y appear very bold and
dangerous, and I am confident would not be imitated by
any prince in Europe on the like occasion; however, in 20
my opinion it was extremely prudent as well as generous.
For supposing these people had endeavored to kill me with
their spears and arrows while I was asleep, I should certainly
have awaked with the first sense of smart, which
might so far have roused my rage and strength as to have 25
enabled me to break the strings wherewith I was tied;
after which, as they were not able to make resistance,
so they could expect no mercy.

These people are most excellent mathematicians, and
arrived to a great perfection in mechanics by the countenance 30
and encouragement of the emperor, who is a renowned
patron of learning. This prince hath several
machines fixed on wheels for the carriage of trees and other
great weights. He often builds his largest men of war,
whereof some are nine feet long, in the woods where the
timber grows, and has them carried on these engines three
or four hundred yards to the sea. Five hundred carpenters 5
and engineers were immediately set at work to prepare the
greatest engine they had. It was a frame of wood raised
three inches from the ground, about seven feet long and
four wide, moving upon twenty-two wheels. The shout
I heard was upon the arrival of this engine, which it seems 10
set out in four hours after my landing. It was brought
parallel to me as I lay. But the principal difficulty was to
raise and place me in this vehicle. Eighty poles, each of
one foot high, were erected for this purpose, and very strong
cords of the bigness of packthread were fastened by hooks 15
to many bandages, which the workmen had girt round my
neck, my hands, my body, and my legs. Nine hundred of
the strongest men were employed to draw up these cords
by many pulleys fastened on the poles, and thus in less
than three hours, I was raised and flung into the engine, 20
and there tied fast. All this I was told, for while the whole
operation was performing, I lay in a profound sleep, by
the force of that soporiferous medicine infused into my
liquor. Fifteen hundred of the emperor's largest horses,
each about four inches and a half high, were employed to 25
draw me toward the metropolis, which, as I said, was
half a mile distant.