順
​ARTES
LIBRARY
1837
SCIENTIA
VERITAS
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
>vO1nU), 98UTAS
TUEBOR
SI QUÆRIS PENINSULAM-AMŒNAM
CIRCUMSPICE
VARAWARAGASAWAWANA
GIFT OF
REGENT LLHUBBARD
!
Amy
.
Hubbard
Imag. Voy.
PR
3403
•AI
1785
M.Brown Del.
R. Pollard pulp
Logographic Edition of Robinson Crusoe:
Vol: 1. page 323.
Publish'd as the Act directs by A. Walter ÏJune 1785.
THE WHOLE
L
I F
AND STRANGE SURPRISING
E
ADVENTURES
O F
Robinfon Crufoe,
Of Y OR K, Mariner:
Who lived Eight and Twenty Years all alone in
an uninhabited Ifland, on the Coaft of AMERICA,
near the Mouth of the Great River of Oroonoque ;
AND HIS
STRANGE SURPRIZING ACCOUNT
OF HIS
Travels round three Parts of the Globe.
WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.
VOLUME I.
LONDON:
PRINTED AT THE Logographic Prefs,
J. WALTER,
AND SOLD BY
PRINTING-HOUSE-SQUARE,
BLACK-
FRIARS T. HOOKHAM, NEW BOND STREET; W. RICHARD-
SON, UNDER THE ROYAL EXCHANGE; AND M. WILSON, No. 45,
LOMBARD STREET.
MDCCLXXXV.
Resi
Regent L. L. Hubbard
91/10-6-1924
2 vola,
THE
PRE FACE.
IF ever the Story of any private man's
adventures, in the world were worth mak-
ing public, and were acceptable when pub-
lifhed, the Editor of this account thinks this will
be fo.
The wonders of this man's life exceed all
that (he thinks) are to be found extant; the
life of one man being ſcarce capable of greater
variety.
The story is told with modesty, with feri-
ouſneſs, and with a religious application of events
to the uſes to which wife men always apply
them, (viz.) to the inftruction of others by this
example, and to justify and honour the wisdom
of
REFAC E.
of Providence in all the variety of our circum²
ftances, let them happen how they will:
The editor believes the thing to be a just
hiftory of fact; neither is there any appear-
ance of fiction in it: and however thinks, be-
caufe all fuch things are difpatched, that the
improvement of it, as well to the diverfion, as
to the inftruction of the reader, will be the
fame; and as fuch, he thinks, without farther
compliment to the world, he does them a great
fervice in the publication.
THE
THE
LIFE
AND STRANGE SURPRIZIN
ADVENTURES
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
+
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 merchandize, and leaving off his trade, lived
afterwards at York, from whence he had married
my mother, whofe relations were named Robinfon,
a very good family in that country, and from
whom I was called Robinſon Kreutznaer; but by
VOL. I.
B
the
2
ADVENTURES O F
the ufual corruption of words in England, we are
now called, nay we call ourſelves, and write our
name Crufoe, and fo 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 fecond brother, I never
knew, any more than my father and mother did
what was become of me.
BEING the third fon 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
fhare of learning, as far as houfe education and a
country free-ſchool generally go, and defigned
me for the law; but I would be fatisfied with no-
thing but going to fea, and my inclination to
this led me ſo ſtrongly againft the will, nay the
commands of my father, and againſt all the en-
treaties and perfuafions of my mother and other
friends, that there feemed to be fomething fatal
in that propenfion of nature, tending directly to
that life of mifery which was to befal me.
1
Mr
?
RÓBINSON CRUSO E.
3
My father, a wife and grave man, gave me fc-
rious and excellent counfel against what he fore-
faw was my defign. He called me one morning
into his chamber, where he was confined by the
gout, and expoftulated very warmly with me
upon this fubject; he asked me what reafons,
more than a mere wandering inclination, I had
for leaving his houfe, and my native coun-
try, where I might be well introduced, and
had a profpect of raifing my fortune by applica-
tion and induſtry, with a life of eafe and plea-
fure. He told me it was for men of defperate
fortunes on one hand, or of afpiring fuperior for-
tunes on the other, who went abroad upon ad-
ventures, to rife by enterprize, and make them-
felves famous in undertakings of a nature out of
the common road; that theſe things were all ei-
ther too far above me, or too far below me; that
mine was the middle ftate, or what might be
called the upper ftation of low life, which he had
found, by long experience, was the beſt ſtate in
the world, the moft fuited to human happiness,
not expoſed to the miferies and hardships, the
labour and ſufferings of the mechanic part of
mankind, and not embarraffed with the pride,
luxury, ambition, and envy of the upper part of
mankind; he told me, I might judge of the hap-
pineſs of this ftate by one thing, viz. That
this was the ſtate of life which all other people
1
B 2
envied;
ADVENTURES OF
envied; that kings have frequently lamented the
miferable confequences of being born to great
things, and wifhed they had been placed in the
middle of the two extremes, between the mean
and the great; that the wife man gave his tefti-
mony to this, as the juft ftandard of true felicity,
when he prayed to have neither poverty nor
riches.
He bid me obferve it, and I ſhould always find,
that the calamities of life were fhared among the
upper and lower part of mankind, but that, the
middle ſtation had the feweft difafters, and was.
not expoſed to ſo many viciffitudes as the higher
or lower part of mankind; nay, they were not
fubjected to fo many diftempers and uneafineffes
either of body or mind, as thofe were, who, by
vicious living, luxury, and extravagancies on
one hand, or by hard labour, want of neceffaries,
and mean and infufficient diet on the other hand,
bring diftempers upon themfelves by the natural
confequences 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 mid-
dle fortune; that temperance, moderation, quiet-
nefs, health, fociety, all agreeable diverfions, and
all defirable pleaſures, were the bleffings at-
tending the middle ſtation of life; that this way
men
"1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
5
men went filently and fmoothly thro' the world,
and comfortably out of it, not embarraffed with
the labours of the hands, or of the head, not fold
to the life of flavery for daily bread, or harraffed
with perplexed circumſtances, which rob the
foul of peace, and the body of reft; not enraged
with the paffion of envy, or fecret burning luft
of ambition for great things; but in eafy cir-
cumftances, fliding gently through the world,
and fenfibly taſting the fweets of living, without
the bitter, feeling that they are happy, and learn-
ing, by every day's experience, to know it more
fenfibly.
AFTER this he preffed me earneftly, and in the
moſt affectionate manner, not to play the young
man, nor to precipitate myſelf into miſeries
which nature and the ftation of life I was born
in, feemed to have provided againſt; that I was
under no neceffity of feeking my bread; that he
would do well for me, and endeavour to enter
me fairly into the ftation 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 muft hinder it, and
that he ſhould have nothing to anfwer 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
B 3
for
6
ADVENTURES OF
for me, if I would ſtay and fettle at home, as he
directed, ſo he would not have ſo much hand in
my misfortunes, as to give me any encourage-
ment to go away; and to cloſe all, he told me I
had my elder brother for an example, to whom
he had ufed the fame earnest perfuafions to keep
him from going into the low country wars, bur
could not prevail, his young defires prompting
him to run into the army, where he was killed;
and though he faid he would not ceafe to pray
for me, yet he would venture to fay to me, that if
I did take this fooliſh ſtep, God would not bleſs
me, and I would have leifure hereafter to reflect
upon having neglected his counfel, when there
might be none to affiſt in my recovery,
I OBSERVED in this laft part of his difcourfe,
which was truly prophetic, though I fuppofe my
father did not know it to be fo himſelf; I fay,
I obferved the tears run down his face very plen-
tifully, and eſpecially when he fpoke of my bro-
ther who was killed; and that when he ſpoke of
my having leiſure to repent, and none to affiſt
me, he was fo moved that he broke off the dif
courſe, and told me his heart was fo full he could
fay no more to mẹ.
I was fincerely affected with this difcourfe, as
indeed who could be otherwife? and I refolved
not
J
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
7
not to think of going abroad any more, but to
fettle at home, according to my father's defire.
But, alas! a few days wore it all off; and, in
fhort, to prevent any of my father's further im-
portunities, in a few weeks after I refolved to run
quite away from him. However, I did not act
ſo hastily neither, as my firft heat of refolution
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 fo entirely
bent upon feeing the world, that I ſhould never
fettle to any thing with refolution enough to go
through with it, and my father had better give
me his confent 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 fure if I did, I ſhould never
ſerve out my time, and I fhould certainly run
away from my mafter before my time was out,
and go to fea; and if fhe would ſpeak to my
father to let me make but one voyage abroad, if
I came home again, and did not like it, I would
go no more; and I would promife, by a double
diligence, to recover the time I had loft.
THIS put my mother into a great paffion; fhe
told me, the knew it would be to no purpoſe to
fpeak to my father upon any fuch fubject; that
he knew too well what was my interest to give
B 4
his
1
1
00
ADVENTURES OF
his confent to any thing fo much for my hurt,
and that ſhe wondered how I could think of any
ſuch thing, after ſuch a diſcourſe as I had with
my father, and fuch kind and tender expreffions
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, the would
not have fo much hand in my deſtruction; and I
ſhould never have it to fay, "that my mother
was willing when my father was not."
*
THOUGH my mother refufed to move it to my
father, yet, as I have heard afterwards, the re-
ported all the difcourfe to him; and that my fa-
ther, after fhewing a great concern at it, ſaid to
her with a figh, "That boy might be happy, if
he would ftay at home; but, if he goes abroad,
he will be the moſt miferable wretch that ever
"was born: I can give no confent to it."
Ir was not till almoſt a year after this that I
broke looſe, though during that time I continued
obftinately deaf to all propofals of fettling to
bufinefs; and frequently expoftulating with my
father and mother about their being fo pofitively
determined against what they knew my inclina-
tions prompted me to. But, being one day at
Hull, where I went cafually and without any
purpoſe
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
9
purpoſe of making an elopement at that time;
and one of my companions, about going to
London by fea in his father's fhip, he prompt-
ed me to go with him, and the common al-
lurement of feafaring men, viz. " that it
fhould cost me nothing for my paffage"; I con-
fulted neither father nor mother any more, nor
fo much as fent them word of it; but leaving
them to hear of it as they might, without asking
God's bleffing, or my father's, without any con-
fideration of circumftances or confequences, and
in an ill hour, God knows,
ON the ft of September, 1651, I went on
board a fhip bound for London; never any young
adventurer's misfortunes, I believe, began earlier,
or continued longer than mine. The fhip was
no fooner gotten out of the Humber, but the
wind began to blow, and the waves to rife in a
moft frightful manner; and as I had never been
at fea before, I was moft inexpreffibly fick in
body, and terrified in my mind: I began now
ſeriouſly to reflect upon what I had done,
and how justly I was overtaken by the judge-
ment of Heaven, for leaving my father's
houfe, and abandoning my duty. All the good
counſel of my parents, my father's tears, and my
mother's intreaties, came now fresh in my mind;
and my confcience, which was not yet come to
the
10
ADVENTURES OF
1
}
the pitch of hardneſs to which it has been fince,
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 fea,
which I had never been upon before, went very
high, though nothing like what I have ſeen ma-
ny times fince; no, nor what I faw a few days after.
But it was enough to affect me then, who was
but a young failor, 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 fea, we ſhould never riſe more; and
in this agony of mind I made many vows and
refolutions, that if it would pleafe God to
fpare my life this voyage, if ever I got once
my foot upon dry land again, I would go di
rectly home to my father, and never fet it into a
fhip again while I lived; that I would take his
advice, and never run myſelf into fuch miferies
as theſe any more. Now I faw plainly the good-
nefs of his obfervations about the middle ftation
of life, how eafy, how comfortably he had lived
all his days, and never had been expofed to tem-
pefts at fea, or troubles on fhore: and I refolved
that I would, like a true repenting prodigal, go
home to my father.
THESE
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
II
THESE wife and fober thoughts continued
during the ſtorm, and indeed ſome time after;
but the next day, as the wind was abated, and
the fea calmer, I began to be a little inured
to it. However, I was very grave that day,
being alfo a little fea-fick ftill; but towards
night the weather cleared up, the wind was
quite over, and a charming fine evening followed:
the fun went down perfectly clear, and rofe fo
the next morning; and having little or no wind
and a ſmooth ſea, the fun fhining upon it, the
fight was, as I thought, the moft delightful that
I ever faw.
I HAD flept well in the night, and was now no
more fea-fick, but very chearful, looking with
wonder upon the fea that was fo rough and terri-
ble the day before, and could be fo calm and
pleaſant in a little time after. And now, left
my good refolutions fhould continue, my compa-
nion, who had indeed enticed me away, came to
me, and faid, "Well, Bob," clapping me on the
fhoulder, "how do you do after it? I warrant
"you were frighted, wa'nt you, laft night,
"when it blew but a cap full of wind?"
" A
66
cap full, d'you call it?" faid I. 'Twas a ter-
"rible ftorm." "A ftorm, you fool," replies
he, “do you call that a ſtorm? Why, it was no-
thing at all; give us but a good fhip and fea-
❝ room,
12
A AVENTURES OF
.
1
room, and we think nothing of fuch a fquall
"of wind as that: you are but a fresh-water
1
D'ye ſee
To make
616 failor, Bob; come, let us make a bowl of
"punch, and we'll forget all that.
"what charming weather 'tis now?"
fhort this fad part of my ſtory, we went the old
way of all failors; 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 paft conduct, and all my re-
folutions for my future. In a word, as the fea
was returned to its fmoothnefs of furface and
fettled calmness, by the abatement of that ftorm,
fo the hurry of my thoughts being over, my fears
and apprehenfions of being fwallowed up by the
fea being forgotten, and the current of my for-
mer defires returned, I entirely forgot the vows
and promiſes that I made in my diftrefs, I found,
indeed, fome intervals of reflection, and feri-
ous thoughts did, as it were, endeavour to return
again fometimes, but I fhook them off, and roufed
myſelf from them, as it were from a diftemper,
and applying myſelf to drink and company,
foon mastered the return of thofe fits, for fo I
called them, and I had in five or fix days got as
complete a victory over Confcience as any young
fellow, that refolved not to be troubled with it,
could defire. But I was to have another trial for
it ftill; and Providence, as in fuch cafes ge-
perally
1
1
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
13
nerally it does, refolved to leave me entirely
without excufe: for if I would not take this for
a deliverance, the next was to be fuch a one as
the worst and most hardened wretch among us
would confefs both the danger and the mercy.
The fixth day of our being at fea we came into
Yarmouth roads; the wind having been contrary,
and the weather calm, we had made but little
way fince the ſtorm. Here we were obliged to
come to an anchor, and here we lay, the wind
continuing contrary, viz. at fouth-weft, for feven
or eight days, during which time a great many
ſhips from Newcaſtle came into the fame roads,
as the common harbour where the fhips might wait
for a wind in the river. We had not, however,
tid here long, and fhould have tided up the river,
but that the wind blew too fresh; and after we
had lain four or five days, blew very hard. How-
ever, the roads being reckoned as good as a har-
bour, the anchorage good, and our ground-tackle
very ſtrong, our men were unconcerned, and not
in the leaſt apprehenfive of danger, but ſpent
the time in reft and mirth, after the manner of
the fea; however the eighth day in the morning,
the wind increaſed, and we had all hands at work
to ftrike our topmafts, and make every thing
fnug and cloſe, that the fhip might ride as eaſy
as poffible. By noon the fea went very high in-
deed, and our fhip rid forecastle in, fhipped fe-
veral
14
ADVENTURES OF
}
veral feas, and we thought once or twice our
anchor had come home; upon which our mafter
ordered out the fheet-anchor, fo that we rode
with two anchors a-head, and the cables veered
out to the better end.
By this time it blew a terrible ftorm indeed,
and now I began to fee terror and amazement in
the faces of even the feamen themſelves. The
mafter, though vigilant to the bufinefs of pre-
ferving the fhip, yet, as he went in and out of his
cabin by me, I could hear him foftly to himſelf
fay, feveral times, " Lord, be merciful to us, we
"fhall be all loft; we fhall be all undone," and
the like. During theſe firft hurries I was ftupid,
lying fill in my cabin, which was in the fteer-
age, and cannot defcribe my temper. I could ilh
re-affume the firft penitence, which I had fo ap-
parently trampled upon, and hardened myfelf
againft; I thought that the bitterness of death
had been past, and that this would be nothing
too, like the firft: but when the mafter himſelf
came by ine, as I faid juft now, and faid we
fhould be all loft, I was dreadfully frighted. I
got up out of my cabin and looked out, but
fuch a difmal fight I never faw; the fea went
mountains high, and broke upon us every three or
four minutes. When I could look about, I could
fee nothing but diftrefs round us; two fhips, that
rid
•
ƒ
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
15
rid near us, we found had cut their mafts by the
board, being deep loaden, and our men cried out,
that a fhip which rid about a mile a-head of us
was foundered. Two more fhips, being driven
from their anchors, were run out of the roads to
fea at all adventures, and that with not a maſt
ftanding. The light fhips fared the beft, as not
fo much labouring in the fea; but two or three
of them drove and came clofe by us, running
away with only their fprit-fail out before the
wind. Toward evening the mate and boatfwain,
begged the mafter of our fhip to let them cut
away the foremaft, which he was very loth to do;
but the boatswain proteſting to him, that if he
did not, the fhip would founder, he confented,
and when they had cut away the foremaft, the
mainmaſt ſtood fo looſe, and fhook the fhip fo
much, they were obliged to cut it 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 failor, and.
who had been in fuch a fright before, at but a
little. But if I can exprefs at this distance the
thoughts 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 refolutions I had wickedly.
taken at first, than I was at death itfelf; and.
thefe
16
ADVENTURES OF
thefe, added to the terror of the ftorm, put me
into fuch a condition, that I can by no words
defcribe it. But the worst was not come yet; the
ftorm continued with fuch fury, that the feamen
themſelves acknowledged they had never known
a worſe. We had a good fhip, but fhe was deep
loaden, and wallowed in the fea, that the fea-
men every now and then cried out, fhe would
founder. It was my advantage in one reſpect,
that I did not know what they meant by "foun
"der," till I enquired. However, the ftorm
was fo violent, that I faw, what is not often
feen, the mafter, the boatfwain, and fome others,
more fenfible than the reft, at their prayers, and
expecting every moment the fhip would go
to the bottom. In the middle of the night, and
under all the reft of our diftreffes, one of the men
that had been down on purpoſe to fee, cried out,
"we had ſprung a leak ;" another faid, "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 fide of my bed
where I fat in the cabbin. However, the men
roufed me, and told me, "that I, who was able
to do nothing before, was as well able to pump
"as another," at which I ftirred up, and went to
the pump and worked very heartily. While this
was doing, the mafter feeing fome light colliers,
who
:
I
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
17
who not able to ride out the ftorm, were obliged
to flip and run away to fea, and would not come near
tis, ordered us to fire a gun as a fignal of diſtreſs.
I who knew nothing what that meant; was fo
furpriſed, that I thought the fhip had broke, or
fome dreadful thing had happened. In a word,
I was fo ſurpriſed, that I fell down in a fwoon.
As this was a time when every body had his own
life to think of, no body minded me, or what
was become of me; but another man ftept up to
the pump, and thruſting me afide 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 increafing in the
hold, it was apparent that the ſhip would foun
der, and though the ftorm began to abate à lit-
tle, yet as it was not poffible fhe could ſwim till
we might run into a pórt, fo the mafter conti-
nued firing guns for help; and a light ship who
had rid it out juft a-head of us, ventured a boat
out to help us. It was with the utmoft hazard
the boat came near us, but it was impoffible for
us to get on board, or for the boat to lie near the
fhip's fide; till at laft the men rowing very
heartily, and venturing their lives to fave ours,
our men caft them a rope over the ftern with a
buoy to it, and then veered it out a great length,
which they, after great labour and hazard, took
C
hold
18
ADVENTURES OF
hold of, and we haled them clofe under our ftern,
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 their own fhip; fo all agreed
to let her drive, and only to pull her in towards
fhore as much as we could; and our mafter pro-
miſed them, that if the boat was ftaved upon
fhore, he would make it good to their master;
fo partly rowing, and partly driving our boat, we
went away to the northward, floping towards
the ſhore almoſt as far as Winterton-Nefs.
We were not much more than a quarter of an
hour out of our fhip, but we faw her fink, and
then I underſtood, for the first time, what was
meant by a fhip foundering in the fea I muft
acknowledge, I had hardly eyes to look up when
the feamen told me, "fhe was, finking;" for,
from that moment, they rather put me into the
boat than that I might be faid 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
fhore, we could fee (when our boat mounting
the waves we were able to fee the fhore) a great
many people running along the fhore, to affift us
4
when
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
19
When we should come near, but we made but
flow way towards the fhore, nor were we able to
reach the fhore, till being paft the light-house at
Winterton, the thore falls off to the weftward
towards Cromer, and fo the land broke off a lit-
tle, the violence of the wind: here we got in,
and, though not without much difficulty, got all
fafe on fhore, and walked afterwards on foot to
Yarmouth; where, as unfortunate men, we were
ufed with great humanity, as well by the magi-
ftrates of the town, who affigned us good quar-
ters, as by particular merchants and owners of
hips; and had money given us fufficient to car-
ry us either to London, or back to Hull, as we
thought fit.
HAD I now had the fenfe to have gone back to
Hull, and have gone home, I had been happy,
and my father, an emblem of our bleffed Saviour's
parable, had even killed the fatted calf for me; for
hearing the fhip I went away in, was caft away
in Yarmouth Roads, it was a great while before
he had any affurance that I was not drowned.
Bur my ill fate pufhed me on now with an ob-
ftinacy that nothing could refift; and though I
had feveral times loud calls from my reafon, and
my more compofed judgment, to go home, yet
I had no power to do it. I know not what to call
C 2
this,
20
ADVENTURES OF
this, nor will I urge, that it is a fecret over-
ruling decree that hurries us on to be the inftru-
ments of our own deftruction, even though it be
before us, and that we rufh upon it with our eyes
open. Certainly nothing but fuch decreed, un-
avoidable mifery attending, and which it was im-
poffible for me to efcape, could have pufhed me
forward againſt the calm reafonings and perfua-
fions of my moft retired thoughts, and againſt two
fuch viſible inftructions as I had met with in my
first attempt.
rt
My comrade, who had helped to harden me
before, and who was the mafter's fon, was now
lefs 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 feparated in the
town to feveral quarters; I fay, and the first time
he faw me it appeared his tone was altered, and
looking very melancholy, and ſhaking his head,
afked me how I did; 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," fays he, "you ought never to
go to fea any more, you ought to take this
"for a plain and viſible token, that you are not
"to be a feafaring man." "Why, fir," ſaid I,
* will you go to fea no more ?" "That is another
❝ cafe,"
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
21
❝
cafe," faid he, "it is my calling, and there-
"fore my duty; but as you made this voyage
"for a trial, you fee what a tafte heaven has giv-
"en you of what you are to expect, if you per-
*
66
fift. Perhaps this is all befallen us on your
"account; like Jonah in the ship of Tarfhifh.'
Pray," continues he, "what are you, and on
"what account did you go to fea ?" Upon that,
I told him fome of my ftory, at the end of which,
he burst out with a ftrange kind of paffion,
"What have I done," faid he, "that fuch an
66
unhappy wretch fhould come into my ship? I
"would not fet my foot in the fame fhip with
thee again, for a thousand pounds." This in-
deed was, as I faid, an excurfion of his.fpirits,
which were yet agitated by the fenfe of his lofs,
and was farther than he could have authority to
go. However, he afterwards talked very grave-
ly to me, exhorted 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", faid he, "depend upon it,
46
if you do not go back, wherever you go, you
"will meet with nothing but difafters and diſap-
"pointments, till your father's words are fulfill-
"ed upon you." We parted foon after, for I
made him little anfwer, and I faw him no more;
which way he went I know not. As for
As for me,
having fome money in my pocket, I travelled to
C 3
London
22
ADVENTURES OF
1
་
t
:
London by land; and there, as well as on the
road, had many ftruggles with myſelf, what
courfe of life I ſhould take, and whether I ſhould
go home, or go to fea. As to going home,
fhame oppofed the best motions that offered to
my thoughts; and it immediately occured to me,
how I fhould be laughed at among the neigh-
bours; and fhould be afhamed to fee, not my
father and mother only, but even every body
elfe; from whence I have fince often obferved,
how incongruous and irrational the common tem-
per of mankind is, efpecially of youth, to that
reafon which ought to guide them in fuch cafes,
viz. that they are not afhamed to fin, and
yet are aſhamed to repent; not aſhamed of the
action, for which they ought juftly to be
efteemed fools, but are afhamed of the return-
ing, which only can make them be eſteemed
wife men.
ра
In this ftate of life, however, I remained fome
time, uncertain what meaſure to take, and what
courſe of life to lead. An irrefiftable reluctance
continued to go home; and as I stayed a while,
the remembrance of the diftrefs I had been in
wore off; and as that abated, the little motion I
had in my defires to a return, wore off with it,
till at last I quite laid afide the thoughts of it,
and looked out for a voyage. That evil influ-
ence
ROBINSON CRUSŎ Ê.
23
ence which carried me firft away from my father's
houſe, that hurried me into the wild and indi-
gefted notion of raifing my fortune; and that im-
preſt thoſe conceits fo forcibly upon me, as to
make me deaf to all good advice, and to the en-
treaties, and even command of my father: I fay,
the fame influence, whatever it was, prefented
the most unfortunate of all enterprizes to my
view; and I went on board a veffel bound to the
coaft of Africa; or, as our failors vulgarly call it,
a voyage to Guinea.
Ir was my great misfortune, that in all thefe
adventures, I did not fhip myſelf as a failor,
whereby, though I might indeed, have worked
a little harder than ordinary, yet at the fame
time, I had learned the duty and office of a fore-
maft-man, and in time, might have qualified
my felf for a mate, or lieutenant, if not for a maf-
ter But as it was always my fate to choofe for
the worſe, ſo I did here; for having money int
my pocket, and good cloaths upon my back, I
would always go on board in the habit of a gen-
tleman; and ſo I neither had any bufinefs in the
fhip, or learned to do any. It was my lot firft of
all, to fall into pretty good company in London,
which does not always happen to fuch loofe and
unguided young fellows as I then was; the devil
generally, not omitting to lay fome fnare for them
C 4
very
24
ADVENTURES O F
very early. But it was not fo with me, I firft fell
acquainted with the mafter of a fhip, who had
been on the coaft of Guinea, and who having had
very good fuccefs there, was refolved to go
again; and who taking a fancy to my converfa-
tion, which was not at all difagreeable at that
time, hearing me fay, "I had a mind to ſee the
“world,” told me, "If I would go the voyage
"with him, I ſhould be at no expence : I fhould
be his mefs-mate and his companion, and if I
"could carry any thing with me, I fhould have
"all the advantage of it that the trade would ad-
mit; and perhaps, I might meet with fome
"encouragement." I embraced the offer, and
entering into a ſtrict friendſhip with this captain,
who was an honeft and plain-dealing man. I
went the voyage with him, and carried a fmall
adventure with me, which by the difintereſted
honeſty of my friend the captain, I encreaſed
very confiderably; for I carried about 401. in fuch
toys and trifles as the captain directed me to buy.
This 40l. I had muſtered together by the affift-
ance of fome of my relations whom I correfpond-
ed with, and who, I believe got my father, or at
leaft my mother, to contribute fo much as that to
my firft adventure. This was the only voyage
which I may fay, was fuccefsful in all my adven-
tures, and which I owe to the integrity and ho-
nefty of my friend the captain, under whom alfo,
I got
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
25
I got a competént knowledge of the mathema-
tics and the rules of navigation, learned how to
keep an account of the ſhip's courſe, take an ob.
ſervation, and, in ſhort, to underſtand ſome things
that were needful to be underftood by a failor
for as he took delight to introduce me, I took de-
light to learn, and, in a word, this voyage made
me both a failor and a merchant, for I brought
home 5lb. 9z. of gold duft for my adventure,
which yielded me in London at my return almoſt
300l. and this filled me with thofe afpiring thoughts
which have fince fo completed my ruin. Yet
even in this voyage I had my misfortunes too,
particularly, that I was continually fick, being
thrown into a violent calenture by the exceffive
heat of the climate; our principal trading being
upon the coaft, from the latitude of 15 degrees
north, even to the line itſelf.
I was now fet up for a Guinea trader; and my
friend, to my great misfortune, dying foen after
his arrival, I refolved to go the fame voyage
again, and I embarked in the fame veffel with one
who was his mate in the former voyage, and had
now got the command of the fhip. This was
the unhappieſt voyage that ever man made; for
though I did not carry quite 100l. of my new-
gained wealth, ſo that I had 200l. left, and which
I lodged with my friend's widow, who was very
juſt
26
ADVENTURES OF
just to me, yet I fell into terrible misfortunes in
this voyage, and the firſt was this, viz. Our ſhip
making her courfe towards the Canary Islands,
or rather between thofe islands and the African
fhore, was furprized in the grey of the morning
by a Turkish rover, of Sallee, who gave chace
to us, with all the fail fhe could make. We'
crouded alfo as much canvas as our yards would
fpread, or our mafts carry, to have got clear; but
finding the pirate gained upon us, and would
certainly come up with us in a few hours, we pre-
pared to fight, our fhip having 12 guns, and the
rogue 18. About three in the afternoon he came
up with us, and bringing to, by mistake, juft
athwart our quarter, inftead of athwart our ftern,
as he intended, we brought eight of our guns to
bear on that fide, and poured in a broadfide upon
him, which made him fheer off again, after re-
turning our fire, and pouring in alfo his ſmall fhot
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 60 men upon our decks, who immediately
fell to cutting and hacking the fails and rigging.
We plyed them with ſmall ſhot, half-pikes, pow-
der-chefts, and fuch like, and cleared our deck of
them twice. However, to cut fhort this melan-
choly
}
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
21
choly part of our ftory, our fhip being diſabled,
and three of our men killed, and eight wounded,
we were obliged to yield, and were carried all
prifoners into Sallee, a port belonging to the
Moors,
THE ufage I had there was not fo dreadful as
at first I apprehended, nor was I carried up the
country to the emperor's court, as the reft of our
men were, but was kept by the captain of the
rover as his proper prize, and made his flave,
being young and nimble, and fit for his bufinefs.
At this furprizing change of my circumftances,
from a merchant to a miferable flave, I was per-
fectly overwhelmed; and now I looked back up-.
on my father's prophetic difcourfe to me, "that
" I ſhould be miferable, and have none to relieve
"me;" which I thought was now fo effectually
brought to pass, that it could not be worfe; that
now the hand of heaven had overtaken me, and
I was undone without redemption. But alas!
this was but a tafte of the mifery I was to go
through as will appear in the, fequel of this ftory.
As my new patron, or mafter, had taken me
home to his houfe, fo I was in hopes that he
would take me with him when he went to fea
again, believing that it would fome time or
other be his fate to be taken by a Spaniſh or Por-
tugal
18
ADVENTURES OF
hold of, and we haled them clofe 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 their own fhip; fo all agreed
to let her drive, and only to pull her in towards
fhore as much as we could; and our maſter
pro-
miſed them, that if the boat was ftaved upon
fhore, he would make it good to their mafter;
fo partly rowing, and partly driving our boat, we
went away to the northward, floping towards
the ſhore almoſt as far as Winterton-Nefs.
We were not much more than a quarter of an
hour out of our fhip, but we faw her fink, and
then I underſtood, for the first time, what was
meant by a fhip foundering in the fea: I muft
acknowledge, I had hardly eyes to look up when
the feamen told me, "fhe was finking;" for,
from that moment, they rather put me into the
boat than that I might be faid 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
fhore, we could fee (when our boat mounting
the waves we were able to fee the fhore) a great
many people running along the fhore, to affift us
4
when
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
19
when we fhould come near, but we made but
flow way towards the ſhore, nor were we able to
reach the ſhore, till being paft the light-house at
Winterton, the fhore falls off to the weftward
towards Cromer, and fo the land broke off a lit-
tle, the violence of the wind: here we got in,
and, though not without much difficulty, got all
fafe on fhore, and walked afterwards on foot to
Yarmouth; where, as unfortunate men, we were
ufed with great humanity, as well by the magi-
ftrates of the town, who affigned us good quar-
ters, as by particular merchants and owners of
hips; and had money given us fufficient to car-
ry us either to London, or back to Hull, as we
thought fit.
HAD I now had the fenfe to have gone back to
Hull, and have gone home, I had been happy,
and my father, an emblem of our bleffed Saviour's
parable, had even killed the fatted calf for me; for
hearing the fhip I went away in, was caft away
in Yarmouth Roads, it was a great while before
he had any affurance that I was not drowned.
Bur my ill fate puſhed me on now with an ob-
ftinacy that nothing could refift; and though I
had feveral times loud calls from my reaſon, and
my more compofed judgment, to go honie, yet
I had no power to do it. I know not what to call
C 2
this,
20
ADVENTURES OF
this, nor will I urge, that it is a fecret over-
ruling decree that hurries us on to be the inftru-
ments of our own deftruction, even though it be
before us, and that we rush upon it with our eyes
open. Certainly nothing but fuch decreed, un-
avoidable mifery attending, and which it was im-
poffible for me to eſcape, could have puſhed me
forward againſt the calm reafonings and perfua-
fions of my moft retired thoughts, and againſt two
fuch viſible inftructions as I had met with in my
first attempt.
My comrade, who had helped to harden me
before, and who was the mafter's fon, was now
efs 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 feparated in the
town to feveral quarters; I fay, and the first time
he faw me it appeared his tone was altered, and
looking very melancholy, and fhaking his head,
afked me how I did; 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," fays he, "you ought never to
go to fea any more, you ought to take this
"for a plain and vifible token, that you are not
"to be a feafaring man." "Why, fir," faid I,
"will you go to fea no more?" "That is another
"cafe,"
i
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
21
C.C
cafe," faid he, "it is my calling, and there-
"fore my duty; but as you made this voyage
"for a trial, you fee what a tafte heaven has giv-
"en you of what you are to expect, if you per-
fift. Perhaps this is all befallen us on your
"account; like Jonah in the fhip of Tarfhifh.'
"Pray," continues he, "what are you, and on
"what account did you go to fea ?" Upon that,
I told him fome of my ftory, at the end of which,
he burst out with a ftrange kind of paffion,
"What have I done," faid he, "that fuch an
"unhappy wretch fhould come into my fhip? I
"would not fet my foot in the fame fhip with
"thee again, for a thousand pounds." This in-
deed was, as I faid, an excurfion of his fpirits,
which were yet agitated by the fenfe of his lofs,
and was farther than he could have authority to
go.
However, he afterwards talked very grave-
ly to me, exhorted me to go back to my father,
and not tempt providence to my ruin; told me,
"I might fee a viſible hand of heaven againſt me;
"and, young man", faid he, " depend upon it,
"if you do not go back, wherever you go, you
"will meet with nothing but difafters and diſap-
pointments, till your father's words are fulfill-
❝ed upon you." We parted foon after, for I
made him little anſwer, and I faw him no more;
which way he went I know not. As for me,
having fome money in my pocket, I travelled to
London
C 3
1
22
ADVENTURES OF
London by land; and there, as well as on the
road, had many ftruggles with myself, what
courſe of life I fhould take, and whether I ſhould
go home, or go to fea. As to going home,
fhame oppofed the best motions that offered to
my thoughts; and it immediately occured to me,
how I fhould be laughed at among the neigh-
bours; and fhould be afhamed to fee, not my
father and mother only, but even every body
elfe; from whence I have fince often obferved,
how incongruous and irrational the common tem-
per
of mankind is, efpecially of youth, to that
reafon which ought to guide them in fuch cafes,
viz. that they are not afhamed to fin, and
yet are ashamed to repent; not aſhamed of the
action, for which they ought juftly to be
efteemed fools, but are afhamed of the return-
ing, which only can make them be efteemed
wife men.
!
In this ftate of life, however, I remained fome
time, uncertain what meafure to take, and what
courfe of life to lead. An irrefiftable reluctance
continued to go home; and as I stayed a while,
the remembrance of the diftrefs I had been in
wore off; and as that abated, the little motion I
had in my defires to a return, wore off with it,
till at last I quite laid afide the thoughts of it,
and looked out for a voyage. That evil influ-
ence
ROBINSON CRUSŎ Ê.
23
!
ence which carried me firft away from my father's
houſe, that hurried me into the wild and indi-
gefted notion of raifing my fortune; and that im-
preft thofe conceits fo forcibly upon me, as to
make me deaf to all good advice, and to the en-
treaties, and even command of my father: I fay,
the fame influence, whatever it was, prefented
the moſt unfortunate of all enterprizes to my
view; and I went on board a veffel bound to the
coaſt of Africa; or, as our failors vulgarly call it,
a voyage to Guinea.
Ir was my great misfortune, that in all thefe
adventures, I did not fhip myſelf as a failor,
whereby, though I might indeed, have worked
a little harder than ordinary, yet at the fame
time, I had learned the duty and office of a fore-
maſt-man, and in time, might have qualified
myſelf for a mate, or lieutenant, if not for a maſ-
ter: But as it was always my fate to choofe for
the worſe, ſo I did here; for having money in
my pocket, and good cloaths upon my back, I
would always go on board in the habit of a gen-
tleman; and fo I neither had any bufinefs in the
ſhip, or learned to do any. It was my lot firft of
all, to fall into pretty good company in London,
which does not always happen to fuch loofe and
unguided young fellows as I then was; the devil
generally, not omitting to lay fome fnare for them
C 4
very
'
24
ADVENTURES O F
very early. But it was not fo with me, I first fell
acquainted with the mafter of a fhip, who had
been on the coaft of Guinea, and who having had
very good fuccefs there, was refolved to go
again; and who taking a fancy to my converfa-
tion, which was not at all difagreeable at that
time, hearing me fay, "I had a mind to ſee the
"world," told me, "If I would go the voyage
" with him, I ſhould be at no expence : I fhould
be his mefs-mate and his companion, and if I
"could carry any thing with me, I fhould have
"all the advantage of it that the trade would ad-
mit; and perhaps, I might meet with fome.
"encouragement." I embraced the offer, and
entering into a ftrict friendship with this captain,
who was an honeft and plain-dealing man. I
went the voyage with him, and carried a fmall
adventure with me, which by the difintereſted
honeſty of my friend the captain, I encreaſed
very confiderably; for I carried about 401. in fuch
toys and trifles as the captain directed me to buy.
This 401. I had muftered together by the affift-
ance of fome of my relations whom I correfpond-
ed with, and who, I believe got my father, or at
leaft my mother, to contribute fo much as that to
my firſt adventure. This was the only voyage
which I may fay, was fuccefsful in all my adven-
tures, and which I owe to the integrity and ho-
nefty of my friend the captain, under whom alfo,
I
1 got
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
25
I got a competent knowledge of the mathema-
tics and the rules of navigation, learned how to
keep an account of the fhip's courfe, take an ob.
fervation, and, in fhort, to underſtand fome things
that were needful to be underſtood by a failor;
for as he took delight to introduce me, I took de-
light to learn, and, in a word, this voyage made
me both a failor and a merchant, for I brought
home 5lb. 9z. of gold duft for my adventure,
which yielded me in London at my return almoſt
300l. and this filled me with thofe afpiring thoughts
which have fince fo completed my ruin. Yet
even in this voyage I had my misfortunes too,
particularly, that I was continually fick, being
thrown into a violent calenture by the exceffive
heat of the climate; our principal trading being
upon the coaft, from the latitude of 15 degrees
north, even to the line itſelf.
I was now fet up for a Guinea trader; and my
friend, to my great misfortune, dying foon after
his arrival, I refolved to go the fame voyage
again, and I embarked in the fame veffel with one
who was his mate in the former voyage, and had
now got the command of the fhip. This was
the unhappieſt voyage that ever man made; for
though I did not carry quite rool. of my new-
gained wealth, fo that I had 2001, left, and which
I lodged with my friend's widow, who was very
juft
26
ADVENTURES OF
just to me, yet I fell into terrible misfortunes in
this voyage, and the first was this, viz. Our ſhip
making her courfe towards the Canary Islands,
or rather between thofe iflands and the African
fhore, was furprized in the grey of the morning
by a Turkish rover, of Sallee, who gave chace
to us, with all the fail fhe could make. We
crouded alfo as much canvas as our yards would
ſpread, or our mafts carry, to have got clear; but
finding the pirate gained upon us, and would
certainly come up with us in a few hours, we pre-
pared to fight, our fhip having 12 guns, and the
rogue 18. About three in the afternoon he came
up with us, and bringing to, by mistake, juft
athwart our quarter, inſtead of athwart our ftern,
as he intended, we brought eight of our guns to
bear on that fide, and poured in a broadfide upon
him, which made him fheer off again, after re-
turning our fire, and pouring in alſo his ſmall fhot
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 60 men upon our decks, who immediately
fell to cutting and hacking the fails and rigging,
We plyed them with fmall fhot, half-pikes, pow-
der-chefts, and fuch like, and cleared our deck of
them twice. However, to cut fhort this melan-
choly
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
27
choly part of our ftory, our fhip being difabled,
and three of our men killed, and eight wounded,
we were obliged to yield, and were carried all
prifoners into Sallee, a port belonging to the
Moors.
THE ufage I had there was not fo dreadful as
at first I apprehended, nor was I carried up the
country to the emperor's court, as the reft of our
men were, but was kept by the captain of the
rover as his proper prize, and made his flave,
being young and nimble, and fit for his buſineſs.
At this furprizing change of my circumftances,
from a merchant to a miſerable flave, I was per-
fectly overwhelmed; and now I looked back up-.
on my father's prophetic difcourfe to me, "that
* I fhould be miferable, and have none to relieve
"me;" which I thought was now fo effectually
brought to paſs, that it could not be worfe; that
now the hand of heaven had overtaken me, and
I was undone without redemption. But alas!
this was but a tafte of the mifery I was to go
through as will appear in the fequel of this ſtory.
As my new patron, or mafter, had taken me
home to his houfe, fo I was in hopes that hẹ
would take me with him when he went to fea
again, believing that it would fome time or
other be his fate to be taken by a Spanish or Por-
tugal
28
ADVENTURES OF
R
tugal man of war, and that then I fhould be fet at
liberty. But this hope of mine was foon taken
away; for when he went to fea, he left me on
shore to look after his little garden, and do the
common drudgery of flaves about his houfe;
and when he came home again from his cruife,
he ordered me to lie in the cabin, to look after
the ſhip.
t
HERE I meditated nothing but my efcape, and
what method I might take to effect it, but found
no way that had the leaſt probability in it. No-
thing préfented to make the fuppofition of it ra-
tional; for I had nobody to communicate it to
that would embark with me; no fellow-flave,
no Engliſhman, Irifhman, or Scotſman there but
myfelf; fo that for two years, though I often
pleafed myſelf with the imagination, yet I never
had the leaft encouraging profpect of putting it
in practice.
'
AFTER about two years, an odd circumftance
prefented itſelf, which put the old thought of
making fome attempt for my liberty again in my
head: My patron lying at home longer than
uſual, without fitting out his fhip, which, as I
heard was for want of money; he ufed conftantly
once or twice a week, fometimes oftener, if the
weather was fair, to take the fhip's pinnace and
go out into the road a fifhing; and as he always
1
took
}
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
29
took me and a young Marefco with him to row
the boat, we made him very merry, and I proved
very dextrous in catching fifh, infomuch that
fometimes he would fend me with a Moor, one of
his kinfmen, and the youth the Marefco, as they
called him, to catch a diſh of fish for him.
It happened one time, that going a fifhing in
a ftark calm morning, a fog rofe fo thick, that
though we were not half a league from the fhore
we loft fight 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 fea, inftead of
pulling in for the ſhore, and that we were at leaſt
two leagues from the fhore: However we got
well in again, though with a great deal of la-
bour, and ſome danger, for the wind began to
blow pretty freſh in the morning; but particu-
larly we were all very hungry.
Bur our patron, warned by this difafter, re-
folved to take more care of himſelf for the fu-
ture; and having lying by him the long boat of our
English fhip he had taken, he refolved he would
not go a fiſhing any more without a compafs and
fome provifion; fo he ordered the carpenter of
his fhip, who was alfo an English flave, to build
a little ftate room or cabbin in the middle of the
long
30
ADVENTURES OF
(
long-boat, like that of a barge, with a place to
ftand behind it to fteer and haul home the main-
fheet, and room before for a hand or two to ſtand
and work the fails: She failed with what we call
a fhoulder of mutton fail, and the boom gibb'd
over the top of the cabin, which lay very fnug
and low, and had in it room for him to lie with a
flave or two, and a table to eat on, with fome
fmall lockers to put in fome bottles of fuch liquor
as he thought fit to drink, particularly his bread,
rice, and coffee..
WE went frequently out with this boat a fish-
ing, and as I was moſt dextrous 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 fifh, with two or three Moors
of fome diftinction in that place, and for whom
he had provided extraordinarily; and had there-
fore fent on board the boat over-night a larger
ftore of provifions than ordinary, and had ordered
me to get ready three fufees, with powder and
fhot, which were on board his ſhip, for that they'
defigned fome ſport of fowling as well as fishing.
!
I Gor all things ready as he had directed, and
waited the next morning with the boat washed
clean, her antient and penants out, and every
thing to accommodate his guefts: When by and
by
1
RG BINSON CRUS OT.
31
by my patron came on board alone, and told
me his gueſts had put off going, upon fome bu-
finefs that fell out, and ordered me with the man
and boy, as ufual, to go out with the boat, and
catch them fome fiſh, for that his friends were to
fup at his houfe; and commanded that as foon as
I had got fome fish, I fhould bring it home to his
houfe; 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 fhip at my command; and
my. mafter being gone, I prepared to furnish-my-
felf, not for a fiſhing bufinefs, but for a voyage;
though I knew not, neither did I fo much as con-
fider, whither I fhould fteer, 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 fomething for our
fubfiftence, on board; for I told him we muſt not
prefume. to eat of our patron's bread; he faid
that was true; fo he brought a large basket of
ruſk or bifcuit of their kind, and three jars with
freſh water into the boat; I knew where my pa-
tron's cafe of bottles ftood, which it was evident
by the make, were taken out of fome Engliſh
prize, and I conveyed them into the boat while
the Moor was on fhore, as if they had been there
་་
before
32
ADVENTURES OF
1
before for our mafter. I conveyed alfo 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 faw, and a ham-.
mer, all which were of great ufe to us after-
wards, eſpecially the wax to make candles.
Another trick I tried upon him, which he
innocently came into alfo; his name was Ifmael,
whom they called Muley or Moley; fo I called
to him, "Moley," faid I, " our patron's guns
❝are on board the boat, can you not get a little
"powder and fhot? it may be we may kill fome
"acalmies (fowl like our curlieus) for ourſelves,
"for I know he keeps the gunner's ftores in the
"ſhip."
"Yes," fays he, "I'll bring fome;"
and accordingly he brought a great leather pouch,
which held about a pound and half of powder,
or rather more, and another with fhot that had
five or fix pounds, with fome bullets, and put
all
into the boat: at the fame time I found fome
powder of my mafter'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 failed 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, be-
fore we hauled in our fail, and fet us down to fiſh;
the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
33
The wind blew from N. N. E. which was con-
trary to my defire; for, had it blown foutherly, I
had been fure to have made the coaft of Spain,
and at laſt reached to the bay of Cadiz: but my
refolutions were, blow which way it would, I
would be gone from that horrid place where I
was, and leave the reft to fate.
AFTER We had fiſhed ſome time and catched no-
thing, for when I had fifh on my hook I would
not pull them up, that he might not ſee them;
I faid to the Moor, "This will not do, our maf-
"ter will not be thus ferved, we must ftand far-
ther off. He, thinking no harm, agreed; and
being in the head of the boat, fet the fails; 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. Then, giving the boy the helm, I-
ftepped forward to where the Moor was, and
making as if I ftooped for fomething behind him,
I took him by furprize with my arm under his
twift, and toffed him clear overboard into the
fea. He rofe immediately, for he fwam like a
cork, and called to me, begged to be taken in,
told me he would go all the world over with me.
He fwam fo ftrong after the boat, that he would
have reached me very quickly, there being but
little wind; upon which I ftepped into the cab-
bin, and fetching one of the fowling-pieces, I
VOL. I.
D
prefented
34
ADVENTURES OF
prefented it at him, and told him, "I had done
"him no hurt, and if he would be quiet I would
"do him none; but, faid I, you ſwim well
"enough to reach the fhore, and the fea 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 will fhoot you through the head, for I
"am refolved to have my liberty." So he turn-
ed himſelf about, and fwam for the fhore; and I
make no doubt but he reached it with eaſe, for
he was an excellent fwimmer.
I COULD have been content to have taken this
Moor with me, and have drowned the boy, but
there was no venturing to truft him. When he
was gone,
I turned to the boy, whom they called
Xury, and faid to him, "Xury, if you will be
"faithful to me, I will make you a great man s
"but if you will not ftroak your face to be true
"to me, (that is, fwear by Mahomet and his
"father's beard) I must throw you into the fea
"too." The boy ſmiled in my face, and ſpoke
fo innocently, that I could not miftruft him, and
fwore to be faithful to me, and go all over the
world with me.
WHILE I was in view of the Moor that was
fwimming, I ftood out directly to the fea with
the boat, rather ftretching to windward, that they
might
ROBINSON CRUS O E.
35
1
might think me gone towards the Strait's mouth,
(as indeed any one that had been in their wits
muſt have been fuppofed to do) for who would
have ſuppoſed we were failed on to the fouth-
ward, to the truly Barbarian coaft, where whole
nations of Negroes were fure to furround us with
their canoes, and deſtroy us; where we could
never once go on fhore, but we ſhould be devoured
by ſavage beaſts, or more mercilefs favages of
human kind.
BUT as foon as it grew dusk in the evening, I
changed my courſe, and ſteered directly fouth and
by eaft, bending my courfe a little toward the
eaſt, that I might keep in with the fhore; and
having a fair fresh gale of wind, and a fmooth
quiet fea, I made ſuch fail, that I believe by the
the next day, at three o'clock in the afternoon,
when I first made the land, I could not be lefs
than 150 miles fouth of Sallee, quite beyond the
Emperor of Morocco's dominions, or indeed of
any other King thereabouts, for we faw no peo-
ple.
YET fuch was the fright I had taken at the
Moors, and the dreadful apprehenfions I had of
falling into their hands, that I would not ftop,
or go on fhore, or come to an anchor, the wind
continuing fair, till I had failed in that manner
D 2
five
+
3.6
ADVENTURES OF
five days; and then the wind fhifting to the
fouthward, I concluded alfo, that if any of our
veffels were in chafe of me, they alſo would now
give over: fo I ventured to make to the coaſt,
and came 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 faw or defired to ſee any people;
the principal thing I wanted was freſh water.
We came into this creek in the evening, refolving
to ſwim on fore as foon as it was dark, and dif-
cover the country; but as foon as it was quite
dark, we heard fuch dreadful noifes of the bark-
ing, 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
fhore till day. "Well, Xury," faid I, "then I
"will not; but, it may be, we may fee men by
"day, who will be as bad to us as thofe lions."
"Then we give them the fhoot-gun," fays Xury,
laughing; "make them run way."-Such Engliſh
Xury ſpoke by converfing among us flaves.
However, I was glad to ſee the boy ſo cheerful,
and I gave him a dram out of our patron's cafe
of bottles, to cheer him up. After all, Xury's
advice was good, and I took it. We dropped
our little anchor, and lay ftill all night; I fay,
ftill, for we flept none; and in two or three hours
we faw vaft great creatures (we knew not what
2
to
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
37
to call them) of many forts, come down to the
fea-fhore, and run into the water, wallowing and
wafhing themfelves, for the pleaſure of cooling
themſelves, and they made fuch hideous howl-
ings and yellings, that I never indeed heard the
like.
XURY was dreadfully frighted, and indeed fo
was I too; but we were both more frighted when
we heard one of thefe mighty creatures come
fwimming towards our boat; we could not fee
him, but we might hear him by his blowing to
be a monstrous, huge, and furious beaft. Xury
faid it was a lion, and it might be fo for aught I
know; but poor Xury cried to me to weigh the
anchor and row away. "No, fays, I Xury;"
66
66
we can flip our cable with the buoy to it, and
go off to fea they cannot follow us far." I
had no fooner faid fo, but I perceived the crea-
ture (whatever it was) within two oars length,
which fomething furprized me; however, I im-
mediately ſtept to the cabbin door, and taking
up my gun, fired at him: upon which he im-
mediately turned about, and fwam to the fhore
again.
But it is impoffible to defcribe the horrible
noifes, and hideous cries and howlings that were
raiſed, as well upon the edge of the fhore as
higher
D 3
38
ADVENTURES OF
1
higher within the country, upon the noiſe or re-
port of the gun; a thing, I believe, thofe crea-
tures had never heard before. This convinced
me there was no going on fhore for us in the night
upon that coaft, and how to venture on fhore in
the day was another queſtion too; for to have
fallen into the hands of any of the favages, had
been as bad as to have fallen into the paws of
lions and tygers; at leaſt we were equally appre
henfive of the danger of it,
Be that as it would, we were obliged to go on
fhore fomewhere or other for water, for we had
not a pint left in the boat; when and where to
get it was the point. Xury faid, if I would let
him go on fhore with one of the jars, he would
find if there was any water, and bring fome to
me. I asked him why he would go? why I
"fhould not go, and he ſtay in the boat ?" The
boy anſwered with fo much affection, that he
made me love him ever after. Says he, "If
wild mans come they eat me, you go way,
"Well, Xury," faid I, " we will both go; and
"if the wild mans come, we will kill them; they
"fhall eat neither of us." So I gave Xury a
piece of rufk bread to eat, and a dram out of our
patron's cafe of bottles, which I mentioned bc-
fore; and we haled the boat as near the fhore as
we thought was proper, and fo waded to hore,
carrying
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
39
carrying nothing but our arms and two jars for
water,
I DID not care to go out of fight of the boat,
fearing the coming of canoes with favages down
the river; but the boy feeing a low place about
a mile
up the country, rambled to it; and by and
by I faw him come running toward me. I thought
he was pursued by fome favage, or frighted with
fome wild beast, and I ran forwards 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 fhot, 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 fuch pains for water, for a little higher up
the creek where we were, we found the water
freſh when the tide was out, which flowed but a
little way up; fo we filled our jars, and, having
a fire, feafted on the hare we had killed; and pre-
pared to go on our way, having feen no foot-
fteps of any human creature in that part of the
country.
D 4
As
40
ADVENTURES OF
As I had been one voyage to this coaft before,
I knew very well that the iſlands of the Canaries,
and the Cape de Verd iſlands alfo, lay not far
from the coaft. But as I had no inftruments to
take an obfervation, to know what latitude we
were in, and did not exactly know, or at leaſt re-
member what latitude they were in, I knew not
where to look for them, or when to ftand off to
fea towards them, otherwife I might now have
eafily found ſome of theſe iſlands. But my hope
was, that if I ftood a long this coaft, till I came
to the part where the English traded, I fhould find
fome of their veffels upon their ufual defign of
trade, that would relieve and take us in.
By the best of my calculation, the place where
I now was, muſt be that country, which lying
between the Emperor of Morocco's dominions
and the negroes, lies wafte and uninhabited, ex-
cept by wild beafts, the negroes having aban-
doned it, and gone farther fouth, for fear of the
Moors, and the Moors not thinking it worth in
habiting, by reafon of its barrennefs; and indeed,
both forfaking it becauſe of the prodigious num-
bers of tygres, lions, leopards, and other furious
creatures which harbour there; fo 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
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
4.I
pon the coaft, we faw nothing but a waſte unin-
habited country by day, and heard nothing but
howlings and roaring of wild beafts by night.
