poffible to conjecture by what means, or to form any project with the leaft hope of fucceeding. The fhip in which I failed was the firft ever known to be driven within fight of that coaft, and the King had given strict orders, that if at any time another appeared, it should be taken afhore, and with all its crew and paffengers brought in a tumbril to Lorbrulgrud. He was strongly bent to get me a woman of my own fize, by whom I might propagate the breed but I think I should rather have died, than undergone the difgrace of leaving a posterity to be kept in cages like tame Canary birds, and perhaps in time fold about the kingdom to perfons of quality for curiofities. I was indeed treated with much kindness: I was the favourite of a great King and Queen, and the delight of the whole court; but it was upon fuch a foot, as ill became the dignity of human kind. I could never forget those domeftic pledges I had left behind me. I wanted to be among people with whom I could converfe upon even terms, and walk about the streets and fields, without being afraid of being trod to death like a frog, or a young puppy. But my deliverance came fooner than I expected, and in a manner not very common the whole ftory and circumftances of which I fhall faithfully relate.

I had now been two years in this country; and, about the beginning of the third, Glumdalclitch and I attended the King and Queen in a progrefs to the fouth coast of the kingdom. I was carried as ufual in my travelling-box, which, as I have already defcribed, was a very convenient clofet of twelve feet wide, And I had ordered a hammock to be fixed by filken ropes from the four corners at the top, to break the jolts, when a fervant carried me before him on horseback, as I fometimes defired, and would often fleep in my hammock while we were upon the road. On the roof of my clofet, not directly over the middle of the hammock, I ordered

the

the joiner to cut out a hole of a foot fquare, to give me air in hot weather, as I flept; which hole I fhut at pleasure with a board, that drew backwards and forwards through a groove.

When we came to our journey's end, the King thought proper to pafs a few days at a palace he hath near Flanflafnic, a city within eighteen English miles of the fea-fide. Glumdalclitch and I were much fatigued: I had gotten a fmall cold, but the poor girl was fo ill as to be confined to her chamber. I longed to fee the ocean, which must be the only scene of my efcape, if ever it fhould happen. I pretended to be worfe than I really was, and defired leave to take the fresh air of the fea with a page, whom I was very fond of, and who had fometimes been trufted with me. I fhall never forget with what unwillingness Glumdalclitch confented, nor the strict charge fhe gave the page to be careful of me, burfting at the fame time into a flood of tears, as if she had fome foreboding of what was to happen.. The boy took me out in my box about half an hour's walk from the palace towards the rocks on the fea fhore. I ordered him to fet me down, and, lifting up one of my fashes, caft many a wistful melancholy look towards the fea. I found myself not very well, and told the page that I had a mind to take a nap in my hammock, which I hoped would do me good. I got in, and the boy fhut the window close down to keep out the cold. I foon fell asleep, and all I can conjecture is, that, while I flept, the page, thinking no danger could happen, went among the rocks to look for birds eggs, having before obferved him from my window fearching about, and picking up one or two in the clefts. Be that as it will, i found myfelf fuddenly awaked with a violent pull upon the ring, which was fastened at the top of my box for the conveniency of carriage. I felt my box raifed very high in the air, and then borne forward with prodigious

fpeed

speed. The first jɔlt had like to have shaken me out of my hammock, but afterwards the motion was eafy enough. I called out feveral times, as loud as I could raife my voice, but all to no purpofe. I looked towards my windows, and could fee nothing but the clouds and tky. I heard a noife juft over my head like the clapping of wings, and then be gan to perceive the woeful condition I was in, that fome eagle had got the ring of my box in his beak, with an intent to let it fall on a rock like a tortoife in a fhell, and then pick out my body, and devour it for the fagacity and fmell of this bird enabled him to difcover his quarry at a great distance, tho' better concealed than I could be within a two-inchboard.

