<p class="gutsumm">The king and queen make a progress to the
frontiers. The author attends them. The manner in
which he leaves the country very particularly related. He
returns to England.</p>
<p>I had always a strong impulse that I should some time recover
my liberty, though it was impossible to conjecture by what means,
or to form any project with the least hope of succeeding.
The ship in which I sailed, was the first ever known to be driven
within sight of that coast, and the king had given strict orders,
that if at any time another appeared, it should be taken ashore,
and with all its crew and passengers brought in a tumbril to
Lorbrulgrud. He was strongly bent to get me a woman of my
own size, by whom I might propagate the breed: but I think I
should rather have died than undergone the disgrace of leaving a
posterity to be kept in cages, like tame canary-birds, and
perhaps, in time, sold about the kingdom, to persons of quality,
for curiosities. I was indeed treated with much kindness: I
was the favourite of a great king and queen, and the delight of
the whole court; but it was upon such a foot as ill became the
dignity of humankind. I could never forget those domestic
pledges I had left behind me. I wanted to be among people,
with whom I could converse upon even terms, and walk about the
streets and fields without being afraid of being trod to death
like a frog or a young puppy. But my deliverance came
sooner than I expected, and in a manner not very common; the
whole story and circumstances of which I shall faithfully
relate.</p>
<p>I had now been two years in this country; and about the
beginning of the third, Glumdalclitch and I attended the king and
queen, in a progress to the south coast of the kingdom. I
was carried, as usual, in my travelling-box, which as I have
already described, was a very convenient closet, of twelve feet
wide. And I had ordered a hammock to be fixed, by silken
ropes from the four corners at the top, to break the jolts, when
a servant carried me before him on horseback, as I sometimes
desired; and would often sleep in my hammock, while we were upon
the road. On the roof of my closet, not directly over the
middle of the hammock, I ordered the joiner to cut out a hole of
a foot square, to give me air in hot weather, as I slept; which
hole I shut at pleasure with a board that drew backward and
forward through a groove.</p>
<p>When we came to our journey’s end, the king thought
proper to pass a few days at a palace he has near Flanflasnic, a
city within eighteen English miles of the seaside.
Glumdalclitch and I were much fatigued: I had gotten a small
cold, but the poor girl was so ill as to be confined to her
chamber. I longed to see the ocean, which must be the only
scene of my escape, if ever it should happen. I pretended
to be worse than I really was, and desired leave to take the
fresh air of the sea, with a page, whom I was very fond of, and
who had sometimes been trusted with me. I shall never
forget with what unwillingness Glumdalclitch consented, nor the
strict charge she gave the page to be careful of me, bursting at
the same time into a flood of tears, as if she had some forboding
of what was to happen. The boy took me out in my box, about
half an hours walk from the palace, towards the rocks on the
sea-shore. I ordered him to set me down, and lifting up one
of my sashes, cast many a wistful melancholy look towards the
sea. I found myself not very well, and told the page that I
had a mind to take a nap in my hammock, which I hoped would do me
good. I got in, and the boy shut the window close down, to
keep out the cold. I soon fell asleep, and all I can
conjecture is, while I slept, the page, thinking no danger could
happen, went among the rocks to look for birds’ eggs,
having before observed him from my window searching about, and
picking up one or two in the clefts. Be that as it will, I
found myself suddenly awaked with a violent pull upon the ring,
which was fastened at the top of my box for the conveniency of
carriage. I felt my box raised very high in the air, and
then borne forward with prodigious speed. The first jolt
had like to have shaken me out of my hammock, but afterward the
motion was easy enough. I called out several times, as loud
as I could raise my voice, but all to no purpose. I looked
towards my windows, and could see nothing but the clouds and
sky. I heard a noise just over my head, like the clapping
of wings, and then began to perceive the woful condition I was
in; that some eagle had got the ring of my box in his beak, with
an intent to let it fall on a rock, like a tortoise in a shell,
and then pick out my body, and devour it: for the sagacity and
smell of this bird enables him to discover his quarry at a great
distance, though better concealed than I could be within a
