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PART II. A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG. `
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CHAPTER I. `
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[A great storm described; the long boat sent to fetch water; the `
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author goes with it to discover the country. He is left on shore, `
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is seized by one of the natives, and carried to a farmer's house. `
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His reception, with several accidents that happened there. A `
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description of the inhabitants.] `
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Having been condemned, by nature and fortune, to active and `
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restless life, in two months after my return, I again left my `
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native country, and took shipping in the Downs, on the 20th day of `
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June, 1702, in the Adventure, Captain John Nicholas, a Cornish man, `
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commander, bound for Surat. We had a very prosperous gale, till we `
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arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, where we landed for fresh water; `
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but discovering a leak, we unshipped our goods and wintered there; `
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for the captain falling sick of an ague, we could not leave the `
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Cape till the end of March. We then set sail, and had a good `
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voyage till we passed the Straits of Madagascar; but having got `
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northward of that island, and to about five degrees south latitude, `
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the winds, which in those seas are observed to blow a constant `
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equal gale between the north and west, from the beginning of `
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December to the beginning of May, on the 19th of April began to `
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blow with much greater violence, and more westerly than usual, `
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continuing so for twenty days together: during which time, we were `
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driven a little to the east of the Molucca Islands, and about three `
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degrees northward of the line, as our captain found by an `
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observation he took the 2nd of May, at which time the wind ceased, `
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and it was a perfect calm, whereat I was not a little rejoiced. `
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But he, being a man well experienced in the navigation of those `
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seas, bid us all prepare against a storm, which accordingly `
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happened the day following: for the southern wind, called the `
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southern monsoon, began to set in. `
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Finding it was likely to overblow, we took in our sprit-sail, and `
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stood by to hand the fore-sail; but making foul weather, we looked `
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the guns were all fast, and handed the mizen. The ship lay very `
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broad off, so we thought it better spooning before the sea, than `
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trying or hulling. We reefed the fore-sail and set him, and hauled `
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aft the fore-sheet; the helm was hard a-weather. The ship wore `
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bravely. We belayed the fore down-haul; but the sail was split, `
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and we hauled down the yard, and got the sail into the ship, and `
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unbound all the things clear of it. It was a very fierce storm; `
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the sea broke strange and dangerous. We hauled off upon the `
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laniard of the whip-staff, and helped the man at the helm. We `
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would not get down our topmast, but let all stand, because she `
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scudded before the sea very well, and we knew that the top-mast `
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being aloft, the ship was the wholesomer, and made better way `
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through the sea, seeing we had sea-room. When the storm was over, `
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we set fore-sail and main-sail, and brought the ship to. Then we `
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set the mizen, main-top-sail, and the fore-top-sail. Our course `
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was east-north-east, the wind was at south-west. We got the `
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starboard tacks aboard, we cast off our weather-braces and lifts; `
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we set in the lee-braces, and hauled forward by the weather- `
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bowlings, and hauled them tight, and belayed them, and hauled over `
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the mizen tack to windward, and kept her full and by as near as she `
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would lie. `
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During this storm, which was followed by a strong wind west-south- `
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west, we were carried, by my computation, about five hundred `
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leagues to the east, so that the oldest sailor on board could not `
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tell in what part of the world we were. Our provisions held out `
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well, our ship was staunch, and our crew all in good health; but we `
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lay in the utmost distress for water. We thought it best to hold `
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on the same course, rather than turn more northerly, which might `
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have brought us to the north-west part of Great Tartary, and into `
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the Frozen Sea. `
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On the 16th day of June, 1703, a boy on the top-mast discovered `
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land. On the 17th, we came in full view of a great island, or `
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continent (for we knew not whether;) on the south side whereof was `
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a small neck of land jutting out into the sea, and a creek too `
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shallow to hold a ship of above one hundred tons. We cast anchor `
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within a league of this creek, and our captain sent a dozen of his `
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men well armed in the long-boat, with vessels for water, if any `
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could be found. I desired his leave to go with them, that I might `
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see the country, and make what discoveries I could. When we came `
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to land we saw no river or spring, nor any sign of inhabitants. `
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Our men therefore wandered on the shore to find out some fresh `
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water near the sea, and I walked alone about a mile on the other `
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side, where I observed the country all barren and rocky. I now `
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began to be weary, and seeing nothing to entertain my curiosity, I `
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returned gently down towards the creek; and the sea being full in `
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my view, I saw our men already got into the boat, and rowing for `
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life to the ship. I was going to holla after them, although it had `
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been to little purpose, when I observed a huge creature walking `
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after them in the sea, as fast as he could: he waded not much `
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deeper than his knees, and took prodigious strides: but our men `
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had the start of him half a league, and, the sea thereabouts being `
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full of sharp-pointed rocks, the monster was not able to overtake `
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the boat. This I was afterwards told, for I durst not stay to see `
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the issue of the adventure; but ran as fast as I could the way I `
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first went, and then climbed up a steep hill, which gave me some `
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prospect of the country. I found it fully cultivated; but that `
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which first surprised me was the length of the grass, which, in `
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those grounds that seemed to be kept for hay, was about twenty feet `
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high. `
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I fell into a high road, for so I took it to be, though it served `
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to the inhabitants only as a foot-path through a field of barley. `
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Here I walked on for some time, but could see little on either `
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side, it being now near harvest, and the corn rising at least forty `
