TO LILLIPUT. 121

hurgo, or lord, understood me very well. He commanded that
ladders should be applied to my sides, on which above an
hundred of the inhabitants mounted, and walked towards my
mouth, laden with baskets full of meat, which had been pro-
vided by the king’s orders, There were shoulders, legs, and
loins, shaped like mutton, but so small, that I ate them by two
or three at a mouthful, and the loaves were about the size of
musket-bullets.. They supplied me as fast as they could,
showing a thousand marks of wonder and amazement at my
bulk and appetite ; and when I made a sign that I wanted
drink, they very ingeniously slung up one of their largest
hogsheads, and beat out the top: I drank it off at a draught,
for it did not hold above half a pint. They brought me a
second hogshead, which I swallowed, and then made signs for
more, but they had no more to give me.

When they observed that I made no more demands for meat,
there appeared before me a person of high rank, from the king
of the country. This ambassador having come close to my
face, spoke about ten minutes, without any signs of anger, but
with a kind of determined resolution, often pointing forwards,
which, as I afterwards understood, was towards the capital,
whither it was agreed by his majesty’s council I must be con-
veyed. I made signs to signify that I desired my liberty, but
he shook his head in token of disapprobation ; however, he
gave me to understand that I should have plenty of meat and
drink, and very good treatment. I thought of attempting again
to burst my bonds ; but when I felt the smart of the arrows oa
my face and hands, which were all in blisters, and observing
likewise that the number of my diminutive enemies every
moment increased, I intimated that they might do with me as
they pleased; upon this, the hurgo and his train withdrew,
with much civility of demeanour. They now spread over my