Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World
some authors less consulted truth, than their own vanity, or interest,
or the diversion of ignorant readers; that my story could contain
little beside common events, without those ornamental descriptions of
strange plants, trees, birds, and other animals; or of the barbarous
customs and idolatry of savage people, with which most writers abound.
However, I thanked him for his good opinion, and promised to take the
matter into my thoughts.”
He said “he wondered at one thing very much, which was, to hear me
speak so loud;” asking me “whether the king or queen of that country
were thick of hearing?” I told him, “it was what I had been used to for
above two years past, and that I admired as much at the voices of him
and his men, who seemed to me only to whisper, and yet I could hear
them well enough. But, when I spoke in that country, it was like a man
talking in the streets, to another looking out from the top of a
steeple, unless when I was placed on a table, or held in any person’s
hand.” I told him, “I had likewise observed another thing, that, when I
first got into the ship, and the sailors stood all about me, I thought
they were the most little contemptible creatures I had ever beheld.”
For indeed, while I was in that prince’s country, I could never endure
to look in a glass, after my eyes had been accustomed to such
prodigious objects, because the comparison gave me so despicable a
conceit of myself. The captain said, “that while we were at supper, he
observed me to look at every thing with a sort of wonder, and that I
often seemed hardly able to contain my laughter, which he knew not well
how to take, but imputed it to some disorder in my brain.” I answered,
“it was very true; and I wondered how I could forbear, when I saw his
dishes of the size of a silver three-pence, a leg of pork hardly a
mouthful, a cup not so big as a nut-shell;” and so I went on,
describing the rest of his household-stuff and provisions, after the
same manner. For, although the queen had ordered a little equipage of
all things necessary for me, while I was in her service, yet my ideas
were wholly taken up with what I saw on every side of me, and I winked
at my own littleness, as people do at their own faults. The captain
understood my raillery very well, and merrily replied with the old
English proverb, “that he doubted my eyes were bigger than my belly,
for he did not observe my stomach so good, although I had fasted all
day;” and, continuing in his mirth, protested “he would have gladly
given a hundred pounds, to have seen my closet in the eagle’s bill, and
afterwards in its fall from so great a height into the sea; which would
certainly have been a most astonishing object, worthy to have the
description of it transmitted to future ages:” and the comparison of
Phaeton was so obvious, that he could not forbear applying it, although
I did not much admire the conceit.
The captain having been at Tonquin, was, in his return to England,
driven north-eastward to the latitude of 44 degrees, and longitude of
143. But meeting a trade-wind two days after I came on board him, we
sailed southward a long time, and coasting New Holland, kept our course
west-south-west, and then south-south-west, till we doubled the Cape of
Good Hope. Our voyage was very prosperous, but I shall not trouble the
reader with a journal of it. The captain called in at one or two ports,
and sent in his long-boat for provisions and fresh water; but I never
went out of the ship till we came into the Downs, which was on the
third day of June, 1706, about nine months after my escape. I offered
to leave my goods in security for payment of my freight: but the
captain protested he would not receive one farthing. We took a kind
leave of each other, and I made him promise he would come to see me at
my house in Redriff. I hired a horse and guide for five shillings,
which I borrowed of the captain.
As I was on the road, observing the littleness of the houses, the
trees, the cattle, and the people, I began to think myself in Lilliput.
I was afraid of trampling on every traveller I met, and often called
aloud to have them stand out of the way, so that I had like to have
gotten one or two broken heads for my impertinence.
When I came to my own house, for which I was forced to inquire, one of
the servants opening the door, I bent down to go in, (like a goose
under a gate,) for fear of striking my head. My wife ran out to embrace
me, but I stooped lower than her knees, thinking she could otherwise
never be able to reach my mouth. My daughter kneeled to ask my
blessing, but I could not see her till she arose, having been so long
used to stand with my head and eyes erect to above sixty feet; and then
I went to take her up with one hand by the waist. I looked down upon
the servants, and one or two friends who were in the house, as if they
had been pigmies and I a giant. I told my wife, “she had been too
thrifty, for I found she had starved herself and her daughter to
nothing.” In short, I behaved myself so unaccountably, that they were
all of the captain’s opinion when he first saw me, and concluded I had
lost my wits. This I mention as an instance of the great power of habit
and prejudice.
In a little time, I and my family and friends came to a right
understanding: but my wife protested “I should never go to sea any
more;” although my evil destiny so ordered, that she had not power to
hinder me, as the reader may know hereafter. In the mean time, I here
conclude the second part of my unfortunate voyages.
PART III. A VOYAGE TO LAPUTA, BALNIBARBI, GLUBBDUBDRIB, LUGGNAGG AND
JAPAN.
CHAPTER I.
The author sets out on his third voyage. Is taken by pirates. The
malice of a Dutchman. His arrival at an island. He is received into
Laputa.
