I fell into a beaten road, where I saw many tracks of hu man feet, and fome of cows, but most of horles. At last I beheld several animals in a field, and one or two of the fame kind fitting in trees. Their fhape was very fingular and deformed, which a little difcompofed me, fo that I lay down behind a thicket to observe them better. Some of them coming forward near the place where I lay, gave me an opportunity of diftinctly marking their form. Their heads and breafts were covered with a thick hair, fome fizled, and others lank; they had beards like goats, and a long-ridge of hair down their backs, and the fore-parts of their legs and feet; but the reft of their bodies were bare, fo that I might fee their skins, which were of a brown buff-colour. They had no tails, nor any hair at all on their buttocks, except about the anus; which, I prefume, nature had placed there to defend them, as they fat on the ground; for this pofture they ufed, as well as lying down, and often food on their hindfeet. They climbed high trees as nimbly as a squirrel; for they had strong extended claws before and behind,terminating in fharp points, and hooked. They would often spring, and bound, and leap with prodigious agility, The females were not so large as the males; they had long lank hair on their heads, but none on their faces, nor any thing more than a fort of down on the reft of their bodies, except about the anus and pudenda. Their dugs hung between their fore-feet, and often reached almoft to the ground as they walked. The hair of both fexes was of feveral colours, brown, red, black, and yellow. Upon the whole, I never beheld in all my travels fo difagreeable an animal, or one against which I na turally conceived so strong an antipathy. So that thinking I had feen enough, full of contempt and averfion, I got up, and purfued the beaten road, hoping it might direct me to the cabbia of fome Indian. I had not got far, when I met one of these creatures full in my way, and coming up directly to me. The ugly monster, when he faw me, distorted feveral ways every feature of his vifage, and ftared as at an object he had never seen before; then approaching nearer, lifted up his fore-paw, whether out of curiosity or mischief, I could not tell: but I drew my hanger, and gave him a good blow with the flat fide

of

of it; for I durft not strike with the edge, fearing the inhabitants might be provoked against me, if they fhould come to know, that I had killed or maimed any of their cattle. When the beast felt the fmart, he drew back, and roared fo-loud, that a herd of at least forty came flocking about me from the next field, howling and making odious faces; but I ran to the body of a tree, and leaning my back against it, kept them off by waving my hanger. Several of this curfed brood getting hold of the branches behind, leapt up into the tree, from whence they began to discharge their excrements on my head: however, l'efcaped pretty well by fticking close to the stem of the tree, but was almoft ftifled with the filth, which fell about me on every fide.

In the midst of this diftrefs, I obferved them all to run away on a fudden as faft as they could, at which I ventured to leave the tree, and pursue the road, wonder ing what it was that could put them into this fright. But looking on my let hand, 1-faw a horfe walking foftly in the field; which my perfecutors having fooner difcovered, was the cause of their flight. The horse started a little when he came near me, but foon recovering him. felf, looked full in my face with manifest tokens of wonder: he viewed my hands and feet, walking round me fe veral times. I would have purfued my journey, but he placed himself directly in the way, yet looking with a very mild afpect, never offering the leaft violence. ftood gazing at each other for fome time; at laft I took the boldnels to reach my hand towards his neck with a defign to ftroak it, ufing the common ftyle and whiftle of jockies, when they are going to handle a ftrange horse. But this animal feemed to receive my civilities with difdain, fhook his head, and bent his brows, foftly raifing up his right fore-foot to remove my hand, Then be neighed three or four times, but in fo different a cadence, that balmost began to think he was fpeaking to himself in fome language of his own.

We

While he and I were thus employed, another horfe came up; who applying himself to the firft in a very formal manner, they gently ftruck each other's right-hoof before, neighing feveral times by turns, and varying the found, which feemed to be almof articulate. They

went

went fome paces off, as if it were to confer together, walking fide by fide, backwark and forward, like perfons deliberating upon fome affair of weight, but often turning their eyes towards me, as it were to watch that I might not escape. I was amazed to fee fuch actions and Behaviour in brute beasts; and concluded with myself, that if the inhabitants of this country were endued with a proportionable degree of reafon, they must needs be the wifeft people upon earth. This thought gave me fo much comfort, that I refolved to go forward, until I could discover fome houfe or village, or meet with any of the natives, leaving the two horfes to difcourfe together as they pleased. But the firft, who was a dapplegrey, obferving me to steal off, neighed after me in fo expreffive a tone, that I fancied myfelf to understand what he meant; whereupon I turned back, and came near him to expect his farther commands, but concealing my fear as much as I could; for I began to be in fome pain, how this adventure might terminate; and the reader will eafily believe, I did not much like my prefent fi

tuation.

