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16 - Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift · Classic Adventure Books Library

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Chapter eight, the King and Queen make a progress to the frontiers. The
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author attends them. The manner in which he leaves the country very particularly related.
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He returns to England. I had always a strong impulse that I should
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sometime recover my liberty, though it was impossible to conjecture by what means,
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or to form any project with the least hope of succeeding. The ship in
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which I sailed was the first ever known to be driven within sight of that
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coast, and the King had given strict orders that if at any time another
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appeared, it should be taken ashore, and with all its crew and passengers
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brought in Tumbril to lauberalgrud. He was strongly bent to get me a woman
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of my own size, by whom I might propagate the breed. But I
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think I should rather have died than undergone the disce of leaving a posterity to
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be kept in cages like tame canary birds, and perhaps in time sold about
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the kingdom to persons of quality for curiosities. I was indeed treated with much
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kindness. I was the favorite of a great king and queen, and the
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delight of the whole court. But it was upon such a foot as ill
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became the dignity of human kind. I could never forget those domestic pledges I
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had left behind me. I wanted to be among people with whom I could
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converse upon even terms, and to walk about the streets and fields without being
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afraid of being trod to death like a frog or a young puppy. But
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my deliverance came sooner than I expected, and in a manner not very common.
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The whole story and circumstances of which I shall faithfully relate, I had
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now been two years in this country, and about the beginning of the third
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glum Duklitch and I attended the King and Queen in a progress to the south
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coast of the Kingdom. I was carried as usual in my traveling box,
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which, as I have already described, was a very convenient closet of twelve
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feet wide, and I had ordered a hammock to be fixed by silken ropes
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from the four corners at the top to break the jolts when a servant carried
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me before him on horseback, as I sometimes desired, and would often sleep
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in my hammock while we were upon the road. On the roof of my
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closet, not directly over the middle of the hammock. I ordered the joiner
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to cut out a hole of a foot square to give me air in hot
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weather. As I slept which hole, I shot at pleasure with a board
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that drew backward and forward through a groove. When we came to our journey's
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end, the king thought proper to pass a few days at a palace he
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has near van Flassnik, a city within eighteen English miles of the sea side.
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Glumdalklitch and I were much fatigued. I had gotten a small cold,
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but the poor girl was so ill as to be confined to her chamber.
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I longed to see the ocean, which must be the only scene of my
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escape, if ever it should happen. I pretended to be worse than I
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really was, and as I had leave to take the fresh air off the
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sea with a page whom I was very fond of, and who had sometimes
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been trusted with me. I shall never forget with what unwillingless Glandalklitch consented,
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nor the strict charge she gave the page to be careful of me. Bursting
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at the same time into a flood of tears, as if she had some
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foreboding of what was to happen. The boy took me out in my box,
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about half an hour's walk from the palace, towards the rocky sea shore.
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I ordered him to set me down, and, lifting up one of
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my sashes, cast many a wistful, melancholy look towards the sea. I
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found myself not very well and told the page that I had a mind to
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take a nap in my hammock, which I hoped would do me some good.
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I got in, and the boy shut the window close down to keep
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out the cold. I soon fell asleep, and all I can conjecture is
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while I slept, the page, thinking no danger could happen, went among
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the rocks to look for birds eggs, having before observed him from my window,
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searching about and picking up one or two in the clefts. Be that
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as it will. I found myself suddenly awaked with a violent pull upon the
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ring which was fastened at the top of my box for the conveniency of carriage.
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I felt my box rise very high in the air, and then borne
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forward with prodigious speed. The first jolt had liked to have shaken me out
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of my hammock. But afterwards the motion was easy enough. I called out
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several times as loud as I could raise my voice, but all to no
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purpose. I looked towards my windows and could see nothing but the clouds and
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sky. I heard a noise just over my head, like the clapping of
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wings, and then began to perceive the woeful condition I was in that some
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eagle had got the ring of my box in his beak, with an intent
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to let it fall on a rock like a tortoise in a shell, and
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then pick out my body and devour it. For the sagacity and smell of
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this bird enables him to discover his quarry at a great distance, though better
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concealed than I could be within a two inch board. In a little time,
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I observed the noise and flutter of wings to increase very fast, and
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my box was tossed up and down like a sign in a windy day.
