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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 11239 ***
+
+THE
+
+LIFE AND ADVENTURES
+
+OF
+
+ROBINSON CRUSOE,
+
+OF YORK, MARINER.
+
+WITH AN ACCOUNT OF
+
+HIS TRAVELS ROUND THREE PARTS OF THE GLOBE.
+
+_WRITTEN BY HIMSELF_.
+
+IN TWO VOLUMES.
+
+VOL.I.
+
+BY C. WHITTINGHAM;
+
+FOR J. CARPENTER, OLD BOND STREET; J. BOOKER, NEW BOND
+STREET; SHARPS AND HAILES, MUSEUM, PICCADILLY; AND
+GALE, CURTIS, AND FENNER, PATERNOSTER ROW; LONDON.
+
+1812.
+
+
+
+
+THE LIFE OF
+
+_DANIEL DE FOE_.
+
+
+
+Daniel De Foe was descended from a respectable family in the county of
+Northampton, and born in London, about the year 1663. His father, James
+Foe, was a butcher, in the parish of St. Giles's, Cripplegate, and a
+protestant dissenter. Why the subject of this memoir prefixed the _De_
+to his family name cannot now be ascertained, nor did he at any period
+of his life think it necessary to give his reasons to the public. The
+political scribblers of the day, however, thought proper to remedy this
+lack of information, and accused him of possessing so little of the
+_amor patriae_, as to make the addition in order that he might not be
+taken for an Englishman; though this idea could have had no other
+foundation than the circumstance of his having, in consequence of his
+zeal for King William, attacked the prejudices of his countrymen in his
+"Trueborn Englishman."
+
+After receiving a good education at an academy at Newington, young De
+Foe, before he had attained his twenty-first year, commenced his career
+as an author, by writing a pamphlet against a very prevailing sentiment
+in favour of the Turks, who were at that time laying siege to Vienna.
+This production, being very inferior to those of his maturer years, was
+very little read, and the indignant author, despairing of success with
+his pen, had recourse to the sword; or, as he termed it, when boasting
+of the exploit in his latter years, "displayed his attachment to liberty
+and protestanism," by joining the ill-advised insurrection under the
+Duke of Monmouth, in the west. On the failure of that unfortunate
+enterprise, he returned again to the metropolis; and it is not
+improbable, but that the circumstance of his being a native of London,
+and his person not much known in that part of the kingdom where the
+rebellion took place, might facilitate his escape, and be the means of
+preventing his being brought to trial for his share in the transaction.
+With the professions of a writer and a soldier, Mr. De Foe, in the year
+1685, joined that of a trader; he was first engaged as a hosier, in
+Cornhill, and afterwards as a maker of bricks and pantiles, near Tilbury
+Fort, in Essex; but in consequence of spending those hours in the
+hilarity of the tavern which he ought to have employed in the
+calculations of the counting-house, his commercial schemes proved
+unsuccessful; and in 1694 he was obliged to abscond from his creditors,
+not failing to attribute those misfortunes to the war and the severity
+of the times, which were doubtless owing to his own misconduct. It is
+much to his credit, however, that after having been freed from his debts
+by composition, and being in prosperous circumstances from King
+William's favour, he voluntarily paid most of his creditors both the
+principal and interest of their claims. This is such an example of
+honesty as it would be unjust to De Foe and to the world to conceal. The
+amount of the sums thus paid must have been very considerable, as he
+afterwards feelingly mentions to Lord Haversham, who had reproached him
+with covetousness; "With a numerous family, and no helps but my own
+industry, I have forced my way through a sea of misfortunes, and reduced
+my debts, exclusive of composition, from seventeen thousand to less than
+five thousand pounds."
+
+At the beginning of the year 1700, Mr. De Foe published a satire in
+verse, which excited very considerable attention, called the "Trueborn
+Englishman." Its purpose was to furnish a reply to those who were
+continually abusing King William and some of his friends as
+_foreigners_, by showing that the present race of Englishmen was a mixed
+and heterogeneous brood, scarcely any of which could lay claim to native
+purity of blood. The satire was in many parts very severe; and though it
+gave high offence, it claimed a considerable share of the public
+attention. The reader will perhaps be gratified by a specimen of this
+production, wherein he endeavours to account for--
+
+     "What makes this discontented land appear
+     Less happy now in times of peace, than war;
+     Why civil fends disturb the nation more,
+     Than all our bloody wars had done before:
+     Fools out of favour grudge at knaves in place,
+     And men are always honest in disgrace:
+     The court preferments make men knaves in course,
+     But they, who would be in them, would be worse.
+     'Tis not at foreigners that we repine,
+     Would foreigners their perquisites resign:
+     The grand contention's plainly to be seen,
+     To get some men put out, and some put in."
+
+It will be immediately perceived that De Foe could have no pretensions
+to the character of a _poet_; but he has, notwithstanding, some nervous
+and well-versified lines, and in choice of subject and moral he is in
+general excellent. The Trueborn Englishman concludes thus:
+
+     Could but our ancestors retrieve their fate,
+     And see their offspring thus degenerate;
+     How we contend for birth and names unknown,
+     And build on their past actions, not our own;
+     They'd cancel records, and their tombs deface,
+     And openly disown the vile degenerate race.
+     For fame of families is all a cheat;
+     'TIS PERSONAL VIRTUE ONLY MAKES US GREAT.
+
+For this defence of foreigners De Foe was amply rewarded by King
+William, who not only ordered him a pension, but, as his opponents
+denominated it, appointed him _pamphlet-writer general to the court_; an
+office for which he was peculiarly well calculated, possessing, with a
+strong mind and a ready wit, that kind of yielding conscience which
+allowed him to support the measures of his benefactors, though convinced
+they were injurious to his country. De Foe now retired to Newington with
+his family, and for a short time lived at ease; but the death of his
+royal patron deprived him of a generous protector, and opened a scene of
+sorrow which probably embittered his future life.
+
+He had always discovered a great inclination to engage in religious
+controversy, and the furious contest, civil and ecclesiastical, which
+ensued on the accession of Queen Anne, gave him an opportunity of
+gratifying his favourite passion. He therefore published a tract,
+entitled "The shortest Way with the Dissenters, or Proposals for the
+Establishment of the Church," which contained an ironical recommendation
+of persecution, but written in so serious a strain, that many persons,
+particularly Dissenters, at first mistook its real intention. The high
+church party however saw, and felt the ridicule, and, by their
+influence, a prosecution was commenced against him, and a proclamation
+published in the Gazette, offering a reward for his apprehension[1].
+When De Foe found with how much rigour himself and his pamphlet were
+about to be treated, he at first secreted himself; but his printer and
+bookseller being taken into custody, he surrendered, being resolved, as
+he expresses it, "to throw himself upon the favour of government, rather
+than that others should be ruined for his mistakes." In July, 1703, he
+was brought to trial, found guilty, and sentenced to be imprisoned, to
+stand in the pillory, and to pay a fine of two hundred marks. He
+underwent the infamous part of the punishment with great fortitude, and
+it seems to have been generally thought that he was treated with
+unreasonable severity. So far was he from being ashamed of his fate
+himself, that he wrote a hymn to the pillory, which thus ends, alluding
+to his accusers:
+
+     Tell them, the men that plac'd him here
+     Are scandals to the times;
+     Are at a loss to find his guilt,
+     And can't commit his crimes.
+
+Pope, who has thought fit to introduce him in his Dunciad, (probably
+from no other reason than party difference) characterizes him in the
+following line:
+
+     Earless on high stood unabash'd De Foe.
+
+This is one of those instances of injustice and malignity which so
+frequently occur in the Dunciad, and which reflect more dishonour on the
+author than on the parties traduced. De Foe lay friendless and
+distressed in Newgate, his family ruined, and himself without hopes of
+deliverance, till Sir Robert Harley, who approved of his principles, and
+foresaw that during a factious age such a genius could be converted to
+many uses, represented his unmerited sufferings to the Queen, and at
+length procured his release. The treasurer, Lord Godolphin, also sent a
+considerable sum to his wife and family, and to him money to pay his
+fine and the expense of his discharge. Gratitude and fidelity are
+inseparable from an honest man; and it was this benevolent act that
+prompted De Foe to support Harley, with his able and ingenious pen, when
+Anne lay lifeless, and his benefactor in the vicissitude of party was
+persecuted by faction, and overpowered, though not conquered,
+by violence.
+
+The talents and perseverance of De Foe began now to be properly
+estimated, and as a firm supporter of the administration, he was sent by
+Lord Godolphin to Scotland, on an errand which, as he says, was far from
+being unfit for a sovereign to direct, or an honest man to perform. His
+knowledge of commerce and revenue, his powers of insinuation, and, above
+all, his readiness of pen, were deemed of no small utility in promoting
+the union of the two kingdoms; of which he wrote an able history in
+1709, with two dedications, one to the Queen, and another to the Duke of
+Queensbury. Soon afterwards he unhappily, by some equivocal writings,
+rendered himself suspected by both parties, so that he once more retired
+to Newington, in hopes of spending the remainder of his days in peace.
+His pension being withdrawn, and wearied with politics, he began to
+compose works of a different kind.--The year 1715 may therefore be
+regarded as the period of De Foe's political life. Faction henceforth
+found other advocates, and parties procured other writers to disseminate
+their suggestions, and to propagate their falsehoods.
+
+In 1715 De Foe published the "Family Instructor;" a work inculcating the
+domestic duties in a lively manner, by narration and dialogue, and
+displaying much knowledge of life in the middle ranks of society.
+"Religious Courtship" also appeared soon after, which, like the "Family
+Instructor," is eminently religious and moral in its tendency, and
+strongly impresses on the mind that spirit of sobriety and private
+devotion for which the dissenters have generally been distinguished. The
+most celebrated of all his works, "The Life and Adventures of Robinson
+Crusoe," appeared in 1719. This work has passed through numerous
+editions, and been translated into almost all modern languages. The
+great invention which is displayed in it, the variety of incidents and
+circumstances which it contains, related in the most easy and natural
+manner, together with the excellency of the moral and religious
+reflections, render it a performance of very superior and uncommon
+merit, and one of the most interesting works that ever appeared. It is
+strongly recommended by Rosseau as a book admirably calculated to
+promote the purposes of natural education; and Dr. Blair says, "No
+fiction, in any language, was ever better supported than the Adventures
+of Robinson Crusoe. While it is carried on with that appearance of truth
+and simplicity, which takes a strong hold of the imagination of all
+readers, it suggests, at the same time, very useful instruction; by
+showing how much the native powers of man may be exerted for
+surmounting the difficulties of any external situation." It has been
+pretended, that De Foe surreptitiously appropriated the papers of
+Alexander Selkirk, a Scotch mariner, who lived four years alone on the
+island of Juan Fernandez, and a sketch of whose story had before
+appeared in the voyage of Captain Woodes Rogers. But this charge, though
+repeatedly and confidently brought, appears to be totally destitute of
+any foundation. De Foe probably took some general hints for his work
+from the story of Selkirk, but there exists no proof whatever, nor is it
+reasonable to suppose that he possessed any of his papers or memoirs,
+which had been published seven years before the appearance of Robinson
+Crusoe. As a farther proof of De Foe's innocence, Captain Rogers'
+Account of Selkirk may be produced, in which it is said that the latter
+had neither preserved pen, ink, or paper, and had, in a great measure,
+lost his language; consequently De Foe could not have received any
+written assistance, and we have only the assertion of his enemies to
+prove that he had any verbal.
+
+The great success of Robinson Crusoe induced its author to write a
+number of other lives and adventures, some of which were popular in
+their times, though at present nearly forgotten. One of his latest
+publications was "A Tour through the Island of Great Britain," a
+performance of very inferior merit; but De Foe was now the garrulous
+old man, and his spirit (to use the words of an ingenious biographer)
+"like a candle struggling in the socket, blazed and sunk, blazed and
+sunk, till it disappeared at length in total darkness." His laborious
+and unfortunate life was finished on the 26th of April, 1731, in' the
+parish of St. Giles's, Cripplegate.
+
+Daniel De Foe possessed very extraordinary talents; as a commercial
+writer, he is fairly entitled to stand in the foremost rank among his
+contemporaries, whatever may be their performances or their fame. His
+distinguishing characteristics are originality, spirit, and a profound
+knowledge of his subject, and in these particulars he has seldom been
+surpassed. As the author of Robinson Crusoe he has a claim, not only to
+the admiration, but to the gratitude of his countrymen; and so long as
+we have a regard for supereminent merit, and take an interest in the
+welfare of the rising generation, that gratitude will not cease to
+exist. But the opinion of the learned and ingenious Dr. Beattie will be
+the best eulogium that can be pronounced on that celebrated romance:
+"Robinson Crusoe," says the Doctor, "must be allowed, by the most rigid
+moralist, to be one of those novels which one may read, riot only with
+pleasure, but also with profit. It breathes throughout a spirit of
+piety and benevolence; it sets in a very striking light the importance
+of the mechanic arts, which they, who know not what it is to be without
+them, are so apt to under-value; it fixes in the mind a lively idea of
+the horrors of solitude, and, consequently, of the sweets of social
+life, and of the blessings we derive from conversation and mutual aid;
+and it shows how, by labouring with one's own hands, one may secure
+independence, and open for one's self many sources of health and
+amusement. I agree, therefore, with Rosseau, that it is one of the best
+books that can be put into the hands of children."
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[Footnote 1: _St. James's, January 10, 1702-5._ "Whereas Daniel De Foe,
+alias De Fooe, is charged with writing a scandalous and seditious
+pamphlet, entitled 'The shortest Way with the Dissenters:' he is a
+middle-sized spare man, about 40 years old, of a brown complexion, and
+dark-brown coloured hair, but wears a wig, a hooked nose, a sharp chin,
+grey eyes, and a large mole near his mouth, was born in London, and for
+many years was a hose-factor, in Freeman's Yard, in Cornhill, and now is
+owner of the brick and pantile works near Tilbury Fort, in Essex;
+whoever shall discover the said Daniel De Foe, to one of her Majesty's
+Principal Secretaries of State, or any of her Majesty's Justices of
+Peace, so as he may be apprehended, shall have a reward of £50, which
+her Majesty has ordered immediately to be paid upon such discovery."
+_London Gaz._ No. 3879.]
+
+
+
+
+THE
+
+LIFE AND ADVENTURES
+
+OF
+
+ROBINSON CRUSOE.
+
+I was born in the year 1632, in the city of York, of a good family,
+though not of that country, my father being a foreigner of Bremen, who
+settled first at Hull: he got a good estate by merchandise, and leaving
+off his trade, lived afterwards at York; from whence he had married my
+mother, whose relations were named Robinson, a very good family in that
+country, and from whom I was called Robinson Kreutznaer; but, by the
+usual corruption of words in England, we are now called, nay we call
+ourselves, and write, our name Crusoe; and so my companions always
+called me.
+
+I had two elder brothers, one of whom was lieutenant-colonel to an
+English regiment of foot in Flanders, formerly commanded by the famous
+Colonel Lockhart, and was killed at the battle near Dunkirk against the
+Spaniards. What became of my second brother I never knew, any more than
+my father or mother did know what was become of me.
+
+Being the third son of the family, and not bred to any trade, my head
+began to be filled very early with rambling thoughts: my father, who was
+very ancient, had given me a competent share of learning, as far as
+house-education and a country free-school generally go, and designed me
+for the law; but I would be satisfied with nothing but going to sea; and
+my inclination to this led me so strongly, against the will, nay, the
+commands of my father, and against all the entreaties and persuasions of
+my mother and other friends, that there seemed to be something fatal in
+that propension of nature, tending directly to the life of misery which
+was to befall me.
+
+My father, a wise and grave man, gave me serious and excellent counsel
+against what he foresaw was my design. He called me one morning into his
+chamber, where he was confined by the gout, and expostulated very warmly
+with me upon this subject: he asked me what reasons more than a mere
+wandering inclination I had for leaving my father's house and my native
+country, where I might be well introduced, and had a prospect of raising
+my fortune by application and industry, with a life of ease and
+pleasure. He told me it was for men of desperate fortunes on one hand,
+or of aspiring, superior fortunes on the other, who went abroad upon
+adventures, to rise by enterprise, and make themselves famous in
+undertakings of a nature out of the common road; that these things were
+all either too far above me, or too far below me; that mine was the
+middle state, or what might be called the upper station of low life,
+which he had found, by long experience, was the best state in the world,
+the most suited to human happiness, not exposed to the miseries and
+hardships, the labour and sufferings of the mechanic part of mankind,
+and not embarrassed with the pride, luxury, ambition, and envy of the
+upper part of mankind. He told me, I might judge of the happiness of
+this state by one thing, viz. that this was the state of life which all
+other people envied; that kings have frequently lamented the miserable
+consequences of being born to great things, and wish they had been
+placed in the middle of the two extremes, between the mean and the
+great; that the wise man gave his testimony to this, as the just
+standard of true felicity, when he prayed to have neither poverty
+nor riches.
+
+He bid me observe it, and I should always find, that the calamities of
+life were shared among the upper and lower part of mankind; but that the
+middle station had the fewest disasters, and was not exposed to so many
+vicissitudes as the higher or lower part of mankind; nay, they were not
+subjected to so many distempers and uneasinesses, either of body or
+mind, as those were, who, by vicious living, luxury, and extravagances,
+on one hand, or by hard labour, want of necessaries, and mean and
+insufficient diet, on the other hand, bring distempers upon themselves
+by the natural consequences of their way of living; that the middle
+station of life was calculated for all kind of virtues and all kind of
+enjoyments; that peace and plenty were the handmaids of a middle
+fortune; that temperance, moderation, quietness, health, society, all
+agreeable diversions, and all desirable pleasures, were the blessings
+attending the middle station of life; that this way men went silently
+and smoothly through the world, and comfortably out of it, not
+embarrassed with the labours of the hands or of the head, not sold to
+the life of slavery for daily bread, or harassed with perplexed
+circumstances, which rob the soul of peace, and the body of rest; not
+enraged with the passion of envy, or secret burning lust of ambition for
+great things; but, in easy circumstances, sliding gently through the
+world, and sensibly tasting the sweets of living, without the bitter,
+feeling that they are happy, and learning by every day's experience to
+know it more sensibly.
+
+After this, he pressed me earnestly, and in the most affectionate
+manner, not to play the young man, not to precipitate myself into
+miseries which nature, and the station of life I was born in, seemed to
+have provided against; that I was under no necessity of seeking my
+bread; that he would do well for me, and endeavour to enter me fairly
+into the station of life which he had been just recommending to me; and
+that if I was not very easy and happy in the world, it must be my mere
+fate or fault that must hinder it; and that he should have nothing to
+answer for, having thus discharged his duty in warning me against
+measures which he knew would be to my hurt: in a word, that as he would
+do very kind things for me if I would stay and settle at home as he
+directed, so he would not have so much hand in my misfortunes, as to
+give me any encouragement to go away: and to close all, he told me I had
+my elder brother for an example, to whom he had used the same earnest
+persuasions to keep him from going into the Low Country wars, but could
+not prevail, his young desires prompting him to run into the army, where
+he was killed; and though he said he would not cease to pray for me, yet
+he would venture to say to me, that if I did take this foolish step, God
+would not bless me, and I would have leisure hereafter to reflect upon
+having neglected his counsel, when there might be none to assist in
+my recovery.
+
+I observed in this last part of his discourse, which was truly
+prophetic, though I suppose my father did not know it to be so himself;
+I say, I observed the tears run down his face very plentifully, and
+especially when he spoke of my brother who was killed: and that when he
+spoke of my having leisure to repent, and none to assist me, he was so
+moved, that he broke off the discourse, and told me, his heart was so
+full he could say no more to me.
+
+I was sincerely affected with this discourse, as indeed who could be
+otherwise? and I resolved not to think of going abroad any more, but to
+settle at home according to my father's desire. But, alas! a few days
+wore it all off; and, in short, to prevent any of my father's further
+importunities, in a few weeks after I resolved to run quite away from
+him. However, I did not act so hastily neither as my first heat of
+resolution prompted, but I took my mother, at a time when I thought her
+a little pleasanter than ordinary, and told her, that my thoughts were
+so entirely bent upon seeing the world, that I should never settle to
+any thing with resolution enough to go through with it, and my father
+had better give me his consent than force me to go without it; that I
+was now eighteen years old, which was too late to go apprentice to a
+trade, or clerk to an attorney; that I was sure, if I did, I should
+never serve out my time, and I should certainly run away from my master
+before my time was out, and go to sea; and if she would speak to my
+father to let me go one voyage abroad, if I came home again, and did not
+like it, I would go no more, and I would promise, by a double diligence,
+to recover that time I had lost.
+
+This put my mother into a great passion: she told me, she knew it would
+be to no purpose to speak to my father upon any such subject; that he
+knew too well what was my interest to give his consent to any such thing
+so much for my hurt; and that she wondered how I could think of any such
+thing after such a discourse as I had had with my father, and such kind
+and tender expressions as she knew my father had used to me; and that,
+in short, if I would ruin myself, there was no help for me; but I might
+depend I should never have their consent to it: that for her part, she
+would not have so much hand in my destruction; and I should never have
+it to say, that my mother was willing when my father was not.
+
+Though my mother refused to move it to my father, yet, as I have heard
+afterwards, she reported all the discourse to him, and that my father,
+after showing a great concern at it, said to her with a sigh, "That boy
+might be happy if he would stay at home; but if he goes abroad, he will
+be the most miserable wretch that was ever born; I can give no
+consent to it."
+
+It was not till almost a year after this that I broke loose, though, in
+the mean time, I continued obstinately deaf to all proposals of settling
+to business, and frequently expostulating with my father and mother
+about their being so positively determined against what they knew my
+inclinations prompted me to. But being one day at Hull, where I went
+casually, and without any purpose of making an elopement at that time;
+but, I say, being there, and one of my companions then going by sea to
+London, in his father's ship, and prompting me to go with them, with the
+common allurement of seafaring men, viz. that it should cost me nothing
+for my passage, I consulted neither father or mother any more, not so
+much as sent them word of it; but leaving them to hear of it as they
+might, without asking God's blessing, or my father's, without any
+consideration of circumstances or consequences, and in an ill hour, God
+knows, on the first of September, 1651, I went on board a ship bound
+for London. Never any young adventurer's misfortunes, I believe, began
+sooner, or continued longer than mine. The ship was no sooner gotten out
+of the Humber, but the wind began to blow, and the waves to rise in a
+most frightful manner; and, as I had never been at sea before, I was
+most inexpressibly sick in body, and terrified in mind. I began now
+seriously to reflect upon what I had done, and how justly I was
+overtaken by the judgment of Heaven for wickedly leaving my father's
+house, and abandoning my duty. All the good counsel of my parents, my
+father's tears and my mother's entreaties, came now fresh into my mind;
+and my conscience, which was not yet come to the pitch of hardness to
+which it has been since, reproached me with the contempt of advice, and
+the breach of my duty to God and my father.
+
+All this while the storm increased, and the sea, which I had never been
+upon before, went very high, though nothing like what I have seen many
+times since; no, nor like what I saw a few days after: but it was enough
+to affect me then, who was but a young sailor, and had never known any
+thing of the matter. I expected every wave would have swallowed us up,
+and that every time the ship fell down, as I thought, in the trough or
+hollow of the sea, we should never rise more; and in this agony of mind
+I made many vows and resolutions, that if it would please God here to
+spare my life this one voyage, if ever I got once my foot upon dry land
+again, I would go directly home to my father, and never set it into a
+ship again while I lived; that I would take his advice, and never run
+myself into such miseries as these any more. Now I saw plainly the
+goodness of his observations about the middle station of life, how
+easy, how comfortably he had lived all his days, and never had been
+exposed to tempests at sea, or troubles on shore; and I resolved that I
+would, like a true repenting prodigal, go home to my father.
+
+These wise and sober thoughts continued during the storm, and indeed
+some time after; but the next day, as the wind was abated, and the sea
+calmer, I began to be a little inured to it: however, I was very grave
+for all that day, being also a little sea-sick still; but towards night
+the weather cleared up, the wind was quite over, and a charming fine
+evening followed; the sun went down perfectly clear, and rose so the
+next morning; and having little or no wind, and a smooth sea, the sun
+shining upon it, the sight was, as I thought, the most delightful that
+I ever saw.
+
+I had slept well in the night, and was now no more sea-sick, but very
+cheerful, looking with wonder upon the sea that was so rough and
+terrible the day before, and could be so calm and so pleasant in a
+little time after. And now, lest my good resolutions should continue, my
+companion, who had indeed enticed me away, came to me and said, "Well;
+Bob," clapping me on the shoulder, "how do you do after it? I warrant
+you were frightened, wa'n't you, last night, when it blew but a cap-full
+of wind?"--"A cap-full do you call it?" said I; "it was a terrible
+storm."--"A storm, you fool you," replied he, "do you call that a
+storm? why it was nothing at all; give us but a good ship and sea-room,
+and we think nothing of such a squall of wind as that; but you're but a
+fresh-water sailor. Bob, Come, let us make a bowl of punch, and we'll
+forget all that; do you see what charming weather it is now?" To make
+short this sad part of my story, we went the old way of all sailors; the
+punch was made, and I was made drunk with it; and in that one night's
+wickedness I drowned all my repentance, all my reflections upon my past
+conduct, and all my resolutions for my future. In a word, as the sea was
+returned to its smoothness of surface and settled calmness by the
+abatement of that storm, so the hurry of my thoughts being over, my
+fears and apprehensions of being swallowed up by the sea being
+forgotten, and the current of my former desires returned, I entirely
+forgot the vows and promises that I made in my distress. I found,
+indeed, some intervals of reflection; and serious thoughts did, as it
+were, endeavour to return again sometimes; but I shook them off, and
+roused myself from them as it were from a distemper, and applying myself
+to drinking and company, soon mastered the return of those fits, for so
+I called them; and I had in five or six days got as complete a victory
+over conscience, as any young fellow that resolved not to be troubled
+with it, could desire: but I was to have another trial for it still; and
+Providence, as in such cases generally it does, resolved to leave me
+entirely without excuse: for if I would not take this for a deliverance,
+the next was to be such a one as the worst and most hardened wretch
+among us would confess both the danger and the mercy of.
+
+The sixth day of our being at sea we came into Yarmouth Roads; the wind
+having been contrary, and the weather calm, we had made but little way
+since the storm. Here we were obliged to come to anchor, and here we
+lay, the wind continuing contrary, viz. at south-west, for seven or
+eight days, during which tune a great many ships from Newcastle came
+into the same roads, as the common harbour where the ships might wait
+for a wind for the River.
+
+We had not, however, rid here so long, but should have tided it up the
+river, but that the wind blew too fresh; and, after we had lain four or
+five days, blew very hard. However, the roads being reckoned as good as
+a harbour, the anchorage good, and our ground tackle very strong, our
+men were unconcerned, and not in the least apprehensive of danger, but
+spent the time in rest and mirth, after the manner of the sea; but the
+eighth day in the morning the wind increased, and we had all hands at
+work to strike our top-masts, and make every thing snug and close, that
+the ship might ride as easy as possible. By noon the sea went very high
+indeed, and our ship rode forecastle in, shipped several seas, and we
+thought once or twice our anchor had come home; upon which our master
+ordered out the sheet anchor; so that we rode with two anchors a-head,
+and the cables veered out to the better end.
+
+By this time it blew a terrible storm indeed; and now I began to see
+terror and amazement in the faces even of the seamen themselves. The
+master, though vigilant in the business of preserving the ship, yet as
+he went in and out of his cabin by me, I could hear him softly say to
+himself several times, "Lord, be merciful to us! we shall be all lost;
+we shall be all undone!" and the like. During these first hurries I was
+stupid, lying still in my cabin, which was in the steerage, and cannot
+describe my temper: I could ill reassume the first penitence which I had
+so apparently trampled upon, and hardened myself against. I thought the
+bitterness of death had been past, and that this would be nothing like
+the first: but when the master himself came by me, as I said just now,
+and said we should be all lost, I was dreadfully frighted: I got up but
+of my cabin, and looked out; but such a dismal sight I never saw; the
+sea went mountains high, and broke upon us every three or four minutes:
+when I could look about, I could see nothing but distress around us: two
+ships that rid near us, we found, had cut their masts by the board,
+being deep laden; and our men cried out, that a ship which rid about a
+mile a-head of us was foundered. Two more ships being driven from their
+anchors, were run out of the roads to sea, at all adventures, and that
+with not a mast standing. The light ships-fared the best, as not so much
+labouring in the sea; but two or three of them drove, and came close by
+us, running away with only their spritsail out before the wind.
+
+Towards evening the mate and boatswain begged the master of our ship to
+let them cut away the fore-mast, which he was very unwilling to do: but
+the boatswain protesting to him, that if he did not, the ship would
+founder, he consented; and when they had cut away the-fore-mast, the
+main-mast stood so loose, and shook the ship so much, they were obliged
+to cut her away also, and make a clear deck.
+
+Any one may judge what a condition I must be in at all this, who was
+but a young sailor, and who had been in such a fright before at but a
+little. But if I can express at this distance the thoughts that I had
+about me at that time, I was in tenfold more horror of mind upon account
+of my former convictions, and the having returned from them to the
+resolutions I had wickedly taken at first, than I was at death itself;
+and these, added to the terror of the storm, put me in such a condition,
+that I can by no words describe it. But the worst was not come yet; the
+storm continued with such fury, that the seamen themselves acknowledged
+they had never known a worse. We had a good ship, but she was deep
+laden, and wallowed in the sea, that the seamen every now and then cried
+out, she would founder. It was my advantage in one respect, that I did
+not know what they meant by _founder_, till I inquired. However, the
+storm was so violent, that I saw what is not often seen, the master, the
+boatswain, and some others more sensible than the rest, at their
+prayers, and expecting every moment when the ship would go to the
+bottom. In the middle of the night, and under all the rest of our
+distresses, one of the men that had been down on purpose to see, cried
+out, we had sprung a leak; another said, there was four foot water in
+the hold. Then all hands were called to the pump. At that very word my
+heart, as I thought, died within me, and I fell backwards upon the side
+of my bed where I sat, into the cabin. However, the men roused me, and
+told me, that I, that was able to do nothing before, was as well able to
+pump as another; at which I stirred up, and went to the pump and worked
+very heartily. While this was doing, the master seeing some light
+colliers, who, not able to ride out the storm, were obliged to slip and
+run away to sea, and would not come near us, ordered us to fire a gun as
+a signal of distress. I, who knew nothing what that meant, was so
+surprised, that I thought the ship had broke, or some dreadful thing had
+happened. In a word, I was so surprised, that I fell down in a swoon. As
+this was a time when every body had his own life to think of, nobody
+minded me, or what was become of me; but another man stept up to the
+pump, and thrusting me aside with his foot, let me lie, thinking I had
+been dead; and it was a great while before I came to myself.
+
+We worked on; but the water increasing in the hold, it was apparent that
+the ship would founder; and though the storm began to abate a little,
+yet as it was not possible she could swim till we might run into a port,
+so the master continued firing guns for help; and a light ship, who had
+rid it out just a-head of us, ventured a boat out to help us. It was
+with the utmost hazard the boat came near us, but it was impossible for
+us to get on board, or for the boat to lie near the ship's side, till at
+last the men rowing very heartily, and venturing their lives to save
+ours, our men cast them a rope over the stern with a buoy to it, and
+then veered it out a great length, which they, after great labour and
+hazard, took hold of, and we hauled them close under our stern, and got
+all into their boat. It was to no purpose for them or us, after we were
+in the boat, to think of reaching to their own ship; so all agreed to
+let her drive, and only to pull her in towards shore as much as we
+could; and our master promised them, that if the boat was staved upon
+shore he would make it good to their master: so partly rowing and partly
+driving, our boat went away to the northward, sloping towards the shore
+almost as far as Winterton Ness.
+
+We were not much more than a quarter of an hour out of our ship but we
+saw her sink, and then I understood for the first time what was meant by
+a ship foundering in the sea. I must acknowledge I had hardly eyes to
+look up when the seamen told me she was sinking; for from that moment
+they rather put me into the boat, than that I might be said to go in; my
+heart was, as it were, dead within me, partly with fright, partly with
+horror of mind, and the thoughts of what was yet before me.
+
+While we were in this condition, the men yet labouring at the oar to
+bring the boat near the shore, we could see (when, our boat mounting the
+waves, we were able to see the shore) a great many people running along
+the strand to assist us when we should come near; but we made but slow
+way towards the shore; nor were we able to reach it, till, being past
+the light-house at Winterton, the shore falls off to the westward,
+towards Cromer, and so the land broke off a little the violence of the
+wind. Here we got in, and, though not without much difficulty, got all
+safe on shore, and walked afterwards on foot to Yarmouth, where, as
+unfortunate men, we were used with great humanity, as well by the
+magistrates of the town, who assigned us good quarters, as by particular
+merchants and owners of ships, and had money given us sufficient to
+carry us either to London or back to Hull, as we thought fit.
+
+Had I now had the sense to have gone back to Hull, and have gone home, I
+had been happy, and my father, an emblem of our blessed Saviour's
+parable, had even killed the fatted calf for me; for hearing the ship I
+went away in was cast away in Yarmouth Roads, it was a great while
+before he had any assurance that I was not drowned.
+
+But my ill fate pushed me on now with an obstinacy that nothing could
+resist; and though I had several times loud calls from my reason, and my
+more composed judgment, to go home, yet I had no power to do it. I know
+not what to call this, nor will I urge that it is a secret overruling
+decree that hurries us on to be the instruments of our own destruction,
+even though it be before us, and that we rush upon it with our eyes
+open. Certainly, nothing but some such decreed unavoidable misery
+attending, and which it was impossible for me to escape, could have
+pushed me forward against the calm reasonings and persuasions of my most
+retired thoughts, and against two such visible instructions as I had met
+with in my first attempt.
+
+My comrade, who had helped to harden me before, and who was the master's
+son, was now less forward than I. The first time he spoke to me after we
+were at Yarmouth, which was not till two or three days, for we were
+separated in the town to several quarters; I say, the first time he saw
+me, it appeared his tone was altered, and looking very melancholy, and
+shaking his head, asked me how I did, and telling his father who I was,
+and how I had come this voyage only for a trial, in order to go farther
+abroad; his father turning to me with a very grave and concerned tone,
+"Young man," says he, "you ought never to go to sea any more; you ought
+to take this for a plain and visible token that you are not to be a
+seafaring man,"--"Why, Sir," said I, "will you go to sea no more?" "That
+is another case," said he; "it is my calling, and therefore my duty; but
+as you made this voyage for a trial, you see what a taste Heaven has
+given you of what you are to expect if you persist. Perhaps this has all
+befallen us on your account, like Jonah in the ship of Tarshish. Pray,"
+continues he, "what are you; and on what account did you go to sea?"
+Upon that I told him some of my story; at the end of which he burst out
+with a strange kind of passion; "What had I done," says he, "that such
+an unhappy wretch should come into my ship? I would not set my foot in
+the same ship with thee again for a thousand pounds," This indeed was,
+as I said, an excursion of his spirits, which were yet agitated by the
+sense of his loss, and was farther than he could have authority to go.
+However, he afterwards talked very gravely to me, exhorting me to go
+back to my father, and not tempt Providence to my ruin; told me I might
+see a visible hand of Heaven against me. "And young man," said he,
+"depend upon it, if you do not go back, wherever you go, you will meet
+with nothing but disasters and disappointments, till your father's words
+are fulfilled upon you."
+
+We parted soon after; for I made him little answer, and I saw him no
+more: which way he went, I know not. As for me, having some money in my
+pocket, I travelled to London by land; and there, as well as on the
+road, had many struggles with myself, what course of life I should
+take, and whether I should go home, or go to sea.
+
+As to going home, shame opposed the best notions that offered to my
+thoughts; and it immediately occurred to me how I should be laughed at
+among the neighbours, and should be ashamed to see, not my father and
+mother only, but even every body else; from whence I have since often
+observed, how incongruous and irrational the common temper of mankind
+is, especially of youth, to that reason which ought to guide them in
+such cases, viz. that they are not ashamed to sin, and yet are ashamed
+to repent; nor ashamed of the action for which they ought justly to be
+esteemed fools, but are ashamed of the returning, which only can make
+them be esteemed wise men.
+
+In this state of life, however, I remained some time, uncertain what
+measures to take, and what course of life to lead. An irresistible
+reluctance continued to going home; and as I stayed a while, the
+remembrance of the distress I had been in wore off; and as that abated,
+the little notion I had in my desires to a return wore off with it, till
+at last I quite laid aside the thoughts of it, and looked out for
+a voyage.
+
+That evil influence which carried me first away from my father's house,
+that hurried me into the wild and indigested notion of raising my
+fortune; and that impressed those conceits so forcibly upon me, as to
+make me deaf to all good advice, and to the entreaties and even the
+commands of my father: I say, the same influence, whatever it was,
+presented the most unfortunate of all enterprises to my view; and I
+went on board a vessel bound to the coast of Africa; or, as our sailors
+vulgarly call it, a voyage to Guinea.
+
+It was my great misfortune that in all these adventures I did not ship
+myself as a sailor; whereby, though I might indeed have worked a little
+harder than ordinary, yet at the same time I had learnt the duty and
+office of a foremast-man; and in time might have qualified myself for a
+mate or lieutenant, if not for a master. But as it was always my fate to
+choose for the worse, so I did here; for having money in my pocket, and
+good clothes upon my back, I would always go on board in the habit of a
+gentleman; and so I neither had any business in the ship, or learnt
+to do any.
+
+It was my lot first of all to fall into pretty good company in London,
+which does not always happen to such loose and unguided young fellows as
+I then was; the devil generally not omitting to lay some snare for them
+very early: but it was not so with me. I first fell acquainted with the
+master of a ship who had been on the coast of Guinea; and who, having
+had very good success there, was resolved to go again; and who taking a
+fancy to my conversation, which was not at all disagreeable at that
+time, hearing me say I had a mind to see the world, told me if I would
+go the voyage with him I should be at no expense; I should be his
+messmate and his companion; and if I could carry any thing with me, I
+should have all the advantage of it that the trade would admit; and
+perhaps I might meet with some encouragement.
+
+I embraced the offer; and entering into a strict friendship with this
+captain, who was an honest and plain-dealing man, I went the voyage with
+him, and carried a small adventure with me, which, by the disinterested
+honesty of my friend the captain, I increased very considerably; for I
+carried about £40 in such toys and trifles as the captain directed me to
+buy. This £40 I had mustered together by the assistance of some of my
+relations whom I corresponded with, and who, I believe, got my father,
+or at least my mother, to contribute so much as that to my first
+adventure.
+
+This was the only voyage which I may say I was successful in all my
+adventures, and which I owe to the integrity and honesty of my friend
+the captain; under whom also I got a competent knowledge of the
+mathematics and the rules of navigation, learnt how to keep an account
+of the ship's course, take an observation, and, in short, to understand
+some things that were needful to be understood by a sailor: for, as he
+took delight to instruct me, I took delight to learn; and, in a word,
+this voyage made me both a sailor and a merchant: for I brought home
+five pounds nine ounces of gold-dust for my adventure, which yielded me
+in London at my return almost £300, and this filled me with those
+aspiring thoughts which have so completed my ruin.
+
+Yet even in this voyage I had my misfortunes too; particularly, that I
+was continually sick, being thrown into a violent calenture by the
+excessive heat of the climate; our principal trading being upon the
+coast, from the latitude of 15 degrees north even to the line itself.
+
+I was now set up for a Guinea trader; and my friend, to my great
+misfortune, dying soon after his arrival, I resolved to go the same
+voyage again, and I embarked in the same vessel with one who was his
+mate in his former voyage, and had now got the command of the ship. This
+was the unhappiest voyage that ever man made; for though I did not carry
+quite £100 of my new-gained wealth, so that I had £200 left, and which I
+lodged with my friend's widow, who was very just to me, yet I fell into
+terrible misfortunes in this voyage; and the first was this, viz. our
+ship making her course towards the Canary Islands, or rather between
+those islands and the African shore, was surprised in the grey of the
+morning by a Turkish rover, of Sallee, who gave chase to us with all the
+sail she could make. We crowded also as much canvass as our yards would
+spread, or our masts carry to have got clear; but finding the pirate
+gained upon us, and would certainly come up with us in a few hours, we
+prepared to fight; our ship having twelve guns, and the rover eighteen.
+About three in the afternoon he came up with us, and bringing to, by
+mistake, just athwart our quarter, instead of athwart our stern, as he
+intended, we brought eight of our guns to bear on that side, and poured
+in a broadside upon him, which made him sheer off again, after returning
+our fire, and pouring in also his small-shot from near 200 men which he
+had on board. However, we had not a man touched, all our men keeping
+close. He prepared to attack us again, and we to defend ourselves; but
+laying us on board the next time upon our other quarter, he entered
+sixty men upon our decks, who immediately fell to cutting and hacking
+the sails and rigging. We plied them with small-shot, half-pikes,
+powder-chests, and such like, and cleared our deck of them twice.
+However, to cut short this melancholy part of our story, our ship being
+disabled, and three of our men killed and eight wounded, we were obliged
+to yield, and were carried all prisoners into Sallee, a port belonging
+to the Moors.
+
+The usage I had there was not so dreadful as at first I apprehended; nor
+was I carried up the country to the emperor's court, as the rest of our
+men were, but was kept by the captain of the rover as his proper prize,
+and made his slave, being young and nimble, and fit for his business. At
+this surprising change of my circumstances, from a merchant to a
+miserable slave, I was perfectly overwhelmed; and now I looked back upon
+my father's prophetic discourse to me, that I should be miserable, and
+have none to relieve me, which I thought was now so effectually brought
+to pass, that I could not be worse; that now the hand of Heaven had
+overtaken me, and I was undone without redemption: but, alas! this was
+but a taste of the misery I was to go through, as will appear in the
+sequel of this story.
+
+As my new patron, or master, had taken me home to his house, so I was in
+hopes that he would take me with him when he went to sea again,
+believing that it would sometime or other be his fate to be taken by a
+Spanish or Portugal man of war; and that then I should be set at
+liberty. But this hope of mine was soon taken away; for when he went to
+sea, he left me on shore to look after his little garden, and do the
+common drudgery of slaves about his house; and when he came home again
+from his cruise, he ordered me to lie in the cabin to look after
+the ship.
+
+Here I meditated nothing but my escape, and what method I might take to
+effect it, but found no way that had the least probability in it:
+nothing presented to make the supposition of it rational; for I had
+nobody to communicate it to that would embark with me, no fellow slave,
+no Englishman, Irishman, or Scotchman there but myself; so that for two
+years, though I often pleased myself with the imagination, yet I never
+had the least encouraging prospect of putting it in practice.
+
+After about two years an odd circumstance presented itself, which put
+the old thought of making some attempt for my liberty again in my head.
+My patron lying at home longer than usual without fitting out his ship,
+which, as I heard, was for want of money, he used constantly, once or
+twice a week, sometimes oftener, if the weather was fair, to take the
+ship's pinnace, and go out into the road a-fishing; and as he always
+took me and a young Moresco with him to row the boat, we made him very
+merry, and I proved very dexterous in catching fish; insomuch that
+sometimes he would send me with a Moor, one of his kinsmen, and the
+youth of Moresco, as they called him, to catch a dish of fish for him.
+
+It happened one time, that going a-fishing in a stark calm morning, a
+fog rose so thick, that though we were not half a league from the shore
+we lost sight of it; and rowing we knew not whither or which way, we
+laboured all day, and all the next night, and when the morning came we
+found we had pulled off to sea instead of pulling in for the shore; and
+that we were at least two leagues from the shore: however, we got well
+in again, though with a great deal of labour and some danger; for the
+wind began to blow pretty fresh in the morning; but particularly we were
+all very hungry.
+
+But our patron, warned by this disaster, resolved to take more care of
+himself for the future; and having lying by him the long-boat of our
+English ship he had taken, he resolved he would not go a-fishing any
+more without a compass and some provision; so he ordered the carpenter
+of his ship, who also was an English slave, to build a little
+state-room, or cabin, in the middle of the long-boat, like that of a
+barge, with a place to stand behind it to steer and haul home the
+main-sheet; and room before for a hand or two to stand and work the
+sails: she sailed with what we call a shoulder of mutton sail; and the
+boom gibbed over the top of the cabin, which lay very snug and low, and
+had in it room for him to lie, with a slave or two, and a table to eat
+on, with some small lockers to put in some bottles of such liquor as he
+thought fit to drink; and particularly his bread, rice, and coffee.
+
+We went frequently out with this boat a-fishing, and as I was most
+dexterous to catch fish for him, he never went without me. It happened
+that he had appointed to go out in this boat, either for pleasure or for
+fish, with two or three Moors of some distinction in that place, and for
+whom he had provided extraordinarily, and had therefore sent on board
+the boat over-night a larger store of provisions than ordinary; and had
+ordered me to get ready three fuzees with powder and shot, which were on
+board his ship; for that they designed some sport of fowling as well
+as fishing.
+
+I got all things ready as he had directed, and waited the next morning
+with the boat washed clean, her ensign and pendants out, and every thing
+to accommodate his guests; when by and by my patron came on board alone,
+and told me his guests had put off going, upon some business that fell
+out, and ordered me with the man and boy, as usual, to go out with the
+boat and catch them some fish, for that his friends were to sup at his
+house; and commanded that as soon as I got some fish I should bring it
+home to his house; all which I prepared to do.
+
+This moment my former notions of deliverance darted into my thoughts,
+for now I found I was like to have a little ship at my command; and my
+master being gone, I prepared to furnish myself, not for fishing
+business, but for a voyage; though I knew not, neither did I so much as
+consider, whither I should steer; for any where, to get out of that
+place, was my way.
+
+My first contrivance was to make a pretence to speak to this Moor, to
+get something for our subsistence on board; for I told him we must not
+presume to eat of our patron's bread; he said, that was true: so he
+brought a large basket of rusk or biscuit of their kind, and three jars
+with fresh water, into the boat. I knew where my patron's case of
+bottles stood, which it was evident, by the make, were taken out of some
+English prize, and I conveyed them into the boat while the Moor was on
+shore, as if they had been there before for our master: I conveyed also
+a great lump of bees-wax into the boat, which weighed above half a
+hundred weight, with a parcel of twine or thread, a hatchet, a saw, and
+a hammer, all which were of great use to us afterwards, especially the
+wax to make candles. Another trick I tried upon him, which he innocently
+came into also; his name was Ismael, whom they call Muley, or Moley; so
+I called him: "Moley," said I, "our patron's guns are on board the boat;
+can you not get a little powder and shot? it may be we may kill some
+alcamies (a fowl like our curlews) for ourselves, for I know he keeps
+the gunner's stores in the ship."--"Yes," says he, "I'll bring some;"
+and accordingly he brought a great leather pouch which held about a
+pound and a half of powder, or rather more; and another with shot, that
+had five or six pounds, with some bullets, and put all into the boat: at
+the same time I had found some powder of my master's in the great cabin,
+with which I filled one of the large bottles in the case, which was
+almost empty, pouring what was in it into another; and thus furnished
+with every thing needful, we sailed out of the port to fish. The castle,
+which is at the entrance of the port, knew who we were, and took no
+notice of us: and we were not above a mile out of the port before we
+hauled in our sail, and set us down to fish. The wind blew from the
+N.N.E. which was contrary to my desire; for had it blown southerly, I
+had been sure to have made the coast of Spain, and at least reached to
+the bay of Cadiz; but my resolutions were, blow which way it would, I
+would be gone from that horrid place where I was, and leave the rest
+to fate.
+
+After we had fished some time and catched nothing, for when I had fish
+on my hook I would not pull them up, that he might not see them, I said
+to the Moor, "This will not do; our master will not be thus served; we
+must stand farther off." He, thinking no harm, agreed, and being in the
+head of the boat set the sails; and as I had the helm I run the boat out
+near a league farther, and then brought her to as if I would fish; when
+giving the boy the helm, I stepped forward to where the Moor was, and
+making as if I stooped for something behind him, I took him by surprise
+with my arm under his waist, and tossed him clear overboard into the
+sea. He rose immediately, for he swam like a cork, and called to me,
+begged to be taken in, told me he would go all over the world with me.
+He swam so strong after the boat, that he would have reached me very
+quickly, there being but little wind; upon which I stepped into the
+cabin, and fetching one of the fowling-pieces, I presented it at him,
+and told him, I had done him no hurt, and if he would be quiet I would
+do him none: "But," said I, "you swim well enough to reach to the shore,
+and the sea is calm; make the best of your way to shore, and I will do
+you no harm; but if you come near the boat I'll shoot you through the
+head, for I am resolved to have my liberty." so he turned himself about,
+and swam for the shore, and I make no doubt but he reached it with ease,
+for he was an excellent swimmer.
+
+I could have been content to have taken this Moor with me, and have
+drowned the boy, but there was no venturing to trust him. When he was
+gone I turned to the boy, whom they called Xury, and said to him,
+"Xury, if you will be faithful to me I'll make you a great man; but if
+you will not stroke your face to be true to me," that is, swear by
+Mahomet and his father's beard, "I must throw you into the sea too." The
+boy smiled in my face, and spoke so innocently, that I could not
+mistrust him; and swore to be faithful to me, and go all over the
+world with me.
+
+While I was in view of the Moor that was swimming, I stood out directly
+to sea with the boat, rather stretching to windward, that they might
+think me gone towards the Straits' mouth; (as indeed any one that had
+been in their wits must have been supposed to do) for who would have
+supposed we were sailed on to the southward to the truly Barbarian
+coast, where whole nations of Negroes were sure to surround us with the
+canoes, and destroy us; where we could never once go on shore but we
+should be devoured by savage beasts, or more merciless savages of
+human kind?
+
+But as soon as it grew dusk in the evening, I changed my course, and
+steered directly south and by east, bending my course a little toward
+the east, that I might keep in with the shore; and having a fair, fresh
+gale of wind, and a smooth, quiet sea, I made such sail that I believe
+by the next day at three o'clock in the afternoon, when I first made the
+land, I could not be less than 150 miles south of Sallee; quite beyond
+the Emperor of Morocco's dominions, or indeed of any other king
+thereabout, for we saw no people.
+
+Yet such was the fright I had taken at the Moors, and the dreadful
+apprehensions I had of falling into their hands, that I would not stop,
+or go on shore, or come to an anchor; the wind continuing fair till I
+had sailed in that manner five days; and then the wind shifting to the
+southward, I concluded also that if any of our vessels were in chase of
+me, they also would now give over; so I ventured to make to the coast,
+and come to an anchor in the mouth of a little river, I knew not what,
+or where; neither what latitude, what country, what nation, or what
+river: I neither saw, or desired to see any people; the principal thing
+I wanted was fresh water. We came into this creek in the evening,
+resolving to swim on shore as soon as it was dark, and discover the
+country; but, as soon as it was quite dark, we heard such dreadful
+noises of the barking, roaring, and howling of wild creatures, of we
+knew not what kinds, that the poor boy was ready to die with fear, and
+begged of me not to go on shore till day. "Well, Xury," said I, "then I
+won't; but it may be we may see men by day, who will be as bad to us as
+those lions."--"Then we give them the shoot gun," says Xury, laughing,
+"make them run wey." Such English Xury spoke by conversing among us
+slaves. However I was glad to see the boy so cheerful, and I gave him a
+dram (out of our patron's case of bottles) to cheer him up. After all,
+Xury's advice was good, and I took it; we dropped our little anchor, and
+lay still all night; I say still, for we slept none; for in two or three
+hours we saw vast great creatures (we knew not what to call them) of
+many sorts, come down to the sea-shore and run into the water, wallowing
+and washing themselves for the pleasure of cooling themselves; and they
+made such hideous howlings and yellings, that I never indeed heard
+the like.
+
+Xury was dreadfully frightened, and indeed so was I too; but we were
+both more frightened when we heard one of these mighty creatures come
+swimming towards our boat; we could not see him, but we might hear him
+by his blowing to be a monstrous huge and furious beast; Xury said it
+was a lion, and it might be so for aught I know; but poor Xury cried to
+me to weigh the anchor and row away: "No," says I, "Xury; we can slip
+our cable with the buoy to it, and go off to sea; they cannot follow us
+far." I had no sooner said so, but I perceived the creature (whatever it
+was) within two oars' length, which something surprised me; however, I
+immediately stepped to the cabin-door, and taking up my gun, fired at
+him; upon which he immediately turned about, and swam towards the
+shore again.
+
+But it is impossible to describe the horrible noises, and hideous cries
+and howlings, that were raised, as well upon the edge of the shore as
+higher within the country, upon the noise or report of the gun, a thing
+I have some reason to believe those creatures had never heard before:
+this convinced me that there was no going on shore for us in the night
+upon that coast, and how to venture on shore in the day was another
+question too; for to have fallen into the hands of any of the savages,
+had been as bad as to have fallen into the hands of lions and tigers; at
+least we were equally apprehensive of the danger of it.
+
+Be that as it would, we were obliged to go on shore somewhere or other
+for water, for we had not a pint left in the boat; when or where to get
+it, was the point: Xury said, if I would let him go on shore with one
+of the jars, he would find if there was any water, and bring some to me.
+I asked him why he would go? why I should not go, and he stay in the
+boat? The boy answered with so much affection, that made me love him
+ever after. Says he, "If wild mans come, they eat me, you go
+wey."--"Well, Xury," said I, "we will both go, and if the wild mans
+come, we will kill them, they shall eat neither of us." So I gave Xury a
+piece of rusk bread to eat, and a dram out of our patron's case of
+bottles which I mentioned before; and we hauled the boat in as near the
+shore as we thought was proper, and so waded to shore; carrying nothing
+but our arms, and two jars for water.
+
+I did not care to go out of sight of the boat, fearing the coming of
+canoes with savages down the river: but the boy seeing a low place about
+a mile up the country, rambled to it; and by and by I saw him come
+running towards me. I thought he was pursued by some savage, or frighted
+with some wild beast, and I run forward towards him to help him, but
+when I came nearer to him, I saw something hanging over his shoulders,
+which was a creature that he had shot, like a hare, but different in
+colour, and longer legs; however, we were very glad of it, and it was
+very good meat; but the great joy that poor Xury came with, was to tell
+me he had found good water, and seen no wild mans.
+
+But we found afterwards that we need not take such pains for water, for
+a little higher up the creek where we were, we found the water fresh
+when the tide was out, which flows but a little way up; so we filled
+our jars, and feasted on the hare we had killed, and prepared to go on
+our way, having seen no footsteps of any human creature in that part of
+the country.
+
+As I had been one voyage to this coast before, I knew very well that the
+islands of the Canaries, and the Cape de Verd islands also, lay not far
+off from the coast. But as I had no instruments to take an observation
+to know what latitude we were in, and not exactly knowing, or at least
+remembering what latitude they were in, and knew not where to look for
+them, or when to stand off to sea towards them; otherwise I might now
+easily have found some of these islands. But my hope was, that if I
+stood along this coast till I came to that part where the English
+traded, I should find some of their vessels upon their usual design of
+trade, that would relieve and take us in.
+
+By the best of my calculation, that place where I now was, must be that
+country, which, lying between the emperor of Morocco's dominions and the
+Negroes, lies waste, and uninhabited, except by wild beasts; the Negroes
+having abandoned it, and gone farther south for fear of the Moors; and
+the Moors not thinking it worth inhabiting, by reason of its barrenness;
+and indeed both forsaking it because of the prodigious numbers of
+tigers, lions, and leopards, and other furious creatures which harbour
+there; so that the Moors use it for their hunting only, where they go
+like an army, two or three thousand men at a time; and indeed for near
+an hundred miles together upon this coast, we saw nothing but a waste,
+uninhabited country by day, and heard nothing but howlings and roaring
+of wild beasts by night.
+
+Once or twice in the day-time I thought I saw the Pico of Teneriffe,
+being the high top of the Mountain Teneriffe in the Canaries; and had a
+great mind to venture out, in hopes of reaching thither; but having
+tried twice, I was forced in again by contrary winds, the sea also going
+too high for my little vessel; so I resolved to pursue my first design,
+and keep along the shore.
+
+Several times I was obliged to land for fresh water, after we had left
+this place; and once in particular, being early in the morning, we came
+to an anchor under a little point of land which was pretty high; and the
+tide beginning to flow, we lay still to go farther in. Xury, whose eyes
+were more about him than it seems mine were, calls softly to me, and
+tells me that we had best go farther off the shore; "for," says he,
+"look yonder lies a dreadful monster on the side of that hillock fast
+asleep." I looked where he pointed, and saw a dreadful monster indeed,
+for it was a terrible great lion that lay on the side of the shore,
+under the shade of a piece of the hill that hung as it were a little
+over him. "Xury," says I, "you shall go on shore and kill him." Xury
+looked frightened, and said, "Me kill! he eat me at one mouth;" one
+mouthful he meant: however, I said no more to the boy, but bad him lie
+still, and I took our biggest gun, which was almost musket-bore, and
+loaded it with a good charge of powder, and with two slugs, and laid it
+down; then I loaded another gun with two bullets; and the third (for we
+had three pieces) I loaded with five smaller bullets. I took the best
+aim I could with the first piece to have shot him in the head, but he
+lay so with his leg raised a little above his nose, that the slugs hit
+his leg about the knee, and broke the bone. He started up, growling at
+first, but finding his leg broke, fell down again, and then got up upon
+three legs, and gave the most hideous roar that ever I heard. I was a
+little surprised that I had not hit him on the head; however, I took up
+the second piece immediately, and, though he began to move off, fired
+again, and shot him in the head, and had the pleasure to see him drop,
+and make but little noise, but lie struggling for life. Then Xury took
+heart, and would have me let him go on shore; "Well, go," said I; so the
+boy jumped into the water, and taking a little gun in one hand, swam to
+shore with the other hand, and coming close to the creature, put the
+muzzle of the piece to his ear, and shot him in the head again, which
+dispatched him quite.
+
+This was game indeed to us, but this was no food; and I was very sorry
+to lose three charges of powder and shot upon a creature that was good
+for nothing to us. However, Xury said he would have some of him; so he
+comes on board, and asked me to give him the hatchet. "For what, Xury?"
+said I, "Me cut off his head," said he. However, Xury could not cut off
+his head, but he cut off a foot, and brought it with him, and it was a
+monstrous great one.
+
+I bethought myself however, that perhaps the skin of him might one way
+or other be of some value to us; and I resolved to take off his skin if
+I could. So Xury and I went to work with him; but Xury was much the
+better workman at it, for I knew very ill how to do it. Indeed it took
+us both up the whole day, but at last we got off the hide of him, and
+spreading it on the top of our cabin, the sun effectually dried it in
+two days' time, and it afterwards served me to lie upon.
+
+After this stop, we made on to the southward continually for ten or
+twelve days, living very sparing on our provisions, which began to abate
+very much, and going no oftener into the shore than we were obliged to
+for fresh water: my design in this was, to make the river Gambia or
+Senegal, that is to say, any where about the Cape de Verd, where I was
+in hopes to meet with some European ship; and if I did not, I knew not
+what course I had to take, but to seek for the islands, or perish there
+among the Negroes, I knew that all the ships from Europe, which sailed
+either to the coast of Guinea or to Brazil, or to the East Indies, made
+this Cape, or those islands; and in a word, I put the whole of my
+fortune upon this single point, either that I must meet with some ship,
+or must perish.
+
+When I had pursued this resolution about ten days longer, as I have
+said, I began to see that the land was inhabited; and in two or three
+places, as we sailed by, we saw people stand upon the shore to look at
+us; we could also perceive they were quite black, and stark naked. I was
+once inclined to have gone off shore to them; but Xury was my better
+counsellor, and said to me, "No go, no go." However, I hauled in nearer
+the shore that I might talk to them, and I found they run along the
+shore by me a good way: I observed they had no weapons in their hands,
+except one, who had a long slender stick, which Nury said was a lance,
+and that they would throw them a great way with a good aim; so I kept
+at a distance, but talked with them by signs as well as I could; and
+particularly made signs for something to eat; they beckoned to me to
+stop my boat, and they would fetch me some meat. Upon this I lowered the
+top of my sail, and lay by, and two of them ran up into the country, and
+in less than half an hour came back, and brought with them two pieces of
+dry flesh and some corn, such as is the produce of their country; but we
+neither knew what the one or the other was: however, we were willing to
+accept it, but how to come at it was our next dispute, for I was not for
+venturing on shore to them, and they were as much afraid of us: but they
+took a safe way for us all, for they brought it to the shore and laid it
+down, and went and stood a great way off till we fetched it on board,
+and then came close to us again.
+
+We made signs of thanks to them, for we had nothing to make them amends;
+but an opportunity offered that very instant to oblige them wonderfully;
+for while we were lying by the shore came two mighty creatures, one
+pursuing the other (as we took it) with great fury from the mountains
+towards the sea; whether it was the male pursuing the female, or whether
+they were in sport or in rage, we could not tell, any more than we could
+tell whether it was usual or strange, but I believe it was the latter;
+because, in the first place, those ravenous creatures seldom appear but
+in the night; and in the second place, we found the people terribly
+frightened, especially the women. The man that had the lance or dart did
+not fly from them, but the rest did; however, as the two creatures ran
+directly into the water, they did not seem to offer to fall upon any of
+the Negroes, but plunged themselves into the sea, and swam about, as if
+they had come for their diversion: at last, one of them began to come
+nearer our boat than I at first expected; but I lay ready for him, for I
+had loaded my gun with all possible expedition, and bade Xury load both
+the others. As soon as he came fairly within my reach, I fired, and shot
+him directly in the head: immediately he sunk down into the water, but
+rose instantly, and plunged up and down, as if he was struggling for
+life, and so indeed he was: he immediately made to the shore; but
+between the wound, which was his mortal hurt, and the strangling of the
+water, he died just before he reached the shore.
+
+It is impossible to express the astonishment of these poor creatures, at
+the noise and fire of my gun; some of them were even ready to die for
+fear, and fell down as dead with the very terror; but when they saw the
+creature dead, and sunk in the water, and that I made signs to them to
+come to the shore, they took heart and came to the shore, and began to
+search for the creature. I found him by his blood staining the water;
+and by the help of a rope, which I slung round him, and gave the Negroes
+to haul, they dragged him on shore, and found that it was a most curious
+leopard, spotted, and fine to an admirable degree; and the Negroes held
+up their hands with admiration, to think what it was I had killed
+him with.
+
+The other creature, frightened with the flash of fire and the noise of
+the gun, swam on shore, and ran up directly to the mountains from
+whence they came; nor could I, at that distance, know what it was. I
+found quickly the Negroes were for eating the flesh of this creature, so
+I was willing to have them take it as a favour from me; which, when I
+made signs to them that they might take him, they were very thankful
+for. Immediately they fell to work with him; and though they had no
+knife, yet, with a sharpened piece of wood, they took off his skin as
+readily, and much more readily, than we could have done with a knife.
+They offered me some of the flesh, which I declined, making as if I
+would give it them, but made signs for the skin, which they gave me very
+freely, and brought me a great deal more of their provisions, which,
+though I did not understand, yet I accepted. I then made signs to them
+for some water, and held out one of my jars to them, turning it bottom
+upward, to show that it was empty, and that I wanted to have it filled.
+They called immediately to some of their friends, and there came two
+women, and brought a great vessel made of earth, and burnt, as I
+suppose, in the sun; this they set down to me, as before, and I sent
+Xury on shore with my jars, and filled them all three. The women were as
+stark naked as the men.
+
+I was now furnished with roots and corn, such as it was, and water; and
+leaving my friendly Negroes, I made forward for about eleven days more,
+without offering to go near the shore, till I saw the land run out a
+great length into the sea, at about the distance of four or five leagues
+before me; and the sea being very calm, I kept a large offing, to make
+this point. At length, doubling the point, at about two leagues from
+the land, I saw plainly land on the other side, to seaward: then I
+concluded, as it was most certain indeed, that this was the Cape de
+Verd, and those the islands, called, from thence, Cape de Verd Islands.
+However, they were at a great distance, and I could not well tell what I
+had best to do; for if I should be taken with a gale of wind, I might
+neither reach one nor the other.
+
+In this dilemma, as I was very pensive, I stepped into the cabin, and
+sat me down, Xury having the helm; when, on a sudden, the boy cried out,
+Master, master, a ship with a sail! and the foolish boy was frightened
+out of his wits, thinking it must needs be some of his master's ships
+sent to pursue us, when I knew we were gotten far enough out of their
+reach. I jumped out of the cabin, and immediately saw, not only the
+ship, but what she was, viz. that it was a Portuguese ship, and, as I
+thought, was bound to the coast of Guinea, for Negroes. But, when I
+observed the course she steered, I was soon convinced they were bound
+some other way, and did not design to come any nearer to the shore: upon
+which, I stretched out to sea as much as I could, resolving to speak
+with them, if possible.
+
+With all the sail I could make, I found I should not be able to come in
+their way, but that they would be gone by before I could make any signal
+to them: but after I had crowded to the utmost, and began to despair,
+they, it seems, saw me, by the help of their perspective glasses, and
+that it was some European boat, which, they supposed, must belong to
+some ship that was lost; so they shortened sail, to let me come up. I
+was encouraged with this, and as I had my patron's ensign on board, I
+made a waft of it to them, for a signal of distress, and fired a gun,
+both which they saw; for they told me they saw the smoke, though they
+did not hear the gun. Upon these signals, they very kindly brought to,
+and lay by for me; and in about three hours' time I came up with them.
