Part 2 - Chapter 01 - Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

PART II.
A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG.

CHAPTER I.

A great storm described; the long boat sent
to fetch water; the author goes with it to

discover the country.

He is left on shore, is seized by one of
the natives, and carried to a farmer's

house.
His reception, with several accidents that

happened there.

A description of the inhabitants.

Having been condemned, by nature and
fortune, to active and restless life, in

two months after my return, I again left my
native country, and took shipping in the

Downs, on the 20th day of June, 1702, in

the Adventure, Captain John Nicholas, a
Cornish man, commander, bound for Surat.

We had a very prosperous gale, till we
arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, where we

landed for fresh water; but discovering a
leak, we unshipped our goods and wintered

there; for the captain falling sick of an

ague, we could not leave the Cape till the
end of March.

We then set sail, and had a good voyage
till we passed the Straits of Madagascar;

but having got northward of that island,
and to about five degrees south latitude,

the winds, which in those seas are observed

to blow a constant equal gale between the
north and west, from the beginning of

December to the beginning of May, on the
19th of April began to blow with much

greater violence, and more westerly than

usual, continuing so for twenty days
together: during which time, we were driven

a little to the east of the Molucca
Islands, and about three degrees northward

of the line, as our captain found by an

observation he took the 2nd of May, at
which time the wind ceased, and it was a

perfect calm, whereat I was not a little
rejoiced.

But he, being a man well experienced in the
navigation of those seas, bid us all

prepare against a storm, which accordingly
happened the day following: for the

southern wind, called the southern monsoon,
began to set in.

Finding it was likely to overblow, we took
in our sprit-sail, and stood by to hand the

fore-sail; but making foul weather, we
looked the guns were all fast, and handed

the mizen.

The ship lay very broad off, so we thought
it better spooning before the sea, than

trying or hulling.

We reefed the fore-sail and set him, and
hauled aft the fore-sheet; the helm was

hard a-weather.
The ship wore bravely.

We belayed the fore down-haul; but the sail
was split, and we hauled down the yard, and

got the sail into the ship, and unbound all
the things clear of it.

It was a very fierce storm; the sea broke
strange and dangerous.

We hauled off upon the laniard of the whip-
staff, and helped the man at the helm.

We would not get down our topmast, but let
all stand, because she scudded before the

sea very well, and we knew that the top-
mast being aloft, the ship was the

wholesomer, and made better way through the
sea, seeing we had sea-room.

When the storm was over, we set fore-sail
and main-sail, and brought the ship to.

Then we set the mizen, main-top-sail, and
the fore-top-sail.

Our course was east-north-east, the wind
was at south-west.

We got the starboard tacks aboard, we cast
off our weather-braces and lifts; we set in

the lee-braces, and hauled forward by the
weather-bowlings, and hauled them tight,

and belayed them, and hauled over the mizen

tack to windward, and kept her full and by
as near as she would lie.

During this storm, which was followed by a
strong wind west-south-west, we were

carried, by my computation, about five
hundred leagues to the east, so that the

oldest sailor on board could not tell in
what part of the world we were.

Our provisions held out well, our ship was
staunch, and our crew all in good health;

but we lay in the utmost distress for
water.

We thought it best to hold on the same
course, rather than turn more northerly,

which might have brought us to the north-
west part of Great Tartary, and into the

Frozen Sea.

On the 16th day of June, 1703, a boy on the
top-mast discovered land.

On the 17th, we came in full view of a
great island, or continent (for we knew not

whether;) on the south side whereof was a
small neck of land jutting out into the

sea, and a creek too shallow to hold a ship
of above one hundred tons.

We cast anchor within a league of this
creek, and our captain sent a dozen of his

men well armed in the long-boat, with
vessels for water, if any could be found.

I desired his leave to go with them, that I
might see the country, and make what

discoveries I could.
When we came to land we saw no river or

spring, nor any sign of inhabitants.

Our men therefore wandered on the shore to
find out some fresh water near the sea, and

I walked alone about a mile on the other
side, where I observed the country all

barren and rocky.

I now began to be weary, and seeing nothing
to entertain my curiosity, I returned

gently down towards the creek; and the sea
being full in my view, I saw our men

already got into the boat, and rowing for
life to the ship.

I was going to holla after them, although
it had been to little purpose, when I

observed a huge creature walking after them
in the sea, as fast as he could: he waded

not much deeper than his knees, and took

prodigious strides: but our men had the
start of him half a league, and, the sea

thereabouts being full of sharp-pointed
rocks, the monster was not able to overtake

the boat.

