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.
Having traveled 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 travelers 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. They seemed but ordinary cattle; however,
this confirmed my first opinion, that a people who could so far civilize
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.
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 pearl, 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.
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; then turning to the horse, I heard the word _yahoo_
often repeated betwixt them; the meaning of which word I could not then
comprehend, although it were 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 _hhuun, hhuun_, 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 these detestable creatures,
whom 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 forefeet, and tore it with their teeth.
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 our countenances diligently compared
both by master and servant, who thereupon repeated several times the
word _yahoo_. 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 groveling on the earth, or by carrying them on their
backs, nuzzling with their faces against the mother’s shoulders. The
forefoot of the _yahoo_ 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 color, which I have already described.
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 _yahoo_, 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, which 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 _yahoo’s_ 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 _yahoo_, 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 _yahoos_, 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 behavior, and therefore
sent the _yahoo_ back to his kennel. He then put his forehoof 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 I
was possibly 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.
[Illustration: “_I saw coming towards the house a kind of vehicle drawn
like a sledge by four yahoos_”
_Page 261_]
About noon, I saw coming towards the house a kind of vehicle drawn like a
sledge by four _yahoos_. There was in it an old steed, who seemed to be
of quality; he alighted with his hindfeet forward, having by accident got
hurt in his left forefoot. 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 behavior 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 _yahoo_.
I happened to wear my gloves, which the master gray observing, seemed
perplexed, discovering signs of wonder what I had done to my forefeet; 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
behavior, 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
for learning languages.
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 _hluunh_. 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 kind of paste or cake, which I toasted at the fire, and ate 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 hour’s sickness while I stayed in this island. ’Tis true
I sometimes made a shift to catch a rabbit or bird, by springs made of
_yahoo’s_ hairs; and I often gathered wholesome herbs, which I boiled
or 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 as a provocative to drink, except where it is necessary
for preserving of 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.
This is enough to say upon the subject of my diet, wherewith other
travelers fill their books, as if the readers were personally concerned
whether we fared 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.
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 _yahoos_. Here I got some straw, and covering myself with
my own clothes, slept very sound. But I was in a very short time better
accommodated, as the reader shall know hereafter, when I come to treat
more particularly about my way of living.