two-inch board.</p>
<p>In a little time, I observed the noise and flutter of wings to
increase very fast, and my box was tossed up and down, like a
sign in a windy day. I heard several bangs or buffets, as I
thought given to the eagle (for such I am certain it must have
been that held the ring of my box in his beak), and then, all on
a sudden, felt myself falling perpendicularly down, for above a
minute, but with such incredible swiftness, that I almost lost my
breath. My fall was stopped by a terrible squash, that
sounded louder to my ears than the cataract of Niagara; after
which, I was quite in the dark for another minute, and then my
box began to rise so high, that I could see light from the tops
of the windows. I now perceived I was fallen into the
sea. My box, by the weight of my body, the goods that were
in, and the broad plates of iron fixed for strength at the four
corners of the top and bottom, floated about five feet deep in
water. I did then, and do now suppose, that the eagle which
flew away with my box was pursued by two or three others, and
forced to let me drop, while he defended himself against the
rest, who hoped to share in the prey. The plates of iron
fastened at the bottom of the box (for those were the strongest)
preserved the balance while it fell, and hindered it from being
broken on the surface of the water. Every joint of it was well
grooved; and the door did not move on hinges, but up and down
like a sash, which kept my closet so tight that very little water
came in. I got with much difficulty out of my hammock,
having first ventured to draw back the slip-board on the roof
already mentioned, contrived on purpose to let in air, for want
of which I found myself almost stifled.</p>
<p>How often did I then wish myself with my dear Glumdalclitch,
from whom one single hour had so far divided me! And I may
say with truth, that in the midst of my own misfortunes I could
not forbear lamenting my poor nurse, the grief she would suffer
for my loss, the displeasure of the queen, and the ruin of her
fortune. Perhaps many travellers have not been under
greater difficulties and distress than I was at this juncture,
expecting every moment to see my box dashed to pieces, or at
least overset by the first violent blast, or rising wave. A
breach in one single pane of glass would have been immediate
death: nor could any thing have preserved the windows, but the
strong lattice wires placed on the outside, against accidents in
travelling. I saw the water ooze in at several crannies,
although the leaks were not considerable, and I endeavoured to
stop them as well as I could. I was not able to lift up the
roof of my closet, which otherwise I certainly should have done,
and sat on the top of it; where I might at least preserve myself
some hours longer, than by being shut up (as I may call it) in
the hold. Or if I escaped these dangers for a day or two,
what could I expect but a miserable death of cold and
hunger? I was four hours under these circumstances,
expecting, and indeed wishing, every moment to be my last.</p>
<p>I have already told the reader that there were two strong
staples fixed upon that side of my box which had no window, and
into which the servant, who used to carry me on horseback, would
put a leathern belt, and buckle it about his waist. Being
in this disconsolate state, I heard, or at least thought I heard,
some kind of grating noise on that side of my box where the
staples were fixed; and soon after I began to fancy that the box
was pulled or towed along the sea; for I now and then felt a sort
of tugging, which made the waves rise near the tops of my
windows, leaving me almost in the dark. This gave me some
faint hopes of relief, although I was not able to imagine how it
could be brought about. I ventured to unscrew one of my
chairs, which were always fastened to the floor; and having made
a hard shift to screw it down again, directly under the
slipping-board that I had lately opened, I mounted on the chair,
and putting my mouth as near as I could to the hole, I called for
help in a loud voice, and in all the languages I
understood. I then fastened my handkerchief to a stick I
usually carried, and thrusting it up the hole, waved it several
times in the air, that if any boat or ship were near, the seamen
might conjecture some unhappy mortal to be shut up in the
box.</p>
<p>I found no effect from all I could do, but plainly perceived
my closet to be moved along; and in the space of an hour, or
better, that side of the box where the staples were, and had no
windows, struck against something that was hard. I
apprehended it to be a rock, and found myself tossed more than
ever. I plainly heard a noise upon the cover of my closet,
like that of a cable, and the grating of it as it passed through
