In Chapter 1, Lemuel Gulliver mentions that he was the third of five sons, who attended Emanuel College in Cambridge before becoming Mr. James Bates's apprentice. As Bates's apprentice, Gulliver learns the science of navigation and mathematics, which he later applies throughout his various journeys. Gulliver then attends Leyden University, where he studies physics for two and a half years. After returning from Leyden, Gulliver becomes a surgeon on the Swallow, where he makes several trips to the Levant. Gulliver then opens his own practice in London and marries Mrs. Mary Burton. Shortly after Mr. Bates dies Gulliver's practice begins to fail. Gulliver then becomes a surgeon on several ships, which make successful voyages to the West Indies. Gulliver then returns to London and attempts to start his practice again, but does not find success. After three miserable years, Gulliver joins Captain William Prichard's ship as a surgeon. Unfortunately, Gulliver becomes shipwrecked on the island of Lilliput, where the citizens are six inches tall.
As the third of five sons, Gulliver must forge his own path in the world. His father helps him to get a good education so that he can become a doctor. Gulliver apprentices for some four years under a Mr. James Bates, and he uses any extra money his father sends him to learn about navigation and math (both of which are useful to him later when he begins to travel abroad). He studied these subjects for another two and a half years because he knows that he wants to go to sea, and when he returns to London, Master Bates (ha!) recommends that he serve as the doctor on a voyage. He does so, returns to London, and attempts to open and run his own practice. He gets married at the advice of his colleagues, but after Bates dies, Gulliver's practice goes under. He goes to sea two more times, then tries to open another practice, but it, too, fails. Finally, he goes back to sea voyages, and the story begins.
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