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nature have revived in me by conversing with a few of your species, `
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and particularly those of my own family, by an unavoidable `
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necessity; else I should never have attempted so absurd a project `
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as that of reforming the Yahoo race in this kingdom: But I have `
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now done with all such visionary schemes for ever. `
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April 2, 1727 `
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PART I--A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT. `
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CHAPTER I. `
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[The author gives some account of himself and family. His first `
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inducements to travel. He is shipwrecked, and swims for his life. `
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Gets safe on shore in the country of Lilliput; is made a prisoner, `
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and carried up the country.] `
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My father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire: I was the third `
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of five sons. He sent me to Emanuel College in Cambridge at `
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fourteen years old, where I resided three years, and applied myself `
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close to my studies; but the charge of maintaining me, although I `
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had a very scanty allowance, being too great for a narrow fortune, `
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I was bound apprentice to Mr. James Bates, an eminent surgeon in `
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London, with whom I continued four years. My father now and then `
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sending me small sums of money, I laid them out in learning `
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navigation, and other parts of the mathematics, useful to those who `
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intend to travel, as I always believed it would be, some time or `
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other, my fortune to do. When I left Mr. Bates, I went down to my `
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father: where, by the assistance of him and my uncle John, and `
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some other relations, I got forty pounds, and a promise of thirty `
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pounds a year to maintain me at Leyden: there I studied physic two `
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years and seven months, knowing it would be useful in long voyages. `
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Soon after my return from Leyden, I was recommended by my good `
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master, Mr. Bates, to be surgeon to the Swallow, Captain Abraham `
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Pannel, commander; with whom I continued three years and a half, `
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making a voyage or two into the Levant, and some other parts. When `
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I came back I resolved to settle in London; to which Mr. Bates, my `
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master, encouraged me, and by him I was recommended to several `
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patients. I took part of a small house in the Old Jewry; and being `
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advised to alter my condition, I married Mrs. Mary Burton, second `
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daughter to Mr. Edmund Burton, hosier, in Newgate-street, with whom `
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I received four hundred pounds for a portion. `
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But my good master Bates dying in two years after, and I having few `
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friends, my business began to fail; for my conscience would not `
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suffer me to imitate the bad practice of too many among my `
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brethren. Having therefore consulted with my wife, and some of my `
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acquaintance, I determined to go again to sea. I was surgeon `
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successively in two ships, and made several voyages, for six years, `
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to the East and West Indies, by which I got some addition to my `
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fortune. My hours of leisure I spent in reading the best authors, `
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ancient and modern, being always provided with a good number of `
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books; and when I was ashore, in observing the manners and `
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dispositions of the people, as well as learning their language; `
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wherein I had a great facility, by the strength of my memory. `
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The last of these voyages not proving very fortunate, I grew weary `
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of the sea, and intended to stay at home with my wife and family. `
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I removed from the Old Jewry to Fetter Lane, and from thence to `
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Wapping, hoping to get business among the sailors; but it would not `
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turn to account. After three years expectation that things would `
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mend, I accepted an advantageous offer from Captain William `
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Prichard, master of the Antelope, who was making a voyage to the `
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South Sea. We set sail from Bristol, May 4, 1699, and our voyage `
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was at first very prosperous. `
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It would not be proper, for some reasons, to trouble the reader `
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with the particulars of our adventures in those seas; let it `
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suffice to inform him, that in our passage from thence to the East `
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Indies, we were driven by a violent storm to the north-west of Van `
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Diemen's Land. By an observation, we found ourselves in the `
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latitude of 30 degrees 2 minutes south. Twelve of our crew were `
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dead by immoderate labour and ill food; the rest were in a very `
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weak condition. On the 5th of November, which was the beginning of `
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summer in those parts, the weather being very hazy, the seamen `
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spied a rock within half a cable's length of the ship; but the wind `
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was so strong, that we were driven directly upon it, and `
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immediately split. Six of the crew, of whom I was one, having let `
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down the boat into the sea, made a shift to get clear of the ship `
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and the rock. We rowed, by my computation, about three leagues, `
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till we were able to work no longer, being already spent with `
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labour while we were in the ship. We therefore trusted ourselves `
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to the mercy of the waves, and in about half an hour the boat was `
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overset by a sudden flurry from the north. What became of my `
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companions in the boat, as well as of those who escaped on the `
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rock, or were left in the vessel, I cannot tell; but conclude they `
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were all lost. For my own part, I swam as fortune directed me, and `
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was pushed forward by wind and tide. I often let my legs drop, and `
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could feel no bottom; but when I was almost gone, and able to `
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struggle no longer, I found myself within my depth; and by this `
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time the storm was much abated. The declivity was so small, that I `
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walked near a mile before I got to the shore, which I conjectured `
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was about eight o'clock in the evening. I then advanced forward `
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near half a mile, but could not discover any sign of houses or `
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inhabitants; at least I was in so weak a condition, that I did not `
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observe them. I was extremely tired, and with that, and the heat `
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of the weather, and about half a pint of brandy that I drank as I `
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left the ship, I found myself much inclined to sleep. I lay down `
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on the grass, which was very short and soft, where I slept sounder `
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than ever I remembered to have done in my life, and, as I reckoned, `
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about nine hours; for when I awaked, it was just day-light. I `
