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38 - Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift · Classic Adventure Books - Daily

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  Speaker 1: Chapter eleven, The Author's Dangerous Voyage. He arrives at New Holland,
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  Speaker 1: hoping to settle there, is wounded with an arrow by
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  Speaker 1: one of the natives, is seized and carried by force
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  Speaker 1: into a Portuguese ship the great civilities of the captain.
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  Speaker 1: The author arrives at England. I began this desperate voyage
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  Speaker 1: on February fifteep seventeen, fourteen fifteen, at nine o'clock in
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  Speaker 1: the morning. The wind was very favorable. However, I made
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  Speaker 1: use at first only of my paddles. But considering I
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  Speaker 1: should soon be weary and that the wind might chop about,
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  Speaker 1: I ventured to set up my little sail, and thus,
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  Speaker 1: with the help of the tide, I went at the
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  Speaker 1: rate of a league and a half an hour, as
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  Speaker 1: near as I could guess. My master and his friends
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  Speaker 1: continued on the shore till I was almost out of sight,
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  Speaker 1: and I often heard the sorrel Nag, who always loved me,
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  Speaker 1: crying out, Honya Ilya, ne'a maja, Yahoo, take care of thyself,
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  Speaker 1: gentle Yahoo. My design was, if possible, to discover some
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  Speaker 1: small island uninhabited, yet sufficient by my labour to furnish
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  Speaker 1: me with the necessaries of life, which I would have
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  Speaker 1: thought a greater happiness than to be first Minister in
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  Speaker 1: the politest court of Europe. So horrible was the idea
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  Speaker 1: I conceived of returning to live in society and under
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  Speaker 1: the government of Yahoos. For in such a solitude as
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  Speaker 1: I desired, I could at least enjoy my own thoughts
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  Speaker 1: and reflect with delight on the virtues of those inimitable hunums,
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  Speaker 1: without an opportunity of degenerating into the vices and corruptions
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  Speaker 1: of my own species. The reader may remember what I
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  Speaker 1: related when my crew conspired against me and confined me
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  Speaker 1: to my cabin. How I continued there several weeks without
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  Speaker 1: knowing what course we took, And when I was put
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  Speaker 1: ashore in the long boat, how the sailors told me,
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  Speaker 1: with oaths, whether true or false, that they knew not
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  Speaker 1: in what part of the world we were. However, I
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  Speaker 1: did then believe us to be about ten degrees southward
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  Speaker 1: of the Cape of Good Hope, or about forty five
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  Speaker 1: degrees southern latitude, as I gathered from some general words
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  Speaker 1: I overheard, among them being I suppose to the southeast
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  Speaker 1: in their intended voyage to Madagascar, and although this was
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  Speaker 1: little better than conjecture, yet I resolved to steer my
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  Speaker 1: course eastward, hoping to reach the southwest coast of New
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  Speaker 1: Holland and perhaps some such island as I desired lying
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  Speaker 1: westward of it. The wind was full west, and by
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  Speaker 1: six in the evening I computed I had gone eastward
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  Speaker 1: at least eighteen leagues when I spied a very small
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  Speaker 1: life about half a league off which I soon reached.
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  Speaker 1: It was nothing but a rock with one creek, naturally
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  Speaker 1: arched by the force of tempests. Here I put in
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  Speaker 1: my canoe, and climbing apart of the rock, I could
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  Speaker 1: plainly discover land to the east, extending from south to north.
