<h2>PART IV. A VOYAGE TO THE COUNTRY OF THE HOUYHNHNMS.</h2>
<p> </p>
<h3>IV - CHAPTER I.</h3>
<p class="gutsumm">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.</p>
<p>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 September, 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.</p>
<p>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 onboard; 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 own 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 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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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 fore feet, 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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>I could frequently distinguish the word <i>Yahoo</i>, 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 <i>Yahoo</i> 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, <i>Houyhnhnm</i>. 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.</p>
<p>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 <i>hhuun
hhuun</i>: 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 awhile to let me
rest.</p>
<h3>IV - CHAPTER II.</h3>
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