THE Reader will eafily believe, that from what I had heard and feen, my keen Appetite for Perpetuity of Life was much abated. I grew heartily ashamed of the pleafing Vifions I had formed; and thought no Tyrant could invent a Death unto which I would not run with Pleafure from fuch a Life. The King heard of all that had paffed between me and my Friends upon this Occafion, and rallied me very pleafantly; wifhing I would fend a Couple of Struldbruggs to my own Country, to arm our People againft the Fear of Death; but this it feems is forbidden by the fundamental Laws of the Kingdom; or else I should have been well content with the Trouble and Expence of transporting them.

I could not but agree that the Laws of this Kingdom, relating to the Struldbruggs, were founded upon the strongest Reafons, and fuch as any other Country would be under the Neceffity of enacting in the like Circumftances. Otherwife, as Avarice is the neceffary Confequent of old Age, thofe Immortals would in time become Proprietors of the whole Nation, and engross the Civil Power; which for want of Abilities to manage, muft end in the Ruin of the Publick.

CHA P. XI.

The Author leaves Luggnagg, and fails to Japan. From thence he returns in a Dutch Ship to Amfterdam, and from Amfterdam to England.

I

THOUGHT this Account of the Struldbruggs might be fome Entertainment to the Reader, because it seems to be a little out of the common Way; at leaft, I do not remember to have met the like in any Book of Travels that hath come to my Hands: And if I am deceived, my Excufe muft be, that it is neceffary for Travellers, who defcribe the fame Country, very often to agree in dwelling on the fame Par

ticulars,

aculars, without deferving the Cenfure of having borrowed or transcribed from thofe who wrote before them.

THERE is indeed a perpetual Commerce between this Kingdom and the great Empire of Japan; and it is very probable that the Japanese Authors may have given fome Account of the Struldbruggs; but my Stay in Japan was fo fhort, and I was fo entirely a Stranger to the Language, that I was not qualified to make any Inquiries. But I hope the Dutch, upon this Notice, will be curious and able enough to fupply my Defects.

His Majefty having often preffed me to accept fome Employment in his Court, and finding me abfolutely determined to return to my native Country, was pleafed to give me his Licence to depart, and honoured me with a Letter of Recommendation under his own Hand to the Emperor of Japan. He likewife prefented me with four hundred forty four large Pieces of Gold, (this Nation delighting in even Numbers) and a red Diamond which I fold in England for eleven hundred Pounds.

On the 6th Day of May 1709, I took a folemn Leave of his Majefty, and all my Friends. This Prince was fo gracious as to order a Guard to conduct me to Glanguenfald, which is a Royal Port to the South-West Part of the Island. In fix Days I found a Veffel ready to carry me to Japan; and spent fifteen Days in the Voyage. We landed at a fmall Porttown called Xamofchi, fituated on the South-East Part. of Japan. The Town lies on the Western Part, where there is a narrow Streight leading Northward into a long Arm of the Sea, upon the North-Weft Part of which redo the Metropolis ftands. At landing I fhewed the Custom-house Officers my Letter from the King of Luggnagg to his Imperial Majelty: They knew the Seal perfectly well; it was as broad as the Palm of my Hand. The Impreffion was, A King lifting up a lame Beggar from the Earth. The Magiftrates of the Town hearing of my Letter, received T2

me

7

me as a publick Minifter; they provided me with Carriages and Servants, and bore my Charges to Yede, where I was admitted to an Audience, and delivered my Letter, which was opened with great Ceremony, and explained to the Emperor by an Interpreter, who gave me Notice of his Majefty's Order, that I fhould fignify my Request; and whatever it were, it should be granted for the Sake of his Royal Brother of Luggnagg. This Interpreter was a Perfon employed to tranfact Affairs with the Hollanders: He foon conjectured by my Countenance that I was an European, and therefore repeated his Majefty's Commands in Low Dutch, which, he fpoke perfectly well. I anfwered, (as I had before determined) that I was a Dutch Merchant, fhipwrecked in a very remote Country, from whence I travelled by Sea and Land to Luggnagg, and then took Shipping for Japan, where I knew. my Countrymen often traded, and with fome of these I hoped to get an Opportunity of returning into Europe: I therefore moft humbly intreated his Royal Favour to give Order, that I fhould be conducted in Safety to Nangafac. To this I added another Petiti on, that for the Sake of my Patron the King of Luggnagg, his Majefty would condefcend to excufe my performing the Ceremony impofed on my Country men of trampling upon the Crucifix; because I had been thrown into his Kingdom by my Misfortune, without any Intention of trading. When this latter Petition was interpreted to the Emperor, he feemed a little furprised; and faid, he believed I was the firft of my. Countrymen who ever made any Scruple in this Point; and that he began to doubt whether I were a real Hollander nor no; but rather fufpected I must be a CHRISTIAN. However, for the Reafons I had of fered, but chiefly to gratify the King of Luggnagg,. by an uncommon Mark of his Favour, he would comply with the Singularity of my Humour; but the Affair must be managed with Dexterity, and his Officers fhould be commanded to let me pafs as it were by Forgetfulness. For he affured me, that if the Secret.

fhould

fhould be difcovered by my Countrymen, the Dutch, they would cut my Throat in the Voyage. I returned my Thanks by the Interpreter for fo unusual a Favour; and fome Troops being at that Time on their March to Nangafac, the Commanding Officer had Orders to convey me fafe thither, with particular Inftructions about the Business of the Crucifix.

ON the 9th Day of June 1709, I arrived at Nangafac, after a very long and troublesome Journey. I foon fell into Company of fome Dutch Sailors belong-. ing to the Amboyna of Amfterdam, a ftout Ship of 450 Tuns. I had lived long in Holland, purfuing my Studies at Leyden, and I spoke Dutch well: The Seamen foon knew from whence I came laft; they were curious to inquire into my Voyages and Course of Life. I made up a Story as fhort and probable as I could, but concealed the greatest Part. I knew many Perfons in Holland; I was able to invent Names for my Parents, whom I pretended to be obfcure People in the Province of Guelderland. I would have given the Captain (one Theodorus Vangrult) what he pleafed to afk for my Voyage to Holland; but, underflanding I was a Surgeon, he was contented to take half the ufual Rate, on Condition that I would ferve him in the Way of my Calling. Before we took Shipping, I was often asked by fome of the Crew, whether I had performed the Ceremony above mentioned? I evaded the Queftion by general Answers, that I had fatisfied the Emperor and Court in all Particulars. However, a malicious Rogue of a Skipper went to an Officer, and pointing to me, told him, I had not yet trampled on the Crucifix. But the other, who had received Inftructions to let me pafs, gave the Rafcal twenty Strokes on the Shoulders with a Bamboo; after which I was no more troubled with fuch Queftions.

NOTHING happened worth mentioning in this Voyage. We failed with a fair Wind to the Cape of Good Hope, where we ftaid only to take in fresh WaOn the 16th of April we arrived fafe at Amfier

T 3

dam,

dam, having loft only three Men by Sickness in the Voyage, and a fourth who fell from the Fore-maft into the Sea, not far from the Coast of Guinea. From Amfterdam I foon after fet fail for England in a small Veffel belonging to that City.

ON the 10th of April 1710, we put in at the Downs.. I landed the next Morning, and faw once more my native Country, after an Absence of five Years and fix Months compleat. I went ftrait to Redriff, whither I arrived the fame Day, at Two in the Afternoon, and found my Wife and Family in good. Health.

The End of the Third Part

TRAVEL S..