<p class="gutsumm">The author conducted by a Houyhnhnm to his
house. The house described. The author’s
reception. The food of the Houyhnhnms. The author in
distress for want of meat. Is at last relieved. His
manner of feeding in this country.</p>
<p>Having travelled about three miles, we came to a long kind of
building, made of timber stuck in the ground, and wattled across;
the roof was low and covered with straw. I now began to be
a little comforted; and took out some toys, which travellers
usually carry for presents to the savage Indians of America, and
other parts, in hopes the people of the house would be thereby
encouraged to receive me kindly. The horse made me a sign
to go in first; it was a large room with a smooth clay floor, and
a rack and manger, extending the whole length on one side.
There were three nags and two mares, not eating, but some of them
sitting down upon their hams, which I very much wondered at; but
wondered more to see the rest employed in domestic business;
these seemed but ordinary cattle. However, this confirmed
my first opinion, that a people who could so far civilise brute
animals, must needs excel in wisdom all the nations of the
world. The gray came in just after, and thereby prevented
any ill treatment which the others might have given me. He
neighed to them several times in a style of authority, and
received answers.</p>
<p>Beyond this room there were three others, reaching the length
of the house, to which you passed through three doors, opposite
to each other, in the manner of a vista. We went through
the second room towards the third. Here the gray walked in
first, beckoning me to attend: I waited in the second room, and
got ready my presents for the master and mistress of the house;
they were two knives, three bracelets of false pearls, a small
looking-glass, and a bead necklace. The horse neighed three
or four times, and I waited to hear some answers in a human
voice, but I heard no other returns than in the same dialect,
only one or two a little shriller than his. I began to
think that this house must belong to some person of great note
among them, because there appeared so much ceremony before I
could gain admittance. But, that a man of quality should be
served all by horses, was beyond my comprehension. I feared
my brain was disturbed by my sufferings and misfortunes. I
roused myself, and looked about me in the room where I was left
alone: this was furnished like the first, only after a more
elegant manner. I rubbed my eyes often, but the same
objects still occurred. I pinched my arms and sides to
awake myself, hoping I might be in a dream. I then
absolutely concluded, that all these appearances could be nothing
else but necromancy and magic. But I had no time to pursue
these reflections; for the gray horse came to the door, and made
me a sign to follow him into the third room where I saw a very
comely mare, together with a colt and foal, sitting on their
haunches upon mats of straw, not unartfully made, and perfectly
neat and clean.</p>
<p>The mare soon after my entrance rose from her mat, and coming
up close, after having nicely observed my hands and face, gave me
a most contemptuous look; and turning to the horse, I heard the
word <i>Yahoo</i> often repeated betwixt them; the meaning of
which word I could not then comprehend, although it was the first
I had learned to pronounce. But I was soon better informed,
to my everlasting mortification; for the horse, beckoning to me
with his head, and repeating the <i>hhuun</i>, <i>hhuun</i>, as
he did upon the road, which I understood was to attend him, led
me out into a kind of court, where was another building, at some
distance from the house. Here we entered, and I saw three
of those detestable creatures, which I first met after my
landing, feeding upon roots, and the flesh of some animals, which
I afterwards found to be that of asses and dogs, and now and then
a cow, dead by accident or disease. They were all tied by
the neck with strong withes fastened to a beam; they held their
food between the claws of their fore feet, and tore it with their
teeth.</p>
<p>The master horse ordered a sorrel nag, one of his servants, to
untie the largest of these animals, and take him into the
yard. The beast and I were brought close together, and by
our countenances diligently compared both by master and servant,
who thereupon repeated several times the word <i>Yahoo</i>.
