CHAPTER I.

The author sets out as captain of a ship. His men conspire against him,

confine him a long time to his cabin, and set him on shore in an

unknown land. He travels up into the country. The Yahoos, a strange

sort of animal, described. The author meets two Houyhnhnms.

I continued at home with my wife and children about five months in a

very happy condition, if I could have learned the lesson of knowing

when I was well. I left my poor wife big with child, and accepted an

advantageous offer made me to be captain of the Adventurer, a stout

merchantman of 350 tons: for I understood navigation well, and being

grown weary of a surgeon’s employment at sea, which, however, I could

exercise upon occasion, I took a skilful young man of that calling, one

Robert Purefoy, into my ship. We set sail from Portsmouth upon the 7th

day of August, 1710; on the 14th we met with Captain Pocock, of

Bristol, at Teneriffe, who was going to the bay of Campechy to cut

logwood. On the 16th, he was parted from us by a storm; I heard since

my return, that his ship foundered, and none escaped but one cabin boy.

He was an honest man, and a good sailor, but a little too positive in

his own opinions, which was the cause of his destruction, as it has

been with several others; for if he had followed my advice, he might

have been safe at home with his family at this time, as well as myself.

I had several men who died in my ship of calentures, so that I was

forced to get recruits out of Barbadoes and the Leeward Islands, where

I touched, by the direction of the merchants who employed me; which I

had soon too much cause to repent: for I found afterwards, that most of

them had been buccaneers. I had fifty hands on board; and my orders

were, that I should trade with the Indians in the South-Sea, and make

what discoveries I could. These rogues, whom I had picked up, debauched

my other men, and they all formed a conspiracy to seize the ship, and

secure me; which they did one morning, rushing into my cabin, and

binding me hand and foot, threatening to throw me overboard, if I

offered to stir. I told them, “I was their prisoner, and would submit.”

This they made me swear to do, and then they unbound me, only fastening

one of my legs with a chain, near my bed, and placed a sentry at my

door with his piece charged, who was commanded to shoot me dead if I

attempted my liberty. They sent me down victuals and drink, and took

the government of the ship to themselves. Their design was to turn

pirates, and plunder the Spaniards, which they could not do till they

got more men. But first they resolved to sell the goods in the ship,

and then go to Madagascar for recruits, several among them having died

since my confinement. They sailed many weeks, and traded with the

Indians; but I knew not what course they took, being kept a close

prisoner in my cabin, and expecting nothing less than to be murdered,

as they often threatened me.

Upon the 9th day of May, 1711, one James Welch came down to my cabin,

and said, “he had orders from the captain to set me ashore.” I

expostulated with him, but in vain; neither would he so much as tell me

who their new captain was. They forced me into the long-boat, letting

me put on my best suit of clothes, which were as good as new, and take

a small bundle of linen, but no arms, except my hanger; and they were

so civil as not to search my pockets, into which I conveyed what money

I had, with some other little necessaries. They rowed about a league,

and then set me down on a strand. I desired them to tell me what

country it was. They all swore, “they knew no more than myself;” but

said, “that the captain” (as they called him) “was resolved, after they

had sold the lading, to get rid of me in the first place where they

could discover land.” They pushed off immediately, advising me to make

haste for fear of being overtaken by the tide, and so bade me farewell.

In this desolate condition I advanced forward, and soon got upon firm

ground, where I sat down on a bank to rest myself, and consider what I

had best do. When I was a little refreshed, I went up into the country,

resolving to deliver myself to the first savages I should meet, and

purchase my life from them by some bracelets, glass rings, and other

toys, which sailors usually provide themselves with in those voyages,

and whereof I had some about me. The land was divided by long rows of

trees, not regularly planted, but naturally growing; there was great

plenty of grass, and several fields of oats. I walked very

circumspectly, for fear of being surprised, or suddenly shot with an

arrow from behind, or on either side. I fell into a beaten road, where

I saw many tracts of human feet, and some of cows, but most of horses.

At last I beheld several animals in a field, and one or two of the same

kind sitting in trees. Their shape was very singular and deformed,

which a little discomposed me, so 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 distinctly marking their form. Their

heads and breasts were covered with a thick hair, some frizzled, 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 rest of

their bodies was bare, so that I might see 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 presume, nature had placed

there to defend them as they sat on the ground, for this posture they

used, as well as lying down, and often stood on their hind feet. They

climbed high trees as nimbly as a squirrel, for they had strong

extended claws before and behind, terminating in sharp 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

sort of down on the rest of their bodies, except about the anus and

pudenda. The dugs hung between their forefeet, and often reached almost

to the ground as they walked. The hair of both sexes was of several

colours, brown, red, black, and yellow. Upon the whole, I never beheld,

in all my travels, so disagreeable an animal, or one against which I

naturally conceived so strong an antipathy. So that, thinking I had

seen enough, full of contempt and aversion, I got up, and pursued the

beaten road, hoping it might direct me to the cabin of some 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 saw me, distorted

several ways, every feature of his visage, and stared, 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 side of it, for

I durst not strike with the edge, fearing the inhabitants might be

provoked against me, if they should come to know that I had killed or

maimed any of their cattle. When the beast felt the smart, he drew

back, and roared so 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 cursed brood, getting hold of

the branches behind, leaped up into the tree, whence they began to

discharge their excrements on my head; however, I escaped pretty well

by sticking close to the stem of the tree, but was almost stifled with

the filth, which fell about me on every side.

