A VOYAGE TO LAPUTA, BALNIBARBI, LUGGNAGG, GLUBBDRUBDRIB AND JAPAN. CHAPTER I. The Author sets out on his third voyage-Is taken by pirates-The malice of a Dutchman-His arrival at an island-He is received in Laputa. I HAD not been at home above ten days, when Captain William Robinson, a Cornishman, commander of the Hopewell, a stout ship, of three hundred tons, came to my house. I had formerly been surgeon of another ship, where he was master and a fourth part owner, in a voyage to the Levant. He had always treated me more like a brother than an inferior officer; and hearing of my arrival, made me a visit, as I apprehended only out of friendship, for nothing passed more than what is usual after long absences. But repeating his visits often, expressing his joy to find me in good health, asking, "whether I were now settled for life," adding " that he intended a voyage to the East Indies in two months," at last * Dr. Swift seems to have borrowed several hints, in his Voyage to Laputa, from a novel written by the learned Dr. Francis Godwin, Bishop of Llandaff, called "Man in the Moon, or a Discourse of a Voyage thither, by Domingo Gonsales, 1688," 8vo. This philosophic romance, which has been several times printed, shows that Bishop Godwin had a creative genius. His "Nuncius Inanimatus," which contains instructions to convey secret intelligence, is very scarce. He died in April, 1633.-N. he plainly invited me, though with some apologies, to be surgeon of the ship; "that I should have another surgeon under me, beside our two mates; that my salary should be double to the usual pay; and having experienced my knowledge in sea affairs to be at least equal to his, he would enter into an engagement to follow my advice, as much as if I had shared in the command." He said so many obliging things, and I knew him to be so honest a man, that I could not reject the proposal; the thirst I had of seeing the world, notwithstanding my past misfortunes, continuing as violent as ever. The only difficulty that remained, was to persuade my wife, whose consent, however, I at last obtained, by the prospect of advantage she proposed to her children. We set out on the fifth day of August, 1706, and arrived at Fort St. George the eleventh of April, 1707. We stayed there three weeks to refresh our crew, many of whom were sick. From thence we went to Tonquin, where the captain resolved to continue some time, because many of the goods he intended to buy were not ready, nor could he expect to be dispatched for several months. Therefore, in hopes to defray some of the charges he must be at, he bought a sloop, loaded it with several sorts of goods, wherewith the Tonquinese usually trade to the neighbouring islands, and putting fourteen men on board, whereof three were of the country, he appointed me master of the sloop, and gave me transacted his affairs at Tonquin. power to traffic, while he We had not sailed above three days, when a great storm arising, we were driven five days to the north-north-east and then to the east; after which we had fair weather, but still with a pretty strong gale from the west. Upon the tenth day we were chased by two pirates, who soon overtook us; for my sloop was so deeply laden, that she sailed very slow, neither were we in a condition to defend ourselves. We were boarded about the same time by both the pirates' who entered furiously at the head of their men; but finding us all prostrate upon our faces (for so I gave order), they pinioned us with strong ropes, and setting a guard upon us, went to search the sloop. I observed among them a Dutchman, who seemed to be of some authority, though he was not commander of either ship. He knew us by our countenances to be Englishmen, and jabbering to us in our own language, swore we should be tied back to back and thrown into the sea. I spoke Dutch tolerably well; I told him who we were, and begged him, in consideration of our being Christians and Protestants, of our neighbouring countries in strict alliance, that he would move the captains to take some pity on us. This inflamed his rage; he repeated the threatenings, and turning to his companions spoke with great vehemence in the Japanese language, as I suppose, often using the word Christianos. The largest of the two pirate ships was commanded by a Japanese captain, who spoke a little Dutch, but very imperfectly. He came up to me, and after several questions which I answered in great humility, he said, "we should not die." I made the captain a very low bow, and then, turning to the Dutchman, said, "I was sorry to find more mercy in a heathen than in a fellow Christian." But I had soon reason to repent those foolish words: for that malicious reprobate, having often endeavoured in vain to persuade both the captains that I might be thrown into the sea (which they would not yield to after the promise made me that I should not die,) however, prevailed so far, as to have a punishment inflicted on me, worse, in all human appearance, than death itself. My men were sent by an equal division into both the pirate ships, and my sloop new manned. As to myself, it was determined I should be set adrift in a small canoe, with paddles and a sail and four days' provisions; which last, the Japanese captain |