My horror and astonishment are not to be described, when I
observed in this abominable animal, a perfect human figure: the
face of it indeed was flat and broad, the nose depressed, the
lips large, and the mouth wide; but these differences are common
to all savage nations, where the lineaments of the countenance
are distorted, by the natives suffering their infants to lie
grovelling on the earth, or by carrying them on their backs,
nuzzling with their face against the mothers’
shoulders. The fore-feet of the <i>Yahoo</i> differed from
my hands in nothing else but the length of the nails, the
coarseness and brownness of the palms, and the hairiness on the
backs. There was the same resemblance between our feet,
with the same differences; which I knew very well, though the
horses did not, because of my shoes and stockings; the same in
every part of our bodies except as to hairiness and colour, which
I have already described.</p>
<p>The great difficulty that seemed to stick with the two horses,
was to see the rest of my body so very different from that of a
<i>Yahoo</i>, for which I was obliged to my clothes, whereof they
had no conception. The sorrel nag offered me a root, which
he held (after their manner, as we shall describe in its proper
place) between his hoof and pastern; I took it in my hand, and,
having smelt it, returned it to him again as civilly as I
could. He brought out of the <i>Yahoos</i>’ kennel a
piece of ass’s flesh; but it smelt so offensively that I
turned from it with loathing: he then threw it to the
<i>Yahoo</i>, by whom it was greedily devoured. He
afterwards showed me a wisp of hay, and a fetlock full of oats;
but I shook my head, to signify that neither of these were food
for me. And indeed I now apprehended that I must absolutely
starve, if I did not get to some of my own species; for as to
those filthy <i>Yahoos</i>, although there were few greater
lovers of mankind at that time than myself, yet I confess I never
saw any sensitive being so detestable on all accounts; and the
more I came near them the more hateful they grew, while I stayed
in that country. This the master horse observed by my
behaviour, and therefore sent the <i>Yahoo</i> back to his
kennel. He then put his fore-hoof to his mouth, at which I
was much surprised, although he did it with ease, and with a
motion that appeared perfectly natural, and made other signs, to
know what I would eat; but I could not return him such an answer
as he was able to apprehend; and if he had understood me, I did
not see how it was possible to contrive any way for finding
myself nourishment. While we were thus engaged, I observed
a cow passing by, whereupon I pointed to her, and expressed a
desire to go and milk her. This had its effect; for he led
me back into the house, and ordered a mare-servant to open a
room, where a good store of milk lay in earthen and wooden
vessels, after a very orderly and cleanly manner. She gave
me a large bowlful, of which I drank very heartily, and found
myself well refreshed.</p>
<p>About noon, I saw coming towards the house a kind of vehicle
drawn like a sledge by four <i>Yahoos</i>. There was in it
an old steed, who seemed to be of quality; he alighted with his
hind-feet forward, having by accident got a hurt in his left
fore-foot. He came to dine with our horse, who received him
with great civility. They dined in the best room, and had
oats boiled in milk for the second course, which the old horse
ate warm, but the rest cold. Their mangers were placed
circular in the middle of the room, and divided into several
partitions, round which they sat on their haunches, upon bosses
of straw. In the middle was a large rack, with angles
answering to every partition of the manger; so that each horse
and mare ate their own hay, and their own mash of oats and milk,
with much decency and regularity. The behaviour of the
young colt and foal appeared very modest, and that of the master
and mistress extremely cheerful and complaisant to their
guest. The gray ordered me to stand by him; and much
discourse passed between him and his friend concerning me, as I
found by the stranger’s often looking on me, and the
frequent repetition of the word <i>Yahoo</i>.</p>
<p>I happened to wear my gloves, which the master gray observing,
seemed perplexed, discovering signs of wonder what I had done to
my fore-feet. He put his hoof three or four times to them,
as if he would signify, that I should reduce them to their former
shape, which I presently did, pulling off both my gloves, and
putting them into my pocket. This occasioned farther talk;
and I saw the company was pleased with my behaviour, whereof I
soon found the good effects. I was ordered to speak the few
words I understood; and while they were at dinner, the master
taught me the names for oats, milk, fire, water, and some others,
which I could readily pronounce after him, having from my youth a
great facility in learning languages.</p>
<p>When dinner was done, the master horse took me aside, and by
signs and words made me understand the concern he was in that I
had nothing to eat. Oats in their tongue are called
<i>hlunnh</i>. This word I pronounced two or three times;
for although I had refused them at first, yet, upon second
thoughts, I considered that I could contrive to make of them a
kind of bread, which might be sufficient, with milk, to keep me
alive, till I could make my escape to some other country, and to
creatures of my own species. The horse immediately ordered
a white mare servant of his family to bring me a good quantity of
oats in a sort of wooden tray. These I heated before the
fire, as well as I could, and rubbed them till the husks came
off, which I made a shift to winnow from the grain. I
ground and beat them between two stones; then took water, and
made them into a paste or cake, which I toasted at the fire and
eat warm with milk. It was at first a very insipid diet,
though common enough in many parts of Europe, but grew tolerable
by time; and having been often reduced to hard fare in my life,
this was not the first experiment I had made how easily nature is
satisfied. And I cannot but observe, that I never had one
hours sickness while I stayed in this island. It is true, I
sometimes made a shift to catch a rabbit, or bird, by springs
made of <i>Yahoo’s</i> hairs; and I often gathered
wholesome herbs, which I boiled, and ate as salads with my bread;
and now and then, for a rarity, I made a little butter, and drank
the whey. I was at first at a great loss for salt, but
custom soon reconciled me to the want of it; and I am confident
that the frequent use of salt among us is an effect of luxury,
and was first introduced only as a provocative to drink, except
where it is necessary for preserving flesh in long voyages, or in
places remote from great markets; for we observe no animal to be
fond of it but man, and as to myself, when I left this country,
it was a great while before I could endure the taste of it in
anything that I ate.</p>
<p>This is enough to say upon the subject of my diet, wherewith
other travellers fill their books, as if the readers were
personally concerned whether we fare well or ill. However,
it was necessary to mention this matter, lest the world should
think it impossible that I could find sustenance for three years
in such a country, and among such inhabitants.</p>
<p>When it grew towards evening, the master horse ordered a place
for me to lodge in; it was but six yards from the house and
separated from the stable of the <i>Yahoos</i>. Here I got
some straw, and covering myself with my own clothes, slept very
sound. But I was in a short time better accommodated, as
the reader shall know hereafter, when I come to treat more
particularly about my way of living.</p>
<h3>IV - CHAPTER III.</h3>
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