CHA P. II.

The Author conducted by a Houyhnhnm to his House. The Houfe defcribed. The Author's Reception. The Food of the Houyhnhnms. The Author in Diftrefs for want of Meat, is at last relieved. His Manner of feeding in that Country.

H

AVING travelled about three Miles, we came to a long Kind of Building, made of Timber, stuck in the Ground, and wattled a-crofs; the Roof was low, and covered with Straw. I now began to be a little comforted; and took out fome 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 firft; 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 fome of them fitting down upon their Hams, which I very much wondered at; but wondered more, to fee the reft employed in domestick Business: The laft seemed but ordinary Cattle; however, this confirmed my first Opinion,

that a People who could fo far civilize brute Animals, muft needs excel in Wisdom all the Nations. of the World. The Grey 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 paffed through three Doors, oppofite to each other, in the Manner of a Vifta: We went through the fecond Room towards the third; here the Grey walked in first, beckoning to me to attend: I waited in the fecond Room, and got ready my Presents for the Mafter and Mistress of the Houfe: They were two Knives, three Bracelets of falfe Pearl, a fmall Looking-glafs, and a Bead-necklace. The Horfe neighed three or four Times, and I waited to hear fome Answers in a human Voice, but I heard no other Returns than in the fame Dialect, only one or two a little fhriller than his. I began to think that this House must belong to fome Perfon of great Note among them; because there appeared fo much Ceremony before I could gain Admittance. But, that a Man of Quality should be ferved all by Horfes, was beyond my Comprehenfion. I feared my Brain was disturbed by my Sufferings and Miffortunes: I roused my felf, and looked about me in the Room where I was left alone; this was furnished as the first, only after a more elegant Manner. I rubbed mine Eyes often, but the fame Objects ftill occurred. I pinched my Arms and Sides, to awake my felf, hoping I might be in a Dream. I then abfolutely concluded, that all these Appearances could be nothing elfe but Necromancy and Magick. But, I had no Time to pursue thefe Reflections; for

the

the grey Horse came to the Door, and made me a Sign to follow him into the third Room; where I faw a very comely Mare, together with a Colt and Foal, fitting on their Haunches, upon Mats of Straw, not unartfully made, and perfectly neat and clean.

THE Mare, foon after my Entrance, rose from her Mat, and coming up clofe, after having nicely obferved my Hands and Face, gave me a moft contemptuous Look; then turning to the Horfe, I heard the Word Taboo often repeated betwixt them; the meaning of which Word I could not then comprehend, although it were the firft I had learned to pronounce; but I was foon better informed, to my everlasting Mortification: For the Horse beckoning to me with his Head, and repeating the Word Hbuun, 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 fome Distance from the House. Here we entered, and I saw three of those deteftable Creatures, which I first met after my landing, feeding upon Roots, and the Flesh of fome Animals, which I afterwards found to be that of Affes and Dogs, and now and then a Cow dead by Accident or Disease. They were all tyed by the Neck with strong Wyths, fastened to a Beam; they held their Food between the Claws of their fore Feet, and tore it with their Teeth.

THE Mafter Horfe ordered a forrel Nag, one of his Servants, to unty the largest of these, Animals, and take him into a Yard. The Beaft and I were brought close together; and our Countenances diligently compared, both by Mafter and Servant, who thereupon repeated feveral Times the Word Yaboo. My Horror and Aftonishment are not to

be

be described, when I obferved, in this abominable Animal, a perfect human Figure; the Face of it, indeed, was flat and broad, the Nofe depreffed, the Lips large, and the Mouth wide: But these Differences are common to all favage Nations, where the Lineaments of the Countenance are diftorted by the Natives fuffering their Infants to lie grovelling on the Earth, or by carrying them on their Backs, nuzzling with their Face against the Mother's Shoulders. The Fore-feet of the Taboo differed from my Hands in nothing else, but the Length of the Nails, the Coarfenefs and Brownness of the Palms, and the Hairinefs on the Backs. There was the fame Refemblance between our Feet, with the fame Differences, which I knew very well, although the Horfes did not, because of my Shoes and Stockings; the fame in every Part of our Bodies, except as to Hairinefs and Colour, which I have already described.

THE great Difficulty that feemed to ftick with the two Horses, was, to fee the rest of my Body fo very different from that of a Yaboo, for which I was obliged to my Cloaths, whereof they had no Conception: The forrel Nag offered me a Root, which he held (after their Manner, as we shall defcribe in its proper Place) between his Hoof and Paftern; 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 Taboo's Kennel a Piece of Afs's Flesh, but it fmelt fo offenfively that I turned from it with loathing; he then threw it to the Yaboo, by whom it was greedily devoured. He afterwards fhewed me a Wifp of Hay, and a Fettlock full of Oats; but I fhook my Head, to fignify, that neither of thefe were Food for me. And indeed, I now apprehended, that I muft abfolutely itarve,