Part 4.
A Voyage to the Country of the Hohenheims.
Chapter 1.
The author sets out as the captain of a ship.
His men plot against him and set him on shore in an unknown land.
I stayed at home for about five months in a very happy condition.
If only I could have shown the good sense to stay for good.
Instead, I accepted a generous offer to be the captain of a merchant ship called the Adventure.
We set sail on a trading mission on the ninth day of September 1710.
Several of my men died of tropical fever, and I was forced to get recruits out of Barbados, finding out too late that many of them were pirates.
These scoundrels corrupted many of my men and formed a plan to take over the ship.
They did so one morning, rushing into my cabin, tying me up and threatening to throw me overboard if I dared to move.
A guard was placed at my door, and food and drink was occasionally provided.
The pirates had full control of the ship.
After a few days, the pirates brought me out from my cabin and forced me into the lifeboat.
Allowing me no weapons but my knife.
They rowed about a league and then set me down on a beach, after which they rowed off again.
I sat on the bank to rest and considered what to do next.
When I was a little refreshed, I walked inland.
I planned to turn myself over to the first people I should meet.
I hoped to purchase my life from them if I could.
I walked for some time, and at last I saw several animals in a field.
One or two of the same kind of animal were sitting in trees.
Their appearance was strange, and I lay down behind a bush to observe them better.
Their heads and breasts were covered with thick hair, and they had long beards like goats.
There were long ridges of hair down their backs, on the backs of their legs and all over their feet.
The rest of their bodies were a dark brown color and had no hair.
They had no tails but climbed the trees using sharp, hooked claws.
Upon the whole, I never saw in all my travels so disagreeable an animal.
I got up and started back toward the road only to find one of these creatures right in my way.
The ugly monster lifted up his paw as if to strike me.
I drew my knife and gave him a good blow with the flat side of it.
The beast roared so loudly that a herd of at least forty animals came from the next field, howling and making ugly faces.
I backed into the body of a tree and kept them off by waving my knife at them.
Several of the beasts leaped into the tree though, and they began to throw things down and spit on me.
I was starting to feel quite worried when suddenly the creatures ran away as fast as they could.
I looked around to see what had put them in such a fright, but saw only a gray horse walking softly through the field.
The horse started a bit at the sight of me but, recovering himself, came straight toward me, staring at me with wonder.
We both stood there. gazing at each other for some time.
Finally, I grew bold enough to reach my hand out to stroke his neck, but the animal raised up his left forefoot to brush my hand away.
Then he neighed three or four times in such a pattern that I almost thought he was speaking to himself in some language.
Soon, another horse came up, shorter and white-colored.
The two horses struck each other's right hooves before neighing several times back and forth.
The gray horse rubbed my hat all around with his right forehoof, while the other horse felt the collar of my coat, showing great wonder.
Upon the whole, Their behavior was so orderly and thoughtful and so amazing to me that I decided they must be magicians who had disguised themselves.
Based on this reasoning, I addressed them, begging them to reveal themselves and explaining my sad situation.
The two creatures stood silent as I spoke, seeming to listen with great attention.
When I had finished, they neighed frequently toward each other.
I could often make out the word, which each of them repeated several times.
As soon as they were silent, I pronounced it in a loud voice, imitating as best as I could the neighing of a horse.
This clearly surprised both of the horses, and the gray horse quickly introduced a second word to me.
This word can be translated roughly in our language as hoi hin him.
I pronounced this as best as I could, though it was more difficult.
Once again, both of the horses looked amazed.
After some conversation, the two horses took their leave, striking each other's hooves as they had before.
The gray horse made signs that I should walk before him, and I thought it wise to obey.