the ring. I then found myself hoisted up, by degrees, at
least three feet higher than I was before. Whereupon I
again thrust up my stick and handkerchief, calling for help till
I was almost hoarse. In return to which, I heard a great
shout repeated three times, giving me such transports of joy as
are not to be conceived but by those who feel them. I now
heard a trampling over my head, and somebody calling through the
hole with a loud voice, in the English tongue, “If there be
any body below, let them speak.” I answered, “I
was an Englishman, drawn by ill fortune into the greatest
calamity that ever any creature underwent, and begged, by all
that was moving, to be delivered out of the dungeon I was
in.” The voice replied, “I was safe, for my box
was fastened to their ship; and the carpenter should immediately
come and saw a hole in the cover, large enough to pull me
out.” I answered, “that was needless, and would
take up too much time; for there was no more to be done, but let
one of the crew put his finger into the ring, and take the box
out of the sea into the ship, and so into the captain’s
cabin.” Some of them, upon hearing me talk so wildly,
thought I was mad: others laughed; for indeed it never came into
my head, that I was now got among people of my own stature and
strength. The carpenter came, and in a few minutes sawed a
passage about four feet square, then let down a small ladder,
upon which I mounted, and thence was taken into the ship in a
very weak condition.</p>
<p>The sailors were all in amazement, and asked me a thousand
questions, which I had no inclination to answer. I was
equally confounded at the sight of so many pigmies, for such I
took them to be, after having so long accustomed mine eyes to the
monstrous objects I had left. But the captain, Mr. Thomas
Wilcocks, an honest worthy Shropshire man, observing I was ready
to faint, took me into his cabin, gave me a cordial to comfort
me, and made me turn in upon his own bed, advising me to take a
little rest, of which I had great need. Before I went to
sleep, I gave him to understand that I had some valuable
furniture in my box, too good to be lost: a fine hammock, a
handsome field-bed, two chairs, a table, and a cabinet; that my
closet was hung on all sides, or rather quilted, with silk and
cotton; that if he would let one of the crew bring my closet into
his cabin, I would open it there before him, and show him my
goods. The captain, hearing me utter these absurdities,
concluded I was raving; however (I suppose to pacify me) he
promised to give order as I desired, and going upon deck, sent
some of his men down into my closet, whence (as I afterwards
found) they drew up all my goods, and stripped off the quilting;
but the chairs, cabinet, and bedstead, being screwed to the
floor, were much damaged by the ignorance of the seamen, who tore
them up by force. Then they knocked off some of the boards
for the use of the ship, and when they had got all they had a
mind for, let the hull drop into the sea, which by reason of many
breaches made in the bottom and sides, sunk to rights. And,
indeed, I was glad not to have been a spectator of the havoc they
made, because I am confident it would have sensibly touched me,
by bringing former passages into my mind, which I would rather
have forgot.</p>
<p>I slept some hours, but perpetually disturbed with dreams of
the place I had left, and the dangers I had escaped.
However, upon waking, I found myself much recovered. It was
now about eight o’clock at night, and the captain ordered
supper immediately, thinking I had already fasted too long.
He entertained me with great kindness, observing me not to look
wildly, or talk inconsistently: and, when we were left alone,
desired I would give him a relation of my travels, and by what
accident I came to be set adrift, in that monstrous wooden
chest. He said “that about twelve o’clock at
noon, as he was looking through his glass, he spied it at a
distance, and thought it was a sail, which he had a mind to make,
being not much out of his course, in hopes of buying some
biscuit, his own beginning to fall short. That upon coming
nearer, and finding his error, he sent out his long-boat to
discover what it was; that his men came back in a fright,
swearing they had seen a swimming house. That he laughed at
their folly, and went himself in the boat, ordering his men to
take a strong cable along with them. That the weather being
calm, he rowed round me several times, observed my windows and
wire lattices that defended them. That he discovered two
staples upon one side, which was all of boards, without any
passage for light. He then commanded his men to row up to
that side, and fastening a cable to one of the staples, ordered
them to tow my chest, as they called it, toward the ship.
