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.
I could frequently distinguish the word Yahoo, 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 Yahoo 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, Houyhnhnm.
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.
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 hhuun hhuun:
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.
CHAPTER II.
[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 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.
