SUMMARY :The Country described. A Proposal for Correcting modern Maps. The King's Palace, and some Account of the Metropolis. The Author's way of Travelling. The chief Temple described.

    I KNOW intend to give the Reader a short Description of this Country, as far as I travelled in it, which was not above two thousand Miles round Lorbrulgrud the Metropolis. For, the Queen, whom I always attended, never went further when she accompanied the King in his Progresses, and there staid till his Majesty returned from viewing his Frontiers. The whole
Extent of this Prince's Dominions reacheth about six thousand Miles in Length, and from three to five in Breadth. From
whence I cannot but conclude that our Geographers of Europe are in a great Error, by supposing nothing but Sea between
Japan and California; for it was ever my Opinion, that there must be a Balance of Earth to counterpoise the great
Continent of Tartary; and therefore they ought to correct their Maps and Charts, by joining this vast Tract of Land to the
North-west Parts of America, wherein I shall be ready to lend them my Assistance.

The Kingdom is a Peninsula, terminated to the North-east by a Ridge of Mountains thirty Miles high, which are altogether
impassable by reason of the Volcanoes upon the Tops. Neither do the most Learned know what sort of Mortals inhabit
beyond those Mountains, or whether they be inhabited at all. On the three other Sides it is bounded by the Ocean. There is
not one Sea-port in the whole Kingdom, and those Parts of the Coasts into which the Rivers issue, are so full of pointed
Rocks, and the Sea generally so rough, that there is no venturing with the smallest of their Boats; so that these People are
wholly excluded from any Commerce with the rest of the World. But the large Rivers are full of Vessels, and abound with
excellent Fish; for they seldom get any from the Sea, because the Sea-fish are of the same Size with those in Europe, and
consequently not worth catching; whereby it is manifest, that Nature in the Production of Plants and Animals of so
extraordinary a Bulk, is wholly confined to this Continent; of which I leave the Reasons to be determined by Philosophers.
However, now and then they take a Whale that happens to be dashed against the Rocks, which the common People feed
on heartily. These Whales I have known so large that a Man could hardly carry one upon his Shoulders; and sometimes for
Curiosity they are brought in Hampers to Lorbrulgrud: I saw one of them in a Dish at the King's Table, which passed for a
Rarity, but I did not observe he was fond of it; for I think indeed the Bigness disgusted him, although I have seen one
somewhat larger in Greenland.

The Country is well inhabited, for it contains fifty one Cities, near an hundred walled Towns, and a great Number of
Villages. To satisfy my curious Reader, it may be sufficient to describe Lorbrulgrud. This City stands upon almost two
equal Parts on each Side the River that passes through. It contains above eighty thousand Houses *, and about six hundred
thousand Inhabitants. It is in Length three Glonglungs (which make about fifty four English Miles) and two and a half in
Breadth, as I measured it my self in the Royal Map made by the King's Order, which was laid on the Ground on purpose
for me, and extended an hundred Feet; I paced the Diameter and Circumference several times Bare-foot, and computing
by the Scale, measured it pretty exactly.

The King's Palace is no regular Edifice, but a Heap of Buildings about seven Miles round: The chief Rooms are generally
two hundred and forty Foot high, and broad and long in Proportion. A Coach was allowed to Glumdalclitch and me,
wherein her Governess frequently took her out to see the Town, or go among the Shops; and I was always of the Party,
carried in my Box; although the Girl at my own Desire would often take me out, and hold me in her Hand, that I might more
conveniently view the Houses and the People, as we passed along the Streets. I reckoned our Coach to be about a Square
of Westminster-Hall, but not altogether so high; however, I cannot be very exact. One Day the Governess ordered our
Coachman to stop at several Shops, where the Beggars watching their Opportunity, crouded to the Sides of the Coach,
and gave me the most horrible Spectacles that ever an English* Eye beheld. There was a Woman with a Cancer in her
Breast, swelled to a monstrous Size, full of Holes, in two or three of which I could have easily crept, and covered my whole
Body. There was a Fellow with a wen in his Neck, larger than five Wool-packs; and another with a couple of wooden
Legs, each about twenty Foot high. But the most hateful Sight of all was the Lice crawling on their Cloaths: I could see
distinctly the Limbs of these Vermin with my naked Eye, much better than those of an European Louse through a
Microscope, and their Snouts with which they rooted like Swine. They were the first I had ever beheld, and I should have
been curious enough to dissect one of them, if I had proper Instruments (which I unluckily left behind me in the Ship)
although indeed the Sight was so nauseous, that it perfectly turned my Stomach.