This I was afterwards told, for I durst not
stay to see the issue of the adventure; but

ran as fast as I could the way I first
went, and then climbed up a steep hill,

which gave me some prospect of the country.

I found it fully cultivated; but that which
first surprised me was the length of the

grass, which, in those grounds that seemed
to be kept for hay, was about twenty feet

high.

I fell into a high road, for so I took it
to be, though it served to the inhabitants

only as a foot-path through a field of
barley.

Here I walked on for some time, but could
see little on either side, it being now

near harvest, and the corn rising at least
forty feet.

I was an hour walking to the end of this
field, which was fenced in with a hedge of

at least one hundred and twenty feet high,
and the trees so lofty that I could make no

computation of their altitude.

There was a stile to pass from this field
into the next.

It had four steps, and a stone to cross
over when you came to the uppermost.

It was impossible for me to climb this
stile, because every step was six-feet

high, and the upper stone about twenty.

I was endeavouring to find some gap in the
hedge, when I discovered one of the

inhabitants in the next field, advancing
towards the stile, of the same size with

him whom I saw in the sea pursuing our
boat.

He appeared as tall as an ordinary spire
steeple, and took about ten yards at every

stride, as near as I could guess.

I was struck with the utmost fear and
astonishment, and ran to hide myself in the

corn, whence I saw him at the top of the
stile looking back into the next field on

the right hand, and heard him call in a

voice many degrees louder than a speaking-
trumpet: but the noise was so high in the

air, that at first I certainly thought it
was thunder.

Whereupon seven monsters, like himself,
came towards him with reaping-hooks in

their hands, each hook about the largeness
of six scythes.

These people were not so well clad as the
first, whose servants or labourers they

seemed to be; for, upon some words he
spoke, they went to reap the corn in the

field where I lay.

I kept from them at as great a distance as
I could, but was forced to move with

extreme difficulty, for the stalks of the
corn were sometimes not above a foot

distant, so that I could hardly squeeze my
body betwixt them.

However, I made a shift to go forward, till
I came to a part of the field where the

corn had been laid by the rain and wind.

Here it was impossible for me to advance a
step; for the stalks were so interwoven,

that I could not creep through, and the
beards of the fallen ears so strong and

pointed, that they pierced through my
clothes into my flesh.

At the same time I heard the reapers not a
hundred yards behind me.

Being quite dispirited with toil, and
wholly overcome by grief and dispair, I lay

down between two ridges, and heartily
wished I might there end my days.

I bemoaned my desolate widow and fatherless
children.

I lamented my own folly and wilfulness, in
attempting a second voyage, against the

advice of all my friends and relations.

In this terrible agitation of mind, I could
not forbear thinking of Lilliput, whose

inhabitants looked upon me as the greatest
prodigy that ever appeared in the world;

where I was able to draw an imperial fleet

in my hand, and perform those other
actions, which will be recorded for ever in

the chronicles of that empire, while
posterity shall hardly believe them,

although attested by millions.

I reflected what a mortification it must
prove to me, to appear as inconsiderable in

this nation, as one single Lilliputian
would be among us.

But this I conceived was to be the least of
my misfortunes; for, as human creatures are

observed to be more savage and cruel in
proportion to their bulk, what could I

expect but to be a morsel in the mouth of

the first among these enormous barbarians
that should happen to seize me?

Undoubtedly philosophers are in the right,
when they tell us that nothing is great or

little otherwise than by comparison.

It might have pleased fortune, to have let
the Lilliputians find some nation, where

the people were as diminutive with respect
to them, as they were to me.

And who knows but that even this prodigious
race of mortals might be equally

overmatched in some distant part of the
world, whereof we have yet no discovery.

Scared and confounded as I was, I could not
forbear going on with these reflections,

when one of the reapers, approaching within
ten yards of the ridge where I lay, made me

apprehend that with the next step I should

be squashed to death under his foot, or cut
in two with his reaping-hook.

And therefore, when he was again about to
move, I screamed as loud as fear could make

me: whereupon the huge creature trod short,
and, looking round about under him for some

time, at last espied me as I lay on the
ground.

He considered awhile, with the caution of
one who endeavours to lay hold on a small

dangerous animal in such a manner that it
shall not be able either to scratch or bite

him, as I myself have sometimes done with a
weasel in England.

