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ders to have me fent back to Lilliput, bound hand and foot, to be punished as a traitor.

The emperor of Blefufcu, having taken three days to confult, returned an anfwer confiiting of many civilities and excufes. He faid, that, as for fend. ing me bound, his brother knew it was impoffible; that although I had deprived him of his fleet, yet he owed great obligations to me for many good offices I had done him in making the peace. That however both their majefties would foon be made easy; for I had found a prodigious veffel on the fhore, able to carry me on the fea, which he had given order to fit up with my own affiftance and direction; and he hoped in a few weeks both empires would be freed from fo infupportable an incumbrance.

With this anfwer the envoy returned to Lilliput, and the monarch of Blefufcu related to me all that had paffed; offering me at the fame time (but under the strictest confidence) his gracious protection, if I would continue in his fervice; wherein although I believed him fincere, yet I refolved never more to put any confidence in princes or minifters, where I could poffibly avoid it; and therefore, with all due acknowledgments for his favourable intentions, I humbly begged to be excufed. I told him, that fince fortune, whether good or evil, had thrown a veffel in my way, I was refolved to venture myfelf in the ocean, rather than be an occafion of difference between two fuch mighty monarchs. Neither did I find the emperor at all displeased; and I difcovered by a certain accident, that he was very glad of my refolution, and fo were most of his minifters.

Thefe confiderations moved me to haften my departure fomewhat fooner than I intended; to which the court, impatient to have me gone, very readily contributed. Five hundred workmen were employed to make two fails to my boat, according to my directions, by quilting thirteen fold of their ftrongeft linen together. I was at the pains of making ropes and cables, by twifting ten, twenty, or thirty of the thickeft and strongest of theirs. A great ftone 4

that I happened to find, after a long fearch by the fea-fhore, ferved me for an anchor. I had the tallow of three

hundred cows for greafing my boat, and other ufes. I was at incredible pains in cutting down fome of the largest timber-trees for oars and mafts, wherein I was however much affifted by his majesty's fhip-carpenters, who helped me in fmoothing them after I had done the rough work.

In about a month, when all was prepared, I fent to receive his majefty's commands, and to take my leave. The emperor and royal family came out of the palace; I lay down on my face to kifs his hand, which he very graciously gave me; fo did the emprefs, and young princes of the blood. His majefty prefented me with fifty purfes of two hundred prugs a-piece, together with hist picture at full length, which I put immediately into one of my gloves to keep it from being hurt. The ceremonies at my departure were too many to trouble the reader with at this time.

I ftored the boat with the carcafes of an hundred oxen, and three hundred heep, with bread and drink proportionable, and as much meat ready dreffed as four hundred cooks could provide. I took with me fix cows and two bulls alive, with as many ewes and rams, intending to carry them into my own country, and propagate the breed. And to feed them on board I had a good bundle of hay and a bag of corn. I would gladly have taken a dozen of the natives, but this was a thing the emperor would by no means permit; and, befides a diligent fearch into my pockets, his majefty engaged my honour not to carry away any of his fubjects, although with their own confent and defire.

Having thus prepared all things as well as I was able, I fet fail on the 24th day of September 1701 at fix in the morning; and when I had gone about four leagues to the northward, the wind being at fouth-eaft, at fix in the evening I defcried a fmall island about half a league to the north-weft. I advanced forward, and caft anchor on the leefide of the island, which feemed to be uninhabited. I then took fome refresh