The two horfes came up clofe to me, looking with great earnestness upon my face and hands. The grey fteed rubbed my hat all round with his right fore-hoof, and difcompofed it fo much, that I was forced to adjust it better, by taking it off and fettling it again; whereat both he and his companion (who was brown-bay) appeared to be much furprised; the latter felt the lappet of my coat, and finding it to hang loose about me, they both looked with new figns of wonder. He ftroaked my right hand, feeming to admire the foftnefs and colour; but he fqueezed it fo hard between his hoof and his pastern, that I was forced to roar; after which they both touched me with all poffible tendernefs. They were under great perplexity about my fhoes and stockings, which they felt very often, neighing to each other, and ufing various geftures, not unlike thofe of a philofopher, when he would attempt to folve fome new and difficult phænomenon.

Upon the whole, the behaviour of these animals was fo orderly and rational, fo acute and judicious, that I at laft concluded, they muft needs be magicians, who had

thus

thus metamorphofed themfelves upon fome defign, and, feeing a ftranger in the way, refolved to divert themselves with him; or perhaps were really amazed at the fight of a man fo very different in habit, feature, and complexion, from thofe who might probably live in fo remote a climate. Upon the ftrength of this reafoning, I ventured to address them in the following manner: gentlemen, if you be conjurers, as I have good caufe to believe, you can understand any language; therefore I make bold to let your worships know, that I am a poor diftreffed English-man, driven by his misfortunes upon your coaft, and I intreat one of you to let me ride upon his back, as if he were a real horse, to fome houfe or village, where I can be relieved. In return of which favour I will make you a prefent of this knife and bracelet (taking them out of my pocket). The two creatures food filent while I fpoke, feeming to liften with great attention; and when I had ended, they neighed frequently towards each other, as if they were engaged in ferious converfation. I plainly obferved, that their language exprefled the paffions very well, and the words might with little pains be refolved into an alphabet more easily than the Chinese.

I could frequently diftinguifh the word yahoo, which was repeated by each of them several times; and although it was impoffible for me to conjecture what it meant, yet, while the two horfes were bufy in converfation, I endeavoured to practile this word upon my tongue; and as foon as they were tilent, I boldly pronounced yahoo in a loud voice, imitating at the fame time, as near as I could, the neighing of a horfe; at which they were both visibly furprised, and the grey repeated the fame word twice, as if he meant to teach me the right accent, wherein I poke after him as well as I could, and found myfelf perceivably to improve every tine, though very far from any degree of pertection. Then the bay tried me with a fecond word much harder to be pronounced; but, reducing it to the English orthography, may be fpelt thus, Houyhnhnm. I did not fucceed in this fo well as the former; but after two or three farther trials, I had better fortune; and they both appeared amazed at my capacity.

After fome farther difcourfe, which I then conjectur

ed

ed might relate to me, the two friends took their leaves with the fame compliment of striking each other's hoof; and the grey made me figns that I should walk before him; wherein I thought it prudent to comply, till I could find a better director. When I offered to flacken my pace, he would cry hhuun, hhuun ; I guessed his meaning, and gave him to understand, as well as I could, that I was weary, and not able to walk faster; upon which he would ftand a while to let me rest.

CHA P. II.

The author conducted by a Houyhnhnm to his houfe. The houfe defcribed. The author's reception. The food of the Houyhnhnms. The author in diftrefs for want of meat, is at last relieved. His manner of feeding in that country.

H

AVING travelled about three miles, we.came to a long kind of building, made of timber stuck in the ground, and wattled a-crols; the roof was low, and covered with straw. I now began to be a little comforted; and took out fome toys, which travellers ufually carry for prefents to the favage Indians of America and other parts, in hopes the people of the houfe would be thereby encouraged to receive me kindly. The horse made me a fign to go in firft; it was a large room with a smooth clay floor, and a rack and manger, extending the whole length on one fide. There were three nags, and two mares, not eating, but fome of them fitting down upon their hams, which I very much wondered at; but wondered more to fee the rest employed in domeftic business; thefe feemed but ordinary cattle: however this confirmed my first opinion, that a people, who could fo far civilize brute animals, muft needs excel in wifdom all the nations of the world. The grey came in just after, and thereby prevented any ill treatment which the others might have given me. He neighed to them several times in a stile of authority, and received anfwers.

Beyond this room there were three others reaching the length of the houfe, to which you pafled through three.

doors,