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I heard several bangs or buffets, as I thought given to the eagle,
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for such I am certain it must have been that held the ring of my
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box in his beak, And then all on a sudden, felt myself falling
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perpendicularly down for above a minute, but with such incredible swiftness that I almost
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lost my breath. My fall was stopped by a terrible squash that sounded louder
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to my ears than the Cataract of Niagara, after which I was quite in
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the dark for another minute. And then my box began to rise so high
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that I I could see light from the tops of the windows. I now
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perceived I was fallen into the sea. My box, being the weight of
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my body, the goods that were in it, and the broad plates of
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iron fixed for strength at the four corners of the top and the bottom,
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floated about five feet deep in water. I did then, and do now,
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suppose that the eagle which flew away with my box, was pursued by
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two or three others and forced to let me drop while he defended himself against
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the rest who hoped to share in the prey. The plates of iron fastened
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at the bottom of the box, for those were the strongest, preserved the
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balance while it fell, and hindered it from being broken. On the surface
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of the water. Every joint of it was well grooved, and the door
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did not move on hinges, but up and down like a sash, which
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kept my closet so tight that very little water came in. I got,
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with much difficulty out of my hammock, having first ventured to draw back the
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slip board on the roof already mentioned, contrived on purpose to let erin,
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for want of which I found myself almost stifled. How often did I then
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wish myself with my dear glumdal Klitch, for whom one single hour had so
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far divided me. And I may say with truth that in the midst of
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my own misfortunes, I could not forbear lamenting my poor nurse, the grief
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she would suffer for my loss, the displeasure of the queen, and the
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ruin of her fortune. Perhaps many travelers have not been under greater difficulties and
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distress than I was at this juncture, expecting every moment to see my box
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dashed to pieces, or at least overset by the first violent blast or rising
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wave. A breach in one single pane of glass would have been immediate death.
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Nor could anything have preserved the windows, but the strong lattice, wise
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placed on the outside against accidents. In traveling, I saw the water ooze
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in at several crannies, Although the leaks were not considerable, and I endeavored
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to stop them as well as I could. I was not able to lift
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up the roof of my closet, which otherwise I certainly should have done,
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and sat on top of it, where might at least preserve myself some hours
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longer then by being shut up, as I may call it, in the
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hold. Or if I escaped these dangers for a day or two, what
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could I expect but a miserable death of cold and hunger. I was four
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hours under these circumstances, expecting and indeed wishing every moment to be my last.
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I have already told the reader that there were two strong saples fixed upon
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that side of my box, which had no window, and into which the
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servant who used to carry me on horseback would put a leathern belt and buckle
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it about his waist. Being in this disconsolate state, I heard, or
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at least thought I heard, some kind of grating noise on that side of
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my box where the staples were fixed. And soon after I began to fancy
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that the box was pulled or towed along the sea. For I now and
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then felt a sort of tugging which made the ways rise near the tops of
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my windows, leaving me almost in the dark. This gave me some faint
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hopes of relief, although I was not able to imagine how it could be
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brought about. I ventured to unscrew one of my chairs, which were always
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fastened to the floor, and having made a hard shift, to screw it
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down again directly under the slipping border that I had lately opened. I mounted
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on the chair and put in my mouth as near as I could to the
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hole. I cried for help in a loud voice and in all the languages
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I understood. I then fastened my handkerchief to a stick I usually carried,
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and, thrusting it up the hole, waved it several times in the air,
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that if any boat or ship were near, the seaman might conjecture some
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unhappy mortal to be shut up in the box. I found no effect from
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all I could do, but plainly perceived my closet to be moved along,
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and, in the space of an hour or better, that side of the
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box, where the staples were and had no windows, struck against something that
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was hard, I apprehended it to be a rock, and found myself tossed
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more than ever. I plainly heard a noise upon the cover of my closet
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like that of a cable, and the grating of it as it passed through
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the ring. I then found myself hoisted up by degrees at least three feet
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higher than I was before, whereupon I again thrust up my stick and handkerchief,
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calling for help while I was almost hoarse, in return to which I
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heard a great shout, repeated three times, giving me such transports of joy
