Chương Chương 8 · The author, by a lucky accident, finds means to leave Blefuscu; and,

. The author, by a lucky accident, finds means to leave Blefuscu; and,

after some difficulties, returns safe to his native country.

Three days after my arrival, walking out of curiosity to the north-east

coast of the island, I observed, about half a league off in the sea,

somewhat that looked like a boat overturned. I pulled off my shoes and

stockings, and, wading two or three hundred yards, I found the object

to approach nearer by force of the tide; and then plainly saw it to be

a real boat, which I supposed might by some tempest have been driven

from a ship. Whereupon, I returned immediately towards the city, and

desired his imperial majesty to lend me twenty of the tallest vessels

he had left, after the loss of his fleet, and three thousand seamen,

under the command of his vice-admiral. This fleet sailed round, while I

went back the shortest way to the coast, where I first discovered the

boat. I found the tide had driven it still nearer. The seamen were all

provided with cordage, which I had beforehand twisted to a sufficient

strength. When the ships came up, I stripped myself, and waded till I

came within a hundred yards of the boat, after which I was forced to

swim till I got up to it. The seamen threw me the end of the cord,

which I fastened to a hole in the fore-part of the boat, and the other

end to a man of war; but I found all my labour to little purpose; for,

being out of my depth, I was not able to work. In this necessity I was

forced to swim behind, and push the boat forward, as often as I could,

with one of my hands; and the tide favouring me, I advanced so far that

I could just hold up my chin and feel the ground. I rested two or three

minutes, and then gave the boat another shove, and so on, till the sea

was no higher than my arm-pits; and now, the most laborious part being

over, I took out my other cables, which were stowed in one of the

ships, and fastened them first to the boat, and then to nine of the

vessels which attended me; the wind being favourable, the seamen towed,

and I shoved, until we arrived within forty yards of the shore; and,

waiting till the tide was out, I got dry to the boat, and by the

assistance of two thousand men, with ropes and engines, I made a shift

to turn it on its bottom, and found it was but little damaged.

I shall not trouble the reader with the difficulties I was under, by

the help of certain paddles, which cost me ten days making, to get my

boat to the royal port of Blefuscu, where a mighty concourse of people

appeared upon my arrival, full of wonder at the sight of so prodigious

a vessel. I told the emperor “that my good fortune had thrown this boat

in my way, to carry me to some place whence I might return into my

native country; and begged his majesty’s orders for getting materials

to fit it up, together with his license to depart;” which, after some

kind expostulations, he was pleased to grant.

I did very much wonder, in all this time, not to have heard of any

express relating to me from our emperor to the court of Blefuscu. But I

was afterward given privately to understand, that his imperial majesty,

never imagining I had the least notice of his designs, believed I was

only gone to Blefuscu in performance of my promise, according to the

license he had given me, which was well known at our court, and would

return in a few days, when the ceremony was ended. But he was at last

in pain at my long absence; and after consulting with the treasurer and

the rest of that cabal, a person of quality was dispatched with the

copy of the articles against me. This envoy had instructions to

represent to the monarch of Blefuscu, “the great lenity of his master,

who was content to punish me no farther than with the loss of my eyes;

that I had fled from justice; and if I did not return in two hours, I

should be deprived of my title of _nardac_, and declared a traitor.”

The envoy further added, “that in order to maintain the peace and amity

between both empires, his master expected that his brother of Blefuscu

would give orders to have me sent back to Lilliput, bound hand and

foot, to be punished as a traitor.”

The emperor of Blefuscu, having taken three days to consult, returned

an answer consisting of many civilities and excuses. He said, “that as

for sending me bound, his brother knew it was impossible; that,

although I had deprived him of his fleet, yet he owed great obligations

to me for many good offices I had done him in making the peace. That,

however, both their majesties would soon be made easy; for I had found

a prodigious vessel on the shore, able to carry me on the sea, which he

had given orders to fit up, with my own assistance and direction; and

he hoped, in a few weeks, both empires would be freed from so

insupportable an encumbrance.”

With this answer the envoy returned to Lilliput; and the monarch of

Blefuscu related to me all that had passed; offering me at the same

time (but under the strictest confidence) his gracious protection, if I

would continue in his service; wherein, although I believed him

sincere, yet I resolved never more to put any confidence in princes or

ministers, where I could possibly avoid it; and therefore, with all due

acknowledgments for his favourable intentions, I humbly begged to be

excused. I told him, “that since fortune, whether good or evil, had

thrown a vessel in my way, I was resolved to venture myself on the

ocean, rather than be an occasion of difference between two such mighty

monarchs.” Neither did I find the emperor at all displeased; and I

discovered, by a certain accident, that he was very glad of my

resolution, and so were most of his ministers.

These considerations moved me to hasten my departure somewhat sooner

than I intended; to which the court, impatient to have me gone, very

readily contributed. Five hundred workmen were employed to make two

sails to my boat, according to my directions, by quilting thirteen

folds of their strongest linen together. I was at the pains of making

ropes and cables, by twisting ten, twenty, or thirty of the thickest

and strongest of theirs. A great stone that I happened to find, after a

long search, by the sea-shore, served me for an anchor. I had the

tallow of three hundred cows, for greasing my boat, and other uses. I

was at incredible pains in cutting down some of the largest

timber-trees, for oars and masts, wherein I was, however, much assisted

by his majesty’s ship-carpenters, who helped me in smoothing them,

after I had done the rough work.

