of their eggs. The people so highly
resented this law that there have been six rebellions raised on that
account, wherein one emperor lost his life, and another his crown. It is
calculated that eleven hundred persons have at different times suffered
rather than break their eggs at the smaller end. But these rebels,
the Bigendians, have found so much encouragement at the Emperor of
Blefuscu's Court, to which they always fled for refuge, that a bloody
war, as I said, has been carried on between the two empires for
six-and-thirty moons; and now the Blefuscudians have equipped a large
fleet, and are preparing to descend upon us. Therefore his Imperial
Majesty, placing great confidence in your valor and strength, has
commanded me to set the case before you."

I desired the secretary to present my humble duty to the Emperor, and
to let him know that I was ready, at the risk of my life, to defend him
against all invaders.

CHAPTER IV

It was not long before I communicated to his Majesty the plan I formed
for seizing the enemy's whole fleet. The Empire of Blefuscu is an island
parted from Lilliput only by a channel eight hundred yards wide. I
consulted the most experienced seamen on the depth of the channel, and
they told me that in the middle, at high water, it was seventy glumguffs
(about six feet of European measure). I walked toward the coast, where,
lying down behind a hillock, I took out my spy-glass, and viewed the
enemy's fleet at anchor--about fifty men-of-war, and other vessels. I
then came back to my house and gave orders for a great quantity of
the strongest cables 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 twisted
three of the iron bars together, bending the ends into a hook. Having
thus fixed fifty hooks to as many cables, I went back to the coast,
and taking off my coat, shoes, and stockings, walked into the sea in my
leather jacket about half an hour before high water. I waded with what
haste I could, swimming in the middle about thirty yards, till I felt
ground, and thus 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 ashore, where there could not be fewer than thirty
thousand. Then, fastening a hook to the hole at the prow of each ship,
I tied all the cords together at the en