+
+They asked me what I was, in Portuguese, and in Spanish, and in French,
+but I understood none of them; but, at last, a Scotch sailor, who was on
+board, called to me, and I answered him, and told him I was an
+Englishman, that I had made my escape out of slavery from the Moors, at
+Sallee: they then bade me come on board, and very kindly took me in, and
+all my goods.
+
+It was an inexpressible joy to me, which any one will believe, that I
+was thus delivered, as I esteemed it, from such a miserable, and almost
+hopeless, condition as I was in; and I immediately offered all I had to
+the captain of the ship, as a return for my deliverance; but he
+generously told me, he would take nothing from me, but that all I had
+should be delivered safe to me, when I came to the Brazils. "For," says
+he, "I have saved your life on no other terms than I would be glad to be
+saved myself; and it may, one time or other, be my lot to be taken up in
+the same condition. Besides," continued he, "when I carry you to the
+Brazils, so great a way from your own country, if I should take from you
+what you have, you will be starved there, and then I only take away that
+life I have given. No, no, Seignior Inglese," (Mr. Englishman,) says he;
+"I will carry you thither in charity, and these things will help to buy
+your subsistence there, and your passage home again."
+
+As he was charitable, in this proposal, so he was just in the
+performance, to a tittle; for he ordered the seamen, that none should
+offer to touch any thing I had: then he took every thing into his own
+possession, and gave me back an exact inventory of them, that I might
+have them, even so much as my three earthen jars.
+
+As to my boat, it was a very good one; and that he saw, and told me he
+would buy it of me for the ship's use; and asked me what I would have
+for it? I told him, he had been so generous to me in every thing, that I
+could not offer to make any price of the boat, but left it entirely to
+him: upon which, he told me he would give me a note of hand to pay me
+eighty pieces of eight for it at Brazil; and when it came there, if any
+one offered to give more, he would make it up. He offered me also sixty
+pieces of eight more for my boy Xury, which I was loth to take; not that
+I was not willing to let the captain have him, but I was very loth to
+sell the poor boy's liberty, who had assisted me so faithfully in
+procuring my own. However, when I let him know my reason, he owned it to
+be just, and offered me this medium, that he would give the boy an
+obligation to set him free in ten years, if he turned Christian: upon
+this, and Xury saying he was willing to go to him, I let the
+captain have him.
+
+We had a very good voyage to the Brazils, and arrived in the Bay de
+Todos los Santos, or All Saints' Bay, in about twenty-two days after.
+And now I was once more delivered from the most miserable of all
+conditions of life; and what to do next with myself, I was now
+to consider.
+
+The generous treatment the captain gave me, I can never enough remember:
+he would take nothing of me for my passage, gave me twenty ducats for
+the leopard's skin, and forty for the lion's skin, which I had in my
+boat, and caused every thing I had in the ship to be punctually
+delivered to me; and what I was willing to sell, he bought of me; such
+as the case of bottles, two of my guns, and a piece of the lump of
+bees-wax,--for I had made candles of the rest: in a word, I made about
+two hundred and twenty pieces of eight of all my cargo; and with this
+stock, I went on shore in the Brazils.
+
+I had not been long here, before I was recommended to the house of a
+good honest man, like himself, who had an ingeino as they call it, (that
+is, a plantation and a sugar-house.) I lived with him some time, and
+acquainted myself, by that means, with the manner of planting and making
+of sugar: and seeing how well the planters lived, and how they got rich
+suddenly, I resolved, if I could get a licence to settle there, I would
+turn planter among them: endeavouring, in the mean time, to find out
+some way to get my money, which I had left in London, remitted to me. To
+this purpose, getting a kind of a letter of naturalization, I purchased
+as much land that was uncured as my money would reach, and formed a plan
+for my plantation and settlement; such a one as might be suitable to the
+stock which I proposed to myself to receive from England.
+
+I had a neighbour, a Portuguese of Lisbon, but: born of English parents,
+whose name was Wells, and in much such circumstances as I was. I call
+him my neighbour, because his plantation lay next to mine, and we went
+on very sociably together. My stock was but low, as well as his; and we
+rather planted for food than any thing else, for about two years.
+However, we began to increase, and our land began to come into order; so
+that Ihe third year we planted some tobacco, and made each of us a large
+piece of ground ready for planting canes in the year to come: but we
+both wanted help; and now I found, more than before, I had done wrong in
+parting with my boy Xury.
+
+But, alas! for me to do wrong, that never did right, was no great
+wonder. I had no remedy, but to go on: I had got into an employment
+quite remote to my genius, and directly contrary to the life I delighted
+in, and for which I forsook my father's house, and broke through all his
+good advice: nay, I was coining into the very middle station, or upper
+degree of low life, which my father advised me to before; and which, if
+I resolved to go on with, I might as well have staid at home, and never
+have fatigued myself in the world, as I had done: and I used often to
+say to myself, I could have done this as well in England, among my
+friends, as have gone five thousand miles off to do it among strangers
+and savages, in a wilderness, and at such a distance as never to hear
+from any part of the world that had the least knowledge of me.
+
+In this manner, I used to look upon my condition with the utmost regret.
+I had nobody to converse with, but now and then this neighbour; no work
+to be done, but by the labour of my hands: and I used to say, I lived
+just like a man cast away upon some desolate island, that had nobody
+there but himself. But how just has it been! and how should all men
+reflect, that when they compare their present conditions with others
+that are worse, Heaven may oblige them to make the exchange, and be
+convinced of their former felicity by their experience: I say, how just
+has it been, that the truly solitary life I reflected on, in an island
+of mere desolation, should be my lot, who had so often unjustly compared
+it with the life which I then led, in which, had I continued, I had, in
+all probability, been exceeding prosperous and rich.
+
+I was, in some degree, settled in my measures for carrying on the
+plantation, before my kind friend, the captain of the ship that took me
+up at sea, went back; for the ship remained there, in providing his
+lading, and preparing for his voyage, near three months; when, telling
+him what little stock I had left behind me in London, he gave me this
+friendly and sincere advice: "Seignior Inglese," says he, for so he
+always called me, "if you will give me letters, and a procuration here
+in form to me, with orders to the person who has your money in London,
+to send your effects to Lisbon, to such persons as I shall direct, and
+in such goods as are proper for this country, I will bring you the
+produce of them, God willing, at my return; but, since human affairs are
+all subject to changes and disasters, I would have you give orders for
+but one hundred pounds sterling, which, you say, is half your stock, and
+let the hazard be run for the first, so that if it come safe, you may
+order the rest the same way; and, if it miscarry, you may have the other
+half to have recourse to for your supply."
+
+This was so wholesome advice, and looked so friendly, that I could not
+but be convinced it was the best course I could take; so I accordingly
+prepared letters to the gentlewoman with whom I left my money, and a
+procuration to the Portuguese captain, as he desired me.
+
+I wrote the English captain's widow a full account of all my adventures;
+my slavery, escape, and how I had met with the Portuguese captain at
+sea, the humanity of his behaviour, and what condition I was now in,
+with all other necessary directions for my supply; and when this honest
+captain came to Lisbon, he found means, by some of the English merchants
+there, to send over, not the order only, but a full account of my story
+to a merchant at London, who represented it effectually to her:
+whereupon she not only delivered the money, but, out of her own pocket,
+sent the Portuguese captain a very handsome present for his humanity and
+charity to me.
+
+The merchant in London, vesting this hundred pounds in English goods,
+such as the captain had wrote for, sent them directly to him at Lisbon,
+and he brought them all safe to me at the Brazils: among which, without
+my direction, (for I was too young in my business to think of them,) he
+had taken care to have all sorts of tools, iron work, and utensils,
+necessary for my plantation, and which were of great use to me.
+
+When this cargo arrived, I thought my fortune made, for I was surprised
+with the joy of it; and my good steward, the captain, had laid out the
+five pounds, which my friend had sent him as a present for himself, to
+purchase and bring me over a servant, under bond for six years' service,
+and would not accept of any consideration, except a little tobacco,
+which I would have him accept, being of my own produce.
+
+Neither was this all: but my goods being all English manufactures, such
+as cloths, stuffs, baize, and things particularly valuable and desirable
+in the country, I found means to sell them to a very great advantage; so
+that I might say, I had more than four times the value of my first
+cargo, and was now infinitely beyond my poor neighbour, I mean in the
+advancement of my plantation: for the first thing I did, I bought me a
+Negro slave, and ail European servant also; I mean another besides that
+which the captain brought me from Lisbon.
+
+But as abused prosperity is oftentimes made the very means of our
+adversity, so was it with me. I went on the next year with great success
+in my plantation; I raised fifty great rolls of tobacco on my own
+ground, more than I had disposed of for necessaries among my neighbours;
+and these fifty rolls, being each of above a hundred weight, were well
+cured, and laid by against the return of the fleet from Lisbon: and now,
+increasing in business and in wealth, my head began to be full of
+projects and undertakings beyond my reach; such as are, indeed, often
+the ruin of the best heads in business. Had I continued in the station
+I was now in, I had room for all the happy things to have yet befallen
+me, for which my father so earnestly recommended a quiet, retired life,
+and which he had so sensibly described the middle station of life to be
+full of: but other things attended me, and I was still to be the wilful
+agent of all my own miseries; and, particularly, to increase my fault,
+and double the reflections upon myself, which in my future sorrows I
+should have leisure to make, all these miscarriages were procured by my
+apparent obstinate adhering to my foolish inclination, of wandering
+about, and pursuing that inclination, in contradiction to the clearest
+views of doing myself good in a fair and plain pursuit of those
+prospects, and those measures of life, which nature and Providence
+concurred to present me with, and to make my duty.
+
+As I had once done thus in breaking away from my parents, so I could not
+be content now, but I must go and leave the happy view I had of being a
+rich and thriving man in my new plantation, only to pursue a rash and
+immoderate desire of rising faster than the nature of the thing
+admitted; and thus I cast myself down again into the deepest gulph of
+human misery that ever man fell into, or perhaps could be consistent
+with life, and a state of health in the world.
+
+To come, then, by just degrees, to the particulars of this part of my
+story:--You may suppose, that having now lived almost four years in the
+Brazils, and beginning to thrive and prosper very well upon my
+plantation, I had not only learned the language, but had contracted an
+acquaintance and friendship among my fellow-planters, as well as among
+the merchants at St. Salvador, which was our port; and that, in my
+discourses among them, I had frequently given them an account of my two
+voyages to the coast of Guinea, the manner of trading with the Negroes
+there, and how easy it was to purchase on the coast for trifles--such
+as beads, toys, knives, scissars, hatchets, bits of glass, and the
+like--not only gold dust, Guinea grains, elephants' teeth, &c. but
+Negroes, for the service of the Brazils, in great numbers.
+
+They listened always very attentively to my discourses on these heads,
+but especially to that part which related to the buying Negroes; which
+was a trade, at that time, not only not far entered into, but, as far as
+it was, had been carried on by the assientos, or permission of the kings
+of Spain and Portugal, and engrossed from the public; so that few
+Negroes were bought, and those excessive dear.
+
+It happened, being in company with some merchants and planters of my
+acquaintance, and talking of those things very earnestly, three of them
+came to me the next morning, and told me they had been musing very much
+upon what I had discoursed with them of the last night, and they came to
+make a secret proposal to me: and, after enjoining me to secrecy, they
+told me that they had a mind to fit out a ship to go to Guinea; that
+they had all plantations as well as I, and were straitened for nothing
+so much as servants; that as it was a trade that could not be carried
+on, because they could not publicly sell the Negroes when they came
+home, so they desired to make but one voyage, to bring the Negroes on
+shore privately, and divide them among their own plantations: and, in a
+word, the question was, whether I would go their supercargo in the ship,
+to manage the trading part upon the coast of Guinea; and they offered me
+that I should have an equal share of the Negroes, without providing any
+part of the stock.
+
+This was a fair proposal, it must be confessed, had it been made to any
+one that had not a settlement and plantation of his own to look after,
+which was in a fair way of coming to be very considerable, and with a
+good stock upon it. But for me, that was thus entered and established,
+and had nothing to do but go on as I had begun, for three or four years
+more, and to have sent for the other hundred pounds from England; and
+who, in that time, and with that little addition, could scarce have
+failed of being worth three or four thousand pounds sterling, and that
+increasing too; for me to think of such a voyage, was the most
+preposterous thing that ever man, in such circumstances, could be
+guilty of.
+
+But I, that was born to be my own destroyer, could no more resist the
+offer, than I could restrain my first rambling designs, when my father's
+good counsel was lost upon me. In a word, I told them I would go with
+all my heart, if they would undertake to look after my plantation in my
+absence, and would dispose of it to such as I should direct, if I
+miscarried. This they all engaged to do, and entered into writings or
+covenants to do so; and I made a formal will, disposing of my plantation
+and effects, in case of my death; making the captain of the ship that
+had saved my life, as before, my universal heir; but obliging him to
+dispose of my effects as I had directed in my will; one half of the
+produce being to himself, and the other to be shipped to England.
+
+In short, I took all possible caution to preserve my effects, and to
+keep up my plantation: had I used half as much prudence to have looked
+into my own interest, and have made a judgment of what I ought to have
+done and not to have done I had certainly never gone away from so
+prosperous an undertaking, leaving all the probable views of a thriving
+circumstance, and gone a voyage to sea, attended with all its common
+hazards, to say nothing of the reasons I had to expect particular
+misfortunes to myself.
+
+But I was hurried on, and obeyed blindly the dictates of my fancy,
+rather than my reason: and accordingly, the ship being fitted out, and
+the cargo furnished, and all things done as by agreement, by my partners
+in the voyage, I went on board in an evil hour again, the 1st of
+September, 1659, being the same day eight years that I went from my
+father and mother at Hull, in order to act the rebel to their authority,
+and the fool to my own interest.
+
+Our ship was about one hundred and twenty tons burden, carried six guns,
+and fourteen men, besides the master, his boy, and myself; we had on
+board no large cargo of goods, except of such toys as were fit for our
+trade with the Negroes, such as beads, bits of glass, shells, and odd
+trifles, especially little looking-glasses, knives, scissars, hatchets,
+and the like.
+
+The same day I went on board we set sail, standing away to the northward
+upon our own coast, with design to stretch over for the African coast.
+When they came about ten or twelve degrees of northern latitude, which,
+it seems, was the manner of their course in those days, we had very good
+weather, only excessive hot all the way upon our own coast, till we came
+to the height of Cape St. Augustino; from whence, keeping farther off at
+sea, we lost sight of land, and steered as if we were bound for the isle
+Fernando de Noronha, holding our course N.E. by N. and leaving those
+isles on the east. In this course we passed the line in about twelve
+days' time, and were by our last observation, in 7 degrees 22 minutes
+northern latitude, when a violent tornado, or hurricane, took us quite
+out of our knowledge: it began from the south-east, came about to the
+north-west, and then settled in the north-east; from whence it blew in
+such a terrible manner, that for twelve days together we could do
+nothing but drive, and, scudding away before it, let it carry us whither
+ever fate and the fury of the winds directed; and, during these twelve
+days, I need not say that I expected every day to be swallowed up; nor,
+indeed, did any in the ship expect to save their lives.
+
+In this distress, we had, besides the terror of the storm, one of our
+men died of the calenture, and one man and a boy washed overboard. About
+the twelfth day, the weather abating a little, the master made an
+observation as well as he could, and found that he was in about 11
+degrees north latitude, but that he was 22 degrees of longitude
+difference, west from Cape St. Augustino; so that he found he was got
+upon the coast of Guiana, or the north part of Brazil, beyond the river
+Amazons, toward that of the river Oroonoque, commonly called the Great
+River; and began to consult with me what course he should take, for the
+ship was leaky and very much disabled, add he was going directly back to
+the coast of Brazil.
+
+I was positively against that; and looking over the charts of the
+sea-coast of America with him, we concluded there was no inhabited
+country for us to have recourse to, till we came within the circle of
+the Caribbee islands, and therefore resolved to stand away for
+Barbadoes; which by keeping off to sea, to avoid the in-draft of the bay
+or gulf of Mexico, we might easily perform, as we hoped, in about
+fifteen days' sail; whereas we could not possibly make our voyage to the
+coast of Africa without some assistance, both to our ship and ourselves.
+
+With this design, we changed our course, and steered away N.W. by W. in
+order to reach some of our English islands, where I hoped for relief:
+but our voyage was otherwise determined; for being in the latitude of 12
+degrees 18 minutes, a second storm came upon us, which carried us away
+with the same impetuosity westward, and drove us so out of the very way
+of all human commerce, that had all our lives been saved, as to the sea,
+we were rather in danger of being devoured by savages than ever
+returning to our own country.
+
+In this distress, the wind still blowing very hard, one of our men early
+in the morning cried out, Land! and we had no sooner run out of the
+cabin to look out, in hopes of seeing whereabouts in the world we were,
+but the ship struck upon a sand, and in a moment, her motion being so
+stopped, the sea broke over her in such a manner, that we expected we
+should all have perished immediately; and we were immediately driven
+into our close quarters, to shelter us from the very foam and spray
+of the sea.
+
+It is not easy for any one, who has not been in the like condition, to
+describe or conceive the consternation of men in such circumstances; we
+knew nothing where we were, or upon what land it was we were driven,
+whether an island or the main, whether inhabited or not inhabited; and
+as the rage of the wind was still great, though rather less than at
+first, we could not so much as hope to have the ship hold many minutes,
+without breaking in pieces, unless the wind, by a kind of miracle,
+should immediately turn about. In a word, we sat looking upon one
+another, and expecting death every moment, and every man acting
+accordingly, as preparing for another world; for there was little or
+nothing more for us to do in this: that which was our present comfort,
+and all the comfort we had, was, that, contrary to our expectation, the
+ship did not break yet, and that the master said the wind began
+to abate.
+
+Now, though we thought that the wind did a little abate, yet the ship
+having thus struck upon the sand, and sticking too fast for us to expect
+her getting off, we were in a dreadful condition indeed, and had nothing
+to do but to think of saving our lives as well as we could. We had a
+boat at our stern just before the storm, but she was first staved by
+dashing against the ship's rudder, and, in the next place, she broke
+away, and either sunk, or was driven off to sea; so there was no hope
+from her: we had another boat on board, but how to get her off into the
+sea was a doubtful thing; however, there was no room to debate, for we
+fancied the ship would break in pieces every minute, and some told us
+she was actually broken already.
+
+In this distress, the mate of our vessel laid hold of the boat, and with
+the help of the rest of the men, they got her flung over the ship's
+side; and getting all into her, let her go, and committed ourselves,
+being eleven in number, to God's mercy, and the wild sea: for though the
+storm was abated considerably, yet the sea went dreadful high upon the
+shore, and might be well called _den wild zee_, as the Dutch call the
+sea in a storm.
+
+And now our case was very dismal indeed; for we all saw plainly, that
+the sea went so high, that the boat could not live, and that we should
+be inevitably drowned. As to making sail, we had none; nor, if we had,
+could we have done any thing with it; so we worked at the oar towards
+the land, though with heavy hearts, like men going to execution; for we
+all knew that when the boat came nearer to the shore, she would be
+dashed in a thousand pieces by the breach of the sea. However, we
+committed our souls to God in the most earnest manner; and the wind
+driving us towards the shore, we hastened our destruction with our own
+hands, pulling as well as we could towards land.
+
+What the shore was--whether rock or sand, whether steep or shoal--we
+knew not; the only hope that could rationally give us the least shadow
+of expectation, was, if we might happen into some bay or gulf, or the
+mouth of some river, where by great chance we might have run our boat
+in, or got under the lee of the land, and perhaps made smooth water. But
+there was nothing of this appeared; and as we made nearer and nearer the
+shore, the land looked more frightful than the sea.
+
+After we had rowed, or rather driven, about a league and a half, as we
+reckoned it, a raging wave, mountain-like, came rolling astern of us,
+and plainly bade us expect the _coup de grace_. In a word, it took us
+with such a fury, that it overset the boat at once; and separating us,
+as well from the boat as from one another, gave us not time hardly to
+say, "O God!" for we were all swallowed up in a moment.
+
+Nothing can describe the confusion of thought which I felt, when I sunk
+into the water; for though I swam very well, yet I could not deliver
+myself from the waves so as to draw my breath, till that wave having
+driven me, or rather carried me, a vast way on towards the shore, and
+having spent itself, went back, and left me upon the land almost dry,
+but half dead with the water I took in. I had so much presence of mind,
+as well as breath left, that seeing myself nearer the main land than I
+expected, I got upon my feet, and endeavoured to make on towards the
+land as fast as I could, before another wave should return and take me
+up again; but I soon found it was impossible to avoid it; for I saw the
+sea come after me as high as a great hill, and as furious as an enemy,
+which I had no means or strength to contend with: my business was to
+hold my breath, and raise myself upon the water, if I could; and so, by
+swimming, to preserve my breathing, and pilot myself towards the shore,
+if possible; my greatest concern now being, that the wave, as it would
+carry me a great way towards the shore when it came on, might not carry
+me back again with it when it gave back towards the sea.
+
+The wave that came upon me again, buried me at once twenty or thirty
+feet deep in its own body; and I could feel myself carried with a mighty
+force and swiftness towards the shore a very great way; but I held my
+breath, and assisted myself to swim still forward with all my might. I
+was ready to burst with holding my breath, when, as I felt myself rising
+up, so, to my immediate relief, I found my head and hands shoot out
+above the surface of the water; and though it was not two seconds of
+time that I could keep myself so, yet it relieved me greatly, gave me
+breath, and new courage. I was covered again with water a good while,
+but not so long but I held it out; and finding the water had spent
+itself, and began to return, I struck forward against the return of the
+waves, and felt ground again with my feet. I stood still a few moments,
+to recover breath, and till the water went from me, and then took to my
+heels, and ran with what strength I had farther towards the shore. But
+neither would this deliver me from the fury of the sea, which came
+pouring in after me again; and twice more I was lifted up by the waves
+and carried forwards as before, the shore being very flat.
+
+The last time of these two had well nigh been fatal to me; for the sea
+having hurried me along, as before, landed me, or rather dashed me,
+against a piece of a rock, and that with such force, that it left me
+senseless, and indeed helpless, as to my own deliverance; for the blow
+taking my side and breast, beat the breath, as it were, quite out of my
+body; and had it returned again immediately, I must have been strangled
+in the water: but I recovered a little before the return of the waves,
+and seeing I should again be covered with the water, I resolved to hold
+fast by a piece of the rock, and so to hold my breath, if possible, till
+the wave went back. Now as the waves were not so high as the first,
+being nearer land, I held my hold till the wave abated, and then fetched
+another run, which brought me so near the shore, that the next wave,
+though it went over me, yet did not so swallow me up as to carry me
+away; and the next run I took, I got to the main land; where, to my
+great comfort, I clambered up the cliffs of the shore, and sat me down
+upon the grass, free from danger, and quite out of the reach of
+the water.
+
+I was now landed, and safe on shore, and began to look up and thank God
+that my life was saved, in a case wherein there were, some minutes
+before, scarce any room to hope. I believe it is impossible to express,
+to the life, what the ecstasies and transports of the soul are, when it
+is so saved, as I may say, out of the grave: and I did not wonder now at
+the custom, viz. that when a malefactor, who has the halter about his
+neck, is tied up, and just going to be turned off, and has a reprieve
+brought to him; I say, I do not wonder that they bring a surgeon with
+it, to let him blood that very moment they tell him of it, that the
+surprise may not drive the animal spirits from the heart, and
+overwhelm him.
+
+     For sudden joys, like griefs, confound at first.
+
+I walked about on the shore, lifting up my hands, and my whole being, as
+I may say, wrapt up in the contemplation of my deliverance; making a
+thousand gestures and motions, which I cannot describe; reflecting upon
+my comrades that were drowned, and that there should not be one soul
+saved but myself; for, as for them, I never saw them afterwards, or any
+sign of them, except three of their hats, one cap, and two shoes that
+were not fellows.
+
+I cast my eyes to the stranded vessel--when the breach and froth of the
+sea being so big I could hardly see it, it lay so far off--and
+considered, Lord! how was it possible I could get on shore?
+
+After I had solaced my mind with the comfortable part of my condition, I
+began to look round me, to see what kind of a place I was in, and what
+was next to be done; and I soon found my comforts abate, and that, in a
+word, I had a dreadful deliverance: for I was wet, had no clothes to
+shift me, nor any thing either to eat or drink, to comfort me; neither
+did I see any prospect before me, but that of perishing with hunger, or
+being devoured by wild beasts: and that which was particularly
+afflicting to me was, that I had no weapon, either to hunt and kill any
+creature for my sustenance, or to defend myself against any other
+creature that might desire to kill me for theirs. In a word, I had
+nothing about me but a knife, a tobacco-pipe, and a little tobacco in a
+box. This was all my provision; and this threw me into such terrible
+agonies of mind, that, for a while, I ran about like a madman. Night
+coming upon me, I began, with a heavy heart, to consider what would be
+my lot if there were any ravenous beasts in that country, seeing at
+night they always come abroad for their prey.
+
+All the remedy that offered to my thoughts; at that time, was, to get up
+into a thick bushy tree, like a fir, but thorny--which grew near me, and
+where I resolved to sit all night--and consider the next day what death
+I should die, for as yet I saw no prospect of life. I walked about a
+furlong from the shore, to see if I could find any fresh water to drink,
+which I did, to my great joy; and having drank, and put a little
+tobacco into my mouth to prevent hunger, I went to the tree, and getting
+up into it, endeavoured to place myself so, as that if I should fall
+asleep, I might not fall; and having cut me a short stick, like a
+truncheon, for my defence, I took up my lodging; and having been
+excessively fatigued, I fell fast asleep, and slept as comfortably as, I
+believe, few could have done in my condition; and found myself the most
+refreshed with it that I think I ever was on such an occasion.
+
+When I waked it was broad day, the weather clear, and the storm abated,
+so that the sea did not rage and swell as before; but that which
+surprised me most was, that the ship was lifted off in the night from
+the sand where she lay, by the swelling of the tide, and was driven up
+almost as far as the rock which I at first mentioned, where I had been
+so bruised by the wave dashing me against it. This being within about a
+mile from the shore where I was, and the ship seeming to stand upright
+still, I wished myself on board, that at least I might save some
+necessary things for my use.
+
+When I came down from my apartment in the tree, I looked about me again,
+and the first thing I found was the boat; which lay, as the wind and the
+sea had tossed her up, upon the land, about two miles on my right hand.
+I walked as far as I could upon the shore to have got to her; but found
+a neck, or inlet, of water between me and the boat, which was about half
+a mile broad; so I came back for the present, being more intent upon
+getting at the ship, where I hoped to find something for my present
+subsistence.
+
+A little after noon, I found the sea very calm, and the tide ebbed so
+far out, that I could come within a quarter of a mile of the ship: and
+here I found a fresh renewing of my grief; for I saw evidently, that if
+we had kept on board, we had been all safe; that is to say, we had all
+got safe on shore, and I had not been so miserable as to be left
+entirely destitute of all comfort and company, as I now was. This forced
+tears from my eyes again; but as there was little relief in that, I
+resolved, if possible, to get to the ship; so I pulled off my clothes,
+for the weather was hot to extremity, and took the water; but when I
+came to the ship, my difficulty was still greater to know how to get on
+board; for as she lay aground, and high out of the water, there was
+nothing within my reach to lay hold of. I swam round her twice, and the
+second time I spied a small piece of a rope, which I wondered I did not
+see at first, hang down by the fore-chains so low, as that with great
+difficulty, I got hold of it, and by the help of that rope got into the
+forecastle of the ship. Here I found that the ship was bulged, and had a
+great deal of water in her hold; but that she lay so on the side of a
+bank of hard sand, or rather earth, that her stern lay lifted up upon
+the bank, and her head low, almost to the water. By this means all her
+quarter was free, and all that was in that part was dry; for you may be
+sure my first work was to search and to see what was spoiled and what
+was free: and, first, I found that all the ship's provisions were dry
+and untouched by the water; and, being very well disposed to eat, I went
+to the bread-room, and filled my pockets with biscuit, and eat it as I
+went about other things, for I had no time to lose. I also found some
+rum in the great cabin, of which I took a large dram, and which I had
+indeed need enough of, to spirit me for what was before me. Now I wanted
+nothing but a boat, to furnish myself with many things which I foresaw
+would be very necessary to me.
+
+It was in vain to sit still and wish for what was not to be had, and
+this extremity roused my application: we had several spare yards, and
+two or three large spars of wood, and a spare top-mast or two in the
+ship; I resolved to fall to work with these, and flung as many overboard
+as I could manage for their weight, tying every one with a rope, that
+they might not drive away. When this was done, I went down the ship's
+side, and pulling them to me, I tied four of them fast together at both
+ends, as well as I could, in the form of a raft, and laying two or three
+short pieces of plank upon them, crossways, I found I could walk upon it
+very well, but that it was not able to bear any great weight, the pieces
+being too light: so I went to work, and with the carpenter's saw I cut a
+spare top-mast into three lengths, and added them to my raft, with a
+great deal of labour and pains. But the hope of furnishing myself with
+necessaries, encouraged me to go beyond what I should have been able to
+have done upon another occasion.
+
+My raft was now strong enough to bear any reasonable weight. My next
+care was what to load it with, and how to preserve what I laid upon it
+from the surf of the sea; but I was not long considering this. I first
+laid all the planks or boards upon it that I could get, and having
+considered well what I most wanted, I got three of the seamen's chests,
+which I had broken open and emptied, and lowered them down upon my raft;
+these I filled with provisions, viz. bread, rice, three Dutch cheeses,
+five pieces of dried goats' flesh, (which we lived much upon,) and a
+little remainder of European corn, which had been laid by for some fowls
+which we had brought to sea with us, but the fowls were killed. There
+had been some barley and wheat together, but, to my great
+disappointment, I found afterwards that the rats had eaten or spoiled it
+all. As for liquors, I found several cases of bottles belonging to our
+skipper, in which were some cordial waters; and, in all, about five or
+six gallons of rack. These I stowed by themselves, there being no need
+to put them into the chests, nor any room for them. While I was doing
+this, I found the tide began to flow, though very calm; and I had the
+mortification to see my coat, shirt, and waistcoat, which I had left on
+shore, upon the sand, swim away; as for my breeches, which were only
+linen, and open-knee'd, I swam on board in them, and my stockings.
+However, this put me upon rummaging for clothes, of which I found
+enough, but took no more than I wanted for present use, for I had other
+things which my eye was more upon; as, first, tools to work with on
+shore and it was after long searching that I found the carpenter's
+chest, which was indeed a very useful prize to me, and much more
+valuable than a ship-lading of gold would have been at that time. I got
+it down to my raft, even whole as it was, without losing time to look
+into it, for I knew in general what it contained.
+
+My next care was for some ammunition and arms. There were two very good
+fowling-pieces in the great cabin, and two pistols; these I secured
+first, with some powder-horns and a small bag of shot, and two old rusty
+swords. I knew there were three barrels of powder in the ship, but knew
+not where our gunner had stowed them; but with much search I found them,
+two of them dry and good, the third had taken water. Those two I got to
+my raft, with the arms. And now I thought myself pretty well freighted,
+and began to think how I should get to shore with them, having neither
+sail, oar, nor rudder; and the least cap-full of wind would have overset
+all my navigation.
+
+I had three encouragements: 1st, A smooth, calm sea: 2dly, The tide
+rising, and setting in to the shore: 3dly, What little wind there was,
+blew me towards the land. And thus, having found two or three broken
+oars belonging to the boat, and besides the tools which were in the
+chest, I found two saws, an axe, and a hammer; and with this cargo I put
+to sea. For a mile, or thereabouts, my raft went very well, only that I
+found it drive a little distant from the place where I had landed
+before; by which I perceived that there was some indraft of the water,
+and consequently I hoped to find some creek or river there, which I
+might make use of as a port to get to land with my cargo.
+
+As I imagined, so it was: there appeared before me a little opening of
+the land, and I found a strong current of the tide set into it; so I
+guided my raft, as well as I could, to get into the middle of the
+stream. But here I had like to have suffered a second shipwreck, which,
+if I had, I think verily would have broken my heart; for knowing nothing
+of the coast, my raft ran aground at one end of it upon a shoal, and not
+being aground at the other end, it wanted but a little that all my cargo
+had slipped off towards that end that was afloat, and so fallen into the
+water. I did my utmost, by setting my back against the chests, to keep
+them in their places, but could not thrust off the raft with all my
+strength; neither durst I stir from the posture I was in, but holding up
+the chests with all my might, I stood in that manner near half an hour,
+in which time the rising of the water brought me a little more upon a
+level; and a little after, the water still rising, my raft floated
+again, and I thrust her off with the oar I had into the channel, and
+then driving up higher, I at length found myself in the mouth of a
+little river, with land on both sides, and a strong current or tide
+running up. I looked on both sides for a proper place to get to shore,
+for I was not willing to be driven too high up the river; hoping, in
+time, to see some ship at sea, and therefore resolved to place myself as
+near the coast as I could.
+
+At length I spied a little cove on the right shore of the creek, to
+which, with great pain and difficulty, I guided my raft, and at last got
+so near, as that reaching ground with my oar, I could thrust her
+directly in; but here I had like to have dipped all my cargo into the
+sea again; for that shore lying pretty steep, that is to say, sloping,
+there was no place to land, but where one end of my float, if it ran on
+shore, would lie so high, and the other sink lower, as before, that it
+would endanger my cargo again. All that I could do, was to wait till the
+tide was at the highest, keeping the raft with my oar like an anchor, to
+hold the side of it fast to the shore, near a flat piece of ground,
+which I expected the water would flow over; and so it did. As soon as I
+found water enough, for my raft drew about a foot of water, I thrust her
+upon that flat piece of ground, and there fastened or moored her, by
+sticking my two broken oars into the ground; one on one-side, near one
+end, and one on the other side, near the other end: and thus I lay till
+the water ebbed away, and left my raft and all my cargo safe on shore.
+
+My next work was to view the country, and seek a proper place for my
+habitation, and where to stow my goods, to secure them from whatever
+might happen. Where I was, I yet knew not; whether on the continent, or
+on an island; whether inhabited, or not inhabited; whether in danger of
+wild beasts, or not. There was a hill, not above a mile from me, which
+rose up very steep and high, and which seemed to overtop some other
+hills, which lay as in a ridge from it, northward. I took out one of the
+fowling-pieces, and one of the pistols, and a horn of powder; and thus
+armed, I travelled for discovery up to the top of that hill; where,
+after I had, with great labour and difficulty, got up to the top, I saw
+my fate, to my great affliction, viz. that I was in an island, environed
+every way with the sea, no land to be seen, except some rocks, which lay
+a great way off, and two small islands, less than this, which lay about
+three leagues to the west.
+
+I found also that the island I was in was barren, and, as I saw good
+reason to believe, uninhabited, except by wild beasts, of whom, however,
+I saw none; yet I saw abundance of fowls, but knew not their kinds;
+neither, when I killed them, could I tell what was fit for food, and
+what not. At my coming back, I shot at a great bird, which I saw sitting
+upon a tree, on the side of a great wood. I believe it was the first gun
+that had been fired there since the creation of the world: I had no
+sooner fired, but from all the parts of the wood there arose an
+innumerable number of fowls, of many sorts, making a confused screaming,
+and crying, every one according to his usual note; but not one of them
+of any kind that I knew. As for the creature I killed, I took it to be a
+kind of a hawk, its colour and beak resembling it, but had no talons or
+claws more than common. Its flesh was carrion, and fit for nothing.
+
+Contented with this discovery, I came back to my raft, and fell to work
+to bring my cargo on shore, which took me up the rest of that day: what
+to do with myself at night I knew not, nor indeed where to rest: for I
+was afraid to lie down on the ground, not knowing but some wild beast
+might devour me; though, as I afterwards found, there was really no need
+for those fears.
+
+However, as well as I could, I barricadoed myself round with the chests
+and boards that I had brought on shore, and made a kind of a hut for
+that night's lodging. As for food, I yet saw not which way to supply
+myself, except that I had seen two or three creatures, like hares, run
+out of the wood where I shot the fowl.
+
+I now began to consider, that I might yet get a great many things out of
+the ship, which would be useful to me, and particularly some of the
+rigging and sails, and such other things as might come to land; and I
+resolved to make another voyage on board the vessel, if possible. And as
+I knew that the first storm that blew must necessarily break her all in
+pieces, I resolved to set all other things apart, till I got every thing
+out of the ship that I could get. Then I called a council, that is to
+say, in my thoughts, whether I should take back the raft; but this
+appeared impracticable: so I resolved to go as before, when the tide was
+down; and I did so, only that I stripped before I went from my hut;
+having nothing on but a chequered shirt, a pair of linen drawers, and a
+pair of pumps on my feet.
+
+I got on board the ship as before, and prepared a second raft; and
+having had experience of the first, I neither made this so unwieldy, nor
+loaded it so hard, but yet I brought away several things very useful to
+me: as, first, in the carpenter's stores, I found two or three bags of
+nails and spikes, a great screw-jack, a dozen or two of hatchets; and,
+above all, that most useful thing called a grind-stone. All these I
+secured together, with several things belonging to the gunner;
+particularly two or three iron crows, and two barrels of musket bullets,
+seven muskets, and another fowling-piece, with some small quantity of
+powder more; a large bag-full of small shot, and a great roll of
+sheet-lead; but this last was so heavy, I could not hoist it up to get
+it over the ship's side.
+
+Besides these things, I took all the men's clothes that I could find,
+and a spare fore-top sail, a hammock, and some bedding; and with this I
+loaded my second raft, and brought them all safe on shore, to my very
+great comfort.
+
+I was under some apprehensions, during my absence from the land, that at
+least my provisions might be devoured on shore: but when I came back, I
+found no sign of any visitor; only there sat a creature like a wild cat,
+upon one of the chests, which, when I came towards it, ran away a little
+distance, and then stood still. She sat very composed and unconcerned,
+and looked full in my face, as if she had a mind to be acquainted with
+me. I presented my gun to her, but, as she did not understand it, she
+was perfectly unconcerned at it, nor did she offer to stir away; upon
+which I tossed her a bit of biscuit, though, by the way, I was not very
+free of it, for my store was not great: however, I spared her a bit, I
+say, and she went to it, smelled of it, and ate it, and looked (as
+pleased) for more; but I thanked her, and could spare no more: so she
+marched off.
+
+Having got my second cargo on shore--though I was fain to open the
+barrels of powder, and bring them by parcels, for they were too heavy,
+being large casks--I went to work to make me a little tent, with the
+sail, and some poles, which I cut for that purpose; and into this tent I
+brought every thing that I knew would spoil either with rain or sun; and
+I piled all the empty chests and casks up in a circle round the tent, to
+fortify it from any sudden attempt either from man or beast.
+
+When I had done this, I blocked up the door of the tent with some boards
+within, and an empty chest set up on end without; and spreading one of
+the beds upon the ground, laying my two pistols just at my head, and my
+gun at length by me, I went to bed for the first time, and slept very
+quietly all night, for I was very weary and heavy; for the night before
+I had slept little, and had laboured very hard all day, as well to fetch
+all those things from the ship, as to get them on shore.
+
+I had the biggest magazine of all kinds now that ever was laid up, I
+believe, for one man: but I was not satisfied still: for while the ship
+sat upright in that posture, I thought I ought to get every thing out of
+her that I could: so every day, at low water, I went on board, and
+brought away something or other; but particularly the third time I went,
+I brought away as much of the rigging as I could, as also all the small
+ropes and rope-twine I could get, with a piece of spare canvass, which
+was to mend the sails upon occasion, and the barrel of wet gunpowder.
+In a word, I brought away all the sails first and last; only that I was
+fain to cut them in pieces, and bring as much at a time as I could; for
+they were no more useful to be sails, but as mere canvass only.
+
+But that which comforted me still more, was, that, last of all, after I
+had made five or six such voyages as these, and thought I had nothing
+more to expect from the ship that was worth my meddling with; I say,
+after all this, I found a great hogshead of bread, and three large
+runlets of rum or spirits, and a box of sugar, and a barrel of fine
+flour; this was surprising to me, because I had given over expecting any
+more provisions, except what was spoiled by the water. I soon emptied
+the hogshead of that bread, and wrapped it up, parcel by parcel, in
+pieces of the sails, which I cut out; and, in a word, I got all this
+safe on shore also.
+
+The next day I made another voyage, and now having plundered the ship of
+what was portable and fit to hand out, I began with the cables, and
+cutting the great cable into pieces, such as I could move, I got two
+cables and a hawser on shore, with all the iron-work I could get; and
+having cut down the spritsail-yard, and the mizen-yard, and every thing
+I could, to make a large raft, I loaded it with all those heavy goods;
+and came away; but my good luck began now to leave me; for this raft was
+so unwieldy, and so overladen, that after I was entered the little cove,
+where I had landed the rest of my goods, not being able to guide it so
+handily as I did the other, it overset, and threw me and all my cargo
+into the water; as for myself, it was no great harm, for I was near the
+shore; but as to my cargo, it was a great part of it lost, especially
+the iron, which I expected would have been of great use to me: however,
+when the tide was out, I got most of the pieces of cable ashore, and
+some of the iron, though with infinite labour; for I was fain to dip for
+it into the water, a work which fatigued me very much. After this I went
+every day on board, and brought away what I could get.
+
+I had been now thirteen days ashore, and had been eleven times on board
+the ship; in which time I had brought away all that one pair of hands
+could well be supposed capable to bring; though I believe verily, had
+the calm weather held, I should have brought away the whole ship, piece
+by piece; but preparing the twelfth time to go on board, I found the
+wind began to rise: however, at low water, I went on board; and though I
+thought I had rummaged the cabin so effectually, as that nothing could
+be found, yet I discovered a locker with drawers in it, in one of which
+I found two or three razors, and one pair of large scissars with some
+ten or a dozen of good knives and forks; in another I found about
+thirty-six pounds value in money, some European coin, some Brazil, some
+pieces of eight, some gold, and some silver.
+
+I smiled to myself at the sight of this money: "O drug!" said I aloud,
+"what art thou good for? Thou art not worth to me, no, not the taking
+off the ground; one of those knives is worth all this heap: I have no
+manner of use for thee; e'en remain where thou art, and go to the
+bottom, as a creature whose life is not worth saving." However, upon
+second thoughts, I took it away; and wrapping all this in a piece of
+canvass, I began to think of making another raft; but while I was
+preparing this, I found the sky over-cast, and the wind began to rise,
+and in a quarter of an hour it blew a fresh gale from the shore. It
+presently occurred to me, that it was in vain to pretend to make a raft
+with the wind off shore; and that it was my business to be gone before
+the tide of flood began, or otherwise I might not be able to reach the
+shore at all. Accordingly I let myself down into the water, and swam
+across the channel which lay between the ship and the sands, and even
+that with difficulty enough, partly with the weight of the things I had
+about me, and partly the roughness of the water; for the wind rose very
+hastily, and before it was quite high water it blew a storm.
+
+But I was got home to my little tent, where I lay, with all my wealth
+about me very secure. It blew very hard all that night, and in the
+morning, when I looked out, behold, no more ship was to be seen! I was a
+little surprised, but recovered myself with this satisfactory
+reflection, viz. that I had lost no time, nor abated no diligence, to
+get every thing out of her that could be useful to me, and that, indeed,
+there was little left in her that I was able to bring away, if I had had
+more time.
+
+I now gave over any more thoughts of the ship, or of any thing out of
+her, except what might drive on shore, from her wreck; as, indeed,
+divers pieces of her afterwards did; but those things were of small
+use to me.
+
+My thoughts were now wholly employed about securing myself against
+either savages, if any should appear, or wild beasts, if any were in the
+island; and I had many thoughts of the method how to do this, and what
+kind of dwelling to make, whether I should make me a cave in the earth,
+or a tent upon the earth: and in short, I resolved upon both; the manner
+and description of which, it may not be improper to give an account of.
+
+I soon found the place I was in was not for my settlement, particularly
+because it was upon a low, moorish ground, near the sea, and I believed
+it would not be wholesome; and more particularly because there was no
+fresh water near it: so I resolved to find a more healthy and more
+convenient spot of ground.
+
+I consulted several things in my situation, which I found would be
+proper for me: 1st, Health and fresh water, I just now mentioned: 2dly,
+Shelter from the heat of the sun: 3dly, Security from ravenous
+creatures, whether men or beasts: 4thly, A view to the sea, that if God
+sent any ship in sight, I might not lose any advantage for my
+deliverance, of which I was not willing to banish all my
+expectation yet.
+
+In search for a place proper for this, I found a little plain on the
+side of a rising hill, whose front towards this little plain was steep
+as a house-side, so that nothing could come down upon me from the top.
+On the side of this rock there was a hollow place, worn a little way in,
+like the entrance or door of a cave; but there was not really any cave,
+or way into the rock, at all.
+
+On the flat of the green, just before this hollow place, I resolved to
+pitch my tent. This plain was not above a hundred yards broad, and about
+twice as long, and lay like a green before my door; and, at the end of
+it, descended irregularly every way down into the low ground by the sea
+side. It was on the N.N.W. side of the hill; so that it was sheltered
+from the heat every day, till it came to a W. and by S. sun, or
+thereabouts, which, in those countries, is near the setting.
+
+Before I set up my tent, I drew a half-circle before the hollow place,
+which took in about ten yards in its semi-diameter from the rock, and
+twenty yards in its diameter, from its beginning and ending.
+
+In this half-circle I pitched two rows of strong stakes, driving them
+into the ground till they stood very firm like piles, the biggest end
+being out of the ground about five feet and a half and sharpened on the
+top. The two rows did not stand above six inches from one another.
+
+Then I took the pieces of cable which I cut in the ship, and laid them
+in rows, one upon another, within the circle, between these two rows of
+stakes, up to the top, placing other stakes in the inside, leaning
+against them, about two feet and a half high, like a spur to a post; and
+this fence was so strong, that neither man nor beast could get into it
+or over it. This cost me a great deal of time and labour, especially to
+cut the piles in the woods, bring them to the place, and drive them into
+the earth.
+
+The entrance into this place I made to be not by a door, but by a short
+ladder to go over the top; which ladder, when I was in, I lifted over
+after me; and so I was completely fenced in and fortified, as I thought,
+from all the world, and consequently slept secure in the night, which
+otherwise I could not have done; though, as it appeared afterwards,
+there was no need of all this caution from the enemies that I
+apprehended danger from.
+
+Into this fence, or fortress, with infinite labour, I carried all my
+riches, all my provisions, ammunition, and stores, of which you have the
+account above; and I made a large tent, which, to preserve me from the
+rains, that in one part of the year are very violent there, I made
+double, viz. one smaller tent within, and one larger tent above it, and
+covered the uppermost with a large tarpaulin, which I had saved among
+the sails.
+
+And now I lay no more for a while in the bed which I had brought on
+shore, but in a hammock, which was indeed a very good one, and belonged
+to the mate of the ship.
+
+Into this tent I brought all my provisions, and every thing that would
+spoil by the wet; and having thus enclosed all my goods, I made up the
+entrance which till now I had left open, and so passed and repassed, as
+I said, by a short ladder.
+
+When I had done this, I began to work my way into the rock, and bringing
+all the earth and stones that I dug down out through my tent, I laid
+them up within my fence in the nature of a terrace, so that it raised
+the ground within about a foot and an half; and thus I made me a cave,
+just behind my tent, which served me like a cellar to my house. It cost
+me much labour and many days, before all these things were brought to
+perfection; and therefore I must go back to some other things which took
+up some of my thoughts. At the same time it happened, after I had laid
+my scheme for the setting up my tent, and making the cave, that a storm
+of rain falling from a thick, dark cloud, a sudden flash of lightning
+happened, and after that, a great clap of thunder, as is naturally the
+effect of it. I was not so much surprised with the lightning, as I was
+with a thought, which darted into my mind as swift as the lightning
+itself: O my powder! My very heart sunk within me when I thought, that
+at one blast, all my powder might be destroyed; on which, not my defence
+only, but the providing me food, as I thought, entirely depended. I was
+nothing near so anxious about my own danger, though, had the powder took
+fire, I had never known who had hurt me.
+
+Such impression did this make upon me, that after the storm was over, I
+laid aside all my works, my building and fortifying, and applied myself
+to make bags and boxes, to separate the powder, and to keep it a little
+and a little in a parcel, in hope that whatever might come, it might not
+all take fire at once; and to keep it so apart, that it should not be
+possible to make one part fire another. I finished this work in about a
+fortnight; and I think my powder, which in all was about 240 lb. weight,
+was divided in not less than a hundred parcels. As to the barrel that
+had been wet, I did not apprehend any danger from that; so I placed it
+in my new cave, which, in my fancy, I called my kitchen, and the rest I
+hid up and down in holes among the rocks, so that no wet might come to
+it, marking very carefully where I laid it.
+
+In the interval of time while this was doing, I went out at least once
+every day with my gun, as well to divert myself, as to see if I could
+kill any thing fit for food; and, as near as I could, to acquaint myself
+with what the island produced. The first time I went out, I presently
+discovered that there were goats upon the island, which was a great
+satisfaction to me; but then it was attended with this misfortune to me,
+viz. that they were so shy, so subtle, and so swift of foot, that it was
+the most difficult thing in the world to come at them: but I was not
+discouraged at this, not doubting but I might now and then shoot one, as
+it soon happened; for after I had found their haunts a little, I laid
+wait in this manner for them: I observed, if they saw me in the valleys,
+though they were upon the rocks, they would run away as in a terrible
+fright; but if they were feeding in the valleys, and I was upon the
+rocks, they took no notice of me; from whence I concluded, that by the
+position of their optics, their sight was so directed downward, that
+they did not readily see objects that were above them: so, afterwards, I
+took this method--I always climbed the rocks first, to get above them,
+and then had frequently a fair mark. The first shot I made among these
+creatures, I killed a she-goat, which had a little kid by her, which she
+gave suck to, which grieved me heartily; but when the old one fell, the
+kid stood stock still by her, till I came and took her up; and not only
+so, but when I carried the old one with me, upon my shoulders, the kid
+followed me quite to my enclosure; upon which, I laid down the dam, and
+took the kid in my arms, and carried it over my pale, in hopes to have
+bred it up tame; but it would not eat; so I was forced to kill it, and
+eat it myself. These two supplied me with flesh a great while, for I ate
+sparingly, and preserved my provisions (my bread especially) as much as
+possibly I could.
+
+Having now fixed my habitation, I found it absolutely necessary to
+provide a place to make a fire in, and fuel to burn; and what I did for
+that, as also how I enlarged my cave, and what conveniences I made, I
+shall give a full account of in its proper place: but I must first give
+some little account of myself, and of my thoughts about living, which,
+it may well be supposed, were not a few.
+
+I had a dismal prospect of my condition; for as I was not cast away upon
+that island without being driven, as is said, by a violent storm, quite
+out of the course of our intended voyage; and a great way, viz. some
+hundreds of leagues, out of the ordinary course of the trade of mankind,
+I had great reason to consider it as a determination of Heaven, that in
+this desolate place, and in this desolate manner, I should end my life.
+The tears would run plentifully down my face when I made these
+reflections; and sometimes I would expostulate with myself why
+Providence should thus completely ruin its creatures, and render them so
+absolutely miserable; so abandoned without help, so entirely depressed,
+that it could hardly be rational to be thankful for such a life.
+
+But something always returned swift upon me to check these thoughts, and
+to reprove me: and particularly, one day, walking with my gun in my
+hand, by the sea side, I was very pensive upon the subject of my present
+condition, when reason, as it were, expostulated with me the other way,
+thus: "Well, you are in a desolate condition, it is true; but, pray
+remember, where are the rest of you? Did not you come eleven of you into
+the boat? Where are the ten? Why were not they saved, and you lost? Why
+were you singled out? Is it better to be here or there?" And then I
+pointed to the sea. All evils are to be considered with the good that is
+in them, and with what worse attends them.
+
+Then it occurred to me again, how well I was furnished for my
+subsistence, and what would have been my case if it had not happened
+(which was a hundred thousand to one) that the ship floated from the
+place where she first struck, and was driven so near to the shore, that
+I had time to get all these things out of her: what would have been my
+case, if I had been to have lived in the condition in which I at first
+came on shore, without necessaries of life, or necessaries to supply and
+procure them? "Particularly, said I aloud (though to myself,) what
+should I have done without a gun, without ammunition, without any tools
+to make any thing, or to work with, without clothes, bedding, a tent, or
+any manner of covering?" and that now I had all these to a sufficient
+quantity, and was in a fair way to provide myself in such a manner as to
+live without my gun, when my ammunition was spent: so that I had a
+tolerable view of subsisting, without any want, as long as I lived; for
+I considered, from the beginning, how I should provide for the accidents
+that might happen, and for the time that was to come, not only after my
+ammunition should be spent, but even after my health or strength
+should decay.
+
+I confess, I had not entertained any notion of my ammunition being
+destroyed at one blast, I mean my powder being blown up by lightning;
+and this made the thoughts of it so surprising to me, when it lightened
+and thundered, as I observed just now.
+
+And now being to enter into a melancholy relation of a scene of silent
+life, such, perhaps, as was never heard of in the world before, I shall
+take it from its beginning, and continue it in its order. It was, by my
+account, the 30th of September, when, in the manner as above said, I
+first set foot upon this horrid island; when the sun being to us in its
+autumnal equinox, was almost just over my head: for I reckoned myself,
+by observation, to be in the latitude of 9 degrees 22 minutes north
+of the Line.
+
+After I had been there about ten or twelve days, it came into my
+thoughts that I should lose my reckoning of time for want of books, and
+pen and ink, and should even forget the sabbath days from the working
+days: but, to prevent this, I cut it with my knife upon a large post, in
+capital letters; and making it into a great cross, I set it up on the
+shore where I first landed, viz. "I came on shore here on the 30th of
+September, 1659." Upon the sides of this square post I cut every day a
+notch with my knife, and every seventh notch was as long again as the
+rest, and every first day of the month as long again as that long one:
+and thus I kept my calendar, or weekly, monthly, and yearly reckoning
+of time.
+
+But it happened, that among the many things which I brought out of the
+ship, in the several voyages which, as above mentioned, I made to it, I
+got several things of less value, but not at all less useful to me,
+which I found, some time after, in rummaging the chests; as, in
+particular, pens, ink, and paper; several parcels in the captain's,
+mate's, gunner's, and carpenter's keeping; three or four compasses, some
+mathematical instruments, dials, perspectives, charts, and books of
+navigation; all which I huddled together, whether I might want them or
+no: also I found three very good bibles, which came to me in my cargo
+from England, and which I had packed up among my things; some Portuguese
+books also, and, among them, two or three popish prayer books, and
+several other books, all which I carefully secured. And I must not
+forget, that we had in the ship a dog, and two cats, of whose eminent
+history I may have occasion to say something, in its place: for I
+carried both the cats with me; and as for the dog, he jumped out of the
+ship himself, and swam on shore to me the day after I went on shore with
+my first cargo, and was a trusty servant to me for many years: I wanted
+nothing that he could fetch me, nor any company that he could make up to
+me, I only wanted to have him talk to me, but that would not do. As I
+observed before, I found pens, ink, and paper, and I husbanded them to
+the utmost; and I shall show that while my ink lasted, I kept things
+very exact, but after that was gone I could not; for I could not make
+any ink, by any means that I could devise.
+
+And this put me in mind that I wanted many things, notwithstanding all
+that I had amassed together; and of these, this of ink was one; as also
+a spade, pick-axe, and shovel, to dig or remove the earth; needles,
+pins, and thread: as for linen, I soon learned to want that without much
+difficulty.
+
+This want of tools made every work I did go on heavily; and it was near
+a whole year before I had entirely finished my little pale, or
+surrounded my habitation. The piles or stakes, which were as heavy as I
+could well lift, were a long time in cutting and preparing in the woods,
+and more, by far, in bringing home; so that I spent sometimes two days
+in cutting and bringing home one of those posts, and a third day in
+driving it into the ground; for which purpose, I got a heavy piece of
+wood at first, but at last bethought myself of one of the iron crows;
+which, however, though I found it, yet it made driving these posts or
+piles very laborious and tedious work. But what need I have been
+concerned at the tediousness of any thing I had to do, seeing I had time
+enough to do it in? nor had I any other employment, if that had been
+over, at least that I could foresee, except the ranging the island to
+seek for food; which I did, more or less, every day.
+
+I now began to consider seriously my condition, and the circumstance I
+was reduced to; and I drew up the state of my affairs in writing, not so
+much to leave them to any that were to come after me (for I was like to
+have but few heirs,) as to deliver my thoughts from daily poring upon
+them, and afflicting my mind: and as my reason began now to master my
+despondency, I began to comfort myself as well as I could, and to set
+the good against the evil, that I might have something to distinguish my
+case from worse; and I stated very impartially, like debtor and
+creditor, the comforts I enjoyed against the miseries I suffered, thus:
+
+     EVIL.
+
+     I am cast upon a horrible,
+     desolate island, void of all
+     hope of recovery.
+
+     I am singled out and separated,
+     as it were, from all the
+     world, to be miserable.
+
+     I am divided from mankind,
+     a solitaire; one banished
+     from human society.
+
+     I have no clothes to cover
+     me.
+
+     I am without any defence,
+     or means to resist any violence
+     of man or beast.
+
+     I have no soul to speak to,
+     or relieve me.
+
+
+     GOOD.
+
+     But I am alive; and not
+     drowned, as all my ship's company
+     were.
+
+     But I am singled out too
+     from all the ship's crew, to be
+     spared from death; and he
+     that miraculously save me
+     from death, can deliver me
+     from this condition.
+
+     But I am not starved, and
+     perishing in a barren place,
+     affording no sustenance.
+
+     But I am in a hot climate,
+     where, if I had clothes, I could
+     hardly wear them.
+
+     But I am cast on an island
+     where I see no wild beast to
+     hurt me, as I saw on the coast
+     of Africa: and what if I had
+     been shipwrecked there?
+
+     But God wonderfully sent
+     the ship in near enough to the
+     shore, that I have got out so
+     many necessary things as will
+     either supply my wants, or
+     enable me to supply myself,
+     even as long as I live.
+
+Upon the whole, here was an undoubted testimony, that there was scarce
+any condition in the world so miserable, but there was something
+negative, or something positive, to be thankful for in it: and let this
+stand as a direction, from the experience of the most miserable of all
+conditions in this world, that we may always find in it something to
+comfort ourselves from, and to set, in the description of good and evil,
+on the credit side of the account.
+
+Having now, brought my mind a little to relish my condition, and given
+over looking out to sea, to see if I could spy a ship; I say, giving
+over these things, I began to apply myself to accommodate my way of
+living, and to make things as easy to me as I could.
+
+I have already described my habitation, which was a tent under the side
+of a rock,--surrounded with a strong pale of posts and cables; but I
+might now rather call it a wall, for I raised a kind of wall against it
+of turfs, about two feet thick on the outside: and after some time (I
+think it was a year and a half) I raised rafters from it, leaning to the
+rock, and thatched or covered it with boughs of trees, and such things
+as I could get, to keep out the rain; which I found, at some times of
+the year, very violent.
+
+I have already observed how I brought all my goods into this pale, and
+into the cave which I had made behind me. But I must observe, too, that
+at first this was a confused heap of goods, which, as they lay in no
+order, so they took up all my place; I had no room to turn myself: so I
+set myself to enlarge my cave, and work farther into the earth; for it
+was a loose, sandy rock, which yielded easily to the labour I bestowed
+on it: and when I found I was pretty safe as to the beasts of prey, I
+worked sideways, to the right hand, into the rock, and then turning to
+the right again, worked quite out, and made me a door to come out in the
+outside of my pale or fortification.
+
+This gave me not only egress and regress, as it were, a back-way to my
+tent and to my storehouse, but gave me room to stow my goods.
+
+And now I began to apply myself to make such necessary things as I found
+I most wanted, particularly a chair and a table; for without these I was
+not able to enjoy the few comforts I had in the world; I could not
+write, or eat, or do several things with so much pleasure, without a
+table: so I went to work. And here I must needs observe, that as reason
+is the substance and original of the mathematics, so by stating, and
+squaring every thing by reason, and by making the most rational judgment
+of things, every man may be, in time, master of every mechanic art. I
+had never handled a tool in my life; and yet, in time, by labour,
+application, and contrivance, I found, at last, that I wanted nothing
+but I could have made, especially if I had had tools. However, I made
+abundance of things, even without tools; and some with no more tools
+than an adze and a hatchet, which perhaps were never made that way
+before, and that with infinite labour. For example, if I wanted a board,
+I had no other way but to cut down a tree, set it on an edge before me,
+and hew it flat on either side with my axe, till I had brought it to be
+as thin as a plank, and then dub it smooth with my adze. It is true, by
+this method I could make but one board of a whole tree; but this I had
+no remedy for but patience, any more than I had for a prodigious deal of
+time and labour which it took me up to make a plank or board: but my
+time or labour was little worth, and so it was as well employed one way
+as another.
+
+However, I made me a table and a chair, as I observed above, in the
+first place; and this I did out of the short pieces of boards that I
+brought on my raft from the ship. But when I wrought out some boards, as
+above, I made large shelves, of the breadth of a foot and a half, one
+over another, all along one side of my cave, to lay all my tools, nails,
+and iron-work on; and, in a word, to separate every thing at large in
+their places, that I might easily come at them. I knocked pieces into
+the wall of the rock, to hang my guns, and all things that would hang
+up: so that had my cave been seen, it looked like a general magazine of
+all necessary things; and I had every thing so ready at my hand, that it
+was a great pleasure to me to see all my goods in such order, and
+especially to find my stock of all necessaries so great.
+
+And now it was that I began to keep a journal of every day's employment;
+for, indeed, at first, I was in too much hurry, and not only hurry as to
+labour, but in much discomposure of mind; and my journal would, too,
+have been full of many dull things: for example, I must have said
+thus--"_Sept_. 30th. After I had got to shore, and had escaped drowning,
+instead of being thankful to God for my deliverance, having first
+vomited, with the great quantity of salt water which was gotten into my
+stomach, and recovering myself a little, I ran about the shore, wringing
+my hands, and beating my head and face, exclaiming at my misery, and
+crying out, 'I was undone, undone!' till, tired and faint, I was forced
+to lie down on the ground to repose; but durst not sleep, for fear of
+being devoured."
+
+Some days after this, and after I had been on board the ship, and got
+all that I could out of her, I could not forbear getting up to the top
+of a little mountain, and looking out to sea, in hopes of seeing a ship:
+then fancy that, at a vast distance, I spied a sail, please myself with
+the hopes of it, and, after looking steadily, till I was almost blind,
+lose it quite, and sit down and weep like a child, and thus increase my
+misery by my folly.
+
+But, having gotten over these things in some measure, and having settled
+my household-stuff and habitation, made me a table and a chair, and all
+as handsome about me as I could, I began to keep my journal: of which I
+shall here give you the copy (though in it will be told all these
+particulars over again) as long as it lasted; for, having no more ink, I
+was forced to leave it off.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+THE JOURNAL.
+
+_September_ 30th, 1659. I, poor miserable Robinson Crusoe, being
+shipwrecked, during a dreadful storm, in the offing, came on shore on
+this dismal unfortunate island, which I called the ISLAND OF DESPAIR;
+all the rest of the ship's company being drowned, and myself
+almost dead.
+
+All the rest of that day I spent in afflicting myself at the dismal
+circumstances I was brought to, viz. I had neither food, house, clothes,
+weapon, nor place to fly to: and, in despair of any relief, saw nothing
+but death before me; that I should either be devoured by wild beasts,
+murdered by savages, or starved to death for want of food. At the
+approach of night I slept in a tree, for fear of wild creatures; but
+slept soundly, though it rained all night.
+
+_October_ 1. In the morning I saw, to my great surprise, the ship had
+floated with the high tide, and was driven on shore again much nearer
+the island; which, as it was some comfort on one hand (for seeing her
+sit upright, and not broken in pieces, I hoped, if the wind abated, I
+might get on board, and get some food and necessaries out of her for my
+relief,) so, on the other hand, it renewed my grief at the loss of my
+comrades, who, I imagined, if we had all staid on board, might have
+saved the ship, or, at least, that they would not have been all drowned,
+as they were; and that, had the men been saved, we might perhaps have
+built us a boat, out of the ruins of the ship, to have carried us to
+some other part of the world. I spent great part of this day in
+perplexing myself on these things; but, at length, seeing the ship
+almost dry, I went upon the sand as near as I could, and then swam on
+board. This day also it continued raining, though with no wind at all.
+
+From the 1st of _October_ to the 24th. All these days entirely spent in
+many several voyages to get all I could out of the ship; which I brought
+on shore, every tide of flood, upon rafts. Much rain also in these days,
+though with some intervals of fair weather: but, it seems, this was the
+rainy season.
+
+_Oct_. 20. I overset my raft, and all the goods I had got upon it; but
+being in shoal water, and the things being chiefly heavy, I recovered
+many of them when the tide was out.
+
+_Oct_. 25. It rained all night and all day, with some gusts of wind;
+during which time the ship broke in pieces (the wind blowing a little
+harder than before) and was no more to be seen, except the wreck of her,
+and that only at low water. I spent this day in covering and securing
+the goods which I had saved, that the rain might not spoil them.
+
+_Oct_. 26. I walked about the shore almost all day, to find out a place
+to fix my habitation; greatly concerned to secure myself from any attack
+in the night, either from wild beasts or men. Towards night I fixed upon
+a proper place, under a rock, and marked out a semi-circle for my
+encampment; which I resolved to strengthen with a work, wall, or
+fortification, made of double piles, lined within with cables, and
+without with turf.
+
+From the 26th to the 30th, I worked very hard in carrying all my goods
+to my new habitation, though some part of the time it rained
+exceedingly hard.
