known frequently to converfe with me, as if he could receive fome advantage or pleasure in my company: that fuch a practice was not agreeable to reafon or nature, or a thing ever heard of before among them. The affembly did therefore exhort him either to employ me like the reft of my fpecies, or command me to fwin back to the place from whence I came : That the firft of these expedients was utterly rejected by all the Houyhnhnms, who had ever feen me at his house or their own : for they alledged, that because I had fome rudiments of reafon, added to the natural pravity of thofe animals, it was to be feared, I might be able to feduce them into the woody and mountainous parts of the country, and bring them in troops by night to deftroy the Houyhnhnms cattle, as being naturally of the ravenous kind, and averfe from labour.

My mafter added, that he was daily preffed by the Houyhnhnms of the neighbourhood to have the affembly's exhortation executed, which he could not put off much longer. He doubted it would be impoffible for me to fwin to another country; and therefore wished I I would contrive fome fort of vehicle refembling thofe I had defcribed to him, that might carry me on the fea in which work I fhould have the affiftance of his own fervants, as well as thofe of his neighbours. He con

cluded, that, for his own part, he could have been content to keep me in his fervice as long as I lived; because he found I had cured myfelf of fome bad habits and dif pofitions, by endeavouring, as far as my inferior nature was capable, to imitate the Houyhnhnms.

I fhould here obferve to the reader, that a decree of the general affembly in this country is expreffed by the word hahloayn, which fignifies an exhortation, as near as I can render it; for they have no conception how a rational creature may be compelled, but only advifed, or exhorted; because no perfon can difobey reafon without giving up his claim to be a rational creature.

I was ftruck with the utmost grief and defpair at my master's difcourfe: and being unable to fupport the ago. nies I was under, I fell into a fwoon at his teet: when I came to myself, he told me, that he concluded I had been dead (for thefe people are fubject to no fuch in be

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cilities of nature). I anfwered, in a faint voice, that death would have been too great an happiness; that although I could not blame the affembly's exhortation, or the urgency of his friends; yet, in my weak and corrupt judgment, I thought it might confift with reafon to have been lefs rigorous: that I could not fwim a league, and probably the nearest land to theirs might be diftant above an hundred that many materials neceffary for making a small veffel to carry me off, were wholly wanting in this country, which however I would attempt in obedience and gratitude to his honour, although I concluded the thing to be impoffible, and therefore looked on myfelf as already devoted to deftruction: that the certain profpect of an unnatural death was the least of my evils: for fuppofing I fhould efcape with life by fome ftrange adventure, how could I think with temper of paffing my days among yahoos, and relapfing into my old corruptions, for want of examples to lead and keep me within the paths of virtue: that I knew too well, upon what folid realons all the determinations of the wife Houyhnhnms were founded, not to be fhaken by arguments of mine, a miferable yahoo; and therefore, after prefenting hin With my bumble thanks for the offer of his fervants affiftance in making a veffel, and defiring a reasonable time for lo difficult a work, I told him I would endeavour to preferve a wretched being; and if, ever I returned to Eugland, was not without hopes of being useful to my own fpecies, by celebrating the praifes of the renowned Houyhnhnms, and propoling their virtues to the imitation of mankind.

My mafter, in a few words, made a very gracious reply, allowed me the space of two mouths to finish my boat, and ordered the forrel-nag, my fellow-fervant (for fo at this distance I may prefume to call him); to follow my inftructions; because I told my mafter, that his help would be fufficient, and I knew he had a tenderness for

me.

In his company, my first business was to go to that part of the coaft, where my rebellious crew had ordered me to be fet on fhore.. I got upon a height, and looking on every fide into the fea, fancied I faw a fmall island towards the north-eaft: I took out my pocket-glass, and

could

could then clearly distinguish it about five leagues off, as: I computed; but it appeared to the forrel-nag to be only. a blue cloud for as he had no conception of any country beside his own, fo he could not be as expert in di ftinguishing remote objects at fea, as we who fo much converfe in that element.

After I had difcovered this ifland,. I confidered no far ther; but refolved, it fhould, if poffible, be the first place of my banishment, leaving the confequence to for

tune.

I returned home, and confulting with the forrel-nag, we went into a copfe at fome distance, where I with my knife, and he with a fhort flint, faftened very artificially after their manner to a wooden handle, cut down several oak wattles, about the thickness of a walking-staff, and fome larger pieces. But I fhall not trouble the reader with a particular defcription of my own mechanics; let it fuffice to fay, that in tix weeks time, with the help of the forrel-nag, who performed the parts that required moft labour, I finished a fort of Indian canoe, but much lar ger, covering it with the skins of yahoos well ftitched together with hempen threads of my own making. My fail was likewife compofed of the fkins of the fame ani mal; but I made ufe of the youngest I could get, the older being too tough and thick; and I likewife provi ded myself with four paddles. I laid in a stock of boiled flesh, of rabbets and fowls; and took with me two veffels, one filled with milk, and the other with water..

