it is parted only by a channel of eight hundred
yards wide. I had not yet seen it, and upon this notice of an intended
invasion, I avoided appearing on that side of the coast, for fear of
being discovered, by some of the enemy's ships, who had received no
intelligence of me; all intercourse between the two empires having been
strictly forbidden during the war, upon pain of death, and an embargo
laid by our emperor upon all vessels whatsoever. I communicated to his
majesty a project I had formed of seizing the enemy's whole fleet; which,
as our scouts assured us, lay at anchor in the harbour, ready to sail
with the first fair wind. I consulted the most experienced seamen upon
the depth of the channel, which they had often plumbed; who told me, that
in the middle, at high-water, it was seventy _glumgluffs_ deep, which is
about six feet of European measure; and the rest of it fifty _glumgluffs_
at most. I walked towards the north-east coast, over against Blefuscu,
where, lying down behind a hillock, I took out my small perspective
glass, and viewed the enemy's fleet at anchor, consisting of about fifty
men of war, and a great number of transports: I then came back to my
house, and gave orders (for which I had a warrant) for a great quantity
of the strongest cable and bars of iron. The cable was about as thick as
packthread and the bars of the length and size of a knitting-needle. I
trebled the cable to make it stronger, and for the same reason I twisted
three of the iron bars together, bending the extremities into a hook.
Having thus fixed fifty hooks to as many cables, I went back to the
north-east coast, and putting off my coat, shoes, and stockings, walked
into the sea, in my leathern jerkin, about half an hour before high
water. I waded with what haste I could, and swam in the middle about
thirty yards, till I felt ground. I arrived at the fleet in less than
half an hour. The enemy was so frightened when they saw me, that they
leaped out of their ships, and swam to shore, where there could not be
fewer than thirty thousand souls. I then took my tackling, and,
fastening a hook to the hole at the prow of each, I tied all the cords
together at the end. While I was thus employed, the enemy discharged
several thousand arrows, many of which stuck in my hands and face, and,
beside the excessive smart, gave me much disturbance in my work. My
greatest apprehension was for mine eyes, which I should have infallibly
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