ach bladder was a small quantity of dried peas, or little pebbles, as I
was afterwards informed. With these bladders, they now and then flapped
the mouths and ears of those who stood near them, of which practice I
could not then conceive the meaning. It seems the minds of these people
are so taken up with intense speculations, that they neither can speak,
nor attend to the discourses of others, without being roused by some
external taction upon the organs of speech and hearing; for which reason,
those persons who are able to afford it always keep a flapper (the
original is _climenole_) in their family, as one of their domestics; nor
ever walk abroad, or make visits, without him. And the business of this
officer is, when two, three, or more persons are in company, gently to
strike with his bladder the mouth of him who is to speak, and the right
ear of him or them to whom the speaker addresses himself. This flapper
is likewise employed diligently to attend his master in his walks, and
upon occasion to give him a soft flap on his eyes; because he is always
so wrapped up in cogitation, that he is in manifest danger of falling
down every precipice, and bouncing his head against every post; and in
the streets, of justling others, or being justled himself into the
kennel.

It was necessary to give the reader this information, without which he
would be at the same loss with me to understand the proceedings of these
people, as they conducted me up the stairs to the top of the island, and
from thence to the royal palace. While we were ascending, they forgot
several times what they were about, and left me to myself, till their
memories were again roused by their flappers; for they appeared
altogether unmoved by the sight of my foreign habit and countenance, and
by the shouts of the vulgar, whose thoughts and minds were more
disengaged.

At last we entered the palace, and proceeded into the chamber of
presence, where I saw the king seated on his throne, attended on each
side by persons of prime quality. Before the throne, was a large table
filled with globes and spheres, and mathematical instruments of all
kinds. His majesty took not the least notice of us, although our
entrance was not without sufficient noise, by the concourse of all
persons belonging to the court. But he was then deep in a problem; and
we attended at least an hour, before he could solve it. There stood by
him, on each side, a young page with flaps in t