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  Speaker 1: I lay all night in my canoe, and repeating my
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  Speaker 1: voyage early in the next morning, I arrived in seven
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  Speaker 1: hours to the southeast point of New Holland. This confirmed
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  Speaker 1: me in the opinion I have long entertained that the
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  Speaker 1: maps and charts placed this country at least three degrees
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  Speaker 1: more to the east than it really is, which thought
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  Speaker 1: I communicated many years ago to my worthy friend mister
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  Speaker 1: Herman moll And gave him my reasons for it, Although
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  Speaker 1: he has rather chosen to follow other authors. I saw
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  Speaker 1: no inhabitants in the place where I landed, and being unarmed,
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  Speaker 1: I was afraid of venturing far into the country. I
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  Speaker 1: found some shell fish on the shore and ate them raw,
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  Speaker 1: not daring to kindle a fire for fear of being
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  Speaker 1: discovered by the natives. I continued three days, feeding on
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  Speaker 1: oysters and limpets to save my own provisions, and I
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  Speaker 1: fortunately found a brook of excellent water, which gave me
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  Speaker 1: great relief. On the fourth day, venturing out early a
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  Speaker 1: little too far, I saw twenty or thirty natives upon
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  Speaker 1: a height not above five hundred yards from me. They
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  Speaker 1: were stark naked men, women, and children round a fire,
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  Speaker 1: as I could discover by the smoke. One of them
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  Speaker 1: spied me and gave notice to the rest. Five of
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  Speaker 1: them advanced towards me, leaving the women and children at
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  Speaker 1: the fire. I made what haste I could to the shore,
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  Speaker 1: and getting into my canoe, shoved off. The savages, observing
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  Speaker 1: me retreat, ran after me, and before I could get
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  Speaker 1: f far enough into the sea, discharged an arrow which
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  Speaker 1: wounded me deeply on the inside of my left knee.
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  Speaker 1: I shall carry the mark to my grave. I apprehended
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  Speaker 1: the arrow might be poisoned, and paddling out of reach
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  Speaker 1: of their darts. Being a calm day, I made a
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  Speaker 1: shift to suck the wound and dress it as well
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  Speaker 1: as I could. I was at a loss what to do,
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  Speaker 1: for I durst not return to the same landing place,
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  Speaker 1: but stood to the north and was forced to paddle
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  Speaker 1: for the wind, though very gentle was against me, blowing northwest.
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  Speaker 1: As I was looking about for a secure landing place,
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  Speaker 1: I saw a sail to the north northeast, which appearing
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  Speaker 1: every minute more visible. I was in some doubt whether
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  Speaker 1: I should wait for them or not. But at last
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  Speaker 1: my detestation of the Yahoo race prevailed, and turning my canoe,
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  Speaker 1: I sailed and paddled together to the south and got
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  Speaker 1: into the same creek. Whence I set out in the morning.
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  Speaker 1: Choosing rather to trust myself among these barbarians then live
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  Speaker 1: with the European Yahoos, I drew up my canoe as
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  Speaker 1: close as I could to the shore, and hid myself
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  Speaker 1: behind a stone by the little brook, which, as I
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  Speaker 1: have already said, was excellent water. The ship came within
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  Speaker 1: half a league of this creek and sent a long
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  Speaker 1: boat with vessels to take in fresh water. For the place,
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  Speaker 1: it seems, was very well known, but I did not
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  Speaker 1: observe it till the boat was almost on shore, and
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  Speaker 1: it was too late to seek another hiding place. The
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  Speaker 1: seam in it their landing observed my canoe, and, drummaging
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  Speaker 1: it all over, easily conjectured that the owner could not
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  Speaker 1: be far off. Four of them, well armed, searched every
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  Speaker 1: cranny and lurking hole, till at last they found me
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  Speaker 1: flat on my face behind the stone. They gazed awhile
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  Speaker 1: in admiration at my strange uncouth dress, my coat made
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  Speaker 1: of skins, my wooden soled shoes, and my furred stockings. Whence, however,
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  Speaker 1: they concluded I was not a native of the place,
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  Speaker 1: who all go naked. One of the seamen in Portuguese
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  Speaker 1: bid me rise and asked who I was. I understood
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  Speaker 1: that language very well, and, getting upon my feet, said
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  Speaker 1: I was a poor yahoo, banished from the Whinnams, and
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  Speaker 1: desired they would please to let me depart. They admired
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  Speaker 1: to hear me answer them in their own tongue, and
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  Speaker 1: saw by my complexion I must be a European, but
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  Speaker 1: were at a last to know what I meant by
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  Speaker 1: yahoos and whinnams, and at the same time fell a
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  Speaker 1: laughing at my strange tone in speaking, which resembled the
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  Speaker 1: neighing of a horse. I trembled all the while, betwixt
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  Speaker 1: fear and hatred. I again desired leave to depart, and
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  Speaker 1: was gently moving to my canoe. But they laid hold
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  Speaker 1: of me, desiring to know what country I was of
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  Speaker 1: whence I came, with many other questions. I told them
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  Speaker 1: I was born in England whence I came about five
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  Speaker 1: years ago, and then their country and hours were at peace.
