mother of pearl, coral, and of other materials more valuable;
gold, silver, and all sorts of precious stones are more plentiful
there than on earth. I say nothing of the pearls, since the
largest that ever were seen upon earth would not be valued
amongst us; and none but the very lowest rank of citizens would
wear them.

"As we have a marvellous and incredible agility to transport
ourselves whither we please in the twinkling of an eye, we have
no occasion for carriages or horses; not but the king has his
stables and his stud of sea horses; but they are seldom used,
except upon public feasts or rejoicing days. Some, after they
have trained them, take delight in riding and shewing their skill
and dexterity in races; others put them to chariots of mother of
pearl, adorned with an infinite number of shells of all sorts, of
the liveliest colours. These chariots are open; and in the middle
is a throne on which the king sits, and shows himself to the
public view of his subjects. The horses are trained to draw by
themselves; so that there is no occasion for a charioteer to
guide them. I pass over a thousand other curious particulars
relating to these submarine countries, which would be very
entertaining to your majesty; but you must permit me to defer
them to a future opportunity, to speak of something of much
greater consequence, which is, that the method of delivering, and
the way of managing the women of the sea in their lying-in, is
very different from those of the women of the earth; and I am
afraid to trust myself in the hands of the midwives of this
country: therefore, since my safe delivery equally concerns us
both, with your majesty's permission, I think it proper, for
greater security, to send for my mother and my cousins, to assist