+
+The 31st, in the morning, I went out into the island with my gun, to see
+for some food, and discover the country; when I killed a she-goat, and
+her kid followed me home, which I afterwards killed also, because it
+would not feed.
+
+_November_ 1. I set up my tent under a rock, and lay there for the first
+night; making it as large as I could, with stakes driven in to swing my
+hammock upon.
+
+_Nov_. 2. I set up all my chests and boards, and the pieces of timber
+which made my rafts; and with them formed a fence round me, a little
+within the place I had marked out for my fortification.
+
+_Nov_. 3. I went out with my gun, and killed two fowls like ducks, which
+were very good food. In the afternoon I went to work to make me a table.
+
+_Nov_. 4. This morning I began to order my times of work, of going out
+with my gun, time of sleep, and time of diversion; viz. every morning I
+walked out with my gun for two or three hours, if it did not rain; then
+employed myself to work till about eleven o'clock; then ate what I had
+to live on; and from twelve to two I lay down to sleep, the weather
+being excessive hot; and then, in the evening, to work again. The
+working part of this day and the next was wholly employed in making my
+table, for I was yet but a very sorry workman: though time and necessity
+made me a complete natural mechanic soon after, as I believe they would
+any one else.
+
+_Nov. 5._ This day went abroad with my gun and dog, and killed a wild
+cat; her skin pretty soft, but her flesh good for nothing: of every
+creature that I killed I took off the skins, and preserved them. Coming
+back by the sea-shore, I saw many sorts of sea-fowl which I did not
+understand: but was surprised, and almost frightened, with two or three
+seals; which, while I was gazing at them (not well knowing what they
+were) got into the sea, and escaped me for that time.
+
+_Nov. 6._ After my morning walk, I went to work with my table again, and
+finished it, though not to my liking: nor was it long before I learned
+to mend it.
+
+_Nov. 7._ Now it began to be settled fair weather. The 7th, 8th, 9th,
+10th, and part of the 12th (for the 11th was Sunday, according to my
+reckoning) I took wholly up to make me a chair, and with much ado,
+brought it to a tolerable shape, but never to please me; and, even in
+the making, I pulled it in pieces several times.
+
+_Note._ I soon neglected my keeping Sundays; for, omitting my mark for
+them on my post, I forgot which was which.
+
+_Nov. 13._ This day it rained; which refreshed me exceedingly, and
+cooled the earth: but it was accompanied with terrible thunder and
+lightning, which frightened me dreadfully, for fear of my powder. As
+soon as it was over, I resolved to separate my stock of powder into as
+many little parcels as possible, that it might not be in danger.
+
+_Nov. 14, 15, 16._ These three days I spent in making little square
+chests or boxes, which might hold about a pound, or two pounds at most,
+of powder: and so, putting the powder in, I stowed it in places as
+secure and as remote from one another as possible. On one of these three
+days I killed a large bird that was good to eat; but I knew not what
+to call it.
+
+_Nov. 17._ This day I began to dig behind my tent, into the rock, to
+make room for my farther convenience.
+
+_Note._ Three things I wanted exceedingly for this work, viz. a
+pick-axe, a shovel, and a wheel-barrow, or basket; so I desisted from my
+work, and began to consider how to supply these wants, and make me some
+tools. As for a pick-axe, I made use of the iron crows, which were
+proper enough, though heavy: but, the next thing was a shovel or spade;
+this was so absolutely necessary, that, indeed, I could do nothing
+effectually without it; but what kind of one to make I knew not.
+
+_Nov. 18._ The next day, in searching the woods, I found a tree of that
+wood, or like it, which, in the Brazils, they call the iron tree, from
+its exceeding hardness: of this, with great labour, and almost spoiling
+my axe, I cut a piece; and brought it home, too, with difficulty enough,
+for it was exceeding heavy. The excessive hardness of the wood, and my
+having no other way, made me a long while upon this machine; for I
+worked it effectually, by little and little, into the form of a shovel
+or spade; the handle exactly shaped like ours in England, only that the
+broad part having no iron shod upon it at bottom, it would not last me
+so long: however, it served well enough for the uses which I had
+occasion to put it to; but never was a shovel, I believe, made after
+that fashion, or so long a-making.
+
+I was still deficient: for I wanted a basket, or a wheel-barrow. A
+basket I could not make by any means, having no such things as twigs
+that would bend to make wicker-ware; at least, none yet found out: and
+as to the wheel-barrow, I fancied I could make all but the wheel, but
+that I had no notion of; neither did I know how to go about it: besides,
+I had no possible way to make iron gudgeons for the spindle or axis of
+the wheel to run in; so I gave it over: and, for carrying away the earth
+which I dug out of the cave, I made me a thing like a hod, which the
+labourers carry mortar in for the brick-layers. This was not so
+difficult to me as the making the shovel: and yet this and the shovel,
+and the attempt which I made in vain to make a wheel-barrow, took me up
+no less than four days; I mean, always excepting my morning walk with my
+gun, which I seldom omitted, and very seldom failed also bringing home
+something fit to eat.
+
+_Nov. 23._ My other work having now stood still, because of my making
+these tools, when they were finished I went on; and working every day,
+as my strength and time allowed, I spent eighteen days entirely in
+widening and deepening my cave, that it might hold my goods
+commodiously.
+
+_Note._ During all this time, I worked to make this room, or cave,
+spacious enough to accommodate me as a warehouse or magazine, a kitchen,
+a dining-room, and a cellar. As for a lodging, I kept to the tent;
+except that sometimes, in the wet season of the year, it rained so hard
+that I could not keep myself dry; which caused me afterwards to cover
+all my place within my pale with long poles, in the form of rafters,
+leaning against the rock, and load them with flags and large leaves of
+trees, like a thatch.
+
+_December 10._ I began now to think my cave or vault finished; when on a
+sudden (it seems I had made it too large) a great quantity of earth fell
+down from the top and one side: so much, that, in short, it frightened
+me, and not without reason too; for if I had been under it, I should
+never have wanted a grave-digger. Upon this disaster, I had a great deal
+of work to do over again, for I had the loose earth to carry out; and,
+which was of more importance, I had the ceiling to prop up, so that I
+might be sure no more would come down.
+
+_Dec. 11._ This day I went to work with it accordingly; and got two
+shores or posts pitched upright to the top, with two pieces of board
+across over each post; this I finished the next day; and setting more
+posts up with boards, in about a week more I had the roof secured; and
+the posts, standing in rows, served me for partitions to part off
+my house.
+
+_Dec. 17._ From this day to the 30th, I placed shelves, and knocked up
+nails on the posts, to hang every thing up that could be hung up: and
+now I began to be in some order within doors.
+
+_Dec. 20._ I carried every thing into the cave, and began to furnish my
+house, and set up some pieces of boards, like a dresser, to order my
+victuals upon; but boards began to be very scarce with me: also I made
+me another table.
+
+_Dec. 24._ Much rain all night and all day: no stirring out.
+
+_Dec. 25._ Rain all day.
+
+_Dec. 26._ No rain; and the earth much cooler than before, and
+pleasanter.
+
+_Dec. 27._ Killed a young goat; and lamed another, so that I catched it,
+and led it home in a string: when I had it home, I bound and splintered
+up its leg, which was broke.
+
+_N.B._ I took such care of it that it lived; and the leg grew well, and
+as strong as ever: but, by nursing it so long, it grew tame, and fed
+upon the little green at my door, and would not go away. This was the
+first time that I entertained a thought of breeding up some tame
+creatures, that I might have food when my powder and shot was all spent.
+
+_Dec. 28, 29, 30, 31._ Great heats, and no breeze; so that there was no
+stirring abroad, except in the evening, for food: this time I spent in
+putting all my things in order within doors.
+
+_January 1._ Very hot still; but I went abroad early and late with my
+gun, and lay still in the middle of the day. This evening, going farther
+into the vallies which lay towards the centre of the island, I found
+there was plenty of goats, though exceeding shy, and hard to come at;
+however, I resolved to try if I could not bring my dog to hunt them
+down. Accordingly, the next day, I went out with my dog, and set him
+upon the goats: but I was mistaken, for they all faced about upon the
+dog: and he knew his danger too well, for he would not come near them.
+
+_Jan. 3._ I began my fence or wall; which, being still jealous of my
+being attacked by somebody, I resolved to make very thick and strong.
+
+_N.B._ This wall being described before, I purposely omit what was said
+in the journal: it is sufficient to observe, that I was no less time
+than from the 3d of January to the 14th of April, working, finishing,
+and perfecting this wall; though it was no more than about 25 yards in
+length, being a half-circle, from one place in the rock to another
+place, about twelve yards from it, the door of the cave being in the
+centre, behind it.
+
+All this time I worked very hard; the rains hindering me many days, nay,
+sometimes weeks together: but I thought I should never be perfectly
+secure till this wall was finished; and it is scarce credible what
+inexpressible labour every thing was done with, especially the bringing
+piles out of the woods, and driving them into the ground; for I made
+them much bigger than I needed to have done.
+
+When this wall was finished, and the outside double-fenced, with a
+turf-wall raised up close to it, I persuaded myself that if any people
+were to come on shore there they would not perceive any thing like a
+habitation: and it was very well I did so, as may be observed hereafter,
+upon a very remarkable occasion.
+
+During this time, I made my rounds in the woods for game every day,
+when the rain permitted me, and made frequent discoveries, in these
+walks, of something or other to my advantage; particularly, I found a
+kind of wild pigeons, who build, not as wood-pigeons, in a tree, but
+rather as house-pigeons, in the holes of the rocks: and, taking some
+young ones, I endeavoured to breed them up tame, and did so; but when
+they grew older, they flew all away; which, perhaps, was at first for
+want of feeding them, for I had nothing to give them: however, I
+frequently found their nests, and got their young ones, which were very
+good meat. And now, in the managing my household affairs, I found myself
+wanting in many things, which I thought at first it was impossible for
+me to make; as indeed, as to some of them, it was: for instance, I could
+never make a cask to be hooped. I had a small runlet or two, as I
+observed before; but I could never arrive to the capacity of making one
+by them, though I spent many weeks about it: I could neither put in the
+heads, nor join the staves so true to one another as to make them hold
+water; so I gave that also over. In the next place, I was at a great
+loss for candle; so that as soon as it was dark, which was generally by
+seven o'clock, I was obliged to go to bed. I remember the lump of
+bees-wax with which I made candles in my African adventure; but I had
+none of that now; the only remedy I had was, that when I had killed a
+goat, I saved the tallow; and with a little dish made of clay, which I
+baked in the sun, to which I added a wick of some oakum, I made me a
+lamp; and this gave me light, though not a clear steady light like a
+candle. In the middle of all my labours it happened, that in rummaging
+my things, I found a little bag; which, as I hinted before, had been
+filled with corn, for the feeding of poultry; not for this voyage, but
+before, as I suppose, when the ship came from Lisbon. What little
+remainder of corn had been in the bag was all devoured with the rats,
+and I saw nothing in the bag but husks and dust; and being willing to
+have the bag for some other use (I think, it was to put powder in, when
+I divided it for fear of the lightning, or some such use,) I shook the
+husks of corn out of it, on one side of my fortification, under
+the rock.
+
+It was a little before the great rain just now mentioned, that I threw
+this stuff away; taking no notice of any thing, and not so much as
+remembering that I had thrown any thing there: when about a month after,
+I saw some few stalks of something green, shooting out of the ground,
+which I fancied might be some plant I had not seen; but I was surprised,
+and perfectly astonished, when, after a little longer time, I saw about
+ten or twelve ears come out, which were perfect green barley of the same
+kind as our European, nay, as our English barley.
+
+It is impossible to express the astonishment and confusion of my
+thoughts on this occasion: I had hitherto acted upon no religious
+foundation at all; indeed, I had very few notions of religion in my
+head, nor had entertained any sense of any thing that had befallen me,
+otherwise than as chance, or, as we lightly say, what pleases God;
+without so much as inquiring into the end of Providence in these things,
+or his order in governing events in the world. But after I saw barley
+grow there, in a climate which I knew was not proper for corn, and
+especially as I knew not how it came there, it startled me strangely;
+and I began to suggest, that God had miraculously caused this grain to
+grow without any help of seed sown, and that it was so directed purely
+for my sustenance, on that wild miserable place.
+
+This touched my heart a little, and brought tears out of my eyes; and I
+began to bless myself that such a prodigy of nature should happen upon
+my account: and this was the more strange to me, because I saw near it
+still, all along by the side of the rock, some other straggling stalks,
+which proved to be stalks of rice, and which I knew, because I had seen
+it grow in Africa, when I was ashore there.
+
+I not only thought these the pure productions of Providence for my
+support, but, not doubting that there was more in the place, I went over
+all that part of the island where I had been before, searching in every
+corner, and under every rock, for more of it; but I could not find any.
+At last it occurred to my thoughts, that I had shook out a bag of
+chicken's-meat in that place, and then the wonder began to cease: and I
+must confess, my religious thankfulness to God's providence began to
+abate too, upon the discovering that all this was nothing but what was
+common; though I ought to have been as thankful for so strange and
+unforeseen a providence, as if it had been miraculous: for it was really
+the work of Providence, as to me, that should order or appoint that ten
+or twelve grains of corn should remain unspoiled, when the rats had
+destroyed all the rest, as if it had been dropt from heaven; as also,
+that I should throw it out in that particular place, where, it being in
+the shade of a high rock, it sprang up immediately; whereas, if I had
+thrown it any where else, at that time, it would have been burnt up and
+destroyed.
+
+I carefully saved the ears of this corn, you may be sure, in their
+season, which was about the end of June; and, laying up every corn, I
+resolved to sow them all again; hoping, in time, to have some quantity
+sufficient to supply me with bread. But it was not till the fourth year
+that I could allow myself the least grain of this corn to eat, and even
+then but sparingly, as I shall show afterwards, in its order; for I lost
+all that I sowed the first season, by not observing the proper time; as
+I sowed just before the dry season, so that it never came up at all, at
+least not as it would have done; of which in its place.
+
+Besides this barley, there were, as above, twenty or thirty stalks of
+rice, which I preserved with the same care; and whose use was of the
+same kind, or to the same purpose, viz. to make me bread, or rather
+food; for I found ways to cook it up without baking, though I did that
+also after some time.--But to return to my Journal.
+
+I worked excessively hard these three or four months, to get my wall
+done; and the 14th of April I closed it up; contriving to get into it,
+not by a door, but over the wall, by a ladder, that there might be no
+sign on the outside of my habitation.
+
+_April 16._ I finished the ladder; so I went up with the ladder to the
+top, and then pulled it up after me, and let it down in the inside: this
+was a complete enclosure to me; for within I had room enough, and
+nothing could come at me from without, unless it could first mount
+my wall.
+
+The very next day after this wall was finished, I had almost all my
+labour overthrown at once, and myself killed; the case was thus:--As I
+was busy in the inside of it, behind my tent, just at the entrance into
+my cave, I was terribly frightened with a most dreadful surprising thing
+indeed; for, all on a sudden, I found the earth come crumbling down from
+the roof of my cave, and from the edge of the hill over my head, and two
+of the posts I had set up in the cave cracked in a frightful manner. I
+was heartily scared; but thought nothing of what really was the cause,
+only thinking that the top of my cave was falling in, as some of it had
+done before: and for fear I should be buried in it, I ran forward to my
+ladder, and not thinking myself safe there neither, I got over my wall
+for fear of the pieces of the hill which I expected might roll down upon
+me. I had no sooner stepped down upon the firm ground, than I plainly
+saw it was a terrible earthquake; for the ground I stood on shook three
+times at about eight minutes distance, with three such shocks as would
+have overturned the strongest building that could be supposed to have
+stood on the earth; and a great piece of the top of a rock, which stood
+about half a mile from me, next the sea, fell down, with such a terrible
+noise as I never heard in all my life. I perceived also that the very
+sea was put into a violent motion by it; and I believe the shocks were
+stronger under the water than on the island.
+
+I was so much amazed with the thing itself (having never felt the like,
+nor discoursed with any one that had) that I was like one dead or
+stupified; and the motion of the earth made my stomach sick, like one
+that was tossed at sea: but the noise of the falling of the rock awaked
+me, as it were; and rousing me from the stupified condition I was in,
+filled me with horror, and I thought of nothing but the hill falling
+upon my tent and my household goods, and burying all at once; this sunk
+my very soul within me a second time.
+
+After the third shock was over, and I felt no more for some time, I
+began to take courage; yet I had not heart enough to go over my wall
+again, for fear of being buried alive, but sat still upon the ground
+greatly cast down, and disconsolate, not knowing what to do. All this
+while, I had not the least serious religious thought; nothing but the
+common _Lord, have mercy upon me!_ and when it was over, that went
+away too.
+
+While I sat thus, I found the air overcast, and grow cloudy, as if it
+would rain; and soon after the wind rose by little, and little, so that
+in less than half an hour it blew a most dreadful hurricane: the sea
+was, all on a sudden, covered with foam and froth; the shore was covered
+with a breach of the water; the trees were torn up by the roots; and a
+terrible storm it was. This held about three hours, and then began to
+abate; and in two hours more it was quite calm, and began to rain very
+hard. All this while I sat upon the ground, very much terrified and
+dejected; when on a sudden it came into my thoughts, that these winds
+and rain being the consequence of the earthquake, the earthquake itself
+was spent and over, and I might venture into my cave again. With this
+thought my spirits began to revive; and the rain also helping to
+persuade me, I went in, and sat down in my tent; but the rain was so
+violent, that my tent was ready to be beaten down with it; and I was
+forced to get into my cave, though very much afraid and uneasy, for fear
+it should fall on my head. This violent rain forced me to a new work,
+viz. to cut a hole through my new fortification, like a sink, to let the
+water go out, which would else have drowned my cave. After I had been in
+my cave for some time, and found no more shocks of the earthquake
+follow, I began to be more composed. And now to support my spirits,
+which indeed wanted it very much, I went to my little store, and took a
+small sup of rum; which, however, I did then, and always, very
+sparingly, knowing I could have no more when that was gone. It continued
+raining all that night, and great part of the next day, so that I could
+not stir abroad; but my mind being more composed, I began to think of
+what I had best do; concluding, that if the island was subject to these
+earthquakes, there would be no living for me in a cave, but I must
+consider of building me some little hut in an open place, which I might
+surround with a wall, as I had done here, and so make myself secure from
+wild beasts or men; for if I staid where I was, I should certainly, one
+time or other, be buried alive.
+
+With these thoughts, I resolved to remove my tent from the place where
+it now stood, being just under the hanging precipice of the hill, and
+which, if it should be shaken again, would certainly fall upon my tent.
+I spent the two next days, being the 19th and 20th of April, in
+contriving where and how to remove my habitation. The fear of being
+swallowed alive affected me so, that I never slept in quiet; and yet the
+apprehension of lying abroad, without any fence, was almost equal to it:
+but still, when I looked about, and saw how every thing was put in
+order, how pleasantly I was concealed, and how safe from danger, it made
+me very loth to remove. In the mean time, it occurred to me that it
+would require a vast deal of time for me to do this; and that I must be
+contented to run the risk where I was, till I had formed a convenient
+camp, and secured it so as to remove to it. With this conclusion I
+composed myself for a time; and resolved that I would go to work with
+all speed to build me a wall with piles and cables, &c. in a circle as
+before, and set up my tent in it when it was finished; but that I would
+venture to stay where I was till it was ready, and fit to remove to.
+This was the 21st.
+
+_April_ 22. The next morning I began to consider of means to put this
+measure into execution; but I was at a great loss about the tools. I had
+three large axes, and abundance of hatchets (for we carried the hatchets
+for traffic with the Indians;) but with much chopping and cutting knotty
+hard wood, they were all full of notches, and dull; and though I had a
+grind-stone, I could not turn it and grind my tools too. This caused me
+as much thought as a statesman would have bestowed upon a grand point
+of politics, or a judge upon the life and death of a man. At length I
+contrived a wheel with a string, to turn it with my foot, that I might
+have both my hands at liberty.
+
+_Note._ I had never seen any such thing in England, or at least not to
+take notice how it was done, though since I have observed it is very
+common there: besides that, my grind-stone was very large and heavy.
+This machine cost me a full week's work to bring it to perfection.
+
+_April 28, 29._ These two whole days I took up in grinding my tools, my
+machine for turning my grind-stone performing very well.
+
+_April 30._ Having perceived that my bread had been low a great while, I
+now took a survey of it, and reduced myself to one biscuit-cake a day,
+which made my heart very heavy.
+
+_May 1._ In the morning, looking toward the sea-side, the tide being
+low, I saw something lie on the shore bigger than ordinary, and it
+looked like a cask: when I came to it, I found a small barrel, and two
+or three pieces of the wreck of the ship, which were driven on shore by
+the late hurricane; and looking towards the wreck itself, I thought it
+seemed to lie higher out of the water than it used to do. I examined the
+barrel that was driven on shore, and soon found it was a barrel of
+gunpowder; but it had taken water, and the powder was caked as hard as a
+stone: however, I rolled it farther on the shore for the present, and
+went on upon the sands, as near as I could to the wreck of the ship, to
+look for more.
+
+When I came down to the ship, I found it strangely removed. The
+forecastle, which lay before buried in sand, was heaved up at least six
+feet: and the stern (which was broke to pieces, and parted from the
+rest, by the force of the sea, soon after I had left rummaging of her)
+was tossed, as it were, up, and cast on one side: and the sand was
+thrown so high on that side next her stern, that I could now walk quite
+up to her when the tide was out; whereas there was a great piece of
+water before, so that I could not come within a quarter of a mile of the
+wreck without swimming. I was surprised with this at first, but soon
+concluded it must be done by the earthquake; and as by this violence the
+ship was more broke open than formerly, so many things came daily on
+shore, which the sea had loosened, and which the winds and water rolled
+by degrees to the land.
+
+This wholly diverted my thoughts from the design of removing my
+habitation; and I busied myself mightily, that day especially, in
+searching whether I could make any way into the ship: but I found
+nothing was to be expected of that kind, for all the inside of the ship
+was choked up with sand. However, as I had learned not to despair of any
+thing, I resolved to pull every thing to pieces that I could of the
+ship, concluding that every thing I could get from her would be of some
+use or other to me.
+
+_May 3._ I began with my saw, and cut a piece of a beam through, which I
+thought held some of the upper part or quarter deck together; and when I
+had cut it through, I cleared away the sand as well as I could from the
+side which lay highest; but the tide coming in, I was obliged to give
+over for that time.
+
+_May 4._ I went a-fishing, but caught not one fish that I durst eat of,
+till I was weary of my sport; when, just going to leave off, I caught a
+young dolphin. I had made me a long line of some rope-yarn, but I had no
+hooks; yet I frequently caught fish enough, as much as I cared to eat;
+all which I dried in the sun, and ate them dry.
+
+_May 5._ Worked on the wreck; cut another beam asunder, and brought
+three great fir-planks off from the decks; which I tied together, and
+made swim on shore when the tide of flood came on.
+
+_May 6._ Worked on the wreck; got several iron bolts out of her, and
+other pieces of iron-work; worked very hard, and came home very much
+tired, and had thoughts of giving it over.
+
+_May 7._ Went to the wreck again, but not with an intent to work; but
+found the weight of the wreck had broke itself down, the beams being
+cut; that several pieces of the ship seemed to lie loose; and the inside
+of the hold lay so open that I could see into it; but almost full of
+water and sand.
+
+_May 8._ Went to the wreck, and carried an iron crow to wrench up the
+deck, which lay now quite clear of the water and sand. I wrenched up two
+planks, and brought them on shore also with the tide. I left the iron
+crow in the wreck for next day.
+
+_May 9._ Went to the wreck, and with the crow made way into the body of
+the wreck, and felt several casks, and loosened them with the crow, but
+could not break them up. I felt also a roll of English lead, and could
+stir it; but it was too heavy to remove.
+
+_May 10--14._ Went every day to the wreck; and got a great many pieces
+of timber, and boards, or plank, and two or three hundred weight
+of iron.
+
+_May 15._ I carried two hatchets, to try if I could not cut a piece off
+the roll of lead, by placing the edge of one hatchet, and driving it
+with the other; but as it lay about a foot and a half in the water, I
+could not make any blow to drive the hatchet.
+
+_May 16._ It had blown hard in the night, and the wreck appeared more
+broken by the force of the water; but I staid so long in the woods, to
+get pigeons for food, that the tide prevented my going to the wreck
+that day.
+
+_May 17._ I saw some pieces of the wreck blown on shore, at a great
+distance, two miles off me, but resolved to see what they were, and
+found it was a piece of the head, but too heavy for me to bring away.
+
+_May 24._ Every day, to this day, I worked on the wreck; and with hard
+labour I loosened some things so much with the crow, that the first
+blowing tide several casks floated out, and two of the seamen's chests:
+but the wind blowing from the shore, nothing came to land that day but
+pieces of timber, and a hogshead, which had some Brazil pork in it; but
+the salt-water and the sand had spoiled it. I continued this work every
+day to the 15th of June, except the time necessary to get food; which I
+always appointed, during this part of my employment, to be when the tide
+was up, that I might be ready when it was ebbed out: and by this time I
+had gotten timber, and plank, and iron-work, enough to have built a
+good boat, if I had known how: and I also got, at several times, and in
+several pieces, near one hundred weight of the sheet-lead.
+
+_June 16._ Going down to the sea-side, I found a large tortoise, or
+turtle. This was the first I had seen; which, it seems, was only my
+misfortune, not any defect of the place, or scarcity: for had I happened
+to be on the other side of the island, I might have had hundreds of them
+every day, as I found afterwards; but perhaps had paid dear enough
+for them.
+
+_June 17._ I spent in cooking the turtle. I found in her threescore
+eggs: and her flesh was to me, at that time, the most savoury and
+pleasant that I ever tasted in my life; having had no flesh, but of
+goats and fowls, since I landed in this horrid place.
+
+_June 18._ Rained all that day, and I staid within. I thought, at this
+time, the rain felt cold, and I was somewhat chilly; which I knew was
+not usual in that latitude.
+
+_June 19._ Very ill, and shivering, as if the weather had been cold.
+
+_June 20._ No rest all night; violent pains in my head, and feverish.
+
+_June 21._ Very ill; frightened almost to death with the apprehensions
+of my sad condition, to be sick, and no help: prayed to God, for the
+first time since the storm off Hull; but scarce knew what I said, or
+why, my thoughts being all confused.
+
+_June 22._ A little better; but under dreadful apprehensions of
+sickness.
+
+_June 23._ Very bad again; cold and shivering, and then a violent
+head-ache.
+
+_June 24._ Much better.
+
+_June 25._ An ague very violent: the fit held me seven hours; cold fit,
+and hot, with faint sweats after it.
+
+_June 26._ Better; and having no victuals to eat, took my gun, but found
+myself very weak: however, I killed a she-goat, and with much difficulty
+got it home, and broiled some of it, and ate. I would fain have stewed
+it, and made some broth, but had no pot.
+
+_June 27._ The ague again so violent that I lay a-bed all day, and
+neither ate nor drank. I was ready to perish for thirst; but so weak, I
+had not strength to stand up, or to get myself any water to drink.
+Prayed to God again, but was light-headed: and when I was not, I was so
+ignorant that I knew not what to say; only lay and cried, "Lord, look
+upon me! Lord, pity me! Lord, have mercy upon me!" I suppose I did
+nothing else for two or three hours; till the fit wearing off, I fell
+asleep, and did not wake till far in the night. When I awoke, I found
+myself much refreshed, but weak, and exceeding thirsty: however, as I
+had no water in my whole habitation, I was forced to lie till morning,
+and went to sleep again. In this second sleep I had this terrible dream:
+I thought that I was sitting on the ground, on the outside of my wall,
+where I sat when the storm blew after the earthquake, and that I saw a
+man descend from a great black cloud, in a bright flame of fire, and
+light upon the ground: he was all over as bright as a flame, so that I
+could but just bear to look towards him: his countenance was most
+inexpressibly dreadful, impossible for words to describe: when he
+stepped upon the ground with his feet, I thought the earth trembled,
+just as it had done before in the earthquake; and all the air looked, to
+my apprehension, as if it had been filled with flashes of fire. He had
+no sooner landed upon the earth, but he moved forward towards me, with a
+long spear or weapon in his hand, to kill me; and when he came to a
+rising ground, at some distance, he spoke to me, or I heard a voice so
+terrible that it is impossible to express the terror of it: all that I
+can say I understood, was this: "Seeing all these things have not
+brought thee to repentance, now thou shalt die;" at which words I
+thought he lifted up the spear that was in his hand, to kill me.
+
+No one that shall ever read this account, will expect that I should be
+able to describe the horrors of my soul at this terrible vision; I mean,
+that even while it was a dream, I even dreamed of those horrors; nor is
+it any more possible to describe the impression that remained upon my
+mind when I awaked, and found it was but a dream.
+
+I had, alas! no divine knowledge: what I had received by the good
+instruction of my father was then worn out, by an uninterrupted series,
+for eight years, of seafaring wickedness, and a constant conversation
+with none but such as were, like myself, wicked and profane to the last
+degree. I do not remember that I had, in all that time, one thought that
+so much as tended either to looking upward towards God, or inward
+towards a reflection upon my own ways: but a certain stupidity of soul,
+without desire of good, or consciousness of evil, had entirely
+overwhelmed me; and I was all that the most hardened, unthinking, wicked
+creature among our common sailors, can be supposed to be; not having
+the least sense, either of the fear of God, in danger, or of
+thankfulness to him, in deliverances.
+
+In the relating what is already past of my story, this will be the more
+easily believed, when I shall add, that through all the variety of
+miseries that had to this day befallen me, I never had so much as one
+thought of its being the hand of God, or that it was a just punishment
+for my sin; either my rebellious behaviour against my father, or my
+present sins, which were great; or even as a punishment for the general
+course of my wicked life. When I was on the desperate expedition on the
+desert shores of Africa, I never had so much as one thought of what
+would become of me; or one wish to God to direct me whither I should go,
+or to keep me from the danger which apparently surrounded me, as well
+from voracious creatures as cruel savages: but I was quite thoughtless
+of a God or a Providence; acted like a mere brute, from the principles
+of nature, and by the dictates of common sense only; and indeed hardly
+that. When I was delivered and taken up at sea by the Portuguese
+captain, well used, and dealt with justly and honourably, as well as
+charitably, I had not the least thankfulness in my thoughts. When,
+again, I was shipwrecked, ruined, and in danger of drowning, on this
+island, I was as far from remorse, or looking on it as a judgment: I
+only said to myself often, that I was an unfortunate dog, and born to be
+always miserable.
+
+It is true, when I first got on shore here, and found all my ship's crew
+drowned, and myself spared, I was surprised with a kind of ecstasy, and
+some transports of soul, which, had the grace of God assisted, might
+have come up to true thankfulness; but it ended where it began, in a
+mere common flight of joy; or, as I may say, being glad I was alive,
+without the least reflection upon the distinguished goodness of the hand
+which had preserved me, and had singled me out to be preserved when all
+the rest were destroyed, or an inquiry why Providence had been thus
+merciful to me: just the same common sort of joy which seamen generally
+have, after they are got safe ashore from a shipwreck; which they drown
+all in the next bowl of punch, and forget almost as soon as it is over:
+and all the rest of my life was like it. Even when I was, afterwards, on
+due consideration, made sensible of my condition,--how I was cast on
+this dreadful place, out of the reach of human kind, out of all hope of
+relief, or prospect of redemption,--as soon as I saw but a prospect of
+living, and that I should not starve and perish for hunger, all the
+sense of my affliction wore off, and I began to be very easy, applied
+myself to the works proper for my preservation and supply, and was far
+enough from being afflicted at my condition, as a judgment from Heaven,
+or as the hand of God against me: these were thoughts which very seldom
+entered into my head.
+
+The growing up of the corn, as is hinted in my Journal, had, at first,
+some little influence upon me, and began to affect me with seriousness,
+as long as I thought it had something miraculous in it; but as soon as
+that part of the thought was removed, all the impression which was
+raised from it wore off also, as I have noted already. Even the
+earthquake, though nothing could be more terrible in its nature, or
+more immediately directing to the invisible Power which alone directs
+such things, yet no sooner was the fright over, but the impression it
+had made went off also. I had no more sense of God, or his judgments,
+much less of the present affliction of my circumstances being from his
+hand, than if I had been in the most prosperous condition of life. But
+now, when I began to be sick, and a leisure view of the miseries of
+death came to place itself before me; when my spirits began to sink
+under the burden of a strong distemper, and nature was exhausted with
+the violence of the fever; conscience, that had slept so long, began to
+awake; and I reproached myself with my past life, in which I had so
+evidently, by uncommon wickedness, provoked the justice of God to lay me
+under uncommon strokes, and to deal with me in so vindictive a manner.
+These reflections oppressed me for the second or third day of my
+distemper; and in the violence, as well of the fever as of the dreadful
+reproaches of my conscience, extorted from me some words like praying to
+God: though I cannot say it was a prayer attended either with desires or
+with hopes; it was rather the voice of mere fright and distress. My
+thoughts were confused; the convictions great upon my mind; and the
+horror of dying in such a miserable condition, raised vapours in my head
+with the mere apprehension: and, in these hurries of my soul, I knew not
+what my tongue might express: but it was rather exclamation, such as,
+"Lord, what a miserable creature am I! If I should be sick, I shall
+certainly die for want of help; and what will become of me?" Then the
+tears burst out of my eyes, and I could say no more for a good while. In
+this interval, the good advice of my father came to my mind, and
+presently his prediction, which I mentioned at the beginning of this
+story, viz. that if I did take this foolish step, God would not bless
+me; and I should have leisure hereafter to reflect upon having neglected
+his counsel, when there might be none to assist in my recovery. "Now,"
+said I, aloud, "my dear father's words are come to pass; God's justice
+has overtaken me, and I have none to help or hear me. I rejected the
+voice of Providence, which had mercifully put me in a station of life
+wherein I might have been happy and easy; but I would neither see it
+myself, nor learn from my parents to know the blessing of it. I left
+them to mourn over my folly; and now I am left to mourn under the
+consequences of it: I refused their help and assistance, who would have
+pushed me in the world, and would have made every thing easy to me; and
+now I have difficulties to struggle with, too great for even nature
+itself to support; and no assistance, no comfort, no advice." Then I
+cried out, "Lord, be my help, for I am in great distress." This was the
+first prayer, if I may call it so, that I had made for many years. But I
+return to my Journal.
+
+_June 28._ Having been somewhat refreshed with the sleep I had had, and
+the fit being entirely off, I got up; and though the fright and terror
+of my dream was very great, yet I considered that the fit of the ague
+would return again the next day, and now was my time to get something to
+refresh and support myself when I should be ill. The first thing I did
+was to fill a large square case-bottle with water; and set it upon my
+table, in reach of my bed: and to take off the chill or aguish
+disposition of the water, I put about a quarter of a pint of rum into
+it, and mixed them together. Then I got me a piece of the goat's flesh,
+and broiled it on the coals, but could eat very little. I walked about;
+but was very weak, and withal very sad and heavy-hearted under a sense
+of my miserable condition, dreading the return of my distemper the next
+day. At night, I made my supper of three of the turtle's eggs; which I
+roasted in the ashes, and ate, as we call it, in the shell: and this was
+the first bit of meat I had ever asked God's blessing to, as I could
+remember, in my whole life. After I had eaten, I tried to walk; but
+found myself so weak, that I could hardly carry the gun (for I never
+went out without that;) so I went but a little way, and sat down upon
+the ground, looking out upon the sea, which was just before me, and very
+calm and smooth. As I sat here, some such thoughts as these occurred to
+me: What is this earth and sea, of which I have seen so much? Whence is
+it produced? And what am I, and all the other creatures, wild and tame,
+human and brutal? Whence are we? Surely, we are all made by some secret
+power, who formed the earth and sea, the air and sky. And who is that?
+Then it followed most naturally, It is God that has made all. Well, but
+then, it came on strangely, if God has made all these things, he guides
+and governs them all, and all things that concern them; for the power
+that could make all things, must certainly have power to guide and
+direct them: if so, nothing can happen in the great circuit of his
+works, either without his knowledge or appointment.
+
+And if nothing happens without his knowledge, he knows that I am here,
+and am in this dreadful condition: and if nothing happens without his
+appointment, he has appointed all this to befall me. Nothing occurred to
+my thought, to contradict any of these conclusions: and therefore it
+rested upon me with the greatest force, that it must needs be that God
+had appointed all this to befall me; that I was brought to this
+miserable circumstance by his direction, he having the sole power, not
+of me only, but of every thing that happens in the world. Immediately it
+followed, Why has God done this to me? What have I done to be thus used?
+My conscience presently checked me in that inquiry, as if I had
+blasphemed; and methought it spoke to me like a voice, "Wretch! dost
+_thou_ ask what thou hast done? Look back upon a dreadful misspent life,
+and ask thyself, what thou hast _not_ done? Ask, why is it that thou
+wert not long ago destroyed? Why wert thou not drowned in Yarmouth
+Roads; killed in the fight when the ship was taken by the Sallee man of
+war; devoured by the wild beasts on the coast of Africa; or drowned
+_here_, when all the crew perished but thyself? Dost _thou_ ask what
+thou hast done?" I was struck dumb with these reflections, as one
+astonished, and had not a word to say; no, not to answer to myself; and,
+rising up pensive and sad, walked back to my retreat, and went over my
+wall, as if I bad been going to bed: but my thoughts were sadly
+disturbed, and I had no inclination to sleep; so I sat down in the
+chair, and lighted my lamp, for it began to be dark. Now, as the
+apprehension of the return of my distemper terrified me very much, it
+occurred to my thought, that the Brazilians take no physic but their
+tobacco for almost all distempers; and I had a piece of a roll of
+tobacco in one of the chests, which was quite cured; and some also that
+was green, and not quite cured.
+
+I went, directed by Heaven no doubt: for in this chest I found a cure
+both for soul and body. I opened the chest, and found what I looked for,
+viz. the tobacco; and as the few books I had saved lay there too, I took
+out one of the Bibles which I mentioned before, and which to this time I
+had not found leisure, or so much as inclination, to look into. I say, I
+took it out, and brought both that and the tobacco with me to the table.
+What use to make of the tobacco I knew not, as to my distemper, nor
+whether it was good for it or not; but I tried several experiments with
+it, as if I was resolved it should hit one way or other. I first took a
+piece of a leaf, and chewed it in my mouth; which, indeed, at first,
+almost stupified my brain; the tobacco being green and strong, and such
+as I had not been much used to. Then I took some and steeped it an hour
+or two in some rum, and resolved to take a dose of it when I lay down:
+and, lastly, I burnt some upon a pan of coals, and held my nose close
+over the smoke of it as long as I could bear it; as well for the heat,
+as almost for suffocation. In the interval of this operation, I took up
+the Bible, and began to read; but my head was too much disturbed with
+the tobacco to bear reading, at least at that time; only, having opened
+the book casually, the first words that occurred to me were these: "Call
+on me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt
+glorify me." These words were very apt to my case; and made some
+impression upon my thoughts at the time of reading them, though not so
+much as they did afterwards; for, as for being _delivered_, the word had
+no sound, as I may say, to me; the thing was so remote, so impossible in
+my apprehension of things, that, as the children of Israel said when
+they were promised flesh to eat, "Can God spread a table in the
+wilderness?" so I began to say, Can even God himself deliver me from
+this place? And as it was not for many years that any hopes appeared,
+this prevailed very often upon my thoughts: but, however, the words made
+a great impression upon me, and I mused upon them very often. It now
+grew late; and the tobacco had, as I said, dozed my head so much, that I
+inclined to sleep: so I left my lamp burning in the cave, lest I should
+want any thing in the night, and went to bed. But before I lay down, I
+did what I never had done in all my life; I kneeled down, and prayed to
+God to fulfil the promise to me, that if I called upon him in the day of
+trouble, he would deliver me. After my broken and imperfect prayer was
+over, I drank the rum in which I had steeped the tobacco; which was so
+strong and rank of the tobacco, that indeed I could scarce get it down:
+immediately upon this I went to bed. I found presently the rum flew up
+into my head violently; but I fell into a sound sleep, and waked no
+more till, by the sun, it must necessarily be near three o'clock in the
+afternoon the next day: nay, to this hour I am partly of opinion, that I
+slept all the next day and night, and till almost three the day after;
+for otherwise, I know not how I should lose a day out of my reckoning in
+the days of the week, as it appeared some years after I had done; for if
+I had lost it by crossing and re-crossing the Line, I should have lost
+more than one day; but certainly I lost a day in my account, and never
+knew which way. Be that, however, one way or the other, when I awaked I
+found myself exceedingly refreshed, and my spirits lively and cheerful:
+when I got up, I was stronger than I was the day before, and my stomach
+better, for I was hungry; and, in short, I had no fit the next day, but
+continued much altered for the better. This was the 29th.
+
+The 30th was my well day, of course; and I went abroad with my gun, but
+did not care to travel too far. I killed a sea-fowl or two, something
+like a brand goose, and brought them home; but was not very forward to
+eat them; so I ate some more of the turtle's eggs, which were very good.
+This evening I renewed the medicine, which I had supposed did me good
+the day before, viz. the tobacco steeped in rum; only I did not take so
+much as before, nor did I chew any of the leaf, or hold my head over the
+smoke: however, I was not so well the next day, which was the 1st of
+July, as I hoped I should have been; for I had a little of the cold fit,
+but it was not much.
+
+_July 2._ I renewed the medicine all the three ways; and dosed myself
+with it as at first, and doubled the quantity which I drank.
+
+_July 3._ I missed the fit for good and all, though I did not recover my
+full strength for some weeks after. While I was thus gathering strength,
+my thoughts ran exceedingly upon this scripture, "I will deliver thee;"
+and the impossibility of my deliverance lay much upon my mind, in bar of
+my ever expecting it: but as I was discouraging myself with such
+thoughts, it occurred to my mind that I pored so much upon my
+deliverance from the main affliction, that I disregarded the deliverance
+I had received; and I was, as it were, made to ask myself such questions
+as these, viz. Have I not been delivered, and wonderfully too, from
+sickness; from the most distressed condition that could be, and that was
+so frightful to me? and what notice have I taken of it? Have I done my
+part? God has delivered me, but I have not glorified him; that is to
+say, I have not owned and been thankful for that as a deliverance: and
+how can I expect a greater deliverance? This touched my heart very much;
+and immediately I knelt down, and gave God thanks aloud for my recovery
+from my sickness.
+
+_July 4._ In the morning I took the Bible; and beginning at the New
+Testament, I began seriously to read it; and imposed upon myself to read
+awhile every morning and every night; not binding myself to the number
+of chapters, but as long as my thoughts should engage me. It was not
+long after I set seriously to this work, that I found my heart more
+deeply and sincerely affected with the wickedness of my past life. The
+impression of my dream revived; and the words, "All these things have
+not brought thee to repentance," ran seriously in my thoughts. I was
+earnestly begging of God to give me repentance, when it happened
+providentially, the very same day, that, reading the scripture, I came
+to these words, "He is exalted a Prince and a Saviour; to give
+repentance, and to give remission." I threw down the book; and with my
+heart as well as my hands lifted up to heaven, in a kind of ecstasy of
+joy, I cried out aloud, "Jesus, thou son of David! Jesus, thou exalted
+Prince and Saviour! give me repentance!" This was the first time in all
+my life I could say, in the true sense of the words, that I prayed; for
+now I prayed with a sense of my condition, and with a true scripture
+view of hope, founded on the encouragement of the word of God: and from
+this time, I may say, I began to have hope that God would hear me.
+
+Now I began to construe the words mentioned above, "Call on me, and I
+will deliver thee," in a different sense from what I had ever done
+before; for then I had no notion of any thing being called
+_deliverance_, but my being delivered from the captivity I was in: for
+though I was indeed at large in the place, yet the island was certainly
+a prison to me, and that in the worst sense in the world. But now I
+learned to take it in another sense: now I looked back upon my past life
+with such horror, and my sins appeared so dreadful, that my soul sought
+nothing of God but deliverance from the load of guilt that bore down all
+my comfort. As for my solitary life, it was nothing; I did not so much
+as pray to be delivered from it, or think of it; it was all of no
+consideration, in comparison with this. And I add this part here, to
+hint to whoever shall read it, that whenever they come to a true sense
+of things, they will find deliverance from sin a much greater blessing
+than deliverance from affliction. But, leaving this part, I return to
+my Journal.
+
+My condition began now to be, though not less miserable as to my way of
+living, yet much easier to my mind: and my thoughts being directed, by
+constantly reading the Scripture and praying to God, to things of a
+higher nature, I had a great deal of comfort within, which, till now, I
+knew nothing of; also, as my health and strength returned, I bestirred
+me to furnish myself with every thing that I wanted, and make my way of
+living as regular as I could.
+
+From the 4th of July to the 14th, I was chiefly employed in walking
+about with my gun in my hand, a little and a little at a time, as a man
+that was gathering up his strength after a fit of sickness: for it is
+hardly to be imagined how low I was, and to what weakness I was reduced.
+The application which I made use of was perfectly new, and perhaps what
+had never cured an ague before; neither can I recommend it to any one to
+practise, by this experiment: and though it did carry off the fit, yet
+it rather contributed to weakening me; for I had frequent convulsions in
+my nerves and limbs for some time: I learned from it also this, in
+particular; that being abroad in the rainy season was the most
+pernicious thing to my health that could be, especially in those rains
+which came attended with storms and hurricanes of wind; for as the rain
+which came in the dry season was almost always accompanied with such
+storms, so I found that this rain was much more dangerous than the rain
+which fell in September and October.
+
+I had now been in this unhappy island above ten months: all possibility
+of deliverance from this condition seemed to be entirely taken from me;
+and I firmly believed that no human shape had ever set foot upon that
+place. Having secured my habitation, as I thought, fully to my mind, I
+had a great desire to make a more perfect discovery of the island, and
+to see what other productions I might find, which I yet knew nothing of.
+
+It was on the 15th of July that I began to take a more particular survey
+of the island itself. I went up the creek first, where, as I hinted, I
+brought my rafts on shore. I found, after I came about two miles up,
+that the tide did not flow any higher; and that it was no more than a
+little brook of running water, very fresh and good: but this being the
+dry season, there was hardly any water in some parts of it; at least,
+not any stream. On the banks of this brook I found many pleasant
+savannahs or meadows, plain, smooth, and covered with grass: and on the
+rising parts of them, next to the higher grounds (where the water as it
+might be supposed, never overflowed,) I found a great deal of tobacco,
+green, and growing to a very great and strong stalk: and there were
+divers other plants, which I had no knowledge of, or understanding
+about, and that might, perhaps, have virtues of their own, which I
+could not find out. I searched for the cassava root, which the Indians,
+in all that climate, make their bread of; but I could find none. I saw
+large plants of aloes, but did not understand them. I saw several
+sugar-canes, but wild; and, for want of cultivation, imperfect. I
+contented myself with these discoveries for this time; and came back,
+musing with myself what course I might take to know the virtue and
+goodness of any of the fruits or plants which I should discover; but
+could bring it to no conclusion; for, in short, I had made so little
+observation while I was in the Brazils, that I knew little of the plants
+in the field; at least, very little that might serve me to any purpose
+now in my distress.
+
+The next day, the 16th, I went up the same way again; and after going
+something farther than I had gone the day before, I found the brook and
+the savannahs begin to cease, and the country become more woody than
+before. In this part I found different fruits; and particularly I found
+melons upon the ground, in great abundance, and grapes upon the trees:
+the vines, indeed, had spread over the trees, and the clusters of grapes
+were now just in their prime, very ripe and rich. This was a surprising
+discovery, and I was exceedingly glad of them, but I was warned by my
+experience to eat sparingly of them; remembering that when I was ashore
+in Barbary, the eating of grapes killed several of our Englishmen, who
+were slaves there, by throwing them into fluxes and fevers. I found,
+however, an excellent use for these grapes; and that was, to cure or dry
+them in the sun, and keep them as dried grapes or raisins are kept;
+which I thought would be (as indeed they were) as wholesome and as
+agreeable to eat, when no grapes were to be had.
+
+I spent all that evening there, and went not back to my habitation;
+which, by the way, was the first night, as I might say, I had lain from
+home. At night, I took my first contrivance, and got up into a tree,
+where I slept well; and the next morning proceeded on my discovery,
+travelling near four miles, as I might judge by the length of the
+valley; keeping still due north, with a ridge of hills on the south and
+north sides of me. At the end of this march I came to an opening, where
+the country seemed to descend to the west; and a little spring of fresh
+water, which issued out of the side of the hill by me, ran the other
+way, that is, due east; and the country appeared so fresh, so green, so
+flourishing, every thing being in a constant verdure, or flourish of
+spring, that it looked like a planted garden. I descended a little on
+the side of that delicious vale, surveying it with a secret kind of
+pleasure (though mixed with other afflicting thoughts,) to think that
+this was all my own; that I was king and lord of all this country
+indefeasibly, and had a right of possession; and, if I could convey it,
+I might have it in inheritance as completely as any lord of a manor in
+England. I saw here abundance of cocoa trees, and orange, lemon, and
+citron trees, but all wild, and very few bearing any fruit; at least not
+then. However, the green limes that I gathered were not only pleasant to
+eat, but very wholesome; and I mixed their juice afterwards with water,
+which made it very wholesome, and very cool and refreshing. I found now
+I had business enough to gather and carry home; and I resolved to lay up
+a store, as well of grapes as limes and lemons to furnish myself for the
+wet season, which I knew was approaching. In order to this, I gathered a
+great heap of grapes in one place, a lesser heap in another place; and a
+great parcel of limes and melons in another place; and, taking a few of
+each with me, I travelled homeward; and resolved to come again, and
+bring a bag or sack, or what I could make to carry the rest home.
+Accordingly, having spent three days in this journey, I came home (so I
+must now call my tent and my cave:) but before I got thither, the grapes
+were spoiled; the richness of the fruits, and the weight of the juice,
+having broken and bruised them, they were good for little or nothing: as
+to the limes, they were good, but I could bring only a few.
+
+The next day, being the 19th, I went back, having made me two small bags
+to bring home my harvest; but I was surprised, when, coming to my heap
+of grapes, which were so rich and fine when I gathered them, I found
+them all spread about, trod to pieces, and dragged about, some here,
+some there, and abundance eaten and devoured. By this I concluded there
+were some wild creatures thereabouts which had done this, but what they
+were I knew not. However, as I found there was no laying them up in
+heaps, and no carrying them away in a sack; but that one way they would
+be destroyed, and the other way they would be crushed with their own
+weight; I took another course: I then gathered a large quantity of the
+grapes, and hung them upon the out-branches of the trees, that they
+might cure and dry in the sun; and as for the limes and lemons, I
+carried as many back as I could well stand under.
+
+When I came home from this journey, I contemplated with great pleasure
+the fruitfulness of that valley, and the pleasantness of the situation;
+the security from storms on that side; the water and the wood: and
+concluded that I had pitched upon a place to fix my abode in, which was
+by far the worst part of the country. Upon the whole, I began to
+consider of removing my habitation, and to look out for a place equally
+safe as where I was now situate; if possible, in that pleasant fruitful
+part of the island.
+
+This thought ran long in my head; and I was exceeding fond of it for
+some time, the pleasantness of the place tempting me: but when I came to
+a nearer view of it, I considered that I was now by the sea-side, where
+it was at least possible that something might happen to my advantage,
+and, by the same ill fate that brought me hither, might bring some other
+unhappy wretches to the same place; and though it was scarce probable
+that any such thing should ever happen, yet to enclose myself among the
+hills and woods in the centre of the island, was to anticipate my
+bondage, and to render such an affair not only improbable, but
+impossible; and that therefore I ought not by any means to remove.
+However, I was so enamoured of this place, that I spent much of my time
+there for the whole remaining part of the month of July; and though,
+upon second thoughts, I resolved, as above stated, not to remove; yet I
+built me a little kind of a bower, and surrounded it at a distance with
+a strong fence, being a double hedge, as high as I could reach, well
+staked, and filled between with brush-wood. Here I lay very secure,
+sometimes two or three nights together; always going over it with a
+ladder, as before: so that I fancied now I had my country and my
+sea-coast house. This work took me up till the beginning of August.
+
+I had but newly finished my fence, and began to enjoy my labour, when
+the rains came on, and made me stick close to my first habitation: for
+though I had made a tent like the other, with a piece of sail, and
+spread it very well, yet I had not the shelter of a hill to keep me from
+storms, nor a cave behind me to retreat into when the rains were
+extraordinary.
+
+About the beginning of August, as I said, I had finished my bower, and
+began to enjoy myself. The 3d of August, I found the grapes I had hung
+up were perfectly dried, and indeed were excellent good raisins of the
+sun: so I began to take them down from the trees; and it was very happy
+that I did so, as the rains which followed would have spoiled them, and
+I should have lost the best part of my winter food; for I had above two
+hundred large bunches of them. No sooner had I taken them all down, and
+carried most of them home to my cave, but it began to rain: and from
+hence, which was the 14th of August, it rained, more or less, every day
+till the middle of October; and sometimes so violently, that I could not
+stir out of my cave for several days.
+
+In this season, I was much surprised with the increase of my family. I
+had been concerned for the loss of one of my cats, who ran away from me,
+or, as I thought, had been dead; and I heard no more of her, till, to my
+astonishment, she came home with three kittens. This was the more
+strange to me, because, about the end of August, though I had killed a
+wild cat, as I called it, with my gun, yet I thought it was quite a
+different kind from our European cats: yet the young cats were the same
+kind of house-breed as the old one; and both of my cats being females, I
+thought it very strange. But from these three, I afterwards came to be
+so pestered with cats, that I was forced to kill them like vermin, or
+wild beasts, and to drive them from my house as much as possible.
+
+From the 14th of August to the 26th, incessant rain; so that I could not
+stir, and was now very careful not to be much wet. In this confinement,
+I began to be straitened for food; but venturing out twice, I one day
+killed a goat, and the last day, which was the 26th, found a very large
+tortoise, which was a treat to me. My food was now regulated thus: I ate
+a bunch of raisins for my breakfast; a piece of the goat's flesh, or of
+the turtle, broiled, for my dinner (for, to my great misfortune, I had
+no vessel to boil or stew any thing;) and two or three of the turtle's
+eggs for my supper.
+
+During this confinement in my cover by the rain, I worked daily two or
+three hours at enlarging my cave, and by degrees worked it on towards
+one side, till I came to the outside of the hill; and made a door, or
+way out, which came beyond my fence or wall: and so I came in and out
+this way. But I was not perfectly easy at lying so open: for as I had
+managed myself before, I was in a perfect enclosure; whereas now, I
+thought I lay exposed; and yet I could not perceive that there was any
+living thing to fear, the biggest creature that I had yet seen upon the
+island being a goat.
+
+_September_ 30. I was now come to the unhappy anniversary of my landing.
+I cast up the notches on my post, and found I had been on shore three
+hundred and sixty-five days. I kept this day as a solemn fast; setting
+it apart for religious exercise, prostrating myself on the ground with
+the most serious humiliation, confessing my sins to God, acknowledging
+his righteous judgments upon me, and praying to him to have mercy on me
+through Jesus Christ; and having not tasted the least refreshment for
+twelve hours, even till the going down of the sun, I then ate a biscuit
+and a bunch of grapes, and went to bed, finishing the day as I began it.
+I had all this time observed no sabbath-day; for as at first I had no
+sense of religion upon my mind, I had, after some time, omitted to
+distinguish the weeks, by making a longer notch than ordinary for the
+sabbath-day, and so did not really know what any of the days were: but
+now having cast up the days, as above, I found I had been there a year;
+so I divided it into weeks, and set apart every seventh day for a
+sabbath: though I found, at the end of my account, I had lost a day or
+two in my reckoning. A little after this, my ink beginning to fail me, I
+contented myself to use it more sparingly; and to write down only the
+most remarkable events of my life, without continuing a daily memorandum
+of other things.
+
+The rainy season and the dry season began now to appear regular to me,
+and I learned to divide them so as to provide for them accordingly; but
+I bought all my experience before I had it; and what I am going to
+relate was one of the most discouraging experiments that I had made
+at all.
+
+I have mentioned that I had saved the few ears of barley, and rice,
+which I had so surprisingly found sprung up, as I thought, of
+themselves. I believe there were about thirty stalks of rice, and about
+twenty of barley; and now I thought it a proper time to sow it after the
+rains; the sun being in its southern position, going from me.
+Accordingly I dug a piece of ground, as well as I could, with my wooden
+spade; and dividing it into two parts, I sowed my grain; but, as I was
+sowing, it casually occurred to my thoughts that I would not sow it all
+at first, because I did not know when was the proper time for it; so I
+sowed about two-thirds of the seed, leaving about a handful of each: and
+it was a great comfort to me afterwards that I did so, for not one grain
+of what I sowed this time came to any thing; for the dry month
+following, and the earth having thus had no rain after the seed was
+sown, it had no moisture to assist its growth, and never came up at all
+till the wet season had come again, and then it grew as if it had been
+but newly sown. Finding my first seed did not grow, which I easily
+imagined was from the drought, I sought for a moister piece of ground to
+make another trial in; and I dug up a piece of ground near my new bower,
+and sowed the rest of my seed in February, a little before the vernal
+equinox. This having the rainy month of March and April to water it,
+sprung up very pleasantly, and yielded a very good crop; but having only
+part of the seed left, and not daring to sow all that I had, I got but a
+small quantity at last, my whole crop not amounting to above half a peck
+of each kind. But by this experiment I was made master of my business,
+and knew exactly when was the proper time to sow; and that I might
+expect two seed-times, and two harvests, every year.
+
+While this corn was growing, I made a little discovery, which was of use
+to me afterwards. As soon as the rains were over, and the weather began
+to settle, which was about the month of November, I made a visit up the
+country to my bower; where, though I had not been some months, yet I
+found all things just as I left them. The circle or double hedge that I
+had made was not only firm and entire, but the stakes which I had cut
+out of some trees that grew thereabouts, were all shot out, and grown
+with long branches, as much as a willow-tree usually shoots the first
+year after lopping its head; but I could not tell what tree to call it
+that these stakes were cut from. I was surprised, and yet very well
+pleased, to see the young trees grow; and I pruned them, and led them to
+grow as much alike as I could: and it is scarce credible how beautiful a
+figure they grew into in three years: so that, though the hedge made a
+circle of about twenty-five yards in diameter, yet the trees, for such I
+might now call them, soon covered it, and it was a complete shade,
+sufficient to lodge under all the dry season. This made me resolve to
+cut some more stakes, and make me a hedge like this, in a semi-circle
+round my wall (I mean that of my first dwelling,) which I did; and
+placing the trees or stakes in a double row, at about eight yards
+distance from my first fence, they grew presently; and were at first a
+fine cover to my habitation, and afterwards served for a defence also;
+as I shall observe in its order.
+
+I found now that the seasons of the year might generally be divided, not
+into summer and winter, as in Europe, but into the rainy seasons and the
+dry seasons, which were generally thus: From the middle of February to
+the middle of April, rainy; the sun being then on or near the equinox.
+From the middle of April till the middle of August, dry; the sun being
+then north of the line. From the middle of August till the middle of
+October, rainy; the sun being then come back to the line. From the
+middle of October till the middle of February, dry; the sun being then
+to the south of the line.
+
+The rainy seasons held sometimes longer and sometimes shorter, as the
+winds happened to blow; but this was the general observation I made.
+After I had found, by experience, the ill consequences of being abroad
+in the rain, I took care to furnish myself with provisions beforehand,
+that I might not be obliged to go out: and I sat within doors as much as
+possible during the wet months. In this time I found much employment,
+and very suitable also to the time; for I found great occasion for many
+things which I had no way to furnish myself with, but by hard labour and
+constant application: particularly, I tried many ways to make myself a
+basket: but all the twigs I could get for the purpose proved so brittle,
+that they would do nothing. It proved of excellent advantage to me now,
+that when I was a boy, I used to take great delight in standing at a
+basketmaker's in the town where my father lived, to see them make their
+wicker-ware; and being, as boys usually are, very officious to help, and
+a great observer of the manner how they worked those things, and
+sometimes lending a hand, I had by these means full knowledge of the
+methods of it, so that I wanted nothing but the materials; when it came
+into my mind, that the twigs of that tree from whence I cut my stakes
+that grew might possibly be as tough as the sallows, willows, and
+osiers, in England; and I resolved to try. Accordingly, the next day, I
+went to my country house, as I called it; and cutting some of the
+smaller twigs, I found them to my purpose as much as I could desire:
+whereupon I came the next time prepared with a hatchet to cut down a
+quantity, which I soon found, for there was great plenty of them. These
+I set up to dry within my circle or hedge; and when they were fit for
+use, I carried them to my cave: and here, during the next season, I
+employed myself in making, as well as I could, several baskets; both to
+carry earth, or to carry or lay up any thing as I had occasion for.
+Though I did not finish them very handsomely, yet I made them
+sufficiently serviceable for my purpose: and thus, afterwards, I took
+care never to be without them; and as my wicker-ware decayed, I made
+more; especially strong deep baskets, to place my corn in, instead of
+sacks, when I should come to have any quantity of it.
+
+Having mastered this difficulty, and employed a world of time about it,
+I bestirred myself to see, if possible, how to supply two other wants. I
+had no vessel to hold any thing that was liquid, except two runlets,
+which were almost full of rum; and some glass bottles, some of the
+common size, and others (which were case-bottles) square, for the
+holding of waters, spirits, &c. I had not so much as a pot to boil
+anything; except a great kettle, which I saved out of the ship, and
+which was too big for such use as I desired it, viz. to make broth, and
+stew a bit of meat by itself. The second thing I would fain have had,
+was a tobacco-pipe; but it was impossible for me to make one; however, I
+found a contrivance for that too at last. I employed myself in planting
+my second row of stakes or piles, and also in this wicker-working, all
+the summer or dry season; when another business took me up more time
+than it could be imagined I could spare.
+
+I mentioned before, that I had a great mind to see the whole island; and
+that I had travelled up the brook, and so on to where I had built my
+bower, and where I had an opening quite to the sea, on the other side of
+the island. I now resolved to travel quite across to the sea-shore, on
+that side: so taking my gun, a hatchet, and my dog, and a larger
+quantity of powder and shot than usual; with two biscuit-cakes, and a
+great bunch of raisins in my pouch, for my store; I began my journey.
+When I had passed the vale where my bower stood, as above, I came within
+view of the sea, to the west; and it being a very clear day, I fairly
+descried land, whether an island or continent I could not tell; but it
+lay very high, extending from W. to W.S.W. at a very great distance; by
+my guess, it could not be less than fifteen or twenty leagues off.
+
+I could not tell what part of the world this might be; otherwise than
+that I knew it must be part of America; and, as I concluded, by all my
+observations, must be near the Spanish dominions; and perhaps was all
+inhabited by savages, where, if I should have landed, I had been in a
+worse condition than I was now. I therefore acquiesced in the
+dispositions of Providence, which I began now to own and to believe
+ordered every thing for the best; I say, I quieted my mind with this,
+and left off afflicting myself with fruitless wishes of being there.
+
+Besides, after some pause upon this affair, I considered that if this
+land was the Spanish coast, I should certainly, one time or other, see
+some vessel pass or repass one way or other; but if not, then it was the
+savage coast between the Spanish country and the Brazils, whose
+inhabitants are indeed the worst of savages; for they are cannibals, or
+men-eaters, and fail not to murder and devour all human beings that fall
+into their hands.
+
+With these considerations, walking very leisurely forward, I found this
+side of the island, where I now was, much pleasanter than mine; the open
+or savannah fields sweetly adorned with flowers and grass, and full of
+very fine woods. I saw abundance of parrots; and fain would have caught
+one, if possible, to have kept it to be tame, and taught it to speak to
+me. I did, after taking some pains, catch a young parrot: for I knocked
+it down with a stick, and, having recovered it, I brought it home: but
+it was some years before I could make him speak; however, at last I
+taught him to call me by my name very familiarly. But the accident that
+followed, though it be a trifle, will be very diverting in its place.
+
+I was exceedingly amused with this journey. I found in the low grounds
+hares, as I thought them to be, and foxes: but they differed greatly
+from all the other kinds I had met with; nor could I satisfy myself to
+eat them, though I killed several. But I had no need to be venturous:
+for I had no want of food, and of that which was very good too;
+especially these three sorts, viz. goats, pigeons, and turtle, or
+tortoise. With these, added to my grapes, Leadenhall-Market could not
+have furnished a table better than I, in proportion to the company; and
+though my case was deplorable enough, yet I had great cause for
+thankfulness; as I was not driven to any extremities for food; but had
+rather plenty, even to dainties.
+
+I never travelled on this journey above two miles outright in a day, or
+thereabouts; but I took so many turns and returns, to see what
+discoveries I could make, that I came weary enough to the place where I
+resolved to sit down for the night; and then I either reposed myself in
+a tree, or surrounded myself with a row of stakes, set upright in the
+ground, either from one tree to another, or so as no wild creature could
+come at me without waking me.
+
+As soon as I came to the sea-shore, I was surprised to see that I had
+taken up my lot on the worst side of the island: for here indeed the
+shore was covered with innumerable turtles; whereas, on the other side,
+I had found but three in a year and a half. Here was also an infinite
+number of fowls of many kinds; some of which I had seen, and some of
+which I had not seen before, and many of them very good meat; but such
+as I knew not the names of, except those called Penguins.