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  Speaker 1: I therefore hoped they would not treat me as an enemy,
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  Speaker 1: since I meant them no harm, but was a poor
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  Speaker 1: Yahoo seeking some desolate place where to pass the remainder
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  Speaker 1: of his unfortunate life. When they began to talk, I
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  Speaker 1: thought I never heard or saw anything more unnatural, for
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  Speaker 1: it appeared to me as monstrous, as of a dog
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  Speaker 1: or a cow should speak in England, or a Yahoo
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  Speaker 1: in whinnham Land. The honest Portuguese were equally amazed at
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  Speaker 1: my strange dress and the manner of delivering my words, which, however,
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  Speaker 1: they understood very well. They spoke to me with great
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  Speaker 1: humanity and said They were sure the captain would carry
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  Speaker 1: me gratis to Lisbon, whence they might return to my
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  Speaker 1: own country, that two of the seamen would go back
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  Speaker 1: to the ship, inform the captain of what they had seen,
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  Speaker 1: and receive his orders. In the meantime, unless I would
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  Speaker 1: give my solemn oath not to fly, they would secure
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  Speaker 1: me by force. I thought it best to comply with
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  Speaker 1: their proposal. They were very curious to know my story,
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  Speaker 1: but I gave them very little satisfaction, and they all
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  Speaker 1: conjectured that my misfortunes had impaired my reason. In two hours,
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  Speaker 1: the boat, which was laden with vessels of water, returned,
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  Speaker 1: with the captain's command to fetch me on board. I
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  Speaker 1: fell on my knees to preserve my liberty, but all
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  Speaker 1: was in vain, and the men, having tied me with cords,
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  Speaker 1: heed me into the boat. Whence I was taken into
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  Speaker 1: the ship, and thence into the captain's cabin. His name
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  Speaker 1: was Pedro de Mendez. He was a very courteous and
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  Speaker 1: generous person. He entreated me to give some account of myself,
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  Speaker 1: and desired to know what I would eat or drink.
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  Speaker 1: Said I should be used as well as himself, and
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  Speaker 1: spoke so many obliging things that I wondered to find
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  Speaker 1: such civilities from a yahoo. However, I remained silent and sullen.
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  Speaker 1: I was ready to faint at the very smell of
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  Speaker 1: him and his men. At last I desired something to
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  Speaker 1: eat out of my own canoe, but he ordered me
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  Speaker 1: a chicken and some excellent wine, and then directed I
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  Speaker 1: should be put to bed in a very clean cabin.
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  Speaker 1: I would not undress myself, but lay on the bedclothes,
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  Speaker 1: and in half an hour stole out. When I thought
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  Speaker 1: the crew at dinner and getting to the side of
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  Speaker 1: the ship, was going to leap into the sea and
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  Speaker 1: swim for my life rather than continue among the yahoos.
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  Speaker 1: But one of the seamen prevented me, and, having informed
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  Speaker 1: the captain, I was chained to my cabin. After dinner,
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  Speaker 1: Don Pedro came to me and desired to know my
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  Speaker 1: reason for so desperate an attempt. Assured me he only
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  Speaker 1: meant to do me all the service he was able,
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  Speaker 1: and spoke so very movingly that at last I descended
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  Speaker 1: to treat him like an animal, which had some little
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  Speaker 1: portion of reason. I gave him a very short relation
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  Speaker 1: of my voyage of the conspiracy against me by my
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  Speaker 1: own men, of the country where they set me on shore,
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  Speaker 1: and my five years of residence there, all which he
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  Speaker 1: looked upon as if it were a dream or a vision.
