A True History (1.29)

The Hippogyps, too, had already left us.

After sailing all the next night and day we arrived towards evening at what is called Lamptown, having already entered upon our downward course. This city lies between the tracts of the Pleiades and the Hyades, a good deal lower than the Zodiac. Here we disembarked, but we found no human being, only a multitude of lamps running about and transacting business in the market-place and on the wharves. Some were small, the lower classes, as it were; but a few were large and of high rank, and these were brilliant, and could be seen afar. Each of them had his own private residence or lantern, and a name, like a man, and we heard them utter speech. They offered us no injury, but even invited us to be their guests. Still we were afraid of them, and not one of us dared either to sit at table or pass the night with them. They have erected a palace in the midst of the city, and there the ruler sits all night, calling on each by name. If any one does not respond, he is condemned to death as having deserted his post. Death with them is to be extinguished. We were present and saw what happened, and heard the lamps defending themselves and explaining the reasons for their tardiness. There I recognized also the lamp from our house, and, addressing him, asked him how things were going on at home, and he gave me a full account. We spent that one night there, and the next day we put out to sea again, being already nearer the clouds. And there we saw Cloudcuckootown (to our amazement), but we did not put in, as the wind was in the wrong direction. But Crow, son of Blackbird, was said to be on the throne, and I bethought me of Aristophanes the poet, a grave man and truthful, and one whose writings have been unworthily discredited. On the third day thereafter we also got plain sight of the ocean, but no land was anywhere to be seen save those islands in the air, and they had already taken on a fiery, dazzling look. On the fourth day, about noon, the wind fell gently and subsided, and we sank onto the sea.