid amir antarctic circle arose asked Atam-or athaleb Athon birds boat cavern cheder Chief Pauper cried dark season darkness deep Desolation Island despair doctor drifted eager Epet escape eyes face fate fear death Featherstone feeling feet felt fire galley give gloom glow grew Grimm's Law happiness head honor hope horror immense Kohen Gadol Kosekin land Layelah learned length light live looked lost Ten Tribes love death Magones manuscript mean Melick miles Mista Kosek monster mountains nearer never nightmare hag ocean ocean currents once Oxenden papyrus passed Pole pyramid race riches rifle rocks rowed rowers sacrifice seemed ship shore side sight smile snow soon sound South Pole spoke stood strange sweet tell terror thing thought took tremendous vast volcanoes wait wings wish wonder words
Popular passages
Page 160 - The Plesiosaur had the head of a lizard, the teeth of a crocodile, the neck of a swan, the trunk and tail of a quadruped, the ribs of a chameleon,* and the paddles of • FIG.
Page 145 - So I went on, descending lower and lower in the scale of being. I became a capitalist, an Athon, a general officer, and finally Kohen. "At length, on one eventful day, I learned that one of my associates had by a long course of reckless folly become the richest man in all the country. He had become Athon, malek, and at last Kohen Gadol. It was a terrible shock, but I trust a salutary one. I at once resolved to reform. That resolution I have steadily kept, and have at least saved myself from descending...
Page 164 - I should like to hear what you have to say on that point." " The languages of the Aryan family...
Page 185 - I told him that in my country self was the chief consideration, self-preservation the law of nature; death the King of Terrors; wealth the object of universal search, poverty the worst of evils; unrequited love nothing less than anguish and despair; to command others the highest glory; victory, honor; defeat, intolerable shame; and other things of the same sort...
Page 139 - I don't know -I don't know," said I. "You are of a different race; I do not understand what you say. But I belong to a race that fears death. I fear death and love life; and I entreat you, I implore you to help me now in my distress, and assist me so that I may save my life and that of Almah.
Page 139 - You must be mad; your happiness has turned your head." All this seemed like hideous mockery, and I stared at the Kohen with a gaze that probably strengthened his opinion of my madness. "Do you love death?" I asked at length, in amazement. "Love death? What a question! Of course I love death -all men do; who does not? Is it not human nature? Do we not instinctively fly to meet it whenever we can? Do we not rush into the jaws of seamonsters, or throw ourselves within their grasp? Who does not feel...
Page 138 - ... impossible. Is it not the highest blessing? Who is there that does not long for death? Death is the greatest blessing, the chief desire of man -the highest aim. And you - are you not to be envied in having your felicity so near? above all, in having such a death as that which is appointed for you -so noble, so sublime? You must be mad; your happiness has turned your head." All this seemed like hideous mockery, and I stared at the Kohen with a gaze that probably strengthened his opinion of my...
Page 158 - now each infant cries. Pedants, they may call it ' Didus ; ' but such pedants we despise. 'T was a mighty bird ; those short, strong lega were never known to fail, And he felt a glow of pride when thinking of that little tail ; And his beak was marked with vigor, curving like a wondrous hook, Thick and ugly was his body, — such a form as made, one look.
Page 157 - More speaks, seem to me to belong to these classes. The dodo was in existence fifty years ago, the moa about a hundred years ago. These great birds, together with others, such as the epiornis and palapteryx, have disappeared, not through the ordinary course of nature, but by the hand of man. Even in our hemisphere they may yet be found. Who can tell but that the moa or the dodo may yet be lurking somewhere here in the interior of Madagascar, of Borneo, or of Pepua ?" " Can you make out anything about...
Page 8 - Never mind the Egyptian papyrus," said Featherstone, in feverish curiosity. "Let's have the contents of the manuscript. You, Melick, read ; you're the most energetic of the lot, and when you're tired the rest of us will take turns." 1* "Read ? Why, it'll take a month to read all this,