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  Speaker 1: Whereat I took great offense, for I had quite forgot
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  Speaker 1: the faculty of lying so peculiar to yahoos in all
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  Speaker 1: the countries where they preside, and consequently their disposition of
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  Speaker 1: suspecting truth in others of their own species. I asked
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  Speaker 1: him whether it were the custom in his country to
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  Speaker 1: say the thing which was not. I assured him I
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  Speaker 1: had almost forgot what he meant by falsehood, And if
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  Speaker 1: I had lived a thousand years in whinnham Land, I
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  Speaker 1: should never have heard a lie from the meanest servant.
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  Speaker 1: That I was altogether indifferent whether he believed me or not.
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  Speaker 1: But however, in return for his favors, I would give
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  Speaker 1: so much allowance to the corruption of his nature as
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  Speaker 1: to answer any objection he would please to make, and
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  Speaker 1: then he might easily discover the truth. The captain, a
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  Speaker 1: wise man, after many endeavors to catch me tripping in
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  Speaker 1: some part of my story, at last began to have
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  Speaker 1: a better opinion of my veracity. But he added that
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  Speaker 1: since I professed so inviolable an attachment to truth, I
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  Speaker 1: must give him my word an honor to bear him
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  Speaker 1: company in this voyage without attempting anything against my life
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  Speaker 1: or else. He would continue me as a prisoner till
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  Speaker 1: we arrived at Lisbon. I gave him the promise he required,
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  Speaker 1: but at the same time protested that I would suffer
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  Speaker 1: the greatest hardships rather than return to live among the yahoos.
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  Speaker 1: Our voyage passed without any considerable accident. In gratitude to
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  Speaker 1: the captain, I sometimes sat with him in his earnest request,
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  Speaker 1: and strove to conceal my antipathy against humankind, although it
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  Speaker 1: often broke out, which he suffered to pass without observation.
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  Speaker 1: But the greatest part of the day had confined myself
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  Speaker 1: to my cabin to avoid seeing any of the crew.
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  Speaker 1: The captain had often entreated me to strip myself of
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  Speaker 1: my savage dress and offered to lend me the best
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  Speaker 1: suit of clare he had. This I would not be
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  Speaker 1: prevailed on to accept a boring to cover myself with
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  Speaker 1: anything that had been on the back of a Yahoo.
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  Speaker 1: I only desired he would lend me two clean shirts,
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  Speaker 1: which having been washed since he wore them I believed
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  Speaker 1: would not so much defile me. These I changed every
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  Speaker 1: second day and washed them myself. We arrived at Lisbon
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  Speaker 1: November fifth, seventeen fifteen. At our landing, the captain forced
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  Speaker 1: me to cover myself with his cloak to prevent the
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  Speaker 1: rabble from crowding about me. I was conveyed to his
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  Speaker 1: own house, and at my earnest request, he led me
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  Speaker 1: up to the highest room. Backwards. I conjured him to
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  Speaker 1: conceal from all persons what I had told him of
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  Speaker 1: the Whinnams, because the least hint of such a story
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  Speaker 1: would not only draw numbers of people to see me,
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  Speaker 1: but probably put me in danger of being imprisoned or
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  Speaker 1: burnt by the inquisition. The captain persuaded me to accept
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  Speaker 1: a suit of clothes newly made, but I would not
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  Speaker 1: suffer the tailor to take my measure. However, don Pedro,
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  Speaker 1: being almost of my size, they fitted me well enough.
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  Speaker 1: He accouted me with other necessaries or new which I
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  Speaker 1: aired for twenty four hours before I would use them.
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  Speaker 1: The captain had no wife, nor above three servants, none
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  Speaker 1: of which were suffered to attend at meals, and his
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  Speaker 1: whole deportment was so obliging added to a very good
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  Speaker 1: human understanding that I really began to tolerate his company.