In the midst of this distress, I observed them all to run away on a

sudden as fast as they could; at which I ventured to leave the tree and

pursue the road, wondering what it was that could put them into this

fright. But looking on my left hand, I saw a horse walking softly in

the field; which my persecutors having sooner discovered, was the cause

of their flight. The horse started a little, when he came near me, but

soon recovering himself, looked full in my face with manifest tokens of

wonder; he viewed my hands and feet, walking round me several times. I

would have pursued my journey, but he placed himself directly in the

way, yet looking with a very mild aspect, never offering the least

violence. We stood gazing at each other for some time; at last I took

the boldness to reach my hand towards his neck with a design to stroke

it, using the common style and whistle of jockeys, when they are going

to handle a strange horse. But this animal seemed to receive my

civilities with disdain, shook his head, and bent his brows, softly

raising up his right fore-foot to remove my hand. Then he neighed three

or four times, but in so different a cadence, that I almost began to

think he was speaking to himself, in some language of his own.

While he and I were thus employed, another horse came up; who applying

himself to the first in a very formal manner, they gently struck each

other’s right hoof before, neighing several times by turns, and varying

the sound, which seemed to be almost articulate. They went some paces

off, as if it were to confer together, walking side by side, backward

and forward, like persons deliberating upon some affair of weight, but

often turning their eyes towards me, as it were to watch that I might

not escape. I was amazed to see such actions and behaviour in brute

beasts; and concluded with myself, that if the inhabitants of this

country were endued with a proportionable degree of reason, they must

needs be the wisest people upon earth. This thought gave me so much

comfort, that I resolved to go forward, until I could discover some

house or village, or meet with any of the natives, leaving the two

horses to discourse together as they pleased. But the first, who was a

dapple gray, observing me to steal off, neighed after me in so

expressive a tone, that I fancied myself to understand what he meant;

whereupon I turned back, and came near to him to expect his farther

commands: but concealing my fear as much as I could, for I began to be

in some pain how this adventure might terminate; and the reader will

easily believe I did not much like my present situation.

The two horses came up close to me, looking with great earnestness upon

my face and hands. The gray steed rubbed my hat all round with his

right fore-hoof, and discomposed it so much that I was forced to adjust

it better by taking it off and settling it again; whereat, both he and

his companion (who was a brown bay) appeared to be much surprised: the

latter felt the lappet of my coat, and finding it to hang loose about

me, they both looked with new signs of wonder. He stroked my right

hand, seeming to admire the softness and colour; but he squeezed it so

hard between his hoof and his pastern, that I was forced to roar; after

which they both touched me with all possible tenderness. They were

under great perplexity about my shoes and stockings, which they felt

very often, neighing to each other, and using various gestures, not

unlike those of a philosopher, when he would attempt to solve some new

and difficult phenomenon.

Upon the whole, the behaviour of these animals was so orderly and

rational, so acute and judicious, that I at last concluded they must

needs be magicians, who had thus metamorphosed themselves upon some

design, and seeing a stranger in the way, resolved to divert themselves

with him; or, perhaps, were really amazed at the sight of a man so very

different in habit, feature, and complexion, from those who might

probably live in so remote a climate. Upon the strength of this

reasoning, I ventured to address them in the following manner:

“Gentlemen, if you be conjurers, as I have good cause to believe, you

can understand my language; therefore I make bold to let your worships

know that I am a poor distressed Englishman, driven by his misfortunes

upon your coast; and I entreat one of you to let me ride upon his back,

as if he were a real horse, to some house or village where I can be

relieved. In return of which favour, I will make you a present of this

knife and bracelet,” taking them out of my pocket. The two creatures

stood silent while I spoke, seeming to listen with great attention, and

when I had ended, they neighed frequently towards each other, as if

they were engaged in serious conversation. I plainly observed that

their language expressed the passions very well, and the words might,

with little pains, be resolved into an alphabet more easily than the

Chinese.

I could frequently distinguish the word _Yahoo_, which was repeated by

each of them several times: and although it was impossible for me to

conjecture what it meant, yet while the two horses were busy in

conversation, I endeavoured to practise this word upon my tongue; and

as soon as they were silent, I boldly pronounced _Yahoo_ in a loud

voice, imitating at the same time, as near as I could, the neighing of

a horse; at which they were both visibly surprised; and the gray

repeated the same word twice, as if he meant to teach me the right

accent; wherein I spoke after him as well as I could, and found myself

perceivably to improve every time, though very far from any degree of

perfection. Then the bay tried me with a second word, much harder to be

pronounced; but reducing it to the English orthography, may be spelt

thus, _Houyhnhnm_. I did not succeed in this so well as in the former;

but after two or three farther trials, I had better fortune; and they

both appeared amazed at my capacity.

After some further discourse, which I then conjectured might relate to

me, the two friends took their leaves, with the same compliment of

striking each other’s hoof; and the gray made me signs that I should

walk before him; wherein I thought it prudent to comply, till I could

find a better director. When I offered to slacken 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 stand a while to let me rest.