ONCE or twice in the day-time, I thought I faw
the Pico of Teneriffe, being the top of the moun-
tain 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 fea alfo going too high for
my little veffel, fo I refolved to pursue my first
defign, and keep along the fhore.
SEVERAL times I was obliged to land for freſh
water, after we left this place; and once in par-
ticular; 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 ftill, to go farther in Xury, whofe eyes
were more about him, than it feems mine were,
calls foftly to me, and tells me,
"that we had
"
beft go farther off the fhore; for," fays he,
look yonder lies a dreadful monſter on the fide
"of that hillock, faft afleep :" I looked where he
pointed, and faw a dreadful monfter indeed, for
it was a terrible great lion, that lay on the fide of
the fhore, under the fhade of a piece of a hill,
that hung as it were over him.
If you fhall go on fhore and
"Xury," fays I,
kill him :" Xury
looked
42
ADVENTURES OF
1
"at
looked frighted, and faid, "Me kill! he eat me
at one mouth;" one mouthful he meant :
However, I faid no more to the boy, but bad him
lie ftill; and I took our biggeſt gun, which was
almoſt mufquet bore, and I loaded it with a good
charge of powder, and with two flugs, and laid it
down; then I loaded another gun with two bul-
lets, and the third, for we had three pieces, I
loaded with five ſmaller bullets: I took the beſt
aim I could with the firft piece, to have fhot him
into the head, but he lay fo with his leg raiſed
a little above his nofe, that the flugs 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 furprized that I did not hit him on
the head; however, I took up the fecond piece
immediately, and though he began to move off,
fired again, and ſhot him into the head, and had
the pleaſure to ſee him drop, and make but lit-
tle noiſe, but lay ftruggling for life, Then Xury
took heart, and would have me let him go on
fhore: "Well go," faid I, fo the boy jumped
into the water, and taking a little gun in one
hand, fwam on fhore with the other hand, and
coming clofe to the creature, put the muzzle of
the piece to his ear, and fhot him into the head
again, which difpatched him quite,
THES
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
43
THIS was game indeed to us, but it was no
food, and I was very forry to lofe three charges
of powder and fhot, upon a creature that was
good for nothing to us. However, Xury faid,
he would have fome of him; fo he comes on
board, and afked me to give him the hatchet;
for what Xury ?" faid 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
fkin of him, might one way or other, be of fome
value to us; and I refolved to take off his fkin, 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 the
hide of him, and fpread it on the top of our cab-
bin, the fun effectually dried it in two days time,
and it afterwards ferved me to lie upon.
AFTER this ftop we made on to the fouthward
continually, for ten or twelve days, living very
fparing on our provifions, which began to abate
very much, and going no oftner into the fhore,
than we were obliged to go for fresh water; my
defign in this, was to make the river Gambia, or
Senegal, that is to fay, any where about the Cape
de Verd, where I was in hopes to meet with fome
European
44.
ADVENTURES OF
European fhip, and if I did not, I knew not what
courſe to take, but to ſeek out for the iſlands, or
periſh among the negroes. I knew that all the
fhips from Europe, which failed either to the
coaft of Guinea, or to Brafil, or to the Eaft-Indies,
made this cape, or thofe iflands; and in a word,
I put the whole of my fortune on this ſingle
point; either that I muſt meet with ſome ſhip, or
muft perish.
WHEN I had purſued this refolution, about ten
days longer, as I have faid, I began to fee that
the land was inhabited, and in two or three
places as we failed by, we faw people ftand upon
the ſhore to look at us; we could alfo perceive,
they were quite black, and ſtark naked. I was
once inclined to have gone on fhore to them, but
Xury was my better counfellor, and faid to me,
"no go, no go" However, I haled in near the
fhore, that I might talk to them, and I found
they run along the fhore by me a good way; I
obferved, they had no weapons in their hands,
except one, who had a long flender ftick, which
Xury faid was a lance, and that they would throw
them a great way with good aim; fo I kept at a
diftance, but talked to them by figns, as well as
I could, and particularly made figns for fome-
thing to eat; they beckoned to me to stop my
boat, and that they would fetch me fome meat ;
upon
ROBINSON ·
45
CRUSOE.
upon this I lowered the top of my fail, and lay
by, and two of them run up into the country, and
in lefs than half an hour came back, and brought
with them, two pieces of dry fleſh and ſome corn,
fuch 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 difpute, for I was not for
venturing on fhore to them, and they were as
much afraid of us; but they took a fafe way for
us all, for they brought it to the fhore, and laid
it down, and went and ſtood a great way off till
we fetched it on board, and then came clofe to us
again.
WE made figns of thanks to them, for we had
nothing to make them amends; but an opportu-
nity offered that very inftant to oblige them won-
derfully; for while we were lying by the fhore,
came two mighty creatures, one purfuing the o-
ther (as we took it) with great fury, from the
mountains towards the fea; whether it was the
male purſuing the female, or whether they were
in fport, or in rage, we could not tell, any more
than we could tell wether it was ufual or ftrange;
but I believe it was the latter, becauſe in the firft
place, thoſe ravenous creatures, feldom appear
but in the night, and in the fecond place, we
found the people terribly frighted, efpecially the
women.
46
ADVENTURES OF
women. The man that had the lance, or dart
did not fly from them, but the reft 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 fea,
and fwam about, as if they had come for their
diverfion at laft, one of them began to come
nearer our boat, than at firft I expected; but I
lay ready for him, for I had loaded my gun with
all poffible expedition, and bad Xury load both
the others; as foon as he came fairly within my
reach, I fired and fhot him directly into the head;
immediately he funk down into the water, but
roſe inſtantly, and plunged up and down, as if he
was ftruggling for life, and ſo indeed he was;
he immediately made to fhore, but between the
wound, which was his mortal hurt, and the ftrang-
ling of the water, he died juſt before he reached
the fhore.
It is impoffible. to exprefs the aftoniſhment of
theſe poor creatures, at the noiſe and fire of my
gun; fome 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 funk in
the water, and that I made figns to them to come
to the fhore, they took heart and came to the
ſhore, and began to fearch for the creature.
found him by his blood ſtaining the water, and
I
by
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
47
by the help of a rope, which I flung round him,
and gave the negroes to haul; they dragged him
on fhore, and found that it was a moft curious
leopard, ſpotted and fine, to an admirable de-
gree; and the negroes held up their hands with
admiration, to think what it was I had killed him
with.
THE other creature, frighted with the flaſh of
fire, and the noiſe of the gun, fwam on fhore, and
ran up directly to the mountains from whence it
came; nor could I at that diſtance, know what it
was. I found quickly the negroes were for eat-
ing the fleſh of this creature, ſo I was willing to
have them take it as a favour from me, which
when I made figns 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 fharpened piece of wood,
they took off his fkin as readily, and much more
readily, than we could have done with a knife ;
they offered me fome of the flesh, which I de-
clined, making as if I would give it them, but
made figns for the fkin, which they gave me very
freely, and brought me a great deal more of their
provifions, which, though I did not understand,
yet accepted; then I made figns to them for fome
water, and held out one of my jars to them, turn-
ing it bottom upward, to fhew that it was empty,
and
1
48
ADVENTURES OF
and that I wanted to have it filled. They called
immediately to fome of their friends, and there
came two women, and brought a great veffet
made of earth, and burnt, as I fuppofe in the
fun; this they fet down for me, as before, and I
fent Xury on ſhore with my jars, and filled them
all three. The women were as ftark naked as the
men.
I was now furnished with roots and corn, fuch
as it was, and water, and leaving my friendly ne-
groes, I made forward for about eleven days
more, without offering to go near the fhore, till
I faw the land run out a great length into the fea,
at about the diſtance of four or five leagues be-
fore me, and the fea being very calm, I kept a
large offing to make this point; at length, doub-
ling the point, at about two leagues from the
land, I faw plainly, land on the other fide to fea-
ward; 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 diftance,
and I could not well tell what I had beft to do,
for if I fhould be taken with a gale of wind, I
might neither reach one nor the other.
In this dilemma, as I was very penfive, I ftept
into the cabin, and fat me down, Xury having
1.
the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
49
the helm, when on a fudden the boy cried out,
"Mafter, mafter, a fhip with a fail ;" and the
foolish boy was frighted out of his wits, thinking
it muft needs be fome of his mafter's fhips fent to
purfue us, when, I knew we were gotten far
enough out of their reach. I jumped out of the
cabin, and immediately faw, not only the fhip,
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 obferved the
courſe ſhe ſteered, I was foon convinced, they
were bound fome other way, and did not defign
to come nearer to the fhore; upon which I ftretch-
ed out to fea as much as I could, refolving to
ſpeak with them if poffible.
WITH all the fail I could make, I found I fhould
not be able to come in their way, but that they
would be gone by, before I could make any fig-
nal to them, but after I had crowded to the ut-
moft, and began to deſpair; they it feems faw me
by the help of prefpective glaffes, and that it was
fome European boat, which, as they fuppofed,
muft belong to fome fhip that was loft, fo they
fhortened fail to let me come up. I was encou-
raged with this, and as I had my patron's antient
on board, I made a waft of it to them, for a fig-
nal of diſtreſs, and fired a gun, both which they
faw, for they told me they faw the ſmoke, though
E
they
t
1
50
ADVENTURES OF
they did not hear the gun; upon thefe fignals,
they very kindly brought to, and lay by for me,
and in about three hours time, I came up with
them.
THEY afked me what I was, in Portugueſe, and
in Spanish, and in French, but I understood
none of them; but at laſt a Scots failor, 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 flavery from the Moors at Sal-
lee; then they bade me come on board, and very
kindly took me in, and all my goods.
Ir was an inexpreffible joy to me, which any
one will believe, that I was thus delivered, as
I eſteemed it, from fuch a miferable and almoſt
hopeleſs condition as I was in, and I immediately
offered all I had to the captain of the fhip, 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 Brafils.
For," fays he, "I have
"faved your life on no other terms than I would
"be glad to be faved myſelf; and it may, one
..
time or other, be my lot to be taken up in the
fame condition: befides," faid he, "when I
carry you to the Brafils, fo great a way from
your own country, if I fhould take from
you
!
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
51
** you what you have, you will be ſtarved there,
and then I only take away that life I have gi-
*ven." "No, no, Seignior Ingleſe," fays he,
(Mr. Engliſhman) "I will carry you thither in
charity, and theſe things will help to buy your
"fubfiftence there, and your paffage home again."
As he was charitable in his propofal, fo he was
juft in the performance to a tittle, for he ordered
the feamen that none ſhould offer to touch any
thing I had; then he took every thing into
his own poffeffion, and gave me back an exact
inventory of them, that I might have them, even
fo much as my three earthen jars.
As to my boat, it was a very good one, and that
he faw, and told me he would buy it of me for
the fhip's ufe, and afked me what I would have
for it? I told him, he had been fo 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 Brafil, and when it came there, if any one
offered to give more, he would make it up. He
offered me alfo fixry 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 fell the poor boy's liberty, who
E
£ 2
had
52
ADVENTURES OF
had affifted me fo faithfully in procuring my
own. However, when I let him know my rea-
fon, he owned it to be just, and offered me this
medium, that he would give the boy an obliga-
tion to fet him free in ten years, if he turned
Chriſtian; upon this, and Xury faying he was
willing to go to him, I let the Captain have
him.
We had a very good voyage to the Brafils, 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
miferable of all conditions of life; and what to
do next with myſelf I was now to confider.
THE generous treatment the Captain gave me
I can never enough remember; he would take
nothing of me for my paffage, gave me twenty
ducats for the leopard's ſkin, and forty for the
lion's ſkin which I had in my boat, and caufed
every thing I had in the fhip to be punctually
delivered me; and what I was willing to fell he
bought of me, fuch as the cafe of bottles, two of
my guns, and a piece of the lump of bees wax,
for I had made candles of the reft: in a word, I
made about 220 pieces of eight of all my cargo,
and with this ftock I went on fhore in the Brafils.
I HAD
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
53
I HAD not been long here, but being recom-
mended to the houſe of a good honeft man like
himſelf, who had an ingenio, as they call it, (that
is, a plantation and a fugar-houfe) I lived with
him fome time, and acquainted myſelf, by that
means, with the manner of their planting and
making of fugar; and feeing how well the plant-
ers lived, and how they grew rich fuddenly, I
refolved, if I could get licence to fettle there, I
would turn planter among them, refolving, in the
mean time, to find out fome way to get my mo-
ney, 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 fettlement,
and fuch a one as might be fuitable to the ftock
which I propoſed to myſelf to receive from Eng-
land.
I HAD a neighbour, a Portugueſe of Liſbon, but
born of Engliſh parents, whofe name was Wall, and
in much fuch circumftances as I was. I call him
my neighbour, becauſe his plantation lay next to
mine, and we went on very fociably together.
My ſtock was but low as well as his, and we ra-
ther planted for food than any thing elfe, for
about two years. However, we began to in-
creaſe, and our land began to come into order; fo
E 3
that
54
ADVENTURES OF
that the third year we planted fome 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 was gotten into an employment
quite remote to my genius, and directly contrary
to the life I delighted in, and for which I forfook
my father's houſe, and broke through all his good
advice; nay, I was coming into the very middle
ftation, or upper degree of low life, which my
father adviſed me to before; and which, if I re-
folved to go on with, I might have as well have
ftaid at home, and never have fatigued myſelf in
the world as I had done: and used often to fay to
myfelf, I could have done this as well in Eng-
land among my friends, as have gone five
"thouſand miles off to do it among ftrangers
"and favages in a wilderneſs, and at fuch a dif-
"tance as never to hear from any part of the
"world that had the least knowledge of me,"
In this manner I ufed to look upon my condi
tion with the utmoft regret. I had no body to
converfe with, but now and then this neighbour;
no work to be done, but by the labour of my
hands;
ROBINSON CRUSOE,
!
55
hands; and I uſed to fay, I lived juft like a man
caft away upon fome defolate ifland, that had no-
body there but himſelf. But how juft has it
been, and how fhould all men reflect, that when
they compare their prefent 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 fay, how juft has
it been, that the truly folitary life I reflected on,
in an iſland of mere defolation, fhould 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 profper-
pus and rich,
I was, in fome degree, fettled in my mea-
fures for carrying on the plantation, before my
kind friend, the Captain of the fhip that took me
up at fea, went back; for the fhip remained there
in providing his loading, 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 fincere advice:
"Seignior Ingleſe," fays 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 perfon who has your money in London, to
"fend your effects to Lisbon, to fuch perfons as
I fhall direct, and in fuch goods as are proper.
" for
E 4
56
ADVENTURES OF
"for this country, I will bring you the produce
"of them, God willing, at my return; but fince
"human affairs are all fubject to changes and
"difafters, I would have you give orders for but
one hundred pounds fterling, which, you ſay,
66
is half your ſtock, and let the hazard be run
for the firft; fo that if it come fafe, you may
"order the reft the fame way; and if it mif-
<<
carry, you may have the other half to have
"recourſe to for your fupply."
THIS was fo wholeſome advice, and looked fa
friendly, that I could not but be convinced it was
the beſt courſe I could take; fo I accordingly
prepared letters to the gentlewoman with whom
I had left my money, and a procuration to the
Portugueſe Captain, as he defired.
I WROTE the English Captain's widow a full
account of all my adventures, my flavery, eſcape,
and how I had met the Portugal Captain at fea,
the humanity of his behaviour, and what condi-
tion I was now in, with all other neceffary direc
tions for my ſupply; and when this honeft Cap-
tain came to Lifbon, he found means, by fome
of the Engliſh merchants there, to fend over, not
the order only, but a full account of my ſtory to
a merchant at London, who reprefented it effec-
tually to her whereupon the not only delivered
the
ROBINSON CRUSOE,
57
¿
the money, but out of her own pocket fent the
Portugal Captain a very handforme prefent for his
humanity and charity to me,
THE merchant in London, vefting this hun-
dred pounds in Engliſh goods, fuch as the cap-
tain had writ for, fent them directly to him at
Liſbon, and he brought them all fafe to me at the
Brafils, among which, without my direction (for
I was too young in my bufinefs to think of them)
he had taken care to have all forts of tools, iron-
work, and utenfils neceffary for my plantation,
which were of great ufe to me.
WHEN this cargo arrived, I thought my for-
tune made, for I was furprized with the joy of
it; and my good ſteward the captain had laid out
the five pounds which my friend had fent him
for a prefent for himſelf, to purchaſe, and bring
me over a fervant under bond for fix years fer-
vice, and would not accept of any confideration
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, fuch as cloths, ftuffs,
baize, and things particularly valuable and de-
firable in the country; I found means to fell
them to a very great advantage; fo that I might
fay,
58
ADVENTURES OF.
fay, 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
ine a negro flave, and an European fervant alſo ;
I mean another befides that which the captain
brought me from Liſbon.
BUT as abuſed profperity is oftentimes made
the very means of our greateſt adverfity, fo was
it with me. I went on the next year with great
fuccefs in my plantation; I raiſed fifty great rolls
of tobacco on my own ground, more than I had
difpofed of for neceffaries among my neighbours;
and theſe fifty rolls being each of above 100 wt.
were well cured and laid by against the return of the
fleet from Liſbon; and now increafing in buſineſs
and in wealth, my head began to be full of pro-
jects and undertakings beyond my reach; fuch as
are indeed often the ruin of the best heads in bu
fineſs,
HAD I continued in the ftation I was now in, I
had room for all the happy things to have yet be
fallen me, for which my father ſo earneſtly re-
commended a quiet retired life, and which he
had fo fenfibly defcribed the middle ftation of life
to be full of; but other things attended me, and
I was ſtill to be the wilful agent of all my own
miferies,
ROBINSON CRUSOE,
59
miferies, and particularly to increaſe my fault,
and double the reflections upon myſelf, which in
my future forrows I fhould have leifure to make;
all theſe miſcarriages were procured by my ap
parent obftinate adhering to my foolish inclina→
tion, of wandering abroad, and purſuing that
inclination, in contradiction to the cleareft views
of doing myfelf good in a fair and plain purfuit
of thoſe profpects and thoſe meaſures of life,
which Nature and Providence concurred to pre-
fent me with, and to make my duty.
As I had once done thus in my breaking away
from my parents, fo 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 planta-
tion, only to purſue a raſh and immoderate defire
of rifing fafter than the nature of the thing ad-
mitted; and thus I caft myſelf down again into
the deepeſt gulph of human mifery that ever man
fell into, or perhaps could be confiftent with life,
and a ftate of health in the world.
in
To come then by the juft degrees, to the par.
ticulars of this part of my ſtory: You may fup-
pofe, that having now lived almoſt four years
the Brafils, and beginning to thrive and profper
very well upon my plantation; I had not only
learned
:
60
ADVENTURES OF
learned the language, but had contracted an ac-
quaintance and friendſhip among my fellow plant-
ers, as well as among the merchants at St. Sal-
vador, which was our port; and that in my dif-
courſes among them, I had frequently given them
an account of my two voyages to the coaſt of
Guinea, the manner of treating with the negroes
there, and how eafy it was to purchaſe on the
coaft for trifles, fuch as beads, toys, knives, fcif-
fars, hatchets, bits of glaſs, and the like; not
only gold duft, Guinea grains, elephants teeth,
&c. but negroes for the fervice of the Brafils,
in great numbers.
THEY liftened always very attentively to my
difcourfes on thefe 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 affientos, or permiffion of the King of Spain
and Portugal, and engroffed in the public, fo that
few negroes were bought, and thoſe exceffive
dear.
Ir happened, being in company with fome
merchants and planters of my acquaintance, and
talking of thofe things very earnestly, three
of them came to me the next morning, and told
me they had been mufing very much upon what
I had
+
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
61
I had difcourfed with them of the last night, and
they came to make a fecret propofal to me; and
after enjoining me to fecrecy, they told me that
they had a mind to fit out a fhip to go to Guinea;
that they had all plantations as well as I, and were
ftraitened for nothing fo much as fervants;
that as it was a trade that could not be carried on,
becauſe they could not publicly fell the negroes
when they came home, fo they defired to make
but one voyage, to bring the negroes on fhore
privately, and divide them among their own plan-
tations; and in a word, the queſtion was, whe-
ther I would go their fupercargo in the ſhip, to
manage the trading part upon the coaft of Guinea?
and they offered me that I ſhould have an equal
fhare of the negroes, without providing any part
of the stock.
THIS was a fair propofal, it muſt be confeffed,
had it been made to any one that had not a ſettle-
ment and plantation of his own to look after,
which was in a fair way of coming to be very
confiderable, 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 fent for the
other hundred pounds from England, and who in
that time, and with that little addition, could
fcarce have failed of being worth three or four
thou-
62
ADVENTURES OF
1
thousand pounds fterling, and that increafing too!
for me to think of fuch a voyage was the moſt
prepofterous thing that ever man, in ſuch cir.
cumftances could be guilty of:
BUT I, that was born to be my own deftroyer,
could no more refift the offer, than I could re-
ftrain my
firſt rambling deſigns, when my father's
good counfel was loft upon me. In a word, I
told them, "I would go with all my heart, if
"they would undertake to look after my plan-
tation in my abfence, and would difpofe of it
to fuch as I fhould direct, if I mifcarried."
This they all engaged to do, and entered into
writings or covenants to do fo; and I made a
formal will, difpofing of my plantation and ef-
fects, in cafe of my death, making the captain of
the ſhip that had faved my life as before, my
univerfal 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 fhort, I took all poffible caution to preferve
my effects, and keep up my plantation; had I
ufed half as much prudence to have looked into
my own intereft, and have made a judgment of
what I ought to have done, and not to have done,
I had certainly never gone away from fo prof-
perous
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
63
•
perous an undertaking, leaving all the probable
views of a thriving circumſtance, and gone upon
a voyage to fea, attended with all its common
hazards; to fay nothing of the reafons I had to
expect particular misfortunes to myſelf.
BUT I was hurried on, and obeyed blindly the
dictates of my fancy rather than my reafon ; and
accordingly, the hip being fitted out, and the
cargo furnished, and all things done as by agree-
ment, by my partners in the voyage, I went on
board in an evil hour, the firſt of September
1659, being the fame 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 120 tons burthen, carried
fix guns, and fourteen men, befides the mafter,
his boy, and my felf; we had on board no large
cargo of goods, except of fuch toys as were fit
for our trade with the negroes, fuch as beads,
bits of glaſs, fhells, and odd trifles, eſpecially
little looking glaffes, knives, fciffars, hatchets,
and the like.
THE fame day I went on board we fet fail,
ftanding away to the northward upon our own
coaft, with defign to ftretch over for the African
2
coaſt,
64
ADVENTURES OF
coaft, when they came about ten or twelve des
grees of northern latitude, which it feems was
the manner of their courfe in thofe days. We
had very good weather, only exceffive hot all the
way upon our own coaft, till we came to the
height of Cape St. Auguftino; from whence,
keeping farther off at fea, we loft fight of land,
and fteered as if we were bound for the ifle Fer-
nando de Noronha, holding our courfe N. E. by
N. and leaving thoſe ifles on the eaſt; in this
courſe we paft the line in about twelve days
time, and were, by our laft obfervation, in 17 de-
grees 22 minutes northern latitude, when a vio-
lent tornado or hurricane took us quite out of
our knowledge; it began from the fouth-eaft,
came about to the north-weft, and then fettled
into the north-eaft, from whence it blew in fuch
a terrible manner, that for twelve days together
we could do nothing but drive, and fcudding
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 fay that I expected
every day to be fwallowed up, nor indeed did any
in the ſhip expect to fave their lives.
In this diſtreſs, we had befides the terror of
the ſtorm, one of our men died of the calenture,
and one man and the boy was waſhed overboard;
about the 12th day, the weather abating a little,
the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
65
the mafter made an obfervation as well as he
could, and found that he was in about 11 degrees
north latitude, but that he was 22 degrees of lon-
gitude difference weft from cape St. Auguftino;
fo that he found that he was gotten upon the
coaſt of Guinea, or the north part of Brafil, be-
yond the river Amazones, toward that of the ri-
ver Oroonoque, commonly called the Great Ri-
ver, and began to confult with me what courfe
he ſhould take, for the fhip was leakỳ and very
much difabled, and he was going directly back
to the coaft of Brafil.
I was pofitively againſt that, and looking over
the charts of the 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 Iflands, and therefore refolved
to ftand away for Barbadoes, which, by keeping
off to fea, to avoid the indraft of the bay or gulph
of Mexico, we might cafily perform; as we
hoped, in about fifteen days fail; whereas we
could not poffibly make our voyage to the coaft
of Africa without fome affiftance, both to our
ſhip and ourſelves.
WITH this defign we changed our courſe, and
fteered away N. W. by W. in order to reach fome
of our Engliſh iſlands, where I hoped for relief,
F
but
66
ADVENTURES OF
but our voyage was otherwiſe determined, for be-
ing in the latitude 12 degrees 18 minutes, a fe-
cond ſtorm came upon us, which carried us
away with the fame impetuofity weftward, and
drove us fo out of the very way of all human
commerce, that had all our lives been faved, as
to the fea, we were rather in danger of being de-
voured by favages than ever returning to our own
country.
In this diftrefs, the wind ftill blowing very
hard, one of our men, early in the morning, cried
out land; and we had no fooner run out of the
cabin to look out in hopes of feeing whereabouts
in the world we were, but the fhip ftruck upon
a fand, and in a moment her motion being fo
ftopped, the fea broke over her in fuch a manner,
that we expected we ſhould all have perifhed im-
mediately, and we were immediately driven
into our cloſe quarters to fhelter us from the
very foam and ſpray of the fea.
Ir is not eafy for any one who has not been in
the like condition, to defcribe or conceive the
confternation of men in fuch circumftances; 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 ftill great, tho'
rather
:
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
67
rather lefs than at first, we could not fo much as
hope to have the fhip hold many minutes, with-
out breaking in pieces, unleſs the wind, by a kind
of miracle, fhould immediately turn about. In
a word, we fat 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 prefent com-
fort, and all the comfort we had, was, that, con-
trary to our expectation, the fhip did not break
yet, and that the mafter faid, the wind began to
abate.
Now, though we thought that the wind did a
little abate, yet the fhip having thus ftuck upon
the fand, 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
faving our lives as well as we could; we had a
boat at our ſtern juft before the ftorm, but ſhe
was firſt ſtaved by daſhing against the fhip's rud-
der, and in the next place fhe broke away, and
either funk, or was driven off to fea, fo there was
no hope from her; we had another boat on board,
but how to get her off into the fea was a doubtful
thing; however, there was no room to debate,
for we fancied the fhip would break in pieces
every
F 2
68
ADVENTURES OF
every minute, and fome told us, fhe was actually
broken already.
In this diftrefs, the mate of our veffel lays hold
of the boat, and with the help of the reft of the
men, they got her flung over the fhip's fide, and
getting all into her, let go, and committed our-
felves, being eleven in number, to God's mercy,
and the wild fea; for though the ftorm was abated
confiderably, yet the fea went dreadful high upon
the fhore, and might be well called, "den wild.
66 zee," as the Dutch call the fea in a ftorm.
AND now our cafe was very difmal indeed; for
we all faw plainly, that the fea went fo high, that
the boat could not live, and that we ſhould be in-
evitably drowned. As to making fail, we had
none, nor, if we had, could we have done any
thing with it; fo we worked at the oar towards
the land, though with heavy hearts, like men go-
ing to execution; for we all knew, that when
the boat came nearer to the fhore, fhe would be
daſhed in a thouſand pieces by the breach of the
fea. However, we committed our fouls to God
in the moſt earnest manner, and the wind driving
us towards the fhore, we haftened our deftruction
with our own hands, pulling as well as we could
towards land.
WHAT
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
69
WHAT the fhore was, whether rock or fand,
whether ſteep or fhoal, we knew not; the only
hope that could rationally give us the leaft fhadow
of expectation, was, if we might happen into
fome bay or gulph, or the mouth of fome river,
where by great chance we might have run our
boat in, or got under the lee of the land, and
perhaps made finooth water. But there was no-
thing of this appeared; but as we made nearer
and nearer the ſhore, the land looked more fright-
ful than the fea.
AFTER We had rowed, or rather driven about a
league and a half, as we reckoned it, a raging
wave, mountain-like, came rolling a ſtern of us,
and plainly bade us expect the "coup de grace."
In a word, it took us with ſuch a fury, that it
overfet the boat at once; and feparating us as
well from the boat, as from one another, gave us
not time hardly to fay, "O God!" for we were
all fwallowed up in a moment.
NOTHING can defcribe the confufion of thought
which I felt, when I funk into the water; for
though I fwam very well, yet I could not deliver
myſelf from the waves fo as to draw my breath,
till that wave having driven me, or rather carried
me a vaſt way on towards the fhore, and having
fpent itſelf, went back, and left me upon the land
F 3
almoft
i
¡
70
ADVENTURES OF
1
almoft dry, but half dead with the water I took
in. I had fo much prefence of mind, as well as
breath left, that feeing myfelf nearer the main
land than I expected, I got upon my feet, and
endeavoured to make on towards the land as faft
as I could, before another wave fhould return and
take me up again, but I foon found it was impof-
fible to avoid it; for I faw the fea come after me
as high as a great hill, and as furious as an enemy,
which I had no means or ftrength to contend with;
my bufinefs was to hold my breath, and raiſe
myſelf upon the water, if I could; and fo by
ſwimming to preferve my breathing, and pilot
myſelf towards the ſhore if poffible; my greateſt
concern now being, that the ſea, as it would.car-
ry me a great way towards the fhore when it came
on, might not carry me back again with it, when
it gave back towards the fea.
THE wave that came upon me again, buried
me at once 20 or. 30 feet deep in its own body;
and I could feel myfelf carried with a mighty
force and fwiftnefs towards the fhore, a very great
way, but I held my breath, and affifted myſelf to
fwim ftill forward with all my might. I was
ready to burft with holding my breath, when, as
I felt myſelf rifing up, fo, to my immediate relief,
I found my head and hands fhoot out above the
furface of the water; and though it was not two
feconds
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
75
feconds of time that I could keep myfelf fo, yet
it relieved me greatly, gave me breath and new
courage. I was covered again with water a good
while, but not fo long but I held it out; and
finding the water had ſpent itſelf, and began tỏ
return, Iftruck 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 fhore. But neither would this deli-
ver me from the fury of the fea, which came pour-
ing in after me again, and twice more I was lifted
up by the waves, and carried forwards as before,
the fhore being very flat,
THE laft time of theſe two had well near been
fatal to me; for the fea having hurried me along
as before, landed me, or rather daſhed me againſt
a piece of a rock, and that with fuch force, as it
left me fenfeleſs, and indeed helpleſs, to my own
deliverance; for the blow, taking my fide and
breaſt, beat the breath, as it were, quite out of
my body; and had it returned again immediately,
I muſt have been ftrangled in the water; but I
recovered a little before the return of the waves,
and feeing I fhould again be covered with the
water, I refolved to hold faſt by a piece of the
rock, and ſo to hold my breath, if poffible, till
F 4
the
72
ADVENTURES OF
the wave went back; now as the waves were not
fo high as at first, being nearer land, I held my
hold till the wave abated, and then fetched an-
other run, which brought me fo near the fhore,
that the next wave, though it went over me, yet
did not fo fwallow 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
clifts of the fhore, and fat me down upon the
grafs, free from danger, and quite out of the reach
of the water,
I was now landed, and fafe on fhore, and be-
gan to look up and thank God, that my life was
faved, in a cafe, wherein there were fome minutes
before ſcarce any room to hope. I believe it is
impoffible to exprefs, to the life,
fies and tranſports of the foul are,
what the exta-
when it is fo
faved, as I may fay, out of the very grave; and
do I not wonder now at the cuſtom, viz. that
when a malefactor, who has the halter ahout his
neck, is tied up, and just going to be turned off,
and has a reprieve brought to him; I fay, I do
not wonder that they bring a furgeon with it, to
let him blood that very moment they tell him of
it, that the furprife may not drive the animal
fpirits from the heart, and overwhelm him.
For fudden joys, like grief, confound at firſt.”
I WALKED
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
73
I WALKED about on the fhore, lifting up my
hands; and my whole being, as I may fay, wrapt
up in the contemplation of my deliverance, mak-
ing a thouſand geftures and motions, which I
cannot deſcribe, reflecting upon all my comrades
that were drowned, and, that there fhould not be
one foul faved but myſelf; for, as for them, I
never faw them afterwards, or any fign of them,
except three of their hats, one cap, and two fhoes,
that were not fellows.
I CAST my eyes to the ftranded veffel, when
the beach and froth of the fea being fo big, I
could hardly fee it, (it lay fo far off) and con-
fidered, Lord! how was it poffible I could get
on fhore?
AFTER I had folaced my mind with the comfort-
able
part of
my condition, I began to look round
me, to fee what kind of a place I was in, and
what was next to be done; and I foon 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 fee any prof-
pect before me, but that of periſhing with hun-
ger, or being devoured by wild beafts; and that
which was particularly afflicting to me was, that
I had no weapon, either to hunt and kill any crea-
ture
74
ADVENTURES OF
creature for my fuftenance, or defend myfelf
against any other creature that might defire
to kill me for theirs. In a word, I had no-
thing about me but a knife, a tobacco-pipe,
and a little tobacco in a box. This was all
my provifion, and this threw me into fuch
terrible agonies of mind, that for a while I run
about like a madman. Night coming upon me,
I began with a heavy heart to confider what would
be my lot if there were any ravenous beaſts in
that country, feeing 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 refolved to fit all night, and confider the
next day what death I ſhould die, for as yet I
faw no profpect of life. I walked about a fur-
long from the fhore, to fee if I could fee any freſh
water to drink, which I did, to my great joy;
and having drank, and put a little tobacco in my
mouth to prevent hunger, I went to the tree, and
getting up into it, endeavoured to place myſelf
ſo, as that if I fhould fleep I fhould not fall; and
having cut me a ſhort ſtick, like a truncheon, for
my defence, I took up my lodging, and having
been exceffively fatigued, I fell aſleep, and flept
as comfortably as, I believe, few could have done
in my condition and found myſelf the moſt re-
freſhed
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
75
!
freſhed with it that I think I ever was on fuch
occafion.
WHEN I waked, it was broad day, the weather
clear, and the ftorm abated, fo that the fea did
not rage and fwell as before; but that which
furprized me moſt was, that the fhip was lifted
off in the night from the fand where the lay, by
the fwelling of the tide, and was driven up almoſt
as far as the rock which I first mentioned, where
I had been fo bruifed by the dashing me against
it. This being within about a mile from the
fhore where I was, and the fhip feeming to ſtand
upright ftill, I wished myſelf on board, that at
leaft I might fave fome neceffary things for my
ufe.
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 fea had toffed her up upon the land, about
two miles on my right-hand. I walked as far as
I could upon the fhore 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; fo
I came back for the prefent, being more intent.
upon getting at the fhip, where I hoped to find
fomething for my prefent fubfiftence.
A LITTLE
:
76
ADVENTURES OF
!
A LITTLE after noon I found the fea very
calm, and the tide ebbed fo far out, that I could
come within a quarter of a mile of the ſhip; and
here I fonnd a frefh renewing of my grief, for I
faw evidently, that if we had kept on board we
had been all fafe, that is to fay, we had all got
fafe on fhore, and I had not been ſo miſerable as
to be left entirely deftitute 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 refolved, if poffible, to get to the fhip;
fo I rolled up part of my cloaths on my back, the
weather being extremely hot, and took the wa-
ter: but when I came to the fhip, my difficulty
was fill greater to know how to get on board,
for as fhe 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 fpied a ſmall piece of a rope, which I wondered
I did not ſee at firft, hang down by the fore-chains
fo low, as that with great difficulty I got hold of
it, and by the help of the rope got up into the
forecaſtle of the fhip. Here I found that the
fhip was bulged, and had a great deal of water in
her hold, but that ſhe lay fo on the fide of a bank
of hard fand, or rather earth, that her ftern lay
lifted up upon the bank, and her head low, al-
moft to the water. By this means all her quarter
was free, and all that was in that part was dry;
for
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
77
for you may be fure the first work was to fearch
and to fee what was fpoiled and what was free:
and firſt I found that all the fhip's provifions 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 lofe.
I alfo found fome rum in the great cabin, of
which I took a large dram, and which I had in-
deed need enough for to fpirit me for what was
before me. Now I wanted nothing but a boat,
to furniſh myſelf with many things which I fore-
faw would be very neceffary to me.
Ir was in vain to fit ftill, and wifh for what
was not to be had, and this extremity rouſed my
application; we had feveral ſpare yards, and two
or thre large fpars of wood, and a ſpare top-maft
or two in the ſhip: I refolved to fall to work with
theſe, and I flung as many of them 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 fhip's fide,
and pulling them to me, I tied four of them faft
together at both ends, as well as I could, in the
form of a raft, and laying two or three fhort
pieces of plank upon them cross ways, I found I
could walk upon it very well, but that it was not
able to bear any great weight, the pieces being
100
78
ADVENTURES OF
من
too light fo I went to work, and with the car-
penter's faw I cut a fpare top-maft into three
lengths, and added them to my raft, with a great
deal of labour and pains. But hope of furniſh-
ing me with neceffaries, encouraged me to go
beyond what I fhould have been able to have
done upon another occafion.
My raft was now ftrong enough to bear any
reaſonable weight. My next care was to know
what to load it with, and how to preferve what I
laid upon it from the furf of the fea; but I was
not long confidering this: I first laid all the
planks or boards upon it that I could get, and
having confidered well what I moft wanted, I firft
got three of the feamens chefts, which I had
broke open and emptied, and lowered them down
upon my raft; the firſt of theſe I filled with pro-
vifions, viz. bread, rice, three Dutch cheefes,
five pieces of dry goats flesh, which we lived
much upon, and a little remainder of European
corn, which had been laid by for fome fowls
which we brought to fea with us, but the fowls
were killed. There had been fome barley and
wheat together, but, to my great diſappoint-
ment, I found afterwards, that the rats had eaten
or ſpoiled it all. "As for liquors, I found feveral
cafes of bottles belonging to our ſkipper, in which
were ſome cordial waters; and in all, about five
or
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
79
or fix gallons of rack. Theſe I flowed by them-
felves, there being no need to put them into the
cheft, nor any room for them. While I was do-
ing this, I found the tide began to flow, though
very calm; and I had the mortification to fee my
coat and fhoes, &c. fwim away, which, thinking
too heavy to ſwim with, I had left on fhore upon
the fand. This put me upon rummaging for
cloaths, of which I found enough, but took no
more than I wanted for prefent ufe, for I had
other things which my eye was more upon; as,
firſt, tools to work with on fhore, and it was after
long fearching that I found out the carpenter's
cheft, which was indeed a very ufeful prize to
me, and much more valuable than a fhip-loading
of gold would have been at that time. I got
down to my raft, even whole as it was, without
lofing time to look into it, for I knew in general
what it contained.
it
My next care was for fome ammunition and
arms. There were two very good fowling-pieces
in the great cabin, and two piftols; theſe I fe-
cured first, with fome powder-horns and a fmall
bag of flot, and two old rufty fwords. I knew
there were three barrels of powder in the fhip,
but knew not where our gunner had ftowed them,
but with much fearch I found them, two of them
dry and good, the other had taken water. Thofe
two
"
1
80
ADVENTURES OF
two I got to the raft, with the arms. And now
I thought myſelf pretty well freighted, and be-
gan to think how I fhould get to fhore with them,
having neither fail nor rudder; and the leaft cap
full of wind would have overfet all my naviga-
tion.
I HAD three encouragements: 1. A fmooth
calm fea. 2. The tide rifing and fetting in to the
fhore. 3. What little wind there was blew me
towards the land. And thus, having found two
or three broken oars belonging to the boat, and
befides the tools which were in the cheft, I found
two faws, an axe, and a hammer, and with this
cargo I put to fea. For a mile, or thereabouts,
my raft went very well, only I found it drive a
little diſtant from the place where I first got to
land, by which I perceived that there was fome
indraft of water, and confequently I hoped to find
fome 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 be-
fore me a little opening of the land, and I found
a ſtrong current of the tide fet into it; fo I guided
my raft, as well as I could, to get into the mid-
dle of the ſtream. But here I had like to have
fuffered a ſecond fhipwreck, which, if I had, I
think verily would have broke my heart; for
knowing
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
81
knowing nothing of the coaft, my raft run
aground at one end of it upon a fhoal, and not
being aground at the other end, it wanted but a
little that all my cargo had flipped off towards
that end, that was afloat, and fo fallen into the
water. I did my utmoft, by fetting my back
againſt the chefts, to keep them in their places,
but could not thrust off the raft with all my
ftrength, neither durft I ftir from the poſture I
was in, but holding up the chefts with all my
might. I ftood in that manner near half an hour,
in which time the rifing of the water brought me
a little more upon a level; and a little after, the
water ftill rifing, 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 fides, and a strong current or tide run-
ning up; I looked on both fides for a proper
place to get to fhore, for I was not willing to be
driven too high up the river, hoping in time to
fee fome fhip at fea, and therefore refolved to
place myſelf as near the coaft as I could.
Ar length I fpied a little cove on the right
fhore of the creek, to which, with great pain and
difficulty, I guided my raft, and at laſt got fo`
near, as that, reaching ground with my oar, I
could thruft her directly in; but here I had like
G
VOL. I.
to
82
ADVENTURES OF
}
}
to have dipped all my cargo in the ſea again, for
that fhore lying pretty fteep, that is to fay, flop-
ing, there was no place to land but where one end
of my float, if it run on fhore, would lie fo high,
and the other fink lower, as before, that it would
endanger my cargo again. All that I could do
was to wait till the tide was at higheft, keeping
the raft with my oar like an anchor, to hold the
fide of it faſt to the fhore, near a flat piece of
ground, which I expected the water would flow
over, and fo it did. As foon as I found water
enough, for my raft drew about a foot water,
thruft her upon that flat piece of ground, and
there faftened or moored her, by fticking my two
broken oars into the ground, one on one fide near
one end, and one on the other fide near the other
end; and thus I lay till the water ebbed away,
and left my raft and all my cargo fafe on fhore.
My next work was to view the country, and
feek a proper place for my habitation, and where
to flow my goods to fecure them from whatever
might happen. Where I was, I yet knew not;
whether on the continent, or an ifland; whether
inhabited, or not inhabited; whether in danger
of wild beafts, or not. There was a hill, not above
a mile from me, which rofe up very fteep and
high, and which feemed to over-top fome other
hills, which lay as in a ridge from it northward.
I took
}
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
83
I took out one of the fowling-pieces, and one of
the piftols, and an 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 to the top, I faw my fate to
my great affliction, viz. that I was in an iſland
environed every where with the fea, no land to
be ſeen except fome rocks which lay a great way
off, and two ſmall iſlands leſs than this, which lay
about three leagues to the weft.
I FOUND alfo that the iſland I was in was bar-
fen, and, as I faw good reafon to believe, un-
inhabited, except by wild beaſts, of whom how-
ever I faw none; yet I faw 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 fhot a great bird,
which I faw fitting upon a tree, on the fide of a
great wood. I believe it was the firft gun that
had been fired there fince the creation of the
world-I had no fooner fired, but from all the
parts of the wood there aroſe an innumerable
number of fowls, of many forts, making a con-
fufed fcreaming, and crying every one according
to his ufual 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
G 2
more,
84
ADVENTURES OF
more than common. Its flesh was carrion, and
fit for nothing.
CONTENTED with this difcovery, I came back
to my raft, and fell to work to bring my cargo
on fhore, which took me up the reft of that day;
and what to do with myſelf at night I knew not,
nor indeed where to reft, for I was afraid to lie
down on the ground, not knowing but fome wild
beaft might devour me; though, as I afterwards
found, there was really no need for thofe fears.
HOWEVER, as well as I could, I barricadoed
myſelf round with the chefts and boards that I
had brought on fhore, and made a kind of a hut
for that night's lodging. As for food, I yet faw
not which way to fupply myfelf, except that I
had ſeen two or three creatures, like hares, rum
out of the wood where I fhot the fowl.
I Now began to confider, that I might yet get
a great many things out of the fhip, which would
be uſeful to me, and particularly fome of the rig-
ging and fails, and fuch other things as might
come to land; and I refolved to make another
voyage on board the veffel, if poffible. And as
I knew that the firft ftorm that blew muft necef
farily break her all in pieces, I refolved to fet
all other things apart, till I got every thing
I
out
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
85
out of the ſhip that I could get. Then I called a
council, that is to fay, in my thoughts, whether
I fhould take back the raft; but this appeared
impracticable fo I refolved to go as before,
when the tide was down; and I did fo, only that
I ftripped before I went from my hut, having
nothing with me but a chequered fhirt, and a
pair of linen drawers, and a pair of pumps on
my feet.
I GOT on board the fhip as before, and prepared
a fecond raft; and having had experience of the
first, I neither made this fo unwieldy, nor loaded
it fo hard, but yet I brought away feveral things
very uſeful to me: as, firft, in the carpenter's
ftores, I found two or three bags full of nails and
fpikes, a great ſcrew jack, a dozen or two of
hatchets, and, above all, that moſt uſeful thing
called a grind-ſtone. All theſe things I fecured.
together, with feveral things belonging to the
gunner, particularly two or three iron crows,
and two barrels of mufquet-bullets, feven
mufquets, and another fowling-piece, with fome
fmall quantity of powder more; a large bag full
of fmall fhot, and a great roll of fheet lead but
this laft was fo heavy, I could not hoift it up to
get it over the ship's fide.
G 3
BE-
A
86
ADVENTURES OF
1
BESIDES theſe things, I took all the men's
cloaths that I could find, and a fpare fore top-fail,
a hammock, and fome bedding; and with this I
loaded my ſecond raft, and brought them all fafe
on ſhore, to my very great comfort,
I was under fome apprehenfions, during my
abſence from the land, that at leaſt my provifions
might be devoured on fhore; but when I came
back, I found no fign of any vifitor, only there fat
a creature like a wild cat upon one of the chefts,
which, when I came towards it, ran away a little
diſtance, and then flood ftill. She fat very com-
pofed and unconcerned, and looked full in my
face, as if fhe had a mind to be acquainted with
me. I prefented my gun at her, but as fhe did
not underſtand it, fhe was perfectly unconcerned
at it, nor did fhe offer to ſtir away; upon which I
toffed her a bit of biſcuit, though by the way I
was not very free of it, for my ftore was not great:
however, I fpared her a bit, I ſay, and ſhe went to
it, ſmelled to it, and eat it, and looked (as pleaf-
ed) for more; but I thanked her, and could
fpare no more; fo the marched off.
HAVING got my fecond cargo on fhore, 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
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
87
little tent with the fail, and fome poles which I
cut for that purpoſe, and into this tent I brought
every thing that I knew would ſpoil, either with
rain or fun, and I piled all the empty chefts and
caſks up in a circle round the tent, to fortify it
from any fudden attempt, either from man or
beaſt.
WHEN I had done this, I blocked up the door
of the tent with fome barrels within, and an
empty cheft 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 lept
very quietly all night, for I was very weary and
heavy; for the night before I had flept little, and
had laboured very hard all day, as well to fetch
all thoſe things from the fhip, as to get them on
fhore.
I HAD the biggeft magazine, of all kinds now,
that ever was laid up, I believe, for one man, but
I was not fatisfied ftill; for while the fhip fat
upright in that poſture, I thought I ought to get
every thing out of her that I could: fo every day
at low water I went on board, and brought away
fomething or other; but particularly the third
time I went, I brought away as much of the rig-
ging as I could, as alfo all the fmall ropes and
G 4.
rope-
88
ADVENTURES OF
rope-twine I could get, with a piece of fpare
canvas, which was to mend the fails upon occa-
fion, and the barrel of wet gun-powder. In a
word, I brought away all the fails 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 fails, but as mere canvas only.
BUT that which comforted me more ftill was,
that laft of all, after I had made five or fix fuch
yoyages as theſe, and thought I had nothing more
to expect from the fhip that was worth my med-
dling with, I fay, after all this, I found a great
hogfhead of bread, and three large runlets of
rum or ſpirits, and a box of fugar, and a barrel
of fine flour; this was furprizing to me, becauſe
I had given over expecting any more provifions,
except what was fpoiled by the water; I foon
emptied the hogfhead of that bread, and wrapped
it up parcel by parcel in pieces of the fails, which
I cut out; and in a word, I got all this fafe on
fhore alfo.
THE next day I made another voyage, and
now having plundered the fhip of what was port-
able 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 hawfer on
fhore, with all the iron-work I could get; and
having
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
89
1
having cut down the fpritfail-yard, and the mi-
zen-yard, and every thing I could to make a
large raft, I loaded it with thefe heavy goods
and came off; but my good luck began now to
leave me; for this raft was fo unwieldy, and fo
over-loaden, that after I was entered the little
cove, where I had landed the rest of my goods,
not being able to guide it fo handily as I did the
other, it overfet, and threw me and all my cargo
into the water; as for myfelf, it was no great
harm, for I was near the fhore; but as to my
cargo, it was great part of it loft, eſpecially the
iron, which I expected would have been of great
ufe to me; however, when the tide was out, I
got moſt of the pieces of cable afhore, and fome
of the iron, though with infinite labour; for I
was fain to dip 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 on fhore, and had
been eleven times on board the fhip; in which
time I had brought away all that one pair of
hands could well be fuppofed capable to bring,
though I believe verily, had the calm weather
held, I ſhould have brought away the whole fhip
piece by piece; but preparing the twelfth time
to go on board, I found the wind began to rife;
*how-
90
ADVENTURES OF
however at low water I went on board, and though
I thought I had rummaged the cabin fo effectu-
ally, as that nothing more could be found, yet
diſcovered a locker with drawers in it, in one of
which I found two or three razors, and one pair
of large fciffars, with fome ten or a dozen good
knives and forks; in another I found about thir-
ty-fix pounds value in money, fome European
coin, fome Brafil, fome pieces of eight, fome
gold, and fome filver,
I SMILED to myfelf at the fight of this money:
O drug! faid I aloud, what art thou good for?
thou art not worth to me, no, not the taking off
the ground; one of theſe knives is worth all this
heap I have no manner of ufe for thee; even re-
main where thou art, and go to the bottom as a
creature whofe life is not worth faving. How-
ever upon fecond thoughts, I took it away, and
wrapping all this in a piece of canvas, I began
to think of making another raft, but while I
was preparing this, I found the fky over-caft,
and the wind began to rife, and in a quarter of
an hour it blew a freſh gale from the fhore; it
preſently occurred to me, that it was in vain to
pretend to make a raft with the wind off fhore ;
and that it was my bufinefs to be gone before the
tide of flood began, or otherwife I might not be
able to reach the fhore at all; accordingly I let
myfelf
1
ROBINSON CRUS O E.
91
myfelf down into the water, and fwam a-crofs
the channel, which lay between the fhip and the
fands, and even that with difficulty enough, part-
ly with the weight of the things I had about me,
and partly the roughnefs of the water, for the
wind rofe very haftily, and before it was quite
high water, it blew a ſtorm.
BUT I was gotten home to my little tent, where
I lay with all my wealth about me very fecure.
It blew very hard all that night, and in the morn-
ing when I looked out, behold, no more ship was
to be feen; I was a little furprized, but reco-
vered myſelf with this fatisfactory reflection, viz.
That I had loft no time, nor abated no diligence
to get every thing out of her that could be uſe-
ful to me, and that indeed there was little left in
her that I was able to bring away if I had more
time.
I Now gave over any more thoughts of the
fhip, or of any thing out of her except what might
drive on fhore, from her wreck, as indeed divers
pieces of her afterwards did, but thofe were of
fmall ufe to me.
1
My thoughts were now wholly employed about
fecuring myſelf againſt either favages, if any
hould appear, or wild beafts, if any were in the
iſland;
92
ADVENTURES OF
}
ifland; and I had many thoughts of the method
how to do this, and what kind of dwelling to
make, whether I fhould make me a cave in the
earth, or a tent upon the earth': And, in fhort,
I refolved upon both, the manner and defcription
of which, it may not be improper to give an ac-
count of.
I SOON found the place I was in was not for
my fettlement, particularly becauſe it was upon
a low moorish ground, near the fea, and I be-
lieved it would not be wholefome, and more par-
ticularly becauſe there was no freſh water near
it, fo I refolved to find a more healthy and more
convenient fpot of ground.
I CONSULTED feveral things in my fituation,
which I found would be proper for me: ft,
Health and fresh water I juft now mentioned.
2dly, Shelter from the heat of the fun, 3dly,
Security from ravenous creatures, whether men
or beafts, 4thly, A view to the fea, that if God
fent any fhip in fight, I might not lofe any ad-
vantage for my deliverance, of which I was not
willing to banish all my expectation yet,
IN fearch for a place proper for this, I found a
little plain on the fide of a rifing hill, whofe
front towards this little plain was fteep as a
houſe.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
93
houſe-ſide, ſo that nothing could come down upon
me from the top; on the fide 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, juft before this hol-
low place, I refolved to pitch my tent. This
plain was not above an hundred yards broad, and
about twice as long, and lay like a green before
my door, and at the end of it deſcended irregu-
larly every way down into the low-ground by
the fea-fide. It was on the N. N. W. fide of the
hill, fo that I was fheltered from the heat every
day, till it came to a W. and by S. fun or there-
abouts, which in thofe countries is near the fet-
ting.
BEFORE I ſet up my tent, I drew half a circle
before the hollow place, which took in about ten
yards in its femi-diameter from the rock, and
twenty yards in its diameter, from its beginning
and ending.
In this half circle I pitched two rows of ftrong
ftakes, driving them into the ground till they
ftood very firm like piles, the biggeft end being
out of the ground about five foot and an half,
and
94
ADVENTURES OF
and fharpened on the top. The two rows did not
ftand above fix inches one from another.
THEN I took the pieces of cable which I had
cut in the fhip, and I laid them in rows one
upon another, within the circle, between thefe
two rows of ſtakes, up to the top, placing other
ftakes in the infide, leaning against them, about
two foot and an half high, like a ſpur to a poft,
and this fence was fo ftrong, that neither man or
beaft could get into it or over it. This coft 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 fhort ladder to go over the
top, which ladder, when I was in, I lifted over
after me, and fo I was completely fenced in, and
fortified, as I thought, from all the world, and
confequently flept fecure in the night, which
otherwife I could not have done, though, as it
appeared afterward, there was no need of all this
caution from the enemies that I apprehended dan-
ger from.
INTO this fence or fortrefs, with infinite labour,
I carried all my riches, all my provifions, am-
munition, and ftores, of which you have the
account
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
95
account above, and I made me 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 uppermoft with a large
tarpaulin, which I had faved among the fails.
AND now I lay no more for a while in the bed
which I had brought on fhore, but in a ham-
mock, which was indeed a very good one, and be-
longed to the mate of the fhip.
1
INTo this tent I brought all my provifions, and
every thing that would fpoil by the wet, and
having thus encloſed all my goods, I made up the
entrance, which till now I had left open, and fo
paffed and repaffed, as I faid, by a fhort ladder.
WHEN I had done this, I began to work my
way into the rock, and bringing all the earth and
ftones that I dug down out through my tent, I
laid them up within my fence in the nature of a
terrace, that ſo 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 coft me much labour and many
days, before all theſe things were brought to
perfection; and therefore, I must go back to
fome others, which took up fome of my thoughts.