Besides the large Box in which I was usually carried, the Queen ordered a smaller one to be made for me, of about twelve
Foot Square, and ten high, for the Convenience of Travelling; because the other was somewhat too large for
Glumdalclitch's Lap, and cumbersom in the Coach; it was made by the same Artist, whom I directed in the whole
Contrivance. This travelling Closet was an exact Square with a Window in the Middle of three of the Squares, and each
Window was latticed with Iron Wire on the outside, to prevent Accidents in long Journeys. On the fourth Side, which had
no Window, two strong Staples were fixed, through which the Person that carried me, when I had a Mind to be on
Horseback, put in a Leathern Belt, and buckled it about his Waist. This was always the Office of some grave trusty Servant
in whom I could confide, whether I attended the King and Queen in their Progresses, or were disposed to see the Gardens,
or pay a Visit to some great Lady or Minister of State in the Court, when Glumdalclitch happened to be out of Order: for
I soon began to be known and esteemed among the greatest Officers, I suppose more upon Account of their Majesties'
Favour, than any Merit of my own. In Journeys, when I was weary of the Coach, a Servant on Horseback would buckle
my Box, and place it on a Cushion before him; and there I had a full Prospect of the Country on three Sides from my three
Windows. I had in this Closet a Field-Bed and a Hammock hung from the Cieling, two Chairs and a Table, neatly screwed
to the Floor, to prevent being tossed about by the Agitation of the Horse or the Coach. And having been long used to
Sea-Voyages, those Motions, although sometimes very violent, did not much discompose me.

Whenever I had a Mind to see the Town, it was always in my Travelling-Closet; which Glumdalclitch held in her Lap in a
kind of open Sedan, after the Fashion of the Country, borne by four Men, and attended by two others in the Queen's
Livery. The People who had often heard of me, were very curious to croud about the Sedan, and the Girl was complaisant
enough to make the Bearers stop, and to take me in her Hand that I might be more conveniently seen.

I was very desirous to see the chief Temple, and particularly the Tower belonging to it, which is reckoned the highest in the
Kingdom. Accordingly, one Day my Nurse carried me thither, but I may truly say I came back disappointed; for, Height is
not above three thousand Foot, reckoning from the Ground to the highest Pinnacle top; which allowing for the Difference
between the Size of those People, and us in Europe, is no great matter for Admiration, nor at all equal in Proportion, (if I
rightly remember) to Salisbury Steeple. But, not to detract from a Nation to which during my Life I shall acknowledge
myself extremely obliged; it must be allowed, that whatever this famous Tower wants in Height, is amply made up in Beauty
and Strength. For the Walls are near an hundred Foot thick, built of hewn Stone, whereof each is about forty Foot square,
and adorned on all Sides with Statues of Gods and Emperors cut in Marble larger than the Life, placed in their several
Niches. I measured a little Finger which had fallen down from one of these Statues, and lay unperceived among some
Rubbish; and found it exactly four Foot and an Inch in Length. Glumdalclitch wrapped it up in a Handkerchief, and carried
it Home in her Pocket to keep among other Trinkets, of which the Girl was very fond, as Children at her Age usually are.

The King's Kitchen is indeed a noble Building, vaulted at Top, and about six hundred Foot high. The great Oven is not so
wide by ten Paces as the Cupola at St. Paul's: For I measured the latter on purpose after my Return. But if I should
describe the Kitchen-grate, the prodigious Pots and Kettles, the Joints of Meat turning on the Spits, with many other
Particulars, perhaps I should be hardly believed; at least a severe Critick would be apt to think I enlarged a little, as
Travellers are often suspected to do. To avoid which Censure, I fear I have run too much into the other Extreme; and that if
this Treatise should happen to be translated into the Language of Brobdingnag (which is the general Name of that
Kingdom) and transmitted thither; the King and his People would have Reason to complain; that I had done them an Injury
by a false and diminutive Representation.

His Majesty seldom keeps above six hundred Horses in his Stables: they are generally from fifty four to sixty Foot high.
But, when he goes abroad on solemn Days, he is attended for State by a Militia Guard of five hundred Horse, which indeed
I thought was the most splendid Sight that could be ever beheld, till I saw part of his Army in Battalia, whereof I shall find
another Occasion to speak.