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those who might probably live in so remote a climate. Upon the strength of this reasoning, I ventured to address them in the following
manner: "Gentlemen, if you be conjurers, as I have good cause to believe, you can understand my language; therefore I make bold to
let 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
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[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. 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.
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
Gulliver's Travels 68/96
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