At
96
ADVENTURES OF
'મ
Ї
At the fame time it happened, after I had laid
my ſcheme for fetting up my tent, and making
the cave, that a ftorm of rain, falling from a
thick dark cloud, a fudden flash of lightning
happened, and after that, a great clap of thûn-
der, as is naturally the effect of it; I was not fo
much furpriſed with the lightning, as I was with
a thought, which darted into my mind as ſwift as
lightning itfelf: Omy powder! My very heart
funk within me, when I thought, that at one
blaft, all my powder might be deftroyed; on
which, not only my defence, but the providing
me food, as I thought, entirely depended; I was
nothing near fo anxious about my own danger,
though had the powder took fire, I had never
known who had hurt me.
SUCH impreffion did this make upon me, that
after the ftorm was over, I laid afide all my works,
my building, and fortifying, and applied myſelf
to make bags and boxes, to ſeparate the powder,
and 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 fo apart, that it
fhould not be poffible to make one part fire ano-
ther I finiſhed this work in about a fortnight,
and I think my powder, which in all was about
240lb. weight, was divided in not less than a hun-
dred parcels; as to the barrel that had been wet,
I did
}
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
97
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 reft I hid up and
down in holes among the rocks, fo 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 once at leaſt every day with my gun,
as well to divert myfelf, as to fee 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 prefently difcovered
that there were goats upon the ifland, which was
a great fatisfaction to me; but then it was at-
tended with this misfortune to me, viz. That they
were fo fhy, fo fubtil, and fo fwift of foot, that
it was the difficulteft thing in the world to come
at them but I was not difcouraged at this, not
doubting, but I might now and then ſhoot one,
as it foon happened; for after I had found their
haunts a little, I laid wait in this manner for
them: I obferved if they faw 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 con-
cluded, that by the pofition of their optics, their
fight was fo directed downward, that they did not
readily
VOL. I.
H
98
ADVENTURES OF
readily fee objects that were above them, fo after-
ward, I took this method; I always climbed the
rocks first, to get above them, and then had fre-
quently a fair mark. The firft fhot I made among
theſe creatures, I killed a fhe goat, which had a
little kid by her, which the gave fuck to, which
grieved me heartily; but when the old one fell,
the kid ftood ſtock ftill by her, till I came and
took her up; and not only fo, but when I car-
ried the old one with me, upon my fhoulder, 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 cat, fo
I was forced to kill it, and eat it myself; theſe
two fupplied me with flesh for fome time, for I
cat fparingly, and preferved my provifions (my
bread eſpecially) as much as poffible I could.
HAVING now fixed my habitation, and faved
fome materials for kindling a light, I found it ab-
folutely neceffary, to provide a place to make a
fire in, and fewel to burn; and what I did for
that, as alfo how I enlarged my cave, and what
conveniences I made, I fhall give a full account
of in its proper place; but I muſt firſt give ſome
little account of myſelf, and of my thoughts a-
bout living, which it may well be ſuppoſed, were
not a few.
I
I HAD
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
99
I HAD a difmal profpect of my condition; for
as I was not caft away upon that ifland, without
being driven, as is faid, by a violent ftorm, quite
out of the courfe of our intended voyage, and a
great way, viz. fome hundreds of leagues out of
the ordinary courſe of the trade of mankind, I
had great reafon to confider it as a determination
of heaven, that in this defolate place, and in this
defolate manner, I fhould end my life; the tears
would run plentifully down my face, when I
made theſe reflections; and fometimes, I would
expoftulate with myſelf, "Why providence
fhould thus completely ruin its creatures, and
render them ſo abfolutely miferable, fo without
help abandoned, fo entirely depreffed,. that it
could hardly be rational to be thankful for fuch a
life."
BUT fomething always returned fwift upon me,
to check theſe thoughts, and to reprove me: and
particularly, one day walking with my gun in
my hand, by the fea-fide, I was very penfive up-
on the ſubject of my prefent condition, when rea-
fon as it were, expoftulated with me the other
way, thus: "Well, you are in a defolate condi-
tion, 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 faved and you loft? why were you fingled
H 2
out?
I
100
ADVENTURES OF
6
*
out? is it better to be here, or there?" And ther
I pointed to the fea. All evils are to be confider-
ed 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 fubfiftance, and what would have
been my cafe if it had not happened (which was
a hundred thouſand to one) that the fhip floated
from the place where the firft ftruck, and was
driven fo near the fhore, that I had time to get
all theſe things out of her. What would have
been my cafe, if I had been to have lived in the
condition in which I at firft came on fhore, with-
out neceffaries of life, or neceffaries to fupply and
procure them? Particularly, faid I aloud, (though
to myſelf) what fhould 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 fufficient quantity,
and was in a fair way to provide myfelf, in fuch a
manner, as to live without my gun, when my
ammunition was fpent fo that I had a tolerable
view of fubfifting, without any want as long as I
lived; for I confidered from the beginning, how
I would provide for the accidents that might
happen, and for the time that was to come, even
not only, after my ammunition fhould be ſpent,
but
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
ΙΟΙ
but even, after my health, or ftrength, thould
decay.
I CONFESS, I had not entertained any motion of
my ammunition being deſtroyed at one blaſt, I
mean my powder being blown up by the light-
ning, and this made the thoughts of it fo furpriz-
ing to me, when it lightened and thundered, as
I obſerved juſt now.
AND now, being to enter into a melancholy re-
lation of a ſcene of filent life, fuch 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 any account, the 30th of Sep-
tember, when, in the manner as above faid, I
firſt ſet foot upon this horrid ifland; when the fun
being, to us, in its autumnal equinox, was almoſt
just over my head; for I reckoned myſelf, by ob-
fervation, to be in the latitude of 9 degrees 22
minutes, north of the line.
7
AFTER I had been there about ten or twelve
days, it came into any thoughts, that I fhould
lofe my reckoning of time, for want of books,
and pen and ink, and fhould even forget the fab-
bath days, from the working days; but to pre-
vent this, I cut it with my knife upon a large
poft, in capital letters, and making it into a
H 3
great
1
102
ADVENTURES OF
J
great croſs, I fet it up on the fhore where I first
landed, viz. " I came on fhore here, on the 30th
"of September, 1659." Upon the fides of this
ſquare poſt, I cut every day, a notch with my
knife, and every feventh notch, was as long again
as the reft, and every first day of the month as
long again as that long one, and thus I kept my
kalendar, or weekly, monthly, and yearly rec-
koning of time.
•
But it happened, that among the many things
which I brought out of the fhip, in the feveral
voyages, which as above mentioned, I made to it,
I got feveral things of lefs value, but not at all
leſs uſeful to me, which I found fome time after,
in rummaging the chefts; as in particular, pens,
ink, and paper, feveral parcels in the captain's,
mate's, gunner's, and carpenter's keeping, three
or four compaffes, fome mathematical inftru-
ments, dials, perfpectives, charts, and books of
navigation, all which I huddled together, whe
ther I might want them or no; alfo I found three
very good bibles, which came to me in my car-
go from England, and which I had packed up
among my things; fome Portugueze books alfo,
and among them, two or three Popish prayer
books, and feveral other books, all which I care-
fully fecured. And I muft not forget, that we
had in the fhip, a dog, and two cats, of whofe
eminent
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
103
eminent hiſtory, I may have occafion to fay fome-
thing in its place; for I carried both the cats
with me, and as for the dog, he jumped out of
the fhip himſelf, and ſwam on fhore to me the
day after I went on fhore with my firft 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 obferved before, I found pen, ink,
and paper, and I huſbanded them to the utmoſt,
and I fhall fhew, that while my ink lafted, 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 devife.
AND this put me in mind that I wanted many
things, notwithstanding all that I had amaffed to-
gether, and of thefe, this of ink was one, as alfo
a fpade, pick-axe, and fhovel, to dig, or remove
the earth; needles, pins, and thread; as for
linen, I foon 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 fur-
rounded my habitation: The piles or flakes,
which were as heavy as I could well lift, were a
H4
long
104
ADVENTURES OF
long time in cutting and preparing in the woods,
and more by far in bringing home; fo that I fpent
fometimes two days, in cutting and bringing
home one of thofe pofts, and a third day, in driv-
ing it into the ground; for which purpofe, I got
a heavy piece of wood at firft, but at last be-
thought 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, feeing I
had time enough to do it in; nor had I any o-
ther employment, if that had been over, at leaſt
that I could forefee, except the ranging the
ifland to feek for food, which I did more or lefs
every day.
I Now began to confider feriouſly my condi-
tion, and the circumftance I was reduced to; and
I drew up the ſtate of my affairs in writing, not
fo 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 reafon
began now to mafter my defpondency, I began
to comfort myſelf as well as I could, and to ſet
the good againſt the evil, that I might have
fomething to diftinguifh my cafe from worſe, and
I ftated it very impartially, like debtor and cre-
ditor,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
105
ditor, the comforts I enjoyed, againſt the miſe-
ries I fuffered, thus:
Evil.
I am caft upon a
horrible, defolate
ifland, void of all
hope of recovery.
I am fingled out
and ſeparated, as it
were, from all the
world to be mifer-
able.
I am divided from
mankind, a folitaire,
one banished from
human fociety.
I have not cloaths
to cover me.
I am without any
defence, or means to
refift any violence of
man or beaſt.
Good.
But I am alive, and not
drowned, as all my fhip's
company were.
But I am fingled out too
from all the fhip's crew, to
be fpared from death; and
he that miraculously faved
me from death, can deliver
me from this condition.
But I am not ftarved, and
perifhing in a barren place,
affording no fuftenance.
But I am in a hot climate,
where, if I had cloaths, I
could hardly wear them.
But I am caft on an ifland,
where I fee no wild beaſts to
hurt me, as I faw on the coaft
of Africa; and what if I had
been shipwrecked there?
I have
106
ADVENTURES OF
1
I have no foul to
fpeak to, or relieve
me.
But God wonderfully fent
the fhip in near enough to
the fhore, that I have gotten
out fo many neceffary things
as will either fupply my
wants, or enable me to fup-
ply myfelf as long as I live.
UPON the whole, here was an undoubted tefti-
mony, that there was fcarce any condition in the
world fo miferable, but there was fomething ne-
gative or fomething pofitive to be thankful for
in it; and let this ftand as a direction, from the
experience of the moſt miferable of all conditions
in this world, that we may always find in it fome-
thing to comfort ourfelves from, and to fet, in
the defcription of good and evil, on the credit
fide of the account.
HAVING now brought my mind a little to relifh
my condition, and giving over looking out to fea
to fee if I could fpy a fhip; I fay, giving over
theſe things, I began to apply myſelf to accom-
modate my way of living, and to make things as
eafy to me as I could.
I HAVE already defcribed my habitation, which
was a tent under the fide of a rock, furrounded
with a strong pale of pofts and cables, but I might
now
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
107
}
now rather call it a wall, for I raiſed a kind of
wall up againſt it of turfs, about two foot thick
on the outfide; and after fome 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 fuch things as I could
get to keep out the rain, which I found at fone
times of the year very violent.
I HAVE already obferved how I brought all my
goods into this pale, and into the cave which I
had made behind me. But I must obferve 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; fo
I fet myſelf to enlarge my cave and works farther
into the earth, for it was a looſe fandy rock, which
yielded eaſily to the labour I beſtowed on it; and
fo when I found I was pretty ſafe as to beaſts of
prey, I worked fideways to the right-hand into
the rock, and turning to the right again, worked
quite out, and made me a door to come out in the
outfide of my pale or fortification.
THIS gave me not only egrefs and regreſs, as
it were, a back way to my tent and to my ftore-
houſe, but gave me room to flow my goods.
AND
108
ADVENTURES OF
in
AND now I began to apply myfelf to make
fuch neceffary things as I found I moft wanted,
as 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 feveral things with fo much pleaſure without a
table. So I went to work : and here I muſt needs
obferve, that as reafon is the fubftance and origi-
nal of the mathematicks, fo by ftating and fqua-
ring every thing by reafon, and by making the
moſt rational judgment of things, every man
may be, in time, mafter of every mechanic art,
I had never handled a tool in my life, and yet
time by labour, application, and contrivance,
I found at laſt that I wanted nothing but I could
have made it, especially if I had had tools.
However, I made abundance of things, even
without tools; and fome, with no more tools than
an adz and a hatchet, which perhaps were never
made that way before, and that with infinite la-
bour: for example, if I wanted a board, I had no
other way but to cut down a tree, fet it on an
edge before me, and hew it flat on either fide
with my axe, till I had brought it to be thin as a
plank, and then dubb it fmooth with my adze.
It is true, by this method I could make but one
board out of a whole tree; but this I had no re-
medy for but patience any more than I had for
the prodigious deal of time and labour which it
took
4
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
109
took me up to make a plank or board: but
my time of labour was little worth, and fo it was
employed one way as well 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 fhip. But when I wrought out
fome boards, as above, I made large fhelves of the
breadth of a foot and a half one over another, all
along one fide of my cave, to lay all my tools,
nails, and iron-work on; and, in a word, to feparate
every thing at large in their places, that I might
come eaſily 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 to be feen, it looked
like a general magazine of all neceffary things;
and I had every thing fo ready at my hand, that
it was a great pleaſure to me to fee all my goods
in fuch order, and eſpecially to find my ftock of
all neceffaries ſo great.
AND now it was when 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 too much difcompofure of mind:
and my journal would have been full of many
dull
110
ADVENTURES OF
1
dull things. For example, I muft have faid thus:
Sept. the 30th. After I had got to fhore, and
"had efcaped drowning, inftead of being thank-
"ful to God for my deliverance, having firft vo-
"mited with the great quantity of falt water
"which was gotten into my ftomach, and reco-
vering myſelf a little, I ran about the fhore
"wringing my hands, and beating my head and
face, exclaiming at my mifery, and crying out,
"I was undone, undone; till tired and faint, I
"was forced to lie down on the ground to repofe,
"but durft not fleep, for fear of being de-
"voured."
SOME days after this, and after I had been on
board the ſhip and got all that I could out of her,
yet I could not forbear getting up to the top of
a little mountain, and looking out to fea, in
hopes of feeing a fhip, then fancy at a vaft dif-
tance I ſpied a fail, pleaſe myſelf with the hopes.
of it; and then, after looking ſteadily till I was
almoſt blind, lofe it quite, and fit down and weep
like a child, and thus increaſe my mifery by my
folly.
BUT, having gotten over thefe things in fome
meaſure, and having fettled my houfhold-ftuff
and habitation, made me a table and a chair, and
all as handſome about me as I could, I began to
keep
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
III
1
keep my journal, of which I fhall here give you
the copy, (though in it will be told all theſe par-
ticulars over again) as long as it lafted; for hav-
ing no more ink, I was forced to leave it off.
JOURNAL.
SEPTEMBER 30th, 1659, I poor miſerable
Robinſon Crufoe, being fhipwrecked during a
dreadful ſtorm in the offing, came on fhore on
this difmal unfortunate ifland, which I called the
Ifland of Despair, all the reft of the fhip's com-
pany 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, houfe, cloaths, wea-
pon, or place to fly to, and in defpair of any
relief, faw nothing but death before me, either
that I ſhould be devoured by wild beafts, mur-
dered by favages, or ftarved to death for want of
food. At the approach of night I flept in a tree,
for fear of wild creatures; but flept foundly,
though it rained all night.
OCTOBER I. In the morning I faw, to my
great ſurpriſe, the fhip had floated with the high
tidę, and was driven on fhore again inuch nearer
the iſland, which, as it was fome comfort on one
hand,
112
ADVENTURES OF
י
hand, for ſeeing her fit upright, and not broken
in pieces, I hoped, if the wind abated, I might
get on board, and get fome food and neceffaries.
out of her for my relief; fo, on the other hand,
it renewed my grief at the lofs of my comrades,
who, I imagined, if we had all ſtaid on board,
might have faved the fhip, or, at leaft, that they
would not have been all drowned as they were;
and that, had the men been faved, we might per-
haps have built us a boat out of the ruins of the
ſhip, to have carried us to fome other part of the
world. I spent great part of this day in perplex-
ing myſelf on theſe things; but at length ſeeing
the ſhip almoſt dry, I went upon the fand as near
as I could, and then fwam on board. This day
alſo it continued raining, though with no wind
at all.
FROM the Ift of October to the 24th. All theſe
days entirely ſpent in many feveral voyages to get
all I could out of the fhip, which I brought on
fhore, every tide of flood, upon rafts. Much rain.
alſo in theſe days, though with fome intervals of
fair weather; but, it feems, this was the rainy
ſeaſon.
Ост. 20. I overfet my raft, and all the goods
I had got upon it, but, being in fhoal water, and
the
:
113
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
the things being chiefly heavy, I recovered many
of them when the tide was out.
Ост.
OCT. 25. It rained all night and all day, with
fome gufts of wind, during which time the ſhip
broke in pieces, the wind blowing a little harder
than before, and was no more to be feen except
the wreck of her, and that only at low water. I
ſpent this day in covering and fecuring the goods
which I had faved, that the rain might not ſpoil
them.
OCT. 26. I walked about the fhore almoſt all
day to find out a place to fix my habitation, great-
ly concerned to fecure myſelf from any attack in
the night, either from wild beafts or men.. To-
wards night I fixed upon a proper place under
a rock, and marked out a femi-circle for my en-
campment, which I refolved 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 fome part of the time it rained exceed-
ing hard.
THE 31ft in the morning I went out into the
iſland with my gun, to fee for fome food, and dif-
VOL. I.
I
cover
114
ADVENTURES OF
P
1
cover the country, when I killed a fhe-goat, and
her kid followed me home, which I afterwards
killed alfo, becauſe it would not feed.
Nov. 1. I fet up my tent under a rock, and
lay there for the first night making it as large as
I could with ftakes driven in to fwing my ham-
mock upon.
Nov. 2. I fet up all my chefts 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 forti-
fication.
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 fleep, and time of diverfion, viz. every morn-
ing 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 eat what I had
to live on, and from twelve to two I lay down to
fleep, the weather being fo exceffive hot, and
then in the evening to work again. The work-
ing
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
115
ing part of this day and of the next were wholly
employed in making my table, for I was yet but
a very forry workman, though time and neceffity
made me a complete natural mechanic foon after,
as I believe it would any one elſe.
Nov. 5. This day went abroad with my gun
and my dog, and killed a wild cat, her ſkin pretty
foft, but her fleſh good for nothing; every crea-
ture that I killed I took off the fkins, and pre-
ferved them; coming back by the fea fhore, I
faw many forts of fea fowl which I did not un-
derſtand, but was furprized, and almoſt frighted
with two or three feals, which, while I was gaz-
ing at, not well knowing what they were, got
into the fea, and eſcaped me for that time.
1
Nov. 6. After my morning walk I went to
work with my table again, and finiſhed it, tho'
not to my liking; nor was it long before I learned
to mend it.
Nov. 7.
Now it began to be ſettled fair wea-
ther. The 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and part of the
12th (for the 11th was Sunday) I took wholly
up to make me a chair, and with much ado
brought it to a tolerable fhape, but never to
pleaſe me, and even in the making I pulled it in
pieces feveral times. Note, I foon neglected my
keeping
I 2
116
ADVENTURES OF
keeping Sundays, for omitting my mark for
them on my poft, I was puzzled to tell 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 frighted me dreadfully for fear of my
powder; as foon as it was over, I refolved to fe-
parate my ſtock of powder into as many little
parcels as poffible, that it might not be in dan-
ger.
Nov. 14, 15, 16. Theſe three days I fpent
in making little fquare chefts or boxes, which
might hold about a pound or two pound at moſt
of powder: and fo putting the powder in, I
ftowed it in places as fecure and remote from
one another as poffible. On one of thefe 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, Two things I wanted ex-
ceedingly for this work, viz. a pick-axe, a fhovel,
and a wheelbarrow or baſket, ſo I defifted from
my work, and began to confider how to fupply
that want, and make fome tools; as for a pick-
axe,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
117
axe, I made ufe of the iron crows, which were
proper enough, though heavy; but the next
thing was a ſhovel or ſpade, this was fo abfolutely
neceffary, that I could do nothing effectually
without it, but what kind of one to make I knew
not.
Nov. 18. The next day in fearching the
woods, I found a tree of that wood, or like it,
which in the Brafils they call the iron tree, for
its exceeding hardnefs; of this, with great la-
bour, and almoft fpoiling my axe, I cut a piece,
and brought it home too with difficulty enough,
for it was exceeding heavy. The exceffive hard-
nefs of the wood, and 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 fhovel or fpade, the handle exactly ſhaped like
ours in England, only that the broad part having
no iron fhod upon it at bottom, it would not laft
me fo long, however, it ferved well enough for
the uſes which I had occafion to put it to; but
never was a fhovel, I believe, made after that
faſhion, or fo long a making.
I WAS ftill deficient, for I wanted a baſket or a
wheel-barrow; a baſket I could not make by any
means, having no fuch things as twigs that would
bend to make wicker ware, at leaſt none yet found
I 3
out;
118
ADVENTURES OF
}
out; and as to a 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; be-
fides, I had no poffible way to make the iron gud-
geons for the fpindle or axis of the wheel to run
in, fo I gave it over; and fo for carrying away the
carth which I dug out of the cave, I made me a
thing like a hod which the labourers carry mor
tar in when they ferve the bricklayers. This was
not fo difficult to me as the making the fhovel;
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, except-
ing my morning walk with my gun, which I fel-
dom omitted, and very feldom failed alſo bring--
ing home fomething fit to eat.
Nov. 23. My other work having now ftood
ftill, becauſe of my making theſe tools, when
they were finiſhed I went on, and working every
day, as my ftrength and time allowed, I spent
eighteen days entirely in widening and deepening
my cave, that it might hold my goods commo-
diouſly.
Note, During all this time, I worked to make
this room or cave fpacious enough to accommo-
date me as a warehoufe or magazine, a kitchen,
a dining-room, and a cellar; as for my lodging,
I kept
I
1
Ly
1
I
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
119
1
I kept to the tent, except that fometimes, in the
wet ſeaſon of the year, it rained fo hard, that I
could not keep myfelf dry, which caufed me af-
terwards 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.
DEC. 10th. I began now to think my cave or
vault finiſhed, when on a fudden (it feems I had
made it too large) a great quantity of earth fell
down from the top and one fide, fo much that in ſhort
it frighted me, and not without reaſon too; for if
I had been under it, I had never wanted a grave-
digger; upon this difafter I had a great deal of
work to do over again; for I had the loofe earth
to carry out; and which was of more importance,
I had the cieling to prop up, fo that I might be
fure that no more would come down.
DEC. 11. This day I went to work with it ac-
cordingly, and got two fhoars or pofts pitched up-
right to the top, with two pieces of board a-crofs
over each poſt: this I finished the next day; and
fetting more pofts up with boards, in about a
week more I had the roof fecured; and the pofts
ſtanding in rows, ferved me for partitions to part
off my houſe.
I 4
DEC.
120
ADVENTURES OF
DEC. 17. From this day to the twentieth I
placed ſhelves, and knocked up nails on the pofts
to hang every thing up that could be hung up;
and now I began to be in fome order within
doors.
DEC. 20. Now I carried every thing into the
cave, and began to furnish my houfe, and fet up
fome pieces of boards, like a dreffer, to order my
victuals upon, but boards began to be very ſcarce
with me; alfo I made me another table.
DEC. 24. Much rain all night and all day,
no ftirring 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 an-
other, fo as that I catched it, and led it home in
a ftring; when I had it home, I bound and ſplin
tered up its leg which was broke. N. B. I took
fuch care of it, that it lived, and the leg grew
well, and as ftrong as ever; but by my nurfing
it fo 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
!
1
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
121
breeding up fome tame creatures, that I might
have food, when my powder and fhot was all
fpent.
DEC. 28, 29, 30, 31.
Great heats and no
breeze; fo that there was no ftirring abroad,
except in the evening for food; this time I
ſpent, in putting all my things in order within
doors.
JANUARY 1. Very hot ftill, but I went abroad
early and late with my gun, and lay ftill in the
middle of the day; this evening, going farther
into the valleys, which lay towards the center of
the iſland, I found there was plenty of goats,
though exceeding fhy, and hard to come at;
however I refolved to try, if I could not bring
my dog to hunt them down.
JAN. 2. Accordingly, the next day, I went
out with my dog, and fet him upon the goats,
but I was miſtaken, for they all faced about up-
on 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, be-
ing ftill jealous of my being attacked by fome-
body, I refolved to make very thick and ſtrong.
N. B. THIS
122
ADVENTURES OF
k
N. B. THIS wall being defcribed before, I pur-
poſely omit what was faid, in the journal; it is
fufficient to obferve, that I was no lefs 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 24 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 center
behind it.
ALL this time I worked very hard, the rains
hinde ing me many days, nay fometimes, weeks
together; but I thought I ſhould never be per-
fectly fecure, till this wall was finished; and it is
fcarce credible, what inexpreffible 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 outfide
double fenced, with a turf wall raiſed up cloſe to
it, I perfuaded myſelf, that if any people were
to come on fhore there, they would not perceive
any thing like a habitation; and it was very well
I did fo, as may be obferved hereafter, upon a
very remarkable occafion.
DURING
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
123
DURING this time, I made my rounds in the
woods for game, every day, when the rain ad-
mitted me, and made frequent difcoveries in thefe
walks, of fomething 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 houfe pigeons, in the holes of the
rocks; and taking fome young ones, I endea-
voured to breed them up tame, and partly did ſo;
but fome died, and the reft, as they grew older,
flew away, which perhaps was at firſt for want
of feeding them, for I had little or nothing to
give them; however, I frequently found their
nefts, and got their young ones, which was very
good meat. And now, in the managing my
houſhold affairs, I found myfelf wanting many
things, which I thought at firft it was impoffi-
ble for me to make, as indeed as to fome of
them it was; for inftance, I could never make a
cafk to be hooped; I had a fmall runlet or two,
as I obferved 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, or join the ftaves fo true to one an-
other, as to make them hold water, fo I gave that
alfo over. In the next place, I was at a great lofs
for candle, fo that as foon as ever it was dark,
which was generally by feven o'clock, I was
obliged to go to bed: I remembered the lump of
bees-
124
ADVENTURES OF
bees-wax, with which I made candles in my Af-
rican adventure, but I had none of that now; the
only remedy I had was, that when I had killed
a goat, I faved the tallow, and with a little diſh
made of clay, which I baked in the fun, to
which I added a wick of fome oakum, I made-
me a lamp, and this gave me a light, though not
a clear fteady light like a candle; in the middle
of all my labours it happened, that 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 be-
fore, as I fuppofe, when the fhip came from
Liſbon: what little remainder of corn had been in
the bag, was all devoured with the rats, and I
faw nothing in the bag but husks and duft; and
being willing to have the bag for fome other ufe,
I think it was to put powder in, when I divided
it for fear of the lightning, or fome fuch ufe, I
fhook the huſks of corn out of it, on one fide of
my fortification under the rock.
1
It was a little before the great rain, juft now
mentioned, that I threw this ftuff away, taking
no notice of any thing, and not fo much as re-
membering that I had thrown any thing there;
when about a month after, or thereabout, I faw
fome few ſtalks of fomething green, fhooting out
of the ground, which I fancied might be fome
plant
1
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
125
plant I had not feen, but I was furprized and per-
fectly aſtoniſhed, when, after a little longer time,
I faw about ten or twelve ears come out, which
were perfect green barley, of the fame kind as our
European, nay, as our Engliſh barley.
It is impoffible to expreſs my aftoniſhment and
confufion of thoughts on this occafion; I had
hitherto acted upon no religious foundation at all,
indeed, I had very few notions of religion in my
head, or had entertained any fenfe of any thing
that had befallen me, otherwiſe than as a chance,
or as we lightly fay, what pleafes God, with-
out ſo much as enquiring into the end of provi-
dence, in theſe things, or his order in governing
events in the world: but after I faw barley grow
there, in a climate which I knew was not proper
for corn, and eſpecially that I knew not how it
came there, it ſtartled me ftrangely, and I began
to fuggeft, that God had miraculouſly cauſed this
grain to grow, without any help of feed fown,
and that it was fo directed purely for my fufte-
nance, on that wild miferable place.
THIS touched my heart a little, and brought
tears out of my eyes; and I began to blefs myſelf,
that fuch a prodigy of nature ſhould happen upon
my account; and this was more ftrange to me,
becauſe I ſaw near it ftill, all along by the fide of
the
126
ADVENTURES OF
1
the rock, fome other ftraggling ftalks, which
proved to be ſtalks of rice, and which I knew,
becauſe I had ſeen it grow in Africa, when I was
afhore there.
I NOT only thought thefe the pure productions
of providence for my fupport, but not doubting,
but that there was more in the place, I went over
all that part of the ifland, where I had been be-
fore, peeping in every corner, and under every
rock, to ſee more of it, but I could not find any;
at laft it occurred to my thoughts, that I had
ſhook a bag of chickens meat out in that place,
and then the wonder began to ceafe; and I muſt
confefs, my religious thankfulneſs to God's pro-
vidence began to abate too, upon the diſcovering
that all was nothing, but what was common ;
though I ought to have been as thankful for fo
ftrange and unforeſeen a providence, as if it had
been miraculous: for it was really the work of
providence, as to me, that fhould order or ap-
point, that 10 or 12 grains of corn ſhould remain
unſpoiled, (when the rats had deftroyed all the
reft), as if it had been dropt from heaven; as
alfo, that I fhould throw it out in that particular
place, where it being in the fhade of a high rock,
it fprang up immediately; whereas, if I had
thrown it any where elfe, at that time, it had
been burnt up and deftroyed.
I CARE-
រ
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
127
I CAREFULLY faved the ears of corn you may be
fure in their ſeaſon, which was about the end of
June; and laying up every corn, I refolved to
fow them all again, hoping in time, to have
fome quantity fufficient to fupply me with bread;
but it was not till the 4th year, that I could al-
low myſelf the leaft grain of this corn to eat, and
even then but fparingly, as I fhall fhew after-
wards in its order; for I loſt my fowing the firſt
ſeaſon, by not obferving the proper time; for I
ſowed juſt before the dry ſeaſon, ſo that it never
rightly came up at all, of which in its place.
BESIDES this barley, there was, as above, 20
or 30 ſtalks of rice, which I preferved with the
fame care, and whofe ufe was of the fame kind, or
to the fame purpofe, viz. to make me bread, or
rather food; for I found ways to cook it up with-
out baking, though I did that alfo after fome
time. But to return to my journal.
I WORKED exceffive 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 fign in the outfide of my habi-
tation.
4.
22.
:
APRIL
128
ADVENTURES OF
APRIL 16. I finiſhed the ladder, fo I went up
with the ladder to the top, and then pulled it up
after me, and let it down in the infide; this
was a compleat encloſure to me; for within I
had room enough, and nothing could come at
me from without, unless it firft mounted my
wall.
THE very next day after this wall was finiſhed,
I had almoft had all my labour overthrown at
once, and myſelf killed; the cafe was thus: as
I was bufy in the infide of it, behind my tent, juſt ·
in the entrance into my cave, I was terribly
frightened with a moft dreadful furprifing thing
indeed; for all on a fudden, 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 of nothing that was really the cauſe, on-
ly thinking that the top of my cave was falling in,
as fome of it had done before, and for fear I
ſhould be buried in it, I ran forward to my lad-
der, 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
was no fooner ſtepped down upon the firm ground,
but I plainly faw it was a terrible earthquake, for
the ground I ftood on fhook three times at eight
minutes
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
129~
minutes diftance, with three fuch fhocks, as would
have overturned the ftrongest building that could
be fuppofed to have ftood on the earth; and a
great piece of the top of a rock which ſtood about
half a niile from me, next the fea, fell down
with fuch a terrible noife, as I never heard in
all my life. I perceived alfo, that the very fea
was put into a violent motion by it; and I believe
the fhocks were ftronger under the water, than in
the iſland:
F
I was fo much ainazed with the thing itself,
having never felt the like, or difcourfed with
any one that had, that I was like one dead or ſtu-
pified; and the motion of the earth made my
ftomach fick like one that was toffed at fea; but
the noife of the falling of the rock awaked me
as it were, and roufing me from the ftupified con-
dition I was in, filled me with horror, and I
thought of nothing but the hill falling upon
my tent and all my houfhold goods, and burying
all at once; and this funk my very foul within
me a ſecond time.
AFTER the third fhock was over, and I felt no
inore for fome time, I began to take courage,
and yet I had not heart enough to go over my
wall again, for fear of being buried alive, but
fat ftill upon the ground greatly caft down, and
VOL. I
K
difcon-
130
1
ADVENTURES OF
difconfolate, not knowing what to do. All this while
I had not the leaft ferious religious thought, no-
thing but the common, (Lord, have mercy up-
on me); and when it was over, that went away
too.
:
WHILE I fat thus, I found the air overcast, and
grow cloudy, as if it would rain; foon after that,
the wind roſe by little and little, fo that, in lefs
than half an hour, it blew a moft dreadful hurri-
cane the fea was, all on a fudden, covered with
foam and froth, the fhore was covered with a
breach of the water, the trees were torn up by
the roots, and a terrible ftorm it was. And this
held about three hours, and then began to abate;
and in two hours more it was ftark calm, and be-
gan to rain very hard. All this while I fat upon
the ground very much terrified and dejected,
when on a fudden it came into my thoughts, that
theſe winds and rain being the confequence of the
earthquake, the earthquake itſelf was ſpent and.
over, and I might venture into my cave again.
With this thought my fpirits began to revive,
and the rain alfo helping to perfuade me, I went
in and fat down upon my tent; but the rain was
fo 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 uneafy, for
fear it ſhould fall on my head. This violent rain
forced
{
4
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
131
:
forced me to a new work, viz. to cut a hole
through my new fortification, like a fink, to let
the water go out, which would elfe have drowned
my cave. After I had been in my cave fome
time, and found ftill no more fhocks of the earth-
quake follow, I began to be more compofed.
And now to fupport my fpirits, which, indeed,
wanted it very much, I went to my little ſtore,
and took a ſmall fup of rum, which however I
did then and always very fparingly, knowing
I could have no more when that was gone. It
continued raining all that night, and great part
of the next day, fo that I could not ftir abroad;
but my mind being more compofed, I began to
think of what I had beft do, concluding, that
if the iſland was fubject to thefe earthquakes,
there would be no living for me in a cave, but I
muft confider of building me fome little hut in
an open place, which I might furround with a
wall, as I had done here, and fo make myſelf
fecure from wild beafts or men: but concluded,
if I ftaid where I was, I fhould certainly, one
time or other; be buried alive:
WITH theſe thoughts, I refolved to remove
my tent from the place where it ftood, which
was juſt under the hanging precipice of the hill,
and which, if it fhould be fhaken again, would
certainly fall into my tent. And I ſpent the two
K 2
next
132
ADVENTURES OF
next days, being the 19th and 20th of April, in
contriving where and how to remove my habita-
tion. The fear of being fwallowed up alive
affected me fo, that I never flept in quiet; and yet
the apprehenfions of lying abroad, without any
fence, was almoft equal to it: but ftill, when I
looked about, and faw how every thing was put
in order, how pleaſantly I was concealed, and how
fafe from danger, it made me very loth to re-
move. 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
venture where I was, till I had formed a camp
for myſelf, and had ſecured it ſo as to remove to
it. So with this refolution I compofed myſelf for a
time, and refolved I would go to work with all
fpeed to build me a wall with piles and cables,
&c. in a circle as before, and fet my tent up in it
when it was finished, but that I would venture to
ſtay where I was till it was finished, and fit to rc-
This was the 21ft.
move to.
APRIL 22. The next morning I began to con-
fider of means to put this refolve into execution,
but I was at a great lofs about my tools; I had
three large axes and abundance of hatchets, (for
we carried the hatchets for traffic with the In-
dians) but with much chopping and cutting
knotty hard wood, they were all full of notches
and
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
133
At
and dull; and though I had a grindſtone, I could
not turn it and grind my tools too. This coft
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.
length I contrived a wheel with a ftring, to turn
it with my foot, that I might have both my hands
at liberty. Note, I had never feen any fuch
thing in England, or at least not to take notice
how it was done, though fince I have obſerved it
is very common there: befides that, my grind
ftone was very large and heavy. This machine
coft me a full week's work to bring it to perfec-
tion.
AFRIL 28, 29. Thefe two whole days I took
up in grinding my tools, my machine for turn-
ing my grindstone performing very well.
APRIL 30. Having perceived my bread had
been low a great while, now I took a furvey of
it, and reduced myſelf to one biſcuit-cake a day,
which made my heart very heavy.
MAY 1. In the morning, looking towards the
ſea-fide, the tide being low, I ſaw ſomething lie
on the fhore bigger than ordinary, and it looked
like a cafk; when I came to it, I found a fmall
barrel, and two or three pieces of the wreck of
K 3
the
I 34
ADVENTURES OF
the fhip, which were driven on fhore by the late
hurricane, and looking towards the place where
the wreck lay, I found it appeared again up
above the water. I examined the barrel that was
driven on fhore, and foon found it was a barrel
of gunpowder, but it had taken water, and the
powder was caked as hard as a ftone; however, I
rolled it farther on the fhore for the prefent, and
went on upon the fands, as near as I could to the
wreck of the fhip, to look for more.
1
?
WHEN I came down to the fhip, I found it
ftrangely removed; the forecaſtle, which lay be-
fore buried in fand, was heaved up at leaſt fix
feet; and the ftern, which was broke to pieces
and parted from the reft by the force of the fea,
foon after I left rummaging her, was toffed, as it
were, up, and caft on one fide, and the fand was
thrown fo high on that fide next her ftern, that
whereas there was a great piece of water before,
fo that I could not come within a quarter of a
mile of the wreck without fwimming, I could
now walk quite up to her when the tide was out.
I was furprized with this at firft, but foon con-
cluded it muſt be done by the earthquake; and
as by this violence the fhip was more broke open
than formerly, fo many things came daily on
fhore, which the ſea had looſened, and which the
winds and water rolled by degrees to the land.
!
THIS
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
1
135
1
THIS wholly diverted my thoughts from the
defign of removing my habitation; and I bufied
myſelf mightily, that day eſpecially, in fearching
whether I could make any way into the fhip; but
I found nothing was to be expected of that kind,
for that all the infide of the fhip was choaked up
with fand however, as I had learned not to de-
fpair of any thing, I refolved to pull every thing
to pieces that I could of the fhip, concluding
that every thing I could get from her would be
of fome uſe or other to me.
:
MAY 3. I began with my faw, and cut a piece
of a beam through, which I thought held fome
of the upper part or quarter-deck together, and
when I had cut through, I cleared away the fand
as well as I could from the fide which lay high-
eft; 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 durft eat of, till I was weary of my
fport; when, juft going to leave off, I caught
a young dolphin. I had made me a long line
of fome 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 fun, and
eat them dry.
{
K 4
MAY
136
ADVENTURES OF
MAY 5. Worked on the wreck, cut another
beam afunder, and brought three great fir-planks
off from the decks, which I tied together, and
made ſwim on fhore when the tide of flood came
on.
1
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 with
an intent not to work again, but found the weight
of the wreck had broke itſelf down, the beams.
being cut; that feveral pieces of the ſhip feemed
to lie loofe, and the infide of the hold lay fo
open that I could fee into it, but almoft full of
water and fand.
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 fand. I wrenched
up two planks, and brought them on fhore alfo
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 cafks, and loofened them with the
crow, but could not break them up. I felt alfo a
roll
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
137
roll of English lead, and could ftir it, but it was
too heavy to remove.
MAY 10, to 14. Went every day to the wreck,
and got a great deal of pieces of timber, and
boards, or plank, and 2 or 300 weight of iron.
MAY 15. I carried two hatchets, to try if I
could not cut a piece off the roll of lead, by pla-
cing 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 ftaid fo long in the woods to get
pigeons for food, that the tide prevented my
going to the wreck that day.
MAY 17. I faw fome pieces of the wreck
blown on fhore, at a great diſtance, near two
miles off me, but refolved to fee 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 fome
things ſo much with the crow, that the firſt blow-
ing
138
ADVENTURES OF
ing tide feveral cafks floated out, and two of the
feamen's chefts; but the wind blowing from the
fhore, nothing came to land that day but pieces
of timber, and a hogfhead which had fome Brafil
pork in it, but the falt water and the fand had
ſpoiled it. I continued this work every day to
the 15th of June, except the time neceffary 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 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 alſo, I had got ſeveral
times, and in feveral pieces, near 100 weight of
the sheet lead.
JUNE 16. Going down to the fea fide I found
a large tortoife or turtle. This was the firft I had.
feen, which it ſeems was only my misfortune, not
any defect of the place, or fcarcity; for had I
happened to be on the other fide of the ifland, I
might have had hundreds of them every day, as I
found afterwards; but, perhaps, had paid dear
enough for them.
JUNE 17. I fpent in cooking the turtle. E
found in her threefcore eggs, and her Aefh was to
me, at that time, the most favoury and pleafant
that ever I taſted in my life, having had no fleſh,
but
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
139
but of goats and fowls, fince I landed in this hor-
rid place.
JUNE 18. Rained all day, and I ftaid within.
I thought at this time the rain felt cold, and I
was fomething chilly, which I knew was not u-
fual in that latitude,
JUNE 19. Very ill, and fhivering, as if the-
weather had been cold.
JUNE 20. No reſt at all, violent pains in
head, and feverish.
my
JUNE 21. Very ill, frighted almoft to death
with the apprehenfions of my fad condition, to
be fick, and no help: prayed to God for the firſt
time fince the ftorm off Hull, but fcarce knew
what I faid or why; my thoughts being all con-
fufed.
JUNE 22. A little better, but under dreadful
apprehenfions of fickneſs.
JUNE 23. Very bad again, cold and fhivering,
and then a violent head-ach.
JUNE 24. Much better.
1
JUNE
140
ADVENTURES OF
1
1ļ
JUNE 25. An ague very violent; the fit held
me feven hours, cold fit and hot, with faint fwcats
after it.
JUNE 26. Better; and having no victuals to
eat, took my gun, but found myſelf very weak:
however, I killed a fhe-goat, and with much dif-
ficulty got it home, and broiled fome of it, and
eat; I would fain have ſtewed it, and made fome
broth, but had no pot.
JUNE 27. The ague again fo violent, that I
lay a-bed all day with weakneſs, and neither eat
or drank, though I was ready to periſh for thirſt.
Prayed to God again, but was light-headed, and
when I was not, I was fo ignorant, that I knew
not what to ſay, only I lay and cryed, Lord look
upon me, Lord pity me, Lord have mercy upon
me: I fuppofe I did nothing elſe for two or three
hours, till the fit wearing off, I fell aſleep, and
did not awake till far in the night; when I a-
woke, I found myſelf much refreſhed, but weak,
and exceeding thirfty: however, as I had no
water in my whole habitation, I was forced to lie
till morning, and went to fleep again; in this
fecond fleep, I had a terrible dream; I thought
that I was fitting on the ground on the outfide of
my wall, where I fat when the ftorm blew after
the earthquake, and that I faw a man defcend
1
from
1
f
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
141
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, fo that I could just bear to
look towards him; his countenance was most in-
expreffibly dreadful, impoffible for words to de-
ſcribe; when he stepped upon the ground with his
feet, I thought the earth trembled, juft as it did
before the earthquake, and all the air looked, to
my apprehenfion, as if it had been filled with
flashes of fire: he no fooner landed upon the
earth, but he moved forward towards me, with
a long fpear or weapon in his hand to kill me ;
and when he came to a rifing ground, at fome
diſtance, he ſpoke to me, or I heard a voice fo
terrible, that it is impoffible to exprefs the terror
of it all that I can fay I underſtood, was this:
Seeing all theſe things have not brought thee to
repentance, now thou fhalt die; at which words,
I thought he lifted up the fpear in his hand to
kill me.
:
No one that fhall ever read this account, will
expect that I fhould be able to defcribe the hor-
rors of my foul at this terrible vifion; I mean,
that even while it was a dream, I even dreamed
of thofe horrors; nor is it any more poffible to
defcribe the impreffion that remained upon my
mind when I awaked and found it was but a
dream.
I HAD
142
A D VENTURES OF
I HAD, alas! no divine knowledge; what I had
received by the good inftruction of my father
was then worn out by an uninterrupted feries, for
eight years, of feafaring wickednefs, and a con-
ftant converſation with nothing but fuch as were
like myſelf, wicked and profane: I do not re-
member, that I had, in all that time, one thought
that ſo much as tended, either to looking up-
wards toward God, or inward towards a reflection
upon my own ways. But a certain ftupidity
of foul, without defire of good, or confcious of
evil, had entirely overwhelmed me, and I was all
that the moft hardened, unthinking, wicked
creature among our common failors, can be fup-
poſed to be, not having the leaſt ſenſe, either of
the fear of God in danger, or of thankfulneſs to
God in deliverances.
In the relating what is already paft of my ftory,
this will be the more eafily believed, when I
fhall add, that through all the variety of miferies.
that had to this day befallen me, I never had fo
much as one thought of it being the hand of
God, or that it was a juft puniſhment for my fin;
my rebellious behaviour againſt my father, or my
prefent fins, which were great, or fo much as a
puniſhment for the general courfe of my wicked
life. When I was on the defperate expedition on
the defart fhores of Africa, I never had fo much
as
}
1
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
143
as one thought of what would become of me, or
one wiſh to God to direct me whither I fhould go,
or to keep me from the danger which apparently
furrounded me, as well from voracious creatures
as cruel favages; but I was merely thoughtless
of a God, or a providence; acted like a mere
brute from the principles of nature, and by the
dictates of common fenfe only, and indeed hardly
that. When I was delivered and taken up at fea
by the Portugal Captain, well uſed, and dealt
justly and honourably with, as well as charitably,
I had not the leaft thankfulneſs on my thoughts.
When again I was fhipwrecked, and in danger of
drowning on this ifland, I was as far from re-
morfe, or looking on it as a judgment; I only
faid to myſelf often, that I was an unfortunate
dog, and born to be always miferable.
It is true, when I got on fhore firft here, and
found all my fhip's crew drowned, and myfelf
fpared, I was furprized with a kind of extafy, and
fome tranſports of foul, which, had the Grace of
God affifted, might have come up to true thank-
fulneſs; but it ended where it began, in a mere
common flight of joy; or, as I may fay, being
glad I was alive, without the leaft reflection upon
the diftinguishing goodness of the hand which
had preferved ine, and had ingled me out to be
preferved, when all the reft were deftroyed; or
an
144
ADVENTURES OF
an enquiry why Providence had been thus mer
ciful to me; even juſt the ſame common fort of
joy, which feamen generally have, after they are
got ſafe afhore from a fhipwreck, 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 confideration, made fenfible of my condition,
how I was caft on this dreadful place, out of the
reach of human kind, out of all hope of relief,
or profpect of redemption, as foon as I faw but
a profpect of living, and that I ſhould not ftarvé
and perish for hunger, all the fenſe of my afflic-
tion wore off, and I began to be very eafy, ap
plied myſelf to the works proper for my preferva-
tion and ſupply, and was far enough from being
afflicted at my condition, as a judgement from
heaven, or the hand of God againſt me. Theſe
were thoughts which very feldom entered into
my head.
THE growing up of the corn, as is hinted in
my journal, had, at firft, fome little influence
upon me, and began to affect me with ſeriouſneſs,
as long as I thought it had fomething miracu-
lous in it; but as foon as ever that part of the
thought was removed, all the impreffion, which
was raiſed from it, wore off alſo, as I have noted
already, Even the earthquake, though no-
thing
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
145
1
thing could be more terrible in its nature, or
more immediately directing to the invifible Power
which alone directs fuch things, yet no fooner
was the firſt fright over, but the impreffion it had
made went off alfo. I had no more ſenſe of God,
or his judgments, much lefs of the preſent
affliction of my circumstances being from his
hand, than if I had been in the moſt profperous
condition of life. But now, when I began to be
fick, and a leifure view of the miſeries of death
came to place itſelf before me; when my ſpirits
began to fink under the burden of a ſtrong dif-
temper, and nature was exhaufted with the vio-
lence of the fever, confcience, that had flept fo
long, began to awake, and I began to reproach
myſelf with my paft life, in which I had fo evi-
dently, by uncommon wickednefs, provoked the
juftice of God to lay me under uncommon ftrokes,
and to deal with me in fo vindictive a manner.
Thefe reflections oppreffed me for the fecond or
third day of my diftemper, and in the violence,
as well of the fever, as of the dreadful reproaches
of my confcience, extorted fome words from me
like praying to God, though I cannot fay they
were either a prayer attended with defires or with
hopes; it was rather the voice of mere fright and
diftrefs; my thoughts were confuſed, the con-
victions great upon my mind; and the horror of
dying, in fuch a miferable condition, raiſed va-
VOL. I.
L
pours
1
1
146
ADVENTURES OF
pours in my head with the mere apprehenfions ;
and, in theſe hurries of my foul, I knew not what
my tongue might exprefs, but it was rather ex-
clamation, fuch as, " Lord, what a miferable
"creature am I!" If I fhould be fick, I fhall
"certainly die for want of help, and what will
"become of me?" Then the tears burst out of
my eyes, and I could fay no more for a good
while. In this interval the good advice of my
father came to my mind, and preſently his pre-
diction, which I mentioned at the beginning of
this ftory, viz. That if I did take this fooliſh
ftep, God would not bleſs me, and I would have
leifure hereafter to reflect upon having neglected
his counfel, when there might be none to affift
in my recovery.
Now," faid I aloud, "my
dear father's words are come to pafs; God's
justice has overtaken me, and I have none to
GC
<C
help or hear me. I rejected the voice of Pro-
"vidence, which had mercifully put me in a
"pofture or ſtation of life wherein I might have
"been happy and eaſy, but I would neither fee
66
it myfelf, or learn to know the bleffing of it
"from my parents. I left them to mourn over
my folly, and now I am left to mourn under
"the confequences of it. I refuſed their help
"and affiftance who would have lifted me into
"the world, and would have made every thing
eafy to me, and now I have difficulties to
مالی
« Atruggle
1
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
147
1
"ftruggle with too great for even nature itſelf to
"<
ſupport, and no affiftance, no comfort, no ad-
"vice." Then I cried out, "Lord, be my
"help, for I am in great diftrefs." This was
the firſt prayer, if I may call it ſo, that I had
made for many years. But I return to my jour
nal.
I
JUNE 28. Having been fomewhat refreſhed
with the fleep I got, and the fit being entirely off,
got up and though the fright and terror of my
dream was very great, yet I confidered, that the
fit of the ague would return again the next day,
and now was my time to get fomething to refreſh.
and ſupport myſelf when I ſhould be ill; and the
first thing I did, I filled a large fquare cafe bottle
with water, and fet it upon my table, in reach
of my bed; and to take off the chill, or aguiſh
difpofition of the water, I put about a quarter of
pint of rum into it, and mixed them together;
then I got me a piece of the goat's flefh, and
broiled it on the coals, but could eat very little.
I walked about, but was very weak, and withal
very fad and heavy-hearted in the fenſe of my
miferable condition, dreading the return of my
distemper the next day. At night I made my
fupper of three of the turtle's eggs, which I
roafted in the afhes, and eat, as we call it, in the
fhell; and this was the first bit of meat I had
L 2
ever
148
ADVENTURES OF
ever afked God's bleffing to,
that, as I could re-
After I had eaten, I
member, in my whole life.
tried to walk, but found myfelf fo weak that I
could hardly carry the gun, (for I never went
without that) fo I went but a little way, and fat
down upon the ground, looking out upon the fea,
which was just before me, and very calm and
fmooth. As I fat here, fome fuch thoughts as
theſe occurred to me: What is this earth and fea,
of which I have feen fo 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
fome facred power, who formed the earth, the
fea, the air, and fky. And who is that? Then
it followed moft naturally, it is God that has
made it all. Well, but then it came on ftrangely,
if God has made all thefe 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 direct them. If
fo, nothing can happen in the great circuit of his
works, either without his knowledge or appoint-
ment.
AND if nothing happens without his know-
ledge, he knows that I am here, and am in this
dreadful condition and if nothing happens
without his appointment, he has appointed all
this
:
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
149
this to befal me. Nothing occurred to my
thought to contradict any of theſe conclufions,
and therefore it reſted upon me with the greateſt
force, that it muft needs be, that God had ap-
pointed all this to befal me; that I was brought
to this miſerable circumftance by his direction,
he having the fole power, not of me only, but of
every thing that happened in the world. Imme-
diately it followed, "why has God done this to
"me? what have I done to be thus ufed?" My
confcience preſently checked me in that enquiry,
as if I had blafphemed; and methought it ſpoke
to me like a voice, "WRETCH! do thou afk
what thou haft done? Look back upon a
"dreadful mifpent life, and aſk thyſelf, what
"thou haft not done? Why is it that thou wert
"not long ago deftroyed? Why wert thou not
"drowned in Yarmouth Roads? Killed in
"the fight when the fhip was taken by
the Sallee man of war? Devoured by the
"wild beafts on the coaft of Africa? Or drown-
"ed HERE, when all the crew perifhed but
"6
thyfelf? Doft thou afk, what have I done?"
I was ftruck dumb with theſe reflections, as one
aftoniſhed, and had not a word to fay; no, not to
anfwer for myſelf; but rifing up penfive and fad,
walked back to my retreat, and went over my
wall, as if I had been going to bed, but my
thoughts were fadly difturbed, and I had no in-
clination
I 3
1
150
ADVENTURES OF
clination to fleep; fo I fat down in my chair, and
lighted my lamp, for it began to be dark. Now
as the apprehenfion of the return of my diſtem-
per terrified me very much, it accurred to my
thought, that the Brazilians take no phyfic but
their tobacco, for almoſt all diftempers; and I
had a piece of a roll of tobacco in one of the
chefts, which was quite cured, and fome alſo that
was green and not quite cured.
I WENT directed by heaven no doubt; for in
this cheft I found a cure both for foul and body,
I opened the cheft, and found what I looked for,
viz. the tobacco; and as the few books I had
faved, lay there too, I took out one of the bibles
which I mentioned before, and which to this time
I had not found leifure, or fo much as inclination
to look into; I fay, I took it out, and brought
both that and the tobacco with me to the table,
What ufe to make of the tobacco, I knew not,
as to my distemper, or whether it was good for
me or not; but I tried feveral experiments with
it, as if I was refolved it fhould hit one way or
other; I firſt took a piece of a leaf, and chewed
it in my mouth, which indeed almoſt ſtupified
my brain, the tobacco being green and ftrong,
and that I had not been uſed to it; then I took
fome and ſteeped it an hour or two in fome rum,
and refolved to take a dofe of it when I lay down;
and
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
151
and lastly, I burnt fome upon a pan of coals, and
held my nose clofe over the fmoke of it as long
as I could bear it. In the interval of this ope-
ration I took up the bible and began to read, but
my head was too much difturbed with the to-
bacco to bear reading, at leaſt that time; only
having opened the book cafually, the firft words.
that occurred to me were thefe, "Call on me in
"the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and
"thou shalt glorify me." The words were very
apt to my cafe, and made ſome impreffion upon
my thoughts at the time of reading them, though
not ſo much as they did afterwards; for, as be-
ing delivered, the word had no found, as I
inay
fay, to me; the thing was fo remote, ſo impoffi-
ble in my apprehenfion of things, that I began
to fay as the children of Ifrael did, when they were
promiſed fleſh to eat, "Can God fpread a table in
"the wilderneſs;" ſo I began to ſay, can 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 impreffion upon
very
me, and I muſed upon them often. It grew
now late, and the tabacco had, as I faid, dozed
my head fo much, that I inclined to fleep; fo I
left my lamp burning in the cave, left I fhould
want any thing in the night, and went to bed;
but before I laid down, I did what I never had
L 4
1
done
152
ADVENTURES OF
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 im-
perfect 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
fcarce get it down; immediately upon this I went
to bed; I found preſently it flew up in my head
violently, but I fell into a found fleep, and waked
no more till by the fun it must neceffarily be near
three o'clock in the afternoon the next day; nay,
to this hour, I am partly of opinion, that I flept
all the next day and night, and till almoft three that
day after; for otherwife I know not how I fhould
lofe a day out of my reckoning in the days of
the week, as it appeared fome years after I had
done; for if I had loft it by croffing and re-crof-
fing the line, I fhould have loft more than one
day; but certainly I loft a day in my account,
and never knew which way. Be that, however,
one way or the other, when I awaked I found my-
felf exceedingly refreshed, and my fpirits lively
and chearful; when I got up I was ſtronger than
I was the day before, and my ftomach better,
for I was hungry; and in fhort, I had no fit the
next day, but continued much altered for the bet-
ter: This was the 29th,
THE
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
153
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 fea fowl or two, fomething
like a bránd gooſe, and brought them home, but
was not very forward to eat them; fo I eat fome
more of my turtle's eggs, which were very good.
