Chapter 4

           Inowintendtogivethereaderashortdescriptionofthiscountry,asfarasItravelledinit,whichwasnotabovetwothousandmilesroundLorbrulgrud,themetropolis.Forthequeen,whomIalwaysattended,neverwentfartherwhensheaccompaniedthekinginhisprogresses,andtherestaidtillhismajestyreturnedfromviewinghisfrontiers.Thewholeextentofthisprince’sdominionsreachesaboutsixthousandmilesinlength,andfromthreetofiveinbreadth:whenceIcannotbutconclude,thatourgeographersofEuropeareinagreaterror,bysupposingnothingbutseabetweenJapanandCalifornia;foritwasevermyopinion,thattheremustbeabalanceofearthtocounterpoisethegreatcontinentofTartary;andthereforetheyoughttocorrecttheirmapsandcharts,byjoiningthisvasttractoflandtothenorth-westpartsofAmerica,whereinIshallbereadytolendthemmyassistance.

           Thekingdomisapeninsula,terminatedtothenorth-eastbyaridgeofmountainsthirtymileshigh,whicharealtogetherimpassable,byreasonofthevolcanoesuponthetops:neitherdothemostlearnedknowwhatsortofmortalsinhabitbeyondthosemountains,orwhethertheybeinhabitedatall.Onthethreeothersides,itisboundedbytheocean.Thereisnotoneseaportinthewholekingdom:andthosepartsofthecoastsintowhichtheriversissue,aresofullofpointedrocks,andtheseagenerallysorough,thatthereisnoventuringwiththesmallestoftheirboats;sothatthesepeoplearewhollyexcludedfromanycommercewiththerestoftheworld.Butthelargeriversarefullofvessels,andaboundwithexcellentfish;fortheyseldomgetanyfromthesea,becausetheseafishareofthesamesizewiththoseinEurope,andconsequentlynotworthcatching;wherebyitismanifest,thatnature,intheproductionofplantsandanimalsofsoextraordinaryabulk,iswhollyconfinedtothiscontinent,ofwhichIleavethereasonstobedeterminedbyphilosophers.