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_ CHAPTER II
[The author conducted by a Houyhnhnm to his house. The house
described. The author's reception. The food of the Houyhnhnms.
The author in distress for want of meat. Is at last relieved. His
manner of feeding in this country.]
Having travelled about three miles, we came to a long kind of
building, made of timber stuck in the ground, and wattled across;
the roof was low and covered with straw. I now began to be a
little comforted; and took out some toys, which travellers usually
carry for presents to the savage Indians of America, and other
parts, in hopes the people of the house would be thereby encouraged
to receive me kindly. The horse made me a sign to go in first; it
was a large room with a smooth clay floor, and a rack and manger,
extending the whole length on one side. There were three nags and
two mares, not eating, but some of them sitting down upon their
hams, which I very much wondered at; but wondered more to see the
rest employed in domestic business; these seemed but ordinary
cattle. However, this confirmed my first opinion, that a people
who could so far civilise brute animals, must needs excel in wisdom
all the nations of the world. The gray came in just after, and
thereby prevented any ill treatment which the others might have
given me. He neighed to them several times in a style of
authority, and received answers.
Beyond this room there were three others, reaching the length of
the house, to which you passed through three doors, opposite to
each other, in the manner of a vista. We went through the second
room towards the third. Here the gray walked in first, beckoning
me to attend: I waited in the second room, and got ready my
presents for the master and mistress of the house; they were two
knives, three bracelets of false pearls, a small looking-glass, and
a bead necklace. The horse neighed three or four times, and I
waited to hear some answers in a human voice, but I heard no other
returns than in the same dialect, only one or two a little shriller
than his. I began to think that this house must belong to some
person of great note among them, because there appeared so much
ceremony before I could gain admittance. But, that a man of
quality should be served all by horses, was beyond my
comprehension. I feared my brain was disturbed by my sufferings
and misfortunes. I roused myself, and looked about me in the room
where I was left alone: this was furnished like the first, only
after a more elegant manner. I rubbed my eyes often, but the same
objects still occurred. I pinched my arms and sides to awake
myself, hoping I might be in a dream. I then absolutely concluded,
that all these appearances could be nothing else but necromancy and
magic. But I had no time to pursue these reflections; for the gray
horse came to the door, and made me a sign to follow him into the
third room where I saw a very comely mare, together with a colt and
foal, sitting on their haunches upon mats of straw, not unartfully
made, and perfectly neat and clean.
The mare soon after my entrance rose from her mat, and coming up
close, after having nicely observed my hands and face, gave me a
most contemptuous look; and turning to the horse, I heard the word
Yahoo often repeated betwixt them; the meaning of which word I
could not then comprehend, although it was the first I had learned
to pronounce. But I was soon better informed, to my everlasting
mortification; for the horse, beckoning to me with his head, and
repeating the hhuun, hhuun, as he did upon the road, which I
understood was to attend him, led me out into a kind of court,
where was another building, at some distance from the house. Here
we entered, and I saw three of those detestable creatures, which I
first met after my landing, feeding upon roots, and the flesh of
some animals, which I afterwards found to be that of asses and
dogs, and now and then a cow, dead by accident or disease. They
were all tied by the neck with strong withes fastened to a beam;
they held their food between the claws of their fore feet, and tore
it with their teeth.
The master horse ordered a sorrel nag, one of his servants, to
untie the largest of these animals, and take him into the yard.
The beast and I were brought close together, and by our
countenances diligently compared both by master and servant, who
thereupon repeated several times the word Yahoo. My horror and
astonishment are not to be described, when I observed in this
abominable animal, a perfect human figure: the face of it indeed
was flat and broad, the nose depressed, the lips large, and the
mouth wide; but these differences are common to all savage nations,
where the lineaments of the countenance are distorted, by the
natives suffering their infants to lie grovelling on the earth, or
by carrying them on their backs, nuzzling with their face against
the mothers' shoulders. The fore-feet of the Yahoo differed from
my hands in nothing else but the length of the nails, the
coarseness and brownness of the palms, and the hairiness on the
backs. There was the same resemblance between our feet, with the
same differences; which I knew very well, though the horses did
not, because of my shoes and stockings; the same in every part of
our bodies except as to hairiness and colour, which I have already
described.
The great difficulty that seemed to stick with the two horses, was
to see the rest of my body so very different from that of a Yahoo,
for which I was obliged to my clothes, whereof they had no
conception. The sorrel nag offered me a root, which he held (after
their manner, as we shall describe in its proper place) between his
hoof and pastern; I took it in my hand, and, having smelt it,
returned it to him again as civilly as I could. He brought out of
the Yahoos' kennel a piece of ass's flesh; but it smelt so
offensively that I turned from it with loathing: he then threw it
to the Yahoo, by whom it was greedily devoured. He afterwards
showed me a wisp of hay, and a fetlock full of oats; but I shook my
head, to signify that neither of these were food for me. And
indeed I now apprehended that I must absolutely starve, if I did
not get to some of my own species; for as to those filthy Yahoos,
although there were few greater lovers of mankind at that time than
myself, yet I confess I never saw any sensitive being so detestable
on all accounts; and the more I came near them the more hateful
they grew, while I stayed in that country. This the master horse
observed by my behaviour, and therefore sent the Yahoo back to his
kennel. He then put his fore-hoof to his mouth, at which I was
much surprised, although he did it with ease, and with a motion
that appeared perfectly natural, and made other signs, to know what
I would eat; but I could not return him such an answer as he was
able to apprehend; and if he had understood me, I did not see how
it was possible to contrive any way for finding myself nourishment.
