The Lost Manuscripts of Lemuel Gulliver, Part the Second

A couple of weeks ago I posted about the exciting discovery in Oxford's Bodleian Library of unpublished notes and drafts by the 18th Century explorer and naturalist Dr. Lemuel Gulliver. That first post included Gulliver's discussion of how the difference in scale affected the architecture and habits of the Lilliputians. This excerpt is concerned with their dietary habits.

Concerning the Habits of the Lilliputians while at Table, I own I must admit they are the most gluttonous Nation I have ever had occasion to observe.

Immediately upon rising, each one breaks his fast with a cold Collation of Meat, Eggs, divers Sweets, accompanied by Beer, as the pangs of Hunger permit no delay for cooking. This first breakfast is followed at midmorning by a second, which any Englishman would consider more than ample for a dinner; with Soups, roast Fowl, Puddings, and suchlike Viands in great Abundance. At midday they take a Luncheon of smoked Meats or Fish, Eggs, and Nuts, all in considerable Quantities. At the setting of the Sun they dine, and those dinners are as great as the other meals of the day in combination. Even the meanest of Lilliputians has a dinner of three or four removes, with courses of Fish, Soup, roast Meat androast Fowl, &c. In the evening before retiring, these insatiable Lilliputians sup upon bowls of Porridge or Beans. All these immense meals are accompanied by Cheeses and Sweets.¹

I did notice some curious lacunae in the Diet of the Lilliputians. They have little Appetite for Bread, and never consume Greens or Herbs, save as a kind of Garnish to the great platters of Flesh they devour. Nor do they enjoy any sort of Fruit in its natural state, but must needs cook all Fruits and Vegetables into a veritable Pap, often stirred with Cream or Butter.

I had the Occasion to ask my neighbor Dr. Darwin if there might be some Defect in the Digestion common to Lilliputians which would explain their insatiable Hunger.

"The only Defect is the small Stature of these Lilliputians, Dr. Gulliver," was his reply to me. "One may observe in Nature that the tiniest Creatures have greater Appetites than large ones. My own Pigeons eat more Corn in proportion to their weight than my Geese. The ratio, based on my own Observations, appears to be the cubic power of the fourth root of the weight of the Animal."²

I asked him to explain that in greater detail.

"Certainly. You yourself weigh some thirteen stone, I should judge. You mentioned that Lilliputian gentlemen typically weigh about two ounces. If your respective Appetites were in proportion to your weights, one would expect that a Lilliputian would eat only 1/1728th as much as yourself — which would amount to less than a fiftieth of an ounce per day. Obviously, however, you did not observe that."

I said that their Appetites were very much of an opposite character.

Dr. Darwin continued: "If my Observations are correct, a Lilliputian one-twelfth of your height would require food in the amount of 1/268 of what you yourself would consume. If an active Englishman such as yourself eats two pounds of food every day, if not more (here Dr. Darwin absent-mindedly patted his own considerable Paunch), then a Lilliputian would thrive upon an eighth of an ounce. That would amount to one-sixteenth of his own weight, or the equivalent of more than ten pounds of food per day for a man of your size!"

"That accounts for the Quantities eaten by the Lilliputians, but I am curious as to whether their dietary Preferences might also have a physical Origin," I said to him.

"I consider it indisputable," said he. "If you examine any domestic animals you will quickly note that those creatures which eat a coarse diet of Grass or even Oats devote a much greater Proportion of their bodily weight to Organs of Digestion, than those which thrive upon Flesh. These Lilliputians must consume the very richest of foods, and must cook them so as to make them as digestible as possible. I suspect that a Lilliputian condemned to live by Bread alone might eat all day yet become weak for Want of food!"

"This explains a matter which had long puzzled me," I said. "During my time in the Kingdom of Lilliput, there was seldom much great Difficulty in supplying my wants, as the Lilliputians maintained great Storehouses of victuals. I now see that compared to them, my own Appetite was comparitively meagre, and thus easily satisfied by them."

¹It is possible that J.R.R. Tolkein may have read or heard of the Gulliver manuscripts during his decades as a professor at Oxford, as the similarity in eating habits between the Lilliputians and his Hobbits is striking. 

²Historians of science should take note that Erasmus Darwin here anticipates Kleiber's Law by nearly two centuries.