ment,

ment, and went to my reft. I flept well, and as I conjecture at least fix hours, for I found the day broke in two hours after I awaked. It was a clear night. I eat my breakfast before the fun was up; and heaving anchor, the wind being favourable, I fteered the fame courfe that I had done the day before, wherein I was directed by my pocket-compafs. My intention was to reach, if poffible, one of thofe islands which I had reafon to believe lay to the north-east of Van Diemen's land. I discovered nothing all that day; but upon the next, about three in the afternoon, when I had by my computation made twenty-four leagues from Blefufcu, I defcried a fail fteering to the fouth-eaft; my courfe was due eaft, I hailed her, but could get no anfwer; yet I found I gained upon her, for the wind flackened. I made all the fail I could, and in half an hour she spied me, then hung out her ancient, and difcharged a gun. It is not eafy to exprefs the joy I was in upon the unexpected hope of once more feeing my beloved country, and the dear pledges I left in it. The fhip flackened her fails, and I came up with her between five and fix in the evening, September 26; but my heart leapt within me to fee her English colours. I put my cows and theep into my coat-pockets, and got on board with all my little cargo of provifions. The veffel was an English merchant-man returning from Japan by the north and fouth feas; the captain Mr. John Biddle of Deptford, a very civil man, and an excellent failor. We were now in the latitude of 30 degrees fouth, there were about fifty men in the fhip; and here I met an old comrade of mine, one Peter Williams, who gave me a good character to the captain. This gentleman treated me with kind nefs, and defired I would let him know what place I came from laft, and whither I was bound; which I did in few words, but he thought I was raving, and that the dangers I had underwent had difturbed my head; whereupon I took my black cattle and fheep out of my pocket, which, after great aftonishment, clearly convinced him of my venacity. I then fhewed him the gold

given me by the emperor of Blefufcu, together with his majesty's picture at full length, and fome other rarities of that country. I gave him two purses of two hundred prugs each, and promifed, when we arrived in England, to make him a present of a cow and a fheep big with young.

I shall not trouble the reader with a particular account of this voyage, which was very profperous for the most part. We arrived in the Downs on the 13th of April 1702. I had only one miffortune, that the rats on board carried away one of my fheep; I found her bones in a hole, picked clean from the flesh. The reft of my cattle I got fafe afhore, and fet them a-grazing in a bowling-green at Greenwich, where the fineness of the grafs made them feed very heartily, though I had always feared the contrary: neither could I poffibly have preferved them in fo long a voyage, if the captain had not al lowed me fome of his best bisket, which rubbed to powder, and mingled with water, was their conftant food. The fhort time I continued in England, I made a confiderable profit by fhewing my cattle to many perfons of quality, and others: and before I began my fecond voyage, I fold them for fix hundred pounds. Since my last return I find the breed is confiderably increased, especially the fheep, which I hope will prove much to the advantage of the ollen manufacture by the fineness of the fleeces.

I stayed but two months with my wife and family; for my infatiable defire of feeing foreign countries would fuffer me to continue no longer. I left fifteen hundred pounds with my wife, and fixed her in a good houfe at Redriff. My remaining flock I carried with me, part in money and part in goods, in hopes to improve my fortunes. My eldest uncle John had left me an estate in land, near Epping, of about thirty pounds a year; and I had a long leafe of the Black-Bull in Fetter-Lane, which yielded me as much more; fo that I was not in any danger of leaving my family upon the parish. My fon Johnny, named fo after his uncle, was at the grammar-fchool, and a towardly

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Having been condemned by nature and fortune to an active and reftlefs life, in two months after my return I again left my native country, and took fhipping in the Downs on the 20th day of June 1702, in the Adventure, captain John Nicholas, a Cornish man, commander, bound for Surat. We had a very profperous gale till we arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, where we landed for fresh water, but difcovering a leak, we unfhipped our goods, and wintered there; for, the captain falling fick of an ague, we could not leave the Cape till the end of March. We then fet fail, and had a good voyage till we paffed the Streights of Madagafcar; but having got northward of that ifland, and to about five degrees fouth latitude, the winds, which in those feas are obferved to blow a conftant equal gale between the north and weft, from the beginning of December to the beginning of May, on the 19th of April began to blow with much greater violence, and more wefterly than ufual, continuing fo for twenty days together, during which time we were driven a little to the eaft of the Molucca islands, and about three degrees northward of the line, as our captain found by an observation he took the fecond of May, at which time the, wind ceafed, and it was a perfect calm, whereat I was not a little rejoiced. But

he, being a man well experienced in the navigation of those feas, bid us all prepare against a ftorm, which accordingly happened the day following: for a fouthern wind, called the fouthern monfoon, began to fet in.

