The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen

  CHAPTER XIX

  _The Baron crosses the Thames without the assistance of a bridge, ship,boat, balloon, or even his own will: rouses himself after a long nap,and destroys a monster who lived upon the destruction of others._

  My first visit to England was about the beginning of the present king'sreign. I had occasion to go down to Wapping, to see some goods shipped,which I was sending to some friends at Hamburgh; after that business wasover, I took the Tower Wharf in my way back. Here I found the sun verypowerful, and I was so much fatigued that I stepped into one of thecannon to compose me, where I fell fast asleep. This was about noon:it was the fourth of June; exactly at one o'clock these cannon were alldischarged in memory of the day. They had been all charged that morning,and having no suspicion of my situation, I was shot over the houses onthe opposite side of the river, into a farmer's yard, between Bermondseyand Deptford, where I fell upon a large hay-stack, without waking, andcontinued there in a sound sleep till hay became so extravagantly dear(which was about three months after), that the farmer found it hisinterest to send his whole stock to market: the stack I was reposingupon was the largest in the yard, containing above five hundred load;they began to cut that first. I woke with the voices of the peoplewho had ascended the ladders to begin at the top, and got up, totallyignorant of my situation: in attempting to run away I fell upon thefarmer to whom the hay belonged, and broke his neck, yet received noinjury myself. I afterwards found, to my great consolation, that thisfellow was a most detestable character, always keeping the produce ofhis grounds for extravagant markets.