A journey to the world under-ground
and who have been heard to bark like those Animals; others, with Eyes
in their Shoulders. And in the farthest Parts of the same Country,
there have been found Animals resembling Men, with hairy Bodies, and
Wings like Birds, who never eat, but live upon the Scent of Flowers,
which they draw through their Nostrils. Now I may ask, Who would have
given Credit to these, and the like Things, if _Pliny_, a very grave
Historian, had not solemnly affirm’d, not that he had heard or read of
such Things, but that he himself had seen them? In like Manner, who
would ever have thought that the Earth was hollow, and that another
Sun, and other Planets, were contain’d within its Bowels, had not my
own Experience clear’d up that Mystery? Or how could an Account of a
World, inhabited by Trees endued with Reason, and a Power of local
Motion, have ever gain’d Belief, had not my Discoveries prov’d the
Existence of it beyond a Possibility of Doubt. I am not inclin’d,
however, to quarrel with any Man for his Incredulity, since I must
confess, that before I undertook this Voyage, I was a little in doubt
myself, whether the Relations of Travellers in general were any Thing
better than pompous Fables, and insignificant Amusements.
It was in the Beginning of the Month _Radir_ that we set Sail. We had
a fair Wind for some Days, and our Vessel sailing right before it, we
had no Occasion to handle our Oars, and were therefore at Liberty to
divert ourselves. But on the fourth Day the Wind sunk, and we were
forc’d to take to our Oars. The Captain perceiving I was unaccustom’d
to such hard Labour, and unfit to bear it, would often give me Leave
to rest a while, and at length he entirely freed me from this servile
Office. Whether he thought me innocent, and therefore shew’d me so much
Kindness, or whether he judg’d me worthy of better Treatment on Account
of the curious Invention of Perriwigs, which I had the Honour of, as I
have before related, I cannot take upon me to determine. I must however
observe, that he carry’d three Wigs along with him this Voyage, the
Combing and Buckling of which was committed to my Charge. So that I was
on a sudden advanc’d from being a Galley-Slave, to the Dignity of the
Captain’s Wig-Dresser. This Civility of the Captain’s to me was the
Reason that as often as we arriv’d at any Port, I was always one of the
Number who were appointed to go on Shore. This was extremely agreeable
to me, as it gave me an Opportunity of fully satisfying my Curiosity.
We kept on our Course for some Time without meeting with any Thing
remarkable; but after we had lost Sight of Land we fell among the
_Syrens_, who as often as the Wind abated, and the Sea grew calm,
would swim to the Ship, and beg our Charity. The Language they spoke
resembled the _Martinese_, so that some of our Ship’s Crew were able to
talk with them without the Help of an Interpreter. One of the Number,
after I had given her a Piece of Meat, fixing her Eyes stedfastly upon
me, cry’d out,
Hero! proceed, and rule a conquer’d World!
I only smil’d at the Prophecy, as thinking it an empty Piece of
Flattery, though our Sailors assur’d me very seriously, that these
Syrens were seldom or never out in their Predictions. We had been under
Sail about eight Days when we discovered Land, which the Mariners
call’d _Picardania_. As we were entring the Harbour, we saw a Jack-Daw
hovering about us, who upon Enquiry I found to be a Person of great
Dignity, and at that Time Inspector-General of the Customs. I could
scarce refrain from laughing, when I heard that an Office of so great
Trust was committed to a Jack-Daw, and from the Appearance of their
Chief, I conjectur’d, that Wasps and Hornets must be the Tide-Waiters
and Custom-House Officers. After this Bird had flown two or three
Times round the Ship, he made for the Shore again, and presently after
return’d with three other Daws, and alighted upon the Fore-castle. I
was ready to burst with laughing, when I saw one of our Interpreters
approach these Birds with a profound Respect, and immediately enter
into a long Conversation with them. The Reason of their coming, was
to inspect what Merchandise we had on board, it being their Business
to enquire, whether we had any contraband Goods, and particularly
any of the Herb commonly call’d _Slac_. It is very common for these
Creatures to search every Corner of the Ship, and to unpack every
Bale of Goods, to see if they can discover any of this Herb, the
Importation of which is prohibited by the Magistrate, under a very
severe Penalty. The Inhabitants barter several Sorts of Commodities,
which are very useful and necessary towards the Support of Life, in
Exchange for this Herb; from whence it happens, that the Plants which
grow in _Picardania_, though every whit as good as this, are held
in no Esteem. The _Picardanians_ in this resemble the _Europeans_,
who are often fond of Things for no other Reason, but because they
are fetch’d from remote Countries, and grow in foreign Soils. The
Inspector, after he had had a long Conference with our Interpreters,
went down into the Hold with the rest of his Companions, and returning
soon after, with an angry Countenance declar’d, that he forbad us
trading with the _Picardanians_, because we had acted contrary to the
Faith of Treaties, in importing prohibited Goods. But the Captain, who
knew by Experience how to mitigate the Officer’s Anger, presented him
immediately with a few Pounds of _Slac_, upon which his Anger subsided,
and he gave us Leave to unload our Cargo. As soon as this was over, a
vast Flock of Daws came fluttering about us. These were all Merchants,
who came to traffick. The Captain intending to go ashore, order’d me,
and some others, to accompany him. Accordingly four in Number of us
left the Ship, namely, the Captain, myself, and two other Monkeys, to
wit, our Supercargo and Interpreter. We were invited to Dinner by the
Inspector-General. The Inhabitants have no Tables, as not making any
Use of Chairs, for which Reason the Cloth was laid in the Middle of
the Floor. A most delicate and magnificent Repast was presently serv’d
up, but in very small Dishes: And as the Kitchen was at the Top of the
House, each Dish was brought in supported by two Pair of Jack-Daws,
as if it descended from the Clouds. After Dinner the Officer took us
along with him, to shew us his Library. There was a vast Collection of
Books, but of a mighty small Size, the largest Folios being scarce so
big as one of our Primmers. I had much ado to withhold laughing when
I saw the Librarian fly up to the Top-Shelves to fetch down some of
the Octavos and Duodecimos. The Houses of the _Picardanians_ are very
little different from ours, as to the Building, and the Disposition of
the Apartments; but the Bed-Chambers are suspended just beneath the
Roof, after the Manner of Birds-Nests. It may be ask’d, perhaps, how
it is possible for Daws, (who are reckon’d amongst the Birds _Minorum
gentium_) to build Houses of such a Magnitude? But it was evident, from
a House which was then building from the Ground, that the Thing was
very possible; for several thousand Labourers were employ’d about it
at the same Time; so that what was wanting in Strength was supply’d
by Numbers, and by the Agility with which they flew about their Work.