While we were thus engaged, I observed a cow passing by, whereupon
I pointed to her, and expressed a desire to go and milk her. This
had its effect; for he led me back into the house, and ordered a
mare-servant to open a room, where a good store of milk lay in
earthen and wooden vessels, after a very orderly and cleanly
manner. She gave me a large bowlful, of which I drank very
heartily, and found myself well refreshed.
About noon, I saw coming towards the house a kind of vehicle drawn
like a sledge by four Yahoos. There was in it an old steed, who
seemed to be of quality; he alighted with his hind-feet forward,
having by accident got a hurt in his left fore-foot. He came to
dine with our horse, who received him with great civility. They
dined in the best room, and had oats boiled in milk for the second
course, which the old horse ate warm, but the rest cold. Their
mangers were placed circular in the middle of the room, and divided
into several partitions, round which they sat on their haunches,
upon bosses of straw. In the middle was a large rack, with angles
answering to every partition of the manger; so that each horse and
mare ate their own hay, and their own mash of oats and milk, with
much decency and regularity. The behaviour of the young colt and
foal appeared very modest, and that of the master and mistress
extremely cheerful and complaisant to their guest. The gray
ordered me to stand by him; and much discourse passed between him
and his friend concerning me, as I found by the stranger's often
looking on me, and the frequent repetition of the word Yahoo.
I happened to wear my gloves, which the master gray observing,
seemed perplexed, discovering signs of wonder what I had done to my
fore-feet. He put his hoof three or four times to them, as if he
would signify, that I should reduce them to their former shape,
which I presently did, pulling off both my gloves, and putting them
into my pocket. This occasioned farther talk; and I saw the
company was pleased with my behaviour, whereof I soon found the
good effects. I was ordered to speak the few words I understood;
and while they were at dinner, the master taught me the names for
oats, milk, fire, water, and some others, which I could readily
pronounce after him, having from my youth a great facility in
learning languages.
When dinner was done, the master horse took me aside, and by signs
and words made me understand the concern he was in that I had
nothing to eat. Oats in their tongue are called hlunnh. This word
I pronounced two or three times; for although I had refused them at
first, yet, upon second thoughts, I considered that I could
contrive to make of them a kind of bread, which might be
sufficient, with milk, to keep me alive, till I could make my
escape to some other country, and to creatures of my own species.
The horse immediately ordered a white mare servant of his family to
bring me a good quantity of oats in a sort of wooden tray. These I
heated before the fire, as well as I could, and rubbed them till
the husks came off, which I made a shift to winnow from the grain.
I ground and beat them between two stones; then took water, and
made them into a paste or cake, which I toasted at the fire and eat
warm with milk. It was at first a very insipid diet, though common
enough in many parts of Europe, but grew tolerable by time; and
having been often reduced to hard fare in my life, this was not the
first experiment I had made how easily nature is satisfied. And I
cannot but observe, that I never had one hours sickness while I
stayed in this island. It is true, I sometimes made a shift to
catch a rabbit, or bird, by springs made of Yahoo's hairs; and I
often gathered wholesome herbs, which I boiled, and ate as salads
with my bread; and now and then, for a rarity, I made a little
butter, and drank the whey. I was at first at a great loss for
salt, but custom soon reconciled me to the want of it; and I am
confident that the frequent use of salt among us is an effect of
luxury, and was first introduced only as a provocative to drink,
except where it is necessary for preserving flesh in long voyages,
or in places remote from great markets; for we observe no animal to
be fond of it but man, and as to myself, when I left this country,
it was a great while before I could endure the taste of it in
anything that I ate.
This is enough to say upon the subject of my diet, wherewith other
travellers fill their books, as if the readers were personally
concerned whether we fare well or ill. However, it was necessary
to mention this matter, lest the world should think it impossible
that I could find sustenance for three years in such a country, and
among such inhabitants.
When it grew towards evening, the master horse ordered a place for
me to lodge in; it was but six yards from the house and separated
from the stable of the Yahoos. Here I got some straw, and covering
myself with my own clothes, slept very sound. But I was in a short
time better accommodated, as the reader shall know hereafter, when
I come to treat more particularly about my way of living.
_____
Content of
PART IV - A VOYAGE TO THE COUNTRY OF THE HOUYHNHNMS CHAPTER II [Jonathan Swift's novel: Gulliver's Travels] _
Read next: PART IV - A VOYAGE TO THE COUNTRY OF THE HOUYHNHNMS: CHAPTER III
Read previous: PART IV - A VOYAGE TO THE COUNTRY OF THE HOUYHNHNMS: CHAPTER I
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