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In a little time I obferved the noife and flutter of wings to increase very faft, and my box was toffed up and down like a fign in a windy day. I heard feveral bangs or buffets, as I thought, given to the eagle, (for fuch I am certain it must have been, that held the ring of my box in his beak,) and then all on a fudden felt myself falling perpendicularly down for above a minute, but with fuch incredible fwiftnefs, that I almoft loft my breath. My fall was ftopped by a terrible squash, that founded louder to my ears than the cataract of Niagara * ; after which I was quite in the dark for another minute, and then my box began to rife so high, that I could fee light from the tops of the windows. I now perceived that I was fallen into the fea. My box, by the weight of my body, the goods that were in, and the broad plates of iron fixed for ftrength at the four corners of the top and bottom, floated about five feet deep in water. I did then, and do now

*Niagara is a fettlement of the French in North America, and the ca aract is produced by the fall of a conflux of water (formed of the four vaft lakes of Canada,) from a rocky precipice, the perpendicular height of which is 137 feet; and it is faid to have been heard fifteen leagues.

fuppofe,

fuppofe, that the eagle which flew away with my box, was pursued by two or three others, and forced to let me drop while he defended himself against the reft, who hoped to fhare in the prey. The plates of iron faftened at the bottom of the box, (for thofe were the ftrongeft,) preserved the balance while it fell, and hindered it from being broken on the furface of the water. Every joint of it was well grooved; and the door did not move on hinges, but up and down like a fafh, which kept my clofet fo tight, that very little water came in. I got with much difficulty out of my hammock, having first ventured to draw back the flip-board on the roof already mentioned, contrived on purpofe to let in air, for want of which I found myself almost ftifled.

How often did I then with myself with my dear Glumdalclitch, from whom one fingle hour had so far divided me! And I may fay with truth, that in the midst of my own misfortunes, I could not forbear lamenting my poor nurfe, the grief fhe would fuffer for my lofs, the difpleasure of the Queen, and the ruin of her fortune. Perhaps many travellers have not been under greater difficulties and diftrefs than I was at this juncture, expecting every moment to fee my box dathed in pieces, or at least overfet by the firft violent blast or rifing wave. breach in one fingle pane of glass would have been immediate death: nor could any thing have preferved the windows but the ftrong lattice-wires. placed on the out-fide against accidents in travelling. I faw the water ooze in at feveral crannies, although the leaks were not confiderable, and I endeavoured to stop them as well as I could. I was

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not able to lift up the roof of my clofet, which otherwise I certainly fhould have done, and fat on the top of it, where I might at least preserve myself fome hours longer than by being fhut up (as I may call it) in the hold. Or if I escaped these dangers

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for a day or two, what could I expect but a miferable death of cold and hunger? I was four hours under these circumstances, expecting, and indeed wifhing every moment to be my last.

I have already told the reader, that there were two strong staples fixed upon that fide of my.box which had no window, and into which the fervant, who used to carry me on horseback, would put a leathern belt, and buckle it about his waift. Being in this difconfolate state, I heard, or at least thought I heard, fome kind of grating noise on that fide of my box where the ftaples were fixed, and foon after I began to fancy, that the box was pulled or towed along in the fea; for I now and then felt a fort of tugging, which made the waves rise near the tops of my windows, leaving me almoft in the dark. This gave me fome faint hopes of relief; although I was not able to imagine how it could be brought about. I ventured to unfcrew one of my chairs, which were always faftened to the floor; and having made a hard shift to screw it down again directly under the flipping-board that I had lately o pened. I mounted on the chair, and putting my mouth as near as I could to the hole, I called for help in a loud voice, and in all the languages I understood. I then faftened my handkerchief to a ftick I usually carried, and thruftingit up the hole, waved it feveral times in the air, that if any boat or fhip were near, the feamen might conjecture fome unhappy mortal to be fhut up in the box.

I found no effect from all I could do, but plainly perceived my clofet to be moved along; and in the space of an hour, or better, that fide of the box where the ftaples were, and had no window, ftruck against something that was hard. I apprehended it to be a rock, and found myself toffed more than ever. I plainly heard a noise upon the cover of my clofet, like that of a cable, and the grating of it as it paffed through the ring. I then found myself hoifted