+
+I could have shot as many as I pleased, but was very sparing of my
+powder and shot; and therefore had more mind to kill a she-goat, if I
+could, which I could better feed on. But though there were many goats
+here, more than on my side the island, yet it was with much more
+difficulty that I could come near them; the country being flat and even,
+and they saw me much sooner than when I was upon a hill.
+
+I confess this side of the country was much pleasanter than mine; yet I
+had not the least inclination to remove; for as I was fixed in my
+habitation, it became natural to me, and I seemed all the while I was
+here to be as it were upon a journey, and from home. However, I
+travelled along the sea-shore towards the east, I suppose about twelve
+miles; and then setting up a great pole upon the shore for a mark, I
+concluded I would go home again; and that the next journey I took should
+be on the other side of the island, east from my dwelling, and so round
+till I came to my post again: of which in its place.
+
+I took another way to come back than that I went, thinking I could
+easily keep so much of the island in my view, that I could not miss my
+first dwelling by viewing the country: but I found myself mistaken; for
+being come about two or three miles, I found myself descended into a
+very large valley, but so surrounded with hills, and those hills covered
+with wood, that I could not see which was my way by any direction but
+that of the sun, nor even then, unless I knew very well the position of
+the sun at that time of the day. And it happened to my farther
+misfortune, that the weather proved hazy for three or four days while I
+was in this valley; and not being able to see the sun, I wandered about
+very uncomfortable, and at last was obliged to find out the sea-side,
+look for my post, and come back the same way I went; and then by easy
+journies I turned homeward, the weather being exceeding hot, and my gun,
+ammunition, hatchet, and other things very heavy.
+
+In this journey, my dog surprised a young kid, and seized upon it; and
+running to take hold of it, I caught it, and saved it alive from the
+dog. I had a great mind to bring it home if I could; for I had often
+been musing whether it might not be possible to get a kid or two, and so
+raise a breed of tame goats, which might supply me when my powder and
+shot should be all spent. I made a collar for this little creature, and
+with a string which I had made of some rope-yarn, which I always carried
+about me, I led him along, though with some difficulty, till I came to
+my bower, and there I enclosed him and left him; for I was very
+impatient to be at home, from whence I had been absent above a month.
+
+I cannot express what a satisfaction it was to me to come into my old
+hutch, and lie down in my hammock-bed. This little wandering journey,
+without a settled place of abode, had been so unpleasant to me, that my
+own house, as I called it to myself, was a perfect settlement to me,
+compared to that; and it rendered every thing about me so comfortable,
+that I resolved I would never go a great way from it again, while it
+should be my lot to stay on the island.
+
+I reposed myself here a week, to rest and regale myself after my long
+journey: during which, most of the time was taken up in the weighty
+affair of making a cage for my Pol, who began now to be more domestic,
+and to be mighty well acquainted with me. Then I began to think of the
+poor kid which I had penned within my little circle, and resolved to
+fetch it home, or give it some food: accordingly I went, and found it
+where I left it (for indeed it could not get out,) but was almost
+starved for want of food. I went and cut boughs of trees, and branches
+of such shrubs as I could find, and threw it over, and having fed it, I
+tied it as I did before, to lead it away; but it was so tame with being
+hungry, that I had no need to have tied it, for it followed me like a
+dog: and as I continually fed it, the creature became so loving, so
+gentle, and so fond, that it was from that time one of my domestics
+also, and would never leave me afterwards.
+
+The rainy season of the autumnal equinox was now come, and I kept the
+30th of September in the same solemn manner as before, being the
+anniversary of my landing on the island; having now been there two
+years, and no more prospect of being delivered than the first day I came
+there. I spent the whole day in humble and thankful acknowledgments for
+the many wonderful mercies which my solitary condition was attended
+with, and without which it might have been infinitely more miserable. I
+gave humble and hearty thanks to God for having been pleased to discover
+to me, that it was possible I might be more happy even in this solitary
+condition, than I should have been in the enjoyment of society, and in
+all the pleasures of the world: that he could fully make up to me the
+deficiencies of my solitary state, and the wont of human society, by his
+presence, and the communications of his grace to my soul; supporting,
+comforting, and encouraging me to depend upon his providence here, and
+to hope for his eternal presence hereafter.
+
+It was now that I began sensibly to feel how much more happy the life I
+now led was, with all its miserable circumstances, than the wicked,
+cursed, abominable life I led all the past part of my days: and now I
+changed both my sorrows and my joys: my very desires altered, my
+affections changed their gusts, and my delights were perfectly new from
+what they were at my first coming, or indeed for the two years past.
+
+Before, as I walked about, either on my hunting, or for viewing the
+country, the anguish of my soul at my condition would break out upon me
+on a sudden, and my very heart would die within me, to think of the
+woods, the mountains, the deserts I was in; and how I was a prisoner,
+locked up with the eternal bars and bolts of the ocean, in an
+uninhabited wilderness, without redemption. In the midst of the greatest
+composures of my mind, this would break out upon me like a storm, and
+make me wring my hands, and weep like a child: sometimes it would take
+me in the middle of my work, and I would immediately sit down and sigh,
+and look upon the ground for an hour or two together: this was still
+worse to me; but if I could burst into tears, or give vent to my
+feelings by words, it would go off; and my grief being exhausted,
+would abate.
+
+But now I began to exercise myself with new thoughts; I daily read the
+word of God, and applied all the comforts of it to my present state. One
+morning, being very sad, I opened the Bible upon these words, "I will
+never leave thee, nor forsake thee:" immediately it occurred that these
+words were to me; why else should they be directed in such a manner,
+just at the moment when I was mourning over my condition, as one
+forsaken of God and man? "Well then," said I, "if God does not forsake
+me, of what ill consequence can it be, or what matters it, though the
+world should forsake me; seeing on the other hand, if I had all the
+world, and should lose the favour and blessing of God, there would be no
+comparison in the loss?"
+
+From this moment I began to conclude in my mind, that it was possible
+for me to be more happy in this forsaken, solitary condition, than it
+was probable I should ever have been in any other particular state in
+the world; and with this thought I was going to give thanks to God for
+bringing me to this place. I know not what it was, but something shocked
+my mind at that thought and I durst not speak the words. "How canst thou
+be such a hypocrite," said I, even audibly, "to pretend to be thankful
+for a condition, which, however thou mayest endeavour to be contented
+with, thou wouldest rather pray heartily to be delivered from?" Here I
+stopped: but though I could not say I thanked God for being here, yet I
+sincerely gave thanks to God for opening my eyes, by whatever afflicting
+providences, to see the former condition of my life, and to mourn for my
+wickedness, and repent. I never opened the Bible, or shut it, but my
+very soul within me blessed God for directing my friend in England,
+without any order of mine, to pack it up among my goods; and for
+assisting me afterwards to save it out of the wreck of the ship.
+
+Thus, and in this disposition of mind, I began my third year; and though
+I have not given the reader the trouble of so particular an account of
+my works this year as the first, yet in general it may be observed, that
+I was very seldom idle; but having regularly divided my time, according
+to the several daily employments that were before me; such as, first, My
+duty to God, and the reading the Scriptures, which I constantly set
+apart some time for, thrice every day: secondly, Going abroad with my
+gun for food, which generally took me up three hours every morning, when
+it did not rain: thirdly, Ordering, curing, preserving, and cooking what
+I had killed or catched for my supply: these took up great part of the
+day; also it is to be considered, that in the middle of the day, when
+the sun was in the zenith, the violence of the heat was too great to
+stir out; so that about four hours in the evening was all the time I
+could be supposed to work in; with this exception, that sometimes I
+changed my hours of hunting and working, and went to work in the
+morning, and abroad with my gun in the afternoon.
+
+To this short time allowed for labour, I desire may be added the
+exceeding laboriousness of my work; the many hours which, for want of
+tools, want of help, and want of skill, every thing I did took up out of
+my time: for example, I was full two and forty days making me a board
+for a long shelf, which I wanted in my cave; whereas, two sawyers, with
+their tools and a saw-pit, would have cut six of them out of the same
+tree in half a day.
+
+My case was this; it was a large tree which was to be cut down, because
+my board was to be a broad one. This tree I was three days cutting down,
+and two more in cutting off the boughs, and reducing it to a log, or
+piece of timber. With inexpressible hacking and hewing, I reduced both
+the sides of it into chips, till it was light enough to move; then I
+turned it, and made one side of it smooth and flat as a board, from end
+to end; then turning that side downward, cut the other side, till I
+brought the plank to be about three inches thick, and smooth on both
+sides. Any one may judge the labour of my hands in such a piece of work;
+but labour and patience carried me through that, and many other things:
+I only observe this in particular, to show the reason why so much of my
+time went away with so little work, viz. that what might be a little to
+be done with help and tools, was a vast labour, and required a
+prodigious time to do alone, and by hand. Notwithstanding this, with
+patience and labour I went through many things; and, indeed, every thing
+that my circumstances made necessary for me to do, as will appear by
+what follows.
+
+I was now in the months of November and December, expecting my crop of
+barley and rice. The ground I had manured or dug up for them was not
+great; for, as I observed, my seed of each was not above the quantity of
+half a peck, having lost one whole crop by sowing in the dry season: but
+now my crop promised very well; when, on a sudden, I found I was in
+danger of losing it all again by enemies of several sorts, which it was
+scarce possible to keep from it; as, first, the goats, and wild
+creatures which I called hares, who, tasting the sweetness of the blade,
+lay in it night and day, as soon as it came up, and ate it so close,
+that it could get no time to shoot up into stalk.
+
+I saw no remedy for this, but by making an enclosure about it with a
+hedge, which I did with a great deal of toil; and the more, because it
+required speed. However, as my arable land was but small, suited to my
+crop, I got it tolerably well fenced in about three weeks' time; and
+shooting some of the creatures in the day-time, I set my dog to guard it
+in the night, tying him up to a stake at the gate, where he would stand
+and bark all night long; so in a little time the enemies forsook the
+place, and the corn grew very strong and well, and began to ripen apace.
+
+But as the beasts ruined me before, while my corn was in the blade, so
+the birds were as likely to ruin me now, when it was in the ear: for
+going along by the place to see how it throve, I saw my little crop
+surrounded with fowls, I know not of how many sorts, who stood, as it
+were, watching till I should be gone. I immediately let fly among them
+(for I always had my gun with me;) I had no sooner shot, but there rose
+up a little cloud of fowls, which I had not seen at all, from among the
+corn itself.
+
+This touched me sensibly, for I foresaw that in a few days they would
+devour all my hopes; that I should be starved, and never be able to
+raise a crop at all; and what to do I could not tell: however, I
+resolved not to lose my corn, if possible, though I should watch it
+night and day. In the first place, I went among it, to see what damage
+was already done, and found they had spoiled a good deal of it; but that
+as it was yet too green for them, the loss was not so great, but that
+the remainder was likely to be a good crop, if it could be saved.
+
+I staid by it to load my gun, and then coming away, I could easily see
+the thieves sitting upon all the trees about me, as if they only waited
+till I was gone away; and the event proved it to be so; for as I walked
+off, as if gone, I was no sooner out of their sight, than they dropt
+down, one by one, into the corn again. I was so provoked, that I could
+not have patience to stay till more came on, knowing that every grain
+they eat now was, as it might be said, a peck-loaf to me in the
+consequence; so coming up to the hedge, I fired again, and killed three
+of them. This was what I wished for; so I took them up, and served them
+as we serve notorious thieves in England, viz. hanged them in chains,
+for a terror to others. It is impossible to imagine that this should
+have such an effect as it had; for the fowls not only never came to the
+corn, but, in short, they forsook all that part of the island, and I
+could never see a bird near the place as long as my scare-crows hung
+there. This I was very glad of, you may be sure; and about the latter
+end of December, which was our second harvest of the year, I reaped
+my corn.
+
+I was sadly put to it for a scythe or sickle to cut it down: and all I
+could do was to make one as well as I could, out of one of the broad
+swords, or cutlasses, which I saved among the arms out of the ship.
+However, as my first crop was but small, I had no great difficulty to
+cut it down: in short, I reaped it my way, for I cut nothing off but the
+ears, and carried it away in a great basket which I had made, and so
+rubbed it out with my hands; and at the end of all my harvesting, I
+found that out of my half peck of seed I had near two bushels of rice,
+and above two bushels and a half of barley; that is to say, by my guess,
+for I had no measure.
+
+However, this was great encouragement to me; and I foresaw that, in
+time, it would please God to supply me with bread; and yet here I was
+perplexed again; for I neither knew how to grind, or make meal of my
+corn, or indeed how to clean it and part it; nor if made into meal, how
+to make bread of it; and if how to make it, yet I knew not how to bake
+it: these things being added to my desire of having a good quantity for
+store, and to secure a constant supply, I resolved not to taste any of
+this crop, but to preserve it all for seed against the next season; and,
+in the mean tune, to employ all my study and hours of working to
+accomplish this great work of providing myself with corn and bread.
+
+It might be truly said, that now I worked for my bread. It is a little
+wonderful, and what I believe few people have thought much upon, viz.
+the strange multitude of little things necessary in the providing,
+producing, curing, dressing, making, and finishing this one article
+of bread.
+
+I, that was reduced to a mere state of nature, found this to my daily
+discouragement, and was made more sensible of it every hour, even after
+I had got the first handful of seed-corn which, as I have said, came up
+unexpectedly, and indeed to a surprise.
+
+First, I had no plough to turn up the earth; no spade or shovel to dig
+it: well, this I conquered by making a wooden spade, as I observed
+before; but this did my work but in a wooden manner; and though it cost
+me a great many days to make it, yet, for want of iron, it not only wore
+out the sooner, but made my work the harder, and performed it much
+worse. However, this I bore with, and was content to work it out with
+patience, and bear with the badness of the performance. When the corn
+was sown, I had no harrow, but was forced to go over it myself, and drag
+a great heavy bough of a tree over it, to scratch it, as it may be
+called, rather than rake or harrow it. When it was growing and grown, I
+have observed already how many things I wanted to fence it, secure it,
+mow or reap it, cure and carry it home, thrash, part it from the chaff,
+and save it: then I wanted a mill to grind it, sieves to dress it, yeast
+and salt to make it into bread, and an oven to bake it; and yet all
+these things I did without, as shall be observed; and the corn was an
+inestimable comfort and advantage to me: all this, as I said, made every
+thing laborious and tedious to me, but that there was no help for;
+neither was my time so much loss to me, because, as I had divided it, a
+certain part of it, was every day appointed to these works; and as I
+resolved to use none of the corn for bread till I had a greater quantity
+by me, I had the next six months to apply myself wholly, by labour and
+invention, to furnish myself with utensils proper for the performing all
+the operations necessary for making corn fit for my use.
+
+But now I was to prepare more land; for I had seed enough to sow above
+an acre of ground. Before I did this, I had a week's work at least to
+make me a spade; which, when it was done, was but a sorry one indeed,
+and very heavy, and required double labour to work with it: however, I
+went through that, and sowed my seed in two large flat pieces of ground,
+as near my house as I could find them to my mind, and fenced them in
+with a good hedge; the stakes of which were all cut off that wood which
+I had set before, and knew it would grow; so that, in one year's time, I
+knew I should have a quick or living hedge, that would want but little
+repair. This work took me up full three months; because a great part of
+the time was in the wet season, when I could not go abroad. Within
+doors, that is, when it rained, and I could not go out, I found
+employment on the following occasions; always observing, that while I
+was at work, I diverted myself with talking to my parrot, and teaching
+him to speak; and I quickly learned him to know his own name, and at
+last to speak it out pretty loud, Pol; which was the first word I ever
+heard spoken in the island by any mouth but my own. This, therefore, was
+not my work, but an assistant to my work; for now, as I said, I had a
+great employment upon my hands, as follows: I had long studied, by some
+means or other, to make myself some earthen vessels, which indeed I
+wanted much, but knew not where to come at them: however, considering
+the heat of the climate, I did not doubt but if I could find out any
+clay, I might botch up some such pot as might, being dried in the sun,
+be hard and strong enough to bear handling, and to hold any thing that
+was dry, and required to be kept so; and as this was necessary in the
+preparing corn, meal, &c. which was the thing I was upon, I resolved to
+make some as large as I could, and fit only to stand like jars, to hold
+what should be put into them.
+
+It would make the reader pity me, or rather laugh at me, to tell how
+many awkward ways I took to raise this pastil; what odd, misshapen, ugly
+things I made; how many of them fell in, and how many fell out, the clay
+not being stiff enough to bear its own weight; how many cracked by the
+over violent heat of the sun, being set out too hastily; and how many
+fell in pieces with only removing, as well before as after they were
+dried: and, in a word, how, after having laboured hard to find the
+clay, to dig it, to temper it, to bring it home, and work it, I could
+not make above two large earthen ugly things (I cannot call them jars)
+in about two months' labour.
+
+However, as the sun baked these two very dry and hard, I lifted them
+very gently up, and set them down again in two great wicker baskets,
+which I had made on purpose for them, that they might not break; and as
+between the pot and the basket there was a little room to spare, I
+stuffed it full of the rice and barley-straw; and these two pots being
+to stand always dry, I thought would hold my dry corn, and perhaps the
+meal, when the corn was bruised.
+
+Though I miscarried so much in my design for large pots, yet I made
+several smaller things with better success; such as little round pots,
+flat dishes, pitchers, and pipkins, and any thing my hand turned to; and
+the heat of the sun baked them very hard.
+
+But all this would not answer my end, which was to get an earthen pot to
+hold liquids, and bear the fire, which none of these could do. It
+happened some time after, making a pretty large fire for cooking my
+meat, when I went to put it out after I had done with it, I found a
+broken piece of one of my earthen-ware vessels in the fire, burnt as
+hard as a stone, and red as a tile. I was agreeably surprised to see it;
+and said to myself, that certainly they might be made to burn whole, if
+they would burn broken.
+
+This set me to study how to order my fire, so as to make it burn some
+pots. I had no notion of a kiln, such as the potters burn in, or of
+glazing them with lead, though I had some lead to do it with; but I
+placed three large pipkins and two or three pots in a pile, one upon
+another, and placed my fire-wood all round it, with a great heap of
+embers under them. I plied the fire with fresh fuel round the outside,
+and upon the top, till I saw the pots in the inside red-hot quite
+through, and observed that they did not crack at all: when I saw them
+clear red, I let them stand in that heat about five or six hours, till I
+found one of them, though it did not crack, did melt or run; for the
+sand which was mixed with the clay melted by the violence of the heat,
+and would have run into glass, if I had gone on; so I slacked my fire
+gradually, till the pots began to abate of the red colour; and watching
+them all night, that I might not let the fire abate too fast, in the
+morning I had three very good, I will not say handsome, pipkins, and two
+other earthen pots, as hard burnt as could be desired; and one of them
+perfectly glazed with the running of the sand.
+
+After this experiment, I need not say that I wanted no sort of
+earthen-ware for my use; but I must needs say, as to the shapes of them,
+they were very indifferent, as any one may suppose, as I had no way of
+making them but as the children make dirt pies, or as a woman would make
+pies that never learned to raise paste.
+
+No joy at a thing of so mean a nature was ever equal to mine, when I
+found I had made an earthen pot that would bear the fire; and I had
+hardly patience to stay till they were cold, before I set one on the
+fire again, with some water in it, to boil me some meat, which it did
+admirably well; and with a piece of a kid I made some very good broth;
+though I wanted oatmeal, and several other ingredients requisite to make
+it so good as I would have had it been.
+
+My next concern was to get a stone mortar to stamp or beat some corn in;
+for as to the mill, there was no thought of arriving to that perfection
+of art with one pair of hands. To supply this want I was at a great
+loss; for, of all trades in the world, I was as perfectly unqualified
+for a stonecutter, as for any whatever; neither had I any tools to go
+about it with. I spent many a day to find out a great stone big enough
+to cut hollow, and make fit for a mortar; but could find none at all,
+except what was in the solid rock, and which I had no way to dig or cut
+out: nor, indeed, were the rocks in the island of sufficient hardness,
+as they were all of a sandy crumbling stone, which would neither bear
+the weight of a heavy pestle, nor would break the corn without filling
+it with sand: so, after a great deal of time lost in searching for a
+stone, I gave it over, and resolved to look out a great block of hard
+wood, which I found indeed much easier; and getting one as big as I had
+strength to stir, I rounded it, and formed it on the outside with my axe
+and hatchet; and then, with the help of fire, and infinite labour, made
+a hollow place in it, as the Indians in Brazil make their canoes. After
+this, I made a great heavy pestle, or beater, of the wood called
+iron-wood; and this I prepared and laid by against I had my next crop of
+corn, when I proposed to myself to grind, or rather pound, my corn into
+meal, to make my bread.
+
+My next difficulty was to make a sieve, or searce, to dress my meal,
+and to part it from the bran and the husk, without which I did not see
+it possible I could have any bread. This was a most difficult thing,
+even but to think on; for I had nothing like the necessary thing to make
+it; I mean fine thin canvass or stuff, to searce the meal through. Here
+I was at a full stop for many months; nor did I really know what to do;
+linen I had none left, but what was mere rags; I had goats'-hair, but
+neither knew how to weave it nor spin it; and had I known how, here were
+no tools to work it with: all the remedy I found for this was, at last
+recollecting I had, among the seamen's clothes which were saved out of
+the ship, some neckcloths of calico or muslin, with some pieces of these
+I made three small sieves, proper enough for the work; and thus I made
+shift for some years: how I did afterwards, I shall show in its place.
+
+The baking part was the next thing to be considered, and how I should
+make bread when I came to have corn: for, first, I had no yeast: as to
+that part there was no supplying the want, so I did not concern myself
+much about it; but for an oven I was indeed puzzled. At length I found
+out an expedient for that also, which was this; I made some earthen
+vessels, very broad, but not deep, that is to say, about two feet
+diameter, and not above nine inches deep: these I burned in the fire, as
+I had done the other, and laid them by; and when I wanted to bake, I
+made a great fire upon my hearth, which I had paved with some square
+tiles, of my own making and burning also; but I should not call
+them square.
+
+When the fire-wood was burned into embers, or live coals, I drew them
+forward upon the hearth, so as to cover it all over, and there let them
+lie till the hearth was very hot; then sweeping away all the embers, I
+set down my loaf, or loaves, and covering them with the earthen pot,
+drew the embers all round the outside of the pot, to keep in and add to
+the heat; and thus, as well as in the best oven in the world, I baked my
+barley-loaves, and became, in a little time, a good pastry-cook into the
+bargain; for I made myself several cakes and puddings of the rice; but
+made no pies, as I had nothing to put into them except the flesh of
+fowls or goats.
+
+It need not be wondered at, if all these things took me up most part of
+the third year of my abode here; for, it is to be observed, in the
+intervals of these things, I had my new harvest and husbandry to manage:
+I reaped my corn in its season, and carried it home as well as I could,
+and laid it up in the ear, in my large baskets, till I had time to rub
+it out; for I had no floor to thrash it on, or instrument to thrash
+it with.
+
+And now, indeed, my stock of corn increasing, I really wanted to build
+my barns bigger: I wanted a place to lay it up in; for the increase of
+the corn now yielded me so much, that I had of the barley about twenty
+bushels, and of rice as much, or more, insomuch that now I resolved to
+begin to use it freely; for my bread had been quite gone a great while:
+I resolved also to see what quantity would be sufficient for me a whole
+year, and to sow but once a year.
+
+Upon the whole, I found that the forty bushels of barley and rice were
+much more than I could consume in a year; so I resolved to sow just the
+same quantity every year that I sowed the last, in hopes that such a
+quantity would fully provide me with bread, &c.
+
+All the while these things were doing, you may be sure my thoughts ran
+many times upon the prospect of land which I had seen from the other
+side of the island; and I was not without some secret wishes that I was
+on shore there; fancying, that seeing the main land, and an inhabited
+country, I might find some way or other to convey myself farther, and
+perhaps at last find some means of escape.
+
+But all this while I made no allowance for the dangers of such a
+condition, and that I might fall into the hands of savages, and perhaps
+such as I might have reason to think far worse than the lions and tigers
+of Africa; that if I once came in their power, I should run a hazard of
+more than a thousand to one of being killed, and perhaps of being eaten;
+for I had heard that the people of the Caribbean coast were cannibals,
+or man-eaters; and I knew, by the latitude, that I could not be far off
+from that shore. Then supposing they were not cannibals, yet that they
+might kill me, as they had many Europeans who had fallen into their
+hands, even when they have been ten or twenty together; much more I, who
+was but one, and could makee little or no defence; all these things, I
+say, which I ought to have considered well of, and did cast up in my
+thoughts afterwards, took up none of my apprehensions at first; yet my
+head ran mightily upon the thought of getting over to the shore.
+
+Now I wished for my boy Xury, and the long-boat with the
+shoulder-of-mutton sail, with which I sailed above a thousand miles on
+the coast of Africa; but this was in vain: then I thought I would go and
+look at our ship's boat, which, as I have said, was blown up upon the
+shore a great way, in the storm, when we were first cast away. She lay
+nearly where she did at first, but not quite; having turned, by the
+force of the waves and the winds, almost bottom upward, against a high
+ridge of beachy rough sand; but no water about her, as before. If I had
+had hands to have refitted her, and to have launched her into the water,
+the boat would have done very well, and I might have gone back into the
+Brazils with her easily enough; but I might have foreseen, that I could
+no more turn her and set her upright upon her bottom, than I could
+remove the island; however, I went to the woods, and cut levers and
+rollers, and brought them to the boat, resolving to try what I could do;
+suggesting to myself, that if I could but turn her down, and repair the
+damage she had received, she would be a very good boat, and I might
+venture to sea in her.
+
+I spared no pains, indeed, in this piece of fruitless toil, and spent, I
+think, three or four weeks about it: at last, finding it impossible to
+heave her up with my little strength, I fell to digging away the sand,
+to undermine her, and so as to make her fall down, setting pieces of
+wood to thrust and guide her right in the fall.
+
+But when I had done this, I was unable to stir her up again, or to get
+under her, much less to move her forward towards the water; so I was
+forced to give it over: and yet, though I gave over the hopes of the
+boat, my desire to venture over the main increased, rather than
+diminished, as the means for it seemed impossible.
+
+At length, I began to think whether it was not possible to make myself a
+canoe, or periagua, such as the natives of those climates make, even
+without tools, or, as I might say, without hands, of the trunk of a
+great tree. This I not only thought possible, but easy, and pleased
+myself extremely with the idea of making it, and with my having much
+more convenience for it than any of the Negroes or Indians; but not at
+all considering the particular inconveniences which I lay under more
+than the Indians did, viz. the want of hands to move it into the water
+when it was made, a difficulty much harder for me to surmount than all
+the consequences of want of tools could be to them: for what could it
+avail me, if, after I had chosen my tree, and with much trouble cut it
+down, and might be able with my tools to hew and dub the outside into
+the proper shape of a boat, and burn or cut out the inside to make it
+hollow, so as to make a boat of it; if, after all this, I must leave it
+just where I found it, and was not able to launch it into the water?
+
+One would imagine, if I had had the least reflection upon my mind of my
+circumstances while I was making this boat, I should have immediately
+thought how I was to get it into the sea: but my thoughts were so intent
+upon my voyage in it, that I never once considered how I should get it
+off the land; and it was really, in its own nature, more easy for me to
+guide it over forty-five miles of sea, than the forty-five fathoms of
+land, where it lay, to set it afloat in the water.
+
+I went to work upon this boat the most like a fool that ever man did,
+who had any of his senses awake. I pleased myself with the design,
+without determining whether I was able to undertake it; not but that the
+difficulty of launching my boat came often into my head; but I put a
+stop to my own inquiries into it, by this foolish answer: Let me first
+make it; I warrant I will find some way or other to get it along when
+it is done.
+
+This was a most preposterous method; but the eagerness of my fancy
+prevailed, and to work I went. I felled a cedar tree, and I question
+much whether Solomon ever had such a one for the building of the Temple
+at Jerusalem; it was five feet ten inches diameter at the lower part
+next the stump, and four feet eleven inches diameter at the end of
+twenty-two feet, where it lessened, and then parted into branches. It
+was not without infinite labour that I felled this tree; I was twenty
+days hacking and hewing at the bottom, and fourteen more getting the
+branches and limbs, and the vast spreading head of it, cut off: after
+this, it cost me a month to shape it and dub it to a proportion, and to
+something like the bottom of a boat, that it might swim upright as it
+ought to do. It cost me near three months more to clear the inside, and
+work it out so as to make an exact boat of it: this I did, indeed,
+without fire, by mere mallet and chisel, and by the dint of hard labour,
+till I had brought it to be a very handsome periagua, and big enough to
+have carried six and twenty men, and consequently big enough to have
+carried me and all my cargo.
+
+When I had gone through this work, I was extremely delighted with it.
+The boat was really much bigger than ever I saw a canoe or periagua,
+that was made of one tree, in my life. Many a weary stroke it had cost,
+you may be sure; and there remained nothing but to get it into the
+water; which, had I accomplished, I make no question but I should have
+begun the maddest voyage, and the most unlikely to be performed, that
+ever was undertaken.
+
+But all my devices to get it into the water failed me; though they cost
+me inexpressible labour too. It lay about one hundred yards from the
+water, and not more; but the first inconvenience was, it was up hill
+towards the creek. Well, to take away this discouragement, I resolved to
+dig into the surface of the earth, and so make a declivity: this I
+begun, and it cost me a prodigious deal of pains; (but who grudge pains
+that have their deliverance in view?) when this was worked through, and
+this difficulty managed, it was still much the same, for I could no more
+stir the canoe than I could the other boat. Then I measured the distance
+of ground, and resolved to cut a dock or canal, to bring the water up to
+the canoe, seeing I could not bring the canoe down to the water. Well, I
+began this work; and when I began to enter upon it, and calculate how
+deep it was to be dug, how broad, how the stuff was to be thrown out, I
+found by the number of hands I had, having none but my own, that it must
+have been ten or twelve years before I could have gone through with it;
+for the shore lay so high, that at the upper end it must have been at
+least twenty feet deep; this attempt, though with great reluctancy, I
+was at length obliged to give over also.
+
+This grieved me heartily; and now I saw, though too late, the folly of
+beginning a work before we count the cost, and before we judge rightly
+of our own strength to go through with it.
+
+In the middle of this work, I finished my fourth year in this place, and
+kept my anniversary with the same devotion, and with as much comfort as
+before; for, by a constant study and serious application to the word of
+God, and by the assistance of his grace, I gained a different knowledge
+from what I had before; I entertained different notions of things; I
+looked now upon the world as a thing remote, which I had nothing to do
+with, no expectation from, and, indeed, no desires about: in a word, I
+had nothing to do with it, nor was ever likely to have; I thought it
+looked, as we may perhaps look upon it hereafter, viz. as, a place I had
+lived in, but was come out of it; and well might I say, as father
+Abraham to Dives, "Between me and thee is a great gulf fixed."
+
+In the first place, I was here removed from all the wickedness of the
+world; I had neither the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, nor the
+pride of life. I had nothing to covet, for I had all that I was now
+capable of enjoying: I was lord of the whole manor; or, if I pleased, I
+might call myself king or emperor over the whole country which I had
+possession of; there were no rivals; I had no competitor, none to
+dispute sovereignty or command with me: I might have raised
+ship-loadings of corn, but I had no use for it; so I let as little grow
+as I thought enough for my occasion. I had tortoise or turtle enough,
+but now and then one was as much as I could put to any use: I had timber
+enough to have built a fleet of ships; and I had grapes enough to have
+made wine, or to have cured into raisins, to have loaded that fleet when
+it had been built.
+
+But all I could make use of was all that was valuable: I had enough to
+eat and supply my wants, and what was the rest to me? If I killed more
+flesh than I could eat, the dog must eat it, or vermin; if I sowed more
+corn than I could eat, it must be spoiled; the trees that I cut down
+were lying to rot on the ground; I could make no more use of them than
+for fuel, and that I had no other occasion for but to dress my food.
+
+In a word, the nature and experience of things dictated to me, upon just
+reflection, that all the good things of this world, are of no farther
+good to us than for our use; and that whatever we may heap up to give
+others, we enjoy only as much as we can use, and no more. The most
+covetous griping miser in the world would have been cured of the vice of
+covetousness, if he had been in my case; for I possessed infinitely more
+than I knew what to do with. I had no room for desire, except it was for
+things which I had not, and they were comparatively but trifles, though
+indeed of great use to me. I had, as I hinted before, a parcel of money,
+as well gold as silver, about thirty-six pounds sterling. Alas! there
+the nasty, sorry, useless stuff lay: I had no manner of business for
+it; and I often thought within myself, that I would have given a handful
+of it for a gross of tobacco-pipes, or for a hand-mill to grind my corn;
+nay, I would have given it all for sixpenny-worth of turnip and carrot
+seed from England, or for a handful of peas and beans, and a bottle of
+ink. As it was, I had not the least advantage by it, or benefit from it;
+but there it lay in a drawer, and grew mouldy with the damp of the cave
+in the wet seasons; and if I had had the drawer full of diamonds, it had
+been the same case,--they had been of no manner of value to me because
+of no use.
+
+I had now brought my state of life to be much more comfortable in itself
+than it was at first, and much easier to my mind, as well as to my body.
+I frequently sat down to meat with thankfulness, and admired the hand of
+God's providence, which had thus spread my table in the wilderness: I
+learned to look more upon the bright side of my condition, and less upon
+the dark side, and to consider what I enjoyed, rather than what I
+wanted: and this gave me sometimes such secret comforts, that I cannot
+express them; and which I take notice of here, to put those discontented
+people in mind of it, who cannot enjoy comfortably what God has given
+them, because they see and covet something that he has not given them.
+All our discontents about what we want, appeared to me to spring from
+the want of thankfulness for what we have.
+
+Another reflection was of great use to me, and doubtless would be so to
+any one that should fall into such distress as mine was; and this was,
+to compare my present condition with what I at first expected it would
+be; nay, with what it would certainly have been, if the good providence
+of God had not wonderfully ordered the ship to be cast up near to the
+shore, where I not only could come at her, but could bring what I got
+out of her to the shore, for my relief and comfort; without which, I had
+wanted for tools to work, weapons for defence, and gunpowder and shot
+for getting my food.
+
+I spent whole hours, I may say whole days, in representing to myself, in
+the most lively colours, how I must have acted if I had got nothing out
+of the ship. I could not have so much as got any food, except fish and
+turtles; and that, as it was long before I found any of them, I must
+have perished; that I should have lived, if I had not perished, like a
+mere savage; that if I had killed a goat or a fowl, by any contrivance,
+I had no way to flay or open it, or part the flesh from the skin and the
+bowels, or to cut it up; but must gnaw it with my teeth, and pull it
+with my claws, like a beast.
+
+These reflections made me very sensible of the goodness of Providence to
+me, and very thankful for my present condition, with all its hardships
+and misfortunes: and this part also I cannot but recommend to the
+reflection of those who are apt, in their misery, to say, Is any
+affliction like mine? Let them consider how much worse the cases of some
+people are, and their case might have been, if Providence had
+thought fit.
+
+I had another reflection, which assisted me also to comfort my mind with
+hopes; and this was comparing my present condition with what I had
+deserved, and had therefore reason to expect from the hand of
+Providence. I had lived a dreadful life, perfectly destitute of the
+knowledge and fear of God. I had been well instructed by my father and
+mother; neither had they been wanting to me, in their endeavours to
+infuse an early religious awe of God into my mind, a sense of my duty,
+and what the nature and end of my being required of me. But, alas!
+falling early into the seafaring life, which, of all lives, is the most
+destitute of the fear of God, though his terrors are always before them;
+I say, falling early into the seafaring life, and into seafaring
+company, all that little sense of religion which I had entertained was
+laughed out of me by my messmates; by a hardened despising of dangers,
+and the views of death, which grew habitual to me; by my long absence
+from all manner of opportunities to converse with any thing but what was
+like myself, or to hear any thing that was good, or tending towards it.
+
+So void was I of every thing that was good, or of the least sense of
+what I was, or was to be, that in the greatest deliverances I enjoyed
+(such as my escape from Sallee, my being taken up by the Portuguese
+master of a ship, my being planted so well in the Brazils, my receiving
+the cargo from England, and the like,) I never had once the words, Thank
+God, so much as on my mind, or in my mouth; nor in the greatest distress
+had I so much as a thought to pray to him, or so much as to say, Lord,
+have mercy upon me! no, nor to mention the name of God, unless it was to
+swear by, and blaspheme it.
+
+I had terrible reflections upon my mind for many months, as I have
+already observed, on account of my wicked and hardened life past; and
+when I looked about me, and considered what particular providences had
+attended me since my coming into this place, and how God had dealt
+bountifully with me,--had not only punished me less than my iniquity had
+deserved, but had so plentifully provided for me,--this gave me great
+hopes that my repentance was accepted, and that God had yet mercies in
+store for me.
+
+With these reflections, I worked my mind up, not only to a resignation
+to the will of God in the present disposition of my circumstances, but
+even to a sincere thankfulness for my condition; and that I, who was yet
+a living man, ought not to complain, seeing I had not the due punishment
+of my sins; that I enjoyed so many mercies which I had no reason to have
+expected in that place, that I ought never more to repine at my
+condition, but to rejoice, and to give daily thanks for that daily
+bread, which nothing but a crowd of wonders could have brought; that I
+ought to consider I had been fed by a miracle, even as great as that of
+feeding Elijah by ravens; nay, by a long series of miracles: and that I
+could hardly have named a place in the uninhabitable part of the world
+where I could have been cast more to my advantage; a place where, as I
+had no society, which was my affliction on one hand, so I found no
+ravenous beasts, no furious wolves or tigers, to threaten my life; no
+venomous or poisonous creatures which I might feed on to my hurt; no
+savages to murder and devour me. In a word, as my life was a life of
+sorrow one way, so it was a life of mercy another; and I wanted nothing
+to make it a life of comfort, but to make myself sensible of God's
+goodness to me, and care over me in this condition; and after I did make
+a just improvement of these things, I went away, and was no more sad.
+
+I had now been here so long, that many things which I brought on shore
+for my help were either quite gone, or very much wasted, and near spent.
+
+My ink, as I observed, had been gone for some time, all but a very
+little, which I eked out with water, a little and a little, till it was
+so pale, it scarce left any appearance of black upon the paper. As long
+as it lasted, I made use of it to minute down the days of the month on
+which any remarkable thing happened to me: and, first, by casting up
+times past, I remember that there was a strange concurrence of days in
+the various providences which befel me, and which, if I had been
+superstitiously inclined to observe days as fatal or fortunate, I might
+have had reason to have looked upon with a great deal of curiosity.
+
+First, I had observed, that the same day that I broke away from my
+father and my friends, and ran away to Hull, in order to go to sea, the
+same day afterwards I was taken by the Sallee man of war, and made a
+slave: the same day of the year that I escaped out of the wreck of the
+ship in Yarmouth Roads, that same day-year afterwards I made my escape
+from Sallee in the boat: and the same day of the year I was born on,
+viz. the 30th of September, that same day I had my life so miraculously
+saved twenty-six years after, when I was cast on shore in this island:
+so that my wicked life and my solitary life began both on one day.
+
+The next thing to my ink being wasted, was that of my bread, I mean the
+biscuit which I brought out of the ship; this I had husbanded to the
+last degree, allowing myself but one cake of bread a day for above a
+year; and yet I was quite without bread for near a year before I got any
+corn of my own; and great reason I had to be thankful that I had any at
+all, the getting it being, as has been already observed, next to
+miraculous.
+
+My clothes, too, began to decay mightily: as to linen, I had none for a
+great while, except some chequered shirts which I found in the chests of
+the other seamen, and which I carefully preserved, because many times I
+could bear no clothes on but a shirt; and it was a very great help to me
+that I had, among all the men's clothes of the ship, almost three dozen
+of shirts. There were also, indeed, several thick watch-coats of the
+seamen's which were left, but they were too hot to wear: and though it
+is true that the weather was so violently hot that there was no need of
+clothes, yet I could not go quite naked, no, though I had been inclined
+to it, which I was not, nor could I abide the thought of it, though, I
+was all alone. The reason why I could not go quite naked was, I could
+not bear the heat of the sun so well when quite naked as with some
+clothes on; nay, the very heat frequently blistered my skin: whereas,
+with a shirt on, the air itself made some motion, and whistling under
+the shirt, was twofold cooler than without it. No more could I ever
+bring myself to go out in the heat of the sun without a cap or hat; the
+heat of the sun beating with such violence as it does in that place,
+would give me the head-ach presently, by darting so directly upon my
+head, without a cap or hat on, so that I could not bear it; whereas, if
+I put on my hat, it would presently go away.
+
+Upon these views, I began to consider about putting the few rags I had,
+which I called clothes, into some order: I had worn out all the
+waistcoats I had, and my business was now to try if I could not make
+jackets out of the great watch-coats that I had by me, and with such
+other materials as I had; so I set to work a tailoring, or rather,
+indeed; a botching, for I made most piteous work of it. However, I made
+shift to make two or three new waistcoats, which I hoped would serve me
+a great while: as for breeches or drawers, I made but a very sorry shift
+indeed till afterwards.
+
+I have mentioned, that I saved the skins of all the creatures that I
+killed, I mean four-footed ones; and I had hung them up, stretched out
+with sticks, in the sun, by which means some of them were so dry and
+hard that they were fit for little, but others I found very useful. The
+first thing I made of these was a great cap for my head, with the hair
+on the outside, to shoot off the rain; and this I performed so well,
+that after this I made me a suit of clothes wholly of the skins, that is
+to say, a waistcoat, and breeches open at the knees, and both loose; for
+they were rather wanting to keep me cool than warm. I must not omit to
+acknowledge that they were wretchedly made; for if I was a bad
+carpenter, I was a worse tailor. However, they were such as I made very
+good shift with; and when I was abroad, if it happened to rain, the hair
+of my waistcoat and cap being uppermost, I was kept very dry.
+
+After this I spent a great deal of time and pains to make me an
+umbrella: I was indeed in great want of one, and had a great mind to
+make one; I had seen them made in the Brazils, where they were very
+useful in the great heats which are there; and I felt the heats every
+jot as great here, and greater too, being nearer the equinox: besides,
+as I was obliged to be much abroad, it was a most useful thing to me, as
+well for the rains as the heats. I took a world of pains at it, and was
+a great while before I could make any thing likely to hold; nay, after I
+thought I had hit the way, I spoiled two or three before I made one to
+my mind; but at last I made one that answered indifferently well; the
+main difficulty I found was to make it to let down: I could make it
+spread, but if it did not let down too, and draw in, it was not portable
+for me any way but just over my head, which would not do. However, at
+last, as I said, I made one to answer, and covered it with skins, the
+hair upwards, so that it cast off the rain like a pent-house, and kept
+off the sun so effectually, that I could walk out in the hottest of the
+weather with greater advantage than I could before in the coolest; and
+when I had no need of it, could close it, and carry it under my arm.
+
+Thus I lived mighty comfortably, my mind being entirely composed by
+resigning to the will of God, and throwing myself wholly upon the
+disposal of his providence. This made my life better than sociable; for
+when I began to regret the want of conversation, I would ask myself,
+whether thus conversing mutually with my own thoughts, and, as I hope I
+may say, with even God himself, by ejaculations, was not better than the
+utmost enjoyment of human society in the world?
+
+I cannot say that after this, for five years, any extraordinary thing
+happened to me, but I lived on in the same course, in the same posture
+and place, just as before; the chief things I was employed in, besides
+my yearly labour of planting my barley and rice, and curing my raisins,
+of both which I always kept up just enough to have sufficient stock of
+one year's provision beforehand; I say, besides this yearly labour, and
+my daily pursuit of going out with my gun, I had one labour, to make me
+a canoe, which at last I finished: so that by digging a canal to it of
+six feet wide, and four feet deep, I brought it into the creek, almost
+half a mile. As for the first, which was so vastly big, as I made it
+without considering beforehand, as I ought to do, how I should be able
+to launch it, so, never being able to bring it into the water, or bring
+the water to it, I was obliged to let it lie where it was, as a
+memorandum to teach me to be wiser the next time: indeed, the next time,
+though I could not get a tree proper for it, and was in a place where I
+could not get the water to it at any less distance than, as I have said,
+near half a mile, yet as I saw it was practicable at last, I never gave
+it over: and though I was near two years about it, yet I never grudged
+my labour, in hopes of having a boat to go off to sea at last.
+
+However, though my little periagua was finished, yet the size of it was
+not at all answerable to the design which I had in view when I made the
+first; I mean, of venturing over to the _terra firma_, where it was
+above forty miles broad; accordingly, the smallness of my boat assisted
+to put an end to that design, and now I thought no more of it. As I had
+a boat, my next design was to make a cruise round the island; for as I
+had been on the other side in one place, crossing, as I have already
+described it, over the land, so the discoveries I made in that little
+journey made me very eager to see other parts of the coast; and now I
+had a boat, I thought of nothing but sailing round the island.
+
+For this purpose, that I might do every thing with discretion and
+consideration, I fitted up a little mast in my boat, and made a sail to
+it out of some of the pieces of the ship's sails which lay in store, and
+of which I had a great stock by me. Having fitted my mast and sail, and
+tried the boat, I found she would sail very well: then I made little
+lockers, or boxes, at each end of my boat, to put provisions,
+necessaries, ammunition, &c. into, to be kept dry, either from rain or
+the spray of the sea; and a little long hollow place I cut in the inside
+of the boat, where I could lay my gun, making a flap to hang down over
+it, to keep it dry.
+
+I fixed my umbrella also in a step at the stern, like a mast, to stand
+over my head, and keep the heat of the sun off me, like an awning; and
+thus I every now and then took a little voyage upon the sea, but never
+went far out, nor far from the little creek. At last, being eager to
+view the circumference of my little kingdom, I resolved upon my cruise;
+and accordingly I victualled my ship for the voyage, putting in two
+dozen of loaves (cakes I should rather call them) of barley bread, an
+earthen pot full of parched rice (a food I ate a great deal of,) a
+little bottle of rum, half a goat, and powder and shot for killing more,
+and two large watch-coats, of those which, as I mentioned before, I had
+saved out of the seamen's chests; these I took, one to lie upon, and the
+other to cover me in the night.
+
+It was the 6th of November, in the sixth year of my reign, or my
+captivity, which you please, that I set out on this voyage, and I found
+it much longer than I expected; for though the island itself was not
+very large, yet when I came to the east side of it, I found a great
+ledge of rocks lie out about two leagues into the sea, some above water,
+some under it; and beyond that a shoal of sand, lying dry half a league
+more, so that I was obliged to go a great way out to sea to double
+the point.
+
+When first I discovered them, I was going to give over my enterprise,
+and come back again, not knowing how far it might oblige me to go out to
+sea, and, above all, doubting how I should get back again; so I came to
+an anchor; for I had made me a kind of an anchor with a piece of a
+broken grappling which I got out of the ship.
+
+Having secured my boat, I took my gun and went on shore, climbing up on
+a hill, which seemed to overlook that point, where I saw the full extent
+of it, and resolved to venture.
+
+In my viewing the sea from that hill where I stood, I perceived a
+strong, and indeed a most furious current, which ran to the east, and
+even came close to the point; and I took the more notice of it, because
+I saw there might be some danger, that when I came into it, I might be
+carried out to sea by the strength of it, and not be able to make the
+island again: and, indeed, had I not got first upon this hill, I believe
+it would have been so; for there was the same current on the other side
+the island, only that it set off at a farther distance, and I saw there
+was a strong eddy under the shore; so I had nothing to do but to get out
+of the first current, and I should presently be in an eddy.
+
+I lay here, however, two days, because the wind blowing pretty fresh at
+E.S.E. and that being just contrary to the said current, made a great
+breach of the sea upon the point; so that it was not safe for me to keep
+too close to the shore for the breach, nor to go too far off because of
+the stream.
+
+The third day, in the morning, the wind having abated over-night, the
+sea was calm, and I ventured: but I am a warning piece again to all
+rash and ignorant pilots; for no sooner was I come to the point, when I
+was not even my boat's length from the shore, but I found myself in a
+great depth of water, and a current like the sluice of a mill; it
+carried my boat along with it with such violence, that all I could do
+could not keep her so much as on the edge of it; but I found it hurried
+me farther and farther out from the eddy, which was on my left hand.
+There was no wind stirring to help me, and all I could do with my
+paddles signified nothing: and now I began to give myself over for lost;
+for as the current was on both sides of the island, I knew in a few
+leagues distance they must join again, and then I was irrecoverably
+gone; nor did I see any possibility of avoiding it; so that I had no
+prospect before me but of perishing, not by the sea, for that was calm
+enough, but of starving for hunger. I had indeed found a tortoise on the
+shore, as big almost as I could lift, and had tossed it into the boat;
+and I had a great jar of fresh water, that is to say, one of my earthen
+pots; but what was all this to being driven into the vast ocean, where,
+to be sure, there was no shore, no main land or island, for a thousand
+leagues at least?
+
+And now I saw how easy it was for the providence of God to make even the
+most miserable condition of mankind worse. Now I looked back upon my
+desolate solitary island, as the most pleasant place in the world; and
+all the happiness my heart could wish for was to be but there again. I
+stretched out my hands to it, with eager wishes: "O happy desert!" said
+I, "I shall never see thee more. O miserable creature! whither am I
+going!" Then I reproached myself with my unthankful temper, and how I
+had repined at my solitary condition; and now what would I give to be on
+shore there again! Thus we never see the true state of our condition
+till it is illustrated to us by its contraries, nor know how to value
+what we enjoy, but by the want of it. It is scarce possible to imagine
+the consternation I was now in, being driven from my beloved island (for
+so it appeared to me now to be) into the wide ocean, almost two leagues,
+and in the utmost despair of ever recovering it again. However, I worked
+hard, till indeed my strength was almost exhausted, and kept my boat as
+much to the northward, that is, towards the side of the current which
+the eddy lay on, as possibly I could; when about noon, as the sun passed
+the meridian, I thought I felt a little breeze of wind in my face,
+springing up from S.S.E. This cheered my heart a little, and especially
+when, in about half an hour more, it blew a pretty gentle gale. By this
+time I was got at a frightful distance from the island, and had the
+least cloudy or hazy weather intervened, I had been undone another way
+too; for I had no compass on board, and should never have known how to
+have steered towards the island, if I had but once lost sight of it; but
+the weather continuing clear, I applied myself to get up my mast again,
+and spread my sail, standing away to the north as much as possible, to
+get out of the current.
+
+Just as I had set my mast and sail, and the boat began to stretch away,
+I saw even by the clearness of the water some alteration of the current
+was near; for where the current was so strong, the water was foul; but
+perceiving the water clear, I found the current abate; and presently I
+found to the east, at about half a mile, a breach of the sea upon some
+rocks: these rocks I found caused the current to part again, and as the
+main stress of it ran away more southerly, leaving the rocks to the
+north-east, so the other returned by the repulse of the rocks, and made
+a strong eddy, which ran back again to the north-west, with a very
+sharp stream.
+
+They who know what it is to have a reprieve brought to them upon the
+ladder, or to be rescued from thieves just going to murder them, or who
+have been in such-like extremities, may guess what my present surprise
+of joy was, and how gladly I put my boat into the stream of this eddy;
+and the wind also freshening, how gladly I spread my sail to it, running
+cheerfully before the wind, and with a strong tide or eddy under foot.
+
+This eddy carried me about a league in my way back again, directly
+towards the island, but about two leagues more to the northward than the
+current which carried me away at first: so that when I came near the
+island, I found myself open to the northern shore of it, that is to say,
+the other end of the island, opposite to that which I went out from.
+
+When I had made something more than a league of way by the help of this
+current or eddy, I found it was spent, and served me no farther.
+However, I found that being between two great currents, viz. that on the
+south side, which had hurried me away, and that on the north, which lay
+about a league on the other side; I say, between these two, in the wake
+of the island, I found the water at least still, and running no way; and
+having still a breeze of wind fair for me, I kept on steering directly
+for the island, though not making such fresh way as I did before.
+
+About four o'clock in the evening, being then within a league of the
+island, I found the point of the rocks which occasioned this disaster,
+stretching out, as is described before, to the southward, and casting
+off the current more southerly, had, of course, made another eddy to the
+north, and this I found very strong, but not directly setting the way my
+course lay, which was due west, but almost full north. However, having a
+fresh gale, I stretched across this eddy, slanting north-west: and, in
+about an hour, came within about a mile of the shore, where, it being
+smooth water, I soon got to land.
+
+When I was on shore, I fell on my knees, and gave God thanks for my
+deliverance, resolving to lay aside all thoughts of my deliverance by my
+boat; and refreshing myself with such things as I had, I brought my boat
+close to the shore, in a little cove that I had spied under some trees,
+and laid me down to sleep, being quite spent with the labour and fatigue
+of the voyage.
+
+I was now at a great loss which way to get home with my boat: I had run
+so much hazard, and knew too much of the case, to think of attempting it
+by the way I went out; and what might be at the other side (I mean the
+west side) I knew not, nor had I any mind to run any more ventures; so I
+only resolved in the morning to make my way westward along the shore,
+and to see if there was no creek where I might lay up my frigate in
+safety, so as to have her again, if I wanted her. In about three miles,
+or thereabouts, coasting the shore, I came to a very good inlet or bay,
+about a mile over, which narrowed till it came to a very little rivulet
+or brook, where I found a very convenient harbour for my boat, and where
+she lay as if she had been in a little dock made on purpose for her.
+Here I put in, and having stowed my boat very safe, I went on shore, to
+look about me, and see where I was.
+
+I soon found I had but a little passed by the place where I had been
+before, when I travelled on foot to that shore; so taking nothing out of
+my boat but my gun and umbrella, for it was exceeding hot, I began my
+march. The way was comfortable enough after such a voyage as I had been
+upon, and I reached my old bower in the evening, where I found every
+thing standing as I left it; for I always kept it in good order, being,
+as I said before, my country house.
+
+I got over the fence, and laid me down in the shade, to rest my limbs,
+for I was very weary, and fell asleep: but judge you, if you can, that
+read my story, what a surprise I must be in, when I was awaked out of my
+sleep by a voice, calling me by my name several times, "Robin, Robin,
+Robin Crusoe; poor Robin Crusoe! Where are you, Robin Crusoe? Where are
+you? Where have you been!"
+
+I was so dead asleep at first, being fatigued with rowing, or paddling,
+as it is called, the first part of the day, and with walking the latter
+part, that I did not wake thoroughly; but dozing between sleeping and
+waking, thought I dreamed that somebody spoke to me; but as the voice
+continued to repeat Robin Crusoe, Robin Crusoe, at last I began to wake
+more perfectly, and was at first dreadfully frightened, and started up
+in the utmost consternation; but no sooner were my eyes open, but I saw
+my Pol sitting on the top of the hedge; and immediately knew it was he
+that spoke to me; for just in such bemoaning language I had used to talk
+to him, and teach him; and he had learned it so perfectly, that he would
+sit upon my finger, and lay his bill close to my face, and cry, "Poor
+Robin Crusoe! Where are you? Where have you been? How came you here?"
+and such things as I had taught him.
+
+However, even though I knew it was the parrot, and that indeed it could
+be nobody else, it was a good while before I could compose myself.
+First, I was amazed how the creature got thither, and then, how he
+should just keep about the place, and no where else: but as I was well
+satisfied it could be nobody but honest Pol, I got over it; and holding
+out my hand, and calling him by his name, Pol, the sociable creature
+came to me, and sat upon my thumb, as he used to do and continued
+talking to me, Poor Robin Crusoe! and how did I come here? and where had
+I been? just as if he had been overjoyed to see me again: and so I
+carried him home along with me.
+
+I now had enough of rambling to sea for some time, and had enough to do
+for many days, to sit still, and reflect upon the danger I had been in.
+I would have been very glad to have had my boat again on my side of the
+island; but I knew not how it was practicable to get it about. As to the
+east side of the island, which I had gone round, I knew well enough
+there was no venturing that way; my very heart would shrink, and my very
+blood run chill, but to think of it; and as to the other side of the
+island, I did not know how it might be there; but supposing the current
+ran with the same force against the shore at the east as it passed by it
+on the other, I might run the same risk of being driven down the stream,
+and carried by the island, as I had been before of being carried away
+from it; so, with these thoughts, I contented myself to be without any
+boat, though it had been the product of so many months' labour to make
+it, and of so many more to get it into the sea.
+
+In this government of my temper I remained near a year, lived a very
+sedate, retired life, as you may well suppose; and my thoughts being
+very much composed, as to my condition, and fully comforted in resigning
+myself to the dispositions of Providence, I thought I lived really very
+happily in all things, except that of society.
+
+I improved myself in this time in all the mechanic exercises which my
+necessities put me upon applying myself to; and I believe I could, upon
+occasion, have made a very good carpenter, especially considering how
+few tools I had.
+
+Besides this, I arrived at an unexpected perfection in my earthen-ware,
+and contrived well enough to make them with a wheel, which I found
+infinitely easier and better; because I made things round and shapable,
+which before were filthy things indeed to look on. But I think I was
+never more vain of my own performance, or more joyful for any thing I
+found out, than for my being able to make a tobacco-pipe; and though it
+was a very ugly clumsy thing when it was done, and only burnt red, like
+other earthen-ware, yet as it was hard and firm, and would draw the
+smoke, I was exceedingly comforted with it, for I had been always used
+to smoke: and there were pipes in the ship, but I forgot them at first,
+not thinking that there was tobacco in the island; and afterwards, when
+I searched the ship again, I could not come at any pipes at all.
+
+In my wicker-ware also I improved much, and made abundance of necessary
+baskets, as well as my invention showed me; though not very handsome,
+yet they were such as were very handy and convenient for my laying
+things up in, or fetching things home. For example, if I killed a goat
+abroad, I could hang it up in a tree, flay it, dress it, and cut it in
+pieces, and bring it home in a basket; and the like by a turtle: I could
+cut it up, take out the eggs, and a piece or two of the flesh, which was
+enough for me, and bring them home in a basket, and leave the rest
+behind me. Also large deep baskets were the receivers of my corn, which
+I always rubbed out as soon as it was dry, and cured, and kept it in
+great baskets.
+
+I began now to perceive my powder abated considerably; this was a want
+which it was impossible for me to supply, and I began seriously to
+consider what I must do when I should have no more powder; that is to
+say, how I should do to kill any goats. I had, as is observed, in the
+third year of my being here, kept a young kid, and bred her up tame, and
+I was in hopes of getting a he-goat: but I could not by any means bring
+it to pass, till my kid grew an old goat; and as I could never find in
+my heart to kill her, she died at last of mere age.
+
+But being now in the eleventh year of my residence, and, as I have said,
+my ammunition growing low, I set myself to study some art to trap and
+snare the goats, to see whether I could not catch some of them alive;
+and particularly, I wanted a she-goat great with young. For this
+purpose, I made snares to hamper them; and I do believe they were more
+than once taken in them; but my tackle was not good, for I had no wire,
+and I always found them broken, and my bait devoured. At length I
+resolved to try a pitfall: so I dug several large pits in the earth, in
+places where I had observed the goats used to feed, and over those pits
+I placed hurdles, of my own making too, with a great weight upon them;
+and several times I put ears of barley and dry rice, without setting the
+trap; and I could easily perceive that the goats had gone in and eaten
+up the corn, for I could see the marks of their feet. At length I set
+three traps in one night, and going the next morning, I found them all
+standing, and yet the bait eaten and gone; this was very discouraging.
+However, I altered my traps; and, not to trouble you with particulars,
+going one morning to see my traps, I found in one of them a large old
+he-goat, and in one of the others three kids, a male and two females.
+
+As to the old one, I knew not what to do with him; he was so fierce, I
+durst not go into the pit to him; that is to say, to go about to bring
+him away alive, which was what I wanted: I could have killed him, but
+that was not my business, nor would it answer my end; so I even let him
+out, and he ran away, as if he had been frightened out of his wits. But
+I did not then know what I afterwards learnt, that hunger will tame a
+lion. If I had let him stay there three or four days without food, and
+then have carried him some water to drink, and then a little corn, he
+would have been as tame as one of the kids; for they are mighty
+sagacious, tractable creatures, where they are well used.
+
+However, for the present I let him go, knowing no better at that time:
+then I went to the three kids, and taking them one by one, I tied them
+with strings together, and with some difficulty brought them all home.
+
+It was a good while before they would feed; but throwing them some sweet
+corn, it tempted them, and they began to be tame. And now I found that
+if I expected to supply myself with goat's flesh when I had no powder or
+shot left, breeding some up tame was my only way; when, perhaps, I might
+have them about my house like a flock of sheep. But then it occurred to
+me, that I must keep the tame from the wild, or else they would always
+run wild when they grew up: and the only way for this was, to have some
+enclosed piece of ground, well fenced, either with hedge or pale, to
+keep them in so effectually, that those within might not break out, or
+those without break in.
+
+This was a great undertaking for one pair of hands; yet as I saw there
+was an absolute necessity for doing it, my first work was to find out a
+proper piece of ground, where there was likely to be herbage for them
+to eat, water for them to drink, and cover to keep them from the sun.
+
+Those who understand such enclosures will think I had very little
+contrivance, when I pitched upon a place very proper for all these
+(being a plain open piece of meadow land, or savannah, as our people
+call it in the western colonies,) which had two or three little drills
+of fresh water in it, and at one end was very woody; I say, they will
+smile at my forecast, when I shall tell them, I began my enclosing this
+piece of ground in such a manner, that my hedge or pale must have been
+at least two miles about. Nor was the madness of it so great as to the
+compass, for if it was ten miles about, I was like to have time enough
+to do it in; but I did not consider that my goats would be as wild in so
+much compass as if they had had the whole island, and I should have so
+much room to chase them in, that I should never catch them.
+
+My hedge was begun and carried on, I believe about fifty yards, when
+this thought occurred to me; so I presently stopped short, and, for the
+first beginning, I resolved to enclose a piece of about 150 yards in
+length, and 100 yards in breadth; which, as it would maintain as many as
+I should have in any reasonable time, so, as my stock increased, I could
+add more ground to my enclosure.
+
+This was acting with some prudence, and I went to work with courage. I
+was about three months hedging in the first piece; and, till I had done
+it, I tethered the three kids in the best part of it, and used them to
+feed as near me as possible, to make them familiar; and very often I
+would go and carry them some ears of barley, or a handful of rice, and
+feed them out of my hand: so that after my enclosure was finished, and I
+let them loose, they would follow me up and down, bleating after me for
+a handful of corn.
+
+This answered my end; and in about a year and a half I had a flock of
+about twelve goats, kids and all; and in two years more, I had three and
+forty, besides several that I took and killed for my food. After that I
+enclosed five several pieces of ground to feed them in, with little pens
+to drive them into, to take them as I wanted, and gates out of one piece
+of ground into another.
+
+But this was not all; for now I not only had goat's flesh to feed on
+when I pleased, but milk too; a thing which, indeed, in the beginning, I
+did not so much as think of, and which, when it came into my thoughts,
+was really an agreeable surprise: for now I set up my dairy, and had
+sometimes a gallon or two of milk in a day. And as nature, who gives
+supplies of food to every creature, dictates even naturally how to make
+use of it, so I, that had never milked a cow, much less a goat, or seen
+butter or cheese made, only when I was a boy, after a great many essays
+and miscarriages, made me both butter and cheese at last, and also salt
+(though I found it partly made to my hand by the heat of the sun upon
+some of the rocks of the sea,) and never wanted it afterwards. How
+mercifully can our Creator treat his creatures, even in those conditions
+in which they seemed to be overwhelmed in destruction! How can he
+sweeten the bitterest providences, and give us cause to praise him for
+dungeons and prisons! What a table was here spread for me in a
+wilderness, where I saw nothing, at first, but to perish for hunger!
+
+It would have made a stoic smile, to have seen me and my little family
+sit down to dinner: there was my majesty, the prince and lord of the
+whole island; I had the lives of all my subjects at my absolute command;
+I could hang, draw, give liberty, and take it away; and no rebels among
+all my subjects. Then to see how like a king I dined too, all alone,
+attended by my servants! Pol, as if he had been my favourite, was the
+only person permitted to talk to me. My dog, who was now grown very old
+and crazy, and had found no species to multiply his kind upon, sat
+always at my right hand; and two cats, one on one side of the table, and
+one on the other, expecting now and then a bit from my hand, as a mark
+of special favour.
+
+But these were not the two cats which I brought on shore at first, for
+they were both of them dead, and had been interred near my habitation by
+my own hand; but one of them having multiplied by I know not what kind
+of creature, these were two which I had preserved tame; whereas the rest
+run wild in the woods, and became indeed troublesome to me at last; for
+they would often come into my house, and plunder me too, till at last I
+was obliged to shoot them, and did kill a great many; at length they
+left me.--With this attendance, and in this plentiful manner, I lived;
+neither could I be said to want any thing but society: and of that, some
+time after this, I was like to have too much.
+
+I was something impatient, as I have observed, to have the use of my
+boat, though very loth to run any more hazards; and therefore sometimes
+I sat contriving ways to get her about the island, and at other times I
+sat myself down contented enough without her. But I had a strange
+uneasiness in my mind to go down to the point of the island, where, as I
+have said, in my last ramble, I went up the hill to see how the shore
+lay, and how the current set, that I might see what I had to do: this
+inclination increased upon me every day, and at length I resolved to
+travel thither by land, following the edge of the shore. I did so; but
+had any one in England been to meet such a man as I was, it must either
+have frightened him, or raised a great deal of laughter: and as I
+frequently stood still to look at myself, I could not but smile at the
+notion of my travelling through Yorkshire, with such an equipage, and in
+such a dress. Be pleased to take a sketch of my figure, as follows:
+
+I had a great high shapeless cap, made of a goat's skin, with a flap
+hanging down behind, as well to keep the sun from me as to shoot the
+rain off from running into my neck: nothing being so hurtful in these
+climates as the rain upon the flesh, under the clothes.