This evening I renewed the medicine, which I
had fuppofed did me good the day before, viz.
the tobacco fteeped in rum, only I did not take
fo much as before, nor did I chew any of the leaf,
or hold my head over the fmoke; however I was
not fo well the next day, which was the 1ft of
July, as I hoped I ſhould have been, for I had
a little ſpice of the cold fit, but it was not much.
JULY 2. I renewed the medicine all the three
ways, and dozed myfelf with it as at firft, and
doubled the quantity which I drank.
:
JULY 3. I miffed the fit for good and all, though
I did not recover my full ftrength for fome weeks
after while I was thus gathering ftrength my
thoughts ran exceedingly upon this fcripture, "I
"will deliver thee," and the impoffibility of my
deliverance lay much upon my mind in bar of
my ever expecting it; but as I was difcouraging
myſelf with ſuch thoughts, it occurred to my mind,
that I pored fo much upon my deliverance from the
main affliction, that I difregarded the deliverance
I had
154
ADVENTURES OF
I had received; and I was, as it were, made to
afk myſelf fuch queftions as thefe, viz. "Have
"I not been delivered, and wonderfully too,
"from fickneſs, from the moſt diftreffed condi-
❝tion that could be, and that was fo frightful to
"me; and what notice had I taken of it? Had
"I done my part, God had delivered me, but I
"had not glorified him; that is to fay, I had not
"owned and been thankful for that as a deliver-
ance, and how could I expect a greater deli-
"verance?" This touched
my heart
very much,
and immediately I kneeled down and gave God
thanks aloud for my recovery from my fickneſs.
JULY 4. In the morning I took the bible, and
beginning at the new teftament, I began ſeriouſly
to read it, and impofed upon myfelf to read a
while every morning and every night, not tying
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, but I found my
heart more deeply and fincerely affected with the
wickedness of my paft life. The impreffion of
the dream revived, and the words, "all theſe
"things have not brought thee to repentance,"
ran ſeriouſly in my thoughts: I was earneftly
begging of God to give me repentance, when it
happened providentially the very next day that
reading the fcripture, I came to thefe words,
"He
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
155
"He is exalted a prince and a faviour, to
"give repentance, and to give remiffion."
I threw down the book, and with my heart as well
as my hands lifted to heaven, in a kind of ex-
tacy of joy, I cried out aloud, "Jefus, thou fon
"of David, Jefus thou exalted prince and faviour,
"give me repentance!" This was the first time
that I could fay, in the true fenfe of the words,
that I prayed in all my life; for now I prayed
with a ſenſe of my condition, and with a true
fcripture view of hope, founded on the encou-
ragement of the word of God; and from this
time, I may fay, I began to have hope that God
would hear me,
>>
Now I began to conftrue the words mention-
ed above," Call on me, and I will deliver you,'
in a different fenfe from what I had ever done be-
fore; for then I had no notion of any thing be-
ing 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 prifon to me, and that in the
worft fenfe in the world; but now I learned to
take it in another fenfe: Now I looked back up-
on my past life with fuch horror, and my fins
appeared fo dreadful, that my foul fought no-
thing of God, but deliverance from the load of
guilt that bore down all my comfort as for my
foli-
56
ADVENTURES OF
folitary life, it was nothing, I did not fo much as
pray to be delivered from it, or think of it; it
was all of no confideration in comparifon to this:
And I add this part here, to hint to whoever fhall
read it, that whenever they come to a true fenfe
of things, they will find deliverance from fin, a
much greater bleffing, than deliverance from af-
fliction. But leaving this part, I return to my
journal.
My condition began now, to be much eafier to
my mind; and my thoughts being directed, by a
conftant reading the fcripture, 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; alfo, as my health and ftrength re-
turned, I beftirred myſelf to furnish myfelf 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 ftrength after a fit of fick-
neſs: for it is hardly to be imagined how low I
was, and to what weakneſs I was reduced. The
application which I made ufe of was perfectly
new, and perhaps what had never cured an ague
before, neither can I recommend it to any one to
practiſe,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
157
practiſe, by this experiment; and though it did
carry off the fit, yet it rather contributed to weak-
ening me; for I had frequent convulfions in my
nerves and limbs for fome time. I learned from
it alfo this in particular, that being abroad in the
rainy ſeaſon was the moft pernicious thing to my
health that could be, eſpecially in thoſe rains
which came attended with ftorms and hurricanes
of wind; for as the rain which came in the dry
ſeaſon was moft always accompanied with fuch
ftorms, fo 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 poffibility of deliver-
ance from this condition, feeming to be entirely
taken from me; and I firmly believed, that no
human ſhape had ever fet foot upon that place.
Having now ſecured my habitation, as I thought,
fully to my mind, I had a great defire to make a
more perfect diſcovery of the iſland, and to fee
what other productions I might find, which I yet
knew nothing of.
Ir was the 15th of July that I began to take a
more particular furvey of the iſland itfelf: I
went up the creek firft, where, as I hinted, I
brought my rafts on fhore; 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
158
ADVENTURES OF
of running water, very fresh and good; but this
being the dry feafon, there was hardly any water
in ſome parts of it, at leaſt not any ſtream. On
the banks of this brook I found many pleafant
favanahs, or meadows, plain, ſmooth, and covered
with grafs; and on the rifing parts of them next
to the higher grounds, where the water, as it
might be 'fuppofed, never overflowed, I found
tobacco (though wild) green, and growing to a
great and very ftrong ftalk; and there were di-
vers other plants which I had no knowledge or
notion of. I fearched for the caffava root, which
the Indians in that climate make their bread of,
but I could find none. I faw large plants of
aloes, but did not underſtand them. I faw ſeve-
ral fugar canes, but wild, and for want of culti-
vation, imperfect. I contented myſelf with thefe
diſcoveries for this time, and came back mufing
with myſelf, what courſe I might take to know
the virtue and goodneſs of any of the fruits or
plants which I fhould diſcover; but could bring
it to no conclufion; for in fhort, I had made ſo
little obfervation while I was in the Brafils, that
I knew little of the plants in the field, at leaſt
very little that might ferve me any purpoſe now
in my diftrefs.
THE next day, the 16th, I went up the famet
way again, and after going fomething farther
than
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
159
than I had gone the day before, I found the brook
and the favanahs began to ceafe, and the country
became 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 had ſpread in-
deed over the trees, and the clusters of grapes
were juſt now in their prime, very ripe and rich.
This was a furprizing difcovery, and I was ex-
ceedingly glad of them; but I was warned by my
experience to eat ſparingly of them, remember-
ing that when I was afhore in Barbary, the eating
of grapes killed feveral of our Engliſhmen, who
were flaves there, by throwing them into fluxes
and fevers; but I found an excellent ufe for theſe
grapes, and that was to cure or dry them in the
fun, and keep them as dried grapes or raifins are
kept, which I thought would be, as indeed they
were, as wholeſome as agreeable to eat, when no
grapes might be to be had. I ſpent all that even-
ing there, and went back to my habitation, which
by the way was the first night, as I might fay I
had lain from home. In the night I took my first
contrivance, and got up into a tree, where I flept
well, and the next morning proceeding upon my
difcovery, travelling near four miles, I might judge
by the length of the valley, keeping ftill due north,
with a ridge of hills on the fouth and north fides
At the end of this march I came to an
open-
of me.
160
ADVENTURES OF
opening, where the country feemed to defcend to
the weft, and a little fpring of fresh water which
iffued out of the fide of the hill by me, ran the
other way, that is due eaft; 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 defcended a little
on the fide of that delicious vale, furveying it with
a fecret kind of pleaſure (tho' mix'd with my other
afflicting thoughts) to think that this was all my
own, that I was king and lord of all this country
indefeafibly, and had a right of poffeffion; and if I
could convey it, I might have it in inheritance as
completely as any lord of a manor in England. I faw
here abundance of cocoa trees, orange and 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 wholefome; and I mixed their juice after-
wards with water, which made it very wholfome,
and very cool and refreshing. I found now I had
buſineſs enough to gather and carry home, and I
refolv❜d 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 which
I gathered a great heap of grapes in one place, and
a leffer 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 re-
folved
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
161
folved to come again, and bring a bag or fack, or
what I could make to carry the reft home. Ac-
cordingly, having ſpent three days in this journey,
I came home, fo 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 them and bruiſed them, they were
good for little or nothing; as to the limes, they were
good, but I could bring but a few.
The next day, being the 19th, I went back, hav-
ing made me two finall bags to bring home my har-
veft; but I was furprized when coming to my heap
of grapes, which were fo rich and fine when I gathered
them, I found them all ſpread about, trod to pieces,
and dragg'd about, fome here, fome there, and abun-
dance eaten and devoured: By this I concluded their
were fome wild creatures thereabouts which had
done this, but what they were I knew not. How-
ever, as I found there was no laying them up on
heaps, and no carrying them away in a fack, but
that one way they would be deſtroyed, and the
other way they would be cruſhed with their own
weight, I took another courfe, for I 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 fun; and as for the limes, and lemons,
I carried as many back as I could well ſtand under.
M
WHEN
}
E
162
ADVENTURES OF
WHEN I came home from this journey, I contem-
plated with great pleafure the fruitfulneſs of that
valley, and the pleaſantnefs of the fituation, the
fecurity from ſtorms on that fide, the water, and the
wood, and concluded that I had pitched upon a place
to fix my abode, which was by far the worst part of
the country. Upon the whole, I began to confider of
removing my habitation, and to look out for a
place equally fafe as where I was now fituate, if
poffible, in that pleaſant fruitful part of the iſland.
THIS thought ran long in my head, and I was
exceeding fond of it for fome time, the pleafantnefs
of the place tempting me; but when I came to a
nearer view of it, and to confider that I was now by
the fea fide, where it was at leaft poffible that fome-
thing might happen to my advantage, and by the
fame ill fate that brought me hither, might bring
fome other unhappy wretches to the fame place;
and tho' it was ſcarce probable that any fuch thing
ſhould ever happen, yet to enclofe myſelf among
the hills and woods in the center of the iſland, was
to anticipate my bondage, and to render fuch an
affair not only improbable but impoffible, and that
therefore I ought not by any means to remove.
However I was fo enamoured of this place that. I
ſpent much of my time there for the whole remain-
ing part of the month of July; and tho' upon
ſecond thoughts I refolved as above, not to remove,
yet
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
163
;
yet I built me a little kind of a bower, and furroun-
ded it at a diſtance with aftrong fence, being a double
hedge, as high as I could reach, well ſtak'd and filled
between with bruſh-wood; and here I lay very fecure,
fometimes two or three nights together, always
going over it with a ladder as before; fo that I fancy'd
now I had my country-houſe and my fea-coaft-houſe:
And this work took me up to the beginning of
Auguft.
I HAD but newly finish'd my fence, and began to
énjoy my labour, but the rains came on, and made
me ſtick cloſe to my firſt habitation; for tho' I had
made me a tent like the other, with a piece of a fail,
and ſpread it very well, yet I had not the ſhelter of
a hill to keep me from ftorms, nor a cave behind
me to retreat into, when the rains were extraor¬
dinary.
:
ABOUT the beginning of Auguft, as I faid, I had
finiſh'd my bower, and began to enjoy myſelf.
The 3d of Auguft I found the grapes I had hung up,
were perfectly dry'd, and were indeed excellent good
raifins of the fun; fo began to take them down
from the trees, and it was very happy that I did
fo; for the rains which followed would have fpoiled
them, and I had loft the beſt part of my winter
food; for I had above two hundred large bunches
of them. No fooner had I taken them all down,
M 2
and
1
}
164
ADVENTURES OF
and carryed moſt of them home to my cave, but
it began to rain, and from hence, which was the
fourteenth of Auguft, it rain'd more or lefs, every
day, till the middle of October; and fometimes
fo violently, that I could not ftir out of my cave
for feveral days.
In this feaſon I was much furpriz'd with the in-
creaſe of my family; I had been concern'd 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 tid-
ings of her, till to my aſtoniſhment ſhe came home
about the end of Auguft, with three Kittens; this
was the more ſtrange to me becauſe tho' I had kill'd
a wild cat, as I call'd it with my gun, yet I thought
it was a quite different kind from our European
cats, yet the young cats were the ſame kind of houſe
breed like the old one; and both of my cats being
females, I thought it very ftrange: but from thefe
three cats, I afterwards came to be fo pefter'd with
cats that I was forced to kill them like vermine, or
wild beaſts, and to drive them from my houſe as
much as poffible.
FROM the 14th of Auguft to the 26th, inceffant
rain, fo that I could not ftir, 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 kill'd a goat, and the laſt day,
which was the twenty fixth, found a very large
tortoise,
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
165
tortoife, which was a treat to me, and my food was
regulated thus; I eat a bunch of raifins for my
breakfaſt, a piece of the goats fleſh, or of the turtle
for my dinner, broil'd; (for to my great misfortune,
I had no veffel to boil or ftew any thing :) and two
or three of the turtle's eggs for my fupper.
DURING this confinement in my cover by the
rain, I work'd daily two or three hours at enlarging
my cave, and by degrees work'd it on towards one
fide, till I came to the out-fide 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 eafy at lying fo open; for as I had
managed myſelf before, I was in a perfect encloſure,
whereas now I thought I lay expos'd, and open for
any thing to come in upon me; and yet I could
not perceive that there was any living thing to fear,
the biggest creature that I had yet feen
upon the
ifland being a goat.
SEPTEMBER 30. I was now come to the unhappy
anniverſary of my landing. I caft up the notches
on my poft, and found I had been on ſhore three
hundred and fixty-five days. I kept this day as
a folemn faft, fetting it apart for religious exercife,
proftrating myſelf on the ground with the moft
ferious humiliation, confeffing my fins to God,
acknowledging his righteous judgments upon me,
M 3
and
1
166
ADVENTURES OF
!
1
and praying to him to have mercy on me thro'
Jefus Chrift; and having not tafted the leaft re-
freſhment for twelve hours, even till the going
down of the fun, I then ate a bifcuit and a bunch
of grapes, and went to bed, finishing the day as I
began it. I had all this time obſerved no fabbath
day; for as at firſt I had no fenfe of religion upon
my mind, I had after fome time omitted to dif-
tinguiſh the weeks, by making a longer notch than
ordinary for the fabbath-day, and fo did not mind
what any
of the days were; but now having caft up
the days, as above, I found I had been there a year;
fo I divided it into weeks, and fet apart every
feventh day for a fabbath; tho' I found at the end
of my account I had loft a day or two in my rec-
koning. 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 the other things.
THE rainy feaſon and the dry feafon 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 this
I am going to relate was one of the moſt diſcourag-
ing experiments that I made at all: I have mentioned
that I had faved the few ears of barley and rice,
which I had fo furprizingly found fprung up, as
I thought, of themſelves, and I believe there were
about
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
167
about thirty ſtalks of rice, and about twenty of
barley; and now I thought it a proper time to fow
it after the rains, the fun being in it's fouthern pofi-
tion going from me.
ACCORDINGLY I dug a piece of ground as well
as I could with my wooden fpade, and dividing it
into two parts, I fow'd my grain; but as I was fowing,
it cafually occur'd to my thoughts, that I fhould not
fow it all at firft, becauſe I did not know when
was the proper time for it; fo I fow'd about two
thirds of the feed, leaving about a handful of each.
And 'twas a great comfort to me afterwards, that
I did fo, for none of that I fow'd this time came
to any thing: for the dry months following, the
earth having had no rain after the feed was fown,
it had no moiſture to affift its growth, and never
came up at all, till the wet feafon had come again,
and then it grew as if it had been but newly fown.
Finding my first feed did not grow, which I eafily
imagin'd was by the drought, I fought for a moif-
ter piece of ground to make another trial in, and
I dug up a piece of ground near my new bower,
and fow'd the reft of my feed in February, a little
before the vernal equinox; and this having the
rainy months of March andApril to water it, ſprung
up very pleafantly, and yielded a very good crop;
but having part of the feed left only, and not dar-
ing to fow all that I had, I had but a finall quan-
M 4
tity
168
ADVENTURES OF
1
:
tity 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 exact-
ly when the proper ſeaſon was to fow; and that I
might expect two feed times, and two harveſts every
year, as is ufual in that climate.
WHILE this corn was growing, I made a little
diſcovery, which was of ufe to me afterwards; as
foon as the rains were over, and the weather be-
gan to fettle, which was about the month of No-
vember, I made a vifit up the country to my bow-
er, where though I had not been fome 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 ftakes which I had cut
out of fome trees that grew thereabouts, were all
ſhot out and grown with long branches, as much
as a willow-tree uſually ſhoots the firſt year, but I
could not tell what tree to call it that theſe ſtakes
were cut from. I was furpriz'd, and yet very well
pleas'd, to fee the young trees grow, and I prun'd
them and led them up to grow as much alike as I
could; and it is fcarce credible how beautiful a
figure they grew into in three years; fo that though
the hedge made a circle of about twenty-five yards
in diameter, yet the trees, for fuch might I now
call them, foon covered it, and it was a compleat
fhade, fufficient to lodge under all the dry ſeaſon.
This
•
-A
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
169
This made me refolve to cut fome more ſtakes, and
and make me a hedge like this, in a femicircle
round my wall; I mean that of my firſt dwelling,
which I did; and placing the ſtakes in a double
row, at about eight yards diſtance from my fence,
they grew preſently, and were at firft a fine cover
to my habitation, and afterward ferv'd for a defence
alfo, as I fhall obſerve in its order.
I FOUND now that the feafons of the year might
generally be divided, not into fummer and winter,
as in Europe; but into the rainy feafons and the
dry feaſons, which were generally thus:
FROM the middle of Fabruary to the middle of
April, rainy, the fun being then in, or near the
equinox. From the middle of April till the middle
of Auguft dry, the fun being then north of the line.
From the middle of Auguft till the middle of Oc-
tober rainy, the fun being then come back to the
line. From the middle of October till the middle
of February dry, the fun being then to the fouth
of the line,
THE rainy feaſons held fometimes longer and fome-
times fhorter, as the winds happened to blow; but
this was the general obfervation I made: After I
had found by experience, the ill confequence of being
abroad in the rain, I took care to furnifl: myſelf
·
with
170
ADVENTURES OF
with provifions beforehand, that I might not be
obliged to go out; and I fat within doors as much as
poffible during the wet months. This time I found
much employment, (and very fuitable alfo to the
time) for I found great occaſion of many things
which I had no way to furnish myſelf with but by
hard labour and conftant application; particularly
I try'd many ways to make myſelf a baſket, but
all the twigs I could get for the purpoſe prov'd fo
brittle, that they would do nothing. It prov'd
of excellent advantage, to me, now, that when I
was a boy, I uſed to take great delight in ſtanding at
a baſket-maker's in the town where my father liv'd,
to ſee them make their wicker-ware; and being
as boys ufually are,very officious to help, and a great
obferver of the manner how they work'd thoſe
things, and fometimes lending a hand, I had by
this means full knowledge of the methods of it,
that I wanted nothing but the materials; when it
came into my mind, that the twigs of that tree
from whence I cut my ftakes that grew, might
poffibly be as tough as the fallows and ofiers in
England, and I refolv'd to try. Accordingly the
next day I went to my country-houſe, as I call'd
it, and cutting fome of the fmaller twigs I found
them to my purpoſe as much as I could defire;
whereupon I came the next time prepar'd with a
hatchet to cut down a quantity, which
found, for there was great plenty of them
I foon
thefe I
fet
1
ROBINSON CRUSO E,
17!
1
fet up to dry within my circle or hedge, and when
they were fit for ufe, I carry'd them to my cave,
and here during the wet ſeaſon, I employ'd 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 occafion; and tho' I did not finiſh them very
handſomely, yet I made them fufficiently ſervice-
able for my purpoſe; and thus afterwards I took
care never to be without them; and as my wicker-
ware decay'd, I made more, eſpecially I made
ſtrong deep baſkets to place my corn in, inſtead of
facks,when I fhould come to have any quantity of it,
HAVING mafter'd this difficulty, and employed
a world of time about it, I beftirr'd myſelf to fee
if poffible how to fupply two wants: I had no vef-
fel to hold any thing that was liquid except two
runlets which were almoſt full of rum, and fome
glafs bottles, fome of the common fize, and others
which were cafe bottles, fquare, for the holding
of waters, fpirits, &c. I had not fo much as a pot to
boil any thing, except a great kettle, which I faved
out of the fhip, and which was too big for fuch
ufe as I chiefly defir'd 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 impoffible for me to make one, however, I
found a contrivance for that too at laft. I em-
ploy'd myſelf in planting my fecond rows of ſtakes
or
172
ADVENTURES OF
}
1
or piles, and in this wicker working all the fummer
or dry ſeaſon, when another buſineſs took me up
more time than it could be imagin'd I could
fpare.
;
I MENTION'D before, that I had a great mind
to fee the whole ifland, and that I had travell'd up
the brook, and fo on to where I had built my
bower, and where I had an opening quite to the
fea on the other fide of the ifland; I now refolv'd
to travel quite croſs to the fea fhore on that fide;
fo taking my gun, a hatchet and my dog, and a
larger quantity of powder and ſhot than ufual, with
two biſcuit cakes, and a great bunch of raifins in my
pouch for my ftore, I began my journey; when
I had paſs'd the vale where my bower ftood as
above, I came within view of the fea, to the weſt,
and it being a very clear day, I fairly defcry'd land
whether an iſland or continent, I could not tell;
but it lay very high, extending from the weft, to
the W. S. W. at a very great diſtance; by my
guefs it could not be lefs than 15 or 20 leagues
off.
I COULD not tell what part of the world this
might be, otherwile then 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 favages, where
if
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
173
if I should have landed, I had been in a worſe
condition than I was now; and therefore I ac-
quiefced in the difpofitions of Providence, which I
began now to own, and to believe, ordered every
thing for the beſt; I fay, I quieted my mind with
this, and left afflicting myſelf with fruitless wishes
of being there.
BESIDES, after fome paufe upon this affair, I
confider'd, that if this land was the Spaniſh coaft,
I ſhould certainly, one time or other, fee
fome veffels paſs or repafs one way or other; but
if not, then it was the favage coaſt between the
Spanish country and the Brafils, which are indeed
the worſt of favages; for they are cannibals, and
fail not to murder and devour all the human
bodies that fall into their hands.
WITH theſe confiderations walking very lei-
furely forward, I found the fide of the inland where
I now was, much pleafanter than mine, the open
or Savannah fields fweat, adorned with flowers and
grafs, and full of very fine woods. I faw abund-
ance of parrots, and fain I would have caught
one, if poffible, to have kept it to be tame, and
taught it to ſpeak to me. I did, after fome
pains taking, catch a young parrot, for I knock'd
it down with a ſtick, and having recover'd it,
I brought it home, but it was fome years before
I could
174
ADVENTURES OF
!
I could make him fpeak: However, at laſt
taught him to call me by my name very fami-
liarly. But the accident that follow'd, tho' it
be a trifle, will be very diverting in its place.
I WAS exceedingly diverted with this journey:
I found in the low grounds hares, as I thought them
to be, and foxes, but they differ'd greatly from
all the other kinds I had met with; nor could
I fatisfy myſelf to eat them, tho' I kill'd feveral.
But I had no need to be venturous; for I had
no want of food, and of that which was very
good too, eſpecially thefe three forts, viz. goats,
pigeons, and turtle or tortoife; which added to
my grapes, Leaden-hall market could not have
furniſh'd a table better than I, in proportion to
the company; and tho' my cafe was deplorable
enough, yet I had great caufe for thankfulneſs,
and that I was not driven to any extremities for
food; but rather plently, even to dainties.
I NEVER traveled in this journey above two
miles outright in a day, or thereabout; but I
took fo many turns and returns, to fee what dif
coveries I could make, that I came weary enough
to the place where I refolv'd to fit down for all
night; and then I either repos'd myſelf in a tree,
or furrounded myſelf with a row of ſtakes fet
upright in the ground, either from one tree to
4.
another,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
175
another, or ſo as no wild creature could come at
me, without waking me.
As ſoon as I came to the fea-fhore, I was fur-
priz'd to ſee that I had taken up my lot on the
worft fide of the iſland; for here indeed the fhore
was cover'd with innumerable turtles, whereas on
the other fide I had found but three in a year and a
half. Here was alſo an infinite number of fowls,
of many kinds, fome which I had ſeen, and fome
which I had not ſeen before, and many of them
very good meat: but fuch as I knew not the names
of, except thofe call'd Penguines.
I COULD have fhot as many as I pleas'd, but was
very ſparing of my powder and ſhot: and therefore
had more mind to kill a fhe goat, if I could, which
I could better feed on; and tho' there were many
goats here, more than on my fide the iſland, yet
it was with much more difficulty that I could come
near them, the country being flat and even, and they
faw me much fooner than when I was on the hill.
I CONFESS this fide of the country was much plea-
fanter than mine, but yet I had not the leaft inclina-
tion to remove, for as I was fix'd in my habitation,
it became natural to me, and I feem'd all the while
I was here, to be as it were upon a journey, and from
home: However, I traveled along the fhore of the
Lea,
1
176
ADVENTURES OF
fea, towards the eaſt, I fuppofe about twelve miles,
and then fetting up a great pole upon the fhore for
a mark, I concluded I would go home again; and
and that the next journey I took ſhould be on the
other fide of the iſland, Eaft 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 all the iſland
ſo much in my view, that I could not miſs finding
my firſt dwelling by viewing the country; but I
found myſelf miſtaken; for being come about two
or three miles, I found myfelf defcended into a
very large valley; but fo furrounded with hills,
and thoſe hills coverd with wood, that I could not
fee which was my way by any direction but that of
the fun, nor even then, unleſs I knew very well
the pofition of the fun at that time of the day.
And it happen'd to my farther misfortune, that
the weather prov'd hazy for three or four days,
while I was in this valley; and not being able to
fee the fun, I wandered about very uncomfort-
ably, and at laſt was oblig'd to find out the ſea-fide,
look for my poſt, and come back the fame way
went; and then by eafy journies I turn'd homeward,
the weather being exceeding hot, and my gun,
ammunition, hatchet, and other things very heavy.
I
IN
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
177
In this journey my dog furpriz'd a young kid,
and feiz'd upon it, and I running in to take hold
of it, caught it and fav'd it alive from the dog: I
had a great mind to bring it home if I could; for
I had often been mufing, whether it might not
be poffible to get a kid or two, and ſo raiſe a breed
of tame goats, which might fupply me when my
powder and ſhot ſhould be all ſpent. So 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, tho' with fome
difficulty, till I came to my bower, and there I
enclos'd him, and left him; for I was very impa-
tient to be at home, from whence I had been ab-
ſent above a month.
I CANNOT exprefs what a fatisfaction it was to
me, to come into my old hutch, and lie down in
my hammock-bed: This little wandering journey,
without a fettled place of abode, had been fo un-
pleaſant to me, that my own houſe, as I call'd it to
myſelf, was a perfect fettlement to me, compar'd
to that; and it renderd every thing about me fo
comfortable, that I refolv'd I would never go a
great way from it again, while it ſhould be my lot
to ftay on the inland.
I REPOS'D myſelf here a week to rest and regale
myſelf after my long journey; during which, moſt
N
of
178
ADVENTURES OF
1
of the time was taken up in the weighty affair of
making a cage for my poll, who began now to
be a mere domeftic, and to be mighty well ac-
quainted with me. I began alfo to think of the
poor kid, which I had penned in within my little
circle, and refolv'd to go and 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 almoft ftarv'd for want of food: I went
and cut boughs of trees, and branches of fuch
fhrubs as I could find, and threw over to it, and
having fed it, I ty'd it as I did before, to lead it
away; but it was fo tame with being hungry, that I
had no need to have ty'd it; for it followd me like
a dog; and as I continually fed it, the creature
became fo loving, fo gentle, and fo fond, that it
was from that time one of my domefticks alſo,
and would never leave me afterwards.
THE rainy feafon of the autumnal equinox was
now come, and I kept the 30th of Sept. in the
fame folemn manner as before, being the an-
niverſary of my landing on the iſland, having
now been there two years, and no more proſpect
of being deliver'd than the firſt day I came there.
I ſpent the whole day in humble and thankful
acknowledgments of the many wonderful mercies
which my folitary condition was attended with,
and without which it might have been infinitely
more
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
179
more miferable. I gave humble and hearty thanks,
that God had been pleas'd to diſcover to me, even
that it was poffible I might be more happy in this
folitary condition, than I fhould have been in a
liberty of fociety, and in all the pleaſures of the
world. That he could fully make up to me, the
deficiencies of my folitary ſtate, and the want of
human fociety by his prefence, and the communi-
cations of his grace to my foul, fupporting, com-
forting, and encouraging, me to depend upon his
providence here, and hope for his eternal prefence
hereafter.
It was now that I began fenfibly to feel how
much more happy this 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 chang'd both my forrows and my joys;
my very defires alter'd, my affections chang'd
their gueſts, and my delights were perfectly new,
from what they were at my firſt coming, or indeed
for the two years paft.
BEFORE, as I walk'd about, either on my hunt-
ing, or for viewing the country, the anguifh of
my foul at my condition would break out upon
me on a fudden, 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 prifoner
locked
N 2
180
ADVENTURES OF
locked up with the eternal bars and bolts of the
ocean, in an uninhabited wilderness without re-
demption: In the midſt of the greateſt compofures
of
my mind, this would break out upon me like
a ftorm, 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 im-
imediately fit down and figh, and look upon the
ground for an hour or two together; and this was
ftill worſe to me; for if I could burst out into
tears, or vent myfelf by words, it would go off;
and the grief, having exhauſted itſelf, would abate.
But now I began to exerciſe myſelf with new
thoughts; I daily read the word of God, and ap-
plied all the comforts of it to my preſent ſtate:
One morning being very fad, I open'd the bible
upon theſe words, "I will never leave thee, nor
forfake thee;" immediately it occurr'd, that
theſe words were to me, why elſe ſhould they
be directed in fuch a manner, juft at the mo-
ment when I was mourning over my condition,
as one forfaken of God and man? Well then,
faid I, if God does not forfake.me, of what ill
confequence can it be, or what matters it, though
the world fhould all forfake me, feeing on the
other hand, if I had all the world, and fhould
lofe the favour and bleffing of God, there would.
be no compariſon in the lofs?
}
FROM
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
181
FROM this moment I began to conclude in my
mind, that it was poffible for me to be more
happy in this forfaken folitary 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 fomething fhock'd
my mind at that thought, and I durft not ſpeak
the words: How can'ft thou be fuch a hypocrite,
(faid I, even audibly) to pretend to be thankful for
a condition, which however thou may'ft endea-
your to be contented with, thou would'ft rather pray
heartily to be deliver'd from? fo I ftopped there:
but though I could not fay, I thank'd God for be-
ing there; yet I fincerely gave thanks to God for
opening my eyes, by whatever afflicting providen-
ces, to fee the former condition of my life, and to
mourn for my wickednefs, and repent.
open'd the bible, or fhut it, but my very foul
within me bleſſed God for directing my friend
in England, without any order of mine, to
pack it up among my goods; and for affifting
me afterwards to fave it out of the wreck of the
ſhip.
I never
THUS, and in this difpofition of mind, I be-
gan my third year; and tho' I have not given
N 3
the
182
ADVENTURES OF
$
;
the reader the trouble of fo particular an account
of my works this year as the firft; yet in general
it might be obferv'd, that I was very feldom idle
but having regularly divided my time, according
to the feveral daily employments that were be-
fore me, fuch as, Firſt, My duty to God, and the
reading the fcriptures, which I conftantly fet
apart fome time for thrice every day. Secondly,
The going abroad with my gun for food, which
generally took me up three hours in every
morning, when it did not rain. Thirdly, The
ordering, curing, preferving, and cooking what I
had kill'd or catch'd for my fupply; theſe took
up great part of the day: alfo it is to be con-
fider'd that in the middle of the day when the
fun was in the zenith, the violence of the heat
was too great to ftir out: fo that about four hours
in the evening was all the time I could be fup-
poſed to work in: with this exception, that
fometimes I chang'd my hours of hunting and
working, and went to work in the morning, and
abroad with my gun in the afternoon.
To this fhort time allow'd for labour, I de-
fire may be added the exceeding laboriouſneſs
of my work; the many hours, which for want
of tools, want of help, and want of fkill, every
thing I did, took up out of my time: for ex-
ample, I was full two and forty days making
me
ROBINSON CRUSOE
183
me a board for a long fhelf, which I wanted in
my cave: whereas two fawyers with their tools and
a fawpit, would have cut fix of them out of the
fame tree in half a day,
My cafe was this it was to be a large tree,
which was to be cut down, becauſe my board was
to be a broad one. This tree I was three days a
cutting down, and two more cutting off the
boughs, and reducing it to a log, or piece of
timber. With inexpreffible hacking and hewing
I reduced both the fides of it into chips, till it be-
gan to be light enough to move; then I turned it,
and made one fide of it ſmooth, and flat, as a board
from end to end; then turning that fide down-
ward, I cut the other fide, till I brought the plank
to be about three inches thick and fmooth on
both fides. Any one may judge the labour of
my hands in fuch a piece of work; but labour
and patience carried me through that and many
other things: I only obferve this in particular,
to fhew the reaſon why fo much of my time went
away with fo 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,
BUT notwithſtanding this, with patience and
labour I went through many things, and indeed
N 4
every
184
ADVENTURES OF
every thing that my circumftance made necef-
fary for me to do, as will appear by what fol-
lows.
1
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 obferved, my
feed of each was not above the quantity of half
a peck; for I had loft one whole crop by ſowing
in the dry ſeaſon; but now my crop promiſed
very well, when on a fudden I found I was in
danger of lofing it all again by enemies of feve-
ral forts, which it was fçarce poffible to keep from
it; as, Firſt, the goats, and wild creatures which
I called hares, who tafting the fweetnefs of the
blade, lay in it night and day, as foon as it came
up, and ate it ſo cloſe, with it could get no time
to fhoot up into ſtalk,
THIS I faw no remedy for, 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 fpeed. However, as my arable land was
but fmall, fuited to my crop, I got it tolerably
well fenced in about three weeks time; and fhoot-
ing fome of the creatures in the day-time, I fet
my dog to guard it in the night, tying him
up to a ftake at the gate, where he would
VOL. I.
ftand
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
185
ſtand and bark all night long; fo in a little time
the enemies forfook 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; fo the birds were as like-
ly to ruin me now when it was in the ear; for
going along by the place to fee now it throve,
I faw my little crop furrounded with fowls of I
know not how many forts, who ftood as it were
watching till I fhould be gone: I immediately
let fly among them (for I always had my gun
with me) I had no fooner ſhot but there roſe up
a little cloud of fowls, which I had not ſeen at
all, from among the corn itſelf.
THIS touch'd me fenfibly, for I foreſaw that
in a few days they would devour all my hopes,
that I fhould be ſtarv'd, and never be able to raiſe
my crop at all, and what to do I could not tell:
However I reſolv'd not to loſe my corn, if poſ-
fible, tho' I fhould watch it night and day. In
the firſt place, I went among it to fee what da-
mage was already done, and found they had ſpoil'd
a good deal of it, but that as it was yet too green
for them, the loſs was not fo great, but that the re-
mainder was like to be a good crop, if it could
be fav'd.
1
I STAND
186
ADVENTURES OF
I STAID by it to load my gun, and then coming
away, I could eaſily fee the thieves fitting upon
all the trees about me, as if they only waited till I
was gone away, and the event proved it to be fo;
for as I walked off as if I was gone, I was no foon-
er out of their fight, but they dropt down one by
one into the corn again. I was fo provoked that I
could not have patience to ftay till more came on,
knowing that every grain that they eat now, was, as
it might be faid, a peck loaf to me in the confe-
quence; but coming up to the hedge, I fir'd again,
and kill'd three of them. This was what I wish'd
for; fo I took them up, and ferved them as we
ſerve notorious thieves in England, (viz.) hang'd
them in chains, for a terror to others. 'Tis impoffi-
ble to imagine almoft, that this fhould have any
fuch effect, as it had: for the fowls would not
only not come at the corn, but in fhort they
forfook all that part of the island, and I could
never fee a bird near the place as long as my fcare
crows hung there. This I was very glad of, you
about the latter end of Decem-
ber, which was our fecond harveſt of the year, I
reap'd my crop.
may be fure, and
I WAS fadly put to it for a fcythe or fickle
to cut it down, and all I could do was to make
one as well as I could out of one of the broad
fwords or cutlaffes, which I faved among the arms
4
out
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
187
out of the fhip. However, as my firſt crop was
but finall, I had no great difficulty to cut it down;
in fhort, 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 fo rubbed it out
with my hands; and at the end of all my har-
vefting, I found that out of my half peck of feed,
I had near two bushels of rice, and above two
bufhels and an half of barley, that is to fay, by
my guefs, for I had no meaſure at that time.
V
HOWEVER, this was great encouragement to me
and I forefaw that in time it would pleaſe God
to fupply 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 or 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 ad-
ded to my defire of having a good quantity for
ſtore, and to fecure a conftant fupply, I refolved
not to taste any of this crop, but to preſerve it
all for feed against the next feafon, and in the
mean time to employ all my ſtudy and hours of
working to accompliſh this great work of providing
myſelf with corn and bread.
LA
Ir might be truly faid, that now I worked
for my bread; 'tis a little wonderful; and what
I believe few people have thought much upon
(viz)
188
ADVENTURES OF
(viz.) the ſtrange multitude of little things ne-
ceffary in the providing, producing, curing,
dreffing, making and finiſhing this one article.
of bread.
I THAT was reduced to a mere ftate of nature,
found this to my daily difcouragement, and was
made more and more fenfible of it every hour,
even after I had got the first handful of feed
corn, which as I have faid, came up unexpect-
edly, and indeed to a furprize.
FIRST, I had no plough to turn up the earth,
no ſpade or ſhovel to dig it: well, this I con-
quered, by making a wooden fpade, as I ob-
ſerved before; but this did my work in but a
wooden manner, and though it coft me a great
many days to make it, yet for want of iron it not
only wore out the fooner, but made my work the
harder, and made it be performed 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
fowed, I had no harrow, but was forced to go
over it myſelf, and drag a great heavy bough
of a tree over it, to fcratch 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, fecure
it,
1
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
189
it, mow or reap it, cure and carry it home,
threſh, part it from the chaff, and fave it: Then
I wanted a mill to grind it, fieves to dreſs it,
yeaſt and falt to make it into bread, and an
oven to bake it; and yet all theſe things I did
without, as ſhould be obferved; and yet the corn
was an ineftimable comfort and advantage to me
too: all this, as I faid, made every thing la-
borious and tedious to me, but that there was
no help for; neither was my time fo much lofs
to me, becauſe as I had divided it, a certain
part of it was every day appointed to theſe works;
and as I refolved to uſe none of the corn for
bread till I had a greater quantity by me, I
had the next fix months to apply myſelf wholly
by labour and invention to furnifh myfelf with
utenfils proper for the performing all the opera-
tions neceffary for the making the corn (when
I had it) fit for my uſe.
BUT firft, I was to prepare more land, for I
had now feed enough to fow above an acre of
ground. Before I did this, I had a week's
work at leaſt to make me a fpade, which when
it was done, was but a forry one indeed, and
very heavy, and required double labour to work
with it; however I went through that, and fow-
ed my feed in two large flat pieces of ground,
as near my houfe as I could find them to my
mind,
190
1
ADVENTURES O
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 I knew it would
grow, fo that in one year's time I knew I fhould
have a quick or living hedge, that would want
but little repair. This work was not fo little as
to take me up lefs than three months, becauſe
a great part of that time was of 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 occafions,
always obferving, that all the while I was at
work I diverted myſelf with talking to my par-
rot, and teaching him to fpeak; and I quickly
learned him to know his own name, and at laſt
to ſpeak it out pretty loud, POLL, which was
the firſt word I ever heard fpoken in the iſland
by any mouth but my own. This therefore
was not my work, but an affiftant to my work;
for now, as I faid, I had a great employment
upon my hands, as follows, viz. I had long
ſtudied, by fome means or other, to make my-
felf fome earthen veffels, which indeed I want-
ed forely, but knew not where to come at them:
However, confidering the heat of the climate, I
did not doubt but if I could find out any fuch clay,
I might botch up fome fuch pot, as might, being
dryed in the fun, be hard enough and ftrong enough
to bear handling, and to hold any thing that
was
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
191
1
was dry, and required to be kept fo; and as
this was neceffary in the preparing corn, meal,
&c. which was the thing I was upon, I refol-
ved to make fome as large as I could, and fit
only to ftand 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 aukward ways
I took to raiſe this paftil, what odd miſhapen
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 fun,
being fet out too haftily; and how many fell
in pieces with only removing, as well before
as after they were dry'd 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 fun baked thefe two, very
dry and hard, I lifted them very gently up and
fet 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 fpare,
I fuffed
I
192
ADVENTURES OF
I ftuffed it full of the rice and barley-ftraw,
and theſe two pots being to ftand always dry,
I thought would hold my dry corn, and perhaps
the meal, when the corn was bruifed.
THOUGH I miſcarried fo much in my defign
for large pots, yet I made ferveral ſmaller things
with better fuccefs, fuch as little round pots,
flat diſhes, pitchers, and pipkins, and any thing
my hand turned to, and the heat of the fun
baked them ftrangely hard.
BUT all this would not anfwer my end, which
was to get an earthen pot to hold what was
liquid, and bear the fire which none of theſe
could do. It happened after fome time, mak-
ing 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 veffels in the fire, burnt as hard
as a ſtone, and red as a tile. I was agreeably
furprized to fee it, and faid to myſelf, that cer-
tainly they might be made to burn whole if they
would burn broken.
THIS fet me to ſtudying how to order my
fire, fo as to make it burn me fome pots. I
had no notion of a kiln, fuch as the potters
burn in, or of glazing them with lead, though
I had
4
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
193
*
I had fome 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 ply-
ed the fire with freſh fuel round the out-fide,and upon
the top, till I faw the pots in the infide red hot quite
through, and obferved that they did not crack at all;
when I ſaw them clear red, I let them ſtand in that heat
about 5 or 6 hours, till I found one of them, though
it did not crack, did melt or run, for the fand
which was mixed with the clay melted by the vio-
lence of the heat, and would have run into glafs, if
I had gone on, fo I flacked my fire gradually till
the pots began to abate of the red colour, and watch-
ing them all night, that I might not let the fire
abate too faft; in the morning I had three very
good, I will not fay handfome, pipkins, and two,
other earthen pots, as hard burnt as could be de-
fired; and one of them perfectly glazed with the
runing of the fand.
AFTER this experiment, (I need not fay) I want-
ed no fort of earthen ware for my ufe; but I muſt
needs fay, as to the ſhapes of them, they were very
indifferent, as any one may fuppofe, when I had no
way of making them, but as the children make
dirt pies, or as a woman would make pies, that
never learn'd to raiſe paſte.
!
VOL. I.
Q
No
194
ADVENTURES OF
No joy at a thing of ſo mean a nature was ever
equal to mine, wher. 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 fat one
on the fire again, with fome water in it, to boil
me fome meat, which it did admirably well; and
with a piece of kid, I made fome very good broth,
tho' I wanted oatmeal and feveral other ingredients;
requifite to make it fo good as I would have had it
been.
My next concern was to get me a ſtone mortar to
ftamp or beat fome corn in; for as to the mill, there
was no thought of arriving to that perfection of art
with one pair of hands. To fupply this want I
was at a great lofs; for of all the trades in the world
I was as perfectly unqualifi'd for a ftone cutter, as
for any whatever; neither had I any tools to go
about it with. I ſpent many a day to find out a
great ftone big enough to cut hollow, and make
fit for a mortar, and could find none at all, except
what was in the folid rock, and which I had no way
to dig or cut out; nor indeed were the rocks in the
iſland of hardneſs fufficient, but were all of a fandy
crumbling ftone, which neither would bear the
weight of a heavy peſtle, or would break the corn
without filling it with fand; fo after a great deal of
time loft in ſearching for a ftone, I gave it over,
and refolv'd to look out for a great block of hard
wood,
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
195
wood, which I found indeed much eaſier; and get-
ting one as big as I had ftrength to ftir, I rounded
it, and form'd it on the out-fide with my axe and
hachet, and then with the help of fire, and infinite
labour, made a hollow place in it, as the Indians in
Brafil make their canoes. After this I made a great
heavy peſtle, or bearer of the wood, called the 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 fieve, or ſearch,
to drefs my meal, and to part it from the bran and
the huſk, without which I did not fee it poffible I
could have any bread. This was a moft difficult
thing, fo much as but to think on; for to be fure I
had nothing like the neceffary thing to make it, I
mean fine thin canvas, or ftuff, to fearch the meal
through. And here I was at a full ftop 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 I how to weave it or ſpin it;
and had I known how, here were no tools to work
it with; all the remedy I found for this, was, at laft
I did remember I had among the feamen's clothes,
which were faved out of the fhip, fome neck cloths
of callico, or muflin, and with fome pieces of theſe
I made three finall fieves, but proper enough for the
work
O 2
•
1.96
ADVENTURES OF
!
work; and thus I made ſhift for fome years, how f
did afterwards I fhall fhew in its place.
THE baking part was the next thing to be confi-
dered, and how I fhould make bread when I came
to have corn; for firft I had no yeaft; as to that
part, as there was no fupplying the want, fo I did
not concern myſelf much about it: but for an oven,
I was indeed in great pain; at length I found out
an expedient for that alfo, which was this; I E
made fome eartherm veffels, very broad but not
deep, that is to fay, 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 fome fquare tiles
of my own baking, and burning alfo; but I fhould
not call them fquare.
WHEN the fire wood was burned pretty much into
embers, or live coals, I drew them forward
upon the hearth, fo as to cover it all over, and
there I let them lie, till the hearth was very hot,
then fweeping away all the embers, I fet down my
loaf, or loaves, and whelming down the earthen pot
upon them, 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 little time a mere
paſtry
}
ROBINSON
197
CRUSOE.
paftry cook into the bargain; for I made myſelf fe-
veral cakes of the rice and puddings; indeed I
made no pies, neither had I any thing to put into
them, fuppofing I had, except the fleſh either of
fowls or goats.
Ir need not be wondered at, if all thefe things
took me up most part of the third year of my abode
here; for it is to be obſerved, that in the intervals
of theſe things I had my new harveft and husbandry
to manage; for 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 threfh it on, or in-
ftrument to threſh it with.
AND NOW indeed my ftock of corn increaſing, I
really wanted to build my barns bigger: I wanted a
placeto lay it up in; for the increase of the corn now
yielded me fo much, that I had of the barley about
twenty bufhels, and of rice as much or more, info-
much that now I refolved to begin fo ufe it freely;
for my bread had been quite gone a great while: alfo
I refolved to ſee what quantity would be fufficient for
me a whole year, and to fow but once a year.
UPON the whole I found that the forty bushels of
barley and rice, were much more than I could con-
fume in a year; fo I refolved to fow juſt the fame
quantity
03
2102
ADVENTURES OF
not but that the difficulty of launching my boat came
often into my head; but I put a stop to my own
enquiries into it, by this foolish anfwer which I gave
myfelf, Let us firft make it, I will warrant I will
find fome way or other to get it along, when it is
done.
1.
THIS was a moft prepofterous method; but the
eagerness of my fancy prevailed, and to work I
went. I felled a cedar tree fit for the building of the
Temple at Jerufalem. It was five feet ten inches
diameter at the lower part next the ftump, and four
feet eleven inches diameter at the end of twenty two
feet, after which it leffened for a while, and then
parted into branches: it was not without infinite
labour that I felled this tree: I was twenty days
hacking and hewing at it, at the bottom. I was
fourteen more getting the branches and limbs, and
the vaft fpreading head of it cut off, which I hack-
ed and hewed through with axe and hachet, and
inexpreffible labour: after this, it coft me a month
to ſhape it, and dub it to proportion, and to fome-
thing like the bottom of a boat, that it might fwim
upright as it ought to do. It coft me near three
months more to clear the in-fide, and work it out
fo as to make an exact boat of it; this I did indeed
without fire, by mere mallet and chiffel, and by the
dint of hard labour, till I had brought it to be a very
handfome periagua, and big enough to have carried
fix
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
203.
1
fix and twenty men, and confequently big enough
to have carried me and all my cargo.
WHEN I had gone through this work, I was ex-
tremely delighted with it. The boat was really
much bigger than ever I faw a canoe or periagua
that was made of one tree in my life. Many a
weary ftroke it had coft, you may be fure; and
there remained nothing but to get it into the wa-
ter; and had I gotten it into the water, I make no
queſtion but I ſhould have begun the maddeft voy-
age and the moſt unlikely to be performed, that ever
was undertaken.
1
more.
But all my devices to get it into the water failed
me; tho' they coft me infinite labour too.
It lay
about one hundred yards from the water, and not
But the firſt inconvenience was, it was up
hill towards the creek; well, to take away this dif-
couragement I refolved to dig into the ſurface of
the carth, and fo make a declivity: This I begun,
and it coft me a prodigious deal of pains; but who
grudge pains, that have their deliverance in view?
But when this was worked through, and this difficulty
managed, it was ftill much at one; for I could no
more ftir the canoe, than I could the other boat.
THEN I meaſured the diftance of ground, and
refolved to cut a dock, or canal, to bring the
water
198
ADVENTURES OF
}
1
quantity every year, that I fowed the laft, in hopes
that fuch 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 prof-
pect of land which I had ſeen from the other fide of
the iſland; and I was not without fecret wiſhes that
I were on fhore there, fancying, that. feeing the
main land, and in an inhabited country, I might
find fome way or other to convey myſelf farther,
and perhaps at laft find fome means of efcape,
BUT all this while I made no allowance for the
dangers of fuch a condition, and how I might fall
into the hands of favages, and perhaps fuch as I
might have reaſon to think far worſe than the lions
and tigers, of Africa, that if once I came in their
power, I fhould run a hazard more than a thouſand
to one of being killed, and perhaps of being eaten,
for I had heard that the people of the Caribean
coaſt were canibals, or man eaters! And I knew
by the latitude, that I could not be far off from the
fhore. That fuppofing they were not canibals, yet
that they might kill me, as many Europeans, who
had fallen into their hands, had been ſerved, even
when they have been ten or twenty together; much
more I that was but one, and could make little or
no defence; all theſe things, I fay, which I ought
•
·
J
to
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
199
to have confidered well of, and did caft up in my
thoughts afterwards, yet took up none of my ap-
prehenfions at firft; but my head ran mightily
upon the thought of getting over to the fhore.
and the long
Now I wifhed for my boy Xury,
boat with the ſhoulder of mutton fail, with which I
failed above a thousand miles on the coaft of Afric;
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 fhore, a great way in the
ftorm, when we were firſt caft away. She lay
almoft where fhe did at firft, but not quite; and
was turned by the force of the waves and the winds,
almoſt bottom upward, againſt a high ridge of
beachey rough fand; but no water about her as be-
fore.
IF I had had hands to have refitted her, and to
have launched her into the water, the boat would
have done well enough, and I might have gone
back into the Brafils with her eafily enough; but I
might have forefeen that I could no more turn her
and fet 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, refolved to try what I could do, fuggefting
to myſelf, that if I could but turn her down, I might
gafily repair the damage the had received, and fhe
would
O A
200
ADVENTURES OF
would be a very good boat, and I might go to fea
in her very eaſily.
I SPARED no pains indeed, in this piece of fruit-
leſs toil, and ſpent, I think, three or four weeks
about it; at laſt finding it impoffible to heave it up
with my little ſtrength, I fell to digging away the
fand, to undermine it, and fo to make it fall down,
fetting pieces of wood to thruft and guide it right in
the fall.
BUT when I had done this, I was unable to ſtir it
up again, or to get under it, much leſs to move it
forward, towards the water; fo I was forced to
give it over; and yet though I gave over the hopes
of the boat, my defire to venture over the main
increaſed, rather than decreaſed, as the means for
it ſeemed impoffible,
THIS at length put me upon thinking, whether
it was not poffible to make myſelf a canoe, or peri-
agua
fuch as the natives of thofe climates make,
even without tools, or as I might fay, without
hands, viz. of a trunk of a great tree. This I not
only thought poffible, but eafy, and pleaſed myſelf
extremely with the thoughts of making it, and with
my having much more convenience for it than any
of the negroes or Indians; but not at all confider-
ing the particular inconveniences which I lay under,
more
}
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
201
more than the Indians did, viz. want of hands to
move it when it was made, into the water, a diffi-
culty much harder for me to furmount than all the
confequences of want of tools could be to them; for
what was it to me, that when I had chofſen a vaſt
tree, in the woods, I might with much trouble cut
it down, if after I might be able with my tools to
hew and dub the out-fide into the proper fhape of a
boat, and burn or cut out the in-fide to make it
hollow, fo as to make a boat of it; if after all this,
I muſt leave it juft there where I found it, and was
not able to launch it into the water.
ONE would have thought, if I could have had
the leaſt reflection upon my mind, of my circum-
ftances while I was making this boat, I fhould
have immediately thought how I fhould get it into
the fea but my thoughts were fo intent upon my
voyage over the fea in it, that I never once confi
dered how I fhould get it off the land; and it was.
really in its own nature more eafy for me to guide
it over forty-five miles of fea, than about forty-five
fathoms of land, where it lay, to fet 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 him fenfes
awake. I pleaſed myſelf with the defign, without
determining whether I was able to undertake it;
not
204
ADVENTURES OF
•
·
water up to the canoe, feeing I could not bring
the canoe down to the water: Well, I began this
work, and when I began to enter into it, and
calculate how deep it was to be dug, how broad,
how the ftuff to be thrown out, I found, that by
the number of hands I had, being none but my
own, it muſt have been ten or twelve years before
I fhould have gone through with it; for the fhore
day high, fo that at the upper end, it muſt have been
at least twenty feet deep; fo at length, though
with great reluctancy, I gave this attempt over
alfo.
1
THIS grieved me heartily, and now I faw,
though too late, the folly of beginning a work be-
fore we count the coſt; and before wè judge rightly
of our own ftrength 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 fame devotion, and with as much comfort
as ever before; for by conftant ftudy, and ferious
application of the word of God, and by the affif-
tance 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 defires
about: In a word, I had nothing indeed to do
with
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
205
with it, nor was ever like to have; fo 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 fay as father Abraham to
Dives," Between me and thee is a great gulf fixed.”
