mife made me that I fhould not die) however prevailed fo far as to have a punishment inflicted on me, worse, in all human appearance, than death itfelf. My men were fent by an equal divifion into both the pyrate fhips, and my floop new manned. As to myfelf, it was determined that I should be fet a-drift in a small canoe, with paddles and a fail, and four days provifions, which laft the Japanese captain was fo kind to double out of his own ftores, and would permit no man to search me. I got down into the canoe, while the Dutchman standing upon the deck loaded me with all the curfes and injurious terms his language could afford.

About an hour before we faw the pyrates I had taken an obfervation, and found we were in the latitude of 46 N. and of longitude 183. When I was at fome diftance from the pyrates, I difcovered by my pocket-glass feveral iflands to the fouth-ealt. I fet up my fail, the wind being fair, with a defign to reach the nearest of thofe islands, which I made fhift to do in about three hours. It was all rocky, however I got many birds eggs, and ftriking fire I kindled fome heath and dry feaweed, by which I roafted my eggs. I eat no other fupper, being refolved to fpare my provisions as much as I could. I paffed the night under the fhelter of a rock, ftrewing fome heath under me, and flept pretty well.

The next day I failed to another island, and thence to a third and fourth, fometimes using my fail, and fometimes my paddles. But, not to trouble the reader with a particular account of my diftreffes, let it fuffice, that on the fifth day I arrived at the laft island in my fight, which lay fouth-fouth-eaft to the former.

This inland was at a greater distance than I expected, and I did not reach it in lefs than five hours.. I encom paffed it almost round, before. I could find a convenient place to land in, which was a fmall creek about three times the widenefs of my canoe. I found the island to be all rocky, only a little intermingled with tufts of grafs, and sweet smelling herbs. I took out my fmall provifions, and after having refreshed myfelf, I. fecured the remainder in a cave, whereof there were great numbers. I gathered plenty of eggs upon the rocks, and got a quantity of dry fea-weed, and parched grafs, which I defign

ed

ed to kindle the next day, and roaft my eggs as well as I could (for I had about me my flint, fteel, match, and burning-glafs.) I lay all night in the cave where I had lodged my provifions. My bed was the fame dry grafs and fea-weed which I intended for fewel. I flept very little, for the difquiets of my mind prevailed over my wearinefs, and kept me awake. I confidered how im poffible it was to preserve my life in fo defolate a place, and how miferable my end must be. Yet found myself fo liftlefs and defponding, that I had not the heart to rife; and before I could get fpirits enough to creep out of my cave, the day was far advanced. I walked a while among the rocks, the fky was perfectly clear, and the fun fo hot, that I was forced to turn my face from it; when all on a fudden it became obfcure, as I thought, in a manner very different from what happens by the interpofition of a cloud. I turned back, and perceived a vast opake body between me and the fun, moving forwards towards the island: it feemed to be about two miles high, and hid the fun fix or feven minutes, but I did not obferve the air to be much colder, or the fky more darkened, than if I had stood under the fhade of a mountain. As it approached nearer over the place where I was, it appeared to be a firm fubftance, the bottom flat, fmooth, and fhining very bright from the reflexion of the fea below. I ftood upon a height about two hundred yards from the fhore, and faw this valt body descending almost to a parallel with me, at less than an English mile distance. I took out my pocket-perspective, and could plainly dif cover numbers of people moving up and down the fides of it, which appeared to be floping; but, what those people were doing, I was not able to distinguish.

The natural love of life gave me fome inward motions of joy, and I was ready to entertain a hope, that this adventure might fome way or other help to deliver me from the defolate place and condition I was in. But at the fame time the reader can hardly conceive my astonishment, to behold an island in the air, inhabited by men, who were able (as it fhould feem) to raise or sink, or put it into a progreffive motion, as they pleafed. But not being at that time in a difpofition to philofophife upon this phænomenon, I rather chofe to obferve what course VOL. IV. N

the

the island would take, because it seemed for a while to stand ftill. Yet foon after it advanced nearer, and I could fee the fides of it encompaffed with feveral gradations of galleries, and stairs at certain intervals to defcend from one to the other. In the lowest gallery I beheld fome people fishing with long angling rods, and others looking on. I waved my cap (for my hat was long fince worn out) and my hankerchief towards the island; and upon its nearer approach I called and fhouted with the utmost ftrength of my voice; and then, looking circumspectly, I beheld a crowd gathered to that fide which was most in my view. I found by their pointing towards me and to each other, that they plainly discovered me, although But I could fee they made no return to my fhouting. four or five men running in great hafte up the stairs to the top of the island, who then disappeared. I happened rightly to conjecture, that these were fent for orders to fome perfon in authority upon this occafion.