+
+I had a short jacket of goat's skin, the skirts coming down to about the
+middle of the thighs, and a pair of open-kneed breeches of the same; the
+breeches were made of the skin of an old he-goat, whose hair hung down
+such a length on either side, that, like pantaloons, it reached to the
+middle of my legs; stockings and shoes I had none, but had made me a
+pair of somethings, I scarce know what to call them, like buskins, to
+flap over my legs, and lace on either side like spatterdashes: but of a
+most barbarous shape, as inded were all the rest of my clothes.
+
+I had on a broad belt of goat's skin dried, which I drew together with
+two thongs of the same, instead of buckles; and in a kind of a frog on
+either side of this, instead of a sword and dagger, hung a little saw
+and a hatchet; one on one side, and one on the other. I had another
+belt, not so broad, and fastened in the same manner, which hung over my
+shoulder; and at the end of it, under my left arm, hung two pouches,
+both made of goat's skin too; in one of which hung my powder, in the
+other my shot. At my back I carried my basket, and on my shoulder my
+gun; and over my head a great clumsy ugly goat's skin umbrella, but
+which, after all, was the most necessary thing I had about me, next to
+my gun. As for my face, the colour of it was really not so mulatto-like
+as one might expect from a man not at all careful of it, and living
+within nine or ten degrees of the equinox. My beard I had once suffered
+to grow till it was about a quarter of a yard long; but as I had both
+scissars and razors sufficient, I had cut it pretty short, except what
+grew on my upper lip, which I had trimmed into a large pair of Mahometan
+whiskers, such as I had seen worn by some Turks at Sallee; for the Moors
+did not wear such, though the Turks did: of these mustachios or
+whiskers, I will not say they were long enough to hang my hat upon them,
+but they were of a length and shape monstrous enough, and such as, in
+England, would have passed for frightful.
+
+But all this is by the bye; for, as to my figure, I had so few to
+observe me that it was of no manner of consequence; so I say no more to
+that part. In this kind of figure I went my new journey, and was out
+five or six days. I travelled first along the sea-shore, directly to the
+place where I first brought my boat to an anchor, to get upon the rocks;
+and having no boat now to take care of, I went over the land, a nearer
+way, to the same height that I was upon before; when looking forward to
+the point of the rocks which lay out, and which I was obliged to double
+with my boat, as is said above, I was surprised to see the sea all
+smooth and quiet; no rippling, no motion, no current, any more there
+than in any other places. I was at a strange loss to understand this,
+and resolved to spend some time in the observing it, to see if nothing
+from the sets of the tide had occasioned it; but I was presently
+convinced how it was, viz. that the tide of ebb setting from the west,
+and joining with the current of waters, from some great river on the
+shore, must be the occasion of this current; and that according as the
+wind blew more forcibly from the west, or from the north, this current
+came nearer, or went farther from the shore; for waiting thereabouts
+till evening, I went up to the rock again, and then the tide of ebb
+being made, I plainly saw the current again as before, only that it ran
+farther off, being near half a league from the shore; whereas in my
+case, it set close upon the shore, and hurried me and my canoe along
+with it; which, at another time, it would not have done.
+
+This observation convinced me, that I had nothing to do but to observe
+the ebbing and the flowing of the tide, and I might very easily bring my
+boat about the island again: but when I began to think of putting it in
+practice, I had such a terror upon my spirits at the remembrance of the
+danger I had been in, that I could not think of it again with any
+patience; but, on the contrary, I took up another resolution, which was
+more safe, though more laborious; and this was, that I would build, or
+rather make me another periagua or canoe; and so have one for one side
+of the island, and one for the other.
+
+You are to understand, that now I had, as I may call it, two plantations
+in the island; one, my little fortification or tent, with the wall about
+it, under the rock, with the cave behind me, which, by this time, I had
+enlarged into several apartments or caves, one within another. One of
+these, which was the driest and largest, and had a door out beyond my
+wall or fortification, that is to say, beyond where my wall joined to
+the rock, was all filled up with the large earthen pots, of which I have
+given an account, and with fourteen or fifteen great baskets, which
+would hold five or six bushels each, where I laid up my stores of
+provision, especially my corn, some in the ear, cut off short from the
+straw, and the other rubbed out with my hand.
+
+As for my wall, made, as before, with long stakes or piles, those piles
+grew all like trees, and were by this time grown so big, and spread so
+very much, that there was not the least appearance, to any one's view,
+of any habitation behind them.
+
+Near this dwelling of mine, but a little farther within the land, and
+upon lower ground, lay my two pieces of corn land, which I kept duly
+cultivated and sowed, and which duly yielded me their harvest in its
+season: and whenever I had occasion for more corn, I had more land
+adjoining as fit as that.
+
+Besides this, I had my country seat; and I had now a tolerable
+plantation there also: for, first, I had my little bower, as I called
+it, which I kept in repair; that is to say, I kept the hedge which
+encircled it in constantly fitted up to its usual height, the ladder
+standing always in the inside: I kept the trees, which at first were no
+more than my stakes, but were now grown very firm and tall, always cut
+so, that they might spread and grow thick and wild, and make the more
+agreeable shade; which they did effectually to my mind. In the middle of
+this I had my tent always standing, being a piece of a sail spread over
+poles, set up for that purpose, and which never wanted any repair or
+renewing; and under this I had made me a squab or couch, with the skins
+of the creatures I had killed, and with other soft things; and a blanket
+laid on them, such as belonged to our sea-bedding, which I had saved,
+and a great watch-coat to cover me; and here, whenever I had occasion to
+be absent from my chief seat, I took up my country habitation.
+
+Adjoining to this I had my enclosures for my cattle, that is to say, my
+goats; and as I had taken an inconceivable deal of pains to fence and
+enclose this ground, I was so anxious to see it kept entire, lest the
+goats should break through, that I never left off, till, with infinite
+labour, I had stuck the outside of the hedge so full of small stakes,
+and so near to one another, that it was rather a pale than a hedge, and
+there was scarce room to put a hand through between them; which
+afterwards, when those stakes grew, as they all did in the next rainy
+season, made the enclosure strong like a wall,--indeed, stronger
+than any wall.
+
+This will testify for me that I was not idle, and that I spared no pains
+to bring to pass whatever appeared necessary for my comfortable support;
+for I considered the keeping up a breed of tame creatures thus at my
+hand would be a living magazine of flesh, milk, butter, and cheese for
+me as long as I lived in the place, if it were to be forty years; and
+that keeping them in my reach depended entirely upon my perfecting my
+enclosures to such a degree, that I might be sure of keeping them
+together; which, by this method, indeed, I so effectually secured, that
+when these little stakes began to grow, I had planted them so very
+thick, that I was forced to pull some of them up again.
+
+In this place also I had my grapes growing, which I principally depended
+on for my winter store of raisins, and which I never failed to preserve
+very carefully, as the best and most agreeable dainty of my whole diet:
+and indeed they were not only agreeable, but medicinal, wholesome,
+nourishing, and refreshing to the last degree.
+
+As this was also about half-way between my other habitation and the
+place where I had laid up my boat, I generally stayed and lay here in my
+way thither; for I used frequently to visit my boat; and I kept all
+things about, or belonging to her, in very good order: sometimes I went
+out in her to divert myself, but no more hazardous voyages would I go,
+nor scarce ever above a stone's cast or two from the shore, I was so
+apprehensive of being hurried out of my knowledge again by the currents
+or winds, or any other accident. But now I come to a new scene of
+my life.
+
+It happened one day, about noon, going towards my boat, I was
+exceedingly surprised with the print of a man's naked foot on the shore,
+which was very plain to be seen in the sand. I stood like one
+thunder-struck, or as if I had seen an apparition; I listened, I looked
+round me, but I could hear nothing, nor see any thing; I went up to a
+rising ground, to look farther; I went up the shore, and down the shore,
+but it was all one; I could see no other impression but that one. I went
+to it again to see if there were any more, and to observe if it might
+not be my fancy; but there was no room for that, for there was exactly
+the print of a foot, toes, heel, and every part of a foot: how it came
+thither I knew not, nor could I in the least imagine; but, after
+innumerable fluttering thoughts, like a man perfectly confused and out
+of myself, I came home to my fortification, not feeling, as we say, the
+ground I went on, but terrified to the last degree: looking behind me at
+every two or three steps, mistaking every bush and tree, and fancying
+every stump at a distance to be a man. Nor is it possible to describe
+how many various shapes my affrighted imagination represented things to
+me in, how many wild ideas were found every moment in my fancy, and what
+strange unaccountable whimsies came into my thoughts by the way.
+
+When I came to my castle (for so I think I called it ever after this,) I
+fled into it like one pursued; whether I went over by the ladder, as
+first contrived, or went in at the hole in the rock, which I had called
+a door, I cannot remember; no, nor could I remember the next morning;
+for never frightened hare fled to cover, or fox to earth, with more
+terror of mind than I to this retreat.
+
+I slept none that night; the farther I was from the occasion of my
+fright, the greater my apprehensions were; which is something contrary
+to the nature of such things, and especially to the usual practice of
+all creatures in fear; but I was so embarrassed with my own frightful
+ideas of the thing, that I formed nothing but dismal imaginations to
+myself, even though I was now a great way off it. Sometimes I fancied it
+must be the Devil, and reason joined in with me upon this supposition;
+for how should any other thing in human shape come into the place? Where
+was the vessel that brought them? What marks were there of any other
+footsteps? And how was it possible a man should come there? But then to
+think that Satan should take human shape upon him in such a place, where
+there could be no manner of occasion for it, but to leave the print of
+his foot behind him, and that even for no purpose too, for he could not
+be sure I should see it,--this was an amusement the other way. I
+considered that the Devil might have found out abundance of other ways
+to have terrified me than this of the single print of a foot; that as I
+lived quite on the other side of the island, he would never have been so
+simple as to leave a mark in a place where it was ten thousand to one
+whether I should ever see it or not, and in the sand too, which the
+first surge of the sea, upon a high wind, would have defaced entirely:
+all this seemed inconsistent with the thing itself, and with all the
+notions we usually entertain of the subtilty of the Devil.
+
+Abundance of such things as these assisted to argue me out of all
+apprehensions of its being the Devil; and I presently concluded then,
+that it must be some more dangerous creature, viz. that it must be some
+of the savages of the main land over against me, who had wandered out to
+sea in their canoes, and either driven by the currents or by contrary
+winds, had made the island, and had been on shore, but were gone away
+again to sea; being as loth, perhaps, to have stayed in this desolate
+island as I would have been to have had them.
+
+While these reflections were rolling upon my mind, I was very thankful
+in my thoughts that I was so happy as not to be thereabouts at that
+time, or that they did not see my boat, by which they would have
+concluded that some inhabitants had been in the place, and perhaps have
+searched farther for me: then terrible thoughts racked my imagination
+about their having found my boat, and that there were people here; and
+that if so, I should certainly have them come again in greater numbers,
+and devour me; that if it should happen so that they should not find me,
+yet they would find my enclosure, destroy all my corn, and carry away
+all my flock of tame goats, and I should perish at last for mere want.
+
+Thus my fear banished all my religious hope, all that former confidence
+in God, which was founded upon such wonderful experience as I had had of
+his goodness, as if he that had fed me by miracle hitherto could not
+preserve, by his power, the provision which he had made for me by his
+goodness. I reproached myself with my laziness, that would not sow any
+more corn one year than would just serve me till the next season, as if
+no accident would intervene to prevent my enjoying the crop that was
+upon the ground; and this I thought so just a reproof, that I resolved
+for the future to have two or three years' corn beforehand; so that
+whatever might come, I might not perish for want of bread.
+
+How strange a chequer-work of Providence is the life of man! and by what
+secret different springs are the affections hurried about, as different
+circumstances present! To-day we love what to-morrow we hate; to-day we
+seek what to-morrow we shun; to-day we desire what to-morrow we fear,
+nay, even tremble at the apprehensions of; this was exemplified in me,
+at this time, in the most lively manner imaginable; for I, whose only
+affliction was that I seemed banished from human society, that I was
+alone, circumscribed by the boundless ocean, cut off from mankind, and
+condemned to what I called silent life; that I was as one whom Heaven
+thought not worthy to be numbered among the living, or to appear among
+the rest of his creatures; that to have seen one of my own species would
+have seemed to me a raising me from death to life, and the greatest
+blessing that Heaven itself, next to the supreme blessing of salvation,
+could bestow; I say, that I should now tremble at the very apprehensions
+of seeing a man, and was ready to sink into the ground at but the shadow
+or silent appearance of a man's having set his foot in the island.
+
+Such is the uneven state of human life; and it afforded me a great many
+curious speculations afterwards, when I had a little recovered my first
+surprise. I considered that this was the station of life the infinitely
+wise and good providence of God had determined for me; that as I could
+not foresee what the ends of divine wisdom might be in all this, so I
+was not to dispute his sovereignty, who, as I was his creature, had an
+undoubted right, by creation, to govern and dispose of me absolutely as
+he thought fit; and who, as I was a creature that had offended him, had
+likewise a judicial right to condemn me to what punishment he thought
+fit; and that it was my part to submit to bear his indignation, because
+I had sinned against him. I then reflected, that as God, who was not
+only righteous, but omnipotent, had thought fit thus to punish and
+afflict me, so he was able to deliver me; that if he did not think fit
+to do so, it was my unquestioned duty to resign myself absolutely and
+entirely to his will; and, on the other hand, it was my duty also to
+hope in him, pray to him, and quietly to attend the dictates and
+directions of his daily providence.
+
+These thoughts took me up many hours, days, nay, I may say, weeks and
+months; and one particular effect of my cogitations on this occasion I
+cannot omit: One morning early, lying in my bed, and filled with
+thoughts about my danger from the appearances of savages, I found it
+discomposed me very much; upon which these words of the Scripture came
+into my thoughts, "Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will
+deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." Upon this, rising cheerfully
+out of my bed, my heart was not only comforted, but I was guided and
+encouraged to pray earnestly to God for deliverance: when I had done
+praying, I took up my Bible, and opening it to read, the first words
+that presented to me were, "Wait on the Lord, and be of good cheer, and
+he shall strengthen thy heart; wait, I say, on the Lord." It is
+impossible to express the comfort this gave me. In answer, I thankfully
+laid down the book, and was no more sad, at least on that occasion.
+
+In the middle of these cogitations, apprehensions, and reflections, it
+came into my thoughts one day, that all this might be a mere chimera of
+my own, and that this foot might be the print of my own foot, when I
+came on shore from my boat: this cheered me up a little too, and I began
+to persuade myself it was all a delusion; that it was nothing else but
+my own foot: and why might I not come that way from the boat, as well as
+I was going that way to the boat? Again, I considered also, that I could
+by no means tell, for certain, where I had trod, and where I had not;
+and that if, at last, this was only the print of my own foot, I had
+played the part of those fools who try to make stories of spectres and
+apparitions, and then are frightened at them more than any body.
+
+Now I began to take courage, and to peep abroad again, for I had not
+stirred out of my castle for three days and nights, so that I began to
+starve for provisions; for I had little or nothing within doors but some
+barley-cakes and water: then I knew that my goats wanted to be milked
+too, which usually was my evening diversion; and the poor creatures were
+in great pain and inconvenience for want of it; and, indeed, it almost
+spoiled some of them, and almost dried up their milk. Encouraging
+myself, therefore, with the belief that this was nothing but the print
+of one of my own feet, and that I might be truly said to start at my own
+shadow, I began to go abroad again, and went to my country-house to milk
+my flock: but to see with what fear I went forward, how often I looked
+behind me, how I was ready, every now and then, to lay down my basket,
+and run for my life, it would have made any one have thought I was
+haunted with an evil conscience, or that I had been lately most terribly
+frightened; and so, indeed, I had. However, as I went down thus two or
+three days, and having seen nothing, I began to be a little bolder, and
+to think there was really nothing in it but my own imagination; but I
+could not persuade myself fully of this till I should go down to the
+shore again, and see this print of a foot, and measure it by my own, and
+see if there was any similitude or fitness, that I might be assured it
+was my own foot: but when I came to the place, first, it appeared
+evidently to me, that when I laid up my boat, I could not possibly be on
+shore any where thereabouts: secondly, when I came to measure the mark
+with my own foot, I found my foot not so large by a great deal. Both
+these things filled my head with new imaginations, and gave me the
+vapours again to the highest degree, so that I shook with cold like one
+in an ague; and I went home again, filled with the belief that some man
+or men had been on shore there; or, in short, that the island was
+inhabited, and I might be surprised before I was aware; and what course
+to take for my security I knew not.
+
+O what ridiculous resolutions men take when possessed with fear! It
+deprives them of the use of those means which reason offers for their
+relief. The first thing I proposed to myself was, to throw down my
+enclosures, and turn all my tame cattle wild into the woods, lest the
+enemy should find them, and then frequent the island in prospect of the
+same or the like booty: then to the simple thing of digging up my two
+corn fields, lest they should find such a grain there, and still be
+prompted to frequent the island: then to demolish my bower and tent,
+that they might not see any vestiges of habitation, and be prompted to
+look farther, in order to find out the persons inhabiting.
+
+These were the subject of the first night's cogitataions after I was
+come home again, while the apprehensions which had so over-run my mind
+were fresh upon me, and my head was full of vapours, as above. Thus fear
+of danger is ten thousand times more terrifying than danger itself, when
+apparent to the eyes; and we find the burthen of anxiety greater, by
+much, than the evil which we are anxious about: and, which was worse
+than all this, I had not that relief in this trouble from the
+resignation I used to practise, that I hoped to have. I looked, I
+thought, like Saul, who complained not, only that the Philistines were
+upon him, but that God had forsaken him; for I did not now take due ways
+to compose my mind, by crying to God in my distress, and resting upon
+his providence, as I had done before, for my defence and deliverance;
+which, if I had done, I had at least been more cheerfully supported
+under this new surprise, and perhaps carried through it with more
+resolution.
+
+This confusion of my thoughts kept me awake all night; but in the
+morning I fell asleep; and having, by the amusement of my mind, been, as
+it were, tired, and my spirits exhausted, I slept very soundly, and
+waked much better composed than I had ever been before. And now I began
+to think sedately; and, upon the utmost debate with myself, I concluded
+that this island, which was so exceeding pleasant, fruitful, and no
+farther from the main land than as I had seen, was not so entirely
+abandoned as I might imagine; that although there were no stated
+inhabitants who lived on the spot, yet that there might sometimes come
+boats off from the shore, who, either with design, or perhaps never but
+when they were driven by cross winds, might come to this place; that I
+had lived here fifteen years now, and had not met with the least shadow
+or figure of any people yet; and that if at any time they should be
+driven here, it was probable they went away again as soon as ever they
+could, seeing they had never thought fit to fix here upon any occasion;
+that the most I could suggest any danger from, was from any casual
+accidental landing of straggling people from the main, who, as it was
+likely, if they were driven hither, were here against their wills, so
+they made no stay here, but went off again with all possible speed;
+seldom staying one night on shore, lest they should not have the help of
+the tides and daylight back again; and that, therefore, I had nothing to
+do but to consider of some safe retreat, in case I should see any
+savages land upon the spot.
+
+Now I began sorely to repent that I had dug my cave so large as to bring
+a door through again, which door, as I said, came out beyond where my
+fortification joined to the rock: upon maturely considering this,
+therefore, I resolved to draw me a second fortification, in the same
+manner of a semi-circle, at a distance from my wall, just where I had
+planted a double row of trees about twelve years before, of which I made
+mention: these trees having been planted so thick before, they wanted
+but few piles to be driven between them, that they might be thicker and
+stronger, and my wall would be soon finished: so that I had now a double
+wall; and my outer wall was thickened with pieces of timber, old cables,
+and every thing I could think of, to make it strong; having in it seven
+little holes, about as big as I might put my arm out at. In the inside
+of this, I thickened my wall to about ten feet thick, with continually
+bringing earth out of my cave, and laying it at the foot of the wall,
+and walking upon it; and through the seven holes I contrived to plant
+the muskets, of which I took notice that I had got seven on shore out of
+the ship; these I planted like my cannon, and fitted them into frames,
+that held them like a carriage, so that I could fire all the seven guns
+in two minutes' time: this wall I was many a weary month in finishing,
+and yet never thought myself safe till it was done.
+
+When this was done, I stuck all the ground without my wall, for a great
+length every way, as full with stakes, or sticks, of the osier-like
+wood, which I found so apt to grow, as they could well stand; insomuch,
+that I believe I might set in near twenty thousand of them, leaving a
+pretty large space between them and my wall, that I might have room to
+see an enemy, and they might have no shelter from the young trees, if
+they attempted to approach my outer wall.
+
+Thus, in two years' time, I had a thick grove; and in five or six years'
+time I had a wood before my dwelling, growing so monstrous thick and
+strong, that it was indeed perfectly impassable; and no men, of what
+kind soever, would ever imagine that there was any thing beyond it, much
+less a habitation. As for the way which I proposed to myself to go in
+and out (for I left no avenue,) it was by setting two ladders, one to a
+part of the rock which was low, and then broke in, and left room to
+place another ladder upon that; so when the two ladders were taken down,
+no man living could come down to me without doing himself mischief; and
+if they had come down, they were still on the outside of my outer wall.
+
+Thus I took all the measures human prudence could suggest for my own
+preservation; and it will be seen, at length, that they were not
+altogether without just reason; though I foresaw nothing at that time
+more than my mere fear suggested to me.
+
+While this was doing, I was not altogether careless of my other affairs;
+for I had a great concern upon me for my little herd of goats; they were
+not only a ready supply to me on every occasion, and began to be
+sufficient for me, without the expense of powder and shot, but also
+without the fatigue of hunting after the wild ones; and I was loth to
+lose the advantage of them, and to have them all to nurse up
+over again.
+
+For this purpose, after long consideration, I could think of but two
+ways to preserve them: one was, to find another convenient place to dig
+a cave under ground, and to drive them into it every night; and the
+other was, to enclose two or three little bits of land, remote from one
+another, and as much concealed as I could, where I might keep about half
+a dozen young goats in each place; so that if any disaster happened to
+the flock in general, I might be able to raise them again with little
+trouble and time: and this, though it would require a great deal of time
+and labour, I thought was the most rational design.
+
+Accordingly, I spent some time to find out the most retired parts of the
+island; and I pitched upon one, which was as private, indeed, as my
+heart could wish for: it was a little damp piece of ground, in the
+middle of the hollow and thick woods, where, as is observed, I almost
+lost myself once before, endeavouring to come back that way from the
+eastern part of the island. Here I found a clear piece of land, near
+three acres, so surrounded with woods, that it was almost an enclosure
+by nature; at least, it did not want near so much labour to make it so
+as the other pieces of ground I had worked so hard at.
+
+I immediately went to work with this piece of ground, and in less than a
+month's time I had so fenced it round, that my flock, or herd, call it
+which you please, who were not so wild now as at first they might be
+supposed to be, were well enough secured in it: so, without any farther
+delay, I removed ten young she-goats and two he-goats to this piece;
+and when they were there, I continued to perfect the fence, till I had
+made it as secure as the other; which, however, I did at more leisure,
+and it took me up more time by a great deal. All this labour I was at
+the expense of, purely from my apprehensions on the account of the print
+of a man's foot which I had seen; for, as yet, I never saw any human
+creature come near the island; and I had now lived two years under this
+uneasiness, which, indeed, made my life much less comfortable than it
+was before, as may be well imagined by any who know what it is to live
+in the constant snare of the fear of man. And this I must observe, with
+grief too, that the discomposure of my mind had too great impressions
+also upon the religious part of my thoughts: for the dread and terror of
+falling into the hands of savages and cannibals lay so upon my spirits,
+that I seldom found myself in a due temper for application to my Maker,
+at least not with the sedate calmness and resignation of soul which I
+was wont to do: I rather prayed to God as under great affliction and
+pressure of mind, surrounded with danger, and in expectation every night
+of being murdered and devoured before morning; and I must testify from
+my experience, that a temper of peace, thankfulness, love, and
+affection, is much the more proper frame for prayer than that of terror
+and discomposure; and that under the dread of mischief impending, a man
+is no more fit for a comforting performance of the duty of praying to
+God, than he is for a repentance on a sick bed; for these discomposures
+affect the mind, as the others do the body; and the discomposure of the
+mind must necessarily be as great a disability as that of the body, and
+much greater; praying to God being properly an act of the mind, not
+of the body.
+
+But to go on: after I had thus secured one part of my little living
+stock, I went about the whole island, searching for another private
+place to make such another deposit; when, wandering more to the west
+point of the island than I had ever done yet, and looking out to sea, I
+thought I saw a boat upon the sea, at a great distance. I had found a
+perspective-glass or two in one of the seamen's chests, which I saved
+out of our ship, but I had it not about me; and this was so remote, that
+I could not tell what to make of it, though I looked at it till my eyes
+were not able to hold to look any longer: whether it was a boat or not,
+I do not know, but as I descended from the hill I could see no more of
+it; so I gave it over; only I resolved to go no more out without a
+perspective-glass in my pocket. When I was come down the hill to the end
+of the island, where, indeed, I had never been before, I was presently
+convinced that the seeing the print of a man's foot was not such a
+strange thing in the island as I imagined: and, but that it was a
+special providence that I was cast upon the side of the island where the
+savages never came, I should easily have known that nothing was more
+frequent than for the canoes from the main, when they happened to be a
+little too far out at sea, to shoot over to that side of the island for
+harbour: likewise, as they often met and fought in their canoes, the
+victors, having taken any prisoners, would bring them over to this
+shore, where, according to their dreadful customs, being all cannibals,
+they would kill and eat them; of which hereafter.
+
+When I was come down the hill to the shore, as I said above, being the
+S.W. point of the island, I was perfectly confounded and amazed; nor is
+it possible for me to express the horror of my mind, at seeing the shore
+spread with skulls, hands, feet, and other bones of human bodies; and
+particularly, I observed a place where there had been a fire made, and a
+circle dug in the earth, like a cock-pit, where I supposed the savage
+wretches had sat down to their inhuman feastings upon the bodies of
+their fellow creatures.
+
+I was so astonished with the sight of these things, that I entertained
+no notions of any danger to myself from it for a long while: all my
+apprehensions were buried in the thoughts of such a pitch of inhuman,
+hellish brutality, and the horror of the degeneracy of human nature,
+which, though I had heard of it often, yet I never had so near a view of
+before: in short, I turned away my face from the horrid spectacle; my
+stomach grew sick, and I was just at the point of fainting, when nature
+discharged the disorder from my stomach; and having vomited with
+uncommon violence, I was a little relieved, but could not bear to stay
+in the place a moment; so I got me up the hill again with all the speed
+I could, and walked on towards my own habitation.
+
+When I came a little out of that part of the island, I stood still
+awhile, as amazed, and then recovering myself, I looked up with the
+utmost affection of my soul, and, with a flood of tears in my eyes, gave
+God thanks, that had cast my first lot in a part of the world where I
+was distinguished from such dreadful creatures as these; and that,
+though I had esteemed my present condition very miserable, had yet given
+me so many comforts in it, that I had still more to give thanks for than
+to complain of: and this, above all, that I had, even in this miserable
+condition, been comforted with the knowledge of Himself, and the hope of
+His blessing; which was a felicity more than sufficiently equivalent to
+all the misery which I had suffered, or could suffer.
+
+In this frame of thankfulness, I went home to my castle, and began to be
+much easier now, as to the safety of my circumstances, than ever I was
+before: for I observed that these wretches never came to this island in
+search of what they could get; perhaps not seeking, not wanting, or not
+expecting, any thing here; and having often, no doubt, been up in the
+covered, woody part of it, without finding any thing to their purpose. I
+knew I had been here now almost eighteen years, and never saw the least
+footsteps of human creature there before; and I might be eighteen years
+more as entirely concealed as I was now, if I did not discover myself to
+them, which I had no manner of occasion to do; it being my only business
+to keep myself entirely concealed where I was, unless I found a better
+sort of creatures than cannibals to make myself known to. Yet I
+entertained such an abhorrence of the savage wretches that I have been
+speaking of, and of the wretched inhuman custom of their devouring and
+eating one another up, that I continued pensive and sad, and kept close
+within my own circle, for almost two years after this; when I say my
+own circle, I mean by it my three plantations, viz. my castle, my
+country-seat, which I called my bower, and my enclosure in the woods:
+nor did I look after this for any other use than as an enclosure for my
+goats; for the aversion which nature gave me to these hellish wretches
+was such, that I was as fearful of seeing them as of seeing the Devil
+himself. I did not so much as go to look after my boat all this time,
+but began rather to think of making me another; for I could not think of
+ever making any more attempts to bring the other boat round the island
+to me, lest I should meet with some of these creatures at sea; in which
+if I had happened to have fallen into their hands, I knew what would
+have been my lot.
+
+Time, however, and the satisfaction I had that I was in no danger of
+being discovered by these people, began to wear off my uneasiness about
+them; and I began to live just in the same composed manner as before;
+only with this difference, that I used more caution, and kept my eyes
+more about me, than I did before, lest I should happen to be seen by any
+of them; and particularly, I was more cautious of firing my gun, lest
+any of them being on the island should happen to hear it. It was
+therefore a very good providence to me that I had furnished myself with
+a tame breed of goats, and that I had no need to hunt any more about the
+woods, or shoot at them; and if I did catch any of them after this, it
+was by traps and snares, as I had done before: so that for two years
+after this, I believe I never fired my gun once off, though I never went
+out without it; and, which was more, as I had saved three pistols out
+of the ship, I always carried them out with me, or at least two of them,
+sticking them in my goat-skin belt. I also furbished up one of the great
+cutlasses that I had out of the ship, and made me a belt to hang it on
+also; so that I was now a most formidable fellow to look at when I went
+abroad, if you add to the former description of myself, the particular
+of two pistols, and a great broad-sword hanging at my side in a belt,
+but without a scabbard.
+
+Things going on thus, as I have said, for some time, I seemed, excepting
+these cautions, to be reduced to my former calm sedate way of living.
+All these things tended to show me, more and more, how far my condition
+was from being miserable, compared to some others; nay, to many other
+particulars of life, which it might have pleased God to have made my
+lot. It put me upon reflecting how little repining there would be among
+mankind at any condition of life, if people would rather compare their
+condition with those that were worse, in order to be thankful, than be
+always comparing them with those which are better, to assist their
+murmurings and complainings.
+
+As in my present condition there were not really many things which I
+wanted, so, indeed, I thought that the frights I had been in about these
+savage wretches, and the concern I had been in for my own preservation,
+had taken off the edge of my invention for my own conveniences; and I
+had dropped a good design, which I had once bent my thoughts too much
+upon, and that was, to try if I could not make some of my barley into
+malt, and then try to brew myself some beer. This was really a whimsical
+thought, and I reproved myself often for the simplicity of it; for I
+presently saw there would be the want of several things necessary to the
+making my beer, that it would be impossible for me to supply: as, first,
+casks to preserve it in, which was a thing that, as I have observed
+already, I could never compass; no, though I spent not only many days,
+but weeks, nay, months, in attempting it, but to no purpose. In the next
+place, I had no hops to make it keep, no yeast to make it work, no
+copper or kettle to make it boil; and yet, with all these things
+wanting, I verily believe, had not the frights and terrors I was in
+about the savages intervened, I had undertaken it, and perhaps brought
+it to pass too; for I seldom gave any thing over without accomplishing
+it, when once I had it in my head to begin it. But my invention now ran
+quite another way; for, night and day, I could think of nothing but how
+I might destroy some of these monsters in their cruel, bloody
+entertainment, and, if possible, save the victim they should bring
+hither to destroy. It would take up a larger volume than this whole work
+is intended to be, to set down all the contrivances I hatched, or rather
+brooded upon, in my thoughts, for the destroying these creatures, or at
+least frightening them so as to prevent their coming hither any more:
+but all this was abortive; nothing could be possible to take effect,
+unless I was to be there to do it myself: and what could one man do
+among them, when perhaps there might be twenty or thirty of them
+together, with their darts, or their bows and arrows, with which they
+could shoot as true to a mark as I could with my gun?
+
+Sometimes I thought of digging a hole under the place where they made
+their fire, and putting in five or six pounds of gunpowder, which, when
+they kindled their fire, would consequently take fire, and blow up all
+that was near it: but as, in the first place, I should be unwilling to
+waste so much powder upon them, my store being now within the quantity
+of one barrel, so neither could I be sure of its going off at any
+certain time, when it might surprise them; and, at best, that it would
+do little more than just blow the fire about their ears, and fright
+them, but not sufficient to make them forsake the place: so I laid it
+aside; and then proposed that I would place myself in ambush in some
+convenient place, with my three guns all double-loaded, and, in the
+middle of their bloody ceremony, let fly at them, when I should be sure
+to kill or wound perhaps two or three at every shot; and then falling in
+upon them with my three pistols, and my sword, I made no doubt but that
+if there were twenty I should kill them all. This fancy pleased my
+thoughts for some weeks; and I was so full of it, that I often dreamed
+of it, and sometimes that I was just going to let fly at them in my
+sleep. I went so far with it in my imagination, that I employed myself
+several days to find out proper places to put myself in ambuscade, as I
+said, to watch for them; and I went frequently to the place itself,
+which was now grown more familiar to me: but while my mind was thus
+filled with thoughts of revenge, and a bloody putting twenty or thirty
+of them to the sword, as I may call it, the horror I had at the place,
+and at the signals of the barbarous wretches devouring one another,
+abetted my malice. Well, at length, I found a place in the side of the
+hill, where I was satisfied I might securely wait till I saw any of
+their boats coming: and might then, even before they would be ready to
+come on shore, convey myself, unseen, into some thickets of trees, in
+one of which there was a hollow large enough to conceal me entirely and
+there I might sit and observe all their bloody doings, and take my full
+aim at their heads, when they were so close together as that it would be
+next to impossible that I should miss my shot, or that I could fail
+wounding three or four of them at the first shot. In this place, then, I
+resolved to fix my design; and, accordingly, I prepared two muskets and
+my ordinary fowling-piece. The two muskets I loaded with a brace of
+slugs each, and four or five smaller bullets, about the size of
+pistol-bullets; and the fowling-piece I loaded with near a handful of
+swan-shot, of the largest size: I also loaded my pistols with about four
+bullets each; and in this posture, well provided with ammunition for a
+second and third charge, I prepared myself for my expedition.
+
+After I had thus laid the scheme of my design, and, in my imagination,
+put it in practice, I continually made my tour every morning up to the
+top of the hill, which was from my castle, as I called it, about three
+miles, or more, to see if I could observe any boats upon the sea, coming
+near the island, or standing over towards it: but I began to tire of
+this hard duty, after I had, for two or three months, constantly kept
+my watch, but came always back without any discovery; there having not,
+in all that time, been the least appearance, not only on or near the
+shore, but on the whole ocean, so far as my eyes or glasses could reach
+every way.
+
+As long as I kept my daily tour to the hill to look out, so long also I
+kept up the vigour of my design, and my spirits seemed to be all the
+while in a suitable form for so outrageous an execution as the killing
+twenty or thirty naked savages, for an offence which I had not at all
+entered into a discussion of in my thoughts, any farther than my
+passions were at first fired by the horror I conceived at the unnatural
+custom of the people of that country; who, it seems, had been suffered
+by Providence, in his wise disposition of the world, to have no other
+guide than that of their own abominable and vitiated passions; and,
+consequently, were left, and perhaps had been so for some ages, to act
+such horrid things, and receive such dreadful customs, as nothing but
+nature, entirely abandoned by Heaven, and actuated by some hellish
+degeneracy, could have run them into. But now, when, as I have said, I
+began to be weary of the fruitless excursion which I had made so long
+and so far every morning in vain, so my opinion of the action itself
+began to alter; and I began, with cooler and calmer thoughts, to
+consider what I was going to engage in; what authority or call I had to
+pretend to be judge and executioner upon these men as criminals, whom
+Heaven had thought fit, for so many ages, to suffer, unpunished, to go
+on, and to be, as it were, the executioners of his judgments one upon
+another. How far these people were offenders against me, and what right
+I had to engage in the quarrel of that blood which they shed
+promiscuously upon one another, I debated this very often with myself,
+thus: How do I know what God himself judges in this particular case? It
+is certain these people do not commit this as a crime; it is not against
+their own consciences reproving, or their light reproaching them; they
+do not know it to be an offence, and then commit it in defiance of
+divine justice, as we do in almost all the sins we commit. They think it
+no more a crime to kill a captive taken in war, than we do to kill an
+ox; nor to eat human flesh, than we do to eat mutton.
+
+When I considered this a little, it followed necessarily that I was
+certainly in the wrong in it; that these people were not murderers in
+the sense that I had before condemned them in my thoughts, any more than
+those Christians were murderers who often put to death the prisoners
+taken in battle; or more frequently, upon many occasions, put whole
+troops of men to the sword, without giving quarter, though they threw
+down their arms and submitted. In the next place, it occurred to me,
+that although the usage they gave one another was thus brutish and
+inhuman, yet it was really nothing to me; these people had done me no
+injury: that if they attempted me, or I saw it necessary, for my
+immediate preservation, to fall upon them, something might be said for
+it; but that I was yet out of their power, and they really had no
+knowledge of me, and consequently no design upon me; and therefore it
+could not be just for me to fall upon them: that this would justify the
+conduct of the Spaniards in all their barbarities practised in America,
+where they destroyed millions of these people: who, however they were
+idolaters and barbarians, and had several bloody and barbarous rites in
+their customs, such as sacrificing human bodies to their idols, were
+yet, as to the Spaniards, very innocent people; and that the rooting
+them out of the country is spoken of with the utmost abhorrence and
+detestation by even the Spaniards themselves at this time, and by all
+other Christian nations in Europe, as a mere butchery, a bloody and
+unnatural piece of cruelty, unjustifiable either to God or man; and for
+which the very name of a Spaniard is reckoned to be frightful and
+terrible to all people of humanity, or of Christian compassion; as if
+the kingdom of Spain were particularly eminent for the produce of a race
+of men who were without principles of tenderness, or the common bowels
+of pity to the miserable, which is reckoned to be a mark of generous
+temper in the mind.
+
+These considerations really put me to a pause, and to a kind of a full
+stop; and I began, by little and little, to be off my design, and to
+conclude I had taken wrong measures in my resolution to attack the
+savages; and that it was not my business to meddle with them, unless
+they first attacked me; and this it was my business, if possible, to
+prevent; but that if I were discovered and attacked by them, I knew my
+duty. On the other hand, I argued with myself, that this really was the
+way not to deliver myself, but entirely to ruin and destroy myself; for
+unless I was sure to kill every one that not only should be on shore at
+that time, but that should ever come on shore afterwards, if but one of
+them escaped to tell their country-people what had happened, they would
+come over again by thousands to revenge the death of their fellows, and
+I should only bring upon myself a certain destruction, which, at
+present, I had no manner of occasion for. Upon the whole, I concluded,
+that neither in principle nor in policy, I ought, one way or other, to
+concern myself in this affair: that my business was, by all possible
+means, to conceal myself from them, and not to leave the least signal to
+them to guess by that there were any living creatures upon the island, I
+mean of human shape. Religion joined in with this prudential resolution;
+and I was convinced now, many ways, that I was perfectly out of my duty
+when I was laying all my bloody schemes for the destruction of innocent
+creatures, I mean innocent as to me. As to the crimes they were guilty
+of towards one another, I had nothing to do with them; they were
+national, and I ought to leave them to the justice of God, who is the
+governor of nations, and knows how, by national punishments, to make a
+just retribution for national offences, and to bring public judgments
+upon those who offend in a public manner, by such ways as best please
+him. This appeared so clear to me now, that nothing was a greater
+satisfaction to me than that I had not been suffered to do a thing which
+I now saw so much reason to believe would have been no less a sin than
+that of wilful murder, if I had committed it; and I gave most humble
+thanks on my knees to God, that had thus delivered me from
+blood-guiltiness; beseeching him to grant me the protection of his
+providence, that I might not fall into the hands of the barbarians, or
+that I might not lay my hands upon them, unless I had a more clear call
+from Heaven to do it, in defence of my own life.
+
+In this disposition I continued for near a year after this; and so far
+was I from desiring an occasion for falling upon these wretches, that in
+all that time I never once went up the hill to see whether there were
+any of them in sight, or to know whether any of them had been on shore
+there or not, that I might not be tempted to renew any of my
+contrivances against them, or be provoked, by any advantage which might
+present itself, to fall upon them: only this I did, I went and removed
+my boat, which I had on the other side of the island, and carried it
+down to the east end of the whole island, where I ran it into a little
+cove, which I found under some high rocks, and where I knew, by reason
+of the currents, the savages durst not, at least would not come, with
+their boats, upon any account whatever. With my boat I carried away
+every thing that I had left there belonging to her, though not necessary
+for the bare going thither, viz. a mast and sail which I had made for
+her, and a thing like an anchor, but which, indeed, could not be called
+either anchor or grapnel; however, it was the best I could make of its
+kind: all these I removed, that there might not be the least shadow of
+any discovery, or any appearance of any boat, or of any human
+habitation, upon the island. Besides this, I kept myself, as I said,
+more retired than ever, and seldom went from my cell, other than upon my
+constant employment, viz. to milk my she-goats, and manage my little
+flock in the wood, which, as it was quite on the other part of the
+island, was quite out of danger; for certain it is, that these savage
+people, who sometimes haunted this island, never came with any thoughts
+of finding any thing here, and consequently never wandered off from the
+coast; and I doubt not but they might have been several times on shore
+after my apprehensions of them had made me cautious, as well as before.
+Indeed, I looked back with some horror upon the thoughts of what my
+condition would have been if I had chopped upon them and been discovered
+before that, when, naked and unarmed, except with one gun, and that
+loaded often only with small shot, I walked every where, peeping and
+peering about the island to see what I could get; what a surprise should
+I have been in, if, when I discovered the print of a man's foot, I had,
+instead of that, seen fifteen or twenty savages, and found them pursuing
+me, and by the swiftness of their running, no possibility of my escaping
+them! The thoughts of this sometimes sunk my very soul within me, and
+distressed my mind so much, that I could not soon recover it, to think
+what I should have done, and how I should not only have been unable to
+resist them, but even should not have had presence of mind enough to do
+what I might have done; much less what now, after so much consideration
+and preparation, I might be able to do. Indeed, after serious thinking
+of these things, I would be very melancholy, and sometimes it would last
+a great while; but I resolved it all, at last, into thankfulness to that
+Providence which had delivered me from so many unseen dangers, and had
+kept from me those mischiefs which I could have no way been the agent in
+delivering myself from, because I had not the least notion of any such
+thing depending, or the least supposition of its being possible. This
+renewed a contemplation which often had come to my thoughts in former
+time, when first I began to see the merciful dispositions of Heaven, in
+the dangers we run through in this life; how wonderfully we are
+delivered when we know nothing of it; how, when we are in a quandary,
+(as we call it) a doubt or hesitation, whether to go this way, or that
+way, a secret hint shall direct us this way, when we intended to go that
+way: nay, when sense, our own inclination, and perhaps business, has
+called to go the other way, yet a strange impression upon the mind, from
+we know not what springs, and by we know not what power, shall over-rule
+us to go this way; and it shall afterwards appear, that had we gone that
+way which we should have gone, and even to our imagination ought to have
+gone, we should have been ruined and lost. Upon these, and many like
+reflections, I afterwards made it a certain rule with me, that whenever
+I found those secret hints or pressings of mind, to doing or not doing
+any thing that presented, or going this way or that way, I never failed
+to obey the secret dictate; though I knew no other reason for it than
+that such a pressure, or such a hint, hung upon my mind. I could give
+many examples of the success of this conduct in the course of my life,
+but more especially in the latter part of my inhabiting this unhappy
+island; besides many occasions which it is very likely I might have
+taken notice of, if I had seen with the same eyes then that I see with
+now. But it is never too late to be wise; and I cannot but advise all
+considering men, whose lives are attended with such extraordinary
+incidents as mine, or even though not so extraordinary, not to slight
+such secret intimations of Providence, let them come from what invisible
+intelligence they will. That I shall not discuss, and perhaps cannot
+account for; but certainly they are a proof of the converse of spirits,
+and a secret communication between those embodied and those unembodied,
+and such a proof as can never be withstood; of which I shall have
+occasion to give some very remarkable instances in the remainder of my
+solitary residence in this dismal place.
+
+I believe the reader of this will not think it strange if I confess that
+these anxieties, these constant dangers I lived in, and the concern that
+was now upon me, put an end to all invention, and to all the
+contrivances that I had laid for my future accommodations and
+conveniences. I had the care of my safety more now upon my hands than
+that of my food. I cared not to drive a nail, or chop a stick of wood
+now, for fear the noise I might make should be heard: much less would I
+fire a gun, for the same reason: and, above all, I was intolerably
+uneasy at making any fire, lest the smoke, which is visible at a great
+distance in the day, should betray me. For this reason I removed that
+part of my business which required fire, such as burning of pots and
+pipes, &c. into my new apartment in the woods; where, after I had been
+some time, I found, to my unspeakable consolation, a mere natural cave
+in the earth, which went in a vast way, and where, I dare say, no
+savage, had he been at the mouth of it, would be so hardy as to venture
+in; nor, indeed, would any man else, but one who, like me, wanted
+nothing so much as a safe retreat.
+
+The mouth of this hollow was at the bottom of a great rock, where by
+mere accident (I would say, if I did not see abundant reason to ascribe
+all such things now to Providence,) I was cutting down some thick
+branches of trees to make charcoal; and before I go on, I must observe
+the reason of my making this charcoal, which was thus: I was afraid of
+making a smoke about my habitation, as I said before; and yet I could
+not live there without baking my bread, cooking my meat, &c.; so I
+contrived to burn some wood here, as I had seen done in England, under
+turf, till it became chark, or dry coal: and then putting the fire out,
+I preserved the coal to carry home, and perform the other services for
+which fire was wanting, without danger of smoke. But this is by the
+by:--While I was cutting down some wood here, I perceived that behind a
+very thick branch of low brush-wood, or under-wood, there was a kind of
+hollow place: I was curious to look in it, and getting with difficulty
+into the mouth of it, I found it was pretty large: that is to say,
+sufficient for me to stand upright in it, and perhaps another with me:
+but I must confess to you that I made more haste out than I did in,
+when, looking farther into the place, and which was perfectly dark, I
+saw two broad shining eyes of some creature, whether devil or man I knew
+not, which twinkled like two stars; the dim light from the cave's mouth
+shining directly in, and making the reflection. However, after some
+pause, I recovered myself, and began to call myself a thousand fools,
+and to think, that he that was afraid to see the devil was not fit to
+live twenty years in an island all alone; and that I might well think
+there was nothing in this cave that was more frightful than myself. Upon
+this, plucking up my courage, I took up a firebrand, and in I rushed
+again, with the stick flaming in my hand: I had not gone three steps in,
+but I was almost as much frightened as I was before; for I heard a very
+loud sigh, like that of a man in some pain, and it was followed by a
+broken noise, as of words half-expressed, and then a deep sigh again. I
+stepped back, and was indeed struck with such a surprise, that it put me
+into a cold sweat; and if I had had a hat on my head, I will not answer
+for it, that my hair might not have lifted it off. But still plucking up
+my spirits as well as I could, and encouraging myself a little with
+considering that the power and presence of God was every where, and was
+able to protect me, upon this I stepped forward again, and by the light
+of the firebrand, holding it up a little over my head, I saw lying on
+the ground a most monstrous, frightful, old he-goat just making his
+will, as we say, and gasping for life; and dying, indeed, of mere old
+age. I stirred him a little to see if I could get him out, and he
+essayed to get up, but was not able to raise himself; and I thought with
+myself he might even lie there; for if he had frightened me, so he would
+certainly fright any of the savages, if any one of them should be so
+hardy as to come in there while he had any life in him.
+
+I was now recovered from my surprise, and began to look round me, when I
+found the cave was but very small, that is to say, it might be about
+twelve feet over, but in no manner of shape, neither round nor square,
+no hands having ever been employed in making it but those of mere
+Nature. I observed also that there was a place at the farther side of it
+that went in further, but was so low that it required me to creep upon
+my hands and knees to go into it, and whither it went I knew not: so
+having no candle, I gave it over for that time; but resolved to come
+again the next day, provided with candles and a tinder-box, which I had
+made of the lock of one of the muskets, with some wild fire in the pan.
+
+Accordingly, the next day I came provided with six large candles of my
+own making (for I made very good candles now of goats' tallow, but was
+hard set for candle-wick, using sometimes rags or rope-yarn, and
+sometimes the dried rind of a weed like nettles;) and going into this
+low place, I was obliged to creep upon all fours, as I have said, almost
+ten yards; which, by the way, I thought was a venture bold enough,
+considering that I knew not how far it might go, nor what was beyond it.
+When I had got through the strait, I found the roof rose higher up, I
+believe near twenty feet; but never was such a glorious sight seen in
+the island, I dare say, as it was, to look round the sides and roof of
+this vault or cave; the wall reflected an hundred thousand lights to me
+from my two candles. What it was in the rock, whether diamonds, or any
+other precious stones, or gold, which I rather supposed it to be, I
+knew not. The place I was in was a most delightful cavity or grotto of
+its kind, as could be expected, though perfectly dark; the floor was dry
+and level, and had a sort of a small loose gravel upon it, so that there
+was no nauseous or venomous creature to be seen, neither was there any
+damp or wet on the sides or roof: the only difficulty in it was the
+entrance; which, however, as it was a place of security, and such a
+retreat as I wanted, I thought that was a convenience; so that I was
+really rejoiced at the discovery, and resolved, without any delay, to
+bring some of those things which I was most anxious about to this place;
+particularly, I resolved to bring hither my magazine of powder, and all
+my spare arms, viz. two fowling-pieces, for I had three in all, and
+three muskets, for of them I had eight in all: so I kept at my castle
+only five, which stood ready-mounted, like pieces of cannon, on my
+outmost fence; and were ready also to take out upon any expedition. Upon
+this occasion of removing my ammunition, I happened to open the barrel
+of powder, which I took up out of the sea, and which had been wet; and I
+found that the water had penetrated about three or four inches into the
+powder on every side, which, caking, and growing hard, had preserved the
+inside like a kernel in the shell; so that I had near sixty pounds of
+very good powder in the centre of the cask: this was a very agreeable
+discovery to me at that time; so I carried all away thither, never
+keeping above two or three pounds of powder with me in my castle, for
+fear of a surprise of any kind: I also carried thither all the lead I
+had left for bullets.
+
+I fancied myself now like one of the ancient giants, which were said to
+live in caves and holes in the rocks, where none could come at them; for
+I persuaded myself, while I was here, that if five hundred savages were
+to hunt me, they could never find me out; or, if they did, they would
+not venture to attack me here. The old goat, whom I found expiring, died
+in the mouth of the cave the next day after I made this discovery: and I
+found it much easier to dig a great hole there, and throw him in and
+cover him with earth, than to drag him out; so I interred him there, to
+prevent offence to my nose.
+
+I was now in the twenty-third year of my residence in this island; and
+was so naturalized to the place, and the manner of living, that could I
+have but enjoyed the certainty that no savages would come to the place
+to disturb me, I could have been content to have capitulated for
+spending the rest of my time there, even to the last moment, till I had
+laid me down and died, like the old goat in the cave. I had also arrived
+to some little diversions and amusements, which made the time pass a
+great deal more pleasantly with me than it did before: as, first, I had
+taught my Pol, as I noted before, to speak; and he did it so familiarly,
+and talked so articulately and plain, that it was very pleasant to me;
+for I believe no bird ever spoke plainer; and he lived with me no less
+than six and twenty years: how long he might have lived afterwards I
+know not, though I know they have a notion in the Brazils that they
+live a hundred years. My dog was a very pleasant and loving companion to
+me for no less than sixteen years of my time, and then died of mere old
+age. As for my cats, they multiplied, as I have observed, to that
+degree, that I was obliged to shoot several of them at first, to keep
+them from devouring me and all I had; but, at length, when the two old
+ones I brought with me were gone, and after some time continually
+driving them from me, and letting them have no provision with me, they
+all ran wild into the woods, except two or three favourites, which I
+kept tame, and whose young, when they had any, I always drowned; and
+these were part of my family. Besides these, I always kept two or three
+household kids about me, whom I taught to feed out of my hand; and I had
+two more parrots, which talked pretty well, and would all call Robin
+Crusoe, but none like my first; nor, indeed, did I take the pains with
+any of them that I had done with him. I had also several tame sea-fowls,
+whose names I knew not, that I caught upon the shore, and cut their
+wings; and the little stakes which I had planted before my castle wall
+being now grown up to a good thick grove, these fowls all lived among
+these low trees, and bred there, which was very agreeable to me; so
+that, as I said above, I began to be very well contented with the life I
+led, if I could have been secured from the dread of the savages. But it
+was otherwise directed; and it may not be amiss for all people who shall
+meet with my story, to make this just observation from it, viz. How
+frequently, in the course of our lives, the evil which in itself we seek
+most to shun, and which, when we are, fallen into, is the most dreadful
+to us, is oftentimes the very means or door of our deliverance, by which
+alone we can be raised again from the affliction we are fallen into. I
+could give many examples of this in the course of my unaccountable life;
+but in nothing was it more particularly remarkable than in the
+circumstances of my last years of solitary residence in this island.
+
+It was now the month of December, as I said above, in my twenty-third
+year; and this, being the southern solstice (for winter I cannot call
+it,) was the particular time of my harvest, and required my being pretty
+much abroad in the fields: when going out pretty early in the morning,
+even before it was thorough daylight, I was surprised with seeing a
+light of some fire upon the shore, at a distance from me of about two
+miles, towards the end of the island where I had observed some savages
+had been, as before, and not on the other side; but, to my great
+affliction, it was on my side of the island.
+
+I was indeed terribly surprised at the sight, and stopped short within
+my grove, not daring to go out, lest I might be surprised, and yet I had
+no more peace within, from the apprehensions I had that if these
+savages, in rambling over the island, should find my corn standing or
+cut, or any of my works and improvements, they would immediately
+conclude that there were people in the place, and would then never give
+over till they had found me out. In this extremity, I went back directly
+to my castle, pulled up the ladder after me, and made all things without
+look as wild and natural as I could.
+
+Then I prepared myself within, putting myself in a posture of defence:
+I loaded all my cannon, as I called them, that is to say, my muskets,
+which were mounted upon my new fortification, and all my pistols, and
+resolved to defend myself to the last gasp; not forgetting seriously to
+commend myself to the divine protection, and earnestly to pray to God to
+deliver me out of the hands of the barbarians. I continued in this
+posture about two hours; and began to be mighty impatient for
+intelligence abroad, for I had no spies to send out. After sitting
+awhile longer, and musing what I should do in this, I was not able to
+bear sitting in ignorance any longer; so setting up my ladder to the
+side of the hill, where there was a flat place, as I observed before,
+and then pulling the ladder up after me, I set it up again, and mounted
+to the top of the hill; and pulling out my perspective-glass, which I
+had taken on purpose, I laid me down flat on my belly on the ground, and
+began to look for the place. I presently found there were no less than
+nine naked savages, sitting round a small fire they had made, not to
+warm them, for they had no need of that, the weather being extremely
+hot, but, as I supposed, to dress some of their barbarous diet of human
+flesh, which they had brought with them, whether alive or dead, I
+could not tell.
+
+They had two canoes with them, which they had hauled up upon the shore;
+and as it was then tide of ebb, they seemed to me to wait for the return
+of the flood to go away again. It is not easy to imagine what confusion
+this sight put me into, especially seeing them come on my side of the
+island, and so near me too; but when I considered their coming must be
+always with the current of the ebb, I began, afterwards, to be more
+sedate in my mind, being satisfied that I might go abroad with safety
+all the time of the tide of flood, if they were not on shore before: and
+having made this observation, I went abroad about my harvest-work with
+the more composure.
+
+As I expected, so it proved; for as soon as the tide made to the
+westward, I saw them all take boat, and row (or paddle, as we call it)
+away. I should have observed, that for an hour or more before they went
+off, they went a dancing; and I could easily discern their postures and
+gestures by my glass. I could not perceive, by my nicest observation,
+but that they were stark naked, and had not the least covering upon
+them; but whether they were men or women, I could not distinguish.
+
+As soon as I saw them shipped and gone, I took two guns upon my
+shoulders, and two pistols in my girdle, and my great sword by my side,
+without a scabbard, and with all the speed I was able to make, went away
+to the hill where I had discovered the first appearance of all; and as
+soon as I got thither, which was not in less than two hours (for I could
+not go apace, being so loaden with arms as I was,) I perceived there had
+been three canoes more of savages at that place; and looking out
+farther, I saw they were all at sea together, making over for the main.
+This was a dreadful sight to me, especially as, going down to the shore,
+I could see the marks of horror, which the dismal work they had been
+about had left behind it, viz. the blood, the bones, and part of the
+flesh, of human bodies, eaten and devoured by those wretches with
+merriment and sport. I was so filled with indignation at the sight, that
+I now began to premeditate the destruction of the next that I saw there,
+let them be whom or how many soever. It seemed evident to me that the
+visits which they made thus to this island were not very frequent, for
+it was above fifteen months before any more of them came on shore there
+again; that is to say, I neither saw them; nor any footsteps or signals
+of them, in all that time; for, as to the rainy seasons, then they are
+sure not to come abroad, at least not so far: yet all this while I lived
+uncomfortably, by reason of the constant apprehensions of their coming
+upon me by surprise: from whence I observe, that the expectation of evil
+is more bitter than the suffering, especially if there is no room to
+shake off that expectation, or those apprehensions.
+
+During all this time I was in the murdering humour, and took up most of
+my hours, which should have been better employed, in contriving how to
+circumvent and fall upon them, the very next time I should see them;
+especially if they should be divided, as they were the last time, into
+two parties: nor did I consider at all, that if I killed one party,
+suppose ten or a dozen, I was still the next day, or week, or month, to
+kill another, and so another, even _ad infinitum_, till I should be at
+length no less a murderer than they were in being man-eaters, and
+perhaps much more so. I spent my days now in great perplexity and
+anxiety of mind, expecting that I should, one day or other, fall into
+the hands of these merciless creatures; and if I did at any time
+venture abroad, it was not without looking round me with the greatest
+care and caution imaginable. And now I found, to my great comfort, how
+happy it was that I had provided a tame flock or herd of goats; for I
+durst not, upon any account, fire my gun, especially near that side of
+the island where they usually came, lest I should alarm the savages; and
+if they had fled from me now, I was sure to have them come again, with
+perhaps two or three hundred canoes with them, in a few days, and then I
+knew what to expect. However, I wore out a year and three months more
+before I ever saw any more of the savages, and then I found them again,
+as I shall soon observe. It is true, they might have been there once or
+twice, but either they made no stay, or at least I did not see them: but
+in the month of May, as near as I could calculate, and in my four and
+twentieth year, I had a very strange encounter with them; of which in
+its place.
+
+The perturbation of my mind, during this fifteen or sixteen months'
+interval, was very great; I slept unquiet, dreamed always frightful
+dreams, and often started out of my sleep in the night: in the day great
+troubles overwhelmed my mind; and in the night, I dreamed often of
+killing the savages, and of the reasons why I might justify the doing of
+it. But, to wave all this for a while.--It was in the middle of May, on
+the sixteenth day, I think, as well as my poor wooden calendar would
+reckon, for I marked all upon the post still; I say, it was on the
+sixteenth of May that it blew a very great storm of wind all day, with a
+great deal of lightning and thunder, and a very foul night it was after
+it. I knew not what was the particular occasion of it, but as I was
+reading in the Bible, and taken up with very serious thoughts about my
+present condition, I was surprised with the noise of a gun, as I
+thought, fired at sea. This was, to be sure, a surprise quite of a
+different nature from any I had met with before; for the notions this
+put into my thoughts were quite of another kind. I started up in the
+greatest haste imaginable, and, in a trice, clapped my ladder to the
+middle place of the rock, and pulled it after me; and mounting it the
+second time, got to the top of the hill the very moment that a flash of
+fire bid me listen for a second gun, which accordingly, in about half a
+minute, I heard; and, by the sound, knew that it was from that part of
+the sea where I was driven down the current in my boat. I immediately
+considered that this must be some ship in distress, and that they had
+some comrade, or some other ship in company, and fired these guns for
+signals of distress, and to obtain help. I had the presence of mind, at
+that minute, to think, that though I could not help them, it might be
+they might help me: so I brought together all the dry wood I could get
+at hand, and making a good handsome pile, I set it on fire upon the
+hill. The wood was dry, and blazed freely; and though the wind blew very
+hard, yet it burnt fairly out, so that I was certain, if there was any
+such thing as a ship, they must needs see it, and no doubt they did; for
+as soon as ever my fire blazed up I heard another gun, and after that
+several others, all from the same quarter, I plied my fire all night
+long, till daybreak; and when it was broad day, and the air cleared up,
+I saw something at a great distance at sea, full east of the island,
+whether a sail or a hull I could not distinguish, no, not with my glass;
+the distance was so great, and the weather still something hazy also; at
+least it was so out at sea.
+
+I looked frequently at it all that day, and soon perceived that it did
+not move; so I presently concluded that it was a ship at anchor; and
+being eager, you may be sure, to be satisfied, I took my gun in my hand,
+and ran towards the south side of the island, to the rocks where I had
+formerly been carried away with the current; and getting up there, the
+weather by this time being perfectly clear, I could plainly see, to my
+great sorrow, the wreck of a ship, cast away in the night upon those
+concealed rocks which I found when I was out in my boat; and which
+rocks, as they checked the violence of the stream, and made a kind of
+counter-stream, or eddy, were the occasion of my recovering from the
+most desperate, hopeless condition that ever I had been in, all my life.
+Thus, what is one man's safety is another man's destruction; for it
+seems these men, whoever they were, being out of their knowledge, and
+the rocks being wholly under water, had been driven upon them in the
+night, the wind blowing hard at E.N.E. Had they seen the island, as I
+must necessarily suppose they did not, they must, as I thought, have
+endeavoured to have saved themselves on shore by the help of their boat;
+but their firing off guns for help, especially when they saw, as I
+imagined, my fire, filled me with many thoughts: first, I imagined that
+upon seeing my light, they might have put themselves into their boat,
+and endeavoured to make the shore; but that the sea going very high,
+they might have been cast away: other times I imagined that they might
+have lost their boat before, as might be the case many ways; as,
+particularly, by the breaking of the sea upon their ship, which many
+times obliges men to stave, or take in pieces, their boat, and sometimes
+to throw it overboard with their own hands: other times I imagined they
+had some other ship or ships in company, who, upon the signals of
+distress they had made, had taken them up and carried them off: other
+times I fancied they were all gone off to sea in their boat, and being
+hurried away by the current that I had been formerly in, were carried
+out into the great ocean, where there was nothing but misery and
+perishing; and that, perhaps, they might by this time think of starving,
+and of being in a condition to eat one another.
+
+As all these were but conjectures at best, so, in the condition I was
+in, I could do no more than look on upon the misery of the poor men, and
+pity them; which had still this good effect on my side, that it gave me
+more and more cause to give thanks to God, who had so happily and
+comfortably provided for me in my desolate condition; and that of two
+ships' companies who were now cast away upon this part of the world, not
+one life should be spared but mine. I learned here again to observe,
+that it is very rare that the providence of God casts us into any
+condition of life so low, or any misery so great, but we may see
+something or other to be thankful for, and may see others in worse
+circumstances than our own. Such certainly was the case of these men, of
+whom I could not so much as see room to suppose any of them were saved;
+nothing could make it rational so much as to wish or expect that they
+did not all perish there, except the possibility only of their being
+taken up by another ship in company; and this was but mere possibility
+indeed, for I saw not the least sign or appearance of any such thing. I
+cannot explain, by any possible energy of words, what a strange longing
+or hankering of desires I felt in my soul upon this sight, breaking out
+sometimes thus: "O that there had been but one or two, nay, or but one
+soul, saved out of this ship, to have escaped to me, that I might but
+have had one companion, one fellow-creature to have spoken to me, and to
+have conversed with!" In all the time of my solitary life, I never felt
+so earnest, so strong a desire after the society of my fellow-creatures,
+or so deep a regret at the want of it.
+
+There are some secret moving springs in the affections, which, when they
+are set a going by some object in view, or, though not in view, yet
+rendered present to the mind by the power of imagination, that motion
+carries out the soul, by its impetuosity, to such violent, eager
+embracings of the object, that the absence of it is insupportable. Such
+were these earnest wishings that but one man had been saved. I believe I
+repeated the words, "O that it had been but one!" a thousand times; and
+my desires were so moved by it, that when I spoke the words my hands
+would clinch together, and my fingers would press the palms of my
+hands, so that if I had had any soft thing in my hand, it would have
+crushed it involuntarily; and the teeth in my head would strike
+together, and set against one another so strong, that for some time I
+could not part them again. Let the naturalists explain these things, and
+the reason and manner of them: all I can say to them is, to describe the
+fact, which was even surprising to me, when I found it, though I knew
+not from whence it proceeded: it was doubtless the effect of ardent
+wishes, and of strong ideas formed in my mind, realizing the comfort
+which the conversation of one of my fellow-christians would have been to
+me.--But it was not to be; either their fate or mine, or both, forbade
+it: for, till the last year of my being on this island, I never knew
+whether any were saved out of that ship or no; and had only the
+affliction, some days after, to see the corpse of a drowned boy come on
+shore at the end of the island which was next the shipwreck. He had no
+clothes on but a seaman's waistcoat, a pair of open-kneed linen drawers,
+and a blue linen shirt; but nothing to direct me so much as to guess
+what nation he was of: he had nothing in his pockets but two
+pieces-of-eight and a tobacco-pipe;--the last was to me of ten times
+more value than the first.
