hand twisted to a sufficient strength.
When the ships came up, I stripped myself, and waded till I came within a
hundred yards off the boat, after which I was forced to swim till I got
up to it. The seamen threw me the end of the cord, which I fastened to a
hole in the fore-part of the boat, and the other end to a man of war; but
I found all my labour to little purpose; for, being out of my depth, I
was not able to work. In this necessity I was forced to swim behind, and
push the boat forward, as often as I could, with one of my hands; and the
tide favouring me, I advanced so far that I could just hold up my chin
and feel the ground. I rested two or three minutes, and then gave the
boat another shove, and so on, till the sea was no higher than my
arm-pits; and now, the most laborious part being over, I took out my
other cables, which were stowed in one of the ships, and fastened them
first to the boat, and then to nine of the vessels which attended me; the
wind being favourable, the seamen towed, and I shoved, until we arrived
within forty yards of the shore; and, waiting till the tide was out, I
got dry to the boat, and by the assistance of two thousand men, with
ropes and engines, I made a shift to turn it on its bottom, and found it
was but little damaged.

I shall not trouble the reader with the difficulties I was under, by the
help of certain paddles, which cost me ten days making, to get my boat to
the royal port of Blefuscu, where a mighty concourse of people appeared
upon my arrival, full of wonder at the sight of so prodigious a vessel.
I told the emperor "that my good fortune had thrown this boat in my way,
to carry me to some place whence I might return into my native country;
and begged his majesty's orders for getting materials to fit it up,
together with his license to depart;" which, after some kind
expostulations, he was pleased to grant.

I did very much wonder, in all this time, not to have heard of any
express relating to me from our emperor to the court of Blefuscu. But I
was afterward given privately to understand, that his imperial majesty,
never imagining I had the least notice of his designs, believed I was
only gone to Blefuscu in performance of my promise, according to the
license he had given me, which was well known at our court, and would
return in a few days, when the ceremony was ended. But he was at last in
pain at my long absence; and after consulting with the treasurer and the
res