I tried my canoe in a large pond near my master's houfe, and then corrected in it what was amifs; ftopping all the chinks with yahoos tallow, till I found it ftanch, and able to bear me and my freight. And, when it was as complete as I could possibly make it, I had it drawn on a carriage very gently by yahoos to the fea-fide, under the conduct of the forrel-nag, and another fervant.

When all was ready, and the day came for my des parture, I took leave of my mafter and lady, and the whole family, mine eyes flowing with tears, and my heart quite funk with grief.. But his honour, out of cu riolity, and perhaps (if I may speak it without vanity), partly out of kindnefs, was determined to fee me in my canoe; and got feveral of his neighbouring friends to

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accompany him. I was forced to wait above an hour for the tide, and then obferving the wind very fortunate ly bearing towards the island to which I intended to fteer my course, I took a fecond leave of my mafter: but, as I was going to proftrate myself to kiss his hoof, he did me the honour to raile it gently to my mouth. I am not ignorant how much I have been cenfured for mentioning this laft particular. Detractors are pleafed to think it improbable, that fo illustrious a perfon should defcend to give fo great a mark of diftinction to a creature fo inferior as I. Neither have I forgotten how apt fome travellers are to boast of extraordinary favours, they have received. But, if thefe cenfurers were better ac quainted with the noble and courteous difpofition of the Houyhnhnms, they would foon change their opinion.

I paid my respects to the rest of the Houyhnhnms in his honour's company; then getting into my canoe, I pushed off from fhore.

CHA P. XI.

The author's dangerous voyage, He arrives at New Holland, hoping to fettle there Is wounded with an arrow by one of the natives. Is feized and carried by force into a Portugueze hip." The great cis vilities of the captain. The author arrives at England.

I

BEGAN this defperate voyage on February 15. 1714-15, at 9 o'clock in the morning. The wind was very favourable; however I made ufe at first only of any paddles; but confidering I fhould foon be weary, and that the wind might chop about, I ventured to fet up my little fail; and thus, with the help of the tide, I went at the rate of a league and a half an hour, as near as I could guess. My mafter and his friends continued on the fhore, till I was almoft out of fight; and I often heard the forrel-nag (who always loved me) crying out, huy illa nyha majah yahoo, Take care of thyfelf gentle ya

boo.

My design was, if poffible, to discover fome fmall

island uninhabited, yet fufficient by my labour to furnish me with the neceffaries of life, which I would have thought a greater happiness than to be first minifter in the politeft court of Europe; fo horrible was the idea I con. ceived of returning to live in the fociety, and under the government of yahoos For, in fuch a folitude as I defired, I could at least enjoy my own thoughts, and reflect with delight on the virtues of those inimitable Houyanhnms, without any opportunity of degenerating into the vices and corruptions of my own fpecies.

The reader may remember what I related, when my crew confpired against me, and confined me to my cabbin: How I continued there feveral weeks without knowing what course we took; and when I was put a-fhore in the long-boat, how the failors told me with oaths, whether true or falfe, that they knew not in what part of the world we were. However, I did then believe us to be about ten degrees fouthward of the Cape of Good-Hope, or about 45 degrees fouthern latitude, as I gathered from Tome general words I overheard among them, being I fuppofed to the fouth-eaft in their intended voyage to Madagascar. And although this were but little better than conjecture, yet I refolved to fteer my course eastward, hoping to reach the fouth-weft coaft of New-Holland, and perhaps fome fuch ifland as I defired lying weftward of it. The wind was full weft, and, by fix in the evening, I computed I had gone eaft-ward at leaft eighteen leagues; when I fpied a very fmall island about half a league off, which I foon reached. It was nothing but a rock with one creek naturally arched by the force of tempefts. Here I put in my canoe, and climbing a part of the rock, I could plainly discover land to the caft, extending from fouth to north. I lay all night in my canoe; and repeating my voyage early in the morning, I arrived in seven hours at the fouth-eaft point of New Holland. This comfirmed me in the opinion I have long entertained, that the maps and charts place this country at least three degrees more to the east than it really is; which thought I communicated many years ago to my worthy friend, Mr. Herman Moll, and gave him my reafons for it, although he hath rather chofen to follow other authors.