+
+It was now calm, and I had a great mind to venture out in my boat to
+this wreck, not doubting but I might find something on board that might
+be useful to me: but that did not altogether press me so much as the
+possibility that there might be yet some living creature on board, whose
+life I might not only save, but might, by saving that life, comfort my
+own to the last degree; and this thought clung so to my heart, that I
+could not be quiet night or day, but I must venture out in my boat on
+board this wreck; and committing the rest to God's providence, I thought
+the impression was so strong upon my mind that it could not be resisted,
+that it must come from some invisible direction, and that I should be
+wanting to myself if I did not go.
+
+Under the power of this impression, I hastened back to my castle,
+prepared every thing for my voyage, took a quantity of bread, a great
+pot of fresh water, a compass to steer by, a bottle of rum (for I had
+still a great deal of that left,) and a basket of raisins: and thus,
+loading myself with every thing necessary, I went down to my boat, got
+the water out of her, put her afloat, loaded all my cargo in her, and
+then went home again for more. My second cargo was a great bag of rice,
+the umbrella to set up over my head for a shade, another large pot of
+fresh water, and about two dozen of my small loaves, or barley-cakes,
+more than before, with a bottle of goat's milk and a cheese: all which,
+with great labour and sweat, I carried to my boat; and praying to God to
+direct my voyage, I put out; and rowing, or paddling, the canoe along
+the shore, came at last to the utmost point of the island on the
+north-east side. And now I was to launch out into the ocean, and either
+to venture or not to venture. I looked on the rapid currents which ran
+constantly on both sides of the island at a distance, and which were
+very terrible to me, from the remembrance of the hazard I had been in
+before, and my heart began to fail me; for I foresaw that if I was
+driven into either of those currents, I should be carried a great way
+out to sea, and perhaps out of my reach, or sight of the island again;
+and that then, as my boat was but small, if any little gale of wind
+should rise, I should be inevitably lost.
+
+These thoughts so oppressed my mind, that I began to give over my
+enterprise; and having hauled my boat into a little creek on the shore,
+I stepped out, and sat me down upon a rising bit of ground, very pensive
+and anxious, between fear and desire, about my voyage; when, as I was
+musing, I could perceive that the tide was turned, and the flood come
+on; upon which my going was impracticable for so many hours. Upon this,
+presently it occurred to me, that I should go up to the highest piece of
+ground I could find, and observe, if I could how the sets of the tide,
+or currents, lay when the flood came in, that I might judge whether, if
+I was driven one way out, I might not expect to be driven another way
+home, with the same rapidness of the currents. This thought was no
+sooner in my head than I cast my eye upon a little hill, which
+sufficiently overlooked the sea both ways, and from whence I had a clear
+view of the currents, or sets of the tide, and which way I was to guide
+myself in my return. Here I found, that as the current of the ebb set
+out close by the south point of the island, so the current of the flood
+set in close by the shore of the north side; and that I had nothing to
+do but to keep to the north side of the island in my return, and I
+should do well enough.
+
+Encouraged with this observation, I resolved, the next morning, to set
+out with the first of the tide; and reposing myself for the night in my
+canoe, under the great watch-coat I mentioned, I launched out. I first
+made a little out to sea, full north, till I began to feel the benefit
+of the current, which set eastward, and which carried me at a great
+rate; and yet did not so hurry me as the current on the south side had
+done before, so as to take from me all government of the boat; but
+having a strong steerage with my paddle, I went at a great rate directly
+for the wreck, and in less than two hours I came up to it. It was a
+dismal sight to look at: the ship, which, by its building, was Spanish,
+stuck fast, jammed in between two rocks; all the stern and quarter of
+her were beaten to pieces with the sea; and as her forecastle, which
+stuck in the rocks, had run on with great violence, her mainmast and
+foremast were brought by the board, that is to say, broken short off;
+but her bowsprit was sound, and the head and bow appeared firm. When I
+came close to her, a dog appeared upon her, who, seeing me coming,
+yelped and cried; and as soon as I called him, jumped into the sea to
+come to me; I took him into the boat, but found him almost dead with
+hunger and thirst. I gave him a cake of my bread, and he devoured it
+like a ravenous wolf that had been starving a fortnight in the snow: I
+then gave the poor creature some fresh water, with which, if I would
+have let him, he would have burst himself. After this, I went on board;
+but the first sight I met with was two men drowned in the cook-room, or
+forecastle of the ship, with their arms fast about one another. I
+concluded, as is indeed probable, that when the ship struck, it being in
+a storm, the sea broke so high, and so continually over her, that the
+men were not able to bear it, and were strangled with the constant
+rushing in of the water, as much as if they had been under water.
+Besides the dog, there was nothing left in the ship that had life; nor
+any goods, that I could see, but what were spoiled by the water. There
+were some casks of liquor, whether wine or brandy I knew not, which lay
+lower in the hold, and which, the water being ebbed out, I could see;
+but they were too big to meddle with. I saw several chests, which I
+believed belonged to some of the seamen; and I got two of them into the
+boat, without examining what was in them. Had the stern of the ship been
+fixed, and the fore-part broken off, I am persuaded I might have made a
+good voyage; for, by what I found in these two chests, I had room to
+suppose the ship had a great deal of wealth on board; and, if I may
+guess from the course she steered, she must have been bound from Buenos
+Ayres, or the Rio de la Plata, in the south part of America, beyond the
+Brazils, to the Havanna, in the Gulf of Mexico, and so perhaps to Spain.
+She had, no doubt, a great treasure in her, but of no use, at that time,
+to any body; and what became of her crew, I then knew not.
+
+I found, besides these chests, a little cask full of liquor, of about
+twenty gallons, which I got into my boat with much difficulty. There
+were several muskets in the cabin, and a great powder-horn, with about
+four pounds of powder in it; as for the muskets, I had no occasion for
+them, so I left them, but took the powder-horn. I took a fireshovel and
+tongs, which I wanted extremely; as also two little brass kettles, a
+copper pot to make chocolate, and a gridiron: and with this cargo, and
+the dog, I came away, the tide beginning to make home again; and the
+same evening, about an hour within night, I reached the island again,
+weary and fatigued to the last degree. I reposed that night in the boat;
+and in the morning I resolved to harbour what I had got in my new cave,
+and not carry it home to my castle. After refreshing myself, I got all
+my cargo on shore, and began to examine the particulars. The cask of
+liquor I found to be a kind of rum, but not such as we had at the
+Brazils, and, in a word, not at all good; but when I came to open the
+chests, I found several things of great use to me: for example, I found
+in one a fine case of bottles, of an extraordinary kind, and filled with
+cordial waters, fine and very good; the bottles held about three pints
+each, and were tipped with silver. I found two pots of very good
+succades, or sweetmeats, so fastened also on the top, that the salt
+water had not hurt them; and two more of the same, which the water had
+spoiled. I found some very good shirts, which were very welcome to me;
+and about a dozen and a half of white linen handkerchiefs and coloured
+neckcloths; the former were also very welcome, being exceeding
+refreshing to wipe my face in a hot day. Besides this, when I came to
+the till in the chest, I found there three great bags of
+pieces-of-eight, which held about eleven hundred pieces in all; and in
+one of them, wrapped up in a paper, six doubloons of gold, and some
+small bars or wedges of gold; I suppose they might all weigh near a
+pound. In the other chest were some clothes, but of little value; but,
+by the circumstances, it must have belonged to the gunner's mate; though
+there was no powder in it, except two pounds of fine glazed powder, in
+three small flasks, kept, I suppose, for charging their fowling-pieces
+on occasion. Upon the whole, I got very little by this voyage that was
+of any use to me; for, as to the money, I had no manner of occasion for
+it; it was to me as the dirt under my feet; and I would have given it
+all for three or four pair of English shoes and stockings, which were
+things I greatly wanted, but had none on my feet for many years. I had
+indeed got two pair of shoes now, which I took off the feet of the two
+drowned men whom I saw in the wreck, and I found two pair more in one of
+the chests, which were very welcome to me; but they were not like our
+English shoes, either for ease or service, being rather what we call
+pumps than shoes. I found in this seaman's chest about fifty
+pieces-of-eight in rials, but no gold: I suppose this belonged to a
+poorer man than the other, which seemed to belong to some officer. Well,
+however, I lugged this money home to my cave, and laid it up, as I had
+done that before which I brought from our own ship: but it was a great
+pity, as I said, that the other part of this ship had not come to my
+share; for I am satisfied I might have loaded my canoe several times
+over with money; and, thought I, if I ever escape to England, it might
+lie here safe enough till I may come again and fetch it.
+
+Having now brought all my things on shore, and secured them, I went back
+to my boat, and rowed or paddled her along the shore to her old
+harbour, where I laid her up, and made the best of my way to my old
+habitation, where I found every thing safe and quiet. I began now to
+repose myself, live after my old fashion, and take care of my family
+affairs; and, for a while, I lived easy enough, only that I was more
+vigilant than I used to be, looked out oftener, and did not go abroad so
+much; and if at any time I did stir with any freedom, it was always to
+the east part of the island, where I was pretty well satisfied the
+savages never came, and where I could go without so many precautions,
+and such a load of arms and ammunition as I always carried with me if I
+went the other way. I lived in this condition near two years more; but
+my unlucky head, that was always to let me know it was born to make my
+body miserable, was all these two years filled with projects and
+designs, how, if it were possible, I might get away from this island:
+for, sometimes I was for making another voyage to the wreck, though my
+reason told me that there was nothing left there worth the hazard of my
+voyage; sometimes for a ramble one way, sometimes another; and I believe
+verily, if I had had the boat that I went from Sallee in, I should have
+ventured to sea, bound any where, I knew not whither. I have been, in
+all my circumstances, a _memento_ to those who are touched with the
+general plague of mankind, whence, for aught I know, one half of their
+miseries flow; I mean that of not being satisfied with the station
+wherein God and nature hath placed them: for, not to look back upon my
+primitive condition, and the excellent advice of my father, the
+opposition to which was, as I may call it, my _original sin_, my
+subsequent mistakes of the same kind had been the means of my coming
+into this miserable condition; for had that Providence, which so happily
+seated me at the Brazils as a planter, blessed me with confined desires,
+and I could have been contented to have gone on gradually, I might have
+been, by this time, I mean in the time of my being in this island, one
+of the most considerable planters in the Brazils; nay, I am persuaded,
+that by the improvements I had made in that little time I lived there,
+and the increase I should probably have made if I had remained, I might
+have been worth a hundred thousand moidores: and what business had I to
+leave a settled fortune, a well-stocked plantation, improving and
+increasing, to turn supercargo to Guinea to fetch negroes, when patience
+and time would have so increased our stock at home, that we could have
+bought them at our own door from those whose business it was to fetch
+them? and though it had cost us something more, yet the difference of
+that price was by no means worth saving at so great a hazard. But as
+this is usually the fate of young heads, so reflection upon the folly of
+it is as commonly the exercise of more years, or of the dear-bought
+experience of time: so it was with me now; and yet so deep had the
+mistake taken root in my temper, that I could not satisfy myself in my
+station, but was continually poring upon the means and possibility of my
+escape from this place: and that I may, with the greater pleasure to the
+reader, bring on the remaining part of my story, it may not be improper
+to give some account of my first conceptions on the subject of this
+foolish scheme for my escape, and how, and upon what foundation I acted.
+
+I am now to be supposed retired into my castle, after my late voyage to
+the wreck, my frigate laid up and secured under water, as usual, and my
+condition restored to what it was before; I had more wealth, indeed,
+than I had before, but was not at all the richer; for I had no more use
+for it than the Indians of Peru had before the Spaniards came there.
+
+It was one of the nights in the rainy season in March, the four and
+twentieth year of my first setting foot in this island of solitude, I
+was lying in my bed, or hammock, awake; very well in health, had no
+pain, no distemper, no uneasiness of body, nor any uneasiness of mind,
+more than ordinary, but could by no means close my eyes, that is, so as
+to sleep; no, not a wink all night long, otherwise than as follows:--It
+is impossible to set down the innumerable crowd of thoughts that whirled
+through that great thoroughfare of the brain, the memory, in this
+night's time: I ran over the whole history of my life in miniature, or
+by abridgment, as I may call it, to my coming to this island, and also
+of that part of my life since I came to this island. In my reflections
+upon the state of my case since I came on shore on this island, I was
+comparing the happy posture of my affairs in the first years of my
+habitation here, compared to the life of anxiety, fear, and care, which
+I had lived in, ever since I had seen the print of a foot in the sand;
+not that I did not believe the savages had frequented the island even
+all the while, and might have been several hundreds of them at times on
+shore there; but I had never known it, and was incapable of any
+apprehensions about it; my satisfaction was perfect, though my danger
+was the same, and I was as happy in not knowing my danger as if I had
+never really been exposed to it. This furnished my thoughts with many
+very profitable reflections, and particularly this one: How infinitely
+good that Providence is, which has provided, in its government of
+mankind, such narrow bounds to his sight and knowledge of things; and
+though he walks in the midst of so many thousand dangers, the sight of
+which, if discovered to him, would distract his mind and sink his
+spirits, he is kept serene and calm, by having the events of things hid
+from his eyes, and knowing nothing of the dangers which surround him.
+
+After these thoughts had for some time entertained me, I came to reflect
+seriously upon the real danger I had been in for so many years in this
+very island, and how I had walked about in the greatest security, and
+with all possible tranquillity, even when perhaps nothing but the brow
+of a hill, a great tree, or the casual approach of night, had been
+between me and the worst kind of destruction, viz. that of falling into
+the hands of cannibals and savages, who would have seized on me with the
+same view as I would on a goat or a turtle, and have thought it no more
+a crime to kill and devour me, than I did of a pigeon or curlew. I would
+unjustly slander myself, if I should say I was not sincerely thankful to
+my great Preserver, to whose singular protection I acknowledged, with
+great humility, all these unknown deliverances were due, and without
+which I must inevitably have fallen into their merciless hands.
+
+When these thoughts were over, my head was for some time taken up in
+considering the nature of these wretched creatures, I mean the savages,
+and how it came to pass in the world, that the wise Governor of all
+things should give up any of his creatures to such inhumanity, nay, to
+something so much below even brutality itself, as to devour its own
+kind: but as this ended in some (at that time) fruitless speculations,
+it occurred to me to inquire, what part of the world these wretches
+lived in? how far off the coast was, from whence they came? what they
+ventured over so far from home for? what kind of boats they had? and why
+I might not order myself and my business so, that I might be as able to
+go over thither as they were to come to me?
+
+I never so much as troubled myself to consider what I should do with
+myself when I went thither; what would become of me, if I fell into the
+hands of the savages; or how I should escape from them, if they attacked
+me; no, nor so much as how it was possible for me to reach the coast,
+and not be attacked by some or other of them, without any possibility of
+delivering myself; and if I should not fall into their hands, what I
+should do for provision, or whither I should bend my course: none of
+these thoughts, I say, so much as came in my way; but my mind was wholly
+bent upon the notion of my passing over in my boat to the main land. I
+looked upon my present condition as the most miserable that could
+possibly be; that I was not able to throw myself into any thing, but
+death, that could be called worse; and if I reached the shore of the
+main, I might perhaps meet with relief, or I might coast along, as I did
+on the African shore, till I came to some inhabited country, and where I
+might find some relief; and after all, perhaps, I might fall in with
+some Christian ship that might take me in; and if the worst came to the
+worst, I could but die, which would put an end to all these miseries at
+once. Pray note, all this was the fruit of a disturbed mind, an
+impatient temper, made desperate, as it were, by the long continuance of
+my troubles, and the disappointments I had met in the wreck I had been
+on board of, and where I had been so near obtaining what I so earnestly
+longed for, viz. somebody to speak to, and to learn some knowledge from
+them of the place where I was, and of the probable means of my
+deliverance. I was agitated wholly by these thoughts; all my calm of
+mind, in my resignation to Providence, and waiting the issue of the
+dispositions of Heaven, seemed to be suspended; and I had, as it were,
+no power to turn my thoughts to any thing but to the project of a voyage
+to the main; which came upon me with such force, and such an impetuosity
+of desire, that it was not to be resisted.
+
+When this had agitated my thoughts for two hours or more, with such
+violence that it set my very blood into a ferment, and my pulse beat as
+if I had been in a fever, merely with the extraordinary fervour of my
+mind about it, nature, as if I had been fatigued and exhausted with the
+very thought of it, threw me into a sound sleep. One would have thought
+I should have dreamed of it, but I did not, nor of any thing relating
+to it: out I dreamed that as I was going out in the morning, as usual,
+from my castle, I saw upon the shore two canoes and eleven savages
+coming to land, and that they brought with them another savage, whom
+they were going to kill, in order to eat him; when, on a sudden, the
+savage that they were going to kill jumped away, and ran for his life;
+and I thought, in my sleep, that he came running into my little thick
+grove before my fortification, to hide himself; and that I, seeing him
+alone, and not perceiving that the others sought him that way, showed
+myself to him, and smiling upon him, encouraged him: that he kneeled
+down to me, seeming to pray me to assist him; upon which I showed him my
+ladder, made him go up, and carried him into my cave, and he became my
+servant: and that as soon as I had got this man, I said to myself, "Now
+I may certainly venture to the main land; for this fellow will serve me
+as a pilot, and will tell me what to do, and whither to go for
+provisions, and whither not to go for fear of being devoured; what
+places to venture into, and what to shun." I waked with this thought;
+and was under such inexpressible impressions of joy at the prospect of
+my escape in my dream, that the disappointments which I felt upon coming
+to myself, and finding that it was no more than a dream, were equally
+extravagant the other way, and threw me into a very great dejection
+of spirits.
+
+Upon this, however, I made this conclusion; that my only way to go about
+to attempt an escape was, if possible, to get a savage into my
+possession; and, if possible, it should be one of their prisoners whom
+they had condemned to be eaten, and should bring hither to kill. But
+these thoughts still were attended with this difficulty, that it was
+impossible to effect this without attacking a whole caravan of them, and
+killing them all; and this was not only a very desperate attempt, and
+might miscarry, but, on the other hand, I had greatly scrupled the
+lawfulness of it to myself; and my heart trembled at the thoughts of
+shedding so much blood, though it was for my deliverance. I need not
+repeat the arguments which occurred to me against this, they being the
+same mentioned before: but though I had other reasons to offer now, viz.
+that those men were enemies to my life, and would devour me if they
+could; that it was self-preservation, in the highest degree, to deliver
+myself from this death of a life, and was acting in my own defence as
+much as if they were actually assaulting me, and the like; I say, though
+these things argued for it, yet the thoughts of shedding human blood for
+my deliverance were very terrible to me, and such as I could by no means
+reconcile myself to for a great while. However, at last, after many
+secret disputes with myself, and after great perplexities about it (for
+all these arguments, one way and another, struggled in my head a long
+time,) the eager prevailing desire of deliverance at length mastered all
+the rest; and I resolved, if possible, to get one of those savages into
+my hands, cost what it would. My next thing was to contrive how to do
+it, and this indeed was very difficult to resolve on: but as I could
+pitch upon no probable means for it, so I resolved to put myself upon
+the watch, to see them when they came on shore, and leave the rest to
+the event; taking such measures as the opportunity should present, let
+what would be.
+
+With these resolutions in my thoughts, I set myself upon the scout as
+often as possible, and indeed so often, that I was heartily tired of it;
+for it was above a year and a half that I waited; and for great part of
+that time went out to the west end, and to the south-west corner of the
+island, almost every day, to look for canoes, but none appeared. This
+was very discouraging, and began to trouble me much; though I cannot say
+that it did in this case (as it had done some time before) wear off the
+edge of my desire to the thing; but the longer it seemed to be delayed,
+the more eager I was for it: in a word, I was not at first so careful to
+shun the sight of these savages, and avoid being seen by them, as I was
+now eager to be upon them. Besides, I fancied myself able to manage one,
+nay, two or three savages, if I had them, so as to make them entirely
+slaves to me, to do whatever I should direct them, and to prevent their
+being able at any time to do me any hurt. It was a great while that I
+pleased myself with this affair; but nothing still presented; all my
+fancies and schemes came to nothing, for no savages came near me for a
+great while.
+
+About a year and a half after I entertained these notions (and by long
+musing had, as it were, resolved them all into nothing, for want of an
+occasion to put them into execution,) I was surprised, one morning
+early, with seeing no less than five canoes all on shore together on my
+side the island, and the people who belonged to them all landed, and out
+of my sight. The number of them broke all my measures; for seeing so
+many, and knowing that they always came four or six, or sometimes more,
+in a boat, I could not tell what to think of it, or how to take my
+measures, to attack twenty or thirty men single-handed; so lay still in
+my castle, perplexed and discomforted: however, I put myself into all
+the same postures for an attack that I had formerly provided, and was
+just ready for action, if any thing had presented. Having waited a good
+while, listening to hear if they made any noise, at length, being very
+impatient, I set my guns at the foot of my ladder, and clambered up to
+the top of the hill, by my two stages, as usual; standing so, however,
+that my head did not appear above the hill, so that they could not
+perceive me by any means. Here I observed, by the help of my
+perspective-glass, that they were no less than thirty in number; that
+they had a fire kindled, and that they had meat dressed. How they had
+cooked it I knew not, or what it was; but they were all dancing, in I
+know not how many barbarous gestures and figures, their own way,
+round the fire.
+
+While I was thus looking on them, I perceived, by my perspective, two
+miserable wretches dragged from the boats, where, it seems, they were
+laid by, and were now brought out for the slaughter. I perceived one of
+them immediately fall, being knocked down, I suppose, with a club or
+wooden sword, for that was their way, and two or three others were at
+work immediately, cutting him open for their cookery, while the other
+victim was left standing by himself, till they should be ready for him.
+In that very moment, this poor wretch seeing himself a little at
+liberty, and unbound, nature inspired him with hopes of life, and he
+started away from them, and ran with incredible swiftness along the
+sands, directly towards me, I mean towards that part of the coast where
+my habitation was. I was dreadfully frightened, I must acknowledge, when
+I perceived him run my way, and especially when, as I thought, I saw him
+pursued by the whole body: and now I expected that part of my dream was
+coming to pass, and that he would certainly take shelter in my grove:
+but I could not depend, by any means, upon my dream for the rest of it,
+viz. that the other savages would not pursue him thither, and find him
+there. However, I kept my station, and my spirits began to recover, when
+I found that there was not above three men that followed him; and still
+more was I encouraged when I found that he outstripped them exceedingly
+in running, and gained ground of them; so that if he could but hold it
+for half an hour, I saw easily he would fairly get away from them all.
+
+There was between them and my castle the creek, which I mentioned often
+in the first part of my story, where I landed my cargoes out of the
+ship; and this I saw plainly he must necessarily swim over, or the poor
+wretch would be taken there: but when the savage escaping came thither,
+he made nothing of it, though the tide was then up; but plunging in,
+swam through in about thirty strokes, or thereabouts, landed, and ran on
+with exceeding strength and swiftness. When the three persons came to
+the creek, I found that two of them could swim, but the third could
+not, and that, standing on the other side, he looked at the others, but
+went no farther, and soon after went softly back again; which, as it
+happened, was very well for him in the end. I observed, that the two who
+swam were yet more than twice as long swimming over the creek as the
+fellow was that fled from them. It came now very warmly upon my
+thoughts, and indeed irresistibly, that now was the time to get me a
+servant, and perhaps a companion or assistant, and that I was called
+plainly by Providence to save this poor creature's life. I immediately
+ran down the ladders with all possible expedition, fetched my two guns,
+for they were both at the foot of the ladders, as I observed above, and
+getting up again, with the same haste, to the top of the hill, I crossed
+towards the sea, and having a very short cut, and all down hill, placed
+myself in the way between the pursuers and the pursued, hallooing aloud
+to him that fled, who, looking back, was at first, perhaps, as much
+frightened at me as at them; but I beckoned with my hand to him to come
+back; and, in the mean time, I slowly advanced towards the two that
+followed; then rushing at once upon the foremost, I knocked him down
+with the stock of my piece. I was loth to fire, because I would not have
+the rest hear; though, at that distance, it would not have been easily
+heard, and being out of sight of the smoke too, they would not have
+easily known what to make of it. Having knocked this fellow down, the
+other who pursued him stopped, as if he had been frightened, and I
+advanced apace towards him: but as I came nearer, I perceived presently
+he had a bow and arrow, and was fitting it to shoot at me; so I was
+then necessitated to shoot at him first, which I did, and killed him at
+the first shot. The poor savage who fled, but had stopped, though he saw
+both his enemies fallen and killed, as he thought, yet was so frightened
+with the fire and noise of my piece, that he stood stock-still, and
+neither came forward nor went backward, though he seemed rather inclined
+still to fly, than to come on. I hallooed again to him, and made signs
+to come forward, which he easily understood, and came a little way; then
+stopped again, and then a little farther, and stopped again; and I could
+then perceive that he stood trembling, as if he had been taken prisoner,
+and had just been to be killed, as his two enemies were. I beckoned to
+him again to come to me, and gave him all the signs of encouragement
+that I could think of; and he came nearer and nearer, kneeling down
+every ten or twelve steps, in token of acknowledgment for saving his
+life. I smiled at him, and looked pleasantly, and beckoned to him to
+come still nearer: at length he came close to me; and then he kneeled
+down again, kissed the ground, and laid his head upon the ground, and
+taking me by the foot, set my foot upon his head; this, it seems, was in
+token of swearing to be my slave for ever. I took him up, and made much
+of him, and encouraged him all I could. But there was more work to do
+yet; for I perceived the savage whom I knocked down was not killed, but
+stunned with the blow, and began to come to himself: so I pointed to
+him, and showed him the savage, that he was not dead; upon this he spoke
+some words to me, and though I could not understand them, yet I thought
+they were pleasant to hear; for they were the first sound of a man's
+voice that I had heard, my own excepted, for above twenty-five years.
+But there was no time for such reflections now; the savage who was
+knocked down recovered himself so far as to sit up upon the ground, and
+I perceived that my savage began to be afraid; but when I saw that, I
+presented my other piece at the man, as if I would shoot him: upon this
+my savage, for so I call him now, made a motion to me to lend him my
+sword, which hung naked in a belt by my side, which I did. He no sooner
+had it, but he runs to his enemy, and, at one blow, cut off his head so
+cleverly, no executioner in Germany could have done it sooner or better;
+which I thought very strange for one who, I had reason to believe, never
+saw a sword in his life before, except their own wooden swords: however,
+it seems, as I learned afterwards, they make their wooden swords so
+sharp, so heavy, and the wood is so hard, that they will cut off heads
+even with them, aye, and arms, and that at one blow too. When he had
+done this, he comes laughing to me, in sign of triumph, and brought me
+the sword again, and with abundance of gestures, which I did not
+understand, laid it down, with the head of the savage that he had
+killed, just before me. But that which astonished him most, was to know
+how I killed the other Indian so far off: so pointing to him, he made
+signs to me to let him go to him; so I bade him go, as well as I could.
+When he came to him, he stood like one amazed, looking at him, turning
+him first on one side, then on the other, looked at the wound the bullet
+had made, which, it seems, was just in his breast, where it had made a
+hole, and no great quantity of blood had followed; but he had bled
+inwardly, for he was quite dead. He took up his bow and arrows, and came
+back; so I turned to go away, and beckoned him to follow me, making
+signs to him that more might come after them. Upon this, he made signs
+to me that he should bury them with sand, that they might not be seen by
+the rest, if they followed; and so I made signs to him again to do so.
+He fell to work; and, in an instant, he had scraped a hole in the sand
+with his hands, big enough to bury the first in, and then dragged him
+into it, and covered him; and did so by the other also: I believe he had
+buried them both in a quarter of an hour. Then calling him away, I
+carried him, not to my castle, but quite away to my cave, on the farther
+part of the island: so I did not let my dream come to pass in that part,
+viz. that he came into my grove for shelter. Here I gave him bread and
+a bunch of raisins to eat, and a draught of water, which I found he was
+indeed in great distress for, by his running; and having refreshed him,
+I made signs for him to go and lie down to sleep, showing him a place
+where I had laid some rice-straw, and a blanket upon it, which I used to
+sleep upon myself sometimes; so the poor creature lay down, and went
+to sleep.
+
+He was a comely handsome fellow, perfectly well made, with straight
+strong limbs, not too large, tall, and well shaped; and, as I reckon,
+about twenty-six years of age. He had a very good countenance, not a
+fierce and surly aspect, but seemed to have something very manly in his
+face; and yet he had all the sweetness and softness of an European in
+his countenance too, especially when he smiled. His hair was long and
+black, not curled like wool; his forehead very high and large; and a
+great vivacity and sparkling sharpness in his eyes. The colour of his
+skin was not quite black, but very tawny; and yet not an ugly, yellow,
+nauseous tawny, as the Brazilians and Virginians, and other natives of
+America are, but of a bright kind of a dun olive colour, that had in it
+something very agreeable, though not very easy to describe. His face was
+round and plump; his nose small, not flat like the Negroes; a very good
+mouth, thin lips, and his fine teeth well set, and as white as ivory.
+
+After he had slumbered, rather than slept, about half an hour, he awoke
+again, and came out of the cave to me, for I had been milking my goats,
+which I had in the enclosure just by: when he espied me, he came
+running to me, laying himself down again upon the ground, with all the
+possible signs of an humble thankful disposition, making a great many
+antic gestures to show it. At last, he lays his head flat upon the
+ground, close to my foot, and sets my other foot upon his head, as he
+had done before; and after this, made all the signs to me of subjection,
+servitude, and submission, imaginable, to let me know how he would serve
+me so long as he lived. I understood him in many things, and let him
+know I was very well pleased with him. In a little time I began to speak
+to him, and teach him to speak to me; and, first, I let him know his
+name should be FRIDAY, which was the day I saved his life: I called him
+so for the memory of the time. I likewise taught him to say Master; and
+then let him know that was to be my name: I likewise taught him to say
+Yes and No, and to know the meaning of them. I gave him some milk in an
+earthen pot, and let him see me drink it before him, and sop my bread in
+it; and gave him a cake of bread to do the like, which he quickly
+complied with, and made signs that it was very good for him. I kept
+there with him all that night; but as soon as it was day, I beckoned to
+him to come with me, and let him know I would give him some clothes; at
+which he seemed very glad, for he was stark naked. As we went by the
+place where he had buried the two men, he pointed exactly to the place,
+and showed me the marks that he had made to find them again, making
+signs to me that we should dig them up again, and eat them. At this I
+appeared very angry, expressed my abhorrence of it, made as if I would
+vomit at the thoughts of it, and beckoned with my hand to him to come
+away; which he did immediately, with great submission. I then led him up
+to the top of the hill, to see if his enemies were gone; and pulling out
+my glass, I looked, and saw plainly the place where they had been, but
+no appearance of them or their canoes; so that it was plain they were
+gone, and had left their two comrades behind them, without any search
+after them.
+
+But I was not content with this discovery; but having now more courage,
+and consequently more curiosity, I took my man Friday with me, giving
+him the sword in his hand, with the bow and arrows at his back, which I
+found he could use very dexterously, making him carry one gun for me,
+and I two for myself; and away we marched to the place where these
+creatures had been; for I had a mind now to get some fuller intelligence
+of them. When I came to the place, my very blood ran chill in my veins,
+and my heart sunk within me, at the horror of the spectacle; indeed, it
+was a dreadful sight, at least it was so to me, though Friday made
+nothing of it. The place was covered with human bones, the ground dyed
+with their blood, and great pieces of flesh left here and there,
+half-eaten, mangled, and scorched; and, in short, all the tokens of the
+triumphant feast they had been making there, after a victory over their
+enemies. I saw three skulls, five hands, and the bones of three or four
+legs and feet, and abundance of other parts of the bodies; and Friday,
+by his signs, made me understand that they brought over four prisoners
+to feast upon; that three of them were eaten up, and that he, pointing
+to himself, was the fourth; that there had been a great battle between
+them and their next king, whose subject, it seems, he had been one of,
+and that they had taken a great number of prisoners; all which were
+carried to several places by those who had taken them in the fight, in
+order to feast upon them, as was done here by these wretches upon those
+they brought hither.
+
+I caused Friday to gather all the skulls, bones, flesh, and whatever
+remained, and lay them together in a heap, and make a great fire upon
+it, and burn them all to ashes. I found Friday had still a hankering
+stomach after some of the flesh, and was still a cannibal in his nature;
+but I discovered so much abhorrence at the very thoughts of it, and at
+the least appearance of it, that he durst not discover it: for I had, by
+some means, let him know, that I would kill him if he offered it.
+
+When he had done this, we came back to our castle; and there I fell to
+work for my man Friday: and, first of all, I gave him a pair of linen
+drawers, which I had out of the poor gunner's chest I mentioned, which I
+found in the wreck; and which, with a little alteration, fitted him very
+well: and then I made him a jerkin of goat's-skin, as well as my skill
+would allow (for I was now grown a tolerable good tailor;) and I gave
+him a cap, which I made of hare's-skin, very convenient and fashionable
+enough: and thus he was clothed for the present, tolerably well, and was
+mighty well pleased to see himself almost as well clothed as his master.
+It is true, he went awkwardly in these clothes at first; wearing the
+drawers was very awkward to him; and the sleeves of the waistcoat
+galled his shoulders, and the inside of his arms; but a little easing
+them where he complained they hurt him, and using himself to them, he
+took to them at length very well.
+
+The next day after I came home to my hutch with him, I began to consider
+where I should lodge him; and that I might do well for him, and yet be
+perfectly easy myself, I made a little tent for him in the vacant place
+between my two fortifications, in the inside of the last and in the
+outside of the first. As there was a door or entrance there into my
+cave, I made a formal framed door case, and a door to it of boards, and
+set it up in the passage, a little within the entrance; and causing the
+door to open in the inside, I barred it up in the night, taking in my
+ladders too; so that Friday could no way come at me in the inside of my
+innermost wall, without making so much noise in getting over that it
+must needs waken me; for my first wall had now a complete roof over it
+of long poles, covering all my tent, and leaning up to the side of the
+hill; which was again laid across with smaller sticks, instead of laths,
+and then thatched over a great thickness with the rice-straw, which was
+strong, like reeds; and at the hole or place which was left to go in or
+out by the ladder, I had placed a kind of trap-door, which, if it had
+been attempted on the outside, would not have opened at all, but would
+have fallen down, and make a great noise: as to weapons, I took them all
+into my side every night. But I needed none of all this precaution; for
+never man had a more faithful, loving, sincere servant, than Friday was
+to me; without passions, sullenness, or designs, perfectly obliged and
+engaged; his very affections were tied to me, like those of a child to a
+father; and I dare say, he would have sacrificed his life for the saving
+mine, upon any occasion whatsoever: the many testimonies he gave me of
+this put it out of doubt, and soon convinced me that I needed to use no
+precautions, as to my safety on his account.
+
+This frequently gave me occasion to observe, and that with wonder, that
+however it had pleased God, in his providence, and in the government of
+the works of his hands, to take from so great a part of the world of his
+creatures the best uses to which their faculties and the powers of their
+souls are adapted, yet that he has bestowed upon them the same powers,
+the same reason, the same affections, the same sentiments of kindness
+and obligation, the same passions and resentments of wrongs, the same
+sense of gratitude, sincerity, fidelity, and all the capacities of doing
+good, and receiving good, that he has given to us; and that when he
+pleases to offer them occasions of exerting these, they are as ready,
+nay, more ready, to apply them to the right uses for which they were
+bestowed, than we are. This made me very melancholy sometimes, in
+reflecting, as the several occasions presented, how mean a use we make
+of all these, even though we have these powers enlightened by the great
+lamp of instruction, the Spirit of God, and by the knowledge of his word
+added to our understanding; and why it has pleased God to hide the like
+saving knowledge from so many millions of souls, who, if I might judge
+by this poor savage, would make a much better use of it than we did.
+From hence, I sometimes was led too far, to invade the sovereignty of
+Providence, and as it were arraign the justice of so arbitrary a
+disposition of things, that should hide that light from some, and reveal
+it to others, and yet expect a like duty from both; but I shut it up,
+and checked my thoughts with this conclusion: first, That we did not
+know by what light and law these should be condemned; but that as God
+was necessarily, and, by the nature of his being, infinitely holy and
+just, so it could not be, but if these creatures were all sentenced to
+absence from himself, it was on account of sinning against that light,
+which, as the Scripture says, was a law to themselves, and by such rules
+as their consciences would acknowledge to be just, though the foundation
+was not discovered to us; and, secondly, That still, as we all are the
+clay in the hand of the potter, no vessel could say to him, "Why hast
+thou formed me thus?"
+
+But to return to my new companion:--I was greatly delighted with him,
+and made it my business to teach him every thing that was proper to make
+him useful, handy, and helpful; but especially to make him speak, and
+understand me when I spoke: and he was the aptest scholar that ever was;
+and particularly was so merry, so constantly diligent, and so pleased
+when he could but understand me, or make me understand him, that it was
+very pleasant to me to talk to him. Now my life began to be so easy,
+that I began to say to myself, that could I but have been safe from more
+savages, I cared not if I was never to remove from the place where
+I lived.
+
+After I had been two or three days returned to my castle, I thought
+that, in order to bring Friday off from his horrid way of feeding, and
+from the relish of a cannibal's stomach, I ought to let him taste other
+flesh; so I took him out with me one morning to the woods. I went,
+indeed, intending to kill a kid out of my own flock, and bring it home
+and dress it; but as I was going, I saw a she-goat lying down in the
+shade, and two young kids sitting by her. I catched hold of
+Friday;--Hold, said I; stand still; and made signs to him not to stir:
+immediately I presented my piece, shot, and killed one of the kids. The
+poor creature, who had, at a distance, indeed, seen me kill the savage,
+his enemy, but did not know, nor could imagine, how it was done, was
+sensibly surprised, trembled and shook, and looked so amazed, that I
+thought he would have sunk down. He did not see the kid I shot at, or
+perceive I had killed it, but ripped up his waistcoat, to feel whether
+he was not wounded; and, as I found presently, thought I was resolved to
+kill him: for he came and kneeled down to me, and embracing my knees,
+said a great many things I did not understand; but I could easily see
+the meaning was, to pray me not to kill him.
+
+I soon found a way to convince him that I would do him no harm; and
+taking him up by the hand, laughed at him, and pointing to the kid which
+I had killed, beckoned to him to run and fetch it, which he did: and
+while he was wondering, and looking to see how the creature was killed,
+I loaded my gun again. By and by, I saw a great fowl, like a hawk,
+sitting upon a tree, within shot; so, to let Friday understand a little
+what I would do, I called him to me again, pointed at the fowl, which
+was indeed a parrot, though I thought it had been a hawk; I say,
+pointing to the parrot, and to my gun, and to the ground under the
+parrot, to let him see I would make it fall, I made him understand that
+I would shoot and kill that bird; accordingly, I fired, and bade him
+look, and immediately he saw the parrot fall. He stood like one
+frightened again, notwithstanding all I had said to him; and I found he
+was the more amazed, because he did not see me put any thing into the
+gun, but thought that there must be some wonderful fund of death and
+destruction in that thing, able to kill man, beast, bird, or any thing
+near or far off; and the astonishment this created in him was such, as
+could not wear off for a long time; and I believe, if I would have let
+him, he would have worshipped me and my gun. As for the gun itself, he
+would not so much as touch it for several days after; but he would speak
+to it, and talk to it, as if it had answered him, when he was by
+himself; which, as I afterwards learned of him, was to desire it not to
+kill him. Well, after his astonishment was a little over at this, I
+pointed to him to run and fetch the bird I had shot, which he did, but
+staid some time; for the parrot, not being quite dead, had fluttered
+away a good distance from the place where she fell: however, he found
+her, took her up, and brought her to me; and as I had perceived his
+ignorance about the gun before, I took this advantage to charge the gun
+again, and not to let him see me do it, that I might be ready for any
+other mark that might present; but nothing more offered at that time: so
+I brought home the kid, and the same evening I took the skin off, and
+cut it out as well as I could; and having a pot fit for that purpose, I
+boiled or stewed some of the flesh, and made some very good broth. After
+I had begun to eat some, I gave some to my man, who seemed very glad of
+it, and liked it very well; but that which was strangest to him, was to
+see me eat salt with it. He made a sign to me that the salt was not good
+to eat; and putting a little into his own mouth, he seemed to nauseate
+it, and would spit and sputter at it, washing his mouth with fresh water
+after it: on the other hand, I took some meat into my mouth without
+salt, and I pretended to spit and sputter for want of salt, as fast as
+he had done at the salt; but it would not do; he would never care for
+salt with his meat or in his broth; at least, not for a great while, and
+then but a very little.
+
+Having thus fed him with boiled meat and broth, I was resolved to feast
+him the next day with roasting a piece of the kid: this I did, by
+hanging it before the fire on a string, as I had seen many people do in
+England, setting two poles up, one on each side of the fire, and one
+across on the top, and tying the string to the cross stick, letting the
+meat turn continually. This Friday admired very much; but when he came
+to taste the flesh, he took so many ways to tell me how well he liked
+it, that I could not but understand him: and at last he told me, as well
+as he could, he would never eat man's flesh any more, which I was very
+glad to hear.
+
+The next day, I set him to work to beating some corn out, and sifting it
+in the manner I used to do, as I observed before; and he soon understood
+how to do it as well as I, especially after he had seen what the
+meaning of it was, and that it was to make bread of; for after that I
+let him see me make my bread, and bake it too; and in a little time
+Friday was able to do all the work for me, as well as I could do
+it myself.
+
+I began now to consider, that having two mouths to feed instead of one,
+I must provide more ground for my harvest, and plant a larger quantity
+of corn than I used to do; so I marked out a larger piece of land, and
+began the fence in the same manner as before, in which Friday worked not
+only very willingly and very hard, but did it very cheerfully: and I
+told him what it was for; that it was for corn to make more bread,
+because he was now with me, and that I might have enough for him and
+myself too. He appeared very sensible of that part, and let me know that
+he thought I had much more labour upon me on his account, than I had for
+myself; and that he would work the harder for me, if I would tell him
+what to do.
+
+This was the pleasantest year of all the life I led in this place;
+Friday began to talk pretty well, and understand the names of almost
+every thing I had occasion to call for, and of every place I had to send
+him to, and talked a great deal to me; so that, in short, I began now to
+have some use for my tongue again, which, indeed, I had very little
+occasion for before, that is to say, about speech. Besides the pleasure
+of talking to him, I had a singular satisfaction in the fellow himself:
+his simple unfeigned honesty appeared to me more and more every day, and
+I began really to love the creature; and, on his side, I believe he
+loved me more than it was possible for him ever to love any
+thing before.
+
+I had a mind once to try if he had any hankering inclination to his own
+country again; and having taught him English so well that he could
+answer me almost any question, I asked him whether the nation that he
+belonged to never conquered in battle? At which he smiled, and said,
+"Yes, yes, we always fight the better:" that is, he meant, always get
+the better in fight; and so we began the following discourse:
+
+_Master_. You always fight the better; how came you to be taken prisoner
+then, Friday?
+
+_Friday_. My nation beat much for all that.
+
+_Master_. How beat? If your nation beat them, how came you to be taken?
+
+_Friday_. They more many than my nation in the place where me was; they
+take one, two, three, and me: my nation over-beat them in the yonder
+place, where me no was; there my nation take one, two, great thousand.
+
+_Master_. But why did not your side recover you from the hands of your
+enemies then?
+
+_Friday_. They run one, two, three, and me, and make go in the canoe; my
+nation have no canoe that time.
+
+_Master_. Well, Friday, and what does your nation do with the men they
+take? Do they carry them away and eat them, as these did?
+
+_Friday_. Yes, my nation eat mans too; eat all up.
+
+_Master_. Where do they carry them?
+
+_Friday_. Go to other place, where they think.
+
+_Master_. Do they come hither?
+
+_Friday_. Yes, yes, they come hither; come other else place.
+
+_Master_. Have you been here with them?
+
+_Friday_. Yes, I have been here (points to the N.W. side of the island,
+which, it seems, was their side.)
+
+By this I understood that my man Friday had formerly been among the
+savages who used to come on shore on the farther part of the island, on
+the same man-eating occasions he was now brought for; and, some time
+after, when I took the courage to carry him to that side, being the same
+I formerly mentioned, he presently knew the place, and told me he was
+there once when they eat up twenty men, two women, and one child: he
+could not tell twenty in English, but he numbered them, by laying so
+many stones in a row, and pointing to me to tell them over.
+
+I have told this passage, because it introduces what follows; that after
+I had this discourse with him, I asked him how far it was from our
+island to the shore, and whether the canoes were not often lost. He told
+me there was no danger, no canoes ever lost; but that, after a little
+way out to sea, there was a current and wind, always one way in the
+morning, the other in the afternoon. This I understood to be no more
+than the sets of the tide, as going out or coming in; but I afterwards
+understood it was occasioned by the great draft and reflux of the mighty
+river Oroonoko, in the mouth or gulf of which river, as I found
+afterwards, our island lay; and that this land which I perceived to the
+W. and N.W. was the great island Trinidad, on the north point of the
+mouth of the river. I asked Friday a thousand questions about the
+country, the inhabitants, the sea, the coast, and what nations were
+near: he told me all he knew, with the greatest openness imaginable. I
+asked him the names of the several nations of his sort of people, but
+could get no other name than Caribs: from whence I easily understood,
+that these were the Caribbees, which our maps place on the part of
+America which reaches from the mouth of the river Oroonoko to Guiana,
+and onwards to St. Martha. He told me that up a great way beyond the
+moon, that was, beyond the setting of the moon, which must be west from
+their country, there dwelt white bearded men, like me, and pointed to my
+great whiskers, which I mentioned before; and that they had killed much
+mans, that was his word: by all which I understood, he meant the
+Spaniards, whose cruelties in America had been spread over the whole
+country, and were remembered by all the nations, from father to son.
+
+I inquired if he could tell me how I might go from this island and get
+among those white men; he told me, Yes, yes, you may go in two canoe. I
+could not understand what he meant, or make him describe to me what he
+meant by two canoe; till, at last, with great difficulty, I found he
+meant it must be in a large boat, as big as two canoes. This part of
+Friday's discourse began to relish with me very well; and from this time
+I entertained some hopes that, one time or other, I might find an
+opportunity to make my escape from this place, and that this poor savage
+might be a means to help me.
+
+During the long time that Friday had now been with me, and that he began
+to speak to me, and understand me, I was not wanting to lay a foundation
+of religious knowledge in his mind: particularly I asked him one time,
+Who made him? The poor creature did not understand me at all, but
+thought I had asked him who was his father: but I took it up by another
+handle, and asked him who made the sea, the ground we walked on, and the
+hills and woods? He told me, it was one old Benamuckee, that lived
+beyond all; he could describe nothing of this great person, but that he
+was very old, much older, he said, than the sea or the land, than the
+moon or the stars. I asked him then, if this old person had made all
+things, why did not all things worship him? He looked very grave, and
+with a perfect look of innocence said, All things say O to him. I asked
+him if the people who die in his country went away any where? He said,
+Yes; they all went to Benamuckee: then I asked him whether these they
+eat up went thither too? He said, Yes.
+
+From these things I began to instruct him in the knowledge of the true
+God: I told him that the great Maker of all things lived up there,
+pointing up towards heaven; that he governed the world by the same power
+and providence by which he made it; that he was omnipotent, and could do
+every thing for us, give every thing to us, take every thing from us;
+and thus, by degrees, I opened his eyes. He listened with great
+attention, and received with pleasure the notion of Jesus Christ being
+sent to redeem us, and of the manner of making our prayers to God, and
+his being able to hear us, even in heaven. He told me one day, that if
+our God could hear us up beyond the sun, he must needs be a greater God
+than their Benamuckee, who lived but a little way off, and yet could not
+hear till they went up to the great mountains where he dwelt to speak to
+him. I asked him if ever he went thither to speak to him? He said, No;
+they never went that were young men; none went thither but the old men,
+whom he called their Oowokakee; that is, as I made him explain it to me,
+their religious, or clergy; and that they went to say O (so he called
+saying prayers,) and then came back, and told them what Benamuckee said.
+By this I observed, that there is priestcraft even among the most
+blinded, ignorant pagans in the world; and the policy of making a secret
+of religion, in order to preserve the veneration of the people to the
+clergy, is not only to be found in the Roman, but perhaps among all
+religions in the world, even among the most brutish and
+barbarous savages.
+
+I endeavoured to clear up this fraud to my man Friday; and told him,
+that the pretence of their old men going up to the mountains to say O to
+their god Benamuckee was a cheat; and their bringing word from thence
+what he said was much more so; that if they met with any answer, or
+spake with any one there, it must be with an evil spirit: and then I
+entered into a long discourse with him about the devil, the original of
+him, his rebellion against God, his enmity to man, the reason of it, his
+setting himself up in the dark parts of the world to be worshipped
+instead of God, and as God, and the many stratagems he made use of to
+delude mankind to their ruin; how he had a secret access to our
+passions and to our affections, and to adapt his snares to our
+inclinations, so as to cause us even to be our own tempters, and run
+upon our destruction by our own choice.
+
+I found it was not so easy to imprint right notions in his mind about
+the devil, as it was about the being of a God: nature assisted all my
+arguments to evidence to him even the necessity of a great First Cause,
+and over-ruling, governing Power, a secret, directing Providence, and of
+the equity and justice of paying homage to him that made us, and the
+like; but there appeared nothing of this kind in the notion of an evil
+spirit; of his original, his being, his nature, and, above all, of his
+inclination to do evil, and to draw us in to do so too: and the poor
+creature puzzled me once in such a manner, by a question merely natural
+and innocent, that I scarce knew what to say to him. I had been talking
+a great deal to him of the power of God, his omnipotence, his aversion
+to sin, his being a consuming fire to the workers of iniquity; how, as
+he had made us all, he could destroy us and all the world in a moment;
+and he listened with great seriousness to me all the while. After this,
+I had been telling him how the devil was God's enemy in the hearts of
+men, and used all his malice and skill to defeat the good designs of
+Providence, and to ruin the kingdom of Christ in the world, and the
+like. "Well," says Friday, "but you say God is so strong, so great; is
+he not much strong, much might as the devil?"--"Yes, yes," says I,
+"Friday, God is stronger than the devil: God is above the devil, and
+therefore we pray to God to tread him down under our feet, and enable us
+to resist his temptations, and quench his fiery darts."--"But," says he
+again, "if God much stronger, much might as the devil, why God no kill
+the devil, so make him no more do wicked?" I was strangely surprised at
+this question; and, after all, though I was now an old man, yet I was
+but a young doctor, and ill qualified for a casuist, or a solver of
+difficulties; and, at first, I could not tell what to say; so I
+pretended not to hear him, and asked him what he said; but he was too
+earnest for an answer, to forget his question, so that he repeated it in
+the very same broken words as above. By this time I had recovered myself
+a little, and I said, "God will at last punish him severely; he is
+reserved for the judgment, and is to be cast into the bottomless pit, to
+dwell with everlasting fire." This did not satisfy Friday; but he
+returns upon me, repeating my words, "_Reserve at last_! me no
+understand: but why not kill the devil now; not kill great ago?"--"You
+may as well ask me," said I, "why God does not kill you and me, when we
+do wicked things here that offend him: we are preserved to repent and be
+pardoned." He mused some time on this: "Well, well," says he, mighty
+affectionately, "that well: so you, I, devil, all wicked, all preserve,
+repent, God pardon all." Here I was run down again by him to the last
+degree; and it was a testimony to me, how the mere notions of nature,
+though they will guide reasonable creatures to the knowledge of a God,
+and of a worship or homage due to the supreme being of God, as the
+consequence of our nature, yet nothing but divine revelation can form
+the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and of redemption purchased for us, of a
+Mediator of the new covenant, and of an Intercessor at the footstool of
+God's throne; I say, nothing but a revelation from Heaven can form these
+in the soul; and that, therefore, the gospel of our Lord and Saviour
+Jesus Christ, I mean the Word of God, and the Spirit of God, promised
+for the guide and sanctifier of his people, are the absolutely necessary
+instructors of the souls of men in the saving knowledge of God, and the
+means of salvation.
+
+I therefore diverted the present discourse between me and my man, rising
+up hastily, as upon some sudden occasion of going out; then sending him
+for something a good way off, I seriously prayed to God that he would
+enable me to instruct savingly this poor savage; assisting, by his
+Spirit, the heart of the poor ignorant creature to receive the light of
+the knowledge of God in Christ, reconciling him to himself, and would
+guide me to speak so to him from the word of God, as his conscience
+might be convinced, his eyes opened, and his soul saved. When he came
+again to me, I entered into a long discourse with him upon the subject
+of the redemption of man by the Saviour of the world, and of the
+doctrine of the gospel preached from heaven, viz. of repentance towards
+God, and faith in our blessed Lord Jesus. I then explained to him as
+well as I could; why our blessed Redeemer took not on him the nature of
+angels, but the seed of Abraham; and how, for that reason, the fallen
+angels had no share in the redemption; that he came only to the lost
+sheep of the house of Israel, and the like.
+
+I had, God knows, more sincerity than knowledge in all the methods I
+took for this poor creature's instruction, and must acknowledge, what I
+believe all that act upon the same principle will find, that in laying
+things open to him, I really informed and instructed myself in many
+things that either I did not know, or had not fully considered before,
+but which occurred naturally to my mind upon searching into them, for
+the information of this poor savage; and I had more affection in my
+inquiry after things upon this occasion than ever I felt before: so
+that, whether this poor wild wretch was the better for me or no, I had
+great reason to be thankful that ever he came to me; my grief sat
+lighter upon me; my habitation grew comfortable to me beyond measure:
+and when I reflected, that in this solitary life which I had been
+confined to, I had not only been moved to look up to heaven myself, and
+to seek to the hand that had brought me here, but was now to be made an
+instrument, under Providence, to save the life, and, for aught I knew,
+the soul, of a poor savage, and bring him to the true knowledge of
+religion, and of the Christian doctrine, that he might know Christ
+Jesus, in whom is life eternal; I say, when I reflected upon all these
+things, a secret joy ran through every part of my soul, and I frequently
+rejoiced that ever I was brought to this place, which I had so often
+thought the most dreadful of all afflictions that could possibly have
+befallen me.
+
+I continued in this thankful frame all the remainder of my time; and the
+conversation which employed the hours between Friday and me was such,
+as made the three years which we lived there together perfectly and
+completely happy, if any such thing as complete happiness can he formed
+in a sublunary state. This savage was now a good Christian, a much
+better than I; though I have reason to hope, and bless God for it, that
+we were equally penitent, and comforted, restored penitents. We had here
+the word of God to read, and no farther off from his Spirit to instruct,
+than if we had been in England. I always applied myself, in reading the
+Scriptures, to let him know, as well as I could, the meaning of what I
+read; and he again, by his serious inquiries and questionings, made me,
+as I said before, a much better scholar in the Scripture-knowledge than
+I should ever have been by my own mere private reading. Another thing I
+cannot refrain from observing here also, from experience in this retired
+part of my life, viz. how infinite and inexpressible a blessing it is
+that the knowledge of God; and of the doctrine of salvation by Christ
+Jesus, is so plainly laid down in the word of God, so easy to be
+received and understood, that, as the bare reading the Scripture made me
+capable of understanding enough of my duty to carry me directly on to
+the great work of sincere repentance for my sins, and laying hold of a
+Saviour for life and salvation, to a stated reformation in practice, and
+obedience to all God's commands, and this without any teacher or
+instructor, I mean human; so the same plain instruction sufficiently
+served to the enlightening this savage creature, and bringing him to be
+such a Christian, as I have known few equal to him in my life.
+
+As to all the disputes, wrangling, strife, and contention which have
+happened in the world about religion, whether niceties in doctrines, or
+schemes of church-government, they were all perfectly useless to us,
+and, for aught I can yet see, they have been so to the rest of the
+world. We had the sure guide to heaven, viz. the word of God; and we
+had, blessed be God, comfortable views of the Spirit of God teaching and
+instructing us by his word, leading us into all truth, and making us
+both willing and obedient to the instruction of his word. And I cannot
+see the least use that the greatest knowledge of the disputed points of
+religion, which have made such confusions in the world, would have been
+to us, if we could have obtained it.--But I must go on with the
+historical part of things, and take every part in its order.
+
+After Friday and I became more intimately acquainted, and that he could
+understand almost all I said to him, and speak pretty fluently, though
+in broken English, to me, I acquainted him with my own history, or at
+least so much of it as related to my coming to this place; how I had
+lived here, and how long: I let him into the mystery, for such it was to
+him, of gunpowder and bullet, and taught him how to shoot. I gave him a
+knife; which he was wonderfully delighted with; and I made him a belt,
+with a frog hanging to it, such as in England we wear hangers in; and in
+the frog, instead of a hanger, I gave him a hatchet, which was not only
+as good a weapon, in some cases, but much more useful upon other
+occasions.
+
+I described to him the country of Europe, particularly England, which I
+came from; how we lived, how we worshipped God, how we behaved to one
+another, and how we traded in ships to all parts of the world. I gave
+him an account of the wreck which I had been on board of, and showed
+him, as near as I could, the place where she lay; but she was all beaten
+in pieces before, and gone. I showed him the ruins of our boat, which we
+lost when we escaped, and which I could not stir with my whole strength
+then; but was now fallen almost all to pieces. Upon seeing this boat,
+Friday stood musing a great while, and said nothing. I asked him what it
+was he studied upon? At last, says he, "Me see such boat like come to
+place at my nation." I did not understand him a good while; but, at
+last, when I had examined farther into it, I understood by him, that a
+boat, such as that had been, came on shore upon the country where he
+lived; that is, as he explained it, was driven thither by stress of
+weather. I presently imagined that some European ship must have been
+cast away upon their coast, and the boat might get loose, and drive
+ashore; but was so dull, that I never once thought of men making their
+escape from a wreck thither, much less whence they might come: so I only
+inquired after a description of the boat.
+
+Friday described the boat to me well enough; but brought me better to
+understand him when he added with some warmth, "We save the white mans
+from drown." Then I presently asked him, if there were any white mans,
+as he called them, in the boat? "Yes," he said; "the boat full of white
+mans." I asked him how many? He told upon his fingers seventeen, I
+asked him then what became of them? He told me, "They live, they dwell
+at my nation."
+
+This put new thoughts into my head; for I presently imagined that these
+might be the men belonging to the ship that was cast away in the sight
+of my island, as I now called it; and who, after the ship was struck on
+the rock, and they saw her inevitably lost, had saved themselves in
+their boat, and were landed upon that wild shore among the savages. Upon
+this, I inquired of him more critically what was become of them; he
+assured me they lived still there; that they had been there about four
+years; that the savages let them alone, and gave them victuals to live
+on. I asked him how it came to pass they did not kill them, and eat
+them? He said, "No, they make brother with them;" that is, as I
+understood him, a truce; and then he added, "They no eat mans but when
+make the war fight;" that is to say, they never eat any men but such as
+come to fight with them, and are taken in battle.
+
+It was after this some considerable time, that being upon the top of the
+hill, at the east side of the island, from whence, as I have said, I
+had, in a clear day, discovered the main or continent of America,
+Friday, the weather being very serene, looks very earnestly towards the
+main land, and, in a kind of surprise, fells a jumping and dancing, and
+calls out to me, for I was at some distance from him. I asked him what
+was the matter? "O joy!" says he; "O glad! there see my country, there
+my nation!" I observed an extraordinary sense of pleasure appeared in
+his face, and his eyes sparkled, and his countenance discovered a
+strange eagerness, as if he had a mind to be in his own country again.
+This observation of mine put a great many thoughts into me, which made
+me at first not so easy about my new man Friday as I was before; and I
+made no doubt but that if Friday could get back to his own nation again,
+he would not only forget all his religion, but all his obligation to me,
+and would be forward enough to give his countrymen an account of me, and
+come back perhaps with a hundred or two of them, and make a feast upon
+me, at which he might be as merry as he used to be with those of his
+enemies, when they were taken in war. But I wronged the poor honest
+creature very much, for which I was very sorry afterwards. However, as
+my jealousy increased, and held me some weeks, I was a little more
+circumspect, and not so familiar and kind to him as before: in which I
+was certainly in the wrong too; the honest, grateful creature, having no
+thought about it, but what consisted with the best principles, both as a
+religious Christian, and as a grateful friend; as appeared afterwards,
+to my full satisfaction.
+
+While my jealousy of him lasted, you may be sure I was every day pumping
+him, to see if he would discover any of the new thoughts which I
+suspected were in him: but I found every thing he said was so honest and
+so innocent, that I could find nothing to nourish my suspicion; and, in
+spite of all my uneasiness, he made me at last entirely his own again;
+nor did he, in the least, perceive that I was uneasy, and therefore I
+could not suspect him of deceit.
+
+One day, walking up the same hill, but the weather being hazy at sea, so
+that we could not see the continent, I called to him, and said, "Friday,
+do not you wish yourself in your own country, your own nation?"--"Yes,"
+he said, "I be much O glad to be at my own nation." "What would you do
+there?" said I: "would you turn wild again, eat men's flesh again, and
+be a savage as you were before?" He looked full of concern, and shaking
+his head, said, "No, no, Friday tell them to live good; tell them to
+pray God; tell them to eat corn-bread, cattle-flesh, milk; no eat man
+again."--"Why then," said I to him, "they will kill you." He looked
+grave at that, and then said, "No, no; they no kill me, they willing
+love learn." He meant by this, they would be willing to learn. He added,
+they learned much of the bearded mans that came in the boat. Then I
+asked him if he would go back to them. He smiled at that, and told me
+that he could not swim so far. I told him, I would make a canoe for him.
+He told me he would go, if I would go with him. "I go!" says I, "why,
+they will eat me if I come there."--"No, no," says he, "me make they no
+eat you; me make they much love you," He meant, he would tell them how I
+had killed his enemies, and saved his life, and so he would make them
+love me. Then he told me, as well as he could, how kind they were to
+seventeen white men, or bearded men, as he called them, who came on
+shore there in distress.
+
+From this time, I confess I had a mind to venture over, and see if I
+could possibly join with those bearded men, who, I made no doubt, were
+Spaniards and Portuguese: not doubting but if I could, we might find
+some method to escape from thence, being upon the continent, and a good
+company together, better than I could from an island forty miles off the
+shore, and alone, without help. So, after some days, I took Friday to
+work again, by way of discourse; and told him I would give him a boat to
+go back to his own nation; and accordingly I carried him to my frigate,
+which lay on the other side of the island, and having cleared it of
+water (for I always kept it sunk in water,) I brought it out, showed it
+him, and we both went into it. I found he was a most dexterous fellow at
+managing it, and would make it go almost as swift again as I could. So
+when he was in, I said to him, "Well, now, Friday, shall we go to your
+nation?" He looked very dull at my saying so; which, it seems, was
+because he thought the boat too small to go so far: I then told him I
+had a bigger; so the next day I went to the place where the first boat
+lay which I had made, but which I could not get into the water. He said
+that was big enough: but then, as I had taken no care of it, and it had
+lain two or three and twenty years there, the sun had split and dried
+it, that, it was in a manner rotten. Friday told me such a boat would do
+very well, and would carry "much enough vittle, drink, bread;" that was
+his way of talking.
+
+Upon the whole, I was by this time so fixed upon my design of going over
+with him to the continent, that I told him we would go and make one as
+big as that, and he should go home in it. He answered not one word, but
+looked very grave and sad. I asked him what was the matter with him? He
+asked me again, "Why you angry mad with Friday? what me done?" I asked
+him what he meant: I told him I was not angry with him at all. "No
+angry!" says he, repeating the words several times, "why send Friday
+home away to my nation?"--"Why," says I, "Friday, did not you say you
+wished you were there?"--"Yes, yes," says he, "wish be both there; no
+wish Friday there, no master there." In a word, he would not think of
+going there without me. "I go there, Friday!" says I, "what shall I do
+there?" He returned very quick upon me at this: "You do great deal much
+good," says he; "you teach wild mans be good, sober, tame mans; you tell
+them know God, pray God, and live new life."--"Alas! Friday," says I,
+"thou knowest not what thou sayest; I am but an ignorant man
+myself."--"Yes, yes," says he, "you teachee me good, you teachee them
+good."--"No, no, Friday," says I, "you shall go without me; leave me
+here to live by myself, as I did before." He looked confused again at
+that word; and running to one of the hatchets which he used to wear, he
+takes it up hastily, and gives it to me. "What must I do with this?"
+says I to him. "You take kill Friday," says he. "What must I kill you
+for?" said I again. He returns very quick, "What you send Friday away
+for? Take kill Friday, no send Friday away." This he spoke so earnestly,
+that I saw tears stand in his eyes: in a word, I so plainly discovered
+the utmost affection in him to me, and a firm resolution in him, that I
+told him then, and often after, that I would never send him away from
+me, if he was willing to stay with me.