In the first place, I was removed from all the
wickedness of the world here; "I had neither the luft
"of the fleſh, the luft of the eye, or 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 pleafed I might call myſelf king,
or emperor over the whole country which I had.
pofeffion of; there were no rivals, I had no com-
petitor, none to difpute fovereignty or command
with me: I might have raiſed fhip loadings of
corn, but I had no ufe for it, fo I let as little grow
as I thought enough for my occafion: I had tortoife.
or turtle enough, but now and then one was as
much as I could put to any ufe: I had timber
enough to have built a fleet of fhips: I had
grapes enough to have made wine or to have cured
into raiſins, to have loaded that fleet when they.
had been built.
BUT all I could make ufe of was all that, was
valuable; I had enough to eat and to fuply my
wants; and what was all the reft to me? If I killed,
more fleſh than I could eat, the dog muft eat it or
:
the
206
ADVENTURES OF
L
the vermin: If I fowed 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
occafion 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 no farther good to us
than they are for our ufe; and that whatever
we may heap up indeed to give others, we en-
joy juſt as much as we can uſe, and no more.
The moſt covetous griping mifer in the world.
would have been cured of the vice of covetouſneſs,
if he had been in my cafe; for I poffeffed infinitely
more than I knew what to do with. I had no
room for defire, except it was of things which I
had not, and they were but trifles, though indeed
of great uſe to me. I had, as I hinted before, a
parcel of money, as well gold as filver about
thirty-fix pounds, ſterling; alas! there the nafty
forry uſeleſs ſtuff lay, I had no manner of
buſineſs for it; and I often thought with 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 fix pen-
ny-worth of turnip and carrot feed out of 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,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
207
it, or benefit from it; but there it lay in a drawer,
and grew mouldy with the damp of the cave in
the wet feafons: and if I had had the drawer fult
of diamonds, it had been the fame cafe, and they
had been of no manner of value to me, becauſe
of no uſe.
I HAD now brought my ftate of life to be much
eafier in itſelf than it was at firſt, and much eaſier
to my mind as well as to my body. I frequent-
ly fet down to my meat with thankfulneſs,
and admired the hand of God's providence,
which had thus fpread my table in the wilderneſs:
I learned to look more upon the bright fide of my
condition, and lefs upon the dark fide, and to
confider, what I enjoyed rather than what I
wanted; and this gave me fometimes fuch fecret
comforts that I cannot exprefs them, and which I
take notice of here to put thofe difcontented peo-
ple in mind of it, who cannot enjoy comfortably
what God has given them, becauſe they ſee and covet
fomething that he has not given them: All our
difcontents about what we want, appeared to me
to fpring from the want of thankfulneſs for what
we have.
ANOTHER reflection was of great uſe to me, and
doubtlefs would be fo to any one that fhould fall.
into fuch diftrefs as mine was; and this was, to
com-
208
ADVENTURES OF
་
compare my prefent condition with what I at firft
expected it ſhould be; nay with what it would
certainly have been, if the good providence of
God had not wonderfully ordered the fhip to be
caft up nearer to the fhore, where I not only
could come at her, but could bring what I got out of
her to the fhore, for my relief and comfort, without
which I had wanted for tools to work, weapons for
defence, gun-powder and fhot, 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
fhip. I could not have fo 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
firſt. That I ſhould have lived, if I had not perifhed,
like a mere favage. That if I had killed a goat, or
a fowl, by any contrivance, I had no way to flay
or open them, or part the fleſh from the ſkin, and
the bowels, or to cut it up; but muft gnaw it with
my teeth, and pull it with my claws like a beaſt.
THESE reflections made me very fenfible of the
goodneſs of Providence to ine, and very thankful
for my preſent condition, with all its hardſhips
and misfortunes: And this part alfo I cannot but
recommend to the reflection of thofe, who are
apt in their miſery to ſay, "Is any affliction like
mine!" Let them confider, how much worſe the
cafes
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
209
cafes fome other people are, and their cafe might
have been, if providence had thought fit.
I HAD another reflection which affifted me alfo
to comfot my mind with hopes; and this was,
comparing my prefent 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 inftructed by father and
mother; neither had they been wanting to me, in
their early endeavours, to infufe a religious awe of
God into my mind, a ſenſe of my duty, and of
what the nature and end of my being required of
me.
But alas! falling early into the feafaring life,
which of all lives is the moſt deftitute of the fear
of God, though his terrors are always before
them; I fay, falling early into the feafaring life,
and into feafaring company, all that little ſenſe of
religion which I had entertained, was laughed out
of me by my meſs-mates, by a hardened defpifing
of dangers, and the views of death, which grew
habitual to me; by my long abfence from all
manner of opportunities to converfe with any
thing but what was like myſelf, or to hear any
thing that was good, or tender 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, in that
P
the
210
ADVENTURES OF
the greateſt deliverance I enjoyed, fuch as my efcape
from Salee; my being taken up by the Portugueſe
mafter of a ſhip; my being planted fo well in the
Brazils; my receiving the cargo from England,
and the like; I never had once the word, thank
God, ſo much as on my mind, or in my mouth ;
nor in the greateft' diftrefs, had I fo much as a
thought to pray to him, or fo much, as to fay.
"Lord have mercy upon me; no nor to mention
the name of God, unless it was to fwear by, and
blafpheme it.
>>
I HAD terrible reflections upon my mind for many
months, as I have already obferved, on the account
of my wicked and hardened life paft: and when I
looked about me, and confidered what particular
providences had attended me fince my coming into
this place, and how God had dealt bountifully with
me; had not only puniſhed me lefs than my ini-
quity had deferved, but had fo plentifully provided
for me; this gave me great hopes that my repent-
„ance was accepted, and that God had yet mercy in
ftore for me,
WITH theſe reflections I worked my mind up,
not only to a refignation to the will of God in the
prefent diſpoſition of my circumſtances, but even
to a fincere thankfulneſs for my condition, and
that I who was yet a living man, ought not to com-
plain,
!
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
211
plain, feeing I had not the due puifhment of my
fins; that I enjoyed fo many mercies which I had no
reafon 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 confider I had been fed
even by a miracle, even as great as that of feeding
Elijah by ravens; nay, by a long ſeries of mira-
cles, and that I could hardly have named a place in
the uninhabitable part of the world, where I could
have been caft more to my advantage: a place
where, as I had no fociety, which was my affliction
on one hand, fo I found no ravenous beaſt, no
furious wolves or tygers to threaten my life, no
venomous creatures, or poiſonous, which I might
feed on to my hurt; no favages to murder and de-
your me.
In a word, as my life was a life of forrow one way,
fo it was a life of mercy another, and I wanted no-
thing to make it a life of comfort, but to be able to
make my fenſe of God's goodneſs to me, and care
over me in this condition, be my daily confolation;
and after I did make a juft improvement of theſe
things, I went away and was no more fad.
I HAD now been here fo long, that many things
which I brought on fhore for my help, were
either
P 2
212
ADVENTURES OF
either quite gone, or very much wafted and near
fpent.
My ink, as I obferved, had been gone for fome
time, all but a very little, which I eeked out with
water a little and a little, till it was fo pale it ſcarce
left any appearance of black upon the paper: as
long as it lafted, I made uſe of it to minute down
the days of the month on which any remarkable
thing happened to me, and firſt by cafting up times
paſt, I remember that there was a ſtrange concur-
ance of days in the various providences which befel
me, and which if I had been ſuperſtitiouſly inclined
to obferve days as fatal or fortunate, I might have
had reaſon to have looked upon with a great deal of
curioſity.
year
FIRST I had obferved, that the fame day that I
broke away from my father and my friends, and
ran away to Hull, in order to go to fea, the fame
day, afterwards I was taken by the Sallee man of
war, and made a flave. The fame day of the
that I eſcaped out of the wreck of that fhip in Yar-
mouth roads, that fame day-year afterwards I made
my eſcape from Salee in the boat; and the fame
day of the year I was born on, viz. the 30th of
September, that fame day I had my life fo miracu-
louſly ſaved twenty-fix years after, when I was caft
on
3
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
213
on fhore in this iſland; fo that my wicked life and
my folitary life began both on a day.
THE next thing to my ink's being wafted, was
that of my bread, I mean the biſcuit which I
brought out of the fhip; 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 reafon I had to be thankful
that I had any at all, the getting it being as has
been already obferved, next to miraculous.
My cloaths too began to decay mightily: as to li-
nen, I had had none for a great while, except fome
chequered ſhirts which I found in the chefts of other
feamen, and which I carefully preferved, becaufe,
many times I could bear no other cloaths on but a
fhirt; and it was a very great help to me that I had,
among all the mens cloaths of the ſhip, almoſt three
dozen of fhirts. There were alfo feveral thick
watch coats of the feamens, which were left indeed,
but they were too hot to wear; and though it is true
that the weather was fo violent hot, that there was
no need of cloaths, 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
was all alone.
P 3
THE
214
ADVENTURES O'F
THE reaſon why I could not go quite naked was,
I could not bear the heat of the fun fo well when
quite naked as with fome cloaths on; nay, the very
heat frequently bliſtered my ſkin, whereas with a
fhirt on, the air itſelf made fome motion, and whift-
ling under that fhirt was toofold cooler than with-
out it. No more could I ever bring myſelf to go
out in the heat of the fun without a cap or a hat;
the heat of the fun beating with fuch violence as it
does in that place, would give me the head ach pre-
fently, by darting fo directly upon my head, with-
out a cap or hat on, fo that I could not bear it,
whereas if I put on my hat it would prefently go
away.
UPON thefe views I began to confider about
putting the few rags I had, which I called cloaths,
into fome 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, which
I had by me, and with "fuch other materials as I
had; fo I fet to work a tayloring, or rather indeed
a botching, for I made moft pitious work of it.
However I made fhift to make two or three new
waiſtcoats, which I hoped would ferve me a great
while; as for breeches or drawers, I made but a
very ſorry fhift indeed, till afterwards.
I HAVE
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
215
یه
I HAVE mentioned that I faved the ſkins of all
the creatures that I killed, I mean four footed ones,:
and I had hung them up, ftretched out with fticks,
in the fun, by which means fome of them were fo
dry and hard that they were fit for little, but others
I found very ufeful. The firft thing I made of theſe,
was a great cap for my head, with the hair on the
outfide to ſhoot off the rain; and this I performed
fo well, that after this I made me a fuit of cloaths
wholly of the ſkins, that is to fay, a waift-coat and
breeches open at the knees, and both looſe, for
they were rather wanting to keep me cool than to
keep me warm, I muft not omit to acknowledge
that they were wretchedly made; for if I was a bad
carpenter, I was a worfe taylor. However, they
were fuch as I made very good fhift with; and
when I was abroad, if it happened to rain, the hair
of my waiſt-coat and cap being outermoft, 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 Brafils, 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; befides 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
P 4
took
216
ADVENTURES OF
1
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 fpoiled two or
three before I made one to my mind; but at laſt I
made one that anfwered indifferently well; the main
difficulty I found was to make it to let down. I
could make it to fpread, 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 laft as I faid, I made one to anſwer,
and covered it with fkins, and their hair upwards,
fo that it caft off the rains like a pent-houſe, and
kept off the fun fo effectually, that I could walk
out in the hotteft of the weather with greater ad-
vantage than I could before in the cooleft, and
when I had no need of it could clofe it, and carry
it under my arm.
THUS I lived mighty comfortably, my mind
being entirely compofed by refigning to the will
of God and throwing myſelf wholly upon the
difpofal of his providence. This made my life
better than fociable, for when I began to regret
the want of converfation, I would afk myfelf
whether thus converfing mutually with my own
thoughts, and, as I hope I may fay, with even
God himſelf by ejaculations, was not better than
the utmoſt enjoyment of human fociety in the
world?
I CANNOT
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
217
V
J
I CANNOT fay that fafter this, for five years,
any extraordinary thing happened to me, but I
lived on in the fame courfe, in the fame pof-
ture and place, juſt as before; the chief things
I was employed in, befides my yearly labour
of planting my barley and rice, and curing my
raifins, of both which I always kept up juft
enough to have fufficient ftock of one year's
proviſion before hand; I ſay, beſides this yearly
labour, and my daily labour 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 fix feet wide, and four feet deep,
I brought it into the creek, almoft half a mile.
As for the firſt, which was fo vaftly big, as I
made it without confidering beforehand, as I
ought to do, how I fhould be able to launch
it; fo 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 pro-
per for it, and in a place where I could not get
the water to it, at any lefs diſtance than, as I
have faid, near half a mile; yet as I faw it was
practicable at laft, 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 fea at laſt.
2
How-
218
ADVENTURES OF
1
HOWEVER, though my little periagua was
finiſhed, yet the fize of it was not at all an-
fwerable to the deſign which I had in view, when
I made the firft; I mean, of venturing over to
the Terra firma, where it was above forty miles
broad; accordingly, the finallneſs of my boat
affifted to put an end to that defign, and now I
thought no more of it, but as I had a boat,
my next deſign was to make a tour round the
ifland; for as I had been on the other fide, in
one place croffing, as I have already defcribed
it, over the land, fo the diſcoveries I made in
that little journey made me very eager to fee
other parts of the coaft; and now I had a boat,
I thought of nothing but failing round the if
land.
For this purpoſe, that I might do every thing
with diſcretion, and confideration, I fitted up a
little maſt to my boat, and made a fail to it
out of fome of the pieces of the fhip's fails
which lay in ftore, and of which I had a great
ftock by me.
HAVING fitted my maft and fail, and tried the
boat, I found fhe would fail very well: then I
made little lockers, or boxes, at either end of my
boat, to put provifions, neceffaries and ammuni-
tion &c. into, to be kept dry, either from rain
or
I
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
219
or the fprye of the fea; and a little long hollow
place I cut in the infide 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 alfo in a ftep at the ftern,
like a maſt, to ftand over my head, and keep
the heat of the fun off me, like an awning;
and thus I every now and then took a little
voyage upon the fea, but never went far out,
nor far from the little creek; but at laſt being
eager to view the circumference of my little
kingdom, I refolved upon my tour; and ac-
cordingly I victualled my fhip for the voyage,
putting in two dozens of my loaves (cakes I
fhould rather call them) of barley bread, an
earthen pot full of parched rice, a food I eat a
great deal of, a little bottle of run, half a goat,
and powder and fhot for killing more, and two
large watch coats, of thofe which, as I men-
tioned before, I had faved out of the feamens
chefts, theſe I took to lie upon, and cover me
in the night.
}
It was the 6th of November, in the fixth year
of my reign, or my captivity, which you pleaſe,
that I fet out on this voyage, and I found it
much longer than I expected; for though the
ifland itſelf was not very large, yet when I came
to
!
220
ADVENTURES OF
to the eaſt fide of it, I found a great ledge of
rocks lie out above two leagues into the ſea,
fome above water, fome under it; and beyond
that a fhoal of fand lying dry half a league
more; fo that I was obliged to go a great way
out to fea to double the point.
WHEN first I difcovered them, I was going to
give over my enterprize, and come back again,
not knowing how far it might oblige me to
go out to fea, and above all, doubting how I
fhould get back again; fo I came to an anchor,
having made me a kind of an anchor with a piece
of a broken grapling I got out of the ſhip.
HAVING fecured my boat, I took my gun and
went on fhore cilmbing up on a hill, which feem-
ed to overlook that point, where I faw the full
extent of it, and refolved to venture.
IN
In my viewing the fea from that hill where I
ftood, I perceived a ſtrong and indeed a moft
furious current, which ran to the eaft, and even
came cloſe to the point; and I took the more
notice of it, becauſe I ſaw there might be fome
danger, that when I came into it, I might be
carried out to fea by the ſtrength of it, and not
be able to make the island again; and indeed
had I not gotten firft up on this hill, I believe
it
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
221
it would have been fo; for there was the fame
current on the other fide the iſland, only that it
fet off at a farther diftance; and I faw there
was a ſtrong eddy under the fhore; fo I had
nothing to do but to get in 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 faid current, made a
great breach of the fea upon the point; fo that
it was not fafe for me to keep too cloſe to the
fhore for the breach, nor to go too far off be.
cauſe of the ftream.
THE third day in the morning, the wind hav-
ing abated over night, the fea was calm, and I
ventured; but I am a warning-piece again to
all raſh and ignorant pilots; for no fooner was I
come to the point, when even I was not my
boat's length from the fhore, but I found myſelf
in a great depth of water, and a current like the
fluice of a mill; it carryed my boat along with
it with fuch violence, that all I could do, could
not keep her fo 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 ftirring to help me, and all
I could do with my paddles fignified nothing,
and
222
ADVENTURES OF
and now I began to give myſelf over for loft;
for as the current was on both fides the iſland, I
knew in a few leagues diftance they must join
again, and then I was irrecoverably gone; nor
did I fee any poffibility of avoiding it; fo that
I had no proſpect before me but of periſhing;
not by the fea, for that was calm enough, but of
ftarving for hunger. I had indeed found a tor-
toiſe on the ſhore, as big almoſt as I could lift,
and had toffed it into the boat; and I had a
great jar of fresh water, that is to fay, one of
my earthen pots; but what was all this to being
driven into the vaft ocean, where, to be fure,
there was no fhore, no main land, or ifland, for
a thouſand leagues at leaſt.
!
AND now I faw how eafy it was for the pro-
vidence of God to make even the moſt miferable
condition of mankind worſe. Now I looked back
upon my defolate folitary ifland, as the moſt pleaſant
place in the world, and all the happineſs my
heart could wish for, was to be but there again.
I ftretched out my hands to it, with eager wiſhes.
O happy defert! faid I, I ſhall never ſee thee more.
O miferable creature! faid I, whitlter am I going?
Then I reproached myſelf with my unthankful
temper, and how I had repined at my folitary
condition, and now what would I give to be
on fhore there again? thus we never fee the true
+
ftate
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
-223
•
ftate of our condition, till it is illuftrated to us
by its contraries! nor know how to value what
we enjoy, but by the want of it. "Tis fcarce
poffible to imagine the confternation I was now
in, being driven from my beloved iſland (for
fo it appeared to me now to be) into the wide
ocean, almoſt two leagues, and in the utmoft
defpair of ever recovering it again. However,
I worked hard, till indeed my ftrength was al-
moſt exhauſted and kept my boat as much to
the northward, that is, towards the fide of the
current which the eddy lay on, as poffibly I
could; when about noon as the fun paffed the
meridian, I thought I felt a little breeze of wind
in my face, fpringing up from the S. S. E.
This cheered my heart a little, and eſpecially
when in about half an hour more, it blew a
pertty gentle gale. By this time I was gotten
at a frightful diftance from the ifland, and had
the leaft cloudy or hazy weather intervened, I had
been undone another way too; for I had no com-
pafs on board, and ſhould never have known
how to have fteered towards the inland, if Ì
had loft fight of it; but the weather continuing
clear, I applied myfelf to get up my maſt
again, and ſpread my fail, ſtanding away to the
north as much as poffible, to get out of the
current.
:
JUST
224
ADVENTURES OF
JUST as I had fet my maft and fail, and the
boat began to ftretch away, I faw even by the
clearness of the water, fome alteration of the cur-
rent was near; for where the current was fo ftrong
the water was foul; but perceiving the water
clear, I found the current abate, and preſently
found to the caft, at about half a mile, a breach
of the fea upon fome rocks; thefe rocks I found
cauſed the current to part again, and as the main
ſtreſs of it ran away more foutherly, leaving the
rocks to the north eaft; fo the other returned
by the repulfe of the rocks and made a ſtrong
eddy, which ran back again to the north-weft,
with a very ſharp ſtream.
THEY Who know what it is to have a reprieve
brought to them upon the ladder, or to be re-
ſcued from thieves juft going to murder them,
or, who have been in fuch like extremities, may
gueſs what my prefent furpriſe of joy was, and
how gladly I put my boat into the ſtream of
this eddy and the wind alſo freſhning, how gladly
I ſpread my fail 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
2
225
ROBINSON CRUSOE
the current which carried me away at firft; ſo
that when I came near the iſland, I found my-
felf open to the northern fhore of it, that is to
fay, the other end of the iſland oppofite to that
which I went out from.
WHEN I had made fome thing more than a
league of way by the help of this current or
eddy, I found it was ſpent and ferved me no
farther. However, I found that being between
the two great currents, (viz) that on the fouth-
fide, which had hurried me away, and that on
the north, which lay about a league on the other
fide; I fay, between theſe two, in the wake of
the iſland, I found the water at leaſt ftill, and
running no way, and having ſtill a breeze of wind
fair for me, I kept on fteering directly for the
iſland, though not making ſuch freſh way as I
did before:
ABOUT four a-clock in thé évening, being
then within about a league of the ifland, I found
the point of the rocks which occafioned this
diſaſter, ftretching out, as is defcribed before,
to the fouthward, and cafting off the
more foutherly, had of courſe made another eddy
to the north, and this I found very ftrong, but
not directly ſetting the way my courſe lay which
was due weft, but almoft full north. However
а
•
current
having
226
ADVENTURES OF
having a freſh gale, I ftretched a-cross this eddy
flanting north weft, and in about an hour came
within about a mile of the fhore, where it being
fimooth water I foon got to land.
WHEN I was on fhore I fell on my knees, and
gave God thanks for my deliverance, refolving
to lay afide all thoughts of my deliverance by
my boat, and refreſhing myſelf with fuch things
as I had, I brought my boat cloſe to the fhore
in a little cove that I had fpied under fome
trees, and laid me down to fleep, being quite
ſpent with the labour and fatigue of the voyage.
I was now at a great lofs which way to get
home with my boat, I had run fo much hazard,
and knew too much of the cafe to think of attemp-
ting it by the way I went out, and what might be at
the other fide (I mean the weft fide) I knew not, nor
had I any mind to run any more ventures; fo I only
refolved in the morning to make my way weft-
ward along the fhore, and to fee if there was no
creek where I might lay up my frigate in fafe-
ty, ſo as to have her again if I wanted her;
in about three miles or there about, coafting the
fhore, 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
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
227
lay as if fhe had been in a little dock made on
purpoſe for her. Here I put in, and having ftow-
ed my boat very fafe, I went on fhore to look
about me and fee where I was.
I SOON found I had but a little paft by the
place where I had been before, when I travell-
ed on foot to that fhore; fo taking nothing out
of my boat, but my gun and my umbrella, for
it was exceeding hot, I began my march; the
way was comfortable enough after fuch 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 faid 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 a fleep: but judge you, if you can, that
read my ſtory what a furprize I must be in,
when I awaked out of my ſleep by a voice cal-
ling me by my name feveral times Robin, Robin,
Robin Crufoe, poor Robin Crufoe, where are you
Robin Crufoe? Where were you?
f
I was fo dead a fleep at firft, 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
Q2
be-
{
228
ADVENTURES OF
between fleeping and waking, thought I dreamed
that fome body fpoke to me: but as the voice
continued to repeat Robin Crufoe, Robin Crufoe,
at laft I began to wake more perfectly, and was
at firſt dreadfully frighted, and ſtarted up in the
utmoſt confternation: but no fooner were my
eyes open, but I faw my Poll fitting on the top
of the hedge and immediately knew that it was
he that ſpoke to me; and juſt in ſuch bemoaning
language as I uſed to talk to him and teach him;
and he had learned it fo perfectly, that he would
fit upon my finger, and lay his bill cloſe to my
face, and cry,
poor Robin Crufoe, where are
you? Where were you? How come you here?"
And fuch things as I had taught him.
CC
HOWEVER, even though I knew it was the
parrot, and that indeed it could be nobody elfe
it was a good while before I could compofe my-
felf: firft, 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
fatisfied it could be no one but honeft Poll, I got
it over and holding out my hand, and calling
him by his name, Poll, the fociable creature came
to me and fat upon my thumb, as he uſed to
do, and continued talking to me, "Poor Robin
Crufoe, and how came I here? and where had
I been, juſt as if he had been overjoyed to fee
1
me
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
229
me again; and fo I carried him home along with
me.
I NOW had enough of rambling to fea for
fome time, and had enough to do for many days
to fit ftill, and reflect upon the danger I had
been in: I would have been very glad to have
had my boat again on my fide of the iſland; but
I knew not how it was practicable to get it about.
As to the eaſt fide of the iſland, which I had
gone round, I knew well enough there was no
venturing that way: nay my very heart would
fhrink and my very blood run chill but to
think of it and as to the other fide of the inland
I did not know how it might be there: but
fuppofing the current ran with the fame force
againſt the ſhore at the eaft as it paffed by it
on the other, I might run the fame riſk of being
driven down the ftream, and carried by the iſland
as I had been before, of being carried
it; fo with theſe thoughts I contented myſelf to
be without any boat, though it had been the
product of fo many months labour to make it.
and of fo many more to get it into the ſea.
;
away from
In this government of my temper, I remained
near a year, lived a very fedate. retired life, as
you may well fuppofe; and my thoughts being
very much compofed as to my condition, and
Q_3
fully
230
ADVENTURES OF
fully comforted in refigning myſelf to the difpofi-
tions of providence, I thought I lived really very
happy in all things, except that of ſociety.
I improved myſelf in this time in all the me-
chanick exerciſes which my neceffities put me upon
applying myſelf to, and I believe could, upon
occafion, make a very good carpenter; eſpecially
confidering how few tools I had.
BESIDES this, I arrived at an unexpected per-
fection 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 fhapeable, 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 clumfy thing, when it was
done, and only burnt red like other earthen ware,
yet as it was hard and firm, and would draw the
fmoke, I was exceedingly comforted with it, for
I had been always ufed to fimoke, 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 fearched the ſhip again, I
could not come at any pipes at all.
-
IN
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
231
}
In my wicker-ware alfo I improved much, and
made abundance of neceffary baſkets, as well as my
invention ſhewed me, though not very handſome,
yet they were fuch as were very handy and con-
venient for my laying things up in, or fetching
things home in.
For example, if I killed a goat
abroad, I could hang it up in a tree, flay it and
drefs it, and cut it in pieces, and bring it home
in a baſket, and the like by a turtle, I could cur
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 reft behind
Alfo large deep baskets were the receivers
for my corn, which I always rubbed out as foon as it
was dry, and cured, and kept it in great baſkets.
me.
I BEGAN now to perceive my powder abated
confiderably, and this was a want which it was
impoffible for me to fupply, and I began ferioufly to
confider what I must do when I fhould have no
more powder; that is to faý, how I fhould do to
kill any goat. Phad, as is obferved in the third
year of my being here, kept a young kid, and
breed 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 I could never find in my heart to kill her,
till fhe died at laft of meer age.
Q4
BUT
1
232
ADVENTURES OF
BUT being now in the 11th year of my refidence,
and as I have faid, my ammunition growing low,
I fet myſelf to ftudy fome art to trap and fnare
the goats, to fee whether I could catch fome of
them alive, and particularly I wanted a fhe goat
great with young.
!
To this pupofe I made fnares 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.
1
Ar length I refolved to try a pit fall, fo I dug
feveral large pits in the earth, in places where I
had obferved the goats uſed to feed, and over
thoſe pits I placed hurdles of my own making
too, with a great weight upon them; and feveral
times I put ears of barley and dry rice, without
fetting the trap, and I could eaſily perceive that
the goats had gone in and eaten
in and eaten up the corn, for
I could fee 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 difcouraging. How
ever, I altered my trap, 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 other, three kids, a male and two females.
As
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE,
233
As to the old one, I knew not what to do with
him, he was fo fierce I durft not venture to handle
him; that is to fay, 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 e'en made a hift to let
him out, and he ran away as if he had been
frighted out of his wits: But I had forgot
then what I had learned afterwards, that hunger
will tame a lion. If I had let him itay there
three or four days without food, and then have
carryed him fome water to drink, and then a
little corn, he would have been as tame as one of
the kids, for they are mighty fagacious 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
ftrings together, and with fome difficulty brought
them all home.
1
'Twas a good while before they would feed, but
throwing them fome fweet corn, it tempted them
and they began to be tame; and now I found that
if I expected to fupply myſelf with goat's flesh when
I had no powder or fhot left, breeding fome up
tame was my only way, when perhaps I might have
them about my houfe like a flock of ſheep.
BUT
234
ADVENTURES OF
BUT then it preſently occured to me, that I muſt
keep the tame from the wild, or elfe they would
always run wild when they grew up, and the only
way for this was to have fome enclofed piece of
ground well fenced either with hedge or pale, to
keep them in fo effectually, that thoſe within might
not break out, orthofe without break in.
THIS was a great undertaking for one pair of
hands, yet as I faw there was an abfolute neceffity
of doing it, my firft piece of work was to find out a
proper piece of ground, viz. where there was likely
to be herbage for them to eat, water for them to
drink, and cover to keep them from the fun.
THOSE who underſtand fuch inclofures will think
I had very little contrivance, when I pitched upon
a place very proper for all thefe,being a plain open
piece of meadow-land or Savanna, (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 fay they will finile at my fore-
caft, when I fhall tell them I began my inclofing
of this piece of ground in fuch a manner, that my
hedge or pale, muſt have been at leaft two miles
about. Nor was the madneſs of it fo 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
confider that my goats would be as wild in fo much
compafs
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
235
compafs as if they had had the whole iſland, and I
fhould have fo much room to chafe them in, that I
ſhould never catch them.
My hedge was begun and carried on, I believe
about fifty yards, when this thought occured to me,
fo I preſently ſtopt fhort, and for the firſt begining,
I refolved to incloſe a piece of about 150 yards in
length, and roo yards in breadth, which as it
would maintain as many as I fhould have in any rea-
fonable time, fo as my ſtock increaſed, I could add
more ground to my encloſure.
THIS was acting with fome 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 ufed them to feed as near me as poffible, to make
them familiar; and very often I would go and carry
them fome ears of barley, or a handful of rice, and
feed them out of my hand; fo that after my enclo-
fure was finifhed; and I let them loofe, 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,
befides feveral that I took and killed for my food.
And
236
ADVENTURES, OF
And after that, I enclofed five feveral 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
goats fleſh to feed on when I pleaſed, but milk too,
a thing which indeed in my begining I did not fo
much as think of, and which, when it came into my
thoughts, was really an agreeable furprize, For
now I ſet up my dairy, and had fome times a gallon
or two of milk in a day. And as nature, who gives
fupplies of food to every creature, dictates even na-
turally how to make uſe of it; ſo I that had never
milked a cow, much lefs a goat, or had fcarcely
feen butter or cheeſe made, only when I was a boy,
though after a great many eſſays and mifcarriages,
made me both butter and cheeſe at laſt, and alſo
falt, though I found it partly made to my hand, by
the heat of the fun upon ſome of the rocks of the
fea, and never wanted it afterwards. How mercy-
fully can our great creator treat his creatures, even
in thoſe conditions in which they feemed to be over-
whelmed in deftruction? How can he fweeten the
bittereſt providences, and give us caufe to praiſe
him for dungeons and prifons? What a table was
here ſpread for me in a wilderneſs, where I faw
nothing at firſt but to periſh for hunger.
}
IT
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
237
It would have made a ftoic fiile, to have ſeen
me and my little family fit down to dinner; there
was my majefty, the prince and lord of the whole
iſland; I had the lives of all my ſubjects at my
abfolute command. I could hang, draw, give
liberty and take it away, and no rebels among all
my fubjects.
THEN to fee how like a king I dined too, all
alone attended by my fervants; Poll, as if he had
been my favourite, was the only perfon permitted
to talk to me. My dog who was now grown very
old and crazy, and had found no ſpecies to multi-
ply his kind upon, fat always at my right hand,
and two cats, one on one fide the table, and one on
the other, expecting now and then a bit from
hand as a mark of fpecial favour.
!
my
BUT theſe were not the two cats which I brought,
on fhore 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 multiplyed by I
know not what kind of creature, thefe were two
which I had prefèrved tame, whereas the reft run
wild in the woods, and became indeed troublefome
to me at laft, for they would often come into my
houſe, and plunder me too, till at laft I was oblig-
to shoot them, and did kill a great many; at
length they left me. With this attendance, and in
this
1
238
ADVENTURES OF
this plentiful manner I lived; neither could I be
faid to want any thing but fociety, and of that in
ſome time after this, I was like to have too much.
I WAS fomething impatient, as I have obferved,
to have the uſe of my boat, though very loth to run
any more hazards; and therefore fometimes I fat
contriving ways to get her about the iſland, and at
other times I fat myfelf 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 faid in my laft ramble, I went up the hill
to ſee how the ſhore lay, and how the current fet,
that I might fee what I had to do: this inclination
encreaſed upon me every day, and at length I re-
folved to travel thither by land, following the edge
of the ſhore; I did fo: but had any one in England
been to meet fuch a man as I was, it muſt either
have frightened him, or raiſed a great deal of laugh-
ter; and as I frequently ſtood ſtill to look at myſelf,
I could not but ſmile at the notion of my travelling
through Yorkſhire with fuch an equipage, and in
fuch a drefs: be pleaſed to take a fketch of my
figure as follows.
I HAD a great high fhapeleſs cap, made of goat's
fkin, with a flap hanging down behind, as well
to keep the fun from me, as to ſhoot the rain off
from running into my neck; nothing being ſo hurt-
ful
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
239
ful in theſe climates, as the rain upon the fleſh
under the cloaths.
I HAD a fhort jacket of goat-ſkin, the ſkirts
coming down to about the middle of my thighs;
and a pair of open kneed breeches of the fame, the
breeches were made of the fkin of an old he-goat,
whoſe hair hung down fuch a length on either ſide,
that like pantaloons it reached to the middle of my
legs; ftockings and fhoes I had none, but had
made me a pair of fomethings, I fcarce know what
to call them, like bufkins to flap over my legs,
and lace on either fide like fpatter-daſhes; but of a
moſt barbarous fhape, as indeed were all the reft
of my cloaths.
I HAD on a broad belt of goat's ſkin dryed,
which I drew together with two thongs of the fame,
inſtead of buckles, and in a kind of a frog. On
either fide of this, inftead of a fword and dagger,
hung a little faw and a hatchet, one on one fide,
and one on the other. I had another belt not fo
broad, and faftened in the fante manner, which
hung over my ſhoulder; and at the end of it, under
my left arın, hung two pouches, both made of
goat's fkin too; in one of which hung my powder,
in the other my fhot: at my back I carried my
baſket, and on my fhoulder my gun, and over my
head a great clumfy ugly goat-fkin umbrella, but
which
1
240
ADVENTURES O:
which after all was the moſt neceffary thing, I had
about me, next to my gun: as for my face, the
colour of it was really not fo mulatto like, as one
might expect from a man not at all careful of it,
and living within nineteen degrees of the equinox.
My beard I had once fuffered to grow till it was
about a quarter of a yard long; but as I had both
fciffars and razors fufficient, I had cut it pretty
fhort, except what grew on my upper lip, which
I had trimmed into a large pair of Mahometan
whiſkers, fuch as I had feen worn by the Turks,
whom I ſaw at Sallee; for the Moors did not
wear fuch, though the Turks did: of theſe muſta-
chios or whiſkers, I will not fay they were long
enough to hang my hat upon them; but they were
of a length and ſhape monftrous enough, and ſuch
as in England would have paffed for frightful.
But all this is by the bye; for as to my figure, I
had fo few to obferve, that it was of no manner of
confequence; ſo I fay no more to that part. In
this kind of figure I went my new journey, and was
out five or fix days. I travelled firft along the fea-
fhore, directly to the place where I firſt brought my
boat to an anchor, to get up upon the rocks; and
having no boat now to take care of, I went over the
land a nearer way to the fame height that I was up-
on before, when looking forward to the point of the
rocks which lay out, and which I was obliged to
double
ROBINSON CRUSOE:
241
double with my boat, as is faid above, I was fur-
prized to ſee the fea all ſmooth and quiet, no
ripling, no motion, no current, any more there
than in other places.
I was at a ſtrange loſs to underſtand this, and
refolved to ſpend ſome time in the obferving it, to
fee if nothing from the fets of the tide had occafioned
it; but I was prefently convinced how it was, viz.
That the tide or ebb fetting from the weft, and
joining with the current of waters from fome great
river on the fhore, muſt be the occafion 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
fhore; for waiting thereabouts till evening, I went
up to the rock again, and then the tide of ebb
being made, I plainly faw the current again as
before, only that it ran farther off, being near half
a league from the ſhore; whereas in my cafe, it ſet
cloſe upon the fhore, and hurried me, and my canoe
along with it, which at another time it would not
have done.
THIS obfervation convinced me, that I had no-
thing to do, but 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 fuch a terror upon
!
R
my
242
ADVENTURES OF
my fpirits 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
refolution which was more fafe, though more la-
borious; and this was, that I would build or rather
make me another periagua or canoe: and fo have
one for one fide of the iſland, and one for the other.
You are to underftand, 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 feveral apartments or caves,
one within another. One of theſe which was the
drieft, and largeſt, and had a door out beyond my
wall or fortification; that is to fay, beyond where
my wall joined to the rock, was all filled up with
large earthen pots, of which I have given an ac-
count, and with fourteen or fifteen great baſkets,
which would hold five or fix bufhels each; where I
laid up my ftores of provifion; eſpecially my corn,
fome in the ear cut off fhort 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 leaft appearance to any one's
view of any habitation behind them.
NEAR
·
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
243
NEAR this dwelling of mine, but a little farther
within the land, and upon lower ground, lay my
two pieces of corn ground, which I kept daily
cultivated, and fowed, and which duly yielded me
their harveſt, in its feafon; and whenever I had
occafion for more corn, I had more land adjoining
as fit as that.
BESIDES this, I had my country-feat, 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 fay, I kept the hedge which cir-
cled it in, conſtantly fitted up to its ufual height,
the ladder ſtanding always in the infide: I kept
the trees which at firſt were no more than my ſtakes,
but were now grown very firm and tall; I kept
them always fo cut that they might ſpread, and
grow thick and wild, and make the more agreeable
Thade, which they did effectually to my mind. In
the middle of this I had my tent always ftanding,
being a piece of a fail ſpread over poles fet up for
that purpoſe, and which never wanted any repair
or renewing, and under this I had made me a
fquab or couch, with the fkins of the creatures I
had killed, and with other ſoft things, and a blan-
ket laid on them, fuch as belonged to our fea
bedding which I had faved, and a great watch coat
to cover me; and here, whenever I had occafion to
R 2
be
244
ADVENTURES OF
be abſent from my chief feat I took up my country
habitation.
ADJOINING to this I had my encloſures for my
cattle, that is to fay, my goats; and as I had
taken an inconceivable deal of pains to fence and
encloſe this ground, I was fo uneafy to fee it kept
entire, left the goats fhould break through, that
I never left off 'till with infinite labour I had ſtuck
the outfide of the hedge fo full of fmall ftakes,
and fo 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 after-
wards when thoſe ftakes grew, as they all did in
the next rainy ſeaſon, made the encloſure ſtrong
like a wall, indeed ſtronger than any wall.
THIS will teftify for me that I was not idle,
and that I ſpared no pains to bring to paſs what-
ever appeared neceffary for my comfortable fup-
port; for I confidered the keeping up a breed of
tame creatures thus at my hand, would be a living
magazine of flesh, milk, butter, and cheefe 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 fuch a degree, that I might be fure of keeping
them together; which by this method indeed I fo
effectually fecured, that when thefe little ftakes
be-
ROBINSON CRUS O E.
245
very
began to grew, I had planted them fo
I was forced to pull ſome of them up again.
thick
In this place alfo 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 agreeable
only, but phyfical, wholfome, 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 vifit my boat
and I kept all things about or belonging to her in
very good order; fometimes I went out in her to
divert myſelf, but no more hazardous voyages
would I go, nor ſcarce even above a ſtone's caſt or
two from the ſhore, I was fo apprehenſive of being
hurried out of my knowledge again by the cur-
rents, or winds, or any other accident: but now I
came to a new ſcene of my life.
It happened one day about noon going towards
my boat, I was exceedingly furprized with the
print of a man's naked foot on the fhore, which
was very plain to be ſeen in the fand: I ftood like one
thunder-ftruck, or as if I had feen an apparition;
R 3
I liften-
246
ADVENTURES OF
1
I liftened, I looked round me, I could hear
nothing, nor fee any thing; I went up to a
rifing ground to look farther, I went up the ſhore,
and down the fhore but it was all one, I could fee
no other impreffion 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 very print of a foot,
toes, heel, and every part of a foot; how came it
thither I knew not, nor could I in the leaft
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
fay, the ground I went on, but terrified to the laft
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
poffible to deſcribe how many various fhapes my
affrighted imagination reprefented things to me in,
how many wild ideas were found every moment in
my fancy, and what ſtrange unaccountable
whimfies came into my thoughts by the way,
WHEN I Came to my caſtle, for fo 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 called
a door, I cannot remember; no, nor could I
remember the next morning, for never frighted
hare
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
247
1
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 occafion of my fright, the greater my appre-
henfions were, which is fomething contrary to the
nature of fuch things, and efpecially to the ufual
practice of all creatures in fear: But I was fo
embaraffed with my own frightful ideas of the
thing, that I formed nothing but difinal imagi-
nations to myſelf, even though I was now a great
way off it. Sometimes I fancied it muſt be the
devil, and reafon joined with me upon this fup-
pofition; for how fhould any other thing in human
ſhape come into the place? Where was the veffel
that brought them? What marks were there of
any other footſteps? And how was it poffible a
man fhould come there? But then to think that
Satan fhould take human ſhape upon him in ſuch
a place, where there could be no manner of occa-
fion for it, but to leave the print of his foot be-
hind him, and that even for no purpoſe too, for he
could not be fure I fhould fee it; this was an
amufement the other way; I confidered that the
devil might have found out abundance of other
ways to have terrified me, rather than this of the
fingle print of a foot; that as I lived quite on the
other fide of the iſland, he would never have been
fo fimple to leave a mark in a place where it was
R 4
ten
>
248
ADVENTURES OF
ten thouſand to one whether I ſhould ever ſee it
or not, and in the fand too, which the firſt furge
of the fea, upon a high wind, would have defaced
entirely all this feemed inconfiftent with the
thing itſelf, and with all the notions we ufually
entertain of the fubtilty of the devil.
ABUNDANCE of fuch things as thofe affifted to
argue me out of all the apprehenfions 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 favages of the main land
over-againſt me, who had wandered out to fea 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 fea,
being as loath, perhaps, to have ftayed in this
defolate 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 fo happy as not to be thereabouts at that time,
or that they did not fee my boat, by which they
would have concluded that fome inhabitants had
been in the place, and perhaps have fearched far-
ther for me: then terrible thoughts racked my
imagination,, about their finding out my boat,
and that there were people here; and that if they
did
1
ROBINSON CRUS O E.
249
did I fhould certainly have them come again in
greater numbers, and devour me; that if it fhould
happen ſo that they ſhould not find me, yet they
would find my encloſure, deſtroy all my corn,
carry away all my flock of tame goats, and I ſhould
periſh at laſt for mere want.
Thus my fear baniſhed all my religious hopes,
all that former confidence in God which was
founded upon fuch wonderful experience as I had
had of his goodneſs now vaniſhed, as if he that had
fed me by miracle hitherto, could not preferve by
his power, the provifion which he had made for
me by his goodneſs: I reproached myſelf with my
lazinefs that would not fow 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 refolved
for the future to have two or three years corn be-
fore hand, fo 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 çir-
cumſtances prefent! to-day we love, what to-mor-
row we hate; to-day we ſeek what to-morrow we
fhun; to-day we defire what to-morrow we fear,
1
nay
250
ADVENTURES OF
1
nay even tremble at the apprehenfions of; this was
exemplified in me at this time in the moſt lively
manner imaginable; for I whofe only affliction was,
that I feemed banished from human fociety, that
I was alone, circumfcribed by the boundlefs ocean,
cut off from mankind, and condemned to what
I called filent life; that I was as one whom hea-
ven thought not worthy to be numbered among
the living, or to appear among the reft of his
creatures; that to have feen one of my own fpe-
cies, would have feemed to me a raiſing me from
death to life, and the greateſt bleffing that heaven
itſelf, next to the fupreme bleffing of falvation,
could beſtow; I fay, that I fhould now tremble
at the very apprehenfions of feeing a man, and
was ready to fink into the ground at but the
fhadow or filent appearance of man's having fet
his foot in the island,
SUCH is the uneven ftate of human life: and
it afforded me a great many curious fpeculations
afterwards when I had a little recovered my firft
furprize: I confidered, that this was the ftation
of life the ir finitely wife and good providence of
God had determined for me; that as I could not
foreſee what the ends of divine wifdom might be
in all this, fo I was not to difpute his fovereignty
who, as I was his creature, had undoubted right
by creation to govern and difpofe of me abfolute-
ly
ROBINSON CRUSOE,
251
ly as he thought fit, and who, as I was a crea-
ture 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 finned againſt
him.
I then reflected, that God, who was not only
righteous but omnipotent, as he had thought fit
thus to puniſh and afflict me, fo he was able to
deliver me; that if he did not think fit to do it,
it was my unqueſtioned duty to refign myſelf ab-
folutely and entirely to his will: and, on the
other hand, it was my duty alfo 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 fay, weeks and months; and one
particular effect of my cogitations on this occafion
I cannot omit, viz. one morning early lying in
my bed, and filled with thoughts about my dan-
ger from the appearance of favages, I found it
difcompofed me very much, upon which thoſe
words of the fcripture came into my thoughts,
"Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will
deliver thee, and thou fhalt glorify me.'
UPON
252
ADVENTURES OF
1
I
1
UPON this rifing chearfully 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 fhall ſtrengthen thy
heart; wait, I fay on the Lord." It is impoffible
to exprefs the comfort this gave me. In answer,
I thankfully laid down the book, and was no more
fad, at leaſt on that occafion.
$
In the middle of thefe cogitations, apprehenfions,
and reflections, it came into my thoughts one
day, that all this might be a mere chimæra of my
own, and that this foot might be the print of my
own foot, when I came on fhore from my boat;
this cheered me up a little too, and I began to
perfuade myſelf it was all a delufion, that it was
nothing elſe but my own foot, and why might
not I come that way from the boat, as well as I
was going that way to the boat? Again, I con-
fidered alſo that I could by no means tell for cer-
tain 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
ſtrive to make ftories of fpectres and apparitions,
and then are frighted at them more than any
body.
Now
J
1
}
t
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
253
Now I began to take courage, and to peep
abroad again, for I had not ftirred out of my
caſtle for three days and nights, fo that I began
to ſtarve for provifions; for I had little or no-
thing within doors but fome barley cakes and
water then I knew that my goats wanted to be
milked too, which ufually was my evening di-
verfion; and the poor creatures were in great pain
and inconvenience for want of it, and I found
by experience that it had done them abundance of
hurt to neglect milking them.
+
HEARTENING myſelf therefore with the belief
that this was nothing but the print of one of my
own feet, and fo I might be truly faid to ſtart at
my own fhadow, I began to go abroad again,
and went to my country-houfe to milk my flock;
but to fee 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 confcience, or that
I had been lately moft terribly frighted, and fo
indeed I had.
"
HOWEVER, as I went down thus two or three
days, and having feen nothing, I began to be a
little bolder, and to think there was really no-
thing in it but my own imagination; but I could
not
254
ADVENTURES OF
not perfuade myſelf fully of this, till I ſhould
go down to the fhore again, and fee this print
of a foot and meaſure it by my own, and ſee if
there was any fimilitude or fitnefs, that I might
be affured it was my own foot; but when I
came to the place, firft, it appeared evidently to
me, that when I laid up my boat I could not
poffibly be on fhore any where thereabout. Se-
condly when, I came to meaſure the mark with
my own foot, I found my foot not fo large by a great
deal both theſe things filled my head with new
imaginations, and gave me the vapours again to
the highest degree, fo that I fhook with cold like
one in an ague; and I went home again, filled
with the belief that fome man or men had been
on fhore there: or, in fhort that the inland was
inhabited, and I might be furpriſed before I was
aware; and what courfe to take for my fecurity
I knew not.
:
O WHAT ridiculous refolutions men take when
poffeffed with fear! it deprives them of the ufe
of thoſe means which reafon offers for their relief.
The firſt thing I propofed to myſelf was, to throw
down my encloſures, and turn all my tame cattle
wild into the woods, left the enemy fhould find
them, and then frequent the iſland in profpect of
the fame, or the like booty, then to the fimple
thing of digging up my two corn fields, left they
fhould
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
255
fhould find fuch a grain there, and ſtill be prompt-
ed to frequent the iſland; then to demoliſh my
bower and tent, that they might not fee any veſ-
tages of habitation, and be prompted to look far-
ther, in order to find out the perſons inhabiting.
THESE were the fubject of the first night's
cogitation after I was come home again while the
apprehenfions which had fo over-run my mind were
freſh upon me, and my head was as full of va-
pours, as above: thus fear of danger is ten thou-
fand 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 refignation I uſed to practiſe that I hoped to
have. I looked, I thought, like Saul, who com-
plained not only that the Philiftines were upon him,
but that God had forfaken him; for I did not
now take`due ways to compoſe my mind by
crying to God in my diftrefs, and refting upon
his providence, as I had done before, for my de-
fence and deliverance; which if I had done, I
had at leaſt been more chearfully fupported under
this new ſurpriſe, and perhaps carried through it
with more reſolution.
THIS
256
ADVENTURES OF
THIS Confuſion of my thoughts kept me wak-
ing all night, but in the morning I fell aſleep,
and having, by the amufement of my mind been,
as it were tired and my fpirits exhaufted, I flept
very foundly, and waked much better compofed
than I had ever been before; and now I began
to think fedately, and upon the utmoſt debate
with myſelf, I concluded, that this ifland which
was ſo exceeding pleaſant, fruitful, and no farther
from the main land than as I had feen, was not for
entirely abandoned as I might imagine; that al-
though there were no ſtated inhabitants who
lived on the ſpot, yet that there might fome-
times come boats off from the fhore, who either
with defign, 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 leaft fhadow 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 foon as ever they could, feeing they had
never thought fit to fix here upon any occafion to
this time; that the moft I could fuggeft any dan-
ger from was from any fuch cafual accidental land-
ing of ftraggling people from the main, who, as
it was likely, if they were driven hither, were here
againſt their wills; fo they made no ſtay here, but
went off again with all poffible ſpeed, feldom ſtay-
ing one night on fhore, left they ſhould not have
the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
257
the help of the tides, and day-light back again;
and that therefore I had nothing to do but to con-
fider of fome fafe retreat, in caſe I ſhould ſee any
favages land upon the ſpot.
Now I began forely to repent that I had dug
my cave ſo large as to bring a door through again,
which door, as I faid, came out beyond where my
fortification joined to the rock; upon maturely
confidering this therefore, I refolved to draw me
a fecond fortification, in the fame manner, of a
femi-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 fo thick before, they
wanted but a few piles to be driven between them,
that they ſhould be thicker and ſtronger, and my
wall would be foon finifhed.
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 feven littles holes, about
as big as I might put my arm out at, in the
infide of this I thickened my wall to above ten
feet thick, with continual bringing earth out of my
cave, and laying it at the foot of the wall and
walking upon it; and through the feven holes
I contrived to plant the mufquets, of which I
$
took
258
ADVENTURES OF
took notice that I got feven on fhore out of the
fhip; theſe I ſay, I planted like my cannon, and
fitted them into frames that held them like a car-
riage, that ſo I could fire all the ſeven guns in
two minutes time: this wall I was many a weary
month a finiſhing, and yet never thought myſelf
fafe till it was done.
1
WHEN this was done I ftuck all the ground
without my wall, for a great length every way,
as full with ſtakes or fticks, of the ofier like wood,
which I found fo apt to grow, as they could well
ſtand; infomuch that 1 believe I might fet 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 fix years time I had a wood before
my dwelling, growing fo monftrous thick and
ftrong that it was indeed perfectly impaffable, and
no men of what kind foever would ever imagine
that there was any thing beyond it, much lefs a
habitation: as for the way which I propofed to my-
felf to go in and out, for I left no avenue, it was by
fetting two ladders, one to a part of the rock which
was low, and then broke in, and left room to
place
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
259
another ladder upon that; fo when the two lad-
ders were taken down, no man living could come
down to me without mifchieving himfelf; and if
they had come down they were ſtill on the outfide
of my outer wall.
THUS I took all the meaſures human prudence
could fuggeft for my own prefervation; and it
will be feen at length, that they were not alto-
gether without juft reafon; though I forefaw no-
thing at that time more than my mere fear fug-
geſted 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 preſent ſupply to me on every
occafion, and began to be fufficient for me with-
out the expence of powder and fhot, but alſo with-
out the fatigue of hunting after the wild ones;
and I was loth to lofe the advantage of them and
to have them all to nurſe up over again.
To this purpoſe, after long confideration, I
could think of but two ways to preferve 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
S 2
and
260
ADVENTURES OF
:
and as much concealed as I could, where I might
keep about half a dozen young goats in each
place; fo 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 fome time to find out the
moſt retired part of the ifland; 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 obferved, 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, fo fur-
rounded with woods that it was almoft an en-
clofure by nature, at leaſt it did not want near
fo much labour to make it fo as the other pieces
of ground I had worked fo hard at.
IIMMEDIATELY went to work with this piece of
ground, and in lefs than a month's time I had fo
fenced it round, that my flock or herd, call it
which you pleaſe, who were not fo wild now as at
firſt they might be fuppofed to be, were well
enough fecured init: fo, without any farther delay,
I removed ten young fhe goats and two he-goats to
this
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
261
this piece; and when they were there, I continued
to perfect the fence, till I had made it as fecure 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 expence of, purely from
my apprehenfions on the account of the print of
a man's foot, which I had feen: for as yet I never
faw
any human creature come near the iſland, and
I had now lived two years under theſe uneafineffes,
which indeed made my life much leſs comfortable
than it was before; as may well be imagined by
any who know what it is to live in the conſtant
fnare of the fear of man; and this I muſt obſerve
with grief too, that the diſcompoſure of my mind,
had too great impreffions alfo upon all the religious
part of my thoughts; for the dread and terror of
falling into the hands of favages and cannibals, lay
ſo upon my ſpirits, that I feldom found myſelf in
a due temper for application to my maker, at leaſt
not with the fedate calmnefs and refignation of foul
which I was wont to do; I rather prayed to God, as
under great affliction and preffure of mind, furround-
ed with danger, and in expectation every night of
being murthered and devoured before morning: And
I muſt teſtify from my experience, that a temper of
peace, thankfulneſs, love and affection, is much
more the proper frame for prayer than that of terror
and difcompofure; and that under the dread of mif-
chief impending, a man is no more fit for a com→
S 3
forting
262
ADVENTURES OF
forting performance of the duty of praying to God,
than he is for a repentance on a fick bed; for theſe
diſcompofures affect the mind as the others do the
body; and the difcompofure of the mind muſt ne-
ceffarily be as great a difability 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 fecured one part
of my little living ſtock, I went about the whole
ifland, ſearching for another private place to make
fuch another depofit, when wandering more to the
weft point of the iſland than I had ever done yet,
and looking out to fea, I thought I faw a boat
upon the fea at a great diftance. I had found a
perſpective glaſs or two, in one of the feamen's
chefts, which I faved out of our fhip, but I had it
not about me: and this was fo 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 long-
er; whether it was a boat or not, I do not know,
but as I defcended from the hill, I could fee no more
of it, fo I gave it over, only I refolved to go no
more out without a perfpective glafs 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 feeing the print
of a man's foot was not fuch a ſtrange thing in the
ifland
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
263
iſland as I imagined; and but that it was a fpecial
providence that I was caft upon the fide of the iſland
where the favages never came, I fhould eaſily have
known that nothing was more frequent than the ca-
noes from the main, when they happened to be a
little too far out at fea to ſhoot over to that fide of
the iſland for harbour; likewife as they often met and
fought in their canoes, the victors having taken
any prifoners would bring them over to this fhore,
where according to their dreadful cuftoms, being all
cannibals, they would kill and eat them; of which
hereafter.
