refore, with what inward self-congratulation I now received the
acknowledgments of the whole monikin party, and listened to their most
solemn protestations ever to consider, not only all they might jointly
and severally possess in the way of estates and dignities, at my entire
disposal, but their persons as my slaves. Of course, I made as light as
possible of any little service I might have done them, protesting in my
turn, that I looked upon the whole affair more in the light of a party
of pleasure than a tax, reminding them that I had not only obtained an
insight into a new philosophy, but that I was already, thanks to the
decimal system, a tolerable proficient in their ancient and learned
language. These civilities were scarcely well over, before we were
boarded by the boat of the port-captain.

The arrival of a human ship was an event likely to create excitement in
a monikin country; and as our approach had been witnessed for several
hours, preparations had been made to give us a proper reception. The
section of the academy to whom is committed the custody of the "Science
of Indications," was hastily assembled by order of the king, who, by
the way, never speaks except through the mouth of his oldest male first
cousin, who, by the fundamental laws of the realm, is held responsible
for all his official acts (in private, the king is allowed almost as
many privileges as any other monikin), and who, as is due to him in
simple justice, is permitted to exercise, in a public point of view, the
functions of the eyes, ears, nose, conscience, and tail of the monarch.
The savans were active, and as they proceeded with method, and
on well-established principles, their report was quickly made. It
contained, as we afterwards understood, seven sheets of premises, eleven
of argument, sixteen of conjecture, and two lines of deduction. This
heavy draft on the monikin intellect was duly achieved by dividing the
work into as many parts as there were members of the section present,
viz., forty. The substance of their labors was, to say that the vessel
in sight was a strange vessel; that it came to a strange country, on
a strange errand, being manned by strangers; and that its objects
were more likely to be peaceful than warlike, since the glasses of the
academy did not enable them to discover any means of annoyance, with the
exception of certain wild beasts, who appeared, however, to be peaceably
occupied in working the ship. All this was