+
+Upon the whole, as I found, by all his discourse, a settled affection to
+me, and that nothing should part him from me, so I found all the
+foundation of his desire to go to his own country was laid in his ardent
+affection to the people, and his hopes of my doing them good; a thing,
+which, as I had no notion of myself, so I had not the least thought, or
+intention, or desire of undertaking it. But still I found a strong
+inclination to my attempting an escape, as above, founded on the
+supposition gathered from the discourse, viz. that there were seventeen
+bearded men there: and, therefore, without any more delay, I went to
+work with Friday, to find out a great tree proper to fell, and make a
+large periagua, or canoe, to undertake the voyage. There were trees
+enough in the island to have built a little fleet, not of periaguas, or
+canoes, but even of good large vessels: but the main thing I looked at
+was, to get one so near the water that we might launch it when it was
+made, to avoid the mistake I committed at first. At last, Friday pitched
+upon a tree; for I found he knew much better than I what kind of wood
+was fittest for it; nor can I tell, to this day, what wood to call the
+tree we cut down, except that it was very like the tree we call fustic,
+or between that and the Nicaragua wood, for it was much of the same
+colour and smell. Friday was for burning the hollow or cavity of this
+tree out, to make it for a boat, but I showed him how to cut it with
+tools; which, after I had showed him how to use, he did very handily:
+and in about a month's hard labour we finished it, and made it very
+handsome; especially when, with our axes, which I showed him how to
+handle, we cut and hewed the outside into the true shape of a boat.
+After this, however, it cost us near a fortnight's time to get her
+along, as it were inch by inch, upon great rollers into the water; but
+when she was in, she would have carried twenty men with great ease.
+
+When she was in the water, and though she was so big, it amazed me to
+see with what dexterity, and how swift my man Friday would manage her,
+turn her, and paddle her along. So I asked him if he would, and if we
+might venture over in her. "Yes," he said, "we venture over in her very
+well, though great blow wind." However, I had a farther design that he
+knew nothing of, and that was to make a mast and a sail, and to fit her
+with an anchor and cable. As to a mast, that was easy enough to get; so
+I pitched upon a straight young cedar tree, which I found near the
+place, and which there were great plenty of in the island: and I set
+Friday to work to cut it down, and gave him directions how to shape and
+order it. But as to the sail, that was my particular care. I knew I had
+old sails, or rather pieces of old sails enough; but as I had had them
+now six and twenty years by me, and had not been very careful to
+preserve them, not imagining that I should ever have this kind of use
+for them, I did not doubt but they were all rotten, and, indeed, most of
+them were so. However, I found two pieces, which appeared pretty good,
+and with these I went to work; and with a great deal of pains, and
+awkward stitching, you may be sure, for want of needles, I, at length,
+made a three-cornered ugly thing, like what we call in England a
+shoulder of mutton sail, to go with a boom at bottom, and a little short
+sprit at the top, such as usually our ships' long-boats sail with, and
+such as I best knew how to manage, as it was such a one I had to the
+boat in which I made my escape from Barbary, as related in the first
+part of my story.
+
+I was near two months performing this last work, viz. rigging and
+fitting my mast and sails; for I finished them very complete, making a
+small stay, and a sail, or fore-sail, to it, to assist, if we should
+turn to windward; and, which was more than all, I fixed a rudder to the
+stern of her to steer with. I was but a bungling shipwright, yet, as I
+knew the usefulness, and even necessity of such a thing, I applied
+myself with so much pains to do it, that at last I brought it to pass;
+though, considering the many dull contrivances I had for it that failed,
+I think it cost me almost as much labour as making the boat.
+
+After all this was done, I had my man Friday to teach as to what
+belonged to the navigation of my boat; for, though he knew very well how
+to paddle a canoe, he knew nothing what belonged to a sail and a rudder;
+and was the most amazed when he saw me work the boat to and again in the
+sea by the rudder, and how the sail gibbed, and filled this way, or that
+way, as the course we sailed changed; I say, when he saw this, he stood
+like one astonished and amazed. However, with a little use, I made all
+these things familiar to him, and he became an expert sailor, except
+that as to the compass; I could make him understand very little of that.
+On the other hand, as there was very little cloudy weather, and seldom
+or never any fogs in those parts, there was the less occasion for a
+compass, seeing the stars were always to be seen by night, and the shore
+by day, except in the rainy seasons, and then nobody cared to stir
+abroad, either by land or sea.
+
+I was now entered on the seven and twentieth year of my captivity in
+this place; though the three last years that I had this creature with me
+ought rather to be left out of the account, my habitation being quite of
+another kind than in all the rest of the time. I kept the anniversary of
+my landing here with the same thankfulness to God for his mercies as at
+first; and if I had such cause of acknowledgment at first, I had much
+more so now, having such additional testimonies of the care of
+Providence over me, and the great hopes I had of being effectually and
+speedily delivered; for I had an invincible impression upon my thoughts
+that my deliverance was at hand, and that I should not be another year
+in this place. I went on, however, with my husbandry; digging, planting,
+and fencing, as usual. I gathered and cured my grapes, and did every
+necessary thing as before.
+
+The rainy season was, in the mean time, upon me, when I kept more within
+doors than at other times. We had stowed our new vessel as secure as we
+could, bringing her up into the creek, where, as I said in the
+beginning, I landed my rafts from the ship; and hauling her up to the
+shore, at high-water mark, I made my man Friday dig a little dock, just
+big enough to hold her, and just deep enough to give her water enough to
+float in; and then, when the tide was out, we made a strong dam across
+the end of it, to keep the water out; and so she lay dry, as to the
+tide, from the sea; and to keep the rain off, we laid a great many
+boughs of trees, so thick, that she was as well thatched as a house; and
+thus we waited for the months of November and December, in which I
+designed to make my adventure.
+
+When the settled season began to come in, as the thought of my design
+returned with the fair weather, I was preparing daily for the voyage:
+and the first thing I did was to lay by a certain quantity of
+provisions, being the stores for our voyage: and intended, in a week or
+a fortnight's time, to open the dock, and launch out our boat. I was
+busy one morning upon something of this kind, when I called to Friday,
+and bid him go to the sea-shore, and see if he could find a turtle, or
+tortoise, a thing which we generally got once a week, for the sake of
+the eggs as well as the flesh. Friday had not been long gone, when he
+came running back and flew over my outer-wall, or fence, like one that
+felt not the ground, or the steps he set his feet on; and before I had
+time to speak to him, he cries out to me, "O master! O master! O sorrow!
+O bad!"--"What's the matter, Friday?" says I. "O yonder, there," says
+he, "one, two, three canoe; one, two, three!" By this way of speaking, I
+concluded there were six; but, on inquiry, I found it was but three.
+"Well, Friday," says I, "do not be frightened." So I heartened him up
+as well as I could: however, I saw the poor fellow was most terribly
+scared; for nothing ran in his head but that they were come to look for
+him, and would cut him in pieces, and eat him; and the poor fellow
+trembled so, that I scarce knew what to do with him. I comforted him as
+well as I could, and told him I was in as much danger as he, and that
+they would eat me as well as him. "But," says I, "Friday, we must
+resolve to fight them. Can you fight, Friday!"--"Me shoot," says he;
+but there come many great number."--No matter for that," said I, again;
+"our guns will fright them that we do not kill." So I asked him whether,
+if I resolved to defend him, he would defend me, and stand by me, and do
+just as I bid him. He said, "Me die, when you bid die, master." So I
+went and fetched a good dram of rum and gave him; for I had been so good
+a husband of my rum, that I had a great deal left. When he drank it, I
+made him take the two fowling-pieces, which we always carried, and
+loaded them with large swan-shot, as big as small pistol-bullets; then I
+took four muskets, and loaded them with two slugs, and five small
+bullets each; and my two pistols I loaded with a brace of bullets each;
+I hung my great sword, as usual, naked by my side, and gave Friday his
+hatchet. When I had thus prepared myself, I took my perspective-glass,
+and went up to the side of the hill, to see what I could discover; and I
+found quickly, by my glass, that there were one and twenty savages,
+three prisoners, and three canoes; and that their whole business seemed
+to be the triumphant banquet upon these three human bodies; a barbarous
+feast indeed! but nothing more than, as I had observed, was usual with
+them. I observed also, that they were landed, not where they had done
+when Friday made his escape, but nearer to my creek: where the shore was
+low, and where a thick wood came almost close down to the sea. This,
+with the abhorrence of the inhuman errand these wretches came about,
+filled me with such indignation, that I came down again to Friday, and
+told him I was resolved to go down to them, and kill them all; and asked
+him if he would stand by me. He had now got over his fright, and his
+spirits being a little raised with the dram I had given him, he was very
+cheerful, and told me, as before, he would die when I bid die.
+
+In this fit of fury, I took and divided the arms which I had charged, as
+before, between us: I gave Friday one pistol to stick in his girdle, and
+three guns upon his shoulder; and I took one pistol, and the other three
+guns, myself; and in this posture we marched out. I took a small bottle
+of rum in my pocket, and gave Friday a large bag with more powder and
+bullets; and, as to orders, I charged him to keep close behind me, and
+not to stir, or shoot, or do any thing, till I bid him; and, in the mean
+time, not to speak a word. In this posture, I fetched a compass to my
+right hand of near a mile, as well to get over the creek as to get into
+the wood, so that I might come within shot of them before I should be
+discovered, which I had seen, by my glass, it was easy to do.
+
+While I was making this march, my former thoughts returning, I began to
+abate my resolution: I do not mean that I entertained any fear of their
+number; for, as they were naked, unarmed wretches, it is certain I was
+superior to them; nay, though I had been alone. But it occurred to my
+thoughts, what call, what occasion, much less what necessity I was in,
+to go and dip my hands in blood, to attack people who had neither done
+or intended me any wrong? Who, as to me, were innocent, and whose
+barbarous customs were their own disaster; being, in them, a token
+indeed of God's having left them, with the other nations of that part of
+the world, to such stupidity, and to such inhuman courses; but did not
+call me to take upon me to be a judge of their actions, much less an
+executioner of his justice; that, whenever he thought fit, he would take
+the cause into his own hands, and, by national vengeance, punish them,
+as a people, for national crimes; but that, in the mean time, it was
+none of my business; that, it was true, Friday might justify it, because
+he was a declared enemy, and in a state of war with those very
+particular people, and it was lawful for him to attack them; but I could
+not say the same with respect to myself. These things were so warmly
+pressed upon my thoughts all the way as I went, that I resolved I would
+only go and place myself near them, that I might observe their barbarous
+feast, and that I would act then as God should direct; but that, unless
+something offered that was more a call to me than yet I knew of, I would
+not meddle with them.
+
+With this resolution I entered the wood; and, with all possible
+weariness and silence, Friday following close at my heels, I marched
+till I came to the skirt of the wood, on the side which was next to
+them, only that one corner of the wood lay between me and them. Here I
+called softly to Friday, and showing him a great tree, which was just at
+the corner of the wood, I bade him go to the tree, and bring me word if
+he could see there plainly what they were doing. He did so; and came
+immediately back to me, and told me they might be plainly viewed there;
+that they were all about their fire, eating the flesh of one of their
+prisoners, and that another lay bound upon the sand, a little from them,
+which, he said, they would kill next, and which fired the very soul
+within me. He told me it was not one of their nation, but one of the
+bearded men he had told me of, that came to their country in the boat. I
+was filled with horror at the very naming the white-bearded man; and,
+going to the tree, I saw plainly, by my glass, a white man, who lay upon
+the beach of the sea, with his hands and his feet tied with flags, or
+things like rushes, and that he was an European, and had clothes on.
+
+There was another tree, and a little thicket beyond it, about fifty
+yards nearer to them than the place where I was, which, by going a
+little way about, I saw I might come at undiscovered, and that then I
+should be within half a shot of them: so I withheld my passion, though I
+was indeed enraged to the highest degree; and going back about twenty
+paces, I got behind some bushes, which held all the way till I came to
+the other tree; and then came to a little rising ground, which gave me a
+full view of them, at the distance of about eighty yards.
+
+I had now not a moment to lose, for nineteen of the dreadful wretches
+sat upon the ground, all close huddled together, and had just sent the
+other two to butcher the poor Christian, and bring him, perhaps, limb by
+limb, to their fire; and they were stooping down to untie the bands at
+his feet. I turned to Friday--"Now, Friday," said I, "do as I bid thee."
+Friday said he would. "Then, Friday," says I, "do exactly as you see me
+do; fail in nothing." So I set down one of the muskets and the
+fowling-piece upon the ground, and Friday did the like by his; and with
+the other musket I took my aim at the savages, bidding him to do the
+like: then asking him if he was ready, he said, "Yes." "Then fire at
+them," said I; and the same moment I fired also.
+
+Friday took his aim so much better than I, that on the side that he
+shot, he killed two of them, and wounded three more; and on my side, I
+killed one, and wounded two. They were, you may be sure, in a dreadful
+consternation; and all of them who were not hurt jumped upon their feet,
+but did not immediately know which way to run, or which way to look, for
+they knew not from whence their destruction came. Friday kept his eyes
+close upon me, that, as I had bid him, he might observe what I did; so,
+as soon as the first shot was made, I threw down the piece, and took up
+the fowling-piece, and Friday did the like: he saw me cock and present;
+he did the same again. "Are you ready, Friday?" said I.--"Yes," says he.
+"Let fly, then," says I, "in the name of God!" and with that, I fired
+again among the amazed wretches, and so did Friday; and as our pieces
+were now loaden with what I called swan-shot, or small pistol-bullets,
+we found only two drop, but so many were wounded, that they ran about
+yelling and screaming like mad creatures, all bloody, and most of them
+miserably wounded, whereof three more fell quickly after, though not
+quite dead.
+
+"Now, Friday," says I, laying down the discharged pieces, and taking up
+the musket which was yet loaden, "follow me;" which he did with a great
+deal of courage; upon which I rushed out of the wood, and showed myself,
+and Friday close at my foot. As soon as I perceived they saw me, I
+shouted as loud as I could, and bade Friday do so too; and running as
+fast as I could, which, by the way, was not very fast, being loaded with
+arms as I was, I made directly towards the poor victim, who was, as I
+said, lying upon, the beach, or shore, between the place where they sat
+and the sea. The two butchers, who were just going to work with him, had
+left him at the surprise of our first fire, and fled in a terrible
+fright to the sea-side, and had jumped into a canoe, and three more of
+the rest made the same way. I turned to Friday, and bade him step
+forwards, and fire at them; he understood me immediately, and running
+about forty yards, to be nearer them, he shot at them, and I thought he
+had killed them all, for I saw them all fall of a heap into the boat,
+though I saw two of them up again quickly: however, he killed two of
+them, and wounded the third so, that he lay down in the bottom of the
+boat as if he had been dead.
+
+While my man Friday fired at them, I pulled out my knife and cut the
+flags that bound the poor victim; and loosing his hands and feet, I
+lifted him up, and asked him in the Portuguese tongue, what he was. He
+answered in Latin, Christianus; but was so weak and faint that he could
+scarce stand or speak. I took my bottle out of my pocket, and gave it
+him, making signs that he should drink, which he did; and I gave him a
+piece of bread, which he eat. Then I asked him what countryman he was:
+and he said, Espagniole; and being a little recovered, let me know, by
+all the signs he could possibly make, how much he was in my debt for his
+deliverance. "Seignior," said I, with as much Spanish as I could make
+up, "we will talk afterwards, but we must fight now: if you have any
+strength left, take this pistol and sword, and lay about you." He took
+them very thankfully; and no sooner had he the arms in his hands, but,
+as if they had put new vigour into him, he flew upon his murderers like
+a fury, and had cut two of them in pieces in an instant; for the truth
+is, as the whole was a surprise to them, so the poor creatures were so
+much frightened with the noise of our pieces, that they fell down for
+mere amazement and fear, and had no more power to attempt their own
+escape, than their flesh had to resist our shot: and that was the case
+of those five that Friday shot at in the boat; for as three of them fell
+with the hurt they received, so the other two fell with the fright.
+
+I kept my piece in my hand still without firing, being willing to keep
+my charge ready, because I had given the Spaniard my pistol and sword:
+so I called to Friday, and bade-him run up to the tree from whence we
+first fired, and fetch the arms which lay there that had been
+discharged, which he did with great swiftness; and then giving him my
+musket, I sat down myself to load all the rest again, and bade them come
+to me when they wanted. While I was loading these pieces, there happened
+a fierce engagement between the Spaniard and one of the savages, who
+made at him with one of their great wooden swords, the same-like weapon
+that was to have killed him before, if I had not prevented it. The
+Spaniard, who was as bold and brave as could be imagined, though weak,
+had fought this Indian a good while, and had cut him two great wounds on
+his head; but the savage being a stout, lusty fellow, closing in with
+him, had thrown him down, being faint, and was wringing my sword out of
+his hand; when the Spaniard, though undermost, wisely quitting the
+sword, drew the pistol from his girdle, shot the savage through the
+body, and killed him upon the spot, before I, who was running to help
+him, could come near him.
+
+Friday being now left to his liberty, pursued the flying wretches, with
+no weapon in his hand but his hatchet; and with that he dispatched those
+three, who, as I said before, were wounded at first, and fallen, and all
+the rest he could come up with: and the Spaniard coming to me for a gun,
+I gave him one of the fowling-pieces, with which he pursued two of the
+savages, and wounded them both; but, as he was not able to run, they
+both got from him into the wood, where Friday pursued them, and killed
+one of them, but the other was too nimble for him; and though he was
+wounded, yet had plunged himself into the sea, and swam, with all his
+might, off to those two who were left in the canoe, which three in the
+canoe, with one wounded, that we knew not whether he died or no, were
+all that escaped our hands of one and twenty; the account of the whole
+is as follows: three killed at our first shot from the tree; two killed
+at the next shot; two killed by Friday in the boat; two killed by Friday
+of those at first wounded; one killed by Friday in the wood; three
+killed by the Spaniard; four killed, being found dropped here and there,
+of their wounds, or killed by Friday in his chase of them; four escaped
+in the boat, whereof one wounded, if not dead.--Twenty-one in all.
+
+Those that were in the canoe worked hard to get out of gun-shot, and
+though Friday made two or three shots at them, I did not find that he
+hit any of them. Friday would fain have had me take one of their
+canoes, and pursue them; and, indeed, I was very anxious about their
+escape, lest carrying the news home to their people, they should come
+back perhaps with two or three hundred of the canoes, and devour us by
+mere multitude; so I consented to pursue them by sea, and running to one
+of their canoes, I jumped in, and bade Friday follow me; but when I was
+in the canoe, I was surprised to find another poor creature lie there,
+bound hand and foot, as the Spaniard was, for the slaughter, and almost
+dead with fear, not knowing what was the matter; for he had not been
+able to look up over the side of the boat, he was tied so hard neck and
+heels, and had been tied so long, that he had really but little life
+in him.
+
+I immediately cut the twisted flags or rushes, which they had bound him
+with, and would have helped him up; but he could not stand or speak, but
+groaned most piteously, believing, it seems, still, that he was only
+unbound in order to be killed. When Friday came to him, I bade him speak
+to him, and tell him of his deliverance; and, pulling out my bottle,
+made him give the poor wretch a dram; which, with the news of his being
+delivered, revived him, and he sat up in the boat. But when Friday came
+to hear him speak, and look in his face, it would have moved any one to
+tears to have seen how Friday kissed him, embraced him, hugged him,
+cried, laughed, hallooed, jumped about, danced, sung; then cried again,
+wrung his hands, beat his own face and head; and then sung and jumped
+about again, like a distracted creature. It was a good while before I
+could make him speak to me, or tell me what was the matter; but when he
+came a little to himself, he told me that it was his father.
+
+It is not easy for me to express how it moved me to see what ecstasy and
+filial affection had worked in this poor savage at the sight of his
+father, and of his being delivered from death; nor, indeed, can I
+describe half the extravagances of his affection after this; for he went
+into the boat, and out of the boat, a great many times: when he went in
+to him, he would sit down by him, open his breast, and hold his father's
+head close to his bosom for many minutes together, to nourish it; then
+he took his arms and ancles, which were numbed and stiff with the
+binding, and chafed and rubbed them with his hands; and I, perceiving
+what the case was, gave him some rum out of my bottle to rub them with,
+which did them a great deal of good.
+
+This affair put an end to our pursuit of the canoe with the other
+savages, who were now got almost out of sight; and it was happy for us
+that we did not, for it blew so hard within two hours after, and before
+they could be got a quarter of their way, and continued blowing so hard
+all night, and that from the north-west, which was against them, that I
+could not suppose their boat could live, or that they ever reached their
+own coast.
+
+But, to return to Friday; he was so busy about his father, that I could
+not find in my heart to take him off for some time: but after I thought
+he could leave him a little, I called him to me, and he came jumping and
+laughing, and pleased to the highest extreme; then I asked him if he
+had given his father any bread. He shook his head, and said, "None; ugly
+dog eat all up self," I then gave him a cake of bread, out of a little
+pouch I carried on purpose; I also gave him a dram for himself, but he
+would not taste it, but carried it to his father. I had in my pocket two
+or three bunches of raisins, so I gave him a handful of them for his
+father. He had no sooner given his father these raisins, but I saw him
+come out of the boat, and run away, as if he had been bewitched, he ran
+at such a rate; for he was the swiftest fellow on his feet that ever I
+saw: I say, he ran at such a rate, that he was out of sight, as it were,
+in an instant; and though I called, and hallooed out too, after him, it
+was all one, away he went; and in a quarter of an hour I saw him come
+back again, though not so fast as he went; and as he came nearer, I
+found his pace slacker, because he had something in his hand. When he
+came up to me, I found he had been quite home for an earthen jug, or
+pot, to bring his father some fresh water, and that he had two more
+cakes or loaves of bread; the bread he gave me, but the water he carried
+to his father; however, as I was very thirsty too, I took, a little sup
+of it. The water revived his father more than all the rum or spirits I
+had given him, for he was just fainting with thirst.
+
+When his father had drank, I called to him to know, if there was any
+water left: he said, "Yes;" and I bade him give it to the poor Spaniard,
+who was in as much want of it as his father; and I sent one of the
+cakes, that Friday brought, to the Spaniard too, who was indeed very
+weak, and was reposing himself upon a green place under the shade of a
+tree; and whose limbs were also very stiff and very much swelled with
+the rude bandage he had been tied with. When I saw that, upon Friday's
+coming to him with the water, he sat up and drank, and took the bread,
+and began to eat, I went to him and gave him a handful of raisins: he
+looked up in my face with all the tokens of gratitude and thankfulness
+that could appear in any countenance; but was so weak, notwithstanding
+he had so exerted himself in the fight, that he could not stand up upon
+his feet; he tried to do it two or three times, but was really not able,
+his ancles were so swelled and so painful to him; so I bade him sit
+still, and caused Friday to rub his ancles, and bathe them with rum, as
+he had done his father's.
+
+I observed the poor affectionate creature, every two minutes, or perhaps
+less, all the while he was here, turn his head about, to see if his
+father was in the same place and posture as he left him sitting; and at
+last he found he was not to be seen; at which he started up, and,
+without speaking a word, flew with that swiftness to him, that one could
+scarce perceive his feet to touch the ground as he went: but when he
+came, he only found he had laid himself down to ease his limbs, so
+Friday came back to me presently; and then I spoke to the Spaniard to
+let Friday help him up, if he could, and lead him to the boat, and then
+he should carry him to our dwelling, where I would take care of him: but
+Friday, a lusty strong fellow, took the Spaniard quite up upon his back,
+and carried him away to the boat, and set him down softly upon the side
+or gunnel of the canoe, with his feet in the inside of it; and then
+lifting him quite in, he set him close to his father; and presently
+stepping out again, launched the boat off, and paddled it along the
+shore faster than I could walk, though the wind blew pretty hard too: so
+he brought them both safe into our creek, and leaving them in the boat,
+ran away to fetch the other canoe. As he passed me, I spoke to him, and
+asked him whither he went. He told me, "Go fetch more boat:" so away he
+went like the wind, for sure never man or horse ran like him; and he had
+the other canoe in the creek almost as soon as I got to it by land; so
+he wafted me over, and then went to help our new guests out of the boat,
+which he did; but they were neither of them able to walk, so that poor
+Friday knew not what to do.
+
+To remedy this, I went to work in my thought, and calling to Friday to
+bid them sit down on the bank while he came to me, I soon made a kind of
+a hand-barrow to lay them on, and Friday and I carried them both up
+together upon it, between us.
+
+But when we got them to the outside of our wall, or fortification, we
+were at a worse loss than before, for it was impossible to get them
+over, and I was resolved not to break it down: so I set to work again;
+and Friday and I, in about two hours' time, made a very handsome tent,
+covered with old sails, and above that with boughs of trees, being in
+the space without our outward fence, and between, that and the grove of
+young wood which I had planted: and here we made them two beds of such
+things as I had, viz. of good rice-straw, with blankets laid upon it,
+to lie on, and another to cover them, on each bed.
+
+My island was now peopled, and I thought myself very rich in subjects;
+and it was a merry reflection, which I frequently made, how like a king
+I looked. First of all, the whole country was my own mere property, so
+that I had an undoubted right of dominion. Secondly, my people were
+perfectly subjected; I was absolutely lord and lawgiver; they all owed
+their lives to me, and were ready to lay down their lives, if there had
+been occasion for it, for me. It was remarkable, too, I had but three
+subjects, and they were of three different religions: my man Friday was
+a Protestant, his father was a Pagan and a cannibal, and the Spaniard
+was a Papist: however, I allowed liberty of conscience throughout my
+dominions:--But this is by the way.
+
+As soon as I had secured my two weak rescued prisoners, and given them
+shelter, and a place to rest them upon, I began to think of making some
+provision for them; and the first thing I did, I ordered Friday to take
+a yearling goat, betwixt a kid and a goat, out of my particular flock,
+to be killed; when I cut off the hinder-quarter, and chopping it into
+small pieces, I set Friday to work to boiling and stewing, and made them
+a very good dish, I assure you, of flesh and broth, having put some
+barley and rice also into the broth: and as I cooked it without doors,
+for I made no fire within my inner wall, so I carried it all into the
+new tent, and having set a table there for them, I sat down, and eat my
+dinner also with them, and, as well as I could, cheered them, and
+encouraged them. Friday was my interpreter, especially to his father,
+and, indeed, to the Spaniard too; for the Spaniard spoke the language of
+the savages pretty well.
+
+After we had dined, or rather supped, I ordered Friday to take one of
+the canoes, and go and fetch our muskets and other fire-arms, which, for
+want of time, we had left upon the place of battle: and, the next day, I
+ordered him to go and bury the dead bodies of the savages, which lay
+open to the sun, and would presently be offensive. I also ordered him to
+bury the horrid remains of their barbarous feast, which I knew were
+pretty much, and which I could not think of doing myself; nay, I could
+not bear to see them, if I went that way; all which he punctually
+performed, and effaced the very appearance of the savages being there;
+so that when I went again, I could scarce know where it was, otherwise
+than by the corner of the wood pointing to the place.
+
+I then began to enter into a little conversation with my two new
+subjects: and, first, I set Friday to inquire of his father what he
+thought of the escape of the savages in that canoe, and whether we might
+expect a return of them, with a power too great for us to resist. His
+first opinion was, that the savages in the boat never could live out the
+storm which blew that night they went off, but must, of necessity, be
+drowned, or driven south to those other shores, where they were as sure
+to be devoured as they were to be drowned, if they were cast away: but,
+as to what they would do, if they came safe on shore, he said he knew
+not; but it was his opinion, that they were so dreadfully frightened
+with the manner of their being attacked, the noise, and the fire, that
+he believed they would tell the people they were all killed by thunder
+and lightning, not by the hand of man; and that the two which appeared,
+viz. Friday and I, were two heavenly spirits, or furies, come down to
+destroy them, and not men with weapons. This, he said, he knew; because
+he heard them all cry out so, in their language, one to another; for it
+was impossible for them to conceive that a man could dart fire, and
+speak thunder, and kill at a distance, without lifting up the hand, as
+was done now: and this old savage was in the right; for, as I understood
+since, by other hands, the savages never attempted to go over to the
+island afterwards, they were so terrified with the accounts given by
+those four men (for, it seems, they did escape the sea,) that they
+believed whoever went to that enchanted island would be destroyed with
+fire from the gods. This, however, I knew not; and therefore was under
+continual apprehensions for a good while, and kept always upon my guard,
+with all my army: for, as there were now four of us, I would have
+ventured upon a hundred of them, fairly in the open field, at any time.
+
+In a little time, however, no more canoes appearing, the fear of their
+coming wore off; and I began to take my former thoughts of a voyage to
+the main into consideration; being likewise assured, by Friday's
+father, that I might depend upon good usage from their nation, on his
+account, if I would go. But my thoughts were a little suspended when I
+had a serious discourse with the Spaniard, and when I understood that
+there were sixteen more of his countrymen and Portuguese, who, having
+been cast away, and made their escape to that side, lived there at
+peace, indeed, with the savages, but were very sore put to it for
+necessaries, and indeed for life. I asked him all the particulars of
+their voyage, and found they were a Spanish ship, bound from the Rio de
+la Plata to the Havanna, being directed to leave their loading there,
+which was chiefly hides and silver, and to bring back what European
+goods they could meet with there; that they had five Portuguese seamen
+on board, whom they took out of another wreck; that five of their own
+men were drowned, when first the ship was lost, and that these escaped,
+through infinite dangers and hazards, and arrived, almost starved, on
+the cannibal coast, where they expected to have been devoured every
+moment. He told me they had some arms with them, but they were perfectly
+useless, for that they had neither powder nor ball, the washing of the
+sea having spoiled all their powder, but a little, which they used, at
+their first landing, to provide themselves some food.
+
+I asked him what he thought would become of them there, and if they had
+formed any design of making their escape. He said they had many
+consultations about it; but that having neither vessel, nor tools to
+build one, nor provisions of any kind, their councils always ended in
+tears and despair. I asked him how he thought they would receive a
+proposal from me, which might tend towards an escape; and whether, if
+they were all here, it might not be done. I told him with freedom, I
+feared mostly their treachery and ill usage of me, if I put my life in
+their hands; for that gratitude was no inherent virtue in the nature of
+man, nor did men always square their dealings by the obligations they
+had received, so much as they did by the advantages they expected. I
+told him it would be very hard that I should be the instrument of their
+deliverance, and that they should afterwards make me their prisoner in
+New Spain, where an Englishman was certain to be made a sacrifice, what
+necessity, or what accident soever brought him thither; and that I had
+rather be delivered up to the savages, and be devoured alive, than fall
+into the merciless claws of the priests, and be carried into the
+Inquisition. I added, that otherwise I was persuaded, if they were all
+here, we might, with so many hands, build a bark large enough to carry
+us all away, either to the Brazils, southward, or to the islands, or
+Spanish coast, northward; but that if, in requital, they should, when I
+had put weapons into their hands, carry me by force among their own
+people, I might be ill used for my kindness to them, and make my case
+worse than it was before.
+
+He answered, with a great deal of candour and ingenuousness, that their
+condition was so miserable, and that they were so sensible of it, that,
+he believed, they would abhor the thought of using any man unkindly that
+should contribute to their deliverance; and that if I pleased, he would
+go to them with the old man, and discourse with them about it and return
+again, and bring me their answer; that he would make conditions with
+them upon their solemn oath, that they should be absolutely under my
+leading, as their commander and captain; and that they should swear upon
+the holy sacraments and gospel, to be true to me, and go to such
+Christian country as that I should agree to, and no other, and to be
+directed wholly and absolutely by my orders, till they were landed
+safely in such country as I intended; and that he would bring a contract
+from them, under their hands, for that purpose. Then he told me he would
+first swear to me himself, that he would never stir from me as long as
+he lived, till I gave him orders; and that he would take my side to the
+last drop of his blood, if there should happen the least breach of faith
+among his countrymen. He told me they were all of them very civil,
+honest men, and they were under the greatest distress imaginable, having
+neither weapons or clothes, nor any food, but at the mercy and
+discretion of the savages; out of all hopes of ever returning to their
+own country; and that he was sure, if I would undertake their relief,
+they would live and die by me.
+
+Upon these assurances, I resolved to venture to relieve them, if
+possible, and to send the old savage and this Spaniard over to them to
+treat. But when we had got all things in readiness to go, the Spaniard
+himself started an objection, which had so much prudence in it, on one
+hand, and so much sincerity on the other hand, that I could not but be
+very well satisfied in it; and, by his advice, put off the deliverance
+of his comrades for at least half a year. The case was thus: He had been
+with us now about a month, during which time I had let him see in what
+manner I had provided, with the assistance of Providence, for my
+support; and he saw evidently what stock of corn and rice I had laid up;
+which, though it was more than sufficient for myself, yet it was not
+sufficient, without good husbandry, for my family, now it was increased
+to four; but much less would it be sufficient if his countrymen, who
+were, as he said, sixteen, still alive, should come over; and, least of
+all, would it be sufficient to victual our vessel, if we should build
+one, for a voyage to any of the Christian colonies of America; so he
+told me he thought it would be more adviseable to let him and the other
+two dig and cultivate some more land, as much as I could spare seed to
+sow, and that we should wait another harvest, that we might have a
+supply of corn for his countrymen, when they should come; for want might
+be a temptation to them to disagree, or not to think themselves
+delivered, otherwise than out of one difficulty into another. "You
+know," says he, "the children of Israel, though they rejoiced at first
+for their being delivered out of Egypt, yet rebelled even against God
+himself, that delivered them, when they came to want bread in the
+wilderness."
+
+His caution was so seasonable, and his advice so good, that I could not
+but be very well pleased with his proposal, as well as I was satisfied
+with his fidelity: so we fell to digging all four of us, as well as the
+wooden tools we were furnished with permitted; and in about a month's
+time, by the end of which it was seed-time, we had got as much land
+cured and trimmed up as we sowed two and twenty bushels of barley on,
+and sixteen jars of rice; which was, in short, all the seed we had to
+spare: nor, indeed, did we leave ourselves barley sufficient for our own
+food, for the six months that we had to expect our crop; that is to say,
+reckoning from the time we set our seed aside for sowing; for it is not
+to be supposed it is six months in the ground in that country.
+
+Having now society enough, and our number being sufficient to put us out
+of fear of the savages, if they had come, unless their number had been
+very great, we went freely all over the island, whenever we found
+occasion; and as here we had our escape or deliverance upon our
+thoughts, it was impossible, at least for me, to have the means of it
+out of mine. For this purpose, I marked out several trees which I
+thought fit for our work, and I set Friday and his father to cutting
+them down; and then I caused the Spaniard, to whom I imparted my
+thoughts on that affair, to oversee and direct their work. I showed them
+with what indefatigable pains I had hewed a large tree into single
+planks, and I caused them to do the like, till they had made about a
+dozen large planks of good oak, near two feet broad, thirty-five feet
+long, and from two inches to four inches thick: what prodigious labour
+it took up, any one may imagine.
+
+At the same time, I contrived to increase my little flock of tame goats
+as much as I could; and, for this purpose, I made Friday and the
+Spaniard go out one day, and myself with Friday the next day (for we
+took our turns,) and by this means we got about twenty young kids to
+breed up with the rest; for whenever we shot the dam, we saved the kids,
+and added them to our flock. But, above all, the season for curing the
+grapes coming on, I caused such a prodigious quantity to be hung up in
+the sun, that, I believe, had we been at Alicant, where the raisins of
+the sun are cured, we could have filled sixty or eighty barrels; and
+these, with our bread, was a great part of our food, and was very good
+living too, I assure you, for it is exceeding nourishing.
+
+It was now harvest, and our crop in good order: it was not the most
+plentiful increase I had seen in the island, but, however, it was enough
+to answer our end; for from twenty-two bushels of barley we brought in
+and threshed out above two hundred and twenty bushels, and the like in
+proportion of the rice; which was store enough for our food to the next
+harvest, though all the sixteen Spaniards had been on shore with me; or
+if we had been ready for a voyage, it would very plentifully have
+victualled our ship to have carried us to any part of the world, that is
+to say, any part of America. When we had thus housed and secured our
+magazine of corn, we fell to work to make more wicker-ware, viz. great
+baskets, in which we kept it; and the Spaniard was very handy and
+dexterous at this part, and often blamed me that I did not make some
+things for defence of this kind of work; but I saw no need of it.
+
+And now having a full supply of food for all the guests I expected, I
+gave the Spaniard leave to go over to the main, to see what he could do
+with those he had left behind them there. I gave him a strict charge not
+to bring any man with him who would not first swear, in the presence of
+himself and the old savage, that he would no way injure, fight with, or
+attack the person he should find in the island, who was so kind as to
+send for them in order to their deliverance; but that they would stand
+by him, and defend him against all such attempts, and wherever they
+went, would be entirely under and subjected to his command; and that
+this should be put in writing, and signed with their hands. How they
+were to have done this, when I knew they had neither pen nor ink, was a
+question which we never asked. Under these instructions, the Spaniard
+and the old savage, the father of Friday, went away in one of the canoes
+which they might be said to come in, or rather were brought in, when
+they came as prisoners to be devoured by the savages. I gave each of
+them a musket, with a firelock on it, and about eight charges of powder
+and ball, charging them to be very good husbands of both, and not to use
+either of them but upon urgent occasions.
+
+This was a cheerful work, being the first measures used by me, in view
+of my deliverance, for now twenty-seven years and some days. I gave them
+provisions of bread, and of dried grapes, sufficient for themselves for
+many days, and sufficient for all the Spaniards for about eight days'
+time; and wishing them a good voyage, I saw them go; agreeing with them
+about a signal they should hang out at their return, by which I should
+know them again, when they came back, at a distance, before they came on
+shore. They went away with a fair gale, on the day that the moon was at
+full, by my account in the month of October; but as for an exact
+reckoning of days, after I had once lost it, I could never recover it
+again; nor had I kept even the number of years so punctually as to be
+sure I was right; though, as it proved, when I afterwards examined my
+account, I found I had kept a true reckoning of years.
+
+It was no less than eight days I had waited for them, when a strange and
+unforeseen accident intervened, of which the like has not perhaps been
+heard of in history. I was fast asleep in my hutch one morning, when my
+man Friday came running in to me, and called aloud, "Master, master,
+they are come, they are come!" I jumped up, and, regardless of danger, I
+went out as soon as I could get my clothes on, through my little grove,
+which, by the way, was by this time grown to be a very thick wood; I
+say, regardless of danger, I went without my arms, which was not my
+custom to do: but I was surprised, when turning my eyes to the sea, I
+presently saw a boat at about a league and a half distance, standing in
+for the shore, with a shoulder of mutton sail, as they call it, and the
+wind blowing pretty fair to bring them in: also I observed presently,
+that they did not come from that side which the shore lay on, but from
+the southernmost end of the island. Upon this, I called Friday in, and
+bade him lie close, for these were not the people we looked for, and
+that we might not know yet whether they were friends or enemies. In the
+next place, I went in to fetch my perspective-glass, to see what I could
+make of them; and having taken the ladder out, I climbed up to the top
+of the hill, as I used to do when I was apprehensive of any thing, and
+to take my view the plainer, without being discovered. I had scarce set
+my foot upon the hill, when my eye plainly discovered a ship lying at an
+anchor, at about two leagues and a half distance from me, S.S.E. but not
+above a league and a half from the shore. By my observation, it appeared
+plainly to be an English ship, and the boat appeared to be an English
+long-boat.
+
+I cannot express the confusion I was in; though the joy of seeing a
+ship, and one that I had reason to believe was manned by my own
+countrymen, and consequently friends, was such as I cannot describe; but
+yet I had some secret doubts hung about me, I cannot tell from whence
+they came, bidding me keep upon my guard. In the first place, it
+occurred to me to consider what business an English ship could have in
+that part of the world, since it was not the way to or from any part of
+the world where the English had any traffic; and I knew there had been
+no storms to drive them in there, as in distress; and that if they were
+really English, it was most probable that they were here upon no good
+design; and that I had better continue as I was, than fall into the
+hands of thieves and murderers.
+
+Let no man despise the secret hints and notices of danger, which
+sometimes are given him when he may think there is no possibility of its
+being real. That such hints and notices are given us, I believe few that
+have made any observations of things can deny; that they are certain
+discoveries of an invisible world, and a converse of spirits, we cannot
+doubt; and if the tendency of them seems to be to warn us of danger, why
+should we not suppose they are from some friendly agent (whether
+supreme, or inferior and subordinate, is not the question,) and that
+they are given for our good?
+
+The present question abundantly confirms me in the justice of this
+reasoning; for had I not been made cautious by this secret admonition,
+come it from whence it will, I had been undone inevitably, and in a far
+worse condition than before, as you will see presently. I had not kept
+myself long in this posture, but I saw the boat draw near the shore, as
+if they looked for a creek to thrust in at, for the convenience of
+landing; however, as they did not come quite far enough, they did not
+see the little inlet where I formerly landed my rafts, but run their
+boat on shore upon the beach, at about half a mile from me, which was
+very happy for me; for otherwise they would have landed just at my door,
+as I may say, and would soon have beaten me out of my castle, and
+perhaps have plundered me of all I had. When they were on shore, I was
+fully satisfied they were Englishmen, at least most of them; one or two
+I thought were Dutch, but it did not prove so; there were in all eleven
+men, whereof three of them I found were unarmed, and, as I thought,
+bound; and when the first four or five of them were jumped on shore,
+they took those three out of the boat, as prisoners: one of the three I
+could perceive using the most passionate gestures of entreaty,
+affliction, and despair, even to a kind of extravagance; the other two,
+I could perceive, lifted up their hands sometimes, and appeared
+concerned, indeed, but not to such a degree as the first. I was
+perfectly confounded at the sight, and knew not what the meaning of it
+should be. Friday called out to me in English, as well as he could, "O
+master! you see English mans eat prisoner as well as savage
+mans."--"Why, Friday," says I, "do you think they are going to eat them
+then?"--"Yes," says Friday, "they will eat them."--"No, no," says I,
+"Friday; I am afraid they will murder them, indeed, but you may be sure
+they will not eat them."
+
+All this while I had no thought of what the matter really was, but stood
+trembling with the horror of the sight, expecting every moment when the
+three prisoners should be killed; nay, once I saw one of the villains
+lift up his arm with a great cutlass, as the seamen call it, or sword,
+to strike one of the poor men; and I expected to see him fall every
+moment; at which all the blood in my body seemed to run chill in my
+veins. I wished heartily now for my Spaniard, and the savage that was
+gone with him, or that I had any way to have come undiscovered within
+shot of them, that I might have rescued the three men, for I saw no
+fire-arms they had among them; but it fell out to my mind another way.
+After I had observed the outrageous usage of the three men by the
+insolent seamen, I observed the fellows run scattering about the island,
+as if they wanted to see the country. I observed that the three other
+men had liberty to go also where they pleased; but they sat down all
+three upon the ground, very pensive, and looked like men in despair.
+This put me in mind of the first time when I came on shore, and began to
+look about me; how I gave myself over for lost; how wildly I looked
+round me; what dreadful apprehensions I had; and how I lodged in the
+tree all night, for fear of being devoured by wild beasts. As I knew
+nothing, that night, of the supply I was to receive by the providential
+driving of the ship nearer the land by the storms and tide, by which I
+have since been so long nourished and supported; so these three poor
+desolate men knew nothing how certain of deliverance and supply they
+were, how near it was to them, and how effectually and really they were
+in a condition of safety, at the same time that they thought themselves
+lost, and their case desperate. So little do we see before us in the
+world, and so much reason have we to depend cheerfully upon the great
+Maker of the world, that he does not leave his creatures so absolutely
+destitue, but that, in the worst circumstances, they have always
+something to be thankful for, and sometimes are nearer their deliverance
+than they imagine; nay, are even brought to their deliverance by the
+means by which they seem to be brought to their destruction.
+
+It was just at the top of high water when these people came on shore;
+and partly while they rambled about to see what kind of a place they
+were in, they had carelessly staid till the tide was spent, and the
+water was ebbed considerably away, leaving their boat aground. They had
+left two men in the boat, who, as I found afterwards, having drank a
+little too much brandy, fell asleep; however, one of them waking a
+little sooner than the other, and finding the boat too fast aground for
+him to stir it, hallooed out for the rest, who were straggling about;
+upon which they all soon came to the boat: but it was past all their
+strength to launch her, the boat being very heavy, and the shore on that
+side being a soft oozy sand, almost like a quicksand. In this condition,
+like true seamen, who are perhaps the least of all mankind given to
+forethought, they gave it over, and away they strolled about the country
+again; and I heard one of them say aloud to another, calling them off
+from the boat, "Why, let her alone, Jack, can't you? she'll float next
+tide:" by which I was fully confirmed in the main inquiry of what
+countrymen they were. All this while I kept myself very close, not once
+daring to stir out of my castle, any farther than to my place of
+observation, near the top of the hill; and very glad I was to think how
+well it was fortified. I knew it was no less than ten hours before the
+boat could float again, and by that time it would be dark, and I might
+be at more liberty to see their motions, and to hear their discourse, if
+they had any. In the mean time, I fitted myself up for a battle, as
+before, though with more caution, knowing I had to do with another kind
+of enemy than I had at first. I ordered Friday also, whom I had made an
+excellent marksman with his gun, to load himself with arms. I took
+myself two fowling-pieces, and I gave him three muskets. My figure,
+indeed, was very fierce; I had my formidable goat-skin coat on, with the
+great cap I have mentioned, a naked sword by my side, two pistols in my
+belt, and a gun upon each shoulder.
+
+It was my design, as I said above, not to have made any attempt till it
+was dark: but about two o'clock, being the heat of the day, I found
+that, in short, they were all gone straggling into the woods, and, as I
+thought, laid down to sleep. The three poor distressed men, too anxious
+for their condition to get any sleep, were, however, sat down under the
+shelter of a great tree, at about a quarter of a mile from me, and, as I
+thought, out of sight of any of the rest. Upon this I resolved to
+discover myself to them, and learn something of their condition;
+immediately I marched in the figure as above, my man Friday at a good
+distance behind me, as formidable for his arms as I, but not making
+quite so staring a spectre-like figure as I did. I came as near them
+undiscovered as I could, and then, before any of them saw me, I called
+aloud to them in Spanish, "What are ye, gentlemen?" They started up at
+the noise; but were ten times more confounded when they saw me, and the
+uncouth figure that I made. They made no answer at all, but I thought I
+perceived them just going to fly from me, when I spoke to them in
+English: "Gentlemen," said I, "do not be surprised at me: perhaps you
+may have a friend near, when you did not expect it."--"He must be sent
+directly from Heaven then," said one of them very gravely to me, and
+pulling off his hat at the same time to me; "for our condition is past
+the help of man."--"All help is from Heaven, Sir," said I: "But can you
+put a stranger in the way how to help you? for you seem to be in some
+great distress. I saw you when you landed; and when you seemed to make
+application to the brutes that came with you, I saw one of them lift up
+his sword to kill you."
+
+The poor man, with tears running down his face, and trembling, looking
+like one astonished, returned, "Am I talking to God or man? Is it a real
+man or an angel?"--"Be in no fear about that, Sir," said I; "if God had
+sent an angel to relieve you, he would have come better clothed, and
+armed after another manner than you see me: pray lay aside your fears; I
+am a man, an Englishman, and disposed to assist you: you see I have one
+servant only; we have arms and ammunition; tell us freely, can we serve
+you? What is your case?"--"Our case," said he, "Sir, is too long to tell
+you, while our murderers are so near us; but, in short, Sir, I was
+commander of that ship, my men have mutinied against me; they have been
+hardly prevailed on not to murder me; and at last have set me on shore
+in this desolate place, with these two men with me, one my mate, the
+other a passenger, where we expected to perish, believing the place to
+be uninhabited, and know not yet what to think of it."--"Where are these
+brutes, your enemies?" said I: "Do you know where they are
+gone?"--"There they lie, Sir," said he, pointing to a thicket of trees;
+"my heart trembles for fear they have seen us, and heard you speak; if
+they have, they will certainly murder us all."--"Have they any
+fire-arms?" said I. He answered, "they had only two pieces, one of which
+they left in the boat." "Well then," said I, "leave the rest to me; I
+see they are all asleep, it is an easy thing to kill them all: but shall
+we rather take them prisoners?" He told me there were two desperate
+villains among them, that it was scarce safe to show any mercy to; but
+if they were secured, he believed all the rest would return to their
+duty. I asked him which they were? He told me he could not at that
+distance distinguish them, but he would obey my orders in any thing I
+would direct. "Well," says I, "let us retreat out of their view or
+hearing, lest they awake, and we will resolve further." So they
+willingly went back with me, till the woods covered us from them.
+
+"Look you, Sir," said I, "if I venture upon your deliverance, are you
+willing to make two conditions with me?" He anticipated my proposals, by
+telling me, that both he and the ship, if recovered, should be wholly
+directed and commanded by me in every thing; and, if the ship was not
+recovered, he would live and die with me in what part of the world
+soever I would send him; and the two other men said the same. "Well,"
+says I, "my conditions are but two: first, That while you stay in this
+island with me, you will not pretend to any authority here; and if I put
+arms in your hands, you will, upon all occasions, give them up to me,
+and do no prejudice to me or mine upon this island; and, in the mean
+time, be governed by my orders: secondly, That if the ship is, or may be
+recovered, you will carry me and my man to England, passage free."
+
+He gave me all the assurances that the invention or faith of man could
+devise, that he would comply with these most reasonable demands; and,
+besides, would owe his life to me, and acknowledge it upon all
+occasions, as long as he lived. "Well then," said I, "here are three
+muskets for you, with powder and ball: tell me next what you think is
+proper to be done." He showed all the testimonies of his gratitude that
+he was able, but offered to be wholly guided by me. I told him I thought
+it was hard venturing any thing; but the best method I could think of
+was to fire upon them at once, as they lay, and if any were not killed
+at the first volley, and offered to submit, we might save them, and so
+put it wholly upon God's providence to direct the shot. He said very
+modestly, that he was loath to kill them, if he could help it: but that
+those two were incorrigible villains, and had been the authors of all
+the mutiny in the ship, and if they escaped, we should be undone still;
+for they would go on board and bring the whole ship's company, and
+destroy us all. "Well then," says I, "necessity legitimates my advice,
+for it is the only way to save our lives." However, seeing him still
+cautious of shedding blood, I told him they should go themselves, and
+manage as they found convenient.
+
+In the middle of this discourse we heard some of them awake, and soon
+after we saw two of them on their feet. I asked him if either of them
+were the heads of the mutiny? He said, No. "Well then," said I, "you may
+let them escape; and Providence seems to have awakened them on purpose
+to save themselves.--Now," says I, "if the rest escape you, it is your
+fault." Animated with this, he took the musket I had given him in his
+hand, and a pistol in his belt, and his two comrades with him, with each
+a piece in his hand; the two men who were with him going first, made
+some noise, at which one of the seamen who was awake turned about, and
+seeing them coming, cried out to the rest; but it was too late then, for
+the moment he cried out they fired; I mean the two men, the captain
+wisely reserving his own piece. They had so well aimed their shot at the
+men they knew, that one of them was killed on the spot, and the other
+very much wounded; but not being dead, he started up on his feet, and
+called eagerly for help to the other; but the captain stepping to him,
+told him it was too late to cry for help, he should call upon God to
+forgive his villany; and with that word knocked him down with the stock
+of his musket, so that he never spoke more: there were three more in the
+company, and one of them was also slightly wounded. By this time I was
+come; and when they saw their danger, and that it was in vain to resist,
+they begged for mercy. The captain told them he would spare their lives,
+if they would give him any assurance of their abhorrence of the
+treachery they had been guilty of, and would swear to be faithful to him
+in recovering the ship, and afterwards in carrying her back to Jamaica,
+from whence they came. They gave him all the protestations of their
+sincerity that could be desired, and he was willing to believe them, and
+spare their lives, which I was not against, only that I obliged him to
+keep them bound hand and foot while they were on the island.
+
+While this was doing, I sent Friday with the captain's mate to the boat,
+with orders to secure her, and bring away the oars and sails, which they
+did: and by and by three straggling men, that were (happily for them)
+parted from the rest, came back upon hearing the guns fired; and seeing
+the captain, who before was their prisoner, now their conqueror, they
+submitted to be bound also; and so our victory was complete.
+
+It now remained that the captain and I should inquire into one another's
+circumstances: I began first, and told him my whole history, which he
+heard with an attention even to amazement; and particularly at the
+wonderful manner of my being furnished with provisions and ammunition;
+and, indeed, as my story is a whole collection of wonders, it affected
+him deeply. But when he reflected from thence upon himself, and how I
+seemed to have been preserved there on purpose to save his life, the
+tears ran down his face, and he could not speak a word more. After this
+communication was at an end, I carried him and his two men into my
+apartment, leading them in just where I came out, viz. at the top of the
+house, where I refreshed them with such provisions as I had, and showed
+them all the contrivances I had made, during my long, long inhabiting
+that place.
+
+All I showed them, all I said to them, was perfectly amazing; but,
+above all, the captain admired my fortification, and how perfectly I had
+concealed my retreat with a grove of trees, which, having been now
+planted near twenty years, and the trees growing much faster than in
+England, was become a little wood, and so thick, that it was impassable
+in any part of it, but at that one side where I had reserved my little
+winding passage into it. I told him this was my castle and my residence,
+but that I had a seat in the country, as most princes have, whither I
+could retreat upon occasion, and I would show him that too another time:
+but at present our business was to consider how to recover the ship. He
+agreed with me as to that; but told me, he was perfectly at a loss what
+measures to take, for that there were still six and twenty hands on
+board, who having entered into a cursed conspiracy, by which they had
+all forfeited their lives to the law, would be hardened in it now by
+desperation, and would carry it on, knowing that, if they were subdued,
+they would be brought to the gallows as soon as they came to England, or
+to any of the English colonies; and that, therefore, there would be no
+attacking them with so small a number as we were.
+
+I mused for some time upon what he had said, and found it was a very
+rational conclusion, and that, therefore, something was to be resolved
+on speedily, as well to draw the men on board into some snare for their
+surprise, as to prevent their landing upon us, and destroying us. Upon
+this, it presently occurred to me, that in a little while the ship's
+crew, wondering what was become of their comrades, and of the boat,
+would certainly come on shore in their other boat, to look for them;
+and that then, perhaps, they might come armed, and be too strong for us:
+this he allowed to be rational. Upon this, I told him the first thing we
+had to do was to stave the boat, which lay upon the beach, so that they
+might not carry her off: and taking every thing out of her, leave her so
+far useless as not to be fit to swim: accordingly we went on board, took
+the arms which were left on board out of her, and whatever else we found
+there, which was a bottle of brandy, and another of rum, a few
+biscuit-cakes, a horn of powder, and a great lump of sugar in a piece of
+canvass (the sugar was five or six pounds;) all which was very welcome
+to me, especially the brandy and sugar, of which I had none left for
+many years.
+
+When we had carried all these things on shore, (the oars, mast, sail,
+and rudder of the boat were carried away before, as above,) we knocked a
+great hole in her bottom, that if they had come strong enough to master
+us, yet they could not carry off the boat. Indeed, it was not much in my
+thoughts that we could be able to recover the ship; but my view was,
+that if they went away without the boat, I did not much question to make
+her fit again to carry us to the Leeward Islands, and call upon our
+friends the Spaniards in my way; for I had them still in my thoughts.
+
+While we were thus preparing our designs, and had first, by main
+strength, heaved the boat upon the beach so high, that the tide would
+not float her off at high water mark, and besides, had broke a hole in
+her bottom too big to be quickly stopped, and were set down musing what
+we should do, we heard the ship fire a gun, and saw her make a waft with
+her ensign as a signal for the boat to come on board: but no boat
+stirred; and they fired several times, making other signals for the
+boat. At last, when all their signals and firing proved fruitless, and
+they found the boat did not stir, we saw them, by the help of my
+glasses, hoist another boat out, and row towards the shore; and we
+found, as they approached, that there were no less than ten men in her;
+and that they had fire-arms with them.
+
+As the ship lay almost two leagues from the shore, we had a full view of
+them as they came, and a plain sight even of their faces; because the
+tide having set them a little to the east of the other boat, they rowed
+up under shore, to come to the same place where the other had landed,
+and where the boat lay; by this means, I say, we had a full view of
+them, and the captain knew the persons and characters of all the men in
+the boat, of whom, he said, there were three very honest fellows, who,
+he was sure, were led into this conspiracy by the rest, being
+overpowered and frightened; but that as for the boatswain, who, it
+seems, was the chief officer among them, and all the rest, they were as
+outrageous as any of the ship's crew, and were no doubt made desperate
+in their new enterprise; and terribly apprehensive he was that they
+would be too powerful for us. I smiled at him, and told him that men in
+our circumstances were past the operation of fear; that seeing almost
+every condition that could be was better than that which we were
+supposed to be in, we ought to expect that the consequence, whether
+death or life, would be sure to be a deliverance, I asked him what he
+thought of the circumstances of my life, and whether a deliverance were
+not worth venturing for? "And where, Sir," said I, "is your belief of my
+being preserved here on purpose to save your life, which elevated you a
+little while ago? For my part," said I, "there seems to me but one thing
+amiss in all the prospect of it."--"What is that?" says he. "Why," said
+I, "it is, that as you say there are three or four honest fellows among
+them, which should be spared, had they been all of the wicked part of
+the crew I should have thought God's providence had singled them out to
+deliver them into your hands; for depend upon it, every man that comes
+ashore are our own, and shall die or live as they behave to us." As I
+spoke this with a raised voice and cheerful countenance, I found it
+greatly encouraged him; so we set vigorously to our business.
+
+We had, upon the first appearance of the boat's coming from the ship,
+considered of separating our prisoners; and we had, indeed, secured them
+effectually. Two of them, of whom the captain was less assured than
+ordinary, I sent with Friday, and one of the three delivered men, to my
+cave, where they were remote enough, and out of danger of being heard or
+discovered, or of finding their way out of the woods if they could have
+delivered themselves: here they left them bound, but gave them
+provisions; and promised them, if they continued there quietly, to give
+them their liberty in a day or two; but that if they attempted their
+escape, they should be put to death without mercy. They promised
+faithfully to bear their confinement with patience, and were very
+thankful that they had such good usage as to have provisions and light
+left them; for Friday gave them candles (such as we made ourselves) for
+their comfort; and they did not know but that he stood centinel over
+them at the entrance.
+
+The other prisoners had better usage; two of them were kept pinioned,
+indeed, because the captain was not free to trust them; but the other
+two were taken into my service, upon the captain's recommendation, and
+upon their solemnly engaging to live and die with us; so with them and
+the three honest men we were seven men well armed; and I made no doubt
+we should be able to deal well enough with the ten that were coming,
+considering that the captain had said there were three or four honest
+men among them also. As soon as they got to the place where their other
+boat lay, they ran their boat into the beach, and came all on shore,
+hauling the boat up after them, which I was glad to see; for I was
+afraid they would rather have left the boat at an anchor, some distance
+from the shore, with some hands in her, to guard her, and so we should
+not be able to seize the boat. Being on shore, the first thing they did,
+they ran all to their other boat; and it was easy to see they were under
+a great surprise to find her stripped, as above, of all that was in her,
+and a great hole in her bottom. After they had mused a while upon this,
+they set up two or three great shouts, hallooing with all their might,
+to try if they could make their companions hear; but all was to no
+purpose: then they came all close in a ring, and fired a volley of their
+small arms, which, indeed, we heard, and the echoes made the woods
+ring; but it was all one; those in the cave we were sure could not hear,
+and those in our keeping, though they heard it well enough, yet durst
+give no answer to them. They were so astonished at the surprise of this,
+that, as they told us afterwards, they resolved to go all on board
+again, to their ship, and let them know that the men were all murdered,
+and the long-boat staved; accordingly, they immediately launched their
+boat again, and got all of them on board.
+
+The captain was terribly amazed, and even confounded at this, believing
+they would go on board the ship again, and set sail, giving their
+comrades over for lost, and so he should still lose the ship, which he
+was in hopes we should have recovered; but he was quickly as much
+frightened the other way.
+
+They had not been long put off with the boat, but we perceived them all
+coming on shore again; but with this new measure in their conduct, which
+it seems they consulted together upon, viz. to leave three men in the
+boat, and the rest to go on shore, and go up into the country to look
+for their fellows. This was a great disappointment to us, for now we
+were at a loss what to do; as our seizing those seven men on shore would
+be no advantage to us, if we let the boat escape; because they would
+then row away to the ship, and then the rest of them would be sure to
+weigh and set sail, and so our recovering the ship would be lost.
+However, we had no remedy but to wait and see what the issue of things
+might present. The seven men came on shore, and the three who remained
+in the boat put her off to a good distance from the shore, and came to
+an anchor to wait for them; so that it was impossible for us to come at
+them in the boat. Those that came on shore kept close together, marching
+towards the top of the little hill under which my habitation lay; and we
+could see them plainly, though they could not perceive us. We could have
+been very glad they would have come nearer to us, so that we might have
+fired at them, or that they would have gone farther off, that we might
+have come abroad. But when they were come to the brow of the hill, where
+they could see a great way into the valleys and woods, which lay towards
+the north-east part, and where the island lay lowest, they shouted and
+hallooed till they were weary; and not caring, it seems, to venture far
+from the shore, nor far from one another, they sat down together under a
+tree, to consider of it. Had they thought fit to have gone to sleep
+there, as the other part of them had done, they had done the job for us;
+but they were too full of apprehensions of danger to venture to go to
+sleep, though they could not tell what the danger was they had to
+fear neither.
+
+The captain made a very just proposal to me upon this consultation of
+theirs, viz. that perhaps they would all fire a volley again, to
+endeavour to make their fellows hear, and that we should all sally upon
+them, just at the Juncture when their pieces were all discharged, and
+they would certainly yield, and we should have them without bloodshed. I
+liked this proposal, provided it was done while we were near enough to
+come up to them before they could load their pieces again. But this
+event did not happen; and we lay still a long time, very irresolute what
+course to take. At length I told them there would be nothing done, in my
+opinion, till night; and then, if they did not return to the boat,
+perhaps we might find a way to get between them and the shore, and so
+might use some stratagem with them in the boat to get them on shore. We
+waited a great while, though very impatient for their removing; and were
+very uneasy, when, after long consultations, we saw them all start up,
+and march down towards the sea: it seems they had such dreadful
+apprehensions upon them of the danger of the place, that they resolved
+to go on board the ship again, give their companions over for lost, and
+so go on with their intended voyage with the ship.
+
+As soon as I perceived them to go towards the shore, I imagined it to
+be, as it really was, that they had given over their search, and were
+for going back again; and the captain, as soon as I told him my
+thoughts, was ready to sink at the apprehensions of it: but I presently
+thought of a stratagem to fetch them back again, and which answered my
+end to a tittle. I ordered Friday and the captain's mate to go over the
+little creek westward, towards the place where the savages came on shore
+when Friday was rescued, and as soon as they came to a little rising
+ground, at about half a mile distance, I bade them halloo out, as loud
+as they could, and wait till they found the seamen heard them; that as
+soon as ever they heard the seamen answer them, they should return it
+again; and then keeping out of sight, take a round, always answering
+when the others hallooed, to draw them as far into the island, and among
+the woods, as possible, and then wheel about again to me, by such ways
+as I directed them.
+
+They were just going into the boat when Friday and the mate hallooed:
+and they presently heard them, and answering, run along the shore
+westward, towards the voice they heard, when they were presently stopped
+by the creek, where the water being up, they could not get over, and
+called for the boat to come up and set them over; as, indeed, I
+expected. When they had set themselves over, I observed that the boat
+being gone a good way into the creek, and, as it were, in a harbour
+within the land, they took one of the three men out of her, to go along
+with them, and left only two in the boat, having fastened her to the
+stump of a little tree on the shore. This was what I wished for; and
+immediately leaving Friday and the captain's mate to their business, I
+took the rest with me, and crossing the creek out of their sight, we
+surprised the two men before they were aware; one of them lying on the
+shore, and the other being in the boat. The fellow on shore was between
+sleeping and waking, and going to start up; the captain, who was
+foremost, ran in upon him, and knocked him down; and then called out to
+him in the boat to yield, or he was a dead man. There needed very few
+arguments to persuade a single man to yield, when he saw five men upon
+him, and his comrade knocked down; besides, this was, it seems, one of
+the three who were not so hearty in the mutiny as the rest of the crew,
+and therefore was easily persuaded not only to yield, but afterwards to
+join very sincerely with us. In the mean time, Friday and the captain's
+mate so well managed their business with the rest, that they drew them,
+by hallooing and answering, from one hill to another, and from one wood
+to another, till they not only heartily tired them, but left them where
+they were very sure they could not reach back to the boat before it was
+dark; and, indeed, they were heartily tired themselves also, by the time
+they came back to us.
+
+We had nothing now to do but to watch for them in the dark, and to fall
+upon them, so as to make sure work with them. It was several hours after
+Friday came back to me before they came back to their boat; and we could
+hear the foremost of them, long before they came quite up, calling to
+those behind to come along; and could also hear them answer, and
+complain how lame and tired they were, and not able to come any faster;
+which was very welcome news to us. At length they came up to the boat:
+but it is impossible to express their confusion when they found the boat
+fast aground in the creek, the tide ebbed out, and their two men gone.
+We could hear them call to one another in a most lamentable manner,
+telling one another they were got into an enchanted island; that either
+there were inhabitants in it, and they should all be murdered, or else
+there were devils and spirits in it, and they should be all carried away
+and devoured. They hallooed again, and called their two comrades by
+their names a great many times; but no answer. After some time, we could
+see them, by the little light there was, run about, wringing their
+hands like men in despair; and that sometimes they would go and sit down
+in the boat, to rest themselves: then come ashore again, and walk about
+again, and so the same thing over again. My men would fain have had me
+give them leave to fall upon them at once in the dark; but I was willing
+to take them at some advantage, so to spare them, and kill as few of
+them as I could; and especially I was unwilling to hazard the killing
+any of our men, knowing the others were very well armed. I resolved to
+wait, to see if they did not separate; and, therefore, to make sure of
+them, I drew my ambuscade nearer, and ordered Friday and the captain to
+creep upon their hands and feet, as close to the ground as they could,
+that they might not be discovered, and get as near them as they could
+possibly, before they offered to fire.