When it was there, he gave directions to fasten another cable to
the ring fixed in the cover, and to raise up my chest with
pulleys, which all the sailors were not able to do above two or
three feet.” He said, “they saw my stick and
handkerchief thrust out of the hole, and concluded that some
unhappy man must be shut up in the cavity.” I asked,
“whether he or the crew had seen any prodigious birds in
the air, about the time he first discovered me.” To
which he answered, “that discoursing this matter with the
sailors while I was asleep, one of them said, he had observed
three eagles flying towards the north, but remarked nothing of
their being larger than the usual size:” which I suppose
must be imputed to the great height they were at; and he could
not guess the reason of my question. I then asked the
captain, “how far he reckoned we might be from
land?” He said, “by the best computation he
could make, we were at least a hundred leagues.” I
assured him, “that he must be mistaken by almost half, for
I had not left the country whence I came above two hours before I
dropped into the sea.” Whereupon he began again to
think that my brain was disturbed, of which he gave me a hint,
and advised me to go to bed in a cabin he had provided. I
assured him, “I was well refreshed with his good
entertainment and company, and as much in my senses as ever I was
in my life.” He then grew serious, and desired to ask
me freely, “whether I were not troubled in my mind by the
consciousness of some enormous crime, for which I was punished,
at the command of some prince, by exposing me in that chest; as
great criminals, in other countries, have been forced to sea in a
leaky vessel, without provisions: for although he should be sorry
to have taken so ill a man into his ship, yet he would engage his
word to set me safe ashore, in the first port where we
arrived.” He added, “that his suspicions were
much increased by some very absurd speeches I had delivered at
first to his sailors, and afterwards to himself, in relation to
my closet or chest, as well as by my odd looks and behaviour
while I was at supper.”</p>
<p>I begged his patience to hear me tell my story, which I
faithfully did, from the last time I left England, to the moment
he first discovered me. And, as truth always forces its way
into rational minds, so this honest worthy gentleman, who had
some tincture of learning, and very good sense, was immediately
convinced of my candour and veracity. But further to
confirm all I had said, I entreated him to give order that my
cabinet should be brought, of which I had the key in my pocket;
for he had already informed me how the seamen disposed of my
closet. I opened it in his own presence, and showed him the
small collection of rarities I made in the country from which I
had been so strangely delivered. There was the comb I had
contrived out of the stumps of the king’s beard, and
another of the same materials, but fixed into a paring of her
majesty’s thumb-nail, which served for the back.
There was a collection of needles and pins, from a foot to half a
yard long; four wasp stings, like joiner’s tacks; some
combings of the queen’s hair; a gold ring, which one day
she made me a present of, in a most obliging manner, taking it
from her little finger, and throwing it over my head like a
collar. I desired the captain would please to accept this
ring in return for his civilities; which he absolutely
refused. I showed him a corn that I had cut off with my own
hand, from a maid of honour’s toe; it was about the bigness
of Kentish pippin, and grown so hard, that when I returned
England, I got it hollowed into a cup, and set in silver.
Lastly, I desired him to see the breeches I had then on, which
were made of a mouse’s skin.</p>
<p>I could force nothing on him but a footman’s tooth,
which I observed him to examine with great curiosity, and found
he had a fancy for it. He received it with abundance of
thanks, more than such a trifle could deserve. It was drawn
by an unskilful surgeon, in a mistake, from one of
Glumdalclitch’s men, who was afflicted with the tooth-ache,
but it was as sound as any in his head. I got it cleaned,
and put it into my cabinet. It was about a foot long, and
four inches in diameter.</p>
<p>The captain was very well satisfied with this plain relation I
had given him, and said, “he hoped, when we returned to
England, I would oblige the world by putting it on paper, and
making it public.” My answer was, “that we were
overstocked with books of travels: that nothing could now pass
which was not extraordinary; wherein I doubted some authors less
consulted truth, than their own vanity, or interest, or the
diversion of ignorant readers; that my story could contain little
beside common events, without those ornamental descriptions of
strange plants, trees, birds, and other animals; or of the
barbarous customs and idolatry of savage people, with which most
writers abound. However, I thanked him for his good
opinion, and promised to take the matter into my
thoughts.”</p>
<p>He said “he wondered at one thing very much, which was,
to hear me speak so loud;” asking me “whether the
king or queen of that country were thick of hearing?”