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attempted to rise, but was not able to stir: for, as I happened to `
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lie on my back, I found my arms and legs were strongly fastened on `
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each side to the ground; and my hair, which was long and thick, `
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tied down in the same manner. I likewise felt several slender `
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ligatures across my body, from my arm-pits to my thighs. I could `
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only look upwards; the sun began to grow hot, and the light `
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offended my eyes. I heard a confused noise about me; but in the `
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posture I lay, could see nothing except the sky. In a little time `
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I felt something alive moving on my left leg, which advancing `
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gently forward over my breast, came almost up to my chin; when, `
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bending my eyes downwards as much as I could, I perceived it to be `
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a human creature not six inches high, with a bow and arrow in his `
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hands, and a quiver at his back. In the mean time, I felt at least `
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forty more of the same kind (as I conjectured) following the first. `
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I was in the utmost astonishment, and roared so loud, that they all `
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ran back in a fright; and some of them, as I was afterwards told, `
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were hurt with the falls they got by leaping from my sides upon the `
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ground. However, they soon returned, and one of them, who ventured `
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so far as to get a full sight of my face, lifting up his hands and `
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eyes by way of admiration, cried out in a shrill but distinct `
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voice, Hekinah degul: the others repeated the same words several `
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times, but then I knew not what they meant. I lay all this while, `
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as the reader may believe, in great uneasiness. At length, `
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struggling to get loose, I had the fortune to break the strings, `
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and wrench out the pegs that fastened my left arm to the ground; `
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for, by lifting it up to my face, I discovered the methods they had `
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taken to bind me, and at the same time with a violent pull, which `
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gave me excessive pain, I a little loosened the strings that tied `
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down my hair on the left side, so that I was just able to turn my `
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head about two inches. But the creatures ran off a second time, `
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before I could seize them; whereupon there was a great shout in a `
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very shrill accent, and after it ceased I heard one of them cry `
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aloud Tolgo phonac; when in an instant I felt above a hundred `
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arrows discharged on my left hand, which, pricked me like so many `
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needles; and besides, they shot another flight into the air, as we `
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do bombs in Europe, whereof many, I suppose, fell on my body, `
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(though I felt them not), and some on my face, which I immediately `
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covered with my left hand. When this shower of arrows was over, I `
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fell a groaning with grief and pain; and then striving again to get `
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loose, they discharged another volley larger than the first, and `
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some of them attempted with spears to stick me in the sides; but by `
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good luck I had on a buff jerkin, which they could not pierce. I `
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thought it the most prudent method to lie still, and my design was `
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to continue so till night, when, my left hand being already loose, `
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I could easily free myself: and as for the inhabitants, I had `
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reason to believe I might be a match for the greatest army they `
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could bring against me, if they were all of the same size with him `
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that I saw. But fortune disposed otherwise of me. When the people `
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observed I was quiet, they discharged no more arrows; but, by the `
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noise I heard, I knew their numbers increased; and about four yards `
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from me, over against my right ear, I heard a knocking for above an `
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hour, like that of people at work; when turning my head that way, `
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as well as the pegs and strings would permit me, I saw a stage `
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erected about a foot and a half from the ground, capable of holding `
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four of the inhabitants, with two or three ladders to mount it: `
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from whence one of them, who seemed to be a person of quality, made `
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me a long speech, whereof I understood not one syllable. But I `
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should have mentioned, that before the principal person began his `
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oration, he cried out three times, Langro dehul san (these words `
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and the former were afterwards repeated and explained to me); `
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whereupon, immediately, about fifty of the inhabitants came and cut `
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the strings that fastened the left side of my head, which gave me `
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the liberty of turning it to the right, and of observing the person `
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and gesture of him that was to speak. He appeared to be of a `
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middle age, and taller than any of the other three who attended `
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him, whereof one was a page that held up his train, and seemed to `
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be somewhat longer than my middle finger; the other two stood one `
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on each side to support him. He acted every part of an orator, and `
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I could observe many periods of threatenings, and others of `
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promises, pity, and kindness. I answered in a few words, but in `
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the most submissive manner, lifting up my left hand, and both my `
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eyes to the sun, as calling him for a witness; and being almost `
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famished with hunger, having not eaten a morsel for some hours `
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before I left the ship, I found the demands of nature so strong `
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upon me, that I could not forbear showing my impatience (perhaps `
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against the strict rules of decency) by putting my finger `
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frequently to my mouth, to signify that I wanted food. The hurgo `
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(for so they call a great lord, as I afterwards learnt) understood `
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me very well. He descended from the stage, and commanded that `
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several ladders should be applied to my sides, on which above a `
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hundred of the inhabitants mounted and walked towards my mouth, `
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laden with baskets full of meat, which had been provided and sent `
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thither by the king's orders, upon the first intelligence he `
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received of me. I observed there was the flesh of several animals, `
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but could not distinguish them by the taste. There were shoulders, `
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legs, and loins, shaped like those of mutton, and very well `
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dressed, but smaller than the wings of a lark. I ate them by two `
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or three at a mouthful, and took three loaves at a time, about the `
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bigness of musket bullets. They supplied me as fast as they could, `
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showing a thousand marks of wonder and astonishment at my bulk and `
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appetite. I then made another sign, that I wanted drink. They `
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