a ship: whereupon I returned immediately towards the city, and desired
his imperial majesty to lend me twenty of the tallest vessels he had
left after the loss of his fleet, and three thousand seamen under the
command of his vice-admiral. This fleet sailed round, while I went back
the shortest way to the coast, where I first discovered the boat. I
found the tide had driven it still nearer. The seamen were all provided
with cordage, which I had beforehand twisted to a sufficient strength.
When the ships came up, I stripped myself, and waded till I came within
a hundred yards of the boat, after which I was forced to swim till I got
up to it. The seamen threw me the end of the cord, which I fastened to a
hole in the forepart of the boat, and the other end to a man-of-war. But
I found all my labor to little purpose; for, being out of my depth, I
was not able to work. In this necessity, I was forced to swim behind,
and push the boat forwards as often as I could with one of my hands,
and, the tide favoring me, I advanced so far, that I could just hold up
my chin and feel the ground. I rested two or three minutes, and then
gave the boat another shove, and so on till the sea was no higher than
my arm-pits; and now, the most laborious part being over, I took out my
other cables, which were stowed in one of the ships, and fastened them
first to the boat, and then to nine of the vessels which attended me;
the wind being favorable, the seamen towed, and I shoved, till we
arrived within forty yards of the shore, and waiting till the tide was
out, I got dry to the boat, and, by the assistance of two thousand men,
with ropes and engines, I made a shift to turn it on its bottom, and
found it was but little damaged.

I shall not trouble the reader with the difficulties I was under, by the
help of certain paddles, which cost me ten days making, to get my boat
to the royal port of Blefuscu, where a mighty concourse of people
appeared upon my arrival, full of wonder at the sight of so prodigious a