At length he ventured to take me behind, by
the middle, between his fore-finger and

thumb, and brought me within three yards of
his eyes, that he might behold my shape

more perfectly.

I guessed his meaning, and my good fortune
gave me so much presence of mind, that I

resolved not to struggle in the least as he
held me in the air above sixty feet from

the ground, although he grievously pinched

my sides, for fear I should slip through
his fingers.

All I ventured was to raise mine eyes
towards the sun, and place my hands

together in a supplicating posture, and to
speak some words in a humble melancholy

tone, suitable to the condition I then was

in: for I apprehended every moment that he
would dash me against the ground, as we

usually do any little hateful animal, which
we have a mind to destroy.

But my good star would have it, that he
appeared pleased with my voice and

gestures, and began to look upon me as a
curiosity, much wondering to hear me

pronounce articulate words, although he
could not understand them.

In the mean time I was not able to forbear
groaning and shedding tears, and turning my

head towards my sides; letting him know, as
well as I could, how cruelly I was hurt by

the pressure of his thumb and finger.

He seemed to apprehend my meaning; for,
lifting up the lappet of his coat, he put

me gently into it, and immediately ran
along with me to his master, who was a

substantial farmer, and the same person I
had first seen in the field.

The farmer having (as I suppose by their
talk) received such an account of me as his

servant could give him, took a piece of a
small straw, about the size of a walking-

staff, and therewith lifted up the lappets

of my coat; which it seems he thought to be
some kind of covering that nature had given

me.
He blew my hairs aside to take a better

view of my face.

He called his hinds about him, and asked
them, as I afterwards learned, whether they

had ever seen in the fields any little
creature that resembled me.

He then placed me softly on the ground upon
all fours, but I got immediately up, and

walked slowly backward and forward, to let
those people see I had no intent to run

away.

They all sat down in a circle about me, the
better to observe my motions.

I pulled off my hat, and made a low bow
towards the farmer.

I fell on my knees, and lifted up my hands
and eyes, and spoke several words as loud

as I could: I took a purse of gold out of
my pocket, and humbly presented it to him.

He received it on the palm of his hand,
then applied it close to his eye to see

what it was, and afterwards turned it
several times with the point of a pin

(which he took out of his sleeve,) but
could make nothing of it.

Whereupon I made a sign that he should
place his hand on the ground.

I then took the purse, and, opening it,
poured all the gold into his palm.

There were six Spanish pieces of four
pistoles each, beside twenty or thirty

smaller coins.

I saw him wet the tip of his little finger
upon his tongue, and take up one of my

largest pieces, and then another; but he
seemed to be wholly ignorant what they

were.

He made me a sign to put them again into my
purse, and the purse again into my pocket,

which, after offering it to him several
times, I thought it best to do.

The farmer, by this time, was convinced I
must be a rational creature.

He spoke often to me; but the sound of his
voice pierced my ears like that of a water-

mill, yet his words were articulate enough.

I answered as loud as I could in several
languages, and he often laid his ear within

two yards of me: but all in vain, for we
were wholly unintelligible to each other.

He then sent his servants to their work,
and taking his handkerchief out of his

pocket, he doubled and spread it on his
left hand, which he placed flat on the

ground with the palm upward, making me a

sign to step into it, as I could easily do,
for it was not above a foot in thickness.

I thought it my part to obey, and, for fear
of falling, laid myself at full length upon

the handkerchief, with the remainder of
which he lapped me up to the head for

further security, and in this manner
carried me home to his house.

There he called his wife, and showed me to
her; but she screamed and ran back, as

women in England do at the sight of a toad
or a spider.

However, when she had a while seen my
behaviour, and how well I observed the

signs her husband made, she was soon
reconciled, and by degrees grew extremely

tender of me.

It was about twelve at noon, and a servant
brought in dinner.

It was only one substantial dish of meat
(fit for the plain condition of a

husbandman,) in a dish of about four-and-
twenty feet diameter.

The company were, the farmer and his wife,
three children, and an old grandmother.

When they were sat down, the farmer placed
me at some distance from him on the table,

which was thirty feet high from the floor.

I was in a terrible fright, and kept as far
as I could from the edge, for fear of

falling.

The wife minced a bit of meat, then
crumbled some bread on a trencher, and

placed it before me.

I made her a low bow, took out my knife and
fork, and fell to eat, which gave them

exceeding delight.