In about a month, when all was prepared, I sent to receive his

majesty’s commands, and to take my leave. The emperor and royal family

came out of the palace; I lay down on my face to kiss his hand, which

he very graciously gave me: so did the empress and young princes of the

blood. His majesty presented me with fifty purses of two hundred

_sprugs_ a-piece, together with his picture at full length, which I put

immediately into one of my gloves, to keep it from being hurt. The

ceremonies at my departure were too many to trouble the reader with at

this time.

I stored the boat with the carcases of a hundred oxen, and three

hundred sheep, with bread and drink proportionable, and as much meat

ready dressed as four hundred cooks could provide. I took with me six

cows and two bulls alive, with as many ewes and rams, intending to

carry them into my own country, and propagate the breed. And to feed

them on board, I had a good bundle of hay, and a bag of corn. I would

gladly have taken a dozen of the natives, but this was a thing the

emperor would by no means permit; and, besides a diligent search into

my pockets, his majesty engaged my honour “not to carry away any of his

subjects, although with their own consent and desire.”

Having thus prepared all things as well as I was able, I set sail on

the twenty-fourth day of September 1701, at six in the morning; and

when I had gone about four leagues to the northward, the wind being at

south-east, at six in the evening I descried a small island, about half

a league to the north-west. I advanced forward, and cast anchor on the

lee-side of the island, which seemed to be uninhabited. I then took

some refreshment, and went to my rest. I slept well, and as I

conjectured at least six hours, for I found the day broke in two hours

after I awaked. It was a clear night. I ate my breakfast before the sun

was up; and heaving anchor, the wind being favourable, I steered the

same course that I had done the day before, wherein I was directed by

my pocket compass. My intention was to reach, if possible, one of those

islands which I had reason to believe lay to the north-east of Van

Diemen’s Land. I discovered nothing all that day; but upon the next,

about three in the afternoon, when I had by my computation made

twenty-four leagues from Blefuscu, I descried a sail steering to the

south-east; my course was due east. I hailed her, but could get no

answer; yet I found I gained upon her, for the wind slackened. I made

all the sail I could, and in half an hour she spied me, then hung out

her ancient, and discharged a gun. It is not easy to express the joy I

was in, upon the unexpected hope of once more seeing my beloved

country, and the dear pledges I left in it. The ship slackened her

sails, and I came up with her between five and six in the evening,

September 26th; but my heart leaped within me to see her English

colours. I put my cows and sheep into my coat-pockets, and got on board

with all my little cargo of provisions. The vessel was an English

merchantman, returning from Japan by the North and South seas; the

captain, Mr. John Biddel, of Deptford, a very civil man, and an

excellent sailor.

We were now in the latitude of 30 degrees south; there were about fifty

men in the ship; and here I met an old comrade of mine, one Peter

Williams, who gave me a good character to the captain. This gentleman

treated me with kindness, and desired I would let him know what place I

came from last, and whither I was bound; which I did in a few words,

but he thought I was raving, and that the dangers I underwent had

disturbed my head; whereupon I took my black cattle and sheep out of my

pocket, which, after great astonishment, clearly convinced him of my

veracity. I then showed him the gold given me by the emperor of

Blefuscu, together with his majesty’s picture at full length, and some

other rarities of that country. I gave him two purses of two hundreds

_sprugs_ each, and promised, when we arrived in England, to make him a

present of a cow and a sheep big with young.

I shall not trouble the reader with a particular account of this

voyage, which was very prosperous for the most part. We arrived in the

Downs on the 13th of April, 1702. I had only one misfortune, that the

rats on board carried away one of my sheep; I found her bones in a

hole, picked clean from the flesh. The rest of my cattle I got safe

ashore, and set them a-grazing in a bowling-green at Greenwich, where

the fineness of the grass made them feed very heartily, though I had

always feared the contrary: neither could I possibly have preserved

them in so long a voyage, if the captain had not allowed me some of his

best biscuit, which, rubbed to powder, and mingled with water, was

their constant food. The short time I continued in England, I made a

considerable profit by showing my cattle to many persons of quality and

others: and before I began my second voyage, I sold them for six

hundred pounds. Since my last return I find the breed is considerably

increased, especially the sheep, which I hope will prove much to the

advantage of the woollen manufacture, by the fineness of the fleeces.

I stayed but two months with my wife and family, for my insatiable

desire of seeing foreign countries, would suffer me to continue no

longer. I left fifteen hundred pounds with my wife, and fixed her in a

good house at Redriff. My remaining stock I carried with me, part in

money and part in goods, in hopes to improve my fortunes. My eldest

uncle John had left me an estate in land, near Epping, of about thirty

pounds a year; and I had a long lease of the Black Bull in Fetter Lane,

which yielded me as much more; so that I was not in any danger of

leaving my family upon the parish. My son Johnny, named so after his

uncle, was at the grammar school, and a towardly child. My daughter

Betty (who is now well married, and has children) was then at her

needlework. I took leave of my wife, and boy and girl, with tears on

both sides, and went on board the Adventure, a merchant ship of three

hundred tons, bound for Surat, captain John Nicholas, of Liverpool,

commander. But my account of this voyage must be referred to the Second

Part of my Travels.