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feet. I was an hour walking to the end of this field, which was `
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fenced in with a hedge of at least one hundred and twenty feet `
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high, and the trees so lofty that I could make no computation of `
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their altitude. There was a stile to pass from this field into the `
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next. It had four steps, and a stone to cross over when you came `
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to the uppermost. It was impossible for me to climb this stile, `
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because every step was six-feet high, and the upper stone about `
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twenty. I was endeavouring to find some gap in the hedge, when I `
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discovered one of the inhabitants in the next field, advancing `
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towards the stile, of the same size with him whom I saw in the sea `
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pursuing our boat. He appeared as tall as an ordinary spire `
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steeple, and took about ten yards at every stride, as near as I `
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could guess. I was struck with the utmost fear and astonishment, `
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and ran to hide myself in the corn, whence I saw him at the top of `
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the stile looking back into the next field on the right hand, and `
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heard him call in a voice many degrees louder than a speaking- `
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trumpet: but the noise was so high in the air, that at first I `
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certainly thought it was thunder. Whereupon seven monsters, like `
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himself, came towards him with reaping-hooks in their hands, each `
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hook about the largeness of six scythes. These people were not so `
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well clad as the first, whose servants or labourers they seemed to `
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be; for, upon some words he spoke, they went to reap the corn in `
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the field where I lay. I kept from them at as great a distance as `
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I could, but was forced to move with extreme difficulty, for the `
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stalks of the corn were sometimes not above a foot distant, so that `
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I could hardly squeeze my body betwixt them. However, I made a `
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shift to go forward, till I came to a part of the field where the `
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corn had been laid by the rain and wind. Here it was impossible `
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for me to advance a step; for the stalks were so interwoven, that I `
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could not creep through, and the beards of the fallen ears so `
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strong and pointed, that they pierced through my clothes into my `
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flesh. At the same time I heard the reapers not a hundred yards `
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behind me. Being quite dispirited with toil, and wholly overcome `
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by grief and dispair, I lay down between two ridges, and heartily `
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wished I might there end my days. I bemoaned my desolate widow and `
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fatherless children. I lamented my own folly and wilfulness, in `
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attempting a second voyage, against the advice of all my friends `
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and relations. In this terrible agitation of mind, I could not `
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forbear thinking of Lilliput, whose inhabitants looked upon me as `
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the greatest prodigy that ever appeared in the world; where I was `
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able to draw an imperial fleet in my hand, and perform those other `
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actions, which will be recorded for ever in the chronicles of that `
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empire, while posterity shall hardly believe them, although `
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attested by millions. I reflected what a mortification it must `
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prove to me, to appear as inconsiderable in this nation, as one `
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single Lilliputian would be among us. But this I conceived was to `
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be the least of my misfortunes; for, as human creatures are `
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observed to be more savage and cruel in proportion to their bulk, `
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what could I expect but to be a morsel in the mouth of the first `
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among these enormous barbarians that should happen to seize me? `
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Undoubtedly philosophers are in the right, when they tell us that `
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nothing is great or little otherwise than by comparison. It might `
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have pleased fortune, to have let the Lilliputians find some `
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nation, where the people were as diminutive with respect to them, `
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as they were to me. And who knows but that even this prodigious `
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race of mortals might be equally overmatched in some distant part `
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of the world, whereof we have yet no discovery. `
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Scared and confounded as I was, I could not forbear going on with `
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these reflections, when one of the reapers, approaching within ten `
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yards of the ridge where I lay, made me apprehend that with the `
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next step I should be squashed to death under his foot, or cut in `
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two with his reaping-hook. And therefore, when he was again about `
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to move, I screamed as loud as fear could make me: whereupon the `
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huge creature trod short, and, looking round about under him for `
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some time, at last espied me as I lay on the ground. He considered `
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awhile, with the caution of one who endeavours to lay hold on a `
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small dangerous animal in such a manner that it shall not be able `
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either to scratch or bite him, as I myself have sometimes done with `
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a weasel in England. At length he ventured to take me behind, by `
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the middle, between his fore-finger and thumb, and brought me `
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within three yards of his eyes, that he might behold my shape more `
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perfectly. I guessed his meaning, and my good fortune gave me so `
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much presence of mind, that I resolved not to struggle in the least `
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as he held me in the air above sixty feet from the ground, although `
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he grievously pinched my sides, for fear I should slip through his `
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fingers. All I ventured was to raise mine eyes towards the sun, `
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and place my hands together in a supplicating posture, and to speak `
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some words in a humble melancholy tone, suitable to the condition I `
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then was in: for I apprehended every moment that he would dash me `
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against the ground, as we usually do any little hateful animal, `
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which we have a mind to destroy. But my good star would have it, `
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that he appeared pleased with my voice and gestures, and began to `
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look upon me as a curiosity, much wondering to hear me pronounce `
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articulate words, although he could not understand them. In the `
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mean time I was not able to forbear groaning and shedding tears, `
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and turning my head towards my sides; letting him know, as well as `
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I could, how cruelly I was hurt by the pressure of his thumb and `
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finger. He seemed to apprehend my meaning; for, lifting up the `
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lappet of his coat, he put me gently into it, and immediately ran `
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along with me to his master, who was a substantial farmer, and the `
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same person I had first seen in the field. `
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The farmer having (as I suppose by their talk) received such an `
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account of me as his servant could give him, took a piece of a `
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small straw, about the size of a walking-staff, and therewith `
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