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as are not to be conceived but by those who feel them. I now
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heard a trampling over my head, and somebody calling through the hole with a
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loud voice in the English tongue. If there be anybody below, let them
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speak, I answered, I was an Englishman, drawn by ill fortune into
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the greatest calamity that any creep underwent, and begged by all that was moving
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to be delivered out of this dungeon I was in. The voice replied I
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was safe, for my box was fastened to their ship, and the carpenter
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should immediately come. And saw a hole in the cover large enough to pull
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me out, I answered that was needless and would take up too much time,
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for there was no more to be done. For there was no more
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to be done but to let one of the crew put his finger into the
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ring and take the box out of the sea, into the ship, and
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sew into the captain's cabin. Some of them, upon hearing me talk so
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wildly, thought I was mad. Others laughed, For indeed, it never
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came into my head that I was now got among people of my own stature
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and strength. The carpenter came and in a few minutes sought a passage about
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four feet square, then let down a small ladder upon which I mounted,
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and thence was taken into the ship in a very weak condition. The sailors
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were all in amazement and asked me a thousand questions, which I had no
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inclination to answer. I was equally confounded at the sight of so many pigmies,
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for such I took them to be, after having so long accustomed mine
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eyes to the monstrous objects I had left. But the captain, mister Thomas
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Wilcox, an honest, worthy Shopshire man, observing I was ready to faint,
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took me into his cabin, gave me a cordial to comfort me,
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and made me turn in upon his own bed, advising me to take a
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little rest, of which I had great need before I went to sleep,
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I gave him to understand that I had some valuable furniture in my box,
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too good to be lost, a fine hammock, a handsome field bed,
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two chairs, a table, and a cabinet. That my closet was hung
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on all sides, or rather quilted with silk and cotton. That if he
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would let one of the crew bring my closet into his cabin, I would
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open it there before him and show him my goods. The captain, hearing
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me utter these absurdities, concluded I was raving. However I supposed to pacify
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me. He promised to give order as I desired, and, going upon
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deck, sent some of his men down into my closet, whence as I
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afterwards found, they drew up all my goods and stripped off the quilting.
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But the chairs, cabinet and bed stand, being screwed to the floor,
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were much damaged by the ignorance of the seamen, who tore them up by
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force. Then they knocked off some of the boards for the use of the
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ship, and when they had got all they had mined for, let the
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whole drop into the sea, which, by reason of many breeches made in
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the bottom and sides sunk to rights. And indeed I was glad not to
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have been a spectator of the havoc they made, because I am confident it
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would have sensibly touched me by bringing former passages into my mind, which I
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would rather have forgot. I slept some hours, but perpetibly deserved, with
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dreams of the place I had left and the dangers I had escaped. However,
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upon waking I found myself much recovered. It was now about eight o'clock
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at night, and the captain ordered supper, immediately, thinking I had already
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fasted too long. He entertained me with great kindness, observing me not to
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look wildly or talking consistently, And when we were left alone, desired I
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would give him a relation of my travels and by what accident I came to
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be set adrift in that monstrous wooden chest. He said that about twelve o'clock
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at noon, as he was looking through his glass, he spied it at
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a distance and thought it was a sail, which he had a mind to
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make, being not much out of his course, in hopes of buying some
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biscuit, his own beginning to fall short, that upon coming nearer, and
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finding his error, he sent out his long boat to discover what it was.
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That his men came back in a fright, swearing they had seen a
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swimming house. That he laughed at their folly, and went himself in the
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boat, ordering his men to take a strong cable along with them, that
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the weather being calm, he rode round me several times, observing my windows
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and wire lattices that defend them. That he discovered two staples upon one side,
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which was of all boards without any passage for light. He then commanded
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his men to row up to that side, and, fastening a cable to
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one of the staples, ordered them to tow my chest as they caused it
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towards the ship. When it was there, he gave directions to fasten another
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cable to the ring fixed in the cover, and to raise up my chest
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with pulleys, which all the sailors were not able to do above three or
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four feet. He said they saw my stick and tandkerchief thrust out of the
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hole, and concluded that some unhappy man must be shut up in the cavity.
