The Unpretentious Philosopher

In 1775, de La Follie wrote "The Unpretentious Philosopher," in which an inhabitant of Mercury who employs a spaceship powered by electricity to undertake a voyage of exploration to Earth, becomes stranded when his ship crashes. This forces him to embark on a long search for the exotic materials required to repair it, giving him an opportunity to communicate his advanced understanding of science to an inquisitive earthling.