Finding it was like to overblow, we took in our fprit-fail, and flood by to hand the fore-fail; but, making foul weather, we looked the guns were all faft, and handed the mizen. The fhip lay very broad off, fo we thought it better fpooning before the fea, than trying or hulling. We reeft the fore-fail and fet him, and hawled aft the forefheet; the helm was hard a-weather. The hip wore bravely. We belayed the foredown-hall; but the fail was

fplit, and we hawled down the yard, and got the fail into the fhip, and unbound all the things clear of it. It was a very fierce ftorm; the fea broke ftrange and dangerous. We hawled off upon the lanniard of the whip-ftaff, and helped the man at the helm. We would not get down our top-malt, but let all ftand, because the feudded before the fea very well, and we knew that, the top-mait being aloft, the fhip was the wholefomer, and made better way through the fea, feeing we had fea-room. When the ftorm was over, we fet fore-fail and main-fail, and brought the fhip to. Then we fet the mizen, main-top-fail, and the fore-top-fail. Our courfe was east-north-east, the wind was at fouthwest. We got the starboard tacks aboard, we cait off our weather-braces and lifts; we fet in the lea-braces, and hawled forward by the weather-bowlings, and hawled them tight, and belayed them, and hawled over the mizen-tack to windward, and kept her full and by as near as the would lie.

During this form, which was followed by a ftrong wind weft-fouth-west, we were carried by my computation about five hundred leagues to the east, fo that the oldest failor on board could not tell in what part of the world we were. Our provifions held out well, our fhip was ftaunch, and our crew all in good health; but we lay in the ut moit diftrefs for water. We thought it beft to hold on the fame course, rather than turn more northerly, which might have brought us to the north-west parts

of

of Great Tartary, and into the frozen fea.

On the 16th day of June, 1703, a boy on the top-maft difcovered land. On the 17th we came in full view of a great ifland or continent (for we knew not whether) on the fouth fide whereof was a small neck of land jutting out into the fea, and a creek too fhallow to hold a fhip of above one hundred tons. We caft anchor within a league of this creek, and our captain fent a dozen of his men well armed in the long-boat, with veffels for water, if any could be found. I defired his leave to go with them, that I might fee the country, and make what discoveries I could. When we came to land, we faw no river or spring, nor any fign of inhabitants. Our men therefore wandered on the fhore to find out fome fresh water near the fea, and I walked alone about a mile on the other fide, where I obferved the country all barren and rocky. I now began to be weary, and feeing nothing to entertain my curiofity I returned gently down towards the creek; and the fea being full in my view, I faw our men already got into the boat, and rowing for life to the fhip. I was going to halloo after them, although it had been to littie purpose, when I obferved a huge creature walking after them in the fea, as fast as he could he waded not much deeper than his knees, and took prodigious ftrides: but our men had the start of him half a league, and, the fea thereabouts be. ing full of fharp-pointed rocks, the monfter was not able to overtake the boat. This I was afterwards told, for I durft not stay to fee the iue of the adventure; but ran as fast as I could the way I first went, and then climbed up a steep hill, which gave me fome profpect of the country. I found it fully cultivated; but that which firft furprised me was the length of the grafs, which, in thofe grounds that feemed to be kept for hay, was about twenty feet high.

I fell into a high road, for fo I took it to be, though it ferved to the inhabitants only as a foot-path through a field of barley. Here I walked on for fome time, but could fee little on either fide,

it being now near harvest, and the corn rifing at least forty feet. I was an hour walking to the end of this field, which was fenced in with a hedge of at leaft one hundred and twenty feet high, and the trees fo lofty that I could make no computation of their altitude. There was a file to pafs from this field into the next. It had four steps, and a stone to crofs over when you came to the uppermoft. It was impoffible for me to climb this ftile, because every step was fix feet high, and the upper ftone above twenty. I was endeavouring to find fome gap in the hedge, when I difcovered one of the inhabitants in the next field advancing towards the file, of the fame fize with him whom I faw in the fea purfuing our boat. He appeared as tall as an ordinary fpire-fteeple, and took about ten yards at every ftride, as near as I could guefs. I was ftruck with the utmost fear and aftonishment, and ran to hide myself in the corn, from whence I faw him at the top of the ftile looking back into the next field on the right hand, and heard him call in a voice many degrees louder than a speaking-trumpet; but the noife was fo high in the air, that at first I certainly thought it was thunder. Whereupon feven monfters, like himself, came towards him with reaping-hooks in their hands, each hook about the largeness of fix fcythes. These people were not fo well clad as the firft, whofe fervants or labourers they feemed to be: for, upon fome words he fpoke, they went to reap the corn in the field where I lay. I kept from them at as great a distance as I could, but was forced to move with extreme difficulty, for the ftalks of the corn were fometimes not above a foot diftant, fo that I could hardly fqueeze my body betwixt them. However I made a fhift to go forward, till I came to a part of the field where the corn had been laid by the rain and wind. Here it was impoffible for me to advance a ftep; for the ftalks were fo interwoven that I could not creep thorough, and the beards of the fallen ears fo ftrong and pointed, that they pierced through my clothes into my flesh. At the fame time I heard the reapers not above an hundred yards behind me. Being quite

