 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
