And the I'm going to be. Welcome to Snuscast, the podcast designed to help you fall asleep.

On Snewscast, we read excerpts from Public Domain Works and occasionally Original Stories.

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This episode is brought to you by someone holding the elevator door for you.

Tonight we'll be reading an excerpt from Mark Twain's

following the equator, sometimes titled More Tramps Abroad. It's a non-fiction social commentary in the form of a travel log published in 1897.

The book is critical of racism, British imperialism, and religious intolerance.

Twain found himself nearly bankrupt at the age of 60, so took a lecture tour of the British Empire to generate funds.

Thus, this book was written. Let's get cozy. Close your eyes. Relax your body into the softness of your bed.

Now, take a few deep breaths.

Chapter 9. It is your human environment that makes climate. Put in head Wilson's new calendar.

September 15th, night, close to Australia now, Sydney 50 miles distance.

That note recalls an experience. The passengers were sent for, to come up in the bow and see a fine sight. It was very dark. One could not follow with the eye, the surface of the sea, more than 50 yards in any direction. It dimmed away and became lost to sight at about that distance from us. But if you patiently gazed into the darkness

a little while, there was a sure reward for you. Presently, a quarter of a mile away, you would see a

blinding splash or explosion of light on the water. A flash so sudden and so astonishingly

brilliant that it would make you catch your breath. Then that blotch of light would

instantly extend itself and take the corkscrew shape and imposing length of the fabled sea serpent with each curve of its body and the

break spreading away from its head and the wake following behind its tail clothed in a fierce

splendour of living fire, and my, but it was coming at a lightning gate.

Almost before you could think this monster of light, 50 feet long, would go flaming and storming by, and suddenly disappear.

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