For this Reason they will finish a House almost as quickly as our
Bricklayers can. The Inspector’s Lady did not appear at Table, by
reason of her Lying-in; for at such Times the Mother never stirs out
as long as her little ones are callow, but as soon as ever they begin
to be fledg’d, her Husband gives her Leave to go abroad. We did not
stay long in this Country, for which Reason I can say nothing as to
the Government thereof, or the Manners and Customs of the Inhabitants.
Every Thing was in great Confusion at that Time, on Account of a War
which was just then broke out between the _Daws_ and their Neighbours
the _Thrushes_, especially as News was brought the Day after our
Arrival, that a great Battle had been fought in the Air, in which
the Daws were entirely routed. The General was afterwards try’d by a
Court-Martial, and sentenc’d to have his Wings clipt, which is look’d
upon as a very heavy Punishment in this Country, and very little
different from what is inflicted for capital Offences. After we had
dispos’d of the Cargo, we set Sail from thence. At a little Distance
from the Shore, we saw great Quantities of Feathers floating about
upon the Water, and from thence conjectur’d, that it was the Spot where
the late Battle had been fought.
After a prosperous Voyage, which lasted only three Days, we arriv’d
upon the Coast of _Crotchet-Island_. We immediately came to an Anchor,
and went on Shore, preceded by an Interpreter, who carry’d that Sort of
musical Instrument along with him, which is generally call’d a _Base_.
This Ceremony appear’d very ridiculous to me, as I could not comprehend
for what Reason he should load himself with such an useless Burden.
As the Coasts seem’d to be deserted, and there was no Appearance of
any living Creature, the Captain order’d our Interpreter to play a
March, to give Notice of our Coming. Upon this about thirty musical
Instruments, or Bases, with one Leg, came hopping towards us. I thought
at first, that what I saw was all Inchantment, as I never, in all my
Travels, met with any Thing so wonderful. The Make of these Bases,
whom I afterwards found to be the Inhabitants of the Country, was as
follows: Their Necks were pretty long, with little Heads upon them;
their Bodies were slender, and cover’d with a smooth Kind of Bark or
Rind, in such a Manner, as that a pretty large Vacuity was left between
the Rind and the Body itself. A little above the Navel, Nature had
plac’d a Sort of Bridge with four Strings. The whole Machine rested
upon one Foot, so that their Motion was like that of Hopping, which
they perform’d with wonderful Agility. In short one would have took
them for real Bases, from their Similitude to that Instrument, had it
not been for their Hands and Arms, which were in every Respect like our
own. One of these Hands was employ’d in holding the Bow, as the other
was in stopping the Strings. Our Interpreter begun the Conference, by
taking up the Instrument he had brought with him, and playing a slow
Strain.
_Sustinet a lævâ, tenuit manus altera plectrum,
Artificis status ipse fuit: Tum stamina docto
Pollice sollicitat._
An Answer was presently return’d him in the same Strain, and thus they
went on warbling their Thoughts to one another for a considerable Time.
Their Conversation began with an _Adagio_, which I cannot but say had a
good deal of Harmony in it, but it soon slid into Discords which were
very grating to the Ear. The Conference ended with an harmonious and
delightful _Præsto_. Upon hearing this last our Men were exceedingly
pleas’d, since it was a Token, as they told me, that the Price of
their Cargo was agreed upon. I was afterward inform’d, that the slow
Musick in the Beginning was only a Prelude to the Discourse, and was
employ’d in mutual Compliments on both Sides: But that when we heard
the Discords they were disputing about the Price of our Commodities,
and that the _Præsto_ in the Conclusion signify’d that the Business
was happily determin’d. Accordingly a little while after we unloaded
the Ship. The Commodity for which there is the greatest Demand in this
Country is Rosin, with which the Inhabitants rub their Bows, which are
their Instruments of Speech. Such as are convicted of any great Crime
in this Country, are generally sentenc’d by the Judge to be depriv’d of
their Bows; and a perpetual Privation of the Bow is equal to capital
Punishment amongst us. As I understood there was to be a final Hearing