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  Speaker 1: He gained so far upon me that I ventured to
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  Speaker 1: look out of the back window. By degrees. I was
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  Speaker 1: brought into another room, whence I peeped into the street,
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  Speaker 1: but drew my head back in affright. In a week's
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  Speaker 1: time he seduced me down to the door. I found
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  Speaker 1: my terror gradually lessened, but my hatred and contempt seemed
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  Speaker 1: to increase. I was at last bold enough to walk
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  Speaker 1: the street in his company, but kept my nose well
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  Speaker 1: stopped with rue or sometimes of a tobacco. In ten days,
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  Speaker 1: Don Pedro, to whom I had given some account of
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  Speaker 1: my domestic affairs, put it upon me as a matter
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  Speaker 1: of honor and conscience that I ought to return to
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  Speaker 1: my native country and live at home with my wife
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  Speaker 1: and children. He told me there was an English ship
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  Speaker 1: in the port, just ready to sail, and he would
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  Speaker 1: furnish me with all things necessary. It would be tedious
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  Speaker 1: to repeat his arguments and my contradictions. He said, it
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  Speaker 1: was altogether impossible to find such a solitary island as
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  Speaker 1: I desired to live in, but I might command in
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  Speaker 1: my own house and pass my time in a manner
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  Speaker 1: as recluse as I pleased, I complied at last, finding
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  Speaker 1: I could not do better. I left Lisbon the twenty
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  Speaker 1: fourth day of November in an English merchantman. But who
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  Speaker 1: was the Master I never inquired. Dom Pedro accompanied me
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  Speaker 1: to the ship and lent me twenty pounds. He took
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  Speaker 1: kind leave of me and embraced me at a parting
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  Speaker 1: which I bore as well as I could. During this
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  Speaker 1: last voyage I had no commerce with the Master or
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  Speaker 1: any of his men, but pretending I was sick, kept
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  Speaker 1: clothes in my cabin. On the fifth of December seventeen fifteen,
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: we cast Anchor in the downs about nine in the morning,
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  Speaker 1: and at three in the afternoon I got savee to
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  Speaker 1: my house at Rotherheath. My wife and family received me
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  Speaker 1: with great surprise and joy, because they concluded me certainly dead.
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  Speaker 1: But I must freely confess the sight of them filled
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  Speaker 1: me only with hatred, disgust and contempt, and the more
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  Speaker 1: by reflecting on the near alliance I had to them.
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  Speaker 1: For although since my unfortunate exile from the Wynham country,
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: I had compelled myself to tolerate the site of yahoos
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  Speaker 1: and to converse with Don Pedro de Mendez. Yet my
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: memory and imagination were perpetually filled with the virtues and
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: ideas of those exalted Whinnhems. And when I began to
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  Speaker 1: consider that by copulating with one of the Yahoo species,
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  Speaker 1: I had become a parent of more, it struck me
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  Speaker 1: with the utmost shame, confusion, and horror. As soon as
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: I entered the house, my wife took me in her
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  Speaker 1: arms and kissed me, at which, having not been used
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: to the touch of that odious animal for so many years,
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: I fell into a swoon for almost an hour. At
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  Speaker 1: the time I am writing, it is five years since
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  Speaker 1: my last return to England. During the first year I
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: could not endure my wife or children in my presence.
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: The very smell of them was intolerable. Much less could
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: I suffer them to eat in the same room. To
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  Speaker 1: this hour, they dare not presume to touch my bread
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  Speaker 1: or drink out of the same cup. Neither was I
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  Speaker 1: ever able to let one of them take me by
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  Speaker 1: the hand. The first money I laid out was to
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: buy two young stone horses, which I keep in a
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  Speaker 1: good stable, and next to them the groom is my
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: greatest favorite, for I feel my spirits revived by the
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: smell he contracts in the stables. My horses understand me
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  Speaker 1: tolerably well. I converse with them at least four hours
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  Speaker 1: every day. They are strange as to bridle or saddle.
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  Speaker 1: They live in great amity with me and friendship to
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  Speaker 1: each other. And apart four Chapter eleven