The mistress sent her maid for a small dram
cup, which held about two gallons, and

filled it with drink; I took up the vessel
with much difficulty in both hands, and in

a most respectful manner drank to her

ladyship's health, expressing the words as
loud as I could in English, which made the

company laugh so heartily, that I was
almost deafened with the noise.

This liquor tasted like a small cider, and
was not unpleasant.

Then the master made me a sign to come to
his trencher side; but as I walked on the

table, being in great surprise all the
time, as the indulgent reader will easily

conceive and excuse, I happened to stumble

against a crust, and fell flat on my face,
but received no hurt.

I got up immediately, and observing the
good people to be in much concern, I took

my hat (which I held under my arm out of
good manners,) and waving it over my head,

made three huzzas, to show I had got no
mischief by my fall.

But advancing forward towards my master (as
I shall henceforth call him,) his youngest

son, who sat next to him, an arch boy of
about ten years old, took me up by the

legs, and held me so high in the air, that

I trembled every limb: but his father
snatched me from him, and at the same time

gave him such a box on the left ear, as
would have felled an European troop of

horse to the earth, ordering him to be
taken from the table.

But being afraid the boy might owe me a
spite, and well remembering how mischievous

all children among us naturally are to
sparrows, rabbits, young kittens, and puppy

dogs, I fell on my knees, and pointing to

the boy, made my master to understand, as
well as I could, that I desired his son

might be pardoned.

The father complied, and the lad took his
seat again, whereupon I went to him, and

kissed his hand, which my master took, and
made him stroke me gently with it.

In the midst of dinner, my mistress's
favourite cat leaped into her lap.

I heard a noise behind me like that of a
dozen stocking-weavers at work; and turning

my head, I found it proceeded from the
purring of that animal, who seemed to be

three times larger than an ox, as I

computed by the view of her head, and one
of her paws, while her mistress was feeding

and stroking her.

The fierceness of this creature's
countenance altogether discomposed me;

though I stood at the farther end of the
table, above fifty feet off; and although

my mistress held her fast, for fear she

might give a spring, and seize me in her
talons.

But it happened there was no danger, for
the cat took not the least notice of me

when my master placed me within three yards
of her.

And as I have been always told, and found
true by experience in my travels, that

flying or discovering fear before a fierce
animal, is a certain way to make it pursue

or attack you, so I resolved, in this

dangerous juncture, to show no manner of
concern.

I walked with intrepidity five or six times
before the very head of the cat, and came

within half a yard of her; whereupon she
drew herself back, as if she were more

afraid of me: I had less apprehension

concerning the dogs, whereof three or four
came into the room, as it is usual in

farmers' houses; one of which was a
mastiff, equal in bulk to four elephants,

and another a greyhound, somewhat taller
than the mastiff, but not so large.

When dinner was almost done, the nurse came
in with a child of a year old in her arms,

who immediately spied me, and began a
squall that you might have heard from

London-Bridge to Chelsea, after the usual

oratory of infants, to get me for a
plaything.

The mother, out of pure indulgence, took me
up, and put me towards the child, who

presently seized me by the middle, and got
my head into his mouth, where I roared so

loud that the urchin was frighted, and let

me drop, and I should infallibly have broke
my neck, if the mother had not held her

apron under me.

The nurse, to quiet her babe, made use of a
rattle which was a kind of hollow vessel

filled with great stones, and fastened by a
cable to the child's waist: but all in

vain; so that she was forced to apply the
last remedy by giving it suck.

I must confess no object ever disgusted me
so much as the sight of her monstrous

breast, which I cannot tell what to compare
with, so as to give the curious reader an

idea of its bulk, shape, and colour.

It stood prominent six feet, and could not
be less than sixteen in circumference.

The nipple was about half the bigness of my
head, and the hue both of that and the dug,

so varied with spots, pimples, and
freckles, that nothing could appear more

nauseous: for I had a near sight of her,

she sitting down, the more conveniently to
give suck, and I standing on the table.

This made me reflect upon the fair skins of
our English ladies, who appear so beautiful

to us, only because they are of our own
size, and their defects not to be seen but

through a magnifying glass; where we find

by experiment that the smoothest and
whitest skins look rough, and coarse, and

ill-coloured.

I remember when I was at Lilliput, the
complexion of those diminutive people

appeared to me the fairest in the world;
and talking upon this subject with a person

of learning there, who was an intimate

friend of mine, he said that my face
appeared much fairer and smoother when he

looked on me from the ground, than it did
upon a nearer view, when I took him up in

my hand, and brought him close, which he

confessed was at first a very shocking
sight.