WHEN I was come down the hill to the fhore, as
I ſaid above, being the S. W. point of the iſland, I
was perfectly confounded and amazed, nor is it
poffible for me to exprefs the horror of my mind at
feeing the fhore ſpread with fkulls, hands, feet, and
other bones of human bodies; and particularly I
obferved a place where there had been a fire made,
and a circle dug in the earth, like a cock-pit,
where it is fuppofed the favage wretches had fat
down to their inhuman feaftings, upon the bodies
of their fellow creatures,
I WAS fo aftoniſhed with the fight of theſe things
that I entertained no notions of my danger to my-
felf from it, for a long while: all my apprehenfions
were buried in the thoughts of fuch a pitch of
inhuman
S 4.
264
ADVENTURES OF
!
inhuman, helliſh brutality, and the horror of the
degeneracy of human nature, which though I had
heard of often, yet I never had fo near a view of be-
fore; in fhort, I turned away my face from the
horrid fpectacle; my ftomach grew fick, and I was
juſt at the point of fainting when nature diſcharged
the diſorder from my ſtomach, and having vomit-
ed with an uncommon violence, I was a little relieved,
but could not bear to ftay in the place a moment;
fo 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
ifland, I ftood ftill a while, as amazed, and then
recovering myſelf I looked up with the utmoſt af-
fection of iny foul, and with a flood of tears in my
eyes, gave God thanks, that had caft my firſt lot
in a part of the world where I was diftinguiſhed
from fuch dreadful creatures as thefe; and that
though I had eſteemed my preſent condition very
miferable, had yet given me fo many comforts in
it, that I had ftill more to give thanks for than to
complain of; and this above all, that I had even
in this miferable condition been comforted with
the knowledge of himſelf, and the hope of his
bleffing, which was a felicity more than fufficiently
equivalent to all the mifery which I had fuffered or
could fuffer.
IN
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
265
In this frame of thankfulneſs I went home to
my caſtle, and began to be much eaſier now as to
the fafety of my circumftances than ever I was be-
fore: for I obferved, that theſe wretches never
came to this iſland, in ſearch of what they could
get; perhaps not feeking, nor 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 almoft eighteen years, and
never faw the leaft 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
occafion to do, it being my only buſineſs to keep
myſelf entirely concealed where I was, unleſs I
found a better fort of creatures than canibals to
make myſelf known to.
YETI entertained fuch an abhorrence of the favage
wretches, that I have been ſpeaking of, and of the
wretched inhuman cuſtom, of their devouring and
eating one another up, that I continued penfive and
fad and kept cloſe within my own circle for almoſt
two years after this: when I fay my own circle, I
mean by it my three plantations, viz. my caftle, my
country-feat, which I called my bower, and my
encloſure in the woods; nor did I look at this
after for any other ufe than as an enclofure for my
goats;
266
ADVENTURES OF
¿
goats; for the averfion which nature gave me to
theſe helliſh wretches was fuch, that I was as fearful
of ſeeing them, as of feeing the devil himſelf; nor
did I fo much as go to look after my boat, in 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
ifland to me, leaft I fhould meet with fome of
theſe creatures at fea; in which if I had happened
to have fallen into their hands, I knew what would
have been my lot.
TIME, however, and the fatisfaction I had that
I was in no danger of being difcovered by theſe
people, began to wear off my uneafinefs about
them, and I began to live juft in the fame compofed
manner as before, only with this difference, that I
uſed more caution, and kept my eyes more about
me than I did before, left I fhould happen to be
ſeen by any of them; and particularly, I was more
cautious of firing my gun, left any of them being
on the iſland fhould happen to hear it, and it
was therefore a very good providence to me that I
had furniſhed myſelf with a tame kind of goats that
I need not hunt any more abont the woods, or
fhoot at them; and if I did catch any of them after
this, it was by traps and fnares, as I had done be-
fore; fo that for two years after this, I believe I
never fired my gun once off, though I never went
out
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
267
}
out without it; and which was more, as I had faved
three piftols out of the fhip, I always carried them
out with me, or at leaſt two of them, ſticking them
in my goats-fkin belt; alfo I furbiſhed up one of
the great cutlaffes that I had out of the fhip, and
made me a belt to put it on alfo; fo that I was now
a moft formidable fellow to look at when I went
abroad, if you add to the former deſcription of my-
felf, the particular of two piftols, and a great broad
fword hanging at my fide in a belt, but without a
fcabbard.
、
THINGS going on thus, as I have ſaid, for ſome
time, I feemed, excepting theſe cautions, to be re-
duced to my former calm fedate way of living: all
theſe things tended to fhewing me more and more,
how far my condition was from being miſerable,
compared to fome others; nay, to many other
particulars of life, which
God to have made my lot.
it might have pleafed
It put me upon
It put me upon reflect-
ing, 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
affift their murmurings and complainings.
As in my prefent condition there were not really
many things which I wanted, fo indeed I thought
that
268
ADVENTURES OF
{
that the frights that I had been in about theſe ſa-
vage wretches, and the concern I had been in for
my own prefervation, had taken off the edge of
my invention, for my own conveniencies: and I
had dropped a good defign which I had once bent
my thoughts too much upon, and that was to try
if I could not make fome 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 fimplicity of it; for I prefently faw,
there would be the want of feveral things neceffary
to the making my beer, that it would be impoffible
for me to fupply; as firft, cafks to preferve it in,
which was a thing that, as I have obferved already,
I could never compafs; no, though I fpent not
only many days, but weeks, nay months, in at-
tempting it, but to no purpoſe. In the next place,
I had no hopes to make it keep, no yeaſt to make
it work, no copper or kettle to make it boil, and
yet all theſe things notwithſtanding, I verily believe
had not theſe things intervened, I mean the frights
and terrors I was in about the favages, I had under-
taken it, and perhaps brought it to pafs too: for I
feldom gave any thing over without accompliſhing
it, when once I had it in my head enough to begin
it. But my inventions, now ran quite another way,
for night and day, I could think of nothing but
how I might deſtroy fome of theſe monſters in their
cruel bloody entertainment, and if poffible fave the
victim
*
KOBINSON CRUSOE.
269
It
victim they ſhould bring hither to deſtroy.
would take up a larger volume than this whole
work is intended to to be, to fet down all the con-
trivances I hatched or rather brooded upon in my
thoughts, for the deftroying theſe creatures, or at
leaft frighting them, fo as to prevent their com-
ing hither any more; but all
but all was abortive,
nothing could be poffible 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
fhoot as true to a mark as I could with my gun?
SOMETIMES I Contrived to dig a hole under the
place where they made their fire, and put in five or
fix pounds of gun powder, which, when they kindled
their fire, would conſequently take fire, and blow up
all that was near it; but as in the firft I ſhould be
very loth to wafte fo much powder upon them,
my ſtore being now within the quantity of one
barrel, ſo neither could I be fure of its going off
at any certain time, when it might furprize them,
and at beft, that it would do little more than juſt
blow the fire about their ears and fright them, but
not fufficient to make them forfake the place; fo I
laid it afide, and then propofed, that I would
place myſelf in ambuſh in fome convenient place,
with
270
ADVENTURES OF
1
with my three guns all double loaded, and in the
middle of their bloody ceremony, let fly at them,
when I fhould be fure to kill or wound perhaps
two or three at every fhot: and then falling in
upon them with my three piſtols, and my fword, I
made on doubt, but that if there was twenty I fhould
kill them all this fancy pleafed my thoughts for
fome weeks, and I was fo full of it, that I often
dreamed of it; and ſometimes that I was just going
to let fly at them in my fleep. I went fo far with
it in my imagination, that I employed myſelf ſeveral
days to find out proper places to put myſelf in am-
bufcade, as I faid, to watch for them; and I went
frequently to the place itſelf, which was now
grown more familiar to me; and eſpecially 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 fignals of the barbarous wretches
devouring one another, abetted my malice. Well, at
length I found a place in the fide of the hill, where I
was fatisfied I might fecurely wait, till I faw any of
their boats coming; and might then, even before
they would be ready to come on fhore, convey
myſelf unſeen into fome thickets of trees, in one of
which there was a hollow large enough to conceal
me entirely; and where I might fit, and obferve
all their bloody doings, and take my full aim at
their heads, when they were fo clofe together, as,
that
RUBINSON CRUSOE.
271
1
that it would be next to impoffible that I would
miſs my ſhot, or that I could fail wounding three
or four of them at the firft fhot. In this place
then I refolved to fix my defign, and accordingly
I prepared two muſkets and my ordinary fowling
piece. The two mufkets I loaded with a brace of
flugs each, and four or five ſmaller bullets, about
the fize of piſtol bullets; and the fowling piece I
loaded with near a handful of fwan-fhot, of the
largeſt fize; I alfo loaded my piſtols with about
four bullets each, and in this poſture, well provi-
ded with ammunition for a fecond and third charge
I prepared myſelf for my expedition.
AFTER I had thus laid the fcheme of my deſign,
and in my imagination put it in practice, I continu-
ally made my tour every morning up to the top of
the hill, which was from my caftle, as I called it,
about three miles, or more, to fee if I could obferve
any boats upon the fea, 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, difcovery, there having not in all
that time been the leaſt appearance, not only on,
or near the ſhore, but not on the whole ocean, fo
far as my eyes or glaffes could reach every way.
2
As
1
272
ADVENTURES OF
1
1
As long as I kept my daily tour to the hill, to
look out fo long alfo I kept up the vigour of my
defign, and my fpirits feemed to be all the while
in a fuitable from, for fo outragious an execution
as the killing twenty or thirty naked favages, for
an offence which I had not at all entered into a
difcuffion of in my thoughts, any farther than my paf-
fions were at firſt fired by the horror I conceived at
the unnatural cuſtom of the people of that country,
who it feems had been fuffered by providence in his
wife difpofition of the world, to have no other
guide than that of their own abominable and
vitiated paffions; and confequently were left, and
perhaps had been fo for fome ages, to act fuch
horrid things, and receive fuch dreadful cuftoms,
as nothing but nature entirely abandoned of heaven,
and actuated by fome helliſh degeneracy, could have
run them into: But now, when as I have faid, I
began to be weary of the fruitlefs excurfion, which I
had made fo long, and ſo far, every morning in vain,
fo my opinion of the action itſelf began to alter,
and I began with cooler and calmer thoughts to
confider what it was 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 of fo many ages to
fuffer 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,
I
1
and
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
273
and what right I had to engage in the quarrel of
that blood, which they thed promifcuouſly upon
one another, I debated this very often with myſelf
thus; how do I know what God himſelf judges in
this particular cafe; 'tis certain theſe people either
'do not commit this as a crime; 'tis not againſt
their own confciences reproving, or their light
reproaching them; they do not know it to be
an offence, and then commit it in defiance of di-
vine juftice, as we do in almoſt all the fins 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 Confidered this a little, it followed ne-
ceffarily that I was certainly in the wrong in it,
that theſe people were not murtherers in the fenſe
that I had before condemned them in my thoughts,
any more than thoſe chriftians were murtherers, who
often put to death the prifoners taken in battle; or
more frequently, upon many occafions, put whole
troops of men to the fword, without giving quarter,
though they threw down their arms and fubmitted.
In the next place it occured to me, that albeit the
ufage they thus 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 faw it neceffary for immediate
perfervation to fall upon them, fomething might
be faid for it; but that as I was yet out of their
power,
T
}
274
ADVENTURES OF
ļ
t
✔
power, and they had really no knowledge of me,
and confequently no defign upon me; and there--
fore it could not be juft to fall upon them. That
this would juſtify the conduct of the Spaniards
in all their barbarities practifed in America, and
where they deftroyed millions of thefe people,
who however they were idolators and barbarians,
and had ſeveral bloody and barbarous rites in
their cuftoms, fuch as facrificing human bodies
to their idols, were yet, as to the Spaniards, very
innocent people; and that the rooting them out
of the country, is fpoken of with the utmoſt ab-
horrence and deteftation, 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 fuch as for which the very
name of a Spaniard is reckoned to be frightful
and terrible to all people of humanity, or of
chriftian compaffion; as if the kingdom of Spain
were particularly eminent for the product 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 tem-
per in the mind,
THESE Confiderations really put me to a pauſe,
and to a kind of a full ftop, and I began by
little and little to be off of my defign, and to
conclude
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
275
conclude I had taken wrong meaſures in my re-
folution to attack the favages; that it was not my
buſineſs to meddle with them, unlefs they firſt
attacked me, and this it was my bufinefs if pof-
fible to prevent: but that if I were diſcovered
and attacked then 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 fure to kill
every one that not only fhould be on fhore at that
time, but that ſhould ever come on fhore after-
wards, if but one of them efcaped to tell their
country people what had happened they would
come over again by thouſands to revenge the death
of their fellows, and I fhould only bring upon
myſelf a certain deftruction, which at prefent I
had no manner of occafion for,"
I concluded" that neither in principle or in
policy I ought one way or other to concern my-
felf in this affair." That my buſineſs was by all
poffible means to conceal myſelf from them, and
not to leave the leaft fignal to them to guefs by,
that there were any living creatures upon the
iſland, I mean of human fhape.
Upon the whole
RELIGION joined in with this prudential reſolution,
I was convinced now many ways that I was perfectly
out of my duty, when I was laying all my bloody
fchemes for the deftruction of innocent creatures,
I mean
T 2
1
276
ADVENTURES OF
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 juftice of God, who is the
governor of nations, and knows how by national
puniſhments to make a juft retribution for national
offences, and to bring public judgments upon thoſe
who offend in a public manner, by fuch ways as
beſt pleaſe him.
THIS appeared fo clear to me now, that nothing
was a greater fatisfaction to me than that I had
not been fuffered to do a thing which I now faw
fo much reafon to believe would have been no
lefs a fin than that of wilful murther if I had
committed it; and I gave moſt humble thanks on
my knees to God, that had thus delivered me
from blood guiltineſs, befeeching 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 haven to do it, in
defence of my own life.
In this difpofition I continued for near a year
after this; and fo far was I from defiring an oc-
cafion for falling upon thefe wrethes, that in all
that time I never once went up the hill to fee
whether there where any of them in fight, or to
know
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
277
konw whether any of them had been on fhore
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 pre-
ſent itſelf to fall upon them; only this I did, I
went and removed my boat, which I had on the
other fide of the ifland, and carried it down to
the east end of the whole iſland, where I ran it
into a little cove which I found under fome high
rocks, and where I knew, by reaſon of the cur-
rents, the favages durft not, at leaſt would not
come with their boats, upon any account what-
foever. With
With my boat I carried away every thing
that I had left there belonging to her, though
not neceffary for the bare going thither, viz a
maft and fail which I had made for her and a
thing like an anchor, but indeed which could not
either be called anchor or grappling; however,
it was the beſt I could make of its kind: all theſe
I removed, that there might not be the leaft fha-
dow of any diſcovery, or any apperance of any
boat, or of any human habitation upon the iſland.
Befides this I kept myſelf, as I faid, more retir-
ed than ever, and feldom went from my cell, other
than upon my conftant employment viz. to milk
my fhe-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 favage people, who
T 3
fometimes
haunted
278
ADVENTURES OF
haunted this iſland, never came with any thoughts
of finding any thing here, and confequently never
wandered off from the coaft; and I doubt not but
they might have been ſeveral times on fhore, after
my apprehenfions of them had made me cautious
as well as before; and indeed I looked back with
fome horror upon the thoughts of what my con-
dition would have been if I had choped upon them
and been diſcoved before that, when naked and
unarmed, except with one gun, and that loaden
often only with finall fhot. I walked every where
peeping and peering about the ifland, to fee what
I could get; what a furprize fhould I have been
in, if when I diſcovered the print of a man's foot,
I had inftead of that, feen fifteen or twenty fa-
vages, and found them purfuing me, and by the
fwiftnefs of their running, no poffibility of my
efcaping them. The thoughts of this fometimes
funk my very foul within me, and diftreffed my mind
fo much, that I could not foon recover it, to
think what I fhould have done and how I not only
fhould not have been able to refift them, but even
fhould not have had prefence of mind enough to
do what I might have done; much lefs, what now
after fo much confideration and perparation I
might be able to do: indeed after ferious thinking
of theſe things, I would be very melancholy, and
fometimes it would laft a great while; but I re-
folved it all at laft into thankfulneſs
to that
pro-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
279
providence which had delivered me from ſo many
unforeſeen dangers, and had kept from me thoſe
mifchiefs which I could no way have been the
agent in delivering myſelf from, becauſe I had
not the leaſt notion of any fuch thing depending,
or the leaſt fuppofition of its being poffible. This
renewed a contemplation which often had come to
my thoughts in former time, when firft I began
to fee the merciful difpofition of heaven, in the
dangers we run through in this life; how won-
derfully 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 fecret hint fhall direct us this
wey; nay, when fenfe, our own inclination, and
perhaps buſineſs has called to go the other way,
yet a ſtrange impreffion upon the mind, from we
know not what fprings, and by we know not what
power, fhall over rule us to go this way; and it
fhall afterwards appear, that had we gone that
way, which we fhould have gone, and even to
our imagination, ought to have gone, we fhould
have been ruined and loft. Upon thefe, and many
like reflections, I afterwards made it a certain rule
with me, that whenever I found thofe fecret hints or
preffings of my mind, to doing, or not doing
any thing that prefented; or going this way or
that way, I never failed to obey the fecret dic-
tate; though I knew no other reafon for it, than
I 4
that
280
ADVENTURES OF
that fuch a preffure, or fuch a hint hung upon
my mind: I could give many examples of the fuc-
cefs of this conduct in the courſe of my life, but
more eſpecially in the latter part of my inhabiting
this unhappy iſland; befides many occafions which
is very likely I might have taken notice of, if I
had ſeen with the fame eyes then, that I fee with
now; but it is never too late to be wife; and I
cannot but adviſe all confidering men, whofe lives
are attended with fuch extraordinary incidents as
mine, or even though not fo extraordinary, not to
flight fuch fecret intimations of providence, let
them come from what invifible intelligence they
will, that I fhall not difcufs, and perhaps cannot
account for; but certainly they are a proof of
the converſe of fpirits, and a fecret communic-
ation between thofe embodied, and thofe un-
embodied, and fuch a proof as can never be with-
ſtood; of which I fhall have occafion to give ſome
very remarkable inftances in the remainder of my
folitary refidence in this difmal place.
I BELIEVE the reader of this will not think it
ftrange if I confefs that theſe anxieties, theſe con-
ftant dangers I lived in, that 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 fafety more now upon my hands than
that
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
. 281
!
that of my food. I cared not to drive a nail, or chop
a ftick of wood now, for fear the noiſe I ſhould
make ſhould be heard; much lefs would I fire a
gun, for the fame reafon; and above all, I was
intolerably uneafy at making any fire, left the
ſmoke, which is viſible at a great diſtance in the
day ſhould betray me, and for this reafon I
removed that part of my buſineſs which required
fire, fuch as burning of pots, and pipes, &c. into
my new apartment in the woods, where after I had
been fome time, I found to my unſpeakable con-
folation, a mere natural cave in the earth, which
went in a vaſt way, and where, I dare fay, no
favage, had he been at the mouth of it, would be
fo hardy as to venture in, nor indeed would any
man elfe; but one who like me, wanted nothing fo
much as a fafe retreat,
THE mouth of this hollow, was at the bottom of
a great rock, where by mere accident, (I would
fay, if I did not fee abundant reafon, to afcribe
all fuch things now to providence) I was cutting
down fome thick branches of trees, to make char-
coal; and before I go on, I muft obferve the
reaſon of my making this charcoal; which was
thus.
I was afraid of making a fioak about my habita-
tion, as I faid before; and yet I could not live
there
282
ADVENTURES OF
there without baking my bread, cooking my meat,
&c. fo I contrived to burn fome wood here, as I
had ſeen done in England, under turf, till it be-
came chark, or dry coal; and then putting the fire
out, I preferved the coal to carry home, and per-
form the other fervices for which fire was wanting
at home without danger of fimoak.
BUT this is by the bye: while I was cutting
down fome 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 fay, fufficient for me to ſtand upright in
it, and perhaps another with me, but I muſt
confeſs to you, that I made more hafte out than I
did in, when looking farther into the place, which
was dark, I faw two bright shining eyes of fome
creature, whether devil or man I knew not, which
twinkled like two ftars, the dim light from the
cave's mouth fhining in a little, and making the
reflection plainer.
HOWEVER, after fome paufe, I recovered my-
felf, and began to call myſelf a thouſand fools,
and tell myfelf, "that he that was afraid of 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.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
283
myſelf. Upon this plucking up my courage, I
took up a firebrand, and rufhed in again, with the
ftick flaming in my hand; I had not gone three
ſteps in, but I was almoſt as much frighted as I
was before, for I heard a very loud figh, like that
of a man in ſome pain, and it was followed by
a broken noife, as if of words half expreffed, and
then a deep figh again: I ſtepped back, and was
indeed ſtruck with fuch a furprize, that it put me
into a cold fweat, 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 ftill plucking up my fpirits.
as well as I could, and encouraging myſelf a little
with confidering that the power and prefence of
God was every where, and was able to protect me;
upon this I ſtepped forward again, and by the
light of the fire brand, holding it up a little over my
head, I faw lying on the ground, a moſt monftrous
frightful old he goat, juſt making his will, as we
fay, and gaſping for life, and dying indeed of
mere old age,
I STIRRED him a little, to fee if I could get him
out, and he effayed to get up, but was not able to
rife himſelf; and I thought with myſelf, he might
even lye there; for if he had frighted me fo, he
would certainly fright any of the favages, if
any of
them ſhould be fo hardy, as to come in there,
while he had any life in him.
I WAS
284
ADVENTURES OF
I was now recovered from my furprize, and
began to look round me, when I found the cave
was but very ſmall, that is to fay, it might be
about twelve feet over, but in no manner of fhape,
neither round or fquare, no hands, having ever been
employed in making it, but thoſe of meer nature: I
obferved alfo, that there was a place at the farther
fide of it, that went in farther, but was fo low,
that it required me to creep upon my hands and
knees, to go into it, and whither it went I knew
not; fo having no candle, I gave is over for fome
time; but refolved 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
fome wild fire in the pan.
ACCORDINGLY the next day, I came provided
with fix large candles of my own making; (for I
made candles now of goat's tallow, but was hard
fet for candle wick; ufing fometimes rags or rope
yarn, and fometimes 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 faid, al-
moft ten yards; which by the way, I thought was
a venture bold enough, confidering that I knew
not how far it might go, nor what was beyond it.
When I was got through the ftrait, I found the
roof rofe higher up, I believe near twenty feet;
but never was fuch a glorious fight ſeen in the
inland,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
285
ifland, I dare fay, as it was, to look round the
fides 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 ftones, 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 fort of a ſmall looſe gravel upon it, ſo that
there was no naufeous or venomous creature to be
ſeen, neither was there any damp or wet, on the
fides or roof: the only difficulty in it was the en-
trance, which however as it was a place of ſecurity,
and fuch a retreat as I wanted, I thought that was a
convenience; fo that I was really rejoiced at the
diſcovery, and refolved without any delay, to
bring fome of thofe things, which I was moft
anxious about, to this place; particularly I refolv-
ed 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; fo I kept at my caſtle only five, which
ftood ready mounted like pieces of cannon, on my
outmoſt fence; and were ready alſo to take out
upon any expedition. Upon this occafion of re-
moving my ammunition, I took occafion to open
the barrel of powder, which I took up out of the
fea, and which had been wet; and I found that the
water
286
ADVENTURES OF
1
water had penetrated about three or four inches
into the powder, on every fide, which caking and
growing hard, had preſerved the inſide like a kernel
in the ſhell; fo that I had near fixty pounds of very
good powder in the centre of the cafk. and this was an
agreeable difcovery to me at that time; fo I carri-
ed all away thither: never keeping above two or
three pound of powder with me in my caftle for fear
of a furprize of any kind: I alfo carried thither all
the lead I had left for bullets.
}
}
I FANCIED myſelf now like one of the ancient
giants, which are faid to live in caves, and holes,
in the rocks, where none could come at them: for
I perfuaded myſelf while I was here, if five hun-
dred favages were to hunt me, they could never
find me out; or if they did they would not
The old goat whom I
venture to attack me here.
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; fo I interred him there to prevent the
offence to my noſe.
I was now in the twenty-third year of my refi-
dence in this iſland, and was fo naturalized to the
placé and the manner of living, that could I have
but enjoyed the certainty that no favages would
come
J
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
287
come to the place to diſturb me, I could have been
content to have capitulated for fpending 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 fome little diverfions and amuſe-
ments, which made the time pafs more pleaſantly
with me a great deal than it did before; as firſt, I
had taught my Poll, as I noted before, to ſpeak,
and he did it fo familiarly, and talked fo articu-
lately and plain that it was very pleaſant to me, for
I believe no bird ever ſpoke plainer, and he lived
with me 'no lefs than fix and twenty years; how
long he might live in all I knew not, though I
know they have a notion in the Brafils that they
live an hundred years. My old dog was a very
pleafant and loving companion to me for no lefs
than fixteen years of my time, and then died of
mere old age. As for my cats they multiplied, as
I have obferved, 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 fome 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: befides theſe, I always
kept two or three hcufhold kids about me, whom
I taught
1
1
288
ADVENTURES OF
་
毒
​I taught to feed out of my hand; and I had two
more parrots which talked pretty well, and would
all call Robin Crufoe, but none like my firſt; nor
indeed did I take the pains with any of them that
I had done with him. I had alfo feveral tame fea-
fowl, whoſe names I know not, that I caught
upon the fhore, 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,
thefe fowls all lived among theſe low trees, and
bred there, which was very agreeable to me; fo
that, as I faid above I began to be very well con-
tented with the life I led, if I might but have been
fecured from the dread of the favages. But it was
otherwiſe directed; and may not be amifs for all
people who fhall 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 fhun, and which, when we are
fallen into it is the moft dreadful to us, is often-
times the very means or door of deliverance, by
which alone we can be raiſed from the affic-
tion 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 re-
markable, than in the circumftances of my laft
years of folitary refidence in this ifland. It was
now the month of December, as I faid above, in my
twenty-third year; and this being the fouthern folftice,
2
for
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
289
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 day-light,
I was furprized with feeing a light of fome fire
upon the fhore, at a distance from me, of about
two miles, towards the end of the island, where I
had obferved fome favages had been as before, but
not on the other fide; and to my great affliction, it
was on my fide of the iſland.
I was indeed terribly furprized at the fight, and
ſtopped ſhort within my grove, not daring to go
out, left I might be furprized; and yet I had no
more peace within from the apprehenfions I had,
that if theſe ſavages in rambling over the iſland
fhould find my corn ftanding or cut, or any of
my works and improvements, they would imme-
diately 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 caftle, 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 fay, my muſkets which
were mounted upon my new fortification, and all my
UJ
piſtols,
298
ADVENTURES OF
piftols, and refoved to defend myſelf to the laft
gafp, not forgeting feriously to commend myſelf
to the divine protection, and earneſtly to pray to God
to deliver me out of the hands of the barbarians:
and in this poſture I continued about two hours,
but began to be mighty impatient for intelligence
abroad, for I had no fpies to ſend out. After
fitting a while longer and mufing what I fhould do
in this cafe, I was not able to bear fitting in ignor-
ance any longer, fo fetting up my ladder to the
fide of the hill, where there was a flat place, as I
obferved before, and then pulling the ladder up
after me, I fet it up again, and mounted to the top
of the hill; and pulling out my perſpective glafs,
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 prefently found there were
no less than nine naked favages, fitting round a
fmall fire they had made, not to warm them, for
they had no need of that, the weather being extreme
hot; but as I fuppofed to drefs fome of their bar-
barous 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 fhore; and as it was then
tide of ebb, they feemed to me to wait for the
return of the flood, to go away again; it is not
cafiy to imagine what confufion this fight put me
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
291
into, eſpecially ſeeing them come on my fide the
ifland, and ſo near me too; but when I obferved
their coming muſt be always with the current of
the ebb, I began afterwards to be more fedate in
my mind, being fatisfied that I might go abroad
with fafety all the time of the tide of flood, if they
were not on fhore before: and having made this
obſervation, I went abroad about my harveſt work
with the more compofure.
As I expected, fo it proved; for as foon as the
tide made to the weftward, I ſaw them all take
boat and row (or paddle as we call it) all away:
I ſhould have obferved, that for an hour or more
before they went off, they went a dancing, and I
could eafily difcern their poſtures, and geftures;
by my glaſs: I could not perceive by my niceſt
obfervation, but that they were ftark naked, and
had not the leaſt covering upon them; but whether
they were men or women, that I could not diftin-
guiſh.
As foon as I faw them fhipped, and gone, I
took two guns upon my ſhoulders, and two piſtols
at my girdle, and my great fword by my fide,
without a ſcabbard, and with all the fpeed I was
able to make; I went away to the hill where I had
diſcovered the first appearance of all; and as foon
as I got thither, which was not in lefs than two
U 2
hours;
292
ADVENTURES OF
hours; for I could not go apace, being fo loaden
with arms as I was. I perceived there had been
three canoes more of favages at that place; and
looking out farther, I faw they were all at fea
together, making over for the main. This was
a dreadful fight to me, efpecially when going down.
to the fhore, I could fee the marks of horror, which
the difmal work they had been about had left be-
hind it, viz. the blood, the bones, and part of the
flefh of human bodies, eaten and devoured by thoſe
wretches, with merriment and fport: I was fo filled
with indignation at the fight, that I now began to
premeditate the deſtruction of the next I faw there,
let them be whom or how many foever. It ſeemed
evident to me, that the vifits which they made
thus to this ifland, are not very frequent; for it was
above fifteen months, before any more of them
came on fhore there again; that is to fay, I neither
faw them, or any footfteps, or fignals of them, in
all that time; for as to the rainy feafons, then
they are fure not to come abroad, at leaſt not fo
far, yet all this while I lived uncomfortably, by
reafon of the conftant apprehenfions I was in of
their coming upon me by furprize; from whence I
obferve, that the expectation of evil, is more bitter
than the fuffering, eſpecially if there is no room to
fhake off that expectation, or thofe apprehen-
fions.
DURING
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
293
DURING all this time I was in the murthering
humour; and took up moft of my hours, which
ſhould have been better employed, in contriving
how to circumvent, and fall upon them, the very
next time I ſhould fee them; efpecially if they
fhould be divided, as they were the last time, into
two parties; nor did I confider at all, that if I
killed one party, fuppofe ten or a dozen, I was ftill
the next day, or week, or month to kill another, and fo
another, even ad infinitum, till I fhould be at length
no leſs a murtherer, than they were in being man-
eaters; and perhaps much more fo. I fpent my days
now in great perplexity, and anxiety of mind, ex-
pecting 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 look-
ing round me with the greateſt care and caution
imaginable: and now I found to my great com-
fort, how happy it was, that I provided for a tame
flock or herd of goats; for I durft not upon any
account fire my gun, efpecially near that fide of the
iſland where they ufually came, left I ſhould alarm
the favages, and if they had fled from me now I
was fure 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 faw any more of the favages, and then I found
them again; as I fhall foon obferve. It is true,
U 3
they
294
ADVENTURES OF
-
they might have been there once, or twice; but either
they made no ſtay, or at leaſt I did not hear them;
but in the month of May, as near as I could cal-
culate, and in my four and twentieth year, I had
very ſtrange encounter with them, of which in its
place. The perturbation of my mind, during this
fifteen or fixteen months interval, was very great;
I ſlept unquiet, dreamed always frightful dreams,
and often ſtarted out of my fleep in the night: in
the day, great troubles overwhelmed my mind,
and in the night I dreamed often of killing the
favages, 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 fixteenth day I
think, as well as my poor wooden calendar would
reckon; for I marked all upon the poft ftill; I
fay, it was the fixteenth 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 know not what was the
particular occafion of it; but as I was reading in
the bible, and taken up with very ferious thoughts
about my preſent condition, I was furprized with
the noiſe of a gun, as I thought fired at fea,
THIS was to be fure a furprize, of a quite dif-
ferent nature from any I had met with before; for
the notions this put into my thoughts, were quite
of another kind. I ftarted up in the greateſt hafte
imaginable,
r
ROBINSON CRUSOE..
295
·
imaginable, and in a trice clapt 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 another gun, which according-
ly, in about half a minute I heard; and by the
found, knew that it was from that part of the ſea,
were I was driven down the current in my boat.
Į IMMEDIATELY confidered, that this muſt be
ſome ſhip in diſtreſs, and that they, had fome
comrade, or fome other fhip in company, and
fired theſe guns, for fignals of diſtreſs, and to
obtain help: I had this prefence of mind at that
minute, as to think that though I could not help
them, it might be they might help me fo I
brought together all the dry wood I could get at
hand, and making a good handſome pile, I fet 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; that I was certain, if there was
any fuch thing as a fhip they muſt needs fee it; and
no doubt they did; for as foon as ever my fire
blazed up, I heard another gun, and after that
feveral others, all from the fame quarter;
quarter; I plyed
my fire all night long, till day broke; and when
it was broad day, and the air cleared up, I faw
fomething at a great diſtance at fea, full eaft of the
ifland, whether a fail or a hull, I could not diftin-
U 4
guifh
296
ADVENTURES OF
9
guiſh, no not with my glaſs, the diſtance was fo
great, and the weather ftill fomething hazy alfo
at leaſt it was ſo out at fea,
I LOOKED frequently at it all that day, and foon
perceived that it did not move; ſo I preſently
concluded that it was a fhip at anchor, and being
eager you may be fure, to be fatisfied, I took my
gun in my hand, and ran towards the fouth 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 fee to my great forrow, the wreck
of a ſhip caſt away in the night, upon thoſe con-
cealed rocks which I found, when I was out in
my boat; and which rocks, as it checked the
violence of the ſtream, and made a kind of a coun-
ter ftream, or eddy, were the occafion of my re-
covering from the moſt deſperate hopeleſs condition
that ever I had been in all my life. Thus what was
one man's fafety, is another man's deftruction;
for it ſeems theſe men, whoever they were, being
out of their knowledge, and the rocks being
wholly under water, had driven upon them in
the night, the wind blowing hard at E. and E
N. E. Had they feen the iſland, as I muft ne-
ceffarily fuppofe they did not, they muft, as I
thought, have endeavoured to have faved them-
felves on fhore by the help of their boat; but their
firing
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
297
firing of guns for help, eſpecially when they faw,
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 have endeavoured to make the fhore:
but that the fea going very high, they might have
been cast away; other times I imagined, that they
might have loft their boat before, as might be the
cafe, 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
fometimes to throw it overboard with their own
hands: other times I imagined they had ſome other
ſhip, or ſhips in company, who upon the fignals
of diſtreſs they had made, had taken them up,
and carried them off: other whiles I fanci-
ed they where all gone off to fea 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 mifery
and perifhing, 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 beft; fo in
the condition I was in, I could do no more than
look upon the mifery of the poor men, and pity
them, which had ſtill this good effect on my fide,
that it gave me more and more caufe to give thanks
to
·298
ADVENTURES OF
1
to God who had ſo happily and comfortably provid-
ed for ine in my defolate condition; and that of two
fhips companies who were now caft away upon this
part of the world, not one life fhould be ſpared but
mine: I learned here again to obferve, that it is
very rare that the providence of God cafts us into
any condition of life fo low, or any miſery ſo great,
but we may ſee ſomething or other to be thankful
for; and may fee others in worſe circumſtances
than our own.
SUCH certainly was the cafe of theſe men, of
whom I could not fo much as fee room to fuppofe
any of them were faved; nothing could make it
rational, fo much as to with, or expect that they
did not all perish there; except the poffibility only
of their being taken up by another ſhip in company,
and this was but mere poffibility indeed; for I faw
not the leaſt appearance of any fuch thing. I can-
not explain by any poffible energy of words, what
a ftrange longing or hankering of defires I felt
in my
foul upon this fight; breaking out fome-
times thus; 'O that there had been but one or two
nay, or but one foul faved out of this fhip, to have
efcaped to me, that I might have but one com-
panion, one fellow creature to have ſpoken to me,
and to have converfed with:' In all the time of my
folitary life, I never felt fo earneft, fo ftrong a
defire
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
299
defire after the ſociety of my fellow creatures, or fo
deep a regret at the want of it.
THERE are fome fecret moving fprings in the
affections, which when they are fet a going by
fome object, or be it fome object, though not in
view, yet rendered preſent to the mind by the pow-
er of imagination, that motion carries out the foul
by its impetuofity to fuch violent eager embracings
of the object, that the abſence of it is infupportable.
Such were theſe earneſt wifhings, that but one man
had been faved! "O that it had been but one!" I
believe I repeated the words, 'O that it had been but
one,' a thousand times; and my defires were fo
moved by it, that when I ſpoke the words, my hands
would clinch together, and my fingers prefs the
palms of my hands, that if I had had any ſoft thing
in my hand, it would have crufht it involuntarily;
and my teeth in my head would ſtrike together,
and fet againſt one auother fo ſtrong that for fome
time I could not part them again. Let the
naturalifts explain theſe things, and the reafon and
manner of them; all I can fay to them, is, to def-
cribe the fact, which was even furprizing to me,
when I found it, though I knew not from what it
fhould proceed; it was doubtlefs the effect of ardent
wifhes and of ftrong ideas formed in the mind,
realizing the comfort, which the converfation of
one of my fellow chriſtians would have been to me.
BUT
૩૦૦
ADVENTURES OF
BUT it was not to be; either their fate or mine, or
or both forbad it; for till the laft year of my being
on this iſland I never knew whether any were faved
out of that ſhip or no, and had only the affliction
fome days after to fee the corps of a drowned boy
come on ſhore at the end of the iſland which was
next the fhip-wreck; he had on no cloaths but a
feaman's waiſt-coat, a pair of open kneed linen
drawers, and a blue linen fhirt, but nothing to di-
rect me ſo much as to gueſs what nation he was of;
he had nothing in his pocket but two pieces of
eight and a tobacco pipe; the laſt was to me of ten
times more value that 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
fomething on board that might be uſeful to me;
but that did not altogether preſs me fo much as the
poffibility that there might be yet fome living crea-
ture on board, whofe life I might not only fave,
but might by faving that life comfort my own to
the laſt degree; and this thought clung ſo cloſe 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 reft to God's providence, I
thought the impreffion was fo ftrong upon my mind
that it could not be refifted, that it muſt come from
fome invifible direction, and that I fhould be want-
ing to myſelf if I did not 0.
UNDER
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
301
UNDER the power of this impreffion I haftened back.
to my caſtle, prepared every thing for my voyage,
took a quantity of bread, a great pot for freſh
water, a compaſs to ſteer by, a bottle of rum, for
I had ſtill a great deal of that left, a baſket full of
raifins: And thus loading myſelf with every thing
neceffary, I went down to my boat, got the water
out of her, and got her afloat, loaded all my cargo
in her, and then went home again for more: My
fecond cargo was a great bag full of rice, the um-
brella to ſet up over my head for a fhade, another
large pot of freſh water, and about a dozen of my
ſmall loaves or barley cakes more than before, with
a bottle of goats milk and a cheeſe, all which with
great labour and ſweat I brought to my boat, and
praying to God to direct my voyage, I put out, and
rowing or paddling the canoe along the fhore, I
came at laft to the utmoſt point of the inland on
that fide, viz. N. E. 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
rememberance of the hazard I had been in before,
and my heart began to fail me; for I forefaw, that
if I was driven into either of thoſe curents I ſhould
be carried a great way out to fea, and perhaps out
of my reach or ſight of the iſland again; and that then
I
1
as
302
ADVENTURES OF
as my boat was but fmall, if any little gale of wind
ſhould rife I ſhould be inevitably loft.
THESE thoughts fo oppreffed my mind, that I
began to give over my enterprize; and having
hauled my boat into a little creek on the, fhore, I
ſtepped out, and fat me down upon a little rifing
bit of ground, very penfive and anxious between
fear and deſire about my voyage; when as I was
mufing, I could perceive that the tide was turned
and the flood come on, upon which my going was
for fo many hours impracticable; upon this pre-
fently it occurred to me, that I fhould go up
to the higheſt piece of ground I could find, and
obferve, if I could, how the fets 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
fame rapidneſs of the currents: This thought was
no fooner in my head but I caſt my eye upon a little
hill which fufficiently over-looked the fea 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 fet out cloſe by the fouth
point of the iſland, fo the current of the flood fet
in cloſe by the ſhore of the north fide, and that I
had nothing to do but to keep to the north of the
island in my return, and I ſhould do well enough.
En-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
303
Encouraged with this obfervation, I refolved the
next morning to fet out with the firft of the tide
and repofing myſelf for the night in the canoe, under
the great watch-coat I mentioned, I launched out:
I made firſt a little out to fea full north, till I began
to feel the benefit of the current which fet eastward,
and which carried me at a great rate, and yet did not
fo hurry me as the fouthern fide current had done
before, and fo as to take from me all government
of the boat: but having a ftrong fteerage with
my paddle, I went at a great rate directly for the
wreck, and in lefs than two hours I came up to
it. It was a diímal fight to look at; the fhip,
which by its building was Spaniſh, ftuck faft,
jam'd in between two rocks; all the ftern and
quarter of her were beaten to pieces with the
fea; and as her forecaſtle which ftuck in the
rocks, had run on with great violence, her main-
maft and foremaft were brought by the board,
that is to fay, broken fhort off, but her bowfprit
was found, and the head and bow appeared firm;
when I came cloſe to her a dog appeared upon
her, who ſeeing me coming yelped and cryed,
and as foon as I called him, jumped into the fea
to come to me, and I took him into the boat,
but found him almoft dead with hunger and
thirft; I gave him a cake of my bread, and he
did eat it like a ravenous wolf that had been
ftarving a fortnight in the fnow; and then gave
the
2
304
ADVENTURES OF
the poor creature fonie freſh water, with which,
if I would have let him, he would have burst
himself. After this I went on board, but the
first fight 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 fhip ftruck, it be-
ing in a ftorm, the fea broke fo high, and for
continually over her, that the men were not able
to bear it, and were fuffocated with the conſtant
ruſhing in of the water, as much as if they had been
under water.Befides the dog, there was nothing left in
the ſhip that had life, nor any goods that I could fee
but what were ſpoiled by the water: there were fome
cafks of liquor, whether wine or brandy I knew
not, which lay lower in the hold, and which the
water being ebbed out I could fee, but they were
too big to meddle with; I faw feveral chefts
which I believe belonged to fome of the feamen,
and I got two of them, into the boat, without
examining what was in them. Had the ftern of
the fhip been fixed and the forepart broken off,
I am perfuaded I might have made a good
voyage: for by what I found in theſe two cheſts
I had room to fuppofe the fhip had a great deal
of wealth on board; and if I may guefs by the
courfe fhe fteered, fhe muft have been bound from
Buenos Ayres or the Rio de la Plata, in the
fouth part of America, beyond the
Brafils, to the
་
Havanna,
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
305
Havanna, in the Gulph of Mexico, and fo perhaps
to Spain: fhe had no doubt a great treaſure in
her, but of no uſe at that time to any body; and
what became of the reft of her people I then knew
not.
I FOUND befides thefe chefts a little cafk full
of liquor, of about twenty gallons which I got
into my boat, with much difficulty; there were
feveral muſkets in a cabin, and a great powder
horn, with about four pounds of powder in it;
as for the mufkets I had no occafion for them, fo I
left them, but took the powder horn: I took a
fire ſhovel and tongs, which I wanted extremely,
as alfo two little brais kettles, a copper pot to
make chocolate, and a gridiron; and with this
cargo and the dog I came away, the tide begin-
ning to make home again; and the fame evening
about an hour within night, I reached the ifland
again, weary and fatigued to the laft degree. I
repofed that night in the boat, and in the morn-
ing I refolved to harbour what I had gotten in
my new cave, not to carry it home to my caſtle.
After refreshing myſelf I got all my cargo on
fhore, and began to examine the particulars: the
cafk of liquor I found to be a kind of rum, but
not fuch as we had at the Brafils, and in a word
not at all good; but when I came to open the
chefts I found feveral things of great ufe to me;
Vol. I.
X
for
306
ADVENTURES OF
for example, I found in one a fine cafe of bot
tles, of an extraordinary kind, and filled with
cordial waters fine and very good, the bottles held
about three pints each, and were tipped with
filver; I found two pots of very good fuccades
or ſweatmeats, ſo faſtened alfo on the top, that
the falt water had not hurt them, and two more
of the fame which the water had ſpoiled; I found
fome very good fhirts, 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; befides
this, when I came to the till in the cheft I found
there three great bags of pieces of eight, which
held about eleven hundred pieces in all, and in
one of them, wrapt up in a paper, fix doubloons
of gold and fome finall bars or wedges of gold,
I fuppofe they might all weigh near a pound.
THE other cheft I found had fome cloaths in
it, but of little value; but by the circumſtances
it muſt have belonged to the gunner's mate though
there was no powder in it, but about two pounds
of fine glazed powder, in three fmall flaſks, kept
I fuppofe, for charging their fowling pieces on
occafion upon the whole, I got very little by
this voyage that was of any ufe to me; for as to
the money, I had no manner of occafion for it: it
:
was
!
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
307
feet, and I
was to me as the dirt under my
would have given it all for three or four pair of
English fhoes and ftockings which were things I
greatly wanted, but had not had on my feet for
many years: I had indeed gotten two pair of
fhoes now, which I took off of the feet of the
two drowned men whom I faw 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 fhoes, either for eafe or fer-
vice, being rather what we call pumps than ſhoes;
I found in this feaman's cheft about fifty pieces
of eight in rials, but no gold, I fuppofe this
belonged to a poorer man than the other, which
feemed to belong to fome 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 fhip; but it was great, pity as I
faid, that the other part of this fhip had not
come to my ſhare, for I am fatisfied I might
have loaded my canoe feveral times over with
money, and, thought I, if I ever eſcape to Eng-
land, it might lie here fafe enough till I may
come again and fetch it.
HAVING now brought all my things on ſhore
and fecured them, I went back to my boat, and
rowed or paddled her along the fhore to her old
harbour, where I laid her up, and made the beft
X 2
of
308
ADVENTURES OF
J
of my way to my old habitation, where I found
every thing ſafe and quiet; fo I began to repoſe
myſelf, live after my old fashion, and take care of
my family affairs; and for a while I lived eafy
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 ftir with any
freedom, it was always to the eaſt part of the
iſland, where I was pretty well fatisfy'd the fa-
vages never came, and where I could go without
fo many precautions, and fuch a load of arms
and ammunition, as I always carried with me,
if I went the other way. I lived in this con-
dition near two years more; but my unlucky
head, that was always to let me know it was
born to make my body miferable, was all theſe
two years filled with projects and deſigns, how,
if it were poffible, I might get away from this
iſland; for ſometimes I was for making another
voyage to the wreck, though my reafon told me
that there was nothing left there worth the hazard
of my voyage; fometimes 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 fea bound any where, I knew
not whither. I have been in all my circumſtances
a memento to thofe who are touched with the
general plague of mankind, whence, for ought I
know, one half of their miſeries flow, I mean that
of
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
309
of not being fatisfied with the ftation wherein God
and nature has placed them; for not to look
back upon my primitive condition, and the ex-
cellent advice of my father, the oppofition to
which was, as I may call it, my ORIGINAL SIN,
my fubfequent miſtakes of the fame kind had been
the means of my coming into this miferable con-
dition; for had that providence which fo happily
had feated me at the Brafils as a planter, bleffed
me with confined defires, 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 ifland, one of the moſt
confiderable planters in the Brafils; 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 ſtayed, I
might have been worth an hundred thoufand
moidores: and what bufinefs I had to leave a
fettled fortune, a well stocked plantation improv-
ing and increaſing, to turn fupercargo to Guinea,
to fetch negroes, when patience and time would
have fo increafed our ſtock at home, that we
could have bought them at our own door from
thoſe whofe buſineſs it was to fetch them; and
though it had coft us fomething more, yet the
difference of that price was by no means worth,
faving at fo great a hazard. But as, this is or-
dinarily the fate of young heads, fo reflection upon
X 3
the
310
ADVENTURES OF
the folly of it is as ordinarily the exercife of
more years, or of the dear-bought experience of
time; and fo it was with me now; and yet fo
deep had the miſtake taken root in my temper,
that I could not fatisfy myſelf in my ſtation, but
was continually poring upon the means and
poffibility of my eſcape from this place; and that
I may, with the greater pleafure to the reader,
bring on the remaining part of my ſtory, it may
not be improper to give fome account of my
firſt conceptions on the fubject of this foolish
ſcheme for my efcape, and how and upon what
foundation I acted. I am now to be fuppofed,
retired into my caſtle after my late voyage to the
wreck, my frigate laid up and fecured under water,
as ufual, 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.
1
It was one of the nights in the rainy ſeaſon
in March, the four and twentieth year of my firſt
fetting foot in this iſland of folitarineſs, I was
lying in my bed or hammock awake, very well
in health, had no pain, no diftemper, no uneafi-
nefs of body, no, nor any uneafinefs of mind more
than ordinary,
but could by no means cloſe my
eyes
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
311
eyes, that is fo as to fleep, no not a wink all
night long, otherwife than as follows:
my
It is as impoffible as needlefs, to fet down the
innumerable croud of thoughts that whirled through
that great thorough-fare of the brain the memory,
in this night's time; I run over the whole hiftory of
life in miniature, or by abridgment, as I may
call it, to my coming to this ifland, and alſo of
the part of my life fince I came to this ifland.
In my reflections upon the ftate of my cafe
fince I came on fhore on this ifland, I was com-
paring the happy pofture of my affairs in the firſt
year of my habitation here, compared to the life
of anxiety, fear and care in which I had lived
ever fince I had feen the print of a foot in the
fand; not that I did not believe the favages had
frequented the inland even all the while, and might
have been ſeveral hundreds of them at times on
fhore there; but I had never known it, and was ir-
capable of any apprehenfions about it; my fatisfac-
tion was perfect, though my danger, was the fame,
and I was as happy in not knowing my danger,
as if I had never really been expofed to it: this
furniſhed my thoughts with many very profit-
able reflections, and particularly this one,
" How
infinitely good that providence is, which has pro-
vided in its government of mankind fuch narrow
bounds to his fight and knowledge of things;
X 4
r
and
312
ADVENTURES OF
and though he walks in the midft of fo many
thouſand dangers, the fight of which, if difco-
vered to him, would diftract his mind and fink
his fpirits, he is kept ferene and calm by having
the events of things hid from his eyes, and know-
thing nothing of the dangers which furround him."
AFTER theſe thoughts had for fome time enter-
tained 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 poffible tran-
quillity, even when perhaps nothing but a brow
of a hill, a great tree, or the cafual approach of
night, had been between me and the worst kind
of deſtruction, viz, that of falling into the hands
of cannibals and favages who would have feized
on me with the fame 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 curlieu: I would unjustly flander myſelf, if I
ſhould ſay I was not fincerely thankful to my
great preferver, to whofe fingular protection I
acknowledged, with great humility, that all theſe
unknown deliverances were due, and without
which I muft inevitably have fallen into their mer-
cilefs hands.
WHEN thefe thoughts were over, my head was
for fome time taken up in confidering the nature
of
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
313
of theſe wretched creatures, I mean the favages,
and how it came to pafs in the world, that the
wife governor of all things fhould give up any
of his creatures to fuch inhumanity, nay to fome-
thing fo much below even brutality itſelf, as to
devour its own kind; but as this ended in fome
(at that time fruitlefs) fpeculations, it occured to
me to enquire what part of the world thefe
wretches lived in? how far off the coaft was from
whence they came? what they ventured over fo
far from home for ? what kind of boats they had?
and why I might not order myſelf and my buſi-
nefs fo, that I might be as able to go over thither
as they were to come to me.
NEVER fo much as troubled myſelf to con-
fider what I fhould do with myfelf when I came
thither; what would become of me if I fell into
the hands of the favages; or how I fhould eſcape
from them if they attemped me; no, nor fo much
as how it was poffible for me to reach the coaft,
and not be attempted by fome or other of them,
without any poffibility of delivering myſelf; and
if I ſhould not fall into their hands, what I fhould
do for provifion, or whether I fhould bend my courſe:
none of thefe thoughts, I fay, fo much as came
in my way, but my mind was wholly bent upon
the notion of my paffing over in my boat to the
main
314
ADVENTURES OF
main land. I looked back upon my prefent
condition as the moft miferable that could pof-
fibly be, that I was not able to throw myſelf
into any thing but death, that could be called
worfe: that if I reached the fhore of the main
I might perhaps meet with relief, or I might coaft
along, as I did on the ſhore of Africk, till I came
to fome 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 tem-
per, made as it were deſperate by the long con-
tinuance of my troubles, and the difappointments
I had met in the wreck I had been on board of,
and where I had been fo near the obtaining what
I fo earneſtal longed for, viz, fomebody to ſpeak
to, and to learn fome knowledge from them of the
place where I was, and of the probable means of
my deliverance: I fay I was agitated wholly by
theſe thoughts: all my calm of mind in my re-
fignation to providence, and waiting the iffue of
the difpofitions of heaven, feemed to be fufpend-
ed 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
fuch
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
315
fuch a force, and fuch an impetuofity of defire
that it was not to be refifted.
WHEN this had agitated my thoughts for two
hours or more, with fuch violence that it fet my
very blood into a ferment, and my pulſe beat
as if I had been in a fever, merely with the
extrordinary 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 found fleep;
one would have thought I fhould have dreamed
of it, but I did not nor of any thing relating to
it; but I dreamed, that as I was going out in
the morning, as ufual from my caftle, I faw up-
no the fhore two canoes and eleven favages com-
ing to land, and that they brought with them
another favage, whom they were going to kill,
in order to eat him, when on a fudden the favage
that they were going to kill jumped away and
ran for his life; and I thought, in my fleep,
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 fought him that way, fhewed myſelf to
him, and fmiling upon him, encouraged him;
that he kneeled down to me, feeming to pray me
to affift him; upon which I fhewed him my lad-
der, made him go up, and carried him into my
cave, and he became my fervant; and that as
foon
316
ADVENTURES OF
&
foon as I had gotten this man I faid to myfelf
now I may certainly venture to the main land,
for this fellow will ferve me as a pilot, and will
tell me what to do, and whither to go for provi-
fions, and whither not to go for fear of being
devoured; what places to venture into, and what
to fhun; I waked with this thought, and was
under fuch inexpreffible impreffions of joy, at the
proſpect of my eſcape in my dream, that the
diſappointments which I felt upon coming to
myſelf, and finding it was no more than a dream,
were equally extravagant the other way, and threw
me into a very great dejection of fpirit. Upon
this, however, I made this conclufion, that my
only way to go about to attempt an efcape,
was if poffible, to get a favage into my poffef-
fion, and if poffible it ſhould be one of their
prifoners whom they had condemned to be eaten,
and ſhould bring hither to kill; but thefe thoughts
ſtill were attended with this difficulty, that it was
impoffible 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 fhedding fo
much blood, though it was for my deliverance.