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I asked whether he or the crew had seen any pritigious birds in the
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air about the time he first discovered me, to which he answered that discoursing
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this matter with the sailors while I was asleep, one of them said he
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had observed three eagles flying towards the north, but remarked nothing of their being
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larger than the usual size, which I suppose must be imputed to the great
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heights they were at, and he could not guess the reason of mine question.
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I then asked the captain how far he reckoned we might be from land.
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He said, by the best computation he could make, we were at
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least a hundred leagues. I assured him that he must be mistaken by almost
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half, for I had not left the country whence I had come above two
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hours before I dropped into the sea, whereupon he began again to think that
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my brain was disturbed, of which he gave me a hint, and advised
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me to go to bed in a cabin he had provided. I assured him
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I was well refreshed with his good entertainment and company, and as much in
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my sense as as ever I was in my life. He then grew serious
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and desired to ask me freely whether I were not troubled in my mind by
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the consciousness of some enormous crime, for which I was punished as the command
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of some prince, by exposing me in that chest as great criminals in other
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countries, having forced to see in a leaky vessel without provisions. For although
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he should be sorry to have taken so ill a man into his ship,
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yet he would engage his word to set me safe ashore in the first port
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where we arrived. He added that his suspicions were much increased by some very
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absurd speeches I had delivered, at first to his sailors and afterwards to himself,
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in relation to my closet or chest, as well as by my odd
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looks and behavior. While I was at supper, I begged his patience to
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hear me tell my story, which I faithfully did from the last time I
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left England to the moment he first discovered me. And as truth always forces
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its way into rational minds, so this honest, worthy gentleman, who had
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some tincature of learning and very good sense, was immediately convinced with my candor
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and veracity. But further to confirm all I had said, I entreated him
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to give order that my cabinet should be brought of which I had the key
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in my pocket, for he had already informed me how the seaman disposed of
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my closet. I opened it in his own presence and showed him the small
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collection of rarities I made in the country from which I had been so strangely
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delivered. There was the comb I had contrived out of the stumps of the
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King's beard, and another of the same materials, but fixed into a pairing
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of Her Majesty's thumb nail, which served for the back. There was a
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collection of needles and pins from a foot to half a yard long, four
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wasp stings like joyner's tacks, some combings of the Queen's hair. A gold
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ring, which one day she made me a present of in a most obliging
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manner, taking it from her little finger and throwing it over my head like
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a collar. I desired the Captain would please to accept this ring in return
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for his civilities, which he absolutely refused. I showed him a corn that
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I had cut off with my own hand from a maid of honor's toe.
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It was about the bigness of a Kentish pippin, and grown so hard that
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when I returned to England, I got it hollowed into a cup and set
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in silver. Lastly, I desired him to see the breeches I had then
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on, which were made of a mouse's skin. I could force nothing on
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him but a footman's tooth, which I observed him to examine with great curiosity,
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and found he had a fancy for it. He received it with abundance
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of thanks, more than such a trifle could deserve. It was drawn by
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an unskillful surgeon, in a mistake, from one of glandal Klitch's men,
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who was afflicted with the toothache. But it was as sound as any in
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his head. I got it cleaned and put it into my cabinet. It
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was about a foot long and four inches in diameter. The Captain was well
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satisfied with this plain relation I had given him, and said he hoped when
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we returned to England I would oblige the world by putting it on paper and
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making it public. My answer was that we were overstocked with books of travels,
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that nothing could now pass which was not extraordinary, wherein I doubted some
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more things less consulted truth than their own vanity or interest, or the diversion
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of ignorant readers that my story could contain little beside common events without those ornamental
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descriptions of strange plants, trees, birds, and other animals, or of
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the barbarous customs and idolatry of savage people with which most writers abound. However,
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I thanked him for his good opinion, and promised to take the matter
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into my thoughts. He said he wondered at one thing very much, which
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was to hear me speak so loud, asking me whether the king or queen
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of that country were thick of hearing. I told him it was what I
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had been used to for above two years past, and that I admired as
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much at the voices of him and his men, who seemed to me only
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to whisper. And yet I could hear them well enough. But when I
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spoke in that country, it was like a man talking in the streets to
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another looking out from the top of a steeple, unless when I was placed
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on a table or held in any person's hand. I told him I had
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likewise observed another thing, that when I first got into the ship and the
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sailors all stood about me, I thought they were the most little contemptible creatures.
