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_ CHAPTER I
[The author sets out as captain of a ship. His men conspire
against him, confine him a long time to his cabin, and set him on
shore in an unknown land. He travels up into the country. The
Yahoos, a strange sort of animal, described. The author meets two
Houyhnhnms.]
I continued at home with my wife and children about five months, in
a very happy condition, if I could have learned the lesson of
knowing when I was well. I left my poor wife big with child, and
accepted an advantageous offer made me to be captain of the
Adventurer, a stout merchantman of 350 tons: for I understood
navigation well, and being grown weary of a surgeon's employment at
sea, which, however, I could exercise upon occasion, I took a
skilful young man of that calling, one Robert Purefoy, into my
ship. We set sail from Portsmouth upon the 7th day of September,
1710; on the 14th we met with Captain Pocock, of Bristol, at
Teneriffe, who was going to the bay of Campechy to cut logwood. On
the 16th, he was parted from us by a storm; I heard since my
return, that his ship foundered, and none escaped but one cabin
boy. He was an honest man, and a good sailor, but a little too
positive in his own opinions, which was the cause of his
destruction, as it has been with several others; for if he had
followed my advice, he might have been safe at home with his family
at this time, as well as myself.
I had several men who died in my ship of calentures, so that I was
forced to get recruits out of Barbadoes and the Leeward Islands,
where I touched, by the direction of the merchants who employed me;
which I had soon too much cause to repent: for I found afterwards,
that most of them had been buccaneers. I had fifty hands onboard;
and my orders were, that I should trade with the Indians in the
South-Sea, and make what discoveries I could. These rogues, whom I
had picked up, debauched my other men, and they all formed a
conspiracy to seize the ship, and secure me; which they did one
morning, rushing into my cabin, and binding me hand and foot,
threatening to throw me overboard, if I offered to stir. I told
them, "I was their prisoner, and would submit." This they made me
swear to do, and then they unbound me, only fastening one of my
legs with a chain, near my bed, and placed a sentry at my door with
his piece charged, who was commanded to shoot me dead if I
attempted my liberty. They sent me own victuals and drink, and
took the government of the ship to themselves. Their design was to
turn pirates and, plunder the Spaniards, which they could not do
till they got more men. But first they resolved to sell the goods
the ship, and then go to Madagascar for recruits, several among
them having died since my confinement. They sailed many weeks, and
traded with the Indians; but I knew not what course they took,
being kept a close prisoner in my cabin, and expecting nothing less
than to be murdered, as they often threatened me.
Upon the 9th day of May, 1711, one James Welch came down to my
cabin, and said, "he had orders from the captain to set me ashore."
I expostulated with him, but in vain; neither would he so much as
tell me who their new captain was. They forced me into the long-
boat, letting me put on my best suit of clothes, which were as good
as new, and take a small bundle of linen, but no arms, except my
hanger; and they were so civil as not to search my pockets, into
which I conveyed what money I had, with some other little
necessaries. They rowed about a league, and then set me down on a
strand. I desired them to tell me what country it was. They all
swore, "they knew no more than myself;" but said, "that the
captain" (as they called him) "was resolved, after they had sold
the lading, to get rid of me in the first place where they could
discover land." They pushed off immediately, advising me to make
haste for fear of being overtaken by the tide, and so bade me
farewell.
In this desolate condition I advanced forward, and soon got upon
firm ground, where I sat down on a bank to rest myself, and
consider what I had best do. When I was a little refreshed, I went
up into the country, resolving to deliver myself to the first
savages I should meet, and purchase my life from them by some
bracelets, glass rings, and other toys, which sailors usually
provide themselves with in those voyages, and whereof I had some
about me. The land was divided by long rows of trees, not
regularly planted, but naturally growing; there was great plenty of
grass, and several fields of oats. I walked very circumspectly,
for fear of being surprised, or suddenly shot with an arrow from
behind, or on either side. I fell into a beaten road, where I saw
many tracts of human feet, and some of cows, but most of horses.