+
+They had not been long in that posture, when the boatswain, who was the
+principal ringleader of the mutiny, and had now shown himself the most
+dejected and dispirited of all the rest, came walking towards them, with
+two more of the crew: the captain was so eager at having this principal
+rogue so much in his power, that he could hardly have patience to let
+him come so near as to be sure of him, for they only heard his tongue
+before: but when they came nearer, the captain and Friday, starting up
+on their feet, let fly at them. The boatswain was killed upon the spot;
+the next man was shot in the body, and fell just by him, though he did
+not die till an hour or two after; and the third run for it. At the
+noise of the fire, I immediately advanced with my whole army,
+which was now eight men, viz. myself, generalissimo; Friday, my
+lieutenant-general; the captain and his two men, and the three prisoners
+of war, whom we had trusted with arms. We came upon them, indeed, in the
+dark, so that they could not see our number; and I made the man they had
+left in the boat, who was now one of us, to call them by name, to try if
+I could bring them to a parley, and so might perhaps reduce them to
+terms; which fell out just as we desired: for indeed it was easy to
+think, as their condition then was, they would be very willing to
+capitulate. So he calls out as loud as he could, to one of them, "Tom
+Smith! Tom Smith!" Tom Smith answered immediately, "Is that Robinson?"
+For it seems he knew the voice. The other answered, "Aye aye; for God's
+sake, Tom Smith, throw down your arms and yield, or you are all dead men
+this moment."--"Who must we yield to? Where are they?" says Smith again.
+"Here they are," says he; "here's our captain and fifty men with him;
+have been hunting you these two hours: the boatswain is killed, Will Fry
+is wounded, and I am a prisoner; and if you do not yield, you are all
+lost."--"Will they give us quarter then?" says Tom Smith, "and we will
+yield."--"I'll go and ask, if you promise to yield," says Robinson: so
+he asked the captain; and the captain himself then calls out, "You,
+Smith, you know my voice; if you lay down your arms immediately, and
+submit, you shall have your lives, all but Will Atkins."
+
+Upon this Will Atkins cried out, "For God's sake, captain, give me
+quarter; what have I done? They have all been as bad as I:" which, by
+the way, was not true neither; for, it seems, this Will Atkins was the
+first man that laid hold of the captain, when they first mutinied, and
+used him barbarously, in tying his hands, and giving him injurious
+language. However, the captain told him he must lay down his arms at
+discretion, and trust to the governor's mercy: by which he meant, me,
+for they all called me governor. In a word, they all laid down their
+arms, and begged their lives; and I sent the man that had parleyed with
+them, and two more, who bound them all; and then my great army of fifty
+men, which, particularly with those three, were in all but eight, came
+up and seized upon them, and upon their boat; only that I kept myself
+and one more out of sight for reasons of state.
+
+Our next work was to repair the boat, and think of seizing the ship: and
+as for the captain, now he had leisure to parley with them, he
+expostulated with them upon the villany of their practices with him, and
+at length upon the further wickedness of their design, and how certainly
+it must bring them to misery and, distress in the end, and perhaps to
+the gallows. They all appeared very penitent, and begged hard for their
+lives. As for that, he told them they were none of his prisoners, but
+the commander's of the island; that they thought they had set him on
+shore in a barren, uninhabited island; but it had pleased God so to
+direct them, that it was inhabited, and that the governor was an
+Englishman; that he might hang them all there, if he pleased; but as he
+had given them all quarter, he supposed he would send them to England,
+to be dealt with there as justice required, except Atkins, whom he was
+commanded by the governor to advise to prepare for death, for that he
+would be hanged in the morning.
+
+Though this was all but a fiction of his own, yet it had its desired
+effect: Atkins fell upon his knees, to beg the captain to intercede with
+the governor for his life; and all the rest begged of him, for God's
+sake, that they might not be sent to England.
+
+It now occurred to me, that the time of our deliverance was come, and
+that it would be a most easy thing to bring these fellows in to be
+hearty in getting possession of the ship; so I retired in the dark from
+them, that they might not see what kind of a governor they had, and
+called the captain to me: when I called, as at a good distance, one of
+the men was ordered to speak again, and say to the captain, "Captain,
+the commander calls for you;" and presently the captain replied, "Tell
+his excellency I am just a coming." This more perfectly amused them, and
+they all believed that the commander was just by with his fifty men.
+Upon the captain's coming to me, I told him my project for seizing the
+ship, which he liked wonderfully well, and resolved to put it in
+execution the next morning. But, in order to execute it with more art,
+and to be secure of success, I told him we must divide the prisoners,
+and that he should go and take Atkins, and two more of the worst of
+them, and send them pinioned to the cave where the others lay. This was
+committed to Friday, and the two men who came on shore with the captain.
+They conveyed them to the cave, as to a prison: and it was, indeed, a
+dismal place, especially to men in their condition. The others I
+ordered to my bower, as I called it, of which I have given a full
+description; and as it was fenced in, and they pinioned, the place was
+secure enough, considering they were upon their behaviour.
+
+To these in the morning I sent the captain, who was to enter into a
+parley with them; in a word, to try them, and tell me whether he thought
+they might be trusted or no to go on board and surprise the ship. He
+talked to them of the injury done him, of the condition they were
+brought to, and that though the governor had given them quarter for
+their lives as to the present action, yet that if they were sent to
+England, they would all be hanged in chains, to be sure; but that if
+they would join in so just an attempt as to recover the ship, he would
+have the governor's engagement for their pardon.
+
+Any one may guess how readily such a proposal would be accepted by men
+in their condition; they fell down on their knees to the captain, and
+promised, with the deepest imprecations, that they would be faithful to
+him to the last drop, and that they should owe their lives to him, and
+would go with him all over the world; that they would own him as a
+father as long as they lived. "Well," says the captain, "I must go and
+tell the governor what you say, and see what I can do to bring him to
+consent to it." So he brought me an account of the temper he found them
+in, and that he verily believed they would be faithful. However, that we
+might be very secure, I told him he should go back again and choose out
+those five, and tell them, that they might see he did not want men, that
+he would take out those five to be his assistants, and that the
+governor would keep the other two, and the three that were sent
+prisoners to the castle (my cave) as hostages for the fidelity of those
+five; and that if they proved unfaithful in the execution, the five
+hostages should be hanged in chains alive on the shore. This looked
+severe, and convinced them that the governor was in earnest: however,
+they had no way left them but to accept it; and it was now the business
+of the prisoners, as much as of the captain, to persuade the other five
+to do their duty.
+
+Our strength was now thus ordered for the expedition: first, The
+captain, his mate, and passenger: second, Then the two prisoners of the
+first gang, to whom, having their character from the captain, I had
+given their liberty, and trusted them with arms: third, The other two
+that I had kept till now in my bower pinioned, but, on the captain's
+motion, had now released: fourth, These five released at last: so that
+they were twelve in all, besides five we kept prisoners in the cave
+for hostages.
+
+I asked the captain if he was willing to venture with these hands on
+board the ship: but as for me and my man Friday, I did not think it was
+proper for us to stir, having seven men left behind; and it was
+employment enough for us to keep them asunder, and supply them with
+victuals. As to the five in the cave, I resolved to keep them fast, but
+Friday went in twice a day to them, to supply them with necessaries; and
+I made the other two carry provisions to a certain distance, where
+Friday was to take it.
+
+When I showed myself to the two hostages, it was with the captain, who
+told them I was the person the governor had ordered to look after them:
+and that it was the governor's pleasure they should not stir any where
+but by my direction; that if they did, they would be fetched into the
+castle, and be laid in irons: so that as we never suffered them to see
+me as a governor, I now appeared as another person, and spoke of the
+governor, the garrison, the castle, and the like, upon all occasions.
+
+The captain now had no difficulty before him, but to furnish his two
+boats, stop the breach of one, and man them. He made his passenger
+captain of one, with four of the men; and himself, his mate, and five
+more, went in the other; and they contrived their business very well,
+for they came up to the ship about midnight. As soon as they came within
+call of the ship, he made Robinson hail them, and tell them they had
+brought off the men and the boat, but that it was a long time before
+they had found them, and the like, holding them in a chat till they came
+to the ship's side; when the captain and the mate entering first, with
+their arms, immediately knocked down the second mate and carpenter with
+the but end of their muskets, being very faithfully seconded by their
+men; they secured all the rest that were upon the mainland quarterdecks,
+and began to fasten the hatches, to keep them down that were below; when
+the other boat and their men entering at the fore-chains, secured the
+forecastle of the ship, and the scuttle which went down into the
+cook-room, making three men they found there prisoners. When this was
+done, and all safe upon deck, the captain ordered the mate, with three
+men, to break into the round-house, where the new rebel captain lay, who
+having taken the alarm, had got up, and with two men and a boy had got
+fire-arms in their hands; and when the mate, with a crow, split open the
+door, the new captain and his men fired boldly among them, and wounded
+the mate with a musket ball, which broke his arm, and wounded two more
+of the men, but killed nobody. The mate calling for help, rushed,
+however, into the round-house, wounded as he was, and with his pistol
+shot the new captain through the head, the bullet entering at his mouth,
+and came out again behind one of his ears, so that he never spoke a word
+more: upon which the rest yielded, and the ship was taken effectually,
+without any more lives lost.
+
+As soon as the ship was thus secured, the: captain ordered seven guns to
+be fired, which was the signal agreed upon with me to give me notice of
+his success, which you may be sure I was very glad to hear, having sat
+watching upon the shore for it till near two o'clock in the morning.
+Having thus heard the signal plainly, I laid me down; and it having been
+a day of great fatigue to me, I slept very sound, till I was something
+surprised with the noise of a gun; and presently starting up, I heard a
+man call me by the name of Governor, Governor, and presently I knew the
+captain's voice; when climbing up to the top of the hill, there he
+stood, and pointing to the ship, he embraced me in his arms. "My dear
+friend and deliverer," says he, "there's your ship, for she is all
+your's, and so are we, and all that belong to her." I cast my eyes to
+the ship, and there she rode within little more than half a mile of the
+shore; for they had weighed her anchor as soon as they were masters of
+her, and the weather being fair, had brought her to an anchor just
+against the mouth of the little creek; and the tide being up, the
+captain had brought the pinnace in near the place where I at first
+landed my rafts, and so landed just at my door, I was at first ready to
+sink down with the surprise; for I saw my deliverance, indeed, visibly
+put into my hands, all things easy, and a large ship just ready to carry
+me away whither I pleased to go. At first, for some time, I was not able
+to answer him one word; but as he had taken me in his arms, I held fast
+by him, or I should have fallen to the ground. He perceived the
+surprise, and immediately pulls a bottle out of his pocket, and gave me
+a dram of cordial, which he had brought on purpose for me. After I had
+drank it, I sat down upon the ground; and though it brought me to
+myself, yet it was a good while before I could speak a word to him. All
+this time the poor man was in as great an ecstasy as I, only not under
+any surprise, as I was; and he said a thousand kind and tender things to
+me, to compose and bring me to myself: but such was the flood of joy in
+my breast, that it put all my spirits into confusion; at last it broke
+out into tears; and in a little while after I recovered my speech. I
+then took my turn, and embraced him as my deliverer, and we rejoiced
+together. I told him I looked upon him as a man sent from Heaven to
+deliver me, and that the whole transaction seemed to be a chain of
+wonders; that such things as these were the testimonies we had of a
+secret hand of Providence governing the world, and an evidence that the
+eye of an infinite power could search into the remotest corner of the
+world, and send help to the miserable whenever he pleased. I forgot not
+to lift up my heart in thankfulness to Heaven; and what heart could
+forbear to bless him, who had not only in a miraculous manner provided
+for me in such a wilderness, and in such a desolate condition, but from
+whom every deliverance must always be acknowledged to proceed?
+
+When we had talked a while, the captain told me he had brought me some
+little refreshment, such as the ship afforded, and such as the wretches
+that had been so long his masters had not plundered him of. Upon this he
+called aloud to the boat, and bade his men bring the things ashore that
+were for the governor; and, indeed, it was a present as if I had been
+one that was not to be carried away with them, but as if I had been to
+dwell upon the island still. First, he had brought me a case of bottles
+full of excellent cordial waters, six large bottles of Madeira wine,
+(the bottles held two quarts each,) two pounds of excellent good
+tobacco, twelve good pieces of the ship's beef, and six pieces of pork,
+with a bag of peas, and about an hundred weight of biscuit: he also
+brought me a box of sugar, a box of flour, a bag full of lemons, and two
+bottles of lime juice, and abundance of other things. But, besides
+these, and what was a thousand times more useful to me, he brought me
+six new clean shirts, six very good neckcloths, two pair of gloves, one
+pair of shoes, a hat, and one pair of stockings, with a very good suit
+of clothes of his own, which had been worn but very little; in a word,
+he clothed me from head to foot. It was a very kind and agreeable
+present, as any one may imagine, to one in my circumstances; but never
+was any thing in the world of that kind so unpleasant, awkward, and
+uneasy, as it was to me to wear such clothes at first.
+
+After these ceremonies were past, and after all his good things were
+brought into my little apartment, we began to consult what was to be
+done with the prisoners we had; for it was worth considering whether we
+might venture to take them away with us or no, especially two of them,
+whom he knew to be incorrigible and refractory to the last degree; and
+the captain said he knew they were such rogues, that there was no
+obliging them; and if he did carry them away, it must be in irons, as
+malefactors, to be delivered over to justice at the first English colony
+he could come at; and I found that the captain himself was very anxious
+about it. Upon this I told him, that if he desired it, I would undertake
+to bring the two men he spoke of to make it their own request that he
+should leave them upon the island. "I should be very glad of that," says
+the captain, "with all my heart."--"Well," says I, "I will send for
+them up, and talk with them for you," So I caused Friday and the two
+hostages, for they were now discharged, their comrades having performed
+their promise; I say, I caused them to go to the cave, and bring up the
+five men, pinioned as they were, to the bower, and keep them there till
+I came. After some time, I came thither dressed in my new habit; and now
+I was called governor again. Being all met, and the captain with me, I
+caused the men to be brought before me, and I told them I had got a full
+account of their villanous behaviour to the captain, and how they had
+run away with the ship, and were, preparing to commit farther robberies,
+but that Providence had ensnared them in their own ways, and that they
+were fallen into the pit which they had dug for others. I let them know
+that by my direction the ship had been seized; that she lay now in the
+road; and they might see, by and by, that their new captain had received
+the reward of his villany, and that they would see him hanging at the
+yard-arm: that as to them, I wanted to know what they had to say why I
+should not execute them as pirates, taken in the fact, as by my
+commission they could not doubt but I had authority so to do.
+
+One of them answered in the name of the rest, that they had nothing to
+say but this, that when they were taken, the captain promised them their
+lives, and they humbly implored my mercy. But I told them I knew not
+what mercy to show them; for as for myself, I had resolved to quit the
+island with all my men, and had taken passage with the captain to go for
+England; and as for the captain, he could not carry them to England
+other than as prisoners, in irons, to be tried for mutiny, and running
+away with the ship; the consequence of which, they must needs know,
+would be the gallows; so that I could not tell what was best for them,
+unless they had a mind to take their fate in the island; if they desired
+that, as I had liberty to leave the island, I had some inclination to
+give them their lives, if they thought they could shift on shore. They
+seemed very thankful for it, and said they would much rather venture to
+stay there than be carried to England to be hanged: so I left it on
+that issue.
+
+However, the captain seemed to make some difficulty of it, as if he
+durst not leave them there. Upon this I seemed a little angry with the
+captain, and told him that they were my prisoners, not his; and that
+seeing I had offered them so much favour, I would be as good as my word;
+and that if he did not think fit to consent to it I would set them at
+liberty, as I found them; and if he did not like it, he might take them
+again if he could catch them. Upon this they appeared very thankful, and
+I accordingly set them at liberty, and bade them retire into the woods
+to the place whence they came, and I would leave them some fire-arms,
+some ammunition, and some directions how they should live very well, if
+they thought fit. Upon this I prepared to go on board the ship; but told
+the captain I would stay that night to prepare my things, and desired
+him to go on board, in the mean time, and keep all right in the ship,
+and send the boat on shore next day for me; ordering him, at all events,
+to cause the new captain, who was killed, to be hanged at the yard-arm,
+that these men might see him.
+
+When the captain was gone, I sent for the men up to me to my apartment,
+and entered seriously into discourse with them on their circumstances. I
+told them I thought they had made a right choice; that if the captain
+had carried them away, they would certainly be hanged. I showed them the
+new captain hanging at the yard-arm of the ship, and told them they had
+nothing less to expect.
+
+When they had all declared their willingness to stay, I then told them I
+would let them into the story of my living there, and put them into the
+way of making it easy to them: accordingly, I gave them the whole
+history of the place, and of my coming to it; showed them my
+fortifications, the way I made my bread, planted my corn, cured my
+grapes; and, in a word, all that was necessary to make them easy. I told
+them the story also of the seventeen Spaniards that were to be expected,
+for whom I left a letter, and made them promise to treat them in common
+with themselves. Here it may be noted, that the captain had ink on
+board, who was greatly surprised that I never hit upon a way of making
+ink of charcoal and water, or of something else, as I had done things
+much more difficult.
+
+I left them my fire-arms, viz. five-muskets, three fowling-pieces; and
+three swords. I had above a barrel and a half of powder left; for after
+the first year or two I used but little, and wasted none. I gave them a
+description of the way I managed the goats, and directions to milk and
+fatten them, and to make both butter and cheese: in a word, I gave them
+every part of my own story; and told them I should prevail with the
+captain to leave them two barrels of gunpowder more, and some garden
+seeds, which I told them I would have been very glad of: also I gave
+them the bag of peas which the captain had brought me to eat, and bade
+them be sure to sow and increase them.
+
+Having done all this, I left them the next day, and went on board the
+ship. We prepared immediately to sail, but did not weigh that night. The
+next morning early, two of the five men came swimming to the ship's
+side, and making a most lamentable complaint of the other three, begged
+to be taken into the ship, for God's sake, for they should be murdered,
+and begged the captain to take them on board, though he hanged them
+immediately. Upon this, the captain pretended to have no power without
+me; but after some difficulty, and after their solemn promises of
+amendment, they were taken on board, and were some time after soundly
+whipped and pickled: after which they proved very honest and
+quiet fellows.
+
+Some time after this, the boat was ordered on shore, the tide being up,
+with the things promised to the men; to which the captain, at my
+intercession, caused their chests and clothes to be added, which they
+took, and were very thankful for. I also encouraged them, by telling
+them that if it lay in my power to send any vessel to take them in, I
+would not forget them.
+
+When I took leave of this island, I carried on board, for reliques, the
+great goat-skin cap I had made, my umbrella, and one of my parrots; also
+I forgot not to take the money I formerly mentioned, which had lain by
+me so long useless, that it was grown rusty or tarnished, and could
+hardly pass for silver, till it had been a little rubbed and handled; as
+also the money I found in the wreck of the Spanish ship. And thus I left
+the island, the 19th of December, as I found by the ship's account, in
+the year 1686, after I had been upon it eight and twenty years, two
+months, and nineteen days; being delivered from this second captivity
+the same day of the month that I first made my escape in the long-boat,
+from among the Moors of Sallee. In this vessel, after a long voyage, I
+arrived in England the 11th of June, in the year 1687, having been
+thirty-five years absent.
+
+When I came to England, I was as perfect a stranger to all the world as
+if I had never been known there. My benefactor and faithful steward,
+whom I had left my money in trust with, was alive, but had had great
+misfortunes in the world; was become a widow the second time, and very
+low in the world. I made her very easy as to what she owed me, assuring
+her I would give her no trouble; but on the contrary, in gratitude for
+her former care and faithfulness to me, I relieved her as my
+little-stock would afford; which, at that time, would indeed allow me to
+do but little for her; but I assured her I would never forget her former
+kindness to me; nor did I forget her when I had sufficient to help her,
+as shall be observed in its proper place. I went down afterwards into
+Yorkshire; but my father was dead, and my mother and all the family
+extinct, except that I found two sisters, and two of the children of one
+of my brothers; and as I had been long ago given over for dead, there
+had been no provision made for me: so that, in a word, I found nothing
+to relieve or assist me; and that the little money I had would not do
+much for me as to settling in the world.
+
+I met with one piece of gratitude, indeed, which I did not expect; and
+this was, that the master of the ship whom I had so happily delivered,
+and by the same means saved the ship and cargo, having given a very
+handsome account to the owners of the manner how I had saved the lives
+of the men, and the ship, they invited me to meet them, and some other
+merchants concerned, and all together made me a very handsome compliment
+upon the subject, and a present of almost £200 sterling.
+
+But after making several reflections upon the circumstances of my life,
+and how little way this would go towards settling me in the world, I
+resolved to go to Lisbon, and see if I might not come by some
+information of the state of my plantation in the Brazils, and of what
+was become of my partner, who, I had reason to suppose, had some years
+past given me over for dead. With this view I took shipping for Lisbon,
+where I arrived in April following; my man Friday accompanying me very
+honestly in all these ramblings, and proving a most faithful servant
+upon all occasions. When I came to Lisbon, I found out, by inquiry, and
+to my particular satisfaction, my old friend the captain of the ship who
+first took me up at sea off the shore of Africa. He was now grown old,
+and had left off going to sea, having put his son, who was far from a
+young man, into his ship, and who still used the Brazil trade. The old
+man did not know me; and, indeed, I hardly knew him: but I soon brought
+him to my remembrance, and as soon brought myself to his remembrance,
+when I told him who I was.
+
+After some passionate expressions of the old acquaintance between us, I
+inquired, you may be sure, after my plantation and my partner. The old
+man told me he had not been in the Brazils for about nine years; but
+that he could assure me, that when he came away my partner was living;
+but the trustees, whom I had joined with him to take cognizance of my
+part, were both dead: that, however, he believed I would have a very
+good account of the improvement of the plantation; for that upon the
+general belief of my being cast away and drowned, my trustees had given
+in the account of the produce of my part of the plantation to the
+procurator-fiscal, who had appropriated it, in case I never came to
+claim it, one-third to the king, and two-thirds to the monastery of St.
+Augustine, to be expended for the benefit of the poor, and for the
+conversion of the Indians to the Catholic faith; but that if I appeared,
+or any one for me, to claim the inheritance, it would be restored; only
+that the improvement or annual production, being distributed to
+charitable uses, could not be restored: but he assured me that the
+steward of the king's revenue from lands, and the provedore, or steward
+of the monastery, had taken great care all along that the incumbent,
+that is to say, my partner, gave every year a faithful account of the
+produce, of which they had duly received my moiety. I asked him if he
+knew to what height of improvement he had brought the plantation, and
+whether he thought it might be worth looking after; or whether, on my
+going thither, I should meet with any obstruction to my possessing my
+just right in the moiety. He told me he could not tell exactly to what
+degree the plantation was improved; but this he knew, that my partner
+was grown exceeding rich upon the enjoying his part of it; and that, to
+the best of his remembrance, he had heard that the king's third of my
+part, which was, it seems, granted away to some other monastery or
+religious house, amounted to above two hundred moidores a year: that as
+to my being restored to a quiet possession of it, there was no question
+to be made of that, my partner being alive to witness my title, and my
+name being also enrolled in the register of the country; also he told
+me, that the survivors of my two trustees were very fair honest people,
+and very wealthy; and he believed I would hot only have their assistance
+for putting me in possession, but would find a very considerable sum of
+money in their hands for my account, being the produce of the farm while
+their fathers held the trust, and before it was given up, as above;
+which, as he remembered, was for about twelve years.
+
+I showed myself a little concerned and uneasy at this account, and
+inquired of the old captain how it came to pass that the trustees should
+thus dispose of my effects, when he knew that I had made my will, and
+had made him, the Portuguese captain, my universal heir, &c.
+
+He told me that was true; but that as there was no proof of my being
+dead, he could not act as executor, until some certain account should
+come of my death; and, besides, he was not willing to intermeddle with a
+thing so remote: that it was true he had registered my will, and put in
+his claim; and could he have given any account of my being dead or
+alive, he would have acted by procuration, and taken possession of the
+ingeino, (so they called the sugar-house) and have given his son, who
+was now at the Brazils, orders to do it. "But," says the old man, "I
+have one piece of news to tell you, which perhaps may not be so
+acceptable to you as the rest; and that is, believing you were lost, and
+all the world believing so also, your partner and trustees did offer to
+account with me, in your name, for six or eight of the first years'
+profits, which I received. There being at that time great disbursements
+for increasing the works, building an ingeino, and buying slaves, it did
+not amount to near so much as afterwards it produced: however," says the
+old man, "I shall give you a true account of what I have received in
+all, and how I have disposed of it."
+
+After a few days' farther conference with this ancient friend, he
+brought me an account of the first six years' income of my plantation,
+signed by my partner and the merchant-trustees, being always delivered
+in goods, viz. tobacco in roll, and sugar in chests, besides rum,
+molasses, &c. which is the consequence of a sugar-work; and I found, by
+this account, that every year the income considerably increased; but, as
+above, the disbursements being large, the sum at first was small:
+however, the old man let me see that he was debtor to me four hundred
+and seventy moidores of gold, besides sixty chests of sugar, and fifteen
+double rolls of tobacco, which were lost in his ship; he having been
+shipwrecked coming home to Lisbon, about eleven years after my leaving
+the place. The good man then began to complain of his misfortunes, and
+how he had been obliged to make use of my money to recover his losses,
+and buy him a share in a new ship. "However, my old friend," says he,
+"you shall not want a supply in your necessity; and as soon as my son
+returns, you shall be fully satisfied." Upon this, he pulls out an old
+pouch, and gives me one hundred and sixty Portugal moidores in gold; and
+giving the writings of his title to the ship, which his son was gone to
+the Brazils in, of which he was a quarter-part owner, and his son
+another, he puts them both into my hands for security of the rest.
+
+I was too much moved with the honesty and kindness of the poor man to be
+able to bear this; and remembering what he had done for me, how he had
+taken me up at sea, and how generously he had used me on all occasions,
+and particularly how sincere a friend he was now to me, I could hardly
+refrain weeping at what he had said to me; therefore I asked him if his
+circumstances admitted him to spare so much money at that time, and if
+it would not straiten him? He told me he could not say but it might
+straiten him a little; but, however, it was my money, and I might want
+it more than he.
+
+Every thing the good man said was full of affection, and I could hardly
+refrain from tears while he spoke; in short, I took one hundred of the
+moidores, and called for a pen and ink to give him a receipt for them:
+then I returned him the rest, and told him if ever I had possession of
+the plantation, I would return the other to him also, (as, indeed, I
+afterwards did;) and that as to the bill of sale of his part in his
+son's ship, I would not take it by any means; but that if I wanted the
+money, I found he was honest enough to pay me; and if I did not, but
+came to receive what he gave me reason to expect, I would never have a
+penny more from him.
+
+When this was past, the old man asked me if he should put me into a
+method to make my claim to my plantation? I told him I thought to go
+over to it myself. He said I might do so if I pleased; but that if I did
+not, there were ways enough to secure my right, and immediately to
+appropriate the profits to my use: and as there were ships in the river
+of Lisbon just ready to go away to Brazil, he made me enter my name in a
+public register, with his affidavit, affirming, upon oath, that I was
+alive, and that I was the same person who took up the land for the
+planting the said plantation at first. This being regularly attested by
+a notary, and a procuration affixed, he directed me to send it, with a
+letter of his writing, to a merchant of his acquaintance at the place;
+and then proposed my staying with him till an account came of
+the return.
+
+Never was any thing more honourable than the proceedings upon this
+procuration; for in less than seven months I received a large packet
+from the survivors of my trustees, the merchants, for whose account I
+went to sea, in which were the following particular letters and
+papers enclosed.
+
+First, There was the account-current of the produce of my farm or
+plantation, from the year when their fathers had balanced with my old
+Portugal captain, being for six years; the balance appeared to be one
+thousand one hundred and seventy-four moidores in my favour.
+
+Secondly, There was the account of four years more, while they kept the
+effects in their hands, before the government claimed the
+administration, as being the effects of a person not to be found, which
+they called civil death; and the balance of this, the value of the
+plantation increasing, amounted to nineteen thousand four hundred and
+forty-six crusadoes, being about three thousand two hundred and
+forty moidores.
+
+Thirdly, There was the prior of Augustine's account, who had received
+the profits for above fourteen years; but not being to account for what
+was disposed of by the hospital, very honestly declared he had eight
+hundred and seventy-two moidores not distributed, which he acknowledged
+to my account: as to the king's part, that refunded nothing.
+
+There was a letter of my partner's, congratulating me very
+affectionately upon my being alive, giving me an account how the estate
+was improved, and what it produced a year; with a particular of the
+number of squares or acres that it contained, how planted, how many
+slaves there were upon it, and making two and twenty crosses for
+blessings, told me he had said so many _Ave Marias_ to thank the blessed
+Virgin that I was alive; inviting me very passionately to come over and
+take possession of my own; and, in the mean time, to give him orders to
+whom he should deliver my effects, if I did not come myself; concluding
+with a hearty tender of his friendship, and that of his family; and sent
+me, as a present, seven fine leopards' skins, which he had, it seems,
+received from Africa, by some other ship that he had sent thither, and
+who, it seems, had made a better voyage than I. He sent me also five
+chests of excellent sweetmeats, and a hundred pieces of gold uncoined,
+not quite so large as moidores. By the same fleet, my two
+merchant-trustees shipped me one thousand two hundred chests of sugar,
+eight hundred rolls of tobacco, and the rest of the whole account
+in gold.
+
+I might well say now, indeed, that the latter end of Job was better than
+the beginning. It is impossible to express the flutterings of my very
+heart when I found all my wealth about me; for as the Brazil ships come
+all in fleets, the same ships which brought my letters brought my goods:
+and the effects were safe in the river before the letters came to my
+hand. In a word, I turned pale, and grew sick; and had not the old man
+run and fetched me a cordial, I believe the sudden surprise of joy had
+overset nature, and I had died upon the spot: nay, after that, I
+continued very ill, and was so some hours till a physician being sent
+for, and something of the real cause of my illness being known, he
+ordered me to be let blood; after which I had relief, and grew well: but
+I verily believe, if I had not been eased by a vent given in that manner
+to the spirits, I should have died.
+
+I was now master, all on a sudden, of above five thousand pounds
+sterling in money, and had an estate, as I might well call it, in the
+Brazils, of above a thousand pounds a year, as sure as an estate of
+lands in England; and, in a word, I was in a condition which I scarce
+knew how to understand, or how to compose myself for the enjoyment of
+it. The first thing I did was to recompense my original benefactor, my
+good old captain, who had been first charitable to me in my distress,
+kind to me in my beginning, and honest to me at the end. I showed him
+all that was sent to me; I told him, that next to the providence of
+Heaven, which disposed all things, it was owing to him; and that it now
+lay on me to reward him, which I would do a hundredfold: so I first
+returned to him the hundred moidores I had received of him; then I sent
+for a notary, and caused him to draw up a general release or discharge
+from the four hundred and seventy moidores, which he had acknowledged he
+owed me, in the fullest and firmest manner possible. After which I
+caused a procuration to be drawn, empowering him to be my receiver of
+the annual profits of my plantation, and appointing my partner to
+account with him, and make the returns by the usual fleets to him in my
+name; and a clause in the end, being a grant of one hundred moidores a
+year to him during his life, out of the effects, and fifty moidores a
+year to his son after him, for his life: and thus I requited my old man.
+
+I was now to consider which way to steer my course next, and what to do
+with the estate that Providence had thus put into my hands; and, indeed,
+I had more care upon my head now than I had in my silent state of life
+in the island, where I wanted nothing but what I had, and had nothing
+but what I wanted; whereas I had now a great charge upon me, and my
+business was how to secure it. I had never a cave now to hide my money
+in, or a place where it might lie without lock or key, till it grew
+mouldy and tarnished before any body would meddle with it: on the
+contrary, I knew not where to put it, or whom to trust with it. My old
+patron, the captain, indeed, was honest, and that was the only refuge I
+had. In the next place, my interest in the Brazils seemed to summon me
+thither; but now I could not tell how to think of going thither till I
+had settled my affairs, and left my effects in some safe hands behind
+me. At first I thought of my old friend the widow, who I knew was
+honest, and would be just to me; but then she was in years, and but
+poor, and, for aught. I knew, might be in debt; so that, in a word, I
+had no way but to go back to England myself, and take my effects
+with me.
+
+It was some months, however, before I resolved upon this; and therefore,
+as I had rewarded the old captain fully, and to his satisfaction, who
+had been my former benefactor, so I began to think of my poor widow,
+whose husband had been my first benefactor, and she, while it was in her
+power, my faithful steward and instructor. So the first thing I did, I
+got a merchant in Lisbon to write to his correspondent in London, not
+only to pay a bill, but to go find her out, and carry her in money a
+hundred pounds from me, and to talk with her, and comfort her in her
+poverty, by telling her she should, if I lived, have a further supply:
+at the same time I sent my two sisters in the country a hundred pounds,
+each, they being, though not in want, yet not in very good
+circumstances; one having been married and left a widow; and the other
+having a husband not so kind to her as he should be. But among all my
+relations or acquaintances, I could not yet pitch upon one to whom I
+durst commit the gross of my stock, that I might go away to the
+Brazils, and leave things safe behind me; and this greatly perplexed me.
+
+I had once a mind to have gone to the Brazils, and have settled myself
+there, for I was, as it were, naturalized to the place; but I had some
+little scruple in my mind about religion, which insensibly drew me back.
+However, it was not religion that kept me from going there for the
+present; and as I had made no scruple of being openly of the religion of
+the country all the while I was among them, so neither did I yet; only
+that, now and then, having of late thought more of it than formerly,
+when I began to think of living and dying among them, I began to regret
+my having professed myself a papist, and thought it might not be the
+best religion to die with.
+
+But, as I have said, this was not the main thing that kept me from going
+to the Brazils, but that really I did not know with whom to leave my
+effects behind me; so I resolved, at last, to go to England with it,
+where, if I arrived, I concluded I should make some acquaintance, or
+find some relations that would be faithful to me; and, accordingly, I
+prepared to go to England with all my wealth.
+
+In order to prepare tilings for my going home, I first, the Brazil fleet
+being just going away, resolved to give answers suitable to the just and
+faithful account of things I had from thence; and, first, to the prior
+of St. Augustine I wrote a letter full of thanks for their just
+dealings, and the offer of the eight hundred and seventy-two moidores
+which were undisposed of, which I desired might be given, five hundred
+to the monastery, and three hundred and seventy-two to the poor, as the
+prior should direct; desiring the good padre's prayers for me, and the
+like. I wrote next a letter of thanks to my two trustees, with all the
+acknowledgment that so much justice and honesty called for; as for
+sending them any present, they were far above having any occasion for
+it. Lastly, I wrote to my partner, acknowledging his industry in the
+improving the plantation, and his integrity in increasing the stock of
+the, works; giving him instructions for his future government of my
+part, according to the powers I had left with my old patron, to whom I
+desired him to send whatever became due to me, till he should hear from
+me more particularly; assuring him that it was my intention not only to
+come to him, but to settle myself there for the remainder of my life. To
+this I added a very handsome present of some Italian silks for his wife
+and two daughters, for such the captain's son informed me he had; with
+two pieces of fine English broad-cloth, the best I could get in Lisbon,
+five pieces of black baize, and some Flanders lace of a good value.
+
+Having thus settled my affairs, sold my cargo, and turned all my effects
+into good bills of exchange, my next difficulty was, which way to go to
+England: I had been accustomed enough to the sea, and yet I had a
+strange aversion to go to England by sea at that time; and though I
+could give no reason for it, yet the difficulty increased upon me so
+much, that though I had once shipped my baggage in order to go, yet I
+altered my mind, and that not once, but two or three times.
+
+It is true; I had been very unfortunate by sea, and this might be some
+of the reasons; but let no man slight the strong impulses of his own
+thoughts in cases of such moment: two of the ships which I had singled
+out to go in, I mean more particularly singled out than any other,
+having put my things on board one of them, and in the other to have
+agreed with the captain; I say, two of these ships miscarried, viz. one
+was taken by the Algerines, and the other was cast away on the Start,
+near Torbay, and all the people drowned, except three; so that in either
+of those vessels I had been made miserable.
+
+Having been thus harassed in my thoughts, my old pilot, to whom I
+communicated every thing, pressed me earnestly not to go by sea, but
+either to go by land to the Groyne, and cross over the Bay of Biscay to
+Rochelle, from whence it was but an easy and safe journey by land to
+Paris, and so to Calais and Dover; or to go up to Madrid, and so all the
+way by laud through France. In a word, I was so prepossessed against my
+going by sea at all, except from Calas to Dover, that I resolved to
+travel all the way by land; which, as I was not in haste, and did not
+value the charge, was by much the pleasanter way: and to make it more
+so, my old captain brought an English gentleman, the son of a merchant
+in Lisbon, who was willing to travel with me; after which we picked up
+two more English merchants also, and two young Portuguese gentlemen, the
+last going to Paris only; so that in all there were six of us, and five
+servants; the two merchants and the two Portuguese contenting themselves
+with one servant between two, to save the charge; and as for me, I got
+an English sailor to travel with me as a servant, besides my man Friday,
+who was too much a stranger to be capable of supplying the place of a
+servant on the road.
+
+In this manner I set out from Lisbon; and our company being very well
+mounted and armed, we made a little troop, whereof they did me the
+honour to call me captain, as well because I was the oldest man, as
+because I had two servants, and, indeed, was the original of the
+whole journey.
+
+As I have troubled you with none of my sea journals, so I shall trouble
+you now with none of my land journal; but some adventures that happened
+to us in this tedious and difficult journey I must not omit.
+
+When we came to Madrid, we being all of us strangers to Spain, were
+willing to stay some time to see the court of Spain, and to see what was
+worth observing; but it being the latter part of the summer, we hastened
+away, and set out from Madrid about the middle of October; but when we
+came to the edge of Navarre, we were alarmed, at several towns on the
+way, with an account that so much snow was fallen on the French side of
+the mountains, that several travellers were obliged to come back to
+Pampeluna, after having attempted, at an extreme hazard, to pass on.
+
+When we came to Pampeluna itself, we found it so indeed; and to me, that
+had been always used to a hot climate, and to countries where I could
+scarce bear any clothes on, the cold was insufferable: nor, indeed, was
+it more painful than surprising, to come but ten days before out of Old
+Castile, where the weather was not only warm, but very hot, and
+immediately to feel a wind from the Pyrenean mountains so very keen, so
+severely cold, as to be intolerable, and to endanger benumbing and
+perishing of our fingers and toes.
+
+Poor Friday was really frightened when he saw the mountains all covered
+with snow, and felt cold weather, which he had never seen or felt before
+in his life. To mend the matter, when we came to Pampeluna, it continued
+snowing with so much violence, and so long, that the people said winter
+was come before its time; and the roads, which were difficult before,
+were now quite impassable; for, in a word, the snow lay in some places
+too thick for us to travel, and being not hard frozen, as is the case in
+the northern countries, there was no going without being in danger of
+being buried alive every step. We stayed no less than twenty days at
+Pampeluna; when seeing the winter coming on, and no likelihood of its
+being better, for it was the severest winter all over Europe that had
+been known in the memory of man, I proposed that we should all go away
+to Fontarabia, and there take shipping for Bourdeaux, which was a very
+little voyage. But while I was considering this, there came in four
+French gentlemen, who having been stopped on the French side of the
+passes, as we were on the Spanish, had found out a guide, who,
+traversing the country near the head of Languedoc, had brought them over
+the mountains by such ways, that they were not much incommoded with the
+snow; for where they met with snow in any quantity, they said it was
+frozen hard enough to bear them and their horses. We sent, for this
+guide, who told us he would undertake to carry us the same way with no
+hazard from the snow, provided we were armed sufficiently to protect
+ourselves from wild beasts; for, he said, upon these great snows it was
+frequent for some wolves to show themselves at the foot of the
+mountains, being made ravenous for want of food, the ground being
+covered with snow. We told him we were well enough prepared for such
+creatures as they were, if he would ensure us from a kind of two-legged
+wolves, which, we were told, we were in most danger from, especially on
+the French side of the mountains. He satisfied us that there was no
+danger of that kind in the way that we were to go: so we readily agreed
+to follow him, as did also twelve other gentlemen, with their servants,
+some French, some Spanish, who, as I said, had attempted to go, and were
+obliged to come back again.
+
+Accordingly, we set out from Pampeluna, with our guide, on the 15th of
+November; and, indeed, I was surprised, when, instead of going forward,
+he came directly back with us on the same road that we came from Madrid,
+about twenty miles; when having passed two rivers, and come into the
+plain country, we found ourselves in a warm climate again, where the
+country was pleasant, and no snow to be seen; but on a sudden, turning
+to his left, he approached the mountains another way: and though it is
+true the hills and precipices looked dreadful, yet he made so many
+tours, such meanders, and led us by such winding ways, that we
+insensibly passed the height of the mountains without being much
+encumbered with the snow; and, all on a sudden, he showed us the
+pleasant fruitful provinces of Languedoc and Gascony, all green and
+flourishing, though, indeed, at a great distance, and we had some rough
+way to pass still.
+
+We were a little uneasy, however, when we found it snowed one whole day
+and a night so fast, that we could not travel; but he bid us be easy; we
+should soon be past it all: we found, indeed, that we began to descend
+every day, and to come more north than before; and so depending upon our
+guide, we went on.
+
+It was about two hours before night, when our guide being something
+before us, and not just in sight, out rushed three monstrous wolves, and
+after them a bear, out of a hollow way adjoining to a thick wood: two of
+the wolves made at the guide, and had he been far before us, he would
+have been devoured before we could have helped him; one of them fastened
+upon his horse, and the other attacked the man with that violence, that
+he had not time, or presence of mind enough, to draw his pistol, but
+hallooed and cried out to us most lustily. My man Friday being next me,
+I bade him ride up, and see what was the matter. As soon as Friday came
+in sight of the man, he hallooed out as loud as the other, "O master! O
+master!" but, like a bold fellow, rode directly up to the poor man, and
+with his pistol shot the wolf that attacked him in the head.
+
+It was happy for the poor man that it was my man Friday; for he having
+been used to such creatures in his country, he had no fear upon him, but
+went close up to him and shot him, as above; whereas any other of us
+would have fired at a farther distance, and have perhaps either missed
+the wolf, or endangered shooting the man.
+
+But it was enough to have terrified a bolder man than I; and, indeed, it
+alarmed all our company, when, with the noise of Friday's pistol, we
+heard on both sides the most dismal howling of wolves; and the noise,
+redoubled by the echo of the mountains, appeared to us as if there had
+been a prodigious number of them; and perhaps there was not such a few
+as that we had no cause of apprehensions: however, as Friday had killed
+this wolf, the other that had fastened upon the horse left him
+immediately, and fled, without doing him any damage, having happily
+fastened upon his head, where the bosses of the bridle had stuck in his
+teeth. But the man was most hurt; for the raging creature had bit him
+twice, once in the arm, and the other time a little above his knee; and
+though he had made some defence, he was just as it were tumbling down by
+the disorder of his horse, when Friday came up and shot the wolf.
+
+It is easy to suppose that at the noise of Friday's pistol we all mended
+our pace, and rode up as fast as the way, which was very difficult,
+would give us leave, to see what was the matter. As soon as we came
+clear of the trees, which blinded us before, we saw clearly what had
+been the case, and how Friday had disengaged the poor guide, though we
+did not presently discern what kind of creature it was he had killed.
+
+But never was a fight managed so hardily, and in such a surprising
+manner, as that which followed between Friday and the bear, which gave
+us all, though at first we were surprised and afraid for him, the
+greatest diversion imaginable. As the bear is a heavy clumsy creature,
+and does not gallop as the wolf does, who is swift and light, so he has
+two particular qualities, which generally are the rule of his actions:
+first, as to men, who are not his proper prey, (he does not usually
+attempt them, except they first attack him, unless he be excessive
+hungry, which it is probable might now be the case, the ground being
+covered with snow,) if you do not meddle with him, he will not meddle
+with you; but then you must take care to be very civil to him, and give
+him the road, for he is a very nice gentleman; he will not go a step out
+of his way for a prince; nay, if you are really afraid, your best way is
+to look another way, and keep going on; for sometimes if you stop, and
+stand still, and look steadfastly at him, he takes it for an affront;
+but if you throw or toss any thing at him, and it hits him, though it
+were but a bit of stick as big as your finger, he thinks himself abused,
+and sets all other business aside to pursue his revenge, and will have
+satisfaction in point of honour;--this is his first quality: the next
+is, if he be once affronted, he will never leave yon, night nor day,
+till he has his revenge, but follows, at a good round rate, till he
+overtakes yon.
+
+My man Friday had delivered our guide, and when we came up to him, he
+was helping him off from his horse, for the man was both hurt and
+frightened, when, on a sudden, we espied the bear come out of the wood,
+and a vast monstrous one it was, the biggest by far that ever I saw. We
+were all a little surprised when we saw him; but when Friday saw him,
+it was easy to see joy and courage in the fellow's countenance: "O, O,
+O!" says Friday, three times, pointing to him; "O master! you give me
+te leave, me shakee te hand with him; me makee you good laugh."
+
+I was surprised to see the fellow so well pleased; "You fool," says I,
+"he will eat you up,"--"Eatee me up! eatee me up!" says Friday, twice
+over again; "me eatee him up; me' makee you good laugh; you all stay
+here, me show you good laugh." So down he sits, and gets off his boots
+in a moment, and puts on a pair of pumps, (as we call the flat shoes
+they wear, and which he had in his pocket,) gives my other servant his
+horse, and with his gun away he flew, swift like the wind.
+
+The bear was walking softly on, and offered to meddle with nobody, till
+Friday coming pretty near, calls to him, as if the bear could understand
+him, "Hark ye, hark ye," says Friday, "me speakee with you." We followed
+at a distance; for now being come down on the Gaseony side of the
+mountains, we were entered a vast great forest, where the country was
+plain and pretty open, though it had many trees in it scattered here and
+there. Friday, who had, as we say, the heels of the bear, came up with
+him quickly, and takes up a great stone and throws it at him, and hit
+him just on the head, but did him no more harm than if he had thrown it
+against a wall; but it answered Friday's end, for the rogue was so void
+of fear that he did it purely to make the bear follow him, and show us
+some laugh, as he called it. As soon as the bear felt the blow, and saw
+him, he turns about, and comes after him, taking devilish long strides,
+and shuffling on at a strange rate, so as would have put a horse to a
+middling gallop: away runs Friday, and takes his course as if he run
+towards us for help; so we all resolved to fire at once upon the bear,
+and deliver my man; though I was angry at him heartily for bringing the
+bear back upon us, when he was going about his own business another way:
+and especially I was angry that he had turned the bear upon us, and then
+run away; and I called out, "You dog, is this your making us laugh? Come
+away, and take your horse, that we may shoot the creature." He heard me,
+and cried out, "No shoot, no shoot; stand still, and you get much
+laugh:" and as the nimble creature ran two feet for the bear's one, he
+turned on a sudden, on one side of us, and seeing a great oak tree fit
+for his purpose, he beckoned to us to follow; and doubling his pace, he
+gets nimbly up the tree, laying his gun down upon the ground, at about
+five or six yards from the bottom of the tree. The bear soon came to the
+tree, and we followed at a distance: the first thing he did, he stopped
+at the gun, smelt to it, but let it lie, and up he scrambles into the
+tree, climbing like a cat, though so monstrous heavy. I was amazed at
+the folly, as I thought it, of my man, and could not for my life see any
+thing to laugh at yet, till seeing the bear get up the tree, we all rode
+near to him.
+
+When we came to the tree, there was Friday got out to the small end of a
+large branch, and the bear got about half way to him. As soon as the
+bear got out to that part where the limb of the tree was weaker,--"Ha!"
+says he to us, "now you see me teachee the bear dance:" so he falls a
+jumping and shaking the bough, at which the bear began to totter, but
+stood still, and began to look behind him, to see how he should get
+back; then, indeed, we did laugh heartily. But Friday had not done with
+him by a great deal; when seeing him stand still, he calls out to him
+again, as if he had supposed the bear could speak English, "What, you
+come no farther? pray you come farther:" so he left jumping and shaking
+the tree; and the bear, just as if he understood what he said, did come
+a little farther; then he fell a jumping again, and the bear stopped
+again. We thought now was a good time to knock him in the head, and
+called to Friday to stand still, and we would shoot the bear: but he
+cried out earnestly, "O pray! O pray! no shoot, me shoot by and then;"
+he would have said by and by. However, to shorten the story, Friday
+danced so much, and the bear stood so ticklish, that we had laughing
+enough, but still could not imagine what the fellow would do: for first
+we thought he depended upon shaking the bear off; and we found the bear
+was too cunning for that too; for he would not go out far enough to be
+thrown down, but clings fast with his great broad claws and feet, so
+that we could not imagine what would be the end of it, and what the jest
+would be at last. But Friday put us out of doubt quickly: for seeing the
+bear cling fast to the bough, and that he would not be persuaded to come
+any farther, "Well, well," says Friday, "you no come farther, me go; you
+no come to me, me come to you:" and upon this he goes out to the smaller
+end of the bough, where it would bend with his weight, and gently lets
+himself down by it, sliding down the bough, till he came near enough to
+jump down on his feet, and away he runs to his gun, takes it up, and
+stands still. "Well," said I to him, "Friday, what will you do now? Why
+don't you shoot him?"--"No shoot," says Friday, "no yet; me shoot now,
+me no kill; me stay, give you one more laugh:" and, indeed, so he did,
+as you will see presently; for when the bear saw his enemy gone, he
+comes back from the bough where he stood, but did it mighty cautiously,
+looking behind him every step, and coming backward till he got into the
+body of the tree; then with the same hinder end foremost, he came down
+the tree, grasping it with his claws, and moving one foot at a time,
+very leisurely. At this juncture, and just before he could set his hind
+foot on the ground, Friday stepped up close to him, clapped the muzzle
+of his piece into his ear, and shot him dead. Then the rogue turned
+about to see if we did not laugh; and when he saw we were pleased, by
+our looks, he falls a laughing himself very loud. "So we kill bear in
+my country," says Friday. "So you kill them?" says I: "why, you have no
+guns."--"No," says he, "no gun, but shoot great much long arrow." This
+was a good diversion to us; but we were still in a wild place, and our
+guide very much hurt, and what to do we hardly knew: the howling of
+wolves ran much in my head; and, indeed, except the noise I once heard
+on the shore of Africa, of which I have said something already, I never
+heard any thing that filled me with so much horror.
+
+These things, and the approach of night, called us off, or else, as
+Friday would have had us, we should certainly have taken the skin of
+this monstrous creature off, which was worth saving; but we had near
+three leagues to go, and our guide hastened us; so we left him, and went
+forward on our journey.
+
+The ground was still covered with snow, though not so deep and dangerous
+as on the mountains; and the ravenous creatures, as we heard afterwards,
+were come down into the forest and plain country, pressed by hunger, to
+seek for food, and had done a great deal of mischief in the villages,
+where they surprised the country people, killed a great many of their
+sheep and horses, and some people too. We had one dangerous place to
+pass, which our guide told us, if there were more wolves in the country
+we should find them there; and this was a small plain, surrounded with
+woods on every side, and a long narrow defile, or lane, which we were to
+pass to get through the wood, and then we should come to the village
+where we were to lodge. It was within half an hour of sunset when we
+entered the first wood, and a little after sunset when we came into the
+plain; we met with nothing in the first wood, except that, in a little
+plain within the wood, which was not above two furlongs over, we saw
+five great wolves cross the road, full speed, one after another, as if
+they had been in chase of some prey, and had it in view; they took no
+notice of us, and were gone out of sight in a few moments. Upon this our
+guide, who, by the way, was but a fainthearted fellow, bid us keep in a
+ready posture, for he believed there were more wolves a coming. We kept
+our arms ready, and our eyes about us; but we saw no more wolves till we
+came through that wood, which was near half a league, and entered the
+plain. As soon as we came into the plain, we had occasion enough to look
+about us: the first object we met with was a dead horse, that is to say,
+a poor horse which the wolves had killed, and at least a dozen of them
+at work, we could not say eating of him, but picking of his bones
+rather; for they had eaten up all the flesh before. We did not think fit
+to disturb them at their feast, neither did they take much notice of us.
+Friday would have let fly at them, but I would not suffer him by any
+means; for I found we were like to have more business upon our hands
+than we were aware of. We were not gone half over the plain, when we
+began to hear the wolves howl in the wood on our left in a frightful
+manner, and presently after we saw about a hundred coming on directly
+towards us, all in a body, and most of them in a line, as regularly as
+an army drawn up by experienced officers. I scarce knew in what manner
+to receive them, but found, to draw ourselves in a close line was the
+only way; so we formed in a moment: but that we might not have, too
+much interval, I ordered that only every other man should fire, and that
+the others who had not fired should stand ready to give them a second
+volley immediately, if they continued to advance upon us; and then that
+those who had fired at first should not pretend to load their fusees
+again, but stand ready every one with a pistol, for we were all armed
+with a fusee and a pair of pistols each man; so we were, by this method,
+able to fire six volleys, half of us at a time: however, at present we
+had no necessity; for upon firing the first volley, the enemy made a
+full stop, being terrified as well with the noise as with the fire; four
+of them being shot in the head, dropped; several others were wounded,
+and went bleeding off, as we could see by the snow. I found they
+stopped, but did not immediately retreat; whereupon, remembering that I
+had been told that the fiercest creatures were terrified at the voice of
+a man, I caused all the company to halloo as loud as we could; and I
+found the notion not altogether mistaken; for upon our shout they began
+to retire, and turn about. I then ordered a second volley to be fired in
+their rear, which put them to the gallop, and away they went to the
+woods. This gave us leisure to charge our pieces again; and that we
+might lose no time, we kept going: but we had but little more than
+loaded our fusees, and put ourselves in readiness, when we heard a
+terrible noise in the same wood, on our left, only that it was farther
+onward, the same way we were to go.
+
+The night was coming on, and the light began to be dusky, which made it
+worse on our side; but the noise increasing, we could easily perceive
+that it was the howling and yelling of those hellish creatures; and, on
+a sudden, we perceived two or three troops of wolves, one on our left,
+one behind us, and one in our front, so that we seemed to be surrounded
+with them: however, as they did not fall upon us, we kept our way
+forward, as fast as we could make our horses go, which, the way being
+very rough, was only a good hard trot. In this manner we came in view of
+the entrance of a wood, through which we were to pass, at the farther
+side of the plain; but we were greatly surprised, when coming nearer the
+lane or pass, we saw a confused number of wolves standing just at the
+entrance. On a sudden, at another opening of the wood, we heard the
+noise of a gun, and looking that way, out rushed a horse, with a saddle
+and a bridle on him, flying like the wind, and sixteen or seventeen
+wolves after him, full speed; indeed the horse had the heels of them,
+but as we supposed that he could not hold it at that rate, we doubted
+not but they would get up with him at last; no question but they did.
+
+But here we had a most horrible sight; for riding up to the entrance
+where the horse came out, we found the carcasses of another horse and of
+two men, devoured by the ravenous creatures; and one of the men was no
+doubt the same whom we heard fire the gun, for there lay a gun just by
+him fired off; but as to the man, his head and the upper part of his
+body were eaten up. This filled us with horror, and we knew not what
+course to take; but the creatures resolved us soon, for they gathered
+about us presently, in hopes of prey; and I verily believe there were
+three hundred of them. It happened very much to our advantage, that at
+the entrance into the wood, but a little way from it, there lay some
+large timber-trees, which had been cut down the summer before, and I
+suppose lay there for carriage. I drew my little troop in among those
+trees, and placing ourselves in a line behind one long tree, I advised
+them all to alight, and keeping that tree before us for a breastwork, to
+stand in a triangle, or three fronts, enclosing our horses in the
+centre. We did so, and it was well we did; for never was a more furious
+charge than the creatures made upon us in this place. They came on with
+a growling kind of noise, and mounted the piece of timber, which, as I
+said, was our breastwork, as if they were only rushing upon their prey;
+and this fury of theirs, it seems, was principally occasioned by their
+seeing our horses behind us. I ordered our men to fire as before, every
+other man; and they took their aim so sure, that they killed several of
+the wolves at the first volley; but there was a necessity to keep a
+continual firing, for they came on like devils, those behind pushing on
+those before.
+
+When we had fired a second volley of our fusees, we thought they stopped
+a little, and I hoped they would have gone off, but it was but a moment,
+for others came forward again; so we fired two volleys of our pistols;
+and I believe in these four firings we had killed seventeen or eighteen
+of them, and lamed twice as many, yet they came on again. I was loath to
+spend our shot too hastily; so I called my servant, not my man Friday,
+for he was better employed, for, with the greatest dexterity imaginable,
+he had charged my fusee and his own while we were engaged; but, as I
+said, I called my other man, and giving him a horn of powder, I bade him
+lay a train all along the piece of timber, and let it be a large train.
+He did so; and had but just time to get away, when the wolves came up to
+it, and some got upon it, when I, snapping an uncharged pistol close to
+the powder, set it on fire: those that were upon the timber were
+scorched with it, and six or seven of them fell, or rather jumped in
+among us, with the force and fright of the fire; we dispatched these in
+an instant, and the rest were so frightened with the light, which the
+night, for it was now very near dark, made more terrible, that they drew
+back a little; upon which I ordered our last pistols to be fired off in
+one volley, and after that we gave a shout: upon this the wolves turned
+tail, and we sallied immediately upon near twenty lame ones, that we
+found struggling on the ground, and fell a cutting them with our
+swords, which answered our expectation; for the crying and howling they
+made was better understood by their fellows; so that they all fled
+and left us.
+
+We had, first and last, killed about threescore of them; and had it been
+daylight, we had killed many more. The field of battle being thus
+cleared, we made forward again, for we had still near a league to go. We
+heard the ravenous creatures howl and yell in the woods as we went,
+several times, and sometimes we fancied we saw some of them, but the
+snow dazzling our eyes, we were not certain: in about an hour more we
+came to the town where we were to lodge, which we found in a terrible
+fright, and all in arms; for, it seems, the night before, the wolves and
+some bears had broke into the village, and put them in such terror, that
+they were obliged to keep guard night and day, but especially in the
+night, to preserve their cattle, and, indeed, their people.
+
+The next morning our guide was so ill, and his limbs swelled so much
+with the rankling of his two wounds, that he could go no farther; so we
+were obliged to take a new guide here, and go to Thoulouse, where we
+found a warm climate, a fruitful pleasant country, and no snow, no
+wolves, nor any thing like them: but when we told our story at
+Thoulouse, they told us it was nothing but what was ordinary in the
+great forest at the foot of the mountains, especially when the snow lay
+on the ground; but they inquired much what kind of a guide we had got,
+who would venture to bring us that way in such a severe season; and told
+us it was surprising we were not all devoured. When we told them how we
+placed ourselves, and the horses in the middle, they blamed us
+exceedingly, and told us it was fifty to one but we had been all
+destroyed; for it was the sight of the horses which made the wolves so
+furious, seeing their prey; and that, at other times, they are really
+afraid of a gun; but being excessive hungry, and raging on that account,
+the eagerness to come at the horses had made them senseless of danger;
+and that if we had not, by the continued fire, and at last by the
+stratagem of the train of powder, mastered them, it had been great odds
+but that we had been torn to pieces: whereas, had we been content to
+have sat still on horseback, and fired as horsemen, they would not have
+taken the horses so much for their own, when men were on their backs, as
+otherwise; and withal they told us, that at last, if we had stood all
+together, and left our horses, they would have been so eager to have
+devoured them, that we might have come off safe, especially having our
+fire-arms in our hands, and being so many in number. For my part, I was
+never so sensible of danger in my life; for seeing above three hundred
+devils come roaring and open-mouthed to devour us, and having nothing to
+shelter us, or retreat to, I gave myself over for lost; and, as it was,
+I believe I shall never care to cross those mountains again; I think I
+would much rather go a thousand leagues by sea, though I was sure to
+meet with a storm once a week.
+
+I have nothing uncommon to take notice of in my passage through France,
+nothing but what other travellers have given an account of, with much
+more advantage than I can. I travelled from Thoulouse to Paris, and
+without any considerable stay came to Calais, and landed safe at Dover,
+the 14th of Jan. after having a severe cold season to travel in.
+
+I was now come to the centre of my travels, and had in a little time all
+my new-discovered estate safe about me; the bills of exchange which I
+brought with me having been very currently paid.
+
+My principal guide and privy counsellor was my good ancient widow; who,
+in gratitude for the money I had sent her, thought no pains too much,
+nor care too great, to employ for me; and I trusted her so entirely with
+every thing, that I was perfectly easy as to the security of my effects:
+and, indeed, I was very happy from the beginning, and now to the end, in
+the unspotted integrity of this good gentlewoman.
+
+And now having resolved to dispose of my plantation in the Brazils, I
+wrote to my old friend at Lisbon; who having offered it to the two
+merchants, the survivors of my trustees, who lived in the Brazils, they
+accepted the offer, and remitted thirty-three thousand pieces-of-eight
+to a correspondent of theirs at Lisbon, to pay for it.
+
+In return, I signed the instrument of sale in the form which they sent
+from Lisbon, and sent it to my old man, who sent me the bills of
+exchange for 32,800 pieces-of-eight for the estate; reserving the
+payment of 100 moidores a year to him (the old man) during his life, and
+50 moidores afterwards to his son for his life, which I had promised
+them; and which the plantation was to make good as a rent-charge. And
+thus I have given the first part of a life of fortune and adventure, a
+life of Providence's chequer-work, and of a variety which the world will
+seldom be able to show the like of: beginning foolishly, but closing
+much more happily than any part of it ever gave me leave so much as
+to hope for.
+
+Any one would think, that in this state of complicated good fortune, I
+was past running any more hazards, and so indeed I had been, if other
+circumstances had concurred: but I was inured to a wandering life, had
+no family, nor many relations; nor, however rich, had I contracted much
+acquaintance; and though I had sold my estate in the Brazils, yet I
+could not keep that country out of my head, and had a great mind to be
+upon the wing again; especially I could not resist the strong
+inclination I had to see my island, and to know if the poor Spaniards
+were in being there. My true friend, the widow, earnestly dissuaded me
+from it, and so far prevailed with me, that, for almost seven years, she
+prevented my running abroad; during which time I took my two nephews,
+the children of one of my brothers, into my care: the eldest having
+something of his own, I bred up as a gentleman, and gave him a
+settlement of some addition to his estate, after my decease. The other I
+put out to a captain of a ship: and after five years, finding him a
+sensible, bold, enterprising young fellow, I put him into a good ship,
+and sent him to sea: and this young fellow afterwards drew me in, as old
+as I was, to farther adventures myself.
+
+In the mean time, I in part settled myself here; for, first of all, I
+married, and that not either to my disadvantage or dissatisfaction, and
+had three children, two sons and one daughter; but my wife dying, and my
+nephew coming home with good success from a voyage to Spain, my
+inclination to go abroad, and his importunity, prevailed, and engaged
+me to go in his ship as a private trader to the East Indies: this was in
+the year 1694.
+
+In this voyage I visited my new colony in the island, saw my successors
+the Spaniards, had the whole story of their lives, and of the villains I
+left there; how at first they insulted the poor Spaniards, how they
+afterwards agreed, disagreed, united, separated, and how at last the
+Spaniards were obliged to use violence with them; how they were
+subjected to the Spaniards; how honestly the Spaniards used them; an
+history, if it were entered into, as full of variety and wonderful
+accidents as my own part: particularly also as to their battles with the
+Caribbeans, who landed several times upon the island, and as to the
+improvement they made upon the island itself; and how five of them made
+an attempt upon the main land, and brought away eleven men and five
+women prisoners; by which, at my coming, I found about twenty young
+children on the island.
+
+Here I stayed about twenty days; left them supplies of all necessary
+things, and particularly of arms, powder, shot, clothes, tools, and two
+workmen, which I brought from England with me; viz. a carpenter and
+a smith.
+
+Besides this, I shared the lands into parts with them, reserved to
+myself the property of the whole, but gave them such parts respectively,
+as they agreed on; and, having settled all things with them, and engaged
+them not to leave the place, I left them there.
+
+From thence I touched at the Brazils, from whence I sent a bark, which
+I bought there, with more people, to the island; and in it, besides
+other supplies, I sent seven women, being such as I found proper for
+service, or for wives to such as would take them. As to the Englishmen,
+I promised them to send them some women from England, with a good cargo
+of necessaries, if they would apply themselves to planting; which I
+afterwards could not perform: the fellows proved very honest and
+diligent, after they were mastered, and had their properties set apart
+for them. I sent them also from the Brazils five cows, three of them
+being big with calf, some sheep, and some hogs, which, when I came again
+were considerably increased.
+
+But all these things, with an account how three hundred Caribbees came
+and invaded them, and ruined their plantations, and how they fought with
+that whole number twice, and were at first defeated and one of them
+killed; but at last a storm destroying their enemies canoes, they
+famished or destroyed almost all the rest, and renewed and recovered the
+possession of their plantation, and still lived upon the island.
+
+All these things, with some very surprising incidents in some new
+adventures of my own, for ten years more, I shall give a farther account
+of in another volume.
+
+END OF, VOL.I.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Life and Adventures of Robinson
+Crusoe Of York, Mariner, Vol. 1, by Daniel Defoe
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 11239 ***