I need not repeat the arguments which occured
to me againſt this, they being the fame men-
tioned
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
317
..
tioned before; but though I had other reafons
to offer now, viz. that thofe men were enemies
to my life, and would devour me if they could;
that it was ſelf-prefervation to the higheſt de-
gree to deliver myfelf from this death of a life,
and was acting in my own defence, as much as
as if they were actually affaulting me, and the
like. I fay, though theſe things argued for it,
yet the thoughts of fhedding human blood for
my deliverance, were very terrible to me, and
fuch as I could by no means reconcile myſelf to
for a great while. However at laſt, after many
fecret difputes with myſelf, and after great per-
plexities about it, for all theſe arguments one
way with another ftruggled in my head a long
time, and the eager prevailing defire of deliver-
ance, at length maſtered all the reft, and I re-
folved if poffible, to get one of thofe favages into
my hands, coſt what it would. My next thing
was to contrive how to do it, and this indeed
was very difficult to refolve on: but as I could
pitch upon no probable means for it, fo I re-
folved to put myſelf upon the watch, to ſee them
when they came on fhore, and leave the reft to
the event, taking fuch meaſures as the oppor-
tunity fhould prefent, let be what would be.
With theſe refolutions in my thoughts I fet my-
ſelf upon the ſcout as often as poffible, and in-
deed fo often untill I was heartily tired of it, for
it
318
ADVENTURES OF
1
it was above a year and half that I waited;
and for great part of that time went out to the
weft end, and to the fouth-weft corner of the
iſland, almoſt every day, to fee for canoes, but
none appeared. This was very diſcouraging, and
began to trouble me much, though I cannot ſay
that it did in this cafe as it had done fome time
before that, viz. wear off the edge of my defire
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 firft fo careful to fhun the fight of
of theſe favages, and avoid being feen by them,
as I was now eager to be upon them. Befides,
I fancied myſelf able to manage one, nay, two
or three favages, if I had them fo as to make
them entirely flaves 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 fchemes
came to nothing, for no favages came near me
for a great while. About a year and a half after
I entertained theſe notions, and by long mufing
had as it were refolved them into nothing for
want of an occafion to put them in execution, I
was furprized one morning early, with feeing no
leſs than five canoes all on fhore together on my
fide the iſland, and the people who belonged to
them all landed, and out of my fight: the num-
·
ber
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
319
ber of them broke all my meaſures, for ſeeing fo
many, and knowing that they always came four
or fix 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 fingle handed; ſo
lay ſtill in my caſtle, perplexed and diſcomforted;
however I put myself into all the fame poftures
for an attack that I had formerly provided, and
was juſt ready for action, if any thing had pre-
fented; having waited a good while liftening to
hear if they made any noiſe: at length being very
impatient, I fet my guns at the foot of my ladder
and clambered up to the top of the hill, by my
two ftages as ufual; ftanding fo however that my
head did not appear above the hill, fo that they
could not perceive me by any means; here I
obferved by the help of my perſpective glaſs, that
they were no less than thirty in number, that they
had a fire kindled, that they had had meat drefs-
ed. How they had cooked it, that I knew not,
or what it was; but they were all dancing in I
know not how many barbarous geftures and
figures, their own way, round the fire. While
I was thus looking on them, I perceived by my
perſpective, two miferable wretches dragged from
the boats, where it feems they were laid by, and
were now brought out for the flaughter. I per-
ceived one of them immediately fell, being knock-
ed down, I fuppofe, with a club or wooden fword
for
320
ADVENTURES OF
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
feeing 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 fands directly towards me, I
mean towards that part of the coaft where my
habitation was. I was dreadfully frighted (that
I muſt acknowledge) when I perceived him to
run away, and eſpecially, when as I thought, I
faw 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 fhelter in my
grove; but I could not depend by any means upon
my dream for the reſt of it, viz. that the other
favages would not purſue him thither and find him
there. However I kept my ftation, and my
fpirits began to recover when I found that there was
not above three men that followed him, and ſtill
the more I was encouraged, when I found that he
out ftripped them exceedingly in running, and
gained ground of them; fo that if he could but hold
it for half an hour, I faw eafily he would fairly get
away from them all.
4
THERE
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
321
THERE was between them and my caftle, the
creek, which I mentioned often in the firſt part
of my ſtory, wher. I landed my cargo, out of the
fhip; and this I faw plainly he muſt neceffarily
fwim over, or the poor wretch would be taken
there; but when the favage efcaping came thither,
he made nothing of it; though the tide was then
up, but plunging in, fwam through in about
thirty ftrokes, or thereabouts, landed, and ran on
with exceeding ſtrength and ſwiftneſs: when the
three perfons came to the creek, I found that two
of them could fwim, but the third could not, and
that ſtanding on the other fide, he looked at the
other, but went no farther, and foon after went
foftly back again, which as it happened, was very
well for him in the main. I obferved that the two
who fwam were yet more than twice as long
fwimming over the creek, as the fellow was that
fled from them; it came now very warmly upon
my thoughts, and indeed irrefiftibly, that now
was the time to get me a fervant, and perhaps a
companion or affiftant, and that I was called plain-
ly by providence to fave this poor creature's life;
I immediately ran down the ladders with all pof-
fible expedition, fetched my two guns, for they
were both at the foot of the ladders, as I obferved
above, and getting up again, with the fame hafte,
to the top of the hill, I croffed toward the fea,
and having a very ſhort cut, and all down hill,
clapped
Y
322
ADVENTURES Or
clapped myſelf, in the way, between the purfuers
and the purfued, hallooing aloud to him that
fled; who looking back, was at firft perhaps, as
much frighted at me as at them; but I beckoned
with my hand to him to come back, and in the
mean time, I flowly advanced towards the two
that followed, then rushing at once upon the fore-
moft, I knocked him down with the ftock 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 eafily heard, and being out of fight
of the finoke too, they would not have eafily
known what to make of it: having knocked this
fellow-down, the other who purſued him; ſtopped
as if he had been frighted, and I advanced a-pace
towards him; but as I came nearer, I perceived
preſently he had a bow and arrow, and was fitting
it to fhoot at me, fo I was then neceffitated to
fhoot at him firft, which I did and killed him at
the firſt ſhot; the poor favage who fled, but had
ſtopped, though he faw both his enemies fallen and
killed, as he thought, yet was fo frighted with the
fire-and noiſe of my piece, that he ſtood ſtock ſtill,
and neither came forward, or went backward,
though he feemed rather inclined to fly ftill than to
rome on; I hallooed again to him, and made figns
to come forward, which he eaſily underſtood, and
came a little way, then ſtopped again, and then a
little farther, and ftopped again, and I could then
perceive
10
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
323
perceive that he ftood 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 en-
couragement that I could think of, and he came
nearer and nearer, kneeling down every ten or twelve
ſteps, in token of acknowledgment for faving
his life; I fmiled at him, and looked pleaſantly,
and beckoned to him to come ftill nearer; at
length he came clofe to me, and then he kneeled
down again, kiſſed the ground and laid his head
upon the ground, and taking me by the foot fet
my foot upon his head; this it ſeems was in token
of ſwearing to be my flave for ever; I took him
up, and made much of him, and encouraged him
by all I could: but there was more work to do yet,
for I perceived the favage whom I knocked down
was not killed but ſtunned with the blow, and began
to come to himſelf; fo I pointed to him, and
fhewing him the favage, that he was not dead
upon this he ſpoke fome words to me, and though
I could not underſtand them, yet I thought they
were pleaſant to hear, for they were the firſt found
of a man's voice that I had heard, my own except-
ed, for above twenty five years. But there was
no time for fuch reflections now, the favage who
was knocked down recovered himſelf ſo far as to
fit. up upon the ground, and I perceived that my
Lavage began to be afraid; but when I ſaw that, I
Y 2
prefented
324
ADVENTURES OF
prefented my other piece at the man, as if I would
ſhoot him; upon this my favage, for fo I call
him now, made a motion to me to lend him my
fword, which hung naked in a belt by my fide,
fo I did; he no fooner had it but he runs to his
enemy, and at one blow cut off his head fo clever-
ly, no executioner in Germany could have done it
fooner or better; which I thought very ſtrange for
one, who I had reaſon to believe never faw a
fword in his life before, except their own wooden
fwords; however, it ſeems, as I learned after-
wards, they make their wooden fwords fo fharp,
fo heavy, and the wood is fo hard, that they will
cut off heads even with them, ay, and arms, and
that at one blow too: when he had done this, he
comes laughing to me, in fign of triumph, and
brought me the fword again, and with abundance
of geſtures, which I did not underſtand, laid it
down with the head of the favage that he had killed,
juſt before me. But that which aftoniſhed him
moſt was, to know how I had killed the other Indian
fo far off; fo pointing to him, he made figns to
me to let him go to him; fo I bad him, go as
well as I could: when he came to him,, he ſtood
like one amazed, looking at him, turned him
firſt on one ſide, then on the other, looked at the
wound the bullet had made, which it feems was
juft in his breaft, where it had made a hole, and
no great quantity of blood had followed, but he
had
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
325
had bled inwardly, fo he was quite dead: he took
up
his bow and arrows and came back; fo I turned
to go away, and beckoned to him to follow me,
making figns to him, that more might come after
them. Upon this he figned to me that he fhould
bury them with fand, that they might not be ſeen by
the reft, if they followed; and fo I made figns to
him again to do fo; he fell to work, and in an
inftant he had ſcraped a hole in the fand with his
hands, big enough to bury the firſt in, and then
dragged him into it, and covered him, and did
fo alfo by the other; 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;
fo I did not let my dream come to pafs in that
part, viz. that he came into my groye for ſhelter.
HERE I gave him bread and a bunch of raifins
to eat, and a draught of water, which I found
he was indeed in great diftrefs for by his running
and having refreſhed him, I made figns for him
to go lie down and fleep, pointing to a place
where I had laid a great parcel of rice-ſtraw, and a
blanket upon it, which I ufed to fleep upon my-
felf fometimes; fo the poor creature lay down and
went to fleep.
Y 3
HE
1
{
326
ADVENTURES OF
He was a comely handfome fellow, perfectly
well made, with ſtraight ſtrong limbs, not tooflarge,
tall and well fhaped, and, as I reckon, about
twenty fix-years of age: he had a very good coun-
tenance, not a fierce and furly afpect, but feemed
to have ſomething very manly in his face, and yet
he had all the fweetnefs and foftneſs of an Europe -
an in his countenance too, eſpecially when he
fmiled; 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 fkin was not quite black, but very
tawny, and yet not of an ugly yellow naufeous
tawny, as the Brafilians and Virginians and other
natives of America are, but of a bright kind of a
dun olive colour, that had in it fomething very
agreeable, though not very eafy to defcribe; his
face was round and plump, his nofe fmall, not
flat like the negroes, a very good mouth, thin lips,
and his fine teeth well fet, and as' white ivory!'
AFTER he had flumbered, rather than flept,
about half an hour, he waked again, and comes
out of the cave to me, for I had been milking my
goats, which I had in the encloſure juft by: when
he efpied me he came running to me, laying
himfelf down again upon the ground, with all the
poffible figns of an humble thankful difpofition,
makeing a great many antic geſtures to flew it; at
laft
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
327
laſt he lays his head flat upon the ground, cloſe to
iny foot, and fets my other foot upon his head, as
he had done before, and after this made all the
figns to me of ſubjeclion, fervitude and fubmiffion
imaginable, to let me know how he would ferve
me fo long as he lived; I underſtood him in many
things, and let him know I was very well pleaſed
with him; in á little time I began to speak to him,
and teach him to ſpeak to me; and firſt I made
him know his name fhould be Friday, which was
the day I faved his life; I called him fo for the me-
mory of the time; I likewife taught him to fay
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
fome milk in an earthen pot, and let him fee me
drink it before him, and fop 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 foon as it was day, I beckoned to
him to come with me, and let him know I would
geve him fome cloths, at which he feemed very
glad, for he was ftark naked; As we went by the
place where he had buried the two men, he pointed
exactly to the place, and fhewed me the marks that
he had made to find them again, making figns to
me that we ſhould dig them up again, and eat
them: At this I appeared, very angry, expreffed
Y 4
my
328
ADVENTURES OF
my
abhorrence of it, made as if I would vomit as
at the thoughts of it, and beckoned with my hand
to him to come away, which he did immediately,
with great fubmiffion: I then led him up to the
top
of the hill, to fee if his enemies were gone,
and pulling out my glaſs, I looked and faw plainly
the place were they had been, but no appearance
of them or their canoes, fo that it was plain they
were gone, and had left their two comrades behind
them without any fearch after them. But I was
not content with this difcovery, but having now
more courage, and confequently more curioſity, I
takes my man Friday with me, giving him the
fword in his hand, with the bow and arrows at his
back, which I found he could ufe very dextroufly,
making him carry one gun for me, and I two for
myfelf, and away we marched to the place where
theſe creatures had been, for I had a mind now to
get fome fuller intelligence of them: When I
came to the place, my very blood ran chill in my
veins, and my heart funk within me, at the horror
of the fpectacle; indeed it was a dreadful fight, at
leaft it was fo 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 fcorched, and, in fhort, all the tokens of the
triumphant feaft they had been making there,
after a victory over their enemies; I faw three
1
I
fkulls,
:
i
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
329
1
kulls, five hands, and the bones of three or four
legs and feet, and abundance of other parts of the
bodies; and Friday by his, figns, made me under-
ſtand 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, whofe fubjects, it ſeems he had
been one of, and that they had taken a great num-
ber of priſoners, all which were carried to ſeveral
places by thoſe that had taken them in the fight,
in order to feaſt upon them, as was done here by
theſe wretches upon thofe they brought hither.
:
I CAUSED Friday to gather all the fkulls, bones,
fleſh, and whatever remained, and lay them to-
gether on a heap, and make a great fire upon it,
and burn them all to afhes; I found Friday had
ftill a hankering ftomack after fome of the flesh,
and was ſtill a cannibal in his nature; but I difco-
vered fo much abhorrence at the very thoughts of
it, and at the leaſt appearance of it, that he durft
not diſcover it: for I had by fome means let him
know that I would kill him if he offered it.
*
WHEN we 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 cheft, I
mentioned;
!
330
ADVENTURES OF
1
mentioned; and which I found in the wreck; and
which with a little alteration, fitted him very well;
then I made him a jerkin of goat's-fkin, as well as
my ſkill would allow; and I was now grown a to-
lerable good taylor; and I gave him a cap, which
I had made of a hare-fkin, very convenient, and
fashionable enough; and thus he was cloathed for
the prefent, tolerably well and was mighty well
pleaſed to fee himſelf almoſt as well cloathed as his
maſter; it is true he went awkwardly in theſe things
.at.firft; wearing the drawers, was very awkward to
him, and the fleeves of the waiſtcoat galled his
fhoulders, and the infide of his arms; but a little
eafing them where he complained they hurt him,
and ufing himſelf to them, at length he took to
them very well,
ป
{
THE next day after I came home from my hutch
with him, I began to confider where I fhould
lodge.him; and that I might do well for him, and
yet be perfectly eafy myſelf, I made a little tent
for him in the vacant place, between my two for-
tifications, in the infide of the laft, and in the
outfide of the firft; and as there was a door or
entrance there into my cave, I made a formal
framed door-cafe, and a door to it of boards, and
ſet it up in the paffage a little within the entrance;
and cauling the door to open on the infide, I barr-
ed it up in the night, taking in my ladders too:
•
10
1
RÓ BIN SÓN CRUS O E.
331
!
fo that Friday could no way come at me in the
infide of my innermoft wall, without making fo
much noiſe in getting over, that it muft needs
waken me: for my firſt wall had now a compleat
roof over it, of long poles covering all my tent,
and leaning up to the fide of the hill; which was
again laid acroſs with ſmaller fticks inſtead of laths,
and then thatched over a great thickneſs with the
rice-ftraw, which was ftrong 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 made a great noife; and as to weapons I took
them all into my fide every night. But I needed
none of all this precaution; for never man had a
more faithful, loving fincere fervant than Friday
was to me; without paffions, fullennefs or defigns,
perfectly obliged and engaged; his very affections
were tied to me, like thofe of a child to a father;
and I dare fay, he would have facrificed his lifè
for the faving mine, upon any occafion whatfoever:
many teftimonies he gave me of this, put it
out of doubt, and foon convinced me, that I
needed to uſe no precautions, as to my fafety on
his account.
the
THIS frequently gave me occafion to obſerve, and
that with wonder, that however, it had pleafed God,
in
332
ADVENTURES OF
in his providence, and in the government of the
works of his hands, to take from fo great a part
of the world of his creatures, the beſt uſes to
which their faculties, and the powers of their fouls
are adapted; yet that he has beſtowed upon them
the fame powers, the fame reaſon, the fame affec-
tions, the fame fentiments of kindneſs, and obliga-
tion, the fame paffions and refentments of wrongs,
the fame fenfe of gratitude, fincerity, fidelity, and
all the capacities of doing good, and receiving
good that he has given to us; and that when he
pleaſes to offer to them occafions of exerting thefe,
they are as ready, nay, more ready to apply them
to the right ufes for which they were beftowed, than
we are; and this made me very melancholy fome-
times, in reflecting, as the feveral occafions pre-
fented, how mean a uſe we make of all theſe, even
though we have thefe powers enlightened by the great
lamp of inſtruction, the ſpirit of God, and by the
knowledge of his word, added to our underſtand-
ing; and why it has pleaſed God to hide the like
faving knowledge from fo many millions of fouls,
who if I might judge by this poor favage, would
make a much better uſe of it than we did.
1
FROM hence, I fometimes was led too far, to
invade the fovereignty of providence, and as it
were arraign the juſtice of fo arbitrary a difpofition
of things, that ſhould hide that light from fome,
5
and
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
333
and reveal it to others, and yet expect a like duty
from both; but I fhut it up, and checked my
thoughts with this conclufion. (1ft.) That we did
not know by what light and law, thefe fhould be
condemned; but that as God, was neceffarily, and
by the nature of his being, infinitely holy and juft,
fo it could not be, but that if theſe creatures were
all fentenced to abfence from himſelf, it was on
account of finning againſt that light, which, as
the fcripture fays, was a law to themfelves, and by
fuch rules as their confciences would acknowledge
to be juft, though the foundation was not difco-
vered to us: and (2d.) that ftill as we all are the
clay in the hand of the potter, no veffel fhould
fay to him, why haft thou formed me thus.
BUT to return to my new companion; I was
greatly delighted with him, and made it my bu-
finefs, to teach him every thing, that was proper
to make him ufeful, handy, and helpful; but
eſpecially to make him ſpeak, and underſtand me
when I fpoke, and he was the apteft fcholar that
ever was, and particularly, was fo merry, fo con-
ftantly diligent, and fo pleafed, when he could
but underſtand me, or make me underſtand him,
that it was very pleaſant to me to talk to him:
and now my life began to be fo eafy, that I
began to fay to myfelf, that could I but have been
Life
334
ADVENTURES OF
fafe from more favages, 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 ftomach, I ought to let him
taſte other flefh: fo 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
him home, and drefs it. But as I was going, I
faw a fhe goat lying down in the fhade, and two
young kids fitting by her. I catched hold of Fri-
day; hold, fays I, ftand ftill, and made figns to
him not to ſtir, immediately I prefented my piece,
fhot and killed one of the kids. The poor crea-
ture who had at a diſtance indeed ſeen me kill the
favage his enemy, but did not know or could
imagine how it was done, was fenfibly furprized,
trembled and fh ok, and looked fo amazed, that
I thought he would have funk down, He did not
fee the kid I ſhot at, or perceived I had killed it,
but ripped up his waift-coat, to feel whether he
was not wounded, and as I found, prefently
thought I was refolved to kill him; for he came
and kneeled down to me, and embraced my knees,
faid a great many things I did not understand; but
I could eaſily ſee the meaning was to pray me
not to kill him.
İ SOON
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
335
#
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 wonder-
ing and looking to fee how the creature was killed,
I loaded my gun again, and by and by, I faw a
great fowl like a hawk, fitting upon a tree within
fhot; fo 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 fay pointing to the
parrot, and to my gun, and to the ground under
the parrot, to let him fee I would make it fall, I
made him underſtand that I would fhoot and kill
that bird; accordingly I fired and bade him look,
and immediately feeing the parrot fall, he ftood
like one frighted again, notwithſtanding all I had
faid to him; and I found he was the more amazed,
becauſe he did not fee me put any thing into the
gun; but thought that there muſt be fome wonderful
fund of death and deſtruction, in that thing, able
to kill man, beaft, bird, or any thing near, or far
off; and the aftoniſhment this created in him was
fuch, 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 itfelf,
he would not ſo much as touch it for ſeveral days
after; but he would ſpeak to it, and talk to it, as
if
336
ADVENTURES OF
A
!
if it had anſwered him, when he was by himſelf;
which as I afterwards learned of him, was to defire
it not to kill him.
was a little over at
Well, after his aſtoniſhment.
}
this, I pointed to him to run
and fetch the bird I had fhot, which he did, but
ftaid ſome time, for the parrot not being quite
dead, was fluttered away a good diſtance from the
place where the fell; however, he found her, took
her up, and brought her to me; and as I had per-
ceived his ignorance about the gun before, I took
this advantage to charge the gun again, and not to
let him fee me do it, that I might be ready for any
other mark that might prefent; but nothing more
offered at that time; fo I brought home the kid,
and the fame evening I took the fkin off, and cut
it out as well as I could, and having a pot fit for
that purpoſe, I boiled or ftewed fome of the flesh,
and made fome very good broth; and after I had
begun to eat fome, I gave fome to my man, who
feemed very glad of it, and liked it very well;
but that which was ftrangeft to him, was to fee
me eat falt with it; he made a fign to me that the
falt was not good to eat, and putting a little into
his own mouth, he feemed to naufeate it, and
would fpit and fputter at it, washing his mouth
with freſh water after it; on the other hand, I took
fome meat into my mouth without falt, and I pre-
tended to fpit and fputter for want of falt, as faſt
as he had done at the falt, but it would not do;
he
;
ROBINSON CRUS O E.
337
he would never care for falt, 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 refolved to feaft him the next day
with roafting a piece of the kid; this I did by
hanging it before the fire on a ftring, as I had
feen many people do in England, fetting two poles
up, one on each fide the fire, and one croſs on
the top, and tying the ftring to the croſs ſtick,
letting the meat turn continually: This Friday
admired very much, but when he came to taſte
the flesh, he took fo 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 fet him to work to beating
fome corn out, and fifting it in the manner I uſed
to do, as I obferved before, and he foon under-
ftood 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 it; for after that I let him fee
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.
Z
I BE-
1
338
F
ADVENTURES
I BEGAN now to confider, that having twa
mouths to feed inſtead of one, I muft provide
more ground for my haveft, and plant a larger
quantity of corn than I uſed to do; fo I marked
out a larger piece of land, and began the fence in
the fame manner as before, in which Friday worked
not only very willingly and very hard, but did it
very chearfully, 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 fenfible
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 pleaſanteft year of all the life I led
in this place; Friday began to talk pretty well, and
underſtand the names of almoft every thing I had
occafion to call for, and of every place I had to fend
him to, and talked a great deal to me; fo that in
hort I began now to have fome ufe for my tongue
again, which indeed I had very little occafion for
before, that is to fay about fpeech: befides the
pleaſure of talking to him, I had a fingular fatif
faction in the fellow himfelf; his fimple unfeigned
honeſty appeared to me more and more every day,
and I began really to love the creature; and on his
1
fide,
ROBINSON CRUS Ó E.
339
fide I believe he loved me more than it was poffible
for him ever to love any thing before.
I HAD a mind once to try if he had any hanker ing
inclination to his own country again, and having
taught him Engliſh fo well, that he could anfwer
me almoſt any queftions; I aſked him whether the
nation that he belonged to never conquered in
battle; at which he ſmiled, and faid yes, yes, we
always fight the better; that is, he meant, always
get the better in fight; and fo we began the fol-
lowing difcourfe: You always fight the better,
faid I, how came you to be taken prifoner then
Friday?
Friday. My nation beat much for all that.
Mafter. 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:
Mafter. But why did not your fide recover you
from the hands of your enemies thèn?
Friday. They run one, two, three and me,
and make go in the canoe: my nation have no
canoe that time.
Mafter Well, Friday, and what does your na-
Za 2
tion
340
ADVENTURES OF
tion with the men they take, do they carry them
away and eat them, as thefe did?
up.
Friday Yes, my nation eat mans too, eat all
Mafter Where do they carry them?
Friday. Go to other place where they think.
Mafter. Do they come hither?
Friday. Yes, yes, they come hither, come other
elfe place.
Mafter. Have you been here with them?
Friday Yes, I been here; (point to the N.
W. fide of the iſland) which it feems was their
fide.
By this I underſtood that my man Friday had
formerly been among the favages who ufed to
come on ſhore on the farther part of the iſland,
on the fame man-eating occafions that he was
now brought for; and fometime after, when I
took the courage to carry him to that fide, being
the fame I formerly mentioned, he prefently 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 fo
many ftones
in a row, and pointing to me to tell them over.
I HAVE told this paffage, becauſe it introduces
what follows; that after I had had this difcourfe
with
¿
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
341
with him, I asked him how far it was from our
ifland to the fhore, and whether the canoes were
not often loft; he told me there was no danger,
no canoes ever loft; but that after a little way
out to fea, there was a current and wind, always
one way in the morning, the other in the after-
noon. This I underſtood to be no more than
the fets of the tide, as going out or coming in;
but I afterwards underſtood it was occafioned by
the great draft and reflux of the mighty river
Oroonoko, in the mouth or the gulph of which
river, as I found afterwards, our iſland lay; and
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 afked Friday
a thouſand queſtions about the country, the in-
habitants, the fea, the coaft, and what nations
were near; he told me all he knew, with the
greatest opennefs imaginable; I aſked him the
names of the feveral nations of his fort of peo-
ple, 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 be-
yond the moon, that was, beyond the fetting of
the moon, which must be W. from their coun-
try there dwelt white bearded men, like me, and
Z 3
pointed
L
342
ADVENTURES OF
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, whofe cruelties in America
had been ſpread over the whole country, and
was remembered by all the nations from father to
fon.
I ENQUIRED if he could tell me how I might
come from this iſland, and get among thoſe white
men; he told me, yes, yes, I might 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 laft with great difficulty, I found
he meant it muſt be in a large boat as big as
two canoes. This part of Friday's difcourfe be-
gan to relish with me very well, and from this
time I entertained fome hopes that one time or
other I might find an opportunity to make my
eſcape from this place, and that this poor favage
might be a means to help me to do it."
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
1
!
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
343
and afked him who made the fea, 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 per-
fon, but that he was very old, much older, he
faid than the fea or the land, than the moon or
the ftars; I aſked him then if this old perfon had
made all things, why did not all things worship
him? he looked very grave, and with a perfect
look of innocence faid, "All things do fay O to
him;" I asked him if the people who die in his
country went away any where? He faid yes, they
all went to Benamuckee; then I afked him whe-
ther theſe they eat up went thither too, he ſaid,
yes.
FROM theſe things, I began to inftruct 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 governs the
world by the fame power and providence by
which he had 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 liftened with
great attention, and received with pleafure the
notion of Jefus Chrift being fent to redeem us,
and of the manner of making our prayers to God,
and his being able to hear us, even into heaven:
Z 4
He
1
ADVENTURES OF
344
He told me one day, that if our God could hear
us up beyond the fun, he muſt needs be a great-
er 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 he ever went
thither to ſpeak to him; he faid, no, they never
went that were young men, none went thither
but the old men, whom he called their Oowoca-
kee, that is, as I made him explain it to me,
their religious, or clergy, and that they went to
fay O, (fo he called faying prayers) and then
came back and told them what Benamuckee ſaid;
by this I obſerved, that there is prieſt-craft even
amongſt the moſt blinded ignorant pagans in the
world, and the policy of making a fecret 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 the religions in the world,
even among the moft brutifh and barbarous fa-
vages.
I ENDEAVOURED to clear up this point 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 fo; that if they met with any anfwer,
or fpake with any one there, it muſt be with an
evil
}
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
345
eyil fpirit: and then I entered into a long dif
courfe with him about the Devil, the original
of him, his rebellion againſt God his enmity to
man, the reaſon of it, his fetting himſelf up in
the dark parts of the world, to be worſhipped inſtead
of God, and as God, and the many ftratagems he
made uſe of to delude mankind to his ruin, how he
had a fecret accefs to our paflions and to our affec-
tions, to adapt his fnares fo to our inclinations
as to cauſe us even to be our own tempters, and
run upon our deſtruction by our own choice.
I FOUND it was not fo eafy to imprint right
notions in his mind about the devil, as it was
about the being of a God: nature affifted all my
arguments to evidence to him, even the neceffity
of a great firſt cauſe and overruling governing
power, a fecret directing providence, and of the
equity and juſtice of paying homage to him that
made us, and the like. But there appeared no-
thing of all this 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 fo too; and the poor creature puzzl-
ed me once in fuch a manner, by a queſtion
merely natural and innocent, that I fcarce knew
what to fay to him. I had been talking a great
deal to him of the power of God, his omnipot-
ence, his averfion to fin, his being a confuming
fire
346
ADVENTURES OF
!
1
!
fire to the workers of iniquity; how, as he had
made us all, he could deftroy us and all the world.
in a moment; and he liftened with great feriouf-
nefs 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
ufed all his malice and fkill to defeat the good defigns
of providence, and to ruin the kingdom of Chrift
in the world, and the like. " Well, fays Friday,
but you fay God is ſo ſtrong, ſo great, is he not
much ſtrong, much might as the devil; Yes,
yes, fays I, Friday, God, is ftronger 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 refift his temptations and quench
his fiery darts. But fays he again, if God much
ſtronger, much might as the devil, why God
no kill the devil, fo make him no more do
wicked?"
I WAS ftrangely furpriſed at his queſtion, and
after all, though I was now an old man, yet I was
but a young doctor, and ill enough qualified for
a cafuift, or a folver of difficulties; and at firft I
could not tell what to fay, fo I pretended not to
hear him, and aſked him what he faid? But he
was too earneft for an anſwer to forget his queí-
tion, fo that he repeated it in the very fame broken
;
words
+
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
347
words as above. By this time I had recovered
myſelf a little, and I faid "God will at last
puniſh him ſeverely, he is referved for the judg-
ment, and is to be caft into the bottomlefs pit, to
dwell with everlafting fire." This did not fatis-
fy Friday, but he returns upon me, repeating my
words, RESERVE AT LAST, "Me no underſtand;
but why not kill the devil now, not kill long
ago? You may as well afk me, faid I, why God
does not kill you and me, when we do wicked
things here that offend him? We are preferved to
repent and be pardoned. He mufed a while at
this; well, well, fay, he, mighty affectionately,
that well, ſo you I, devil, all wicked, all pre-
ferve, repent, God pardon all. Here I was run
down again by him to the laſt degree, and it was
a teftimony to me, how the meer notions of na-
ture, though they will guide reaſonable creatures
to the knowledge of a God, and of a worſhip or
homage due to the fupreme being, of God as the
confequence of our nature; yet nothing but di-
vine revelation can form the knowledge of Jefus
Chriſt, and of a redemption purchaſed for us, of
a mediator of the new covenant, and of an inter-
ceffor at the foot-ftool of God's throne; I fay,
nothing but a revelation from heaven can form
thefe in the foul, and that therefore the goſpel
of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, I mean
the word of God, and the ſpirit of God promif-
ed
348
ADVENTURES OF
བ་
ed for the guide and fanctifier of his people, are
the abfolutely neceffary inftructors of the fouls
of men, in the faving knowledge of God and the
means of falvation.
I THEREFORE diverted the prefent difcourfe between
me and my man, rifing up haftily, as upon fome
fudden occafion of going out; then fending him
for fomething a good way off, I ſeriouſly prayed
to God that he would enable me to inſtruct fav-
ingly this poor favage, affifting by his fpirit the
heart of the poor ignorant creature, to receive
the light of the knowledge of God in Chrift re-
conciling him to himſelf, and would guide me to
ſpeak fo to him from the word of God, as his
confcience might be convinced, his eyes opened,
and his foul faved. When he came again to
me, I entered into a long difcourfe 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 bleffed
Lord Jefus. I then explained to him, as well as
I could, why our bleffed Redeemer took not on
him the nature of angels, but the feed of Ab-
raham, and how, for that reaſon, the fallen an-
gels had no fhare in the redemption; that he
came only to the loft fheep of the houfe of If-
rael; and the like.
}
I HAD
1
ROBINSON CRUS O E.
349
I had, God knows, more fincerity than know-
edge in all the methods I took for this
poor
creature's inftruction, and muſt acknowledge what
I believe all that act upon the fame principle will
find that in laying things open to him, I really inform-
ed and inſtructed myſelf in many things, that either I
did not know, or had not fully confidered before,
but which occurred naturally to my mind upon
fearching into them, for information of this
poor favage; and I had more affection in my
enquiry after things upon this occafion, 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 fat lighter upon me, my habitation grew
comfortable to me beyond meaſure: and when
I reflected that in this folitary life which I had
been confined to, I had not only been moved
myſelf to look up to heaven, and to feek to the
hand that had brought me there, but was now
to be made an inftrument, under providence; to
fave the life, and, for ought I knew, the foul of
a poor favage, and bring him to the true know-
ledge of religion, and of the chriftian doctrine,
that he might know Chrift Jefus, to know whom
is life eternal. I fay, when I reflected upon all
theſe things, a fecret joy ran through every part
of my foul, and I frequently rejoiced that ever, I
was brought to this place, which I had fo often
thought
350
ADVENTURES OF
thought the moft dreadful of all afflictions that
could poffibly have befallen me.
In this thankful frame I continued all the re-
mainder of my time, and the converfation which
emplyed the hours between Friday and me, was
fuch as made the three years which we lived
there together, perfectly and compleatly happy,
if any fuch thing as compleat happineſs can be
formed in a fublunary ftate. This favage was
now a good chriſtian, a much better than I,
though I have reaſon to hope, and blefs God
for it, that we were equally penitent and com-
forted reſtored penitents: we had here the word
of God to read, and no farther off from his fpirit
to inftruct, than if we had been in England.
I always applied myfelf, in reading the fcrip-
ture, to let him know, as well as I could, the
meaning of what I read; and he again, by his
ferious enquiries and queſtionings, made me as I
faid before, a much better fcholar in the fcrip-
ture-knowledge than I ſhould ever have been by
my own private mere reading. Another thing I can-
not refrain from obferving here alfo, from expérience,
in this retired part of my life, viz. how infinite
and inexpreffible a bleffing it is, that the know-
ledge of God, and of the doctrine of falvation
by Chrift Jefus, is fo plainly laid down in the
word of God, ſo eaſy to be received and under-
ſtood;
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
351
3
ftood that as the bare reading the fcripture
made me capable of underſtanding enough of my
duty to carry me directly on to the great work
of fincere repentance for my fins, and laying hold
of a faviour for life and falvation, to a ſtated
reformation in practice and obedience to all God's
commands, and this without any teacher, or in-
ftructer, I mean human; fo the fame plain in-
ftruction fufficiently ferved to the enlightning
this favage creature, and bringing him to be fuch
a chriftian, as I have known few equal to him in
my life.
Ás to all the difputes, wrangling, ftrife and
contention, which have happened in he world
about religion, whether niceties in doctrines, or
fchemes of church-government, they were all per.
fectly uſeleſs to us; as for ought I can yet fee,
they have been to all the reft of the world; we
had the fure guide to heaven, viz. the word of
God, and we had bleffed be God, comfortable
views of the fpirit of God teaching and inftruct-
ing us by his word, leading us into all truth, and
making us both willing and obedient to the in-
ftruction of his word; and I cannot ſee the
leaſt uſe that the greateſt knowledge of the dif
puted points in religion, which have made fuch
confufions in the world, would have been to us
if we could have obtained it; but I muſt
5
go
on
352
ADVENTURES OF
1
3
on with the hiftorical 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 fo much of it as related to
my coming into this place, how I had lived there,
and how long I let him into the myſtery, for fuch
it was to him, of gun-powder 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, fuch as in
England we wear hangers in, and in the frog, in-
ftead 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 occafions.
I DESCRIBED to him the country of Europe,
particularly England, which I came from; how
we lived, how we worshipped God, how we bè-
haved 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 fhewed, him, as near as I could, the place
where ſhe lay; but he was all beaten in pieces
before, and gone.
4
I SHEWED
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
353
I SHEWED him the ruins of our boat, which
we loft when we efcaped, and which I could not
ftir with my whole ftrength then; but was now
fallen almoſt all to pieces: upon feeing this boat,
Friday ſtood mufing a great while and faid no-
thing; I aſked him what it was he ſtudied upon,
at laſt fays he, "me fee fuch boat like come to
place at my nation."
I DID not underſtand him a good while; but
at laft, when I had examined farther into it, I
underſtood by him, that a boat, fuch as that had
been, came on fhore upon the country where he
lived; that is, as he explained it, was driven thi-
ther by ſtreſs of weather: I preſently imagined,
that fome European fhip muft have been caft
away upon their coaft, and the boat might get
loofe, and drive afhore; but was fo dull, that I
never once thought of men making their eſcape
from a wreck thither, much lefs whence they might
come; fo I only enquired 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 fome warmth, "we fave 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 faid, "the boat full white
mans :"
A a
354
ADVENTURES OF
!
man." I aſked him how many; he told upon
his fingers feventeen: 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 fhip that was caft away in the
fight of my ifland, as I now called it; and who
after the fhip was ftuck on the rock, and they
faw her inevitably loft, had faved themſelves in
their boat, and were landed upon that wild fhore
among the favages.
UPON this I enquired of him more critically,
what was become of them: he affured me they
lived ftill there; that they had been there about
four years; that the favages 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 faid, "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 fuch as come to fight with them, and are
taken in battle.
It was after this fome confiderable time, that
being upon the top of the hill, at the eaft fide of
the iſland, from whence as I have faid, I had in a
clear
A
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
355
c.
clear day diſcovered the main or continent of
America, Friday, the weather being very ferene,
looks very earneftly towards the main land, and
in a kind of furprife, falls a jumping and dan ing,
and calls out to me, for I was at fome diſtance
from him; I aſked him what was the matter?"O
joy!" fays he, "O glad! there fee my country,
there my nation!" I obferved an extraordinary
enfe of pleaſure appeared in his face, and his
eyes fparkled, and his countenance difcovered a
ftrange eagerness, as if he had a mind to be in his
own country again; and this obfervation of mine
put a great many thoughts into me, which made
me at firft not fo eafy 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 e-
nough to give his countrymen an account of me,
and come back perhaps with an hundred or two
of them, and make a feaſt upon me, at which he
might be as merry as he ufed to be with thofe of
his enemies, when they were taken in war.
t
BUT I wronged the poor honeft creature very
much, for which I was very forry afterwards:
However, as my jealoufy increafed and held me
fome weeks, I was a little more circumfpect, and
not fo familiar and kind to him as before: in
which I was certainly in the wrong too, the honeft
A a 2
grate.
356
ADVENTURES OF
grateful creature having no thought about it, but
what confifted with the beſt principles, both as
a religious chriftian, and as a grateful friend, as
appeared afterwards, to my full fatisfaction.
WHILE my jealoufy of him lafted, you may be
fure I was every day pumping him, to fee if he
would diſcover any of the new thoughts which I
fufpected were in him; but I found every thing
he faid was fo honeft and fo innocent, that I could
find nothing to nouriſh my fufpicion, and in ſpite
of all my uneafinefs, he made me at laft entirely
his own again; nor did he in the leaſt perceive
that I was uneafy, and therefore I could not fufpect
him of deceit.
ONE day walking up the fame hill, but the
weather being hazy at fea, fo that we could not
ſee the continent, I called to him, and faid,
Friday, "do not you wish yourſelf in your own
country, your own nation. Yes, he ſaid, he be
much glad to be at his own nation. What would
you do there, faid I, would you turn wild again,
eat mens fleſh again, and be a favage as you were
before?" He looked full of concern, and fhaking his
head, faid, No, no, Friday tell them to live good
tell them to pray God, tell them to eat corn-bread,
cattle-fleſh, milk,no cat man again. Why then, faid
I to him, they will kill you," He looked grave at
that, and then faid, "No, no, they no kill me, they
willing love learn."He meant by this, they would be
will.
''
C
f
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
357
willing to learn, he added, "they learned much of
the bearded mans that came in the boat." Then I
afked him if he would go back to them? he finiled
at that, and told me that he could not fwim fo
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, fays I, why they will eat me if I
come there. No, no, fays 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 faved his life, and fo he would make
them love rne; then he told me, as well as he could,
how kind they were to feventeen white men, or
bearded men, as he called them, who came on
fhore there in diftrefs.
FROM this time I confefs I had a mind to
venture over, and ſee if I could poffibly join with
thoſe bearded men, who I made no doubt were
Spaniards or 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
ifland forty miles off the fhore, and alone without
help. So after fome 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 fide of the island, and having
cleared it of water (for I always kept it funk in the
2 A 3
water
:..
358
ADVENTURES OF
的
​water) I brought it out, fhewed it him, and we
both went into it. I found he was a moft dexte-
rous fellow at managing it, and would make it go
almoſt as ſwift again as I could; fo when he was
in I faid to him, "Well now, Friday, fhall we
go to your nation?" He looked very dull at my
faying fo, which it feems was, becauſe he thought
the boat too ſmall to go fo far; I told him then I
had a bigger; fo 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 fun had fplit and dryed 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 fo fixed
upon my defign of going over with him to the
continent, that I told him, we would go and
make one as big as that, and he fhould go home
in it. He anfwered not one word, but looked
very grave and fad, I aſked him what was the
matter with him? he aſked me again, thus, "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! No angry?"
fays
t
!
}
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
359
“Why
fays he, repeating the words feveral times,
fend Friday home away to my nation? Why fays I,
Friday, “did not you ſay, you wiſhed you were
there? Yes yes," fays he, "with be both there,
no wifh Friday there, no mafter there." In a
word he would not think of going there without
"" I
me, go there Friday, fays I, what fhall I do
there? he returned very quick upon me at this;
"You do great deal much good, fays he, you
teach wild man's to be good fober tame mans; you
tell them know God, pray God, and live new
life. Alas! Friday, fays I, thou knoweft not
what thou fayeft; I am but an ignorant man
nyfelf. Yes yes, fays he, you teachee me good,
No no Friday fays I,
you teachee them good.
"You fhall go without me, leave me here to
live by myſelf, as I did before." He looked
confufed again at that word and running to one
of the hatchets which he ufed to wear, he takes it
up haſtily, comes, and gives it to me, "What
muſt I do with this?" fays I to him.
take kill Friday, fays he.
"You
"What muft I kill
you for? Said I again. He returns very quick,
"What you fend Friday away for? Take kill
Friday no fend Friday away. This he fpoke fo
earneſtly, that I faw tears ftand in his eyes: in a
word, I fo plainly difcovered the utmoſt affection
in him to me, and a firm refolution in him, that
I told him then, and often after, that I would
A a 4
never
360
ADVENTURES OF
never fend him away from me, if he was willing
to ftay with me.
UPON the whole, as I found by all his diſcourſe
a fettled affection to me, and that nothing fhould
part him from me, fo I found all the foundation
of his defire 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, fo I had not the leaft thought,
or intention, or defire of undertaking it. But ftill
I found a ſtrong inclination to my attempting an
eſcape as above, founded on the fuppofition ga-
thered from the difcourfe, viz. that there were
feventeen bearded men there: 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 veffels: 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 firft.
Ar laſt, Friday pitched upon a tree, for I found
he knew much better than I, what kind of wood
was fitteft for it; nor can I tell to this day what
wood to call the tree we cut down, except it was
very
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
351
very like the tree we call fuftic, or between that
and the nicarigus wood, for it was much of the
fame colour and ſmell. Friday was for burning the
hollow, or cavity of this tree out, to make it for
a boat; but I fhewed him how rather to cut it out
with tools, which, after I had fhewed him how to
ufe, he did very handily, and in about a month's
hard labour, we finiſhed it, and made it very hand-
fome, especially when with our axes, which I
fhewed him how to handle, we cut and hewed the
outſide into the true fhape 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
rowlers into the water. But when ſhe was in, fhe
would have carried twenty men with great eaſe.
;
WHEN fhe was in the water, and though the was
fo big, it amazed me to fee, with what dexterity,
and how fwift my man Friday would manage her,
turn her, and paddle her along; fo I aſked him
if he would, and if we might venture over in her
"Yes he faid, he venture over in her very well,
though great blow wind." However, I had a far-
ther defign, that he knew nothing of, and that
was to make a maft and a fail, and to fit her with
an anchor and cable; as to a maft, that was eaſy
enough to get; fo I pitched upon a ſtrait young
cedar tree, which I found near the place, and
which there were great plenty of in the iſland;
and
1
५
362
ADVENTURES OF
and I fet Friday to work to cut it down, and
gave him directions how to fhape and order it.
But as to the fail, that was my particular care; I
knew I had old fails, or rather pieces of old fails
enough; but as I had them now fix and twenty
years by me, and had not been very careful to
preſerve them, not imagining that I fhould ever
have this kind of ufe for them, I did not doubt
but they were all rotten, and indeed, moſt of
them were fo; however, I found two pieces,
which appeared pretty good, and with thefe I
went to work, and with a great deal of pains and
aukward tedious ftitching (you may be fure) for
want of needles, I at length made a three cornered
ugly thing, like what we call in England, a fhoul-
der of mutton-fail, to go with a boom at bottom,
and a little ſhort fprit at the top, fuch as ufually
our fhips long-boats fail with, and fuch as I beſt
knew how to manage becauſe it was fuch an one,
as I had to the boat, in which I made my efcape
from Barbary, as related in the first part of my
ſtory
I was near two months, performing this laft
work, viz. rigging and fitting my maſt and fails;
for I finiſhed them very compleat, and making a
ſmall ſtay, and a fail or fore-fail to it, to affift, if
we ſhould turn to windward; and which was more
than all, I fixed a rudder to the ftern of her, to
fteer
-
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
363
fteer with; and though I was a bungling fhip-
wright, yet as I knew the uſefulneſs, and even
neceffity of fuch a thing; I applied myſelf with
fo much pains to do it, that at laſt I brought it to
pafs; though confidering the many dull contri-
vances I had for it that failed, I think it coft me
almoſt as much labour as making the boat.
AFTER all this was done too, I had my man
Friday to teach as to what belonged to the na-
vigation of my boat; for though he knew very
well how to paddle a canoe, he knew nothing what
belonged to a fail, and a rudder; and was the moſt
amazed, when he faw me work the boat to and
again in the fea by the rudder, and how the fail
gibbed, and filled this way, or that way, as the
courſe we failed changed; I fay, when he faw this,
he ſtood like one aſtoniſhed, and amazed. How-
eyer, with a little ufe, I made all theſe things
familiar to him; and he became an expert failor,
except that as to the compaís, I could make him
underſtand very little of that. On the other hand,
as there was very little cloudy weather, and fel-
dom or never any fogs in thofe parts, there was
the lefs occafion for a compafs, feeing the ftars
were always to be ſeen by night, and the ſhore by
day, except in the rainy feafons, and then nobody
cared to ſtir abroad, either by land or ſea.
I WAS
364
ADVENTURES OF
I was now entered on the feven 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 fame thankfulnefs to
God, for his mercies as at firſt; and if I had fuch
caufe of acknowledgement at firft, I had much
more fo now, having fuah additional teftimonies
of the care of providence over me, and the great
hopes I had of being effectually and fpeedily
delivered; for I had an invincible impreffion
upon my thought, that my deliverance was at
hand, and that I fhould not be another year in
this place: however, I went on with
my huſban-
dry, digging, planting, fencing, as ufual: I
gathered and cured my grapes, and did every
neceffary thing as before.
THE rainy ſeaſon was now in the mean time
upon me, when I kept more within doors, than
at other times; fo I had ftowed our new veffel as
fecure as we could, bringing her up into the creek,
where, as I faid, in the begining, I landed my
rafts from the fhip, and hauling her up to the
thore, at high water mark, I made my man
Friday dig a little dock juft big enough to hold
her, and juft deep enough to give her water
enough
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
365
enough to float in: and then when the tide was
out, we made a ftrong dam croſs the end of it,
to keep the water out; and fo fhe lay dry, as to
the tide from the fea; and to keep the rain off,
we laid a great many boughs of trees, fo thick,
that ſhe was as well thatched as a houfe; and thus
we waited for the months of November and De-
cember, in which I defigned to make my adven-
ture.
WHEN the fettled feafon 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 provifions, being the ftores for our
voyage; and intended in a week or a fortnights
time, to open the dock, and launch out our boat.
I was bufy one morning upon.fomething of this
kind, when I called to Friday, and bid him go
to the fea-fhore, and fee if he could find a turtle,
or tortoife, a thing, which we generally got once
a week, for the fake 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
fteps he fet his feet on; and before I had time to
fpeak to him, he cries out to me, "O maſter!
O maſter! O forrow! O bad! What's the matter,
Friday fays I, O yonder, there, fays he, one, two,
1
three
366
ADVENTURES OF
three canoe! one, two, three" by this way of
fpeaking, I concluded there were fix, but on en-
quiry, I found it was but three: well, Friday,
fays I, do not be frighted; fo I heartened him up
as well as I could: however, I ſaw the poor fellow
was most terribly fcared, 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 fo, that I fcarce knew what
to do with him: I comforted him as well as I could,
and told him I was in asmuch danger as he, and
that they would eat me as well as him; but fays
I Friday," we muft refolve to fight them: can
you fight? Friday. Me fhoot, fays he, but there
come many great number. No matter for that,
faid. I again, our guns will fright them that we do
not kill?" fo I asked him whether, if I refolved to
defend him, he would defend me, and ſtand by
me, and do just as I bid him: he faid, "Me die
when you bid die, mafter." 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 had drank it, I made him
take the two fowling pieces, which we always
carried, and loaded them with large fwan fhot, as
big as finall piftol bullets; then I took four muf-
kets, and loaded them with two flugs, and five
fmall bullets each; and my two piſtols, I loaded
with a brace of bullets each; I hung my great
word
5
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
367
fword, as ufual, naked by my fide, and gave Fri-
day his hatchet.
WHEN I had thus prepared myſelf, I took my
perſpective glaſs, and went up to the fide of the
hill, to fee what I could difcover; and I found
quickly by my glafs, that there was one and
twenty favages, three prifoners, and three canoes,
and that their whole bufinefs feemed to be the
triumphant banquet upon thefe three human bo-
dies, (a barbarous feaſt indeed) but nothing more
than, as I had obferved, was uſual with them.
I OBSERVED alfo, that they were landed not
where they had done when Friday made his eſcape,
but nearer to my creek, where the fhore was low,
and where a thick wood came cloſe almoſt down
to the fea: this, with the abhorrence of the in-
human errand thefe wretches came about, filled me
with fuch indignation, that I came down again to
Friday, and told him, I was refolved to go down
to them and kill them all; and aſked him if he
would ſtand by me? he was.. now gotten over
his fright, and his ſpirits being a little raiſed with
the dram I had given him, he was very chearful,
and told me, as before," he would die, when I
bid die."
1
IN
368
ADVENTURES OF
1
In this fit of fury, I took firft 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 myfelf; and in this pofture we
marched out: I took a ſmall bottle of rum in my
pocket, and gave Friday a large bag with more
powder and bullet; and as to orders, I charged him
to keep cloſe behind me, and not to ftir, or fhoot,
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, fo that I might come within fhot of them
before I fhould be diſcovered, which I had feen
by my glaſs it was eaſy to do.
I
WHILE I was making this march, my former
thoughts returning, I began to abate my refolu-
tion; I do not mean, that I entertained any fear of
their number, for as they were naked, unarmed
wretches, it is certain I was fuperior to them,
nay, though I had been alone; but it occured
to my thoughts, what call? What occafion?
Much less what neceffity 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 whofe barbarous cuf-
oms were their own difafter, being in them indeed
:
a token
}
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
369
a token of God's having left them, with the other
nations of that part of the world, to fuch ſtupidity,
and to fuch inhuman courſes, but did not call me
to take upon me to be a judge of their actions,
much leſs an executioner of his juftice; that when-
ever 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 refpect to myſelf. Theſe things were fo
warmly preffed upon my thoughts all the way as
I went, that I refolved I would only go and
place myſelf near them, that I might obſerve their
barbarous feaft, and that I would act then as God
ſhould direct, but that unleſs fomething offered
that was more a call to me than yet I knew of, I
would not meddle with them.
WITH this refolution I entered the wood and,
with all poffible warinefs and filence, Friday fol-
lowing cloſe at my heels, I marched till I came to
the ſkirt of the wood, on the fide which was next
to them, only that one corner of the wood lay
between me and them; here I called foftly to
Friday, and fhewing him a great tree, which was
Bb
just
370
ADVENTURES OF
juft at the corner of the wood, I bad him go to the
tree, and bring me word if he could fee there plainly
what they were a doing; he did fo, and came imme-
diately 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 prifoners,
and that another lay bound upon the fand, a little
from them, which he faid they would kill next,
and which fired all the very foul within me he
told me it was not one of their nation, but one of
the bearded men, who 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 faw plainly by my glafs a
white man who lay upon the beach of the fea,
with his hands and his feet tied with flags, or things
like rushes; and that he was an European, and had
cloaths 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 faw I might come at undiſcovered, and
that then I ſhould be within half a fhot of them;
fo I with-held my paffion, 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
trec, and then I came to a little rifing ground,
which
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
371
which gave me a full view of them, at the diſtance
of about eighty yards:
I HAD now not a moment to lofe, for nineteen
of the dreadful wretches fat upon the ground, all
clofe huddled together; and had juſt fent the other
two to butcher the poor Chriftian, and bring him
perhaps limb by limb to their fire, and they were
Itooped down to unty the bands at his feet; (for
thefe prifoners were faft bound). I turned to
Friday, Now, Friday; faid I; "do as I bid thee.
Friday faid he would: Then Friday, fays I, do
exactly as you ſee me do, fail in nothing:" So I
fet down one of the muſkets and the fowling-piece
upon the ground, and Friday did the like by his,
and with the other mufket I took my aim at the
favages, bidding him to do the like; then afking
him if he was ready; he faid, yes; then fire at
them, ſaid I, and the fame moment I fired alſo.
FRIDAY took his aim fo much better than I,
that on the fide that he fhot he killed two of them,
and wounded three more; and on my fide I killed
one and wounded two. They were, you may be
fure, in a dreadful confternation, and all of them
who were not hurt jumped up 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 clofe
Bb 2
upor
}
1
i
372
ADVENTURES OF
upon me, that as I had bid him, he might obferve
what I did; fo as foon as the firſt ſhot was made, I
threw down the piece and took up the fowling-
piece and Friday did the like; he faw me cock and
prefent, he did the fame again: are you ready?
Friday faid I. Yes, fays he: Let fly then, fays I, in
the name of God; and with that I fired again among
the amazed wretches, and fo did Friday, and as
our pieces were now loaden with what I called
ſwan fhot, or ſmall piſtol bullets, we found only
two drop, but fo many were wounded, that they
ran about yelling and fcreaming like mad crea-
tures, all bloody, and miferably wounded moſt of
them, whereof three more fell quickly after,
though not quite dead.