I had not been at home above ten days, when Captain William Robinson, a
Cornish man, commander of the Hopewell, a stout ship of three hundred
tons, came to my house. I had formerly been surgeon of another ship
where he was master, and a fourth part owner, in a voyage to the
Levant. He had always treated me more like a brother, than an inferior
officer; and, hearing of my arrival, made me a visit, as I apprehended
only out of friendship, for nothing passed more than what is usual
after long absences. But repeating his visits often, expressing his joy
to find me in good health, asking, “whether I were now settled for
life?” adding, “that he intended a voyage to the East Indies in two
months,” at last he plainly invited me, though with some apologies, to
be surgeon of the ship; “that I should have another surgeon under me,
beside our two mates; that my salary should be double to the usual pay;
and that having experienced my knowledge in sea-affairs to be at least
equal to his, he would enter into any engagement to follow my advice,
as much as if I had shared in the command.”
He said so many other obliging things, and I knew him to be so honest a
man, that I could not reject this proposal; the thirst I had of seeing
the world, notwithstanding my past misfortunes, continuing as violent
as ever. The only difficulty that remained, was to persuade my wife,
whose consent however I at last obtained, by the prospect of advantage
she proposed to her children.
We set out the 5th day of August, 1706, and arrived at Fort St. George
the 11th of April, 1707. We staid there three weeks to refresh our
crew, many of whom were sick. From thence we went to Tonquin, where the
captain resolved to continue some time, because many of the goods he
intended to buy were not ready, nor could he expect to be dispatched in
several months. Therefore, in hopes to defray some of the charges he
must be at, he bought a sloop, loaded it with several sorts of goods,
wherewith the Tonquinese usually trade to the neighbouring islands, and
putting fourteen men on board, whereof three were of the country, he
appointed me master of the sloop, and gave me power to traffic, while
he transacted his affairs at Tonquin.
We had not sailed above three days, when a great storm arising, we were
driven five days to the north-north-east, and then to the east: after
which we had fair weather, but still with a pretty strong gale from the
west. Upon the tenth day we were chased by two pirates, who soon
overtook us; for my sloop was so deep laden, that she sailed very slow,
neither were we in a condition to defend ourselves.
We were boarded about the same time by both the pirates, who entered
furiously at the head of their men; but finding us all prostrate upon
our faces (for so I gave order), they pinioned us with strong ropes,
and setting guard upon us, went to search the sloop.
I observed among them a Dutchman, who seemed to be of some authority,
though he was not commander of either ship. He knew us by our
countenances to be Englishmen, and jabbering to us in his own language,
swore we should be tied back to back and thrown into the sea. I spoke
Dutch tolerably well; I told him who we were, and begged him, in
consideration of our being Christians and Protestants, of neighbouring
countries in strict alliance, that he would move the captains to take
some pity on us. This inflamed his rage; he repeated his threatenings,
and turning to his companions, spoke with great vehemence in the
Japanese language, as I suppose, often using the word _Christianos_.
The largest of the two pirate ships was commanded by a Japanese
captain, who spoke a little Dutch, but very imperfectly. He came up to
me, and after several questions, which I answered in great humility, he
said, “we should not die.” I made the captain a very low bow, and then,
turning to the Dutchman, said, “I was sorry to find more mercy in a
heathen, than in a brother christian.” But I had soon reason to repent
those foolish words: for that malicious reprobate, having often
endeavoured in vain to persuade both the captains that I might be
thrown into the sea (which they would not yield to, after the promise
made me that I should not die), however, prevailed so far, as to have a
punishment inflicted on me, worse, in all human appearance, than death
itself. My men were sent by an equal division into both the pirate
ships, and my sloop new manned. As to myself, it was determined that I
should be set adrift in a small canoe, with paddles and a sail, and
four days’ provisions; which last, the Japanese captain was so kind to
double out of his own stores, and would permit no man to search me. I
got down into the canoe, while the Dutchman, standing upon the deck,
loaded me with all the curses and injurious terms his language could
afford.
About an hour before we saw the pirates I had taken an observation, and
found we were in the latitude of 46 N. and longitude of 183. When I was
at some distance from the pirates, I discovered, by my pocket-glass,
several islands to the south-east. I set up my sail, the wind being
fair, with a design to reach the nearest of those islands, which I made
a shift to do, in about three hours. It was all rocky: however I got
many birds’ eggs; and, striking fire, I kindled some heath and dry
sea-weed, by which I roasted my eggs. I ate no other supper, being
resolved to spare my provisions as much as I could. I passed the night
under the shelter of a rock, strewing some heath under me, and slept
pretty well.
The next day I sailed to another island, and thence to a third and
fourth, sometimes using my sail, and sometimes my paddles. But, not to
trouble the reader with a particular account of my distresses, let it
suffice, that on the fifth day I arrived at the last island in my
sight, which lay south-south-east to the former.
This island was at a greater distance than I expected, and I did not
reach it in less than five hours. I encompassed it almost round, before