I told him, “it was what I had been used to for above two
years past, and that I admired as much at the voices of him and
his men, who seemed to me only to whisper, and yet I could hear
them well enough. But, when I spoke in that country, it was
like a man talking in the streets, to another looking out from
the top of a steeple, unless when I was placed on a table, or
held in any person’s hand.” I told him,
“I had likewise observed another thing, that, when I first
got into the ship, and the sailors stood all about me, I thought
they were the most little contemptible creatures I had ever
beheld.” For indeed, while I was in that
prince’s country, I could never endure to look in a glass,
after mine eyes had been accustomed to such prodigious objects,
because the comparison gave me so despicable a conceit of
myself. The captain said, “that while we were at
supper, he observed me to look at every thing with a sort of
wonder, and that I often seemed hardly able to contain my
laughter, which he knew not well how to take, but imputed it to
some disorder in my brain.” I answered, “it was
very true; and I wondered how I could forbear, when I saw his
dishes of the size of a silver three-pence, a leg of pork hardly
a mouthful, a cup not so big as a nut-shell;” and so I went
on, describing the rest of his household-stuff and provisions,
after the same manner. For, although he queen had ordered a
little equipage of all things necessary for me, while I was in
her service, yet my ideas were wholly taken up with what I saw on
every side of me, and I winked at my own littleness, as people do
at their own faults. The captain understood my raillery
very well, and merrily replied with the old English proverb,
“that he doubted mine eyes were bigger than my belly, for
he did not observe my stomach so good, although I had fasted all
day;” and, continuing in his mirth, protested “he
would have gladly given a hundred pounds, to have seen my closet
in the eagle’s bill, and afterwards in its fall from so
great a height into the sea; which would certainly have been a
most astonishing object, worthy to have the description of it
transmitted to future ages:” and the comparison of
Phaëton was so obvious, that he could not forbear applying
it, although I did not much admire the conceit.</p>
<p>The captain having been at Tonquin, was, in his return to
England, driven north-eastward to the latitude of 44 degrees, and
longitude of 143. But meeting a trade-wind two days after I
came on board him, we sailed southward a long time, and coasting
New Holland, kept our course west-south-west, and then
south-south-west, till we doubled the Cape of Good Hope.
Our voyage was very prosperous, but I shall not trouble the
reader with a journal of it. The captain called in at one
or two ports, and sent in his long-boat for provisions and fresh
water; but I never went out of the ship till we came into the
Downs, which was on the third day of June, 1706, about nine
months after my escape. I offered to leave my goods in
security for payment of my freight: but the captain protested he
would not receive one farthing. We took a kind leave of
each other, and I made him promise he would come to see me at my
house in Redriff. I hired a horse and guide for five
shillings, which I borrowed of the captain.</p>
<p>As I was on the road, observing the littleness of the houses,
the trees, the cattle, and the people, I began to think myself in
Lilliput. I was afraid of trampling on every traveller I
met, and often called aloud to have them stand out of the way, so
that I had like to have gotten one or two broken heads for my
impertinence.</p>
<p>When I came to my own house, for which I was forced to
inquire, one of the servants opening the door, I bent down to go
in, (like a goose under a gate,) for fear of striking my
head. My wife run out to embrace me, but I stooped lower
than her knees, thinking she could otherwise never be able to
reach my mouth. My daughter kneeled to ask my blessing, but
I could not see her till she arose, having been so long used to
stand with my head and eyes erect to above sixty feet; and then I
went to take her up with one hand by the waist. I looked
down upon the servants, and one or two friends who were in the
house, as if they had been pigmies and I a giant. I told my
wife, “she had been too thrifty, for I found she had
starved herself and her daughter to nothing.” In
short, I behaved myself so unaccountably, that they were all of
the captain’s opinion when he first saw me, and concluded I
had lost my wits. This I mention as an instance of the
great power of habit and prejudice.</p>
<p>In a little time, I and my family and friends came to a right
understanding: but my wife protested “I should never go to
sea any more;” although my evil destiny so ordered, that
she had not power to hinder me, as the reader may know
hereafter. In the mean time, I here conclude the second
part of my unfortunate voyages.</p>
<p> </p>
<div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />
1 of 2
2 of 2
Previous
Next
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.