d were exercised in the management of the guns.
When this body of soldiers had become accustomed to the use of these new
engines of war, and could employ them effectively, a review was held,
after which the emperor proclaimed me Jakal, that is, generalissimo over
the whole army. While all these matters were pending, I had entered into
an intimate friendship with the brave leader of the Tanaquites, the
imprisoned Tomopoloko, with whom I held frequent and interesting
conversations, with the object of learning the constitution, character,
and customs of his nation. I could not but observe, to my great
astonishment, that they were a witty, moral and enlightened people, and
that the sciences were earnestly and effectively cultivated by them. The
chief told me, that towards the east were a valorous people, against
whose attacks, the Tanaquites were obliged to keep themselves always
prepared. The inhabitants of that country, he added, were small, and in
reality much inferior in bodily strength to those of Tanaquis; but being
of superior acuteness and agility, and excellent bowmen, they had in
fact, often forced the Tanaquites to sue for peace.

I soon came to know, that this formidable nation consisted of cats; and
that they had distinguished themselves among all the nations under the
firmament, for their rational judgment and political acumen. It provoked
and pained me not a little, that skilfulness, the sciences, and polite
manners, should be universally among the animals of the subterranean
world, while only real human beings, namely, the Quamites were sunk to
the profoundest depths of uncultivated barbarism. I consoled myself,
however, in the hope that, through my endeavors, this shame would soon
cease, and the Quamites would recover that dominion, which belonged to
them as men over all other animals.

Since their last defeat, the Tanaquites kept very quiet for a long time;
but when they found out the nature and condition of our cavalry; when
they discovered that those centaurs, who had frightened them so terribly
at first, were nothing in reality, but tamed horses with men seated upon
them, they took courage and armed new troops against the Quamites, under
the command of their king. Their whole army consisted of twenty thousand
tigers, all veteran soldiers, heroes of many hard fought fields, except
two regiments of new recruits; these hastily collected warriors were,
however, more formidable in name and numbers than in se