At last I beheld several animals in a field, and one or two of the
same kind sitting in trees. Their shape was very singular and
deformed, which a little discomposed me, so that I lay down behind
a thicket to observe them better. Some of them coming forward near
the place where I lay, gave me an opportunity of distinctly marking
their form. Their heads and breasts were covered with a thick
hair, some frizzled, and others lank; they had beards like goats,
and a long ridge of hair down their backs, and the fore parts of
their legs and feet; but the rest of their bodies was bare, so that
I might see their skins, which were of a brown buff colour. They
had no tails, nor any hair at all on their buttocks, except about
the anus, which, I presume, nature had placed there to defend them
as they sat on the ground, for this posture they used, as well as
lying down, and often stood on their hind feet. They climbed high
trees as nimbly as a squirrel, for they had strong extended claws
before and behind, terminating in sharp points, and hooked. They
would often spring, and bound, and leap, with prodigious agility.
The females were not so large as the males; they had long lank hair
on their heads, but none on their faces, nor any thing more than a
sort of down on the rest of their bodies, except about the anus and
pudenda. The dugs hung between their fore feet, and often reached
almost to the ground as they walked. The hair of both sexes was of
several colours, brown, red, black, and yellow. Upon the whole, I
never beheld, in all my travels, so disagreeable an animal, or one
against which I naturally conceived so strong an antipathy. So
that, thinking I had seen enough, full of contempt and aversion, I
got up, and pursued the beaten road, hoping it might direct me to
the cabin of some Indian. I had not got far, when I met one of
these creatures full in my way, and coming up directly to me. The
ugly monster, when he saw me, distorted several ways, every feature
of his visage, and stared, as at an object he had never seen
before; then approaching nearer, lifted up his fore-paw, whether
out of curiosity or mischief I could not tell; but I drew my
hanger, and gave him a good blow with the flat side of it, for I
durst not strike with the edge, fearing the inhabitants might be
provoked against me, if they should come to know that I had killed
or maimed any of their cattle. When the beast felt the smart, he
drew back, and roared so loud, that a herd of at least forty came
flocking about me from the next field, howling and making odious
faces; but I ran to the body of a tree, and leaning my back against
it, kept them off by waving my hanger. Several of this cursed
brood, getting hold of the branches behind, leaped up into the
tree, whence they began to discharge their excrements on my head;
however, I escaped pretty well by sticking close to the stem of the
tree, but was almost stifled with the filth, which fell about me on
every side.
In the midst of this distress, I observed them all to run away on a
sudden as fast as they could; at which I ventured to leave the tree
and pursue the road, wondering what it was that could put them into
this fright. But looking on my left hand, I saw a horse walking
softly in the field; which my persecutors having sooner discovered,
was the cause of their flight. The horse started a little, when he
came near me, but soon recovering himself, looked full in my face
with manifest tokens of wonder; he viewed my hands and feet,
walking round me several times. I would have pursued my journey,
but he placed himself directly in the way, yet looking with a very
mild aspect, never offering the least violence. We stood gazing at
each other for some time; at last I took the boldness to reach my
hand towards his neck with a design to stroke it, using the common
style and whistle of jockeys, when they are going to handle a
strange horse. But this animal seemed to receive my civilities
with disdain, shook his head, and bent his brows, softly raising up
his right fore-foot to remove my hand. Then he neighed three or
four times, but in so different a cadence, that I almost began to
think he was speaking to himself, in some language of his own.
While he and I were thus employed, another horse came up; who
applying himself to the first in a very formal manner, they gently
struck each other's right hoof before, neighing several times by
turns, and varying the sound, which seemed to be almost articulate.
They went some paces off, as if it were to confer together, walking
side by side, backward and forward, like persons deliberating upon
some affair of weight, but often turning their eyes towards me, as
it were to watch that I might not escape. I was amazed to see such
actions and behaviour in brute beasts; and concluded with myself,
that if the inhabitants of this country were endued with a
proportionable degree of reason, they must needs be the wisest
people upon earth. This thought gave me so much comfort, that I
resolved to go forward, until I could discover some house or
village, or meet with any of the natives, leaving the two horses to
discourse together as they pleased. But the first, who was a
dapple gray, observing me to steal off, neighed after me in so
expressive a tone, that I fancied myself to understand what he
meant; whereupon I turned back, and came near to him to expect his
farther commands: but concealing my fear as much as I could, for I
began to be in some pain how this adventure might terminate; and
the reader will easily believe I did not much like my present
situation.
