the ftranger's often looking at me, and the frequent repetition of the word yahoo

I happened to wear my gloves, which the master grey obferving, feemed perplexed, difcovering figns of wonder what I had done to my fore-feet he put his hoof three or four times to them, as if he would fignify, that I fhould reduce them to their former fhape, which I prefently did, pulling off both my gloves, and putting them into my pocket. This occafioned farther talk, and I faw the company was pleafed with my behaviour, whereof I foon found the good effects. I was ordered to speak the few words I understood; and while they were at dinner, the mafter taught me names for oats, milk, fire, water, and fome others; which I could readily pronounce after him, having from my youth a great facility in learning languages.

When dinner was done, the mafter-horfe took me afide, and by figns and words made me underftand the concern he was in, that I had nothing to eat. Oats in their tongue are called hlunnh. This word I pronounced two or three times; for although I had refufed them at first, yet upon fecond thoughts I confidered, that I could contrive to make of them a kind of bread, which might be fufficient with milk to keep me alive, till I could make my escape to fome other country, and to creatures of my own fpecies. The horse immediately ordered a white mare-fervant of his family to bring me a good quantity of oats in a fort of wooden tray. These l heated before the fire, as well as I could, and rubbed them till the hufks came off, which I made a fhift to winnow from the grain; I ground and beat them between two ftones, then took water, and made them into a paíte or cake, which I toafted at the fire, and eat warm with milk. It was at firft a very infipid diet, though common enough in many parts of Europe, but grew tolerable by time; and having been often re

duced

duced to hard fare in my life, this was not the first experiment I had made, how eafily nature is fatiffied. And I cannot but obferve, that I never had one hour's fickness while I ftaid in this ifland. It is true, I fometimes made a fhift to catch a rabbit, or bird, by springes made of yahoo's hairs; and I often gathered wholesome herbs, which I boiled or eat as falads with my bread; and now and then, for a rarity, I made a little butter, and drank the whey. I was at firft at a great lofs for falt; but custom foon reconciled me to the want of it ; and I am confident, that the frequent ufe of falt among us is an effect of luxury, and was first introduced only as a provocative to drink; except where it is neceffary for preferving of flesh in long voyages, or in places remote from great markets. For we obferve no animal to be fond of it but man and as to myfelf, when I left this country, it was a great while before I could endure the taste of it in any thing that I eat.

This is enough to fay upon the fubject of my diet, wherewith other travellers fill their books, as if the readers were perfonally concerned, whether we fare well or ill. However it was neceffary to mention this matter, left the world fhould think it impoffible, that I could find fuftenance for three years in fuch a country and among fuch inhabitants.

When it grew towards evening, the mafter horfe ordered a place for me to lodge in; it was but fix yards from the houfe, and feparated from the ftable of the yahoos. Here I got fome ftraw, and covering myfelf with my own cloaths, flept very found. But I was in a short time better accommodated, as the reader fhall know hereafter, when I come to treat more particularly about any way of living.

CHA P.

CHA P. III.

The author ftudious to learn the language: the Houyhnhum, his mafter, affifts in teaching him. The language defcribed. Several Houyhnhnms of quality came out of curiofity to fee the author. He gives his mafter a fhort account of his voyage.

Y principal endeavour was to learn the lan guage, which my mafter (for fo I fhall henceforth call him) and his children, and every fervant of his house were defirous to teach me. For they looked upon it as a prodigy, that a brute animal fhould difcover fuch marks of a rational creature. I pointed to every thing, and enquired the name of it, which I wrote down in my journal book when I was alone, and corrected my bad accent by de. firing thofe of the family to pronounce it often. In this employment a forrel nag, one of the underfervants, was very ready to aflift me.

In fpeaking they pronounce through the nofe and throat, and their language approaches nearest to the High-Dutch or German, of any I know in Europe; but is much more graceful and fignificant, The emperor Charles V made almoft the fame ob fervation, when he faid, that if he were to fpeak to his horfe, it fhould be in High Dutch.

The curiofity and impatience of my mafter were fo great, that he spent many hours of his leifure to inftruct me. He was convinced (as he afterwards told me) that I must be a yahoo, but my teachablenefs, civility, and cleanlinefs, aftonifhed him; which were qualities altogether oppofite to those animals. He was most perplexed about my cloaths, reafoning fometimes with himself, whether they were a

Q3

part

part of my body; for I never pulled them off till the family were afleep, and got them on before they waked in the morning. My mafter was eager to learn from whence I came; how I acquired thofe appearances of reafon, which I difcovered in all my actions; and to know my story from my own mouth, which he hoped he should foon do by the great proficiency I made in learning and pronouncing their words and fentences. To help my memory, I formed all I learned into the English alphabet, and writ the words down with the tranflations. This laft after fome time I ventured to do in my mafter's prefence. It coft me much trouble to explain to him what I was doing: for the inhabitants have not the leaft idea of books or literature.

In about ten weeks time I was able to understand most of his questions; and in three months could give him fome tolerable anfwers. Hs was extremely curious to know from what part of the country I came, and how I was taught to imitate a rational creature; becaufe the yahoos (whom he faw I exactly resembled in my head, hands and face, that were only visible) with fome appearance of cunning, and the ftrongeft difpofition to mifchief, were obferved to be the most unteachable of all brutes. I answered that I came over the fea from a far place, with many others of my own kind, in a great hollow veffel made of the bodies of trees; that my companions forced me to land on this coaft, and then left me to fhift for myself. It was with fome difficulty, and by the help of many figns, that I brought him to understand me. He replied, that I muft needs be mistaken, or that I faid the thing which was not (for they have no word in their language to exprefs lying or falfhood. He knew it was impoffible, that there could be a country beyond the fea, or that a parcel of brutes could move a wooden veffel whither they pleafed upon water. He was fure no Houyhnhum alive could

make

make fuch a veffel, nor would truft yahoos to manage it.

The word Houyhnhnm in their tongue fignifies a horfe, and in its etymology, the perfection of nature. I told my mafter that I was at a lofs for expreffion, but would improve as faft as I could; and hoped in a fhort time I fhould be able to tell him wonders: he was pleased to direct his own mare, his colt and fole, and the fervants of the family, to take all opportunities of inftructing me; and every day for two or three hours he was at the fame pains himself: feveral horfes and mares of quality in the neighbourhood came often to our houfe, upon the report fpread of a wonderful. yako that could fpeak like a Houyhnhnm, and feemed in his words and actions to discover fome glimmerings of reafon. These delighted to converfe with me; they put many questions, and received fuch answers as I was able to return. By all thefe advantages I made fo great a progrefs, that in five months from my arrival I understood whatever was spoken, and could exprefs myself tolerably well.

The Houyhnhnms who came to vifit my mafter, out of a defign of feeing and talking with me, could hardly believe me to be a right yahoo, because my body had a different covering from others of my kind. They were aftonished to obferve me without the ufual hair or skin, except on my head, face, and hands; but I discovered that fecret to my mafter upon an accident, which happened about a fortnight before.

I have already told the reader, that every night, when the family were gone to bed, it was my cu ftom to strip, and cover myself with my cloaths: it happened one morning early, that my mafter fent for me by the forrel nag, who was his valet; when he came, I was faft afleep, my cloaths had fallen off on one side, and my shirt above my waist. I awaked