difpirited

difpirited with toil, and wholly overcome by grief and defpair, I lay down be. tween two ridges, and heartily wished I might there end my days. I bemoaned my defolate widow, and fatherless children. I lamented my own folly and wilfulness in attempting a fecord voyage, against the advice of all my friends and relations. In this terrible agitation of mind I could not forbear thinking of Lilliput, whofe inhabitants looked upon me as the greatest prodigy that ever appeared in the world: where I was able to draw an imperial fleet in my hand, and perform thofe other actions which will be recorded for ever in the chronicles of that empire, while pofterity fhall hardly believe them, although attefted by millions. I reflected what a mòrtification it must prove to me to appear as inconfiderable in this nation, as one fingle Lilliputian would be among us. But this I conceived was to be the leaft of my misfortunes: for, as human creatures are obferved to be more favage and cruel in proportion to their bulk, what could I expect but to be a morfel in the mouth of the first among thefe enormous barbarians, that should happen to feize me? Undoubtedly philofophers are in the right when they tell us, that nothing is great or little otherwife than by comparison. It might have pleafed fortune to have let the Lilliputians find fome nation, where the people were as diminutive with refpect to them, as they were to me. And who knows but that even this p:odigious race of mortals might be equally overmatched in fome diftant part of the world, whereof we have yet no difcovery.

Scared and confounded as I was, I could not forbear going on with thefe reflections, when one of the reapers, approaching within ten yards of the ridge where I lay, made me apprehend that with the next step I fhould be fquashed to death under his foot, or cut in two with his reaping-hook. And therefore when he was again about to move, I screamed as loud as fear could make me. Whereupon the huge creature trod fhort, and looking round about under him for fome time, at laft efpied me as I lay on the ground. He confidered a while, with the caution of

one who endeavours to lay hold on a fmall dangerous animal in fuch a manner that it fhall not be able either to fcratch or to bite him, as I myself have fometimes done with a weafel in England. At length he ventured to take me up behind by the middle between his fore-finger and thumb, and brought me within three yards of his eyes, that he might behold my fhape more perfectly. I gueffed his meaning, and my good fortune gave me so much prefence of mind, that I refolved not to ftruggle in the leaft as he held me in the air above fixty feet from the ground, although he grievously pinched my fides, for fear I fhould flip through his fingers. All I ventured was to raise mine eyes towards the fun, and place my hands together in a fupplicating pofture, and to fpeak fome words in an humble melancholy tone, fuitable to the condition I then was in. For I apprehended every moment that he would dash me against the ground, as we ufually do any little hateful animal, which we have a mind to destroy *. But my good star would have it, that he appeared pleafed with my voice and geftures, and began to look upon me as a curiofity, much wondering to hear me pronounce articulate words, although he could not understand them. In the mean time I was not able to forbear groaning and fhedding tears, and turning my head towards my fides; letting him know, as well as I could, how cruelly I was hurt by the preffure of his thumb and finger. He feemed to apprehend my meaning; for, lifting up the lappet of his coat, he put me gently into it, and immediately ran along with me to his mafter, who was a fubftantial farmer, and the fame perfon I had first feen in the field.

The farmer having (as I fuppofe by their talk) received fuch an account of me as his fervant could give him, took

* Our inattention to the felicity of fenfitive beings merely because they are small is here forcibly reproved: many have wantonly crushed an infect, who would fhudder at cutting the throat of a dog; but it fhould always be remembered, that the least of these

"In mortal fufferance feels a pang as great
As when a giant dies."
a piece

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