Peter's children provided for—Youwarkee's death—How the king and queen spent their time—Peter grows melancholy—Wants to get to England—Contrives means—Is taken up at sea.

I HAD now been at Brandleguarp ten years, and my children were all provided for by the king but Dickey, as fast as they were qualified for employment, and such as were fit for it were married off to the best alliances in the country; so that I had only to sit down and see everything I had put my hand to prosper, and not an evil eye in the three kingdoms cast at me: but about my eleventh or twelfth year, my wife falling into a lingering disorder, at the end of two years it carried her off. This was the first real affliction I had suffered for many years, and so soured my temper, that I became fit for nothing, and it was painful to me even to think of business.

The king's marriage had produced four children, three sons and a daughter, which he would frequently tell me were mine.

Old Oniwheske was dead, and the king and queen divided their whole time equally between Brandleguarp and Apsillo; but he was building a palace at my new colony, which by this time was grown to a vast city, and was called Stygena, in compliment to the queen; and this new palace was designed to receive the court one-third of the year, as it lay almost at equal distance between both his other palaces. This method, which his majesty took, at my persuasion, on the death of Oniwheske, though it went against the grain at first, was now grown so habitual to him, and he saw his own interest so much in it in the love and esteem it procured him from the people, that at last he wanted no spur to it.

My melancholy for the death of my wife, which I hoped time would wear off, rather gained ground upon me; and though I was as much regarded as ever by the whole court, yet it grew troublesome to me even to be asked my advice; and it not only surprised those about me, but even myself, to see the same genius, without any visible natural decay, in so short a time, from the most sprightly and enterprising, become the most phlegmatic and inactive.

My longings after my native country, ever since my wife's death, redoubled upon me, and I had formed several schemes of getting thither; as first, I had formed a project of going off by the islands, as I had so many small vessels at command there, and to get into the main ocean and try my fortune that way; but upon inquiry I found that my vessels could not get to sea, or elsewhere, but to the zaps' islands, by reason of the many rocks and sandbanks which would oppose me, unless I went through the zaps' country, which, in the light they had reason to view me, I was afraid to do. Then I had thoughts of going from the coast of Norbon; but that must have been in one of the foreign vessels, and they coming from a quite different quarter than I must go, in all probability if I had put to sea any way they were unacquainted with, they having no compass, we must have perished; for the more I grew by degrees acquainted with the situation of Doorpt Swangeanti, the stronger were my conjectures that my nearest continent must be the southern coast of America; but still it was only conjecture. At length, being tired and uneasy, I resolved, as I was accustomed to flight, and loved it, I would take a turn for some days; carry me where it would, I should certainly light on some land, whence at first I could but come back again. I then went to see if my chair, board, and ropes, were sound, for I had not used them for several years past; but I found them all so crazy, I durst not venture in them, which disappointment put off my journey for some time. However, as I had still the thought remaining, it put me on seeking some other method to put it in practice; so I contrived the poles from which you took me, being a sort of hollow cane the Swangeantines make their spears of, but exceeding strong and springy, which, interwoven with small cords, were my seat, and were much lighter than my chair; and these buoyed me up when your goodness relieved me. I had taken Mount Alkoe bearers, as I knew I must come to a country of more light; and I now find, if I had not fallen, I must soon have reached land, if we could have held out, for we were come too far to think of returning, without a resting-place: and what will become of my poor bearers, I dread to think; if they attempted to return, they must have dropt, for they had complained all the last day and night, and had shifted very often. If in your history you think fit to carry down the life of a poor old man any farther, you will as well know what to say of me as I can tell you; and I hope what I have hitherto said will in some measure recompense both your expense and labour.

FINIS.