The two horses came up close to me, looking with great earnestness
upon my face and hands. The gray steed rubbed my hat all round
with his right fore-hoof, and discomposed it so much that I was
forced to adjust it better by taking it off and settling it again;
whereat, both he and his companion (who was a brown bay) appeared
to be much surprised: the latter felt the lappet of my coat, and
finding it to hang loose about me, they both looked with new signs
of wonder. He stroked my right hand, seeming to admire the
softness and colour; but he squeezed it so hard between his hoof
and his pastern, that I was forced to roar; after which they both
touched me with all possible tenderness. They were under great
perplexity about my shoes and stockings, which they felt very
often, neighing to each other, and using various gestures, not
unlike those of a philosopher, when he would attempt to solve some
new and difficult phenomenon.
Upon the whole, the behaviour of these animals was so orderly and
rational, so acute and judicious, that I at last concluded they
must needs be magicians, who had thus metamorphosed themselves upon
some design, and seeing a stranger in the way, resolved to divert
themselves with him; or, perhaps, were really amazed at the sight
of a man so very different in habit, feature, and complexion, from
those who might probably live in so remote a climate. Upon the
strength of this reasoning, I ventured to address them in the
following manner: "Gentlemen, if you be conjurers, as I have good
cause to believe, you can understand my language; therefore I make
bold to let your worships know that I am a poor distressed
Englishman, driven by his misfortunes upon your coast; and I
entreat one of you to let me ride upon his back, as if he were a
real horse, to some house or village where I can be relieved. In
return of which favour, I will make you a present of this knife and
bracelet," taking them out of my pocket. The two creatures stood
silent while I spoke, seeming to listen with great attention, and
when I had ended, they neighed frequently towards each other, as if
they were engaged in serious conversation. I plainly observed that
their language expressed the passions very well, and the words
might, with little pains, be resolved into an alphabet more easily
than the Chinese.
I could frequently distinguish the word Yahoo, which was repeated
by each of them several times: and although it was impossible for
me to conjecture what it meant, yet while the two horses were busy
in conversation, I endeavoured to practise this word upon my
tongue; and as soon as they were silent, I boldly pronounced Yahoo
in a loud voice, imitating at the same time, as near as I could,
the neighing of a horse; at which they were both visibly surprised;
and the gray repeated the same word twice, as if he meant to teach
me the right accent; wherein I spoke after him as well as I could,
and found myself perceivably to improve every time, though very far
from any degree of perfection. Then the bay tried me with a second
word, much harder to be pronounced; but reducing it to the English
orthography, may be spelt thus, Houyhnhnm. I did not succeed in
this so well as in the former; but after two or three farther
trials, I had better fortune; and they both appeared amazed at my
capacity.
After some further discourse, which I then conjectured might relate
to me, the two friends took their leaves, with the same compliment
of striking each other's hoof; and the gray made me signs that I
should walk before him; wherein I thought it prudent to comply,
till I could find a better director. When I offered to slacken my
pace, he would cry hhuun hhuun: I guessed his meaning, and gave
him to understand, as well as I could, "that I was weary, and not
able to walk faster;" upon which he would stand awhile to let me
rest.
______Content of PART IV - A VOYAGE TO THE COUNTRY OF THE HOUYHNHNMS CHAPTER I [Jonathan Swift's novel: Gulliver's Travels] _
Read next: PART IV - A VOYAGE TO THE COUNTRY OF THE HOUYHNHNMS: CHAPTER II
Read previous: PART III - A VOYAGE TO LAPUTA, BALNIBARBI, LUGGNAGG, GLUBBDUBDRIB, AND JAPAN: CHAPTER XI
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