The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing-World

This Advice of the Duchess was very much approved; and joyfully embraced by the Empress, who forthwith sent her Worm-men to get a good quantity of the mentioned Fire-stone. she also commanded numbers of Fish-men to wait on her under Water, and Bird-men to wait on her in the Air; and Bear- and Worm-men to wait on her in Ships, according to the Duchess's advice; and indeed the Bear-men were as serviceable to her, as the North Star; but the Bird-men would often rest themselves upon the Deck of the Ships; neither would the Empress, being of a sweet and noble Nature, suffer that they should tire or weary themselves by long flights; for though by Land they did often fly out of one Countrey into another, yet they did rest in some Woods, or on some Grounds, especially at night, when it was their sleeping time: And therefore the Empress was forced to take a great many Ships along with her, both for transporting those several sorts of her loyal and serviceable Subjects, and to carry provisions for them: Besides, she was so wearied with the Petitions of several others of her Subjects who desired to wait on her Majesty, that she could not possibly deny them all; for some would rather chuse to be drowned, then not tender their duty to her. Thus after all things were made fit and ready, the Empress began her Journey; I cannot properly say, she set Sail, by reason in some Part, as in the passage between the two Worlds (which yet was but short) the Ships were drawn under water by the Fish-men with Golden Chains, so that they had no need of Sails there, nor of any other Arts, but onely to keep out water from entering into the Ships, and to give or make so much Air as would serve, for breath or respiration, those Land-Animals that were in the Ships; which the Giants had so Artificially contrived, that they which were therein, found no inconveniency at all: And after they had passed the Icy Sea, the Golden Ships appeared above Water, and so went on until they came near the Kingdom that was the Empress's Native Countrey; where the Bear-men through their Telescopes discovered a great number of Ships which had beset all that Kingdom, well rigg'd and mann'd.