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I had ever beheld. For indeed, while I was in that Prince's
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country, I could never endure to look in a glass after mine eyes had
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become accustomed to such prodigious objects, because the comparison gave me so despicable a
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conceit of myself. The Captain said that while we were at supper, he
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observed me to look at everything with a sort of wonder, and that I
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often seemed hardly able to contain my laughter, which he knew not well how
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to take, but imputed it to some disorder in my brain. I answered,
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it was very true, and I wondered how I could forbear when I
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saw his dishes of the size of a silver threepence, a leg of pork
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hardly a mouthful, a cup not so big as a nutshell. And so
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I went on describing the rest of his household stuff and provisions after the same
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manner. For although the Queen had ordered a little equipage of all things necessary
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for me while I was in her service, yet my ideas were wholly taken
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up with what I saw on every side of me, and I winked at
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my own littleness, as people do at their own faults. The captain understood
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my rillery very well, and merrily replied with the old English proverb that he
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doubted mine eyes were bigger than my belly, for he did not observe my
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stomach so good, although I had fasted all day, and, continuing in
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his mirth, protested he would have gladly given a hundred pounds to have seen
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my closet in the eagle's bill, and afterwards in its fall from so great
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a height into the sea, which would certainly have been a most astonishing object,
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worthy to have the description of it transmitted to future ages. And the
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comparison of theaton was so obvious that he could not forbear applying it, although
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I did not much admire the conceit. The Captain, having been at Tonquin,
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was, in his return to England, driven northeastward to the latitude of
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forty four degrees a longitude of one hundred and forty three, but meeting a
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trade wind. Two days after I came on board. We sailed south for
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a long time, and coast in New Holland kept our course west southwest and
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then south southwest till we doubled the Cape of Good Hope. Our voyage was
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very prosperous, but I shall not trouble the reader with the journal of it.
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The captain called in at one or two ports and sent in his long
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boat for provisions and fresh water. But I never went out of the ship
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till we came into the Downs, which was on the third day of June
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seventeen o six, about nine months after my escape. I offered to leave
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my goods in security for payment of my freight, but the captain protested he
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would not receive one farthing. We took a kind of leave of each other,
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and I made him promise he would come to see me at my house
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in Redriff. I hired a horse and guide for five shillings, which I
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borrowed off the captain. As I was on the road, observing the littleness
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of the houses, the trees, the cattle, and the people, I
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began to think myself in Lilliput. I was afraid of trampling on every traveler
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I met, and often called aloud to have them stand out of the way,
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so that I had liked to have gotten one or two broken heads from
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my impertinence. When I came to my house, for which I was forced
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to inquire one of the servants opened the door. I bent down to go
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in like a goose under a gate, for fear of striking my head.
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My wife ran out to embrace me, but I stooped lower than her knees,
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thinking she could otherwise never be able to reach my mouth. My daughter
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needled to ask my blessing, but I could not see her till she arose,
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having been so long used to stand with my head eyes erect to above
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sixty feet, and then I went to take her up with one hand by
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the waist. I looked down upon the servants and one or two friends were
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in the house, as if they had been pigmies, and I a giant.
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I told my wife she had been too thrifty, for I found she
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had starved herself and her daughter to nothing. In short, I behaved myself
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so unaccountably that they were all of the captain's opinion when he first saw me,
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and concluded I had lost my wits. This I mention as an instance
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of the great power of habit and prejudice. In a little time, I
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and my family and friends came to a right understanding, but my wife protested
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I should never go to sea any more. Although my evil destiny so ordered
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that she had not power to hinder me, as the reader may know hereafter.
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In the meantime, I here conclude the second part of My Unfortunate Voyages.
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End of Part two, Chapter eight,