He said, "he could discover great holes in
my skin; that the stumps of my beard were

ten times stronger than the bristles of a
boar, and my complexion made up of several

colours altogether disagreeable:" although

I must beg leave to say for myself, that I
am as fair as most of my sex and country,

and very little sunburnt by all my travels.

On the other side, discoursing of the
ladies in that emperor's court, he used to

tell me, "one had freckles; another too
wide a mouth; a third too large a nose;"

nothing of which I was able to distinguish.

I confess this reflection was obvious
enough; which, however, I could not

forbear, lest the reader might think those
vast creatures were actually deformed: for

I must do them the justice to say, they are

a comely race of people, and particularly
the features of my master's countenance,

although he was but a farmer, when I beheld
him from the height of sixty feet, appeared

very well proportioned.

When dinner was done, my master went out to
his labourers, and, as I could discover by

his voice and gesture, gave his wife strict
charge to take care of me.

I was very much tired, and disposed to
sleep, which my mistress perceiving, she

put me on her own bed, and covered me with
a clean white handkerchief, but larger and

coarser than the mainsail of a man-of-war.

I slept about two hours, and dreamt I was
at home with my wife and children, which

aggravated my sorrows when I awaked, and
found myself alone in a vast room, between

two and three hundred feet wide, and above

two hundred high, lying in a bed twenty
yards wide.

My mistress was gone about her household
affairs, and had locked me in.

The bed was eight yards from the floor.

Some natural necessities required me to get
down; I durst not presume to call; and if I

had, it would have been in vain, with such
a voice as mine, at so great a distance

from the room where I lay to the kitchen
where the family kept.

While I was under these circumstances, two
rats crept up the curtains, and ran

smelling backwards and forwards on the bed.

One of them came up almost to my face,
whereupon I rose in a fright, and drew out

my hanger to defend myself.

These horrible animals had the boldness to
attack me on both sides, and one of them

held his fore-feet at my collar; but I had
the good fortune to rip up his belly before

he could do me any mischief.

He fell down at my feet; and the other,
seeing the fate of his comrade, made his

escape, but not without one good wound on
the back, which I gave him as he fled, and

made the blood run trickling from him.

After this exploit, I walked gently to and
fro on the bed, to recover my breath and

loss of spirits.

These creatures were of the size of a large
mastiff, but infinitely more nimble and

fierce; so that if I had taken off my belt
before I went to sleep, I must have

infallibly been torn to pieces and
devoured.

I measured the tail of the dead rat, and
found it to be two yards long, wanting an

inch; but it went against my stomach to
drag the carcass off the bed, where it lay

still bleeding; I observed it had yet some

life, but with a strong slash across the
neck, I thoroughly despatched it.

Soon after my mistress came into the room,
who seeing me all bloody, ran and took me

up in her hand.

I pointed to the dead rat, smiling, and
making other signs to show I was not hurt;

whereat she was extremely rejoiced, calling
the maid to take up the dead rat with a

pair of tongs, and throw it out of the
window.

Then she set me on a table, where I showed
her my hanger all bloody, and wiping it on

the lappet of my coat, returned it to the
scabbard.

I was pressed to do more than one thing
which another could not do for me, and

therefore endeavoured to make my mistress
understand, that I desired to be set down

on the floor; which after she had done, my

bashfulness would not suffer me to express
myself farther, than by pointing to the

door, and bowing several times.

The good woman, with much difficulty, at
last perceived what I would be at, and

taking me up again in her hand, walked into
the garden, where she set me down.

I went on one side about two hundred yards,
and beckoning to her not to look or to

follow me, I hid myself between two leaves
of sorrel, and there discharged the

necessities of nature.

I hope the gentle reader will excuse me for
dwelling on these and the like particulars,

which, however insignificant they may
appear to groveling vulgar minds, yet will

certainly help a philosopher to enlarge his

thoughts and imagination, and apply them to
the benefit of public as well as private

life, which was my sole design in
presenting this and other accounts of my

travels to the world; wherein I have been

chiefly studious of truth, without
affecting any ornaments of learning or of

style.

But the whole scene of this voyage made so
strong an impression on my mind, and is so

deeply fixed in my memory, that, in
committing it to paper I did not omit one

material circumstance: however, upon a

strict review, I blotted out several
passages.

Of less moment which were in my first copy,
for fear of being censured as tedious and

trifling, whereof travellers are often,
perhaps not without justice, accused.