The number of people encreafed, and in lefs than half an hour, the island was moved and raised in fuch a manner, that the loweft gallery appeared in a parallel of less than an hundred yards diftance from the height where I ftood. I then put myself into the most fupplicating poAtures, and spoke in the humbleft accent, but received no anfwer. Thofe, who stood nearest over-against me, feemed to be perfons of diftinction, as I fuppofed by their habit. They conferred earneftly with each other, looking often upon me. At length one of them called out in a clear, polite, fmooth dialect, not unlike in found to the Italian, and therefore I returned an answer in that Janguage, hoping at leaft, that the cadence might be more agreeable to his ears. Although neither of us understood the other, yet my meaning was eafily known, for the people faw the diftrefs I was in.

They made figns for me to come down from the rock, and go towards the fhore, which I accordingly did; and the flying ifland being raised to a convenient height, the verge directly over me, a chain was let down from the lowest gallery, with a feat fastened to the bottom, to which I fixed myself, and was drawn up by pullies

CHAP.

CHA P. II.

The humours and difpofitions of the Laputians defcribed. An account of their learning. Of the King, and his court. The author's reception there. The inhabitants fubject to fear and difquietudes. An account of

the women.

Tmy alighting I was furrounded with a crowd of

of better quality. They beheld me with all the marks and circumstances of wonder, neither indeed was I much in their debt; having never till then feen a race of mortals fo fingular in their fhapes, habits, and countenances. Their heads were all reclined either to the right or the left; one of their eyes turned inward, and the other di rectly up to the zenith*. Their outward garments were adorned with the figures of funs, moons, and ftars, interwoven with thofe of fiddles, flutes, harps, trumpets, guittars, harpficords, and many other inftruments of mufic unknown to us in Europe. I obferved here and there many in the habit of fervants, with a blown bladder faf-tened like a flayl to the end of a fhort stick, which they carried in their hands. In each bladder was a small quantity of dried peafe, or little pebbles (as I was afterwards informed.) With thefe bladders they now and then flapped the mouths and ears of those who stood near them, of which practice I could not then conceive the meaning It seems the minds of these people are so taken up with intenfe fpeculations, that they neither can fpeak, nor attend to the difcourfes of others, without being roufed by fome external taction upon the organs of fpeech and hearing; for which reafon, thofe perfons who are able to af ford it, always keep a flapper (the original is climenole) in their family, as one of their domestics, nor ever walk abroad or make vifits without him. And the business

* By this description the author intended to ridicule those who waste life in fpeculative fcience, the powers of whofe minds are as abfurdly employed as the eyes of the Laputians. Hawkes." N-2

off

of this officer is, when two, three, or more persons are in company, gently to ftrike with his bladder the mouth of him who is to speak, and the right ear of him or them to whom the fpeaker addreffeth himself. This flapper is likewife employed diligently to attend his mafter in his walks, and upon occafion to give him a foft flap on his eyes, because he is always fo wrapped up in cogitation, that he is in manifeft danger of falling down every precipice, and bouncing his head against every post; and in the streets, of juftling others, or being juftled himself into

the kennel.

It was neceffary to give the reader this information, without which he would be at the fame lofs with me to understand the proceedings of these people, as they conducted me up the ftairs to the top of the island, and from thence to the royal palace. While we were afcending, they forgot feveral times what they were about, and left me to myfelf, till their memories were again roused by their flappers for they appeared altogether unmoved by the fight of my foreign habit and countenance, and by the fhouts of the vulgar, whofe thoughts and minds were more difengaged.

At laft we entered the palace, and proceeded into the chamber of prefence, where I faw the King feated on his throne, attended on each fide by perfons of prime quality. Before the throne was a large table filled with globes and spheres, and mathematical inftruments of all kinds. His Majefly took not the leaft notice of us, although our entrance was not without fufficient noife by the concourfe of all perfons belonging to the court. But he was then deep in a problem, and we attended at least an hour, before he could folve it. There ftood by him on each fide á young page with flaps in their hands, and when they faw he was at leifure, one of them gently ftruck his mouth, and the other his right ear; at which he started like one awaked on the fudden, and looking towards me and the company I was in, recollected the occafion of our coming, whereof he had been informed before. He spoke fome words, whereupon immediately a young man with a flap came up to my fide, and flapt me gently on the right ear, but I made figns, as well as I could, that I had no occasion for such an inftrument; which, as I afterwards. found,