Now, Friday, fays 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 ſhewed myſelf, and Friday cloſe at my foot;
as foon as I perceived they faw me, I fhouted as
loud as I could, and bad Friday do fo too, and
running as faft as I could, which by the way was
not very faft, being loaded with arms as I was, I
made directly towards the poor victim, who was,
as I faid, lying upon the beach or fhore between
the place where they fat and the fea; the two but-
chers who were just going to work with him, had
left
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
373
left him at the furprize of our firſt fire, and fled in
a terrible fright to the fea fide, and had jumped in-
to a canoe, and three more of the reſt made the
fame way;
I turned to Friday and bad him ſtep
forwards, and fire at them; he underſtood me imme-
diately, and running about forty yards, to be near-
er them, he ſhot at them, and I thought he had
killed them all, for I faw 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 fo 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 loofing his hands and feet, I
lifted him up, and aſked him in the Portuguefe
tongue, What he was? He anſwered in Latin,
Chriftianus, but was fo weak and faint that he
could ſcarce ſtand or ſpeak; I took my bottle out
of my pocket and gave it him, making figns that
he ſhould drink, which he did; and I gave him a
piece of bread, which he eat: Then I aſked him
what country man he was; and he faid, Efpagni-
ole; and being a little recovered, let me know by
all the figns he could poffibly make, how much
he was in my debt for his deliverance: Seignior,
faid I, with as much Spaniſh as I could make up,
"we will talk afterwards but we muſt fight now;
Bb 3
if
374
ADVENTURES OF
1
if you have any ftrength left, take this piftol and
fword, and lay about you." He took them very
thankfully and no fooner had he the arms in his
hands, but, as if they had put new vigour into
him, he flew upon his murtherers like a fury, and
had cut two of them in pieces in an inftant :
for the truth is, as the whole was a furprize to
them, fo the poor creatures were fo much fright-
ed with the noiſe of our pieces that they fell
down for mere amazement and fear, and had no
more power to attempt their own efcape, than
their fleſh had to refift our fhot; and that was
the cafe of thoſe five that Friday fhot at in the
boat; for as three of them fell with the hurt they
received 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 piftol and
fword; fo I called to Friday, and bad him run
up to the tree from whence we firft 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 fet down myſelf
to load all the reft again, and bid 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 favages,
who made at him with one of their great wood-
en
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
375
en fwords, the fame 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 ftout lufty fellow, cloſing in with him, had
thrown him down (being faint) and was wring-
ing my fword out of his hand, when the Spani-
ard, though undermoft, wifely quitting the fword
drew the piftol from his girdle, fhot the favage
through the body, and killed him upon the ſpot
before I, who was running to help him, could
come near him.
1
FRIDAY being now left to his liberty, purfued
the flying wretches, with no weapon in his hand
but his hatchet, and with that he difpatched thoſe
three, who, as I faid 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 purfued two of the favages, and wound-
ed 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 he had plunged himſelf into
the fea, and fwam with all his might off to thofe
B b 4
3
two
1
376
ADVENTURES OF
}
f
two who were left in the canoe; which three in
the canoe, with one wounded that we know not
whether he died or no, were all that efcaped our
hands of one and twenty; the account of the reſt
is as follows;
3 Killed at our firft fhot from the tree.
2 Killed at the next fhot.
2 Killed by Friday in the boat.
2 Killed by ditto of thofe at firft wounded.
1 Killed by ditto in the wood.
3 Killed by the Spaniard.
4 Killed, being found dropped here and there
of their wounds, or killed by Friday in his
chaſe of them.
4 Eſcaped in the boat, whereof one wound-
ed, if not dead.
21 In all.
THOSE that were in the canoe worked hard to
get out of gun fhot, 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 efcape,
left carrying the news home to their people,
they ſhould come back perhaps with two or three
hundred of their canoes, and devour us by mere
mul-
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
377
multitude: So I confented to purſue them by fea,
and running to one of their canoes I jumped in,
and bad Friday follow me; but when I was in
the canoe, I was furprized to find another poor
creature lye there, bound hand and foot, as the
Spaniard was, for the flaughter and almoft dead
with fear, not knowing what the matter was:
for he had not been able to look up over the
fide of the boat, he was tied, fo hard neck and
heels, and had been tied fo long that he had
really but little life in him.
I IMMEDIATELY cut the twisted flags, or rufhes,
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 bad 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 de-
livered, revived him, and he fat up in the boat;
but when Friday came to hear him fpeak, and
look in his face, it would have moved any one
to tears to fee
to ſee how Friday kiffed him,
him, em-
braced him, hugged him, cryed, laughed ho-
looed, jumped about, danced, fung, then cryed
again, wrung his hands, beat his own face and
head, and then fung, and jumped about again,
like
378
ADVENTURES OF
like a diſtracted creature. It was a good while before
I could make him fpeak to me, or tell me what
was the matter; but when he came a little to him-
felf, he told me that it was his father.
Ir is not easy for me to exprefs how it mov-
ed me to ſee what extafy and filial affection had
worked in this poor favage at the fight of his
father, and of his being delivered from death;
nor indeed can I deſcribe half the extravagancies
of his affection after this, for he went into the
boat and out of the boat a great many times:
when he went into him, he would fit down by
him, open his breaft, and hold his father's
head cloſe to his bofom for many minutes to-
gether, to nourish it; then he took his arms
and ankles, which were numbed and ftiff with the
binding, and chafed and rubbed them with his
hands, and I, perceiving what the cafe was, gave
him fome rum out of my bottle to rub them
with, which did them a great deal of good.
THIS action put an end to our purſuit of the
canoe, with the other favages, who were now
gotten almoft out of fight; and it was happy for
us that we did not, for it blew fo hard within
two hours after, and before they could be got-
ten a quarter of their way, and continued blow-
ing fo hard all night, from the north-weft,
which
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
379
which was against them, that I could not fup-
poſe their boat could live, or that they ever reach-
ed their own coaſt.
BUT to return to Friday, he was fo buſy about
his father, that I could not find in my heart to
take him off for fome 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 degree; then I afked him, if he
had given his father any bread? He fhook his
head and faid, none:
up felf;'
fo I gave him a cake of bread out of a little
،
Ugly dog eat all
pouch I carried on purpofe; I alfo
dram for himſelf, but he would not
gave him a
tafte it, but
carried it to his father; I had in my pocket alfo
two or three bunches of raifins, fo I gave him
a handful of them for his father. He had no
fooner given his father theſe raifins but I faw
him come out of the boat, and run away, as if
he had been bewitched, he run at fuch a rate;
for he was the ſwifteft fellow of his feet
that ever I faw; I fay, he run at fuch a rate,
that he was out of fight, as it, were, in an in-
ftant, and though I called and holooed 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 fo faft as he went; and as he came
nearer,
380
ADVENTURES OF
1
nearer, I found his pace was flacker, becauſe he
had fomething in his hand.
WHEN he came up to me, I found he had
been quite home for an earthen jugg or pot to
bring his father fome freſh water, and that he
had got 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 fup of it. The water revived his father
more than all the rum or fpirits I had given
him; for he was juft fainting with thirft.
WHEN his father had drank, I called to him
to know if there was any water left; he faid,
yes; and I bad him give it to the poor Spani-
ard, who was in as much want of it as his fa-
ther; and I fent one of the cakes that Friday
brought to the Spaniard too, who was indeed
very weak, and was repofing himſelf upon a green
place under the fhade of a tree; and whofe limbs
were alſo very ftiff, and very much fwelled with
the rude bandage he had been tied with, when
I faw that upon Fridays coming to him with
the water, he fat up and drank, and took the
bread, and began to eat, I went to him and gave
him a handful of raifins; he looked up in my
face with all the tokens of gratitude and thank-
fulneſs, that could appear in any countenance;
but
1
}
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
38
but was ſo weak, notwithſtanding he had ſo ex-
erted himſelf in the fight, that he could not ſtand
up upon his feet: he tryed to do it two or three
times, but was really not able, his ankles were ſo
fwelled and fo painful to him; fo I bad him fit
ftill, and cauſed Friday to rub his ankles, and
bathe them with rum as he had done his fa-
ther's.
I OBSERVED the poor affectionate creature every
two minutes or perhaps lefs, all the while he
was here, turned his head about, to fee if his fa-
ther was in the fame place, and pofture as he
left him fitting; and at laſt he found he was not
to be ſeen: at which he ſtarted up, and without
ſpeaking a word flew with that fwiftnefs 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 cafe his
Himbs; fo Friday came back to me prefently,
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 dwell-
ing, where I would take care of him, but Fri-
day a lufty ſtrong fellow, took the Spaniard quite
up upon his back, and carried him away to the
boat, and fet him down foftly upon the fide or
gunnel of the canoe, with his
feet in the infide
of it; and then lifting him quite in, he fet him
clofe
382
ADVENTURES OF
}
cloſe to his father, and preſently ſtepping out
again, launched the boat off, and paddled it along
the fhore fafter than I could walk, though the
wind blew pretty hard too; fo he brought them
fafe out into our creek; and leaving them in the
boat, runs away to fetch the other canoe. As he
paffed me, I ſpoke to him and afked him whither
he went, he told me, go fetch more boat; fo
away he went like the wind; for füre never man
or horfe run like him, and he had the other
canoe in the creak, almoft as foon as I
got to
it by land; fo 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; fo that poor Friday knew not what tơ
do.
To remedy this, I went to work in my thought
and calling to Friday to bid them fit down on
the bank while he came to me, I foon made a
kind of a hand-barrow to lay them on, and Fri-
day 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 I hardly thought
it poffible to get them over, and I was refolved
not to break it down; fo I fet to work again,
and Friday, and I, in about two hours time made
a very handfome tent, covered with old fails,
and
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
383
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
fuch things 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 fubjects; 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; fo that I had an un-
doubted right of dominion. 2dly, My people were
perfectly fubjected: I was abfolutely lord and
law giver; they all owed their lives to me, and
were ready to lay down their lives if there had
been occafion of it, for me. It was remarkable
too, I had but three fubjects and they were of
three different religions. My man Friday was
a proteftant, his father was a pagan and a can-
nibal, and the Spaniard was a papift; however
I allowed liberty of confcience throughout my
dominions: But this is by the way.
As foon as I had fecured my two weak refcued
priſoners, and given them fhelter and a place to
reft them upon, I began to think of making fome
provifion for them: and the first thing I did, I
order-
384
ADVENTURES OF
་་
1
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 choping it into finall pieces, I fet Friday to
work to boiling and ftewing, and made them a
very good difh, I affure you, of flesh and broth;
having put fome barley and rice alfo into the broth;
and as I cooked it without doors, for I made no
fire within my inner wall, fo I carried it all into
the new tent; and having fet a table there for
them, I fat down and eat my own dinner alfo
with them, and as well as I could cheared them
and encouraged them: Friday being my inter-
preter, eſpecially to his father, and indeed to the
Spaniard too; for the Spaniard fpoke the langu-
age
of the favages pretty well.
AFTER We had dined, or rather ſupped, I or-
dered 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
bury the dead bodies of the favages, which lay
open to the fun, and would prefently be offen-
five; and I alſo ordered him to bury the horrid
remains of their barbarous feaft, which I knew
were pretty much, and which I could not think
of doing myſelf; nay, I could not bear to fee
them if I went that way: all which he punctually
performed, and defaced the very appearance of
5
the.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
385
the favages being there; fo that when I went
again, I could fcarce know where it was, other-
wife than by the corner of the wood pointing to
the place.
I THEN began to enter into a little converfa-
tion, with my two new fubjects; and firſt I ſent
Friday to enquire of his father what he thought
of the eſcape of the favages in that canoe, and
whether we might expect a return of them with
a power too great for us to refift: his firſt opi-
nion was, that the favages in the boat never could
live out the ſtorm that blew that night they went
off, but muſt of neceffity be drowned or driven
fouth to thofe other fhores where they were as fure
to be devoured as they were to the drowned if
they were caft away; but as to what they would
do if they came fafe on fhore, he ſaid he knew
not; but it was his opinion that they were fo
dreadfully frighted 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 fpirits or furies.
come down to deftroy them, and not men with
weapons; This he faid he knew, becauſe he heard
them all cry out fo in their language to one a-
nother, for it was impoffible for them to con-
ceive
Сё
هم
386
ADVENTURES OF
1
ceive 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 favage was in
the right; for, as I underſtood fince by other
hands, the favages never attempted to go over
to the iſland afterwards; they were fo terrified with
the accounts given by thofe four men, (for it feems
they did eſcape the fea) that they believed who-
ever went to that enchanted ifland would be de-
ftroyed with fire from the Gods.
THIS however I knew not, and therefore was
under continual apprehenfions for a good while,
and kept always upon my guard, with all my ar-
my; for as there were now four of us, I would
have ventured upon an hundred of them, fairly
open field at any time•
in the
In a little time however, no more canoes ap-
pearing, the fear of their coming wore off, and I
began to take my former thoughts of a voyage to
the main into confideration, being likewife affur-
ed by Friday's father, that I might depend upon
good ufage from their nation, on his account,
if I would go. But my thoughts were a little
fufpended when I had a ferious difcourfe with the
Spaniard, and when I underſtood that there were
fixteen more of his countrymen and Portugueſe,
who having been caft away, and made their efcape
}
to
7
ROBINSON CRUSO E. 387
1
.
to that fide, lived there at peace indeed with the
favages, but were very fore put to it for neceffa-
ries, and indeed for life: I afked him all the
par-
ticulars of their voyage, and found they were a
Spaniſh fhip, bound from the Rio de la Plata to
the Havanna, being directed to leave their loading
there, which was chiefly hides and filver, and to
bring back what European goods they could meet
with there; that they had five Portugueſe feamen
on board, whom they took out of another wreck;
that five of their own men were drowned, when the
firſt ſhip was loft, and that theſe eſcaped through
infinite dangers and hazards, and arrived almoſt
ftarved, on the cannibal coaft, where they expect-
ed to have been devoured every moment.
told me they had fome arms with them, but they
were perfectly uſeleſs, for that they had neither
powder or ball, the wafhing of the fea having
ſpoiled all their powder, but a little, which they
uſed at their firft landing, to provide themſelves
for food.
He
I ASKED him what he thought would become
of them there, and if they had formed no defign of
making any eſcape? He faid, they had many
confultations about it, but that having neither
veffel, or tools to build one, or provifions of any
kind, their councils always ended in tears and
deſpair.
Cc 2
I ASKED
1
·388
ADVENTURES OF
I ASKED him how he thought they would receive
a propofal 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 ufage 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 fquare their dealings by the obli-
gations they had received, fo much as they did by
the advantages they expected. I told him it would
be very hard that I fhould be the inftrument of
their deliverance, and that they fhould after wards
make me their prifoner in New Spain, where an
Engliſhman was certain to be made a facrifice,
what neceffity, or what accident foever brought him
thither; and that I had rather be delivered up to
the favages, and be devoured alive, than fall into
the mercileſs claws of the priefts, and be carried
into the inquifition. I added, that otherwiſe I was
perfuaded, if they were all here, we might with
fo many hands, build a bark large enough to
carry us all away, either to the Brafils fouthward,
or to the iſlands, or Spaniſh coaft northward, but
that if in requital they ſhould when I had put wea-
pons into their hands, carry me by force among
their own people, I might be ill ufed for my
kindneſs to them, and make my cafe worſe than
it was before.
HR
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
389
He answered with a great deal of candour and
ingenuity, that their condition was fo miferable,
that they were ſo fenfible of it, that he believed,
they would abhor the thought of uſing any man
unkindly, that fhould contribute to their deliver-
ance; and that if I pleaſed, he would go to them
with the old man, and difcourfe with them about
it, and return again, and bring me their anſwer;
that he would make conditions with them, upon
their folemn oath, that they fhould be abfolutely
under my leading, as their commander and cap-
tain: and that they fhould fwear upon the holy
facraments, and the gofpel to be true to me, and
go to fuch chriftian country as that I fhould agree
to, and no other, and to be directed wholely and
abfolutely by my orders, till they were landed
fafely in fuch country as I intended; and that he
would bring a contract from them under their
hands for that purpofe. Then he told me, he
would first wear 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
1aft drop of his blood, if there fhould happen the
leaft 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 cloaths,
nor any food but at the mercy and difcretion of the
Lavages; out of all hopes of ever returning to their
Cc 3
OWN
390
ADVENTURES OF
own country; and that he was fure, if I would
undertake their relief, they would live and die by
me.
•
:
UPON theſe affurances, I refolved to venture to
relieve them if poffible, and to fend the old favage
and this Spaniard over to them to treat: but when
we had gotten 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
fincerity on the other hand, that I could not but
be very well fatisfied in it; and by his advice put
off the deliverance of his comrades, for at leaft
half a year; the cafe was thus.
He had been with us now about a month, dur-
ing which time I had let him fee in what manner
I had provided, with the affiftance of providence,
for my fupport, and he faw evidently what ſtock
of corn and rice I had laid up; which though it
was more than fufficient for myfelf, yet it was not
fufficient, without good hufbandry, for my family,
now it was encreaſed to number four: but much
lefs would it be fufficient if his countrymen, who
were, as he faid, fourteen ſtill alive, fhould come
over and leaft of all, would it be fufficient to
victual our veffel, if we fhould build one, for a
voyage to any of the chriſtian colonies of America:
fo he told me, he thought it would be more ad-
vifable
:
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
391
vifable to let him and the other two dig and
cultivate fome more land, as much as I could
fpare feed to fow, and that we fhould wait an-
other harveſt; that we might have a fupply of corn
for his countrymen when they fhould come, for
want might be a temptation to them to difagree,
or not to think themſelves delivered otherwife
than out of one difficulty into another. "You
know fays he,
"the children of Ifrael, though
they rejoiced at firft, for their being delivered out of
Egypt, yet rebelled even againſt God himſelf,
that delivered them, when they came to want
bread in the wildernefs.""
His caution was fo reafonable, and his advice
fo good, that I could not but be very well pleaſed
with his propofal, as well as I was fatisfied with
his fidelity: fo we fell to digging all four of us, as
well as the wooden tools we were furniſhed with
permitted, and in about a months time, by the
-end of which it was feed time, we had gotten as
much land cured and trimmed up, as we fowed
two and twenty bufhels of barley on, and fixteen
jars of rice, which was all the feed we had to
Ipare: nor indeed, did we leave ourſelves barley
fufficient for our own food, for the fix months that
we had to expect our crop, that is to fay, reckoning,
from the time we fet our feed afide for ſowing: for itis
Cc 4
not
392
ADVENTURES OF
not to be fuppofed, it is fix months in the ground
in that country.
HAVING now fociety enough, and our number
being fufficient, to put us out of fear of the favages,
if they had come, unleſs their number had been
very great, we went freely all over the inland,
wherever we found occafion; and as here we
had our eſcape or deliverance upon our thoughts,
it was impoffible, at leaſt for me, to have the
means of it out of mine; to this purpoſe I marked
out feveral trees which I thought fit for our work,
and I fet Friday and his father to cutting them
down; and then I caufed the Spaniard, to whom I
imparted my thought on that affair, to overſee and -
direct their work: I fhewed them with what inde-
fatigable pains, I had hewed a large tree into
fingle planks, and I caufed 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 ima-
gine.
ر
AT the fame time I contrived to increaſe my
little ſtock of tame goats as much as I could; and
to this purpoſe I made Friday and the Spaniard
go out one day, and myfelf with Friday the next
day; for we took our turns; and by this means
we
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
393
got about twenty young kids, to breed up with
the reft, for whenever we fhot the dam, we faved
the kids, and added them to our flock: but above
all, the feafon for curing the grapes coming on, I
cauſed ſuch a prodigious quantity to be hung up
in the fun that I believe, had we been at Alicant,
where the raiſins of the fun are cured, we could
have filled fixty or eighty barrels: and thefe with
our bread, was a great part of our food, and was
very good living too, I affure you, for it is an
exceeding nouriſhing food.
1
Ir 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 bufhels
of barley, we brought in and threſhed out above
two hundred and twenty bufhels, and the like in
proportion of the rice, which was ftore enough for
our food, to the next harveft, thoughall the fixteen
Spaniards had been on fhore 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 fay of America.
When we had thus houfed and fecured 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 dextrous
:
at
394
ADVENTURES OF
1
at this part, and often blamed me that I did not
make fome things for defence of this kind of work;
but I faw no need of it.
And now having a full fupply of food for all the
guefts 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 him there. I gave him a
ftrict charge not to bring any man with him, who
would not firſt ſwear in the prefence of himſelf and
the old favage, that he would no way injure, fight
with or attack the perfon he ſhould find in the
inland, who was fo kind to fend for them in order
to their deliverance, but that they would ftand by
him, and defend him againſt all fuch attempts,
and wherever they went would be intirely under
and fubjected to his commands; and that this
ſhould be put in writing, and figned with their
hands. How we were to have done this, when I
knew they had neither pen or ink, was a queftion
which we never aſked.
UNDER theſe inftructions the Spaniard and the
old favage, the father of Friday, went away in one
of the canoes, which they might be faid to come
in, or rather were brought in, when they came as
prifoners to be devoured by the favages. I gave
each of them a mufket with a firelock on it, and
about eight charges of powder and ball, charging
them
1
}
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
395
{
them to be very good huſbands of both, and not
to ufe either of them but upon urgent occafion.
THIS was a chearful work, being the firſt mea-
fures uſed by me in view of my deliverance, for
now twenty ſeven years and fome days. I gave
them provifions of bread, and of dried grapes;
fufficient for themſelves, for many days, and
fufficient for all his countrymen for about eight
days time; and wifhing them a good voyage, I
faw them go, agreeing with them about a fignal
they ſhould hang out at their return, by which I
fhould know them again, when they came back,
at a diſtance, before they came on fhore. 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 loft it I could never recover it
again; nor had I kept even the number of years,
fo punctually, as to be fure 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 in-
tervened, of which the like has not perhaps been
heard of in hiſtory. I was faft afleep in my hutch
one morning, when my man Friday came running
1
into
}
396
ADVENTURES OF
in to me, and called aloud, "Mafter, mafter they are
come they are come." I jumped up, and regardlets
of danger, I went out as foon as I could get my
cloaths on, through my little grove, which by the
way was by this time grown to be a very thick
wood, I fay, regardleſs of danger, I went without my
arms, which was not my cuftom to do: but I was
furprized, when turning my eyes to the fea, I
preſently faw a boat at about a league and a half's
diſtance, ſtanding in for the fhore, with a ſhoulder
of mutton fail, as they call it, and the wind blow-
ing pretty fair to bring them in; alfo I obferved
preſently, that they did not come from that fide
which the ſhore lay on, but from the ſouthermoſt
end of the iſland: upon this, I called Friday in,
and bad him lie clofe, for thefe were not the peo-
ple 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 perfpective glafs,
to fee 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 fcarce ſet my
foot upon the hill, when my eye plainly diſcover-
ed a ſhip lying at an anchor, at about two leagues
and an half's diftance from me S. S. E. but not
above a league and an half from the fhore. By
my obfervation, it appeared plainly to be an En-
gliſh
ROBINSON CRUSOE,
397
gliſh ſhip, and the boat appeared to be an Engliſh
long boat.
I CANNOT exprefs the confufion I was in,
though the joy of feeing a ſhip, and one that I
had reaſon to believe was manned by my own
countrymen, and confequently friends, was fuch
as I cannot deſcribe; but yet I had fome fecret
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 confider what
buſineſs an Engliſh ſhip could have in that part of
the world, fince it was not the way to or from any
part of the world where the Engliſh had any traf-
fick; and I knew there had been no ftorms to drive
them in there as in diftrefs; and that if they were
Engliſh really, it was moſt probable that they were
here upon no good defign; and that I had better con-
tinue as I was, than fall into the hands of thieves
and murderers.
LET no man defpife the fecret hints and notices
of danger which fometimes are given him, when
he may think there is no poffibility of its being
real: that fuch hints and notices are given us, I
believe few that have made any obfervations of
things can deny; that they are certain difcoveries
of an invifible world, and a converfe of fpirits, we
cannot doubt; and if the tendency of them feems
to
398
O F
ADVENTURES
to be to warn us of danger, why fhould we not
fuppofe they are from fome friendly agent, whether
fupreme, or inferior and fubordinate, is not the
queſtion, and that they are given for our good.
The prefent queftion abundantly confirms me in
the juſtice of this reafoning; for had I not been made
cautious by this fecret admonition, come it from
whence it will, I had been undone inevitably, and
in a far worfe condition than before, as you will fee
preſently. I had not kept myſelf long in this
poſture, but I faw the boat draw near the fhore,
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 fee 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 juft as I may fay
at my door, and would foon have beaten me out of
my caſtle, and perhaps have plundered me of all I
had. When they were on fhore, I was fully fatis-
fied they were Engliſhmen; at leaſt moſt of them;
one or two I thought were Dutch; but it did not
prove fo: 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 fhore, they took thoſe three out of
the boat as priſoners: one of the three I could per-
ceive
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
399
ceive ufing the moſt paffionate geſtures of entreaty, af
fliction and deſpair, even to a kind of extravagance,
the other two I could perceive lifted up their hands
fometimes, and appeared concerned indeed, but
not to fuch a degree as the firft. I was perfectly
confounded at the fight, and knew not what the
meaning of it ſhould be.
Friday called out to me
"O mafter! You
could,
in Engliſh as well as he
fee Engliſh mans eat prifoner as well as favage
mans." Why fays I, "Friday, do you
Friday, do you think they
are a going to eat them? "Yes" fays Friday,
they will eat them." "No, no," fays I, Friday,
"I am afraid they will murther them indeed, but
you may be fure they will not eat them."
<s
ALL this while, I had no thought of what the
matter really was; but ſtood trembling with the
horror of the fight, expecting every moment when
the three prifoners fhould be killed; nay, once I
faw one of the villains lift up his arm with a great
cutlaſh, as the feamen call it, or fword to ftrike
one of the poor men; and I expected to fee him
fall every moment, at which all the blood in my
body feemed to run chill in my veins.
I WISHED heartily now for my Spaniard and the
favage, that was gone with him, or that I had any
way to have come undifcovered within fhot of
them, that I might have refcued the three men,
4
for
2
400
ADVENTURES OF
for I faw no fire arms they had among them; but
it fell out to my mind another way,
AFTER I had obferved the outrageous ufage of
the three men; by the infolent feamen I obferved
the fellows run ſcattering about the land, 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 fat down all three upon the
ground, very penfive; and looked like men in
defpair. This put me in mind of the firft time
I came on fhore and began to look about me, how
I gave myſelf over for loft: how wildly I looked
round me; what dreadful apprehenfions I had;
and how I lodged in the tree all night, for fear of
being devoured by wild beafts.
As I knew nothing that night of the fupply
I was to receive by the providential driving of the
ſhip nearer the land, by the ftorms and tide, by
which I have fince been fo long nouriſhed and
ſupported; ſo theſe three poor defolate 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
fafety, at the fame time that they thought them-
felves loft, and their cafe defperate. So little do
we fee before us in the world, and fo much reaſon
have we to depend chearfully upon the great ma-
ker
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
401
ker of the world, that he does not leave his crea-
tures, fo abfolutely deftitute, but in the worſt
circumftances, they have always fomething to be
thankful for, and fometimes are nearer their deli-
verance than they imagine, nay, are even brought
to their deliverance by the means by which they
ſeem to be brought to their deftruction.
It was juft at the top of high water when theſe
people came on ſhore, and partly while they ftood
parlying with the priſoners they brought, and partly
while they rambled about to fee what kind of a
place they were in, they had carelessly ftaid till
the tide was ſpent, and the water was ebbed con-
fiderably 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 a-fleep; however one of them
waking a little ſooner than the other, and finding
the boat too faſt a-ground for him to ſtir it, holoo-
ed for the reft who were ftraggling about, upon
which they all foon came to the boat; but it was
paſt all their ſtrength to launch her, the boat being
very heavy, and the fhore on that fide being a ſoft
oufy land, almoſt like a quick fand. In this con-
dition like true feamen, who are perhaps the leaſt of
all mankind given to forethought, they gave it
over, and away they ſtrolled about the country
D d
again;
402
ADVENTURES OF
3
、
again; and I heard one of them fay aloud to
another, calling them off from the boat, "Why
let her alone Jack, cannot you, fhe will float
next tide," by which I was fully confirmed in
the mean enquiry, of what countrymen they were.
All this while I kept myfelf very clofe, not
once daring to ſtir out of my caftle, any farther
than to my place of obfervation, near the
top of the hill; and very glad I was to think
how well it was fortified: I knew it was not
lefs 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 fee their motions
and to hear their difcourfe, 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 then I
had at firft; I ordered Friday alfo, who I had
made an excellent marks-man with his gun to
load himſelf with arms. I took myſelf two
fowling-pieces, and I gave him three mufkets;
my figure indeed was very fierce, I had my for-
midable goat-fkin coat on, with the great cap I
have mentioned, a naked fword by my fide, two
piftols in my belt, and a gun upon each fhoul-
der.
It was my defign as I faid above, not to have
made any attempt till it was dark: but about two
a clock, being the heat of the day, I found that in
5
fhort
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
403
2
ſhort they were all gone ftraggling into the woods
and as I thought laid down to fleep. The three
poor diftreffed men, too anxious for their condition
to get any fleep, were however fat down under the
ſhelter of great tree, at about a quarter of a mile
from me, and as I thought out of fight of any of
the reft. Upon this I refolved to diſcover myſelf
to them, and learn fomething of their condition;
immediately I marched in the figure as above, my
man Friday at a good diſtance behind me, as for-
midable for his arms as I, but not making quite
fo ſtaring a ſpectre-like figure as I did. I came as
near them undiſcovered as I could, and then be-
fore any of them faw me, I called aloud to them in
Spaniſh, "What are ye, gentlemen ?" They
ftarted up at the noife, but were ten times more
confounded when they faw 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 fpoke to them in Engliſh,
Gentlemen, faid I, "do not be furprized at me,
perhaps you may have a friend near you, when
you did not expect it. He muſt be ſent directly
from heaven then," faid one of them very gravely
to me, and pulling off his hat at the fame time
to me, "for our condition is paſt the help of
man. All help is from heaven, fir, faid I: But
can you put a ſtranger in the way how to help.
you, for you ſeem to be in fome great diſtreſs?
I faw you, when you landed, and when you
D d 2
feemed
{
404
ADVENTURES OF
feemed to make applications to the brutes that
came with you, I faw,one of them lift up his
fword to kill you,"
THE poor man, with tears runing down his
face, and trembling, looking like one aftoniſhed,
returned, "Am I talking to God or man! Is it
a real man or an angel? Be in no fear about
that, Sir, faid I, if God had fent an angel to
relieve you, he would have come better cloathed,
and armed after another manner than you fee
me; pray lay afide your fears, I am a man, an
Engliſhman, and difpofed to affift you, you fee;
I have one fervant only; we have arms and
ammunition; tell us freely, can we ferve you?-
What is your cafe?"
OUR, cafe faid he, fir, is too long to tell
you, while our murtherers are fo near us; but
in fhort, fir, I was commander of that fhip,
my men have mutinied against me; they have
been hardly prevailed on not to murther me,
and at laſt have fet me on fhore in this defolate
place, with theſe two men with me, one my
mate, the other a paffenger, where we expected
to perish, believing the place to be uninhabited,
and know not yet what to think of it."
"WHERE are thefe brutes your enemies, faid
I, do you know where they are gone? There
they lie, fir," faid he, pointing to a thicket of
4
trees;
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
405
cr
trees; my heart trembles for fear they have
feen us, and heard you ſpeak; if they have they
will certainly murther LIS all. Had they
any fire arms
arms faid I. He anſwered, they
had only two pieces, one of which they left
in the boat. "Well then, faid I, leave the reft
to me; I fee they are all afleep, it is an eafy
thing to kill them all; but fhall we rather take
them priſoners?" He told me there were two
defperate villains among them, that it was fcarce
fafe to fhew any mercy to, but if they were ſe-
cured, he believed all the reft would return to
their duty. I aſked him which they were? He
told me he could not as that diſtance diftinguifh
them, but he would obey my orders in any thing
I would direct. "Well, fays I, let us retreat
out of their view or hearing, left they awake,
and we will refolve further:" So they willingly
went back with me, till the woods covered us
from them.
"Look you, fir, faid I, if I venture upon
your deliverance, are you willing to make two
conditions with me. He anticipated my propofals,
by telling me, that both he and the fhip, if reco-
vered, fhould be wholly directed and command
ed by me in every thing; and if the fhip was not re-
covered, he would live and die with me in what
part
of the world foever I would fend him; and
D d 3
the
406
ADVENTURES OF
I
!
the two other men faid the fame.
“Well, ſays
put
I, my conditions are but two; 1. That while
you ſtay in this ifland with me, you will not
pretend to any authority here, and if I
arms in your hands, you will, upon all occafions,
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. 2. That if the ſhip
is, or may be recovered, you will carry me and
my man to England paffage free."
He gave me all the affurances that the invention
and faith of man could devife, that he would
comply with theſe moſt reaſonable demands, and
befides would owe his life to me, and acknowledge
it upon all occafions as long as he lived.
"Well
then, faid I, here are three mufkets for you,
with powder and ball; tell me next what you
think is proper to be done." He fhewed all
the teftimonies 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 was
not killed at the first volley, and offered to fubmit,
we might fave them, and fo put it wholly upon
God's providence to direct the fhot.
1
:
HE
ROBINSON CRUS QE.
407
1
}
He ſaid very modeftly, that he was loth to
kill them if he could help it, but that thofe two
were incorrigible villains, and had been the au-.
thors of all the mutiny in the fhip, and if they
eſcaped we ſhould be undone ftill, for they would
go on board and bring the whofe fhip's com-
pany, and deſtroy us all. "Well then, fays I,
neceffity legitimates my advice, for it is the only.
way to fave our lives." However feeing him
ftill cautious of fhedding blood, I told him they
ſhould go themſelves, and manage as they found
convenient.
IN the middle of this difcourfe we heard fome
of them awake, and foon after we faw two of
them on their feet; I aſked him if either of them
CC
were of the men who he had faid were the heads
of the mutiny? He faid, no. Well then, faid
I, you may let them efcape, and providence feems
to have awakened them on purpofe to fave them-
felves: now, fays I, if the reft efcape you it is
your fault." Animated with this, he took the
muſket I had given him in his hand, and a piftol
in his belt, and his two comrades with him with
each man a piece in his hand: the two men who
were with him, going firft, made fome noife, at
which one of the feamen, who was awake, turn-
ed about, and feeing them coming, cried out to
the reft; but it was too late then, for the mo-
D d 4
ment
4
408
ADVENTURES OF
:
:
ment he cried out, they fired, I mean the two
men, the captain wifely referving his own piece;
they had fo well aimed their fhot at the men
they knew, than one of them was killed on the
fpot, the other very much wounded, but not being
dead, he started up on his feet, and called eager-
ly for help to the other, but the captain ſtep-
ping 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 ftock of his mufket, fo that he
never ſpoke more: there were three more in the
company, and one of them was alfo flightly
wounded. By this time I was come, and when
they faw their danger, and that it was in vain
to refift, they begged for mercy: the captain told
them, he would fpare their lives, if they would
give him any affurance 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 pro-
teſtations of their fincerity that could be defired
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
J
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
409
4
!
¡
WHILE this was doing I fent Friday with the
captain's mate to the boat, with orders to fecure
her, and bring away the oars and fails, which
they did, and by and by three ſtraggling men
that were (happily for them) parted from the
reft came back upon hearing the guns fired, and
feeing the captain, who before was their prifoner,
now their conqueror, they fubmitted
bound alfo and fo our victory was complete.
to be
Ir now remained that the captain and I fhould
enquire into one another's circumſtances: I began
firft, 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 provifions 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
feemed to have been preferved there on purpoſe
to fave his life, the tears ran down his face, and
he could not fpeak a word more. After this
communication was at an end, I carried him and
his two men into my appartment, leading them
în juft where I came out, viz. at the top of the
houfe, where I refreſhed them with fuch provifions
as I had, and fhewed them all the contrivances
I had made, during my long, long inhabiting in
that place.
'.
"
ALL
+
410
ADVENTURES OF
ALL I fhewed them, all I. faid to them, was
perfectly amazing; but above all the captain ad-
mired 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 fo thick that it
was impaffable in any part of it, but at that one
fide; where I had referved my little winding
paffage into it: I told him this was my caftle
and my refidence, but that I had a feat in the
country, as moſt princes have, whither I could
retreat upon occafion, and I would fhew him
that too another time, but at preſent our bufinefs
was to confider how to recover the fhip: he agre-
ed with me as to that but told me, he was per-
fectly at a loſs what meafures to take, for that
there were ftill fix and twenty hands on board,
who having entered into a curfed confpiracy, by
which they had all forfeited their lives to the
law, would be hardned in it now by defper-
knowing that if
ation, and would carry it on,
*
they were reduced they would be brought to the
gallows, as foon as they came to England, or to
any of the English, colonies; and that therefore
there would be no attacking them with fo finall
a number as we were.
1
I MUSED
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
411
$
I MUSED for fome time upon what he had faid-
and found it was a very rational conclufion, and
that therefore fomething was to be refolved on
very ſpeedily, as well to draw the men on board
into fome fnare for their furprize, as to prevent
their landing upon us, and deſtroying us: upon
this it preſently .occured to me, that in a little
while the fhip's crew, wondering what was become
of their comrades, and of the boat, would cer-
tainly come on fhore in their other boat to ſee
for them, and that then perhaps they might come
armed and be too ftrong for us; this he allow-
ed 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, fo that they might
not carry her off; and taking every thing out of
her, leave her fo far uſeleſs as not to be fit to
fwim; accordingly we went on board, took the
arms which was left on board out of her, and
whatever elſe we found there, which was a bot-
tle of brandy and another of rum, a few bifcuit
cakes, a horn of powder, and a great lump of
fugar in a piece of canvas; the fugar was five
or fix pounds all which was very welcome to me,
eſpecially the brandy and fugar, of which I had
none left for many years.
WHEN We had carried all theſe things on fhore,
(the oars, maft, fail and rudder of the boat were
carried
412
ADVENTURES OF
carried
away before as above) we knocked a great
hole in her bottom, that if they had come ſtrong
enough to mafter 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
Iflands, and call upon our friends, the Spaniards,
in my way, for I had them ſtill in my thoughts.
?
WHILE We were thus preparing our defigns,
and had first by main ftrength heaved the boat
upon the beach, fo high that the tide would not
fleet her off at high-water mark, and befides
had broke a hole in her bottom too big to be
quickly ftopped, and were fet down mufing what
we ſhould do, we heard the fhip fire a gun, and
faw her making a waft with her antient, as a
fignal for the boat to come on board; but no
boat ſtirred; and they fired feveral times making
other fignals for the boat. At laft, when all their
fignals and firing proved fruitlefs, and they found
the boat did not ftir, we faw them, by the help
of my glaffes, hoift another boat out and row to-
wards the fhore; and we found, as they ap-
proached, that there were no leſs than ten men ·
in her, and that they had fire arms with them.
As
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
413
As the fhip lay almoft two leagues from the
fhore, we had a full view of them as they came
and a plain fight of the men even of their faces.
becauſe the tide having fet them a little to the
eaſt of the other boat, they rowed up under fhore
to come to the fame 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 perfons and characters of all the men
in the boat, of whom, he ſaid, that there were
three very honeſt fellows, who he was fure were
led into this conſpiracy by the reſt, being over-
powered and frighted. But that as for the boat-
fwain, who, it ſeems, was the chief officer among
them, and all the reft, they were as outrageous
as any of the fhip's crew, and were no doubt
made defperate in their new enterprize; and ter-
ribly apprehenfive he was that they would be too
powerful for us. I fimiled at him, and told him,
that men in our circumstances were paſt the op--
eration 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 confequence, whether death or life, would be
fure to be a deliverance: I afked him what he
thought of the circumftances of my life, and
whether a deliverance were not worth venturing
for?" And where, fir, faid I, is your belief of
my being preferved here on purpoſe to fave your
life
!
!
..
414
ADVENTURES OF
of
life, which elevated you a little while ago? For
my part, faid I, there feems to me but one thing
amifs in all the profpect of it. What's that? fays
he. Why, faid I, it is, that as there are three or
four honeft fellows among them which fhould be
fpared; had they been all of the wicked part
crew, I fhould have thought God's providence
had fingled them out to deliver them into your
hands! for depend upon it, every man that comes
afhore are our own, and fhall die or live as they
behave to us." As I fpoke this with a raiſed
voice and chearful countenance, I found it greatly
encouraged him; fo we fet vigorously to our
bufinefs.
WE had, upon the first appearance of the
boat's coming from the fhip, confidered of fe-
parating our priſoners, and we had indeed fecur-
´ed them effectually. Two of them, of whom the
captain was lefs affured than ordinary, I fent 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 provifions, and pro-
mifed them if they contined there quietly to give
them their liberty in a day or two; but that if
they attempted their eſcape, they ſhould be put
to
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
415
to death without mercy. They promiſed faith-
fully to bear their confinement with patience,
and were very thankful that they had fuch good
ufage, as to have provifions and light left them,
for Friday gave them candles (fuch as we made
ourfelves) for their comfort; and they did not
know but that he ftood fentinel over them at the
entrance.
t
、
THE other priſoners had better uſage; two of
them were kept pinioned indeed becauſe the cap-
tain was not free to truft them; but the other
two were taken into my fervice
upon their cap-
tain's recommendation, and upon their folemnly
engaging to live and die with us; fo with them
and the three honeſt men, we were feven men,
well armed; and I made no doubt we fhould
be able to deal well enough with the ten that
were a coming, confidering that the captain had
faid there were three or four honeft men among
them alſo. As foon as they got to the place
where their other boat lay, they run their boat
into the beach, and came all on fhore, haling
the boat up after them, which I was glad to fee;
for I was afraid they would rather have left the
boat at an anchor, fome diftance from the fhore,
with fome hands in her, to guard her; and fo we
fhould not be able to feize the boat. Being on
*
ſhore, the firſt thing
they did, they
ran all to
their
}
416
ADVENTURES OF
their other boat, and it was
eafy to fee they were
under a great furprize, to find her ſtripped as
above, of all that was in her, and a great hole in
her bottom.
AFTER they had mufed a while upon this, they
fet up two or three great fhouts ho! loing with
all their might, to try if they could make their
companions hear; but all was to no purpoſe;
then they came all clofe in a ring, and fired a
volley of their ſmall arms, whichindeed we heard,
and the echoes made the woods, ring; but it
was all one, thofe in the cave we were fure could
not hear, and thofe in our keeping though they
heard it well enough yet durft give no anſwer to
them. They were fo aftoniſhed at the furprize
of this, that as they told us afterwards, they re-
folved to go all on board again to their fhip,
and let them know, that the men were all mur-
thered and the long-boat ftaved; accordingly they
immediately launched their boat again, and gat
all of them on board.
THE captain was terribly amazed, and even
confounded at this, believeing they would go on
board the ſhip again, and fet fail, giving their
comrades for loft, and ſo he ſhould ſtill lofe the
ſhip, which he was in hopes we ſhould have re-
covered;
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
417
covered; but he was quickly as much frighted
the other way.
THEY had not been long put off with the boat;
but we perceived them all coming on fhore
again; but with this new meaſure in their con-
duct, which it ſeems they confulted together upon
viz. To leave three men in the boat, and the
reft to go on fhore, and go up into the country
to look for their fellows. This was a great dif-
appointment to us; for now we were at a great
lofs what to do: for our feizing thoſe ſeven men
on fhore would be no advantage to us, if we
let the boat eſcape; becauſe they would then
row away to the fhip, and then the reft of them
would be fure to weigh and fet fail, and fo our
recovering the ſhip would be loft.
HOWEVER, we had no remedy, but to wait and
ſee what the iffue of things might prefent; the
ſeven men came on fhore, and the three who re-
mained in the boat, put her off to a good dif-
tance from the fhore, and came to an anchor
to wait for them; fo that it was impoffible for us
to come at them in the boat. Thofe that came
on fhore, kept clofe together, marching towards
the top of the little hill, under which my habi-
tation lay; and we could fee them plainly, though
they could not perceive us: we could have been
E e
very
418
ADVENTURES OF
1
very glad they would have come nearer to us,
fo 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 fee a
great way into the valleys and woods, which lay
towards the north east part, and where the iſland
lay loweft, they fhouted and ho! loed, till they
were weary, and not caring it ſeems to venture
far from the fhore, nor far from one another,
they fat down together under a tree, to confider
of it: had they thought fit to have gone to fleep
there, as the other part of them had done, they
had done the jobb for us; but they were too full
of apprehenfions of danger, to venture to go to
fleep, though they could not tell what the danger
was they had to fear neither.
THE captain made a very juſt propofal to me
upon this confultation of theirs, viz. That perhaps
they would all fire a volley again, to endeavour
to make their fellows hear, and that we fhould
all fally upon them, juft at the juncture
when their pieces were all difcharged, and they
would certainly yield, and we ſhould have them
without blood fhed: I liked this propoſal, pro-
vided 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
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
419
we lay ftill a long time, very irrefolute what
courſe to take; at length I told them, there
would be nothing to be 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 fo might uſe ſome ſtratagem
with them in the boat to get them on fhore.
We waited a great while though very impatient
for their removing; and were very uneafy, when
after long confultations, we faw them all ſtart up,
and march down towards the fea: it ſeems they
had fuch dreadful apprehenfions upon them, of
the danger of the place, that they reſolved to go
on board the ſhip again, give their companions
over for loft, and fo go on with their intended
voyage with the ſhip.
1
As foon as I perceived them to go towards
the fhore, I imagined it to be as it really was,
that they had given over their fearch, and were
for going back again; and the captain, as foon as
I told him my thoughts, was ready to fink at the
apprehenfions of it: but I preſently thought of a
ftratagem 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
weſt-ward, towards the place where the favages
came on fhore, when Friday, was reſcued; and
as foon as they came to a little rifing ground,
Ee 2
at
426
ADVENTURES OF
at about half a mile diftance, I bad them cry
ho! loe, as loud as they could, and wait till they
found the feamen heard them; that as foon as
ever they heard the feamen anfwer them, they
fhould return it again, and then keeping out of
fight, take a round always anſwering when the
others ho! loed, to draw them as far into the
iſland, and among the woods, as poffible and then
wheel about again to me, by fuch ways as I di-
rected them:
THEY were just going into the boat, when
Friday and the mate ho! loed, and they prefent-
ly heard them, and anſwering, run along the
fhore weftward 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 fet them
over, as indeed I expected. When they had fet
themſelves over, I obferved; that the boat being
gone up 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 faf-
tened her to the ftump of a little tree on the
fhore.
THIS was what I wifhed for, and immediately
leaving Friday and the captain's mate to their
bufinefs
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
42I
I took the reſt with me, and croffing the creek
out of their fight, we furprized the two men be-
fore they were aware; one of them lying on the
fhore, and the other being in the boat; the fel-
low on fhore, was between fleeping and waking,
and going to ſtart up, the captain who was fore-
moſt, 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 perfuade a ſingle man to yield, when
he faw fiye men upon him, and his comrade
knocked down; befides, this was it feems one of
the three who were not fo heartily in the mu
tiny as the reſt of the crew, and therefore was
cafily perfuaded not only to yield, but after-
wards to join very fincere with us. In the mean
time, Friday and the captain's mate fo well ma-
naged their bufinefs with the reft, that they drew
them by ho! loing and anfwering, 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 fure they could not reach
back to the boat, before it was dark; and indeed
they were heartily tired themfelves alfo 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 fure work with them.
Ee 3
IT
422
ADVENTURES OF
It was feveral hours after Friday came back tą
me, before they came back to their boat; and we
could hear the foremoſt of them long before they
came quite up, calling to thofe behind to come
along; and could alſo hear them anfwer, and
complain how lame and tired they were, and not
able to come any fafter, which was very welcome
news to us. At length they came up to the boat;
but it is impoffible to exprefs their confufion, when
they found the boat faſt a-ground in the creek, the
tide ebbed out, and their two men gone: we
could hear them call to one another in a moft
lamentable manner, telling one another, they
were gotten into an enchanted iſland; that either
there were inhabitants in it, and they fhould be
all murthered, or elſe there were devils and fpirits,
in it, and they fhould be all carried away, and
devoured. They ho! loed again, and called their
two comrades by their names, a great many times:
but no anſwer. After fome time, we could fee them
by the little light there was, run about wringing
their hands like men in deſpair, and that ſometimes
they would go and fit down in the boat to reft them-
felves, then come allore again, and walk about
again, and fo over the fame thing again. My
men would fain have had me given them leave to
fall upon them at once in the dark; but I was
willing to take them at fome advantage ſo to ſpare
them, and kill as few of them as I could; and,
efpecially
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
423
1
eſpecially I was unwilling to hazard the killing of
any
of our men, knowing the other were very well
armed. I refolved to wait to fee if they did not
leparate; and therefore to make fure of them, I
drew my ambufcade 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 difcovered, and get as near them as
they could poffibly, before they offered to fire.
A
THEY had not been long in that poſture, but
that the boatswain, who was the principal ringlead-
er of the mutiny, and had now fhewn himſelf the
moft dejected and difpirited of all the reft, came
walking towards them with two more of the
crew; the captain was fo eager, at having this prin-
cipal rogue ſo much in his power, that he could
hardly have patience to let him come fo near, as to
be fure of him; for they only heard his tongue be-
fore; but when they came nearer, the captain and
Friday ftarting up on their feet, let fly at them.
and fell juft by
THE boatfwain was killed upon the spot, the
next man was ſhot into the body,
him, though he did not die till
after; and the third run for it.
the fire, I immediately advanced
an hour or two
At the noife of
with my whole
army, which was now eight men, viz. myſelf
Generaliffimo, Friday my lieutenant general, the
E e 4
captain
424
ADVENTURES OF
captain and his two men, and the three prifoners of
war, whom we had trufted with arms
We came upon them indeed in the dark, fo
that they could not fee our number; and I made
the man they had left in the boat, who was now
one of us, call to them by name, to try if I could
bring them to a parley, and fo might perhaps re-
duce them to terms, which fell out juft as we
defired for indeed it was eafy to think, as their
condition then was, they would be very willing to
capitulate, fo he calls out as loud as he could, to
one of them, Tom Smith, Tom Smith; Tom
Smith anſwered immediately, who is that, Robin-
fon; for it ſeems he knew his voice: the other
anſwered, “Ay, ay; for God fake, 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, fays he, here's our captain, and fifty men
with him, have been hunting you this two hours:
the boatswain is killed, Will Fry is wounded,
and I am a prifoner; and if you do not yield, you
are all loft. Will they give us quarter then, (fays
Tom Smith) and we will yield? I will go afk,
if you promiſe to yield," fays Robinſon; fo he
afked the captain, and the captain then calls him-
felf out, you Smith you know my voice, if you
Tay
}
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
425
lay down your arms immediately, and fubmit, you
ſhall have your lives all but Will Atkins.
UPON this, "Will Atkins cried out, for Gods
fake captain, give me quarter, what haye I done?
They have been all 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
cap-
tain, when they first mutinied, and uſed him bar-
barouſly, in tying his hands, and giving him
injurious language. However, the captain told
him he muſt lay down his arms at difcretion, 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 fent the man that had parlied with
them, and two more who bound them all: and
then iny great army of fifty men, which particular-
ly with thoſe three, were all but eight, came up
and feized upon them all, and upon their boat,
only that I kept myſelf and one more, out of fight,
for reaſons of ftate,
OUR next work was to repair the boat, and
think of feizing the fhip; and as for the captain
now he had leiſure to parley with them: he ex-
poftulated with them upon the villany of their
practices with him, and at length upon the far-
ther wickedneſs of their defign, and how certainly
4
J
it
426
ADVENTURES OF
$
it muſt bring them to mifery and diftrefs 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 prifoners, but the command-
er's of the iſland, that they thought they had fet
him on fhore in a barren uninhabited iſland, but it
had pleaſed God fo to direct them, that the iſland
was inhabited, and that the governor was an En-
glifhman; that he might hang them all there, if
he pleaſed; but as he had given them all quarter,
he fuppofed he would fend them to England to be
dealt with there, as juftice 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 defired effect; Atkins fell upon his
knees, to beg the captain to intercede with the
governor for his life: and all the reft begged of him
for God's fake, that they might not be fent to
England.
It now occurred to me, that the time of our de-
liverance was come, and that it would be a moſt
eafy thing, to bring theſe fellows in, to be hearty
in getting poffeffion of the fhip; fo I retired in the
S
$
dark
}
ROBINSON CRUSOE,
427
dark from them, that they might not fee what kind
of a governor they had, and called the captain to
me; when I called as at a good diftance, one of the
men was ordered to ſpeak again, and fay to the
captain, captain, the commander calls for you;
and preſently the captain replied, Tell his excel-
lency I am juſt a-coming. This more perfectly
amuſed them, and they all believed that the
commander was juſt by with his fifty men. Up-
on the captain's coming to me, I told him my pro-
ject for feizing the fhip, which he liked wonder-
fully well, and refolved to put it in execution the
next morning. But in order to execute it with
more art, and fecure of fuccefs, I told him we
muſt divide the priſoners, and that he muſt go and
take Atkins and two more of the worſt of them,
and fend them pinioned to the cave where the others
lay: This was committed to Friday and the two
men who came on fhore with the captain. They
conveyed them to the cave, as to a prifon, and
it was indeed a difmal place, eſpecially to men
in their condition. The other I ordered to my
bower, as I called it, of which I have given
a full defcription; and as it was fenced in, and
they pinioned, the place was fecure enough, con-
fidering they were upon their behaviour.
To thofe in the morning I fent the captain, who
was to enter into a parley with them, in a word to
try
428
ADVENTURES OF
try them, and tell me whether he thought they
might ine truſted or no to go on board and furprize
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 prefent action, yet that
if they were fent to England they would all be
hanged in chains to be fure; but that if they would
join in fo juft an attempt as to recover the fhip,
he would have the governor's engagement for their
pardon,
ANY one may guefs how readily fuch a pro-
pofal would be accepted by men in their condition;
they fell down on their knees to the captain, and
promifed, with the deepeft 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 for a father to them as long as
they lived. Well, fays the captain, I muſt go
and tell the governor what you fay, and fee what
I can do to bring him to confent 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 fecure, I
told him he ſhould go back again and chufe out
thefe
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
429
thefe five, and tell them, that they might fee he
did not want men, that he would take out theſe
five to be his affiftants, and that the governor
would keep the other two, and the three that
were fent prifoners to the caſtle (my cave) as
hoftages for the fidelity of thofe five, and that if
they proved unfaithful in the execution, the five
hoſtages fhould be hanged in chains alive on
the ſhort.
THIS looked fevere, 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 prifoners, as much as of the
captain, to perfuade the other five to do their
duty.
OUR ftrength was now thus ordered for the
expedition: 1. The captain his mate and paſſen-
ger. 2. Then the two priſoners of the firſt gang,
to whom, having their characters from the Captain,
I had given their liberty, and trufted them
with arms. 3. The other two that I had kept
till now in my bower, pinioned; but upon the
captain's motion, had releaſed. 4. Theſe five
releaſed at laft; fò that they were twelve in all,
befides five we kept prifoners in the cave for
hoſtages:
I ASKED the captain if he was willing to ven-
1
ture
430
ADVENTURES OF
1
ture with theſe hands on board the fhip; for as
for me and my man Friday, I did not think it
was proper for us to ftir, having feven men left
behind; and it was employment enough for us to
keep them afunder, and fupply them with victu-
als. As to the five in the cave, I refolved to keep
them faft, but Friday went in twice a day to them
to fupply them with neceffaries; and I made the
other two carry proviſions to a certain diſtance;
where Friday was to take it.
WHEN I fhewed myſelf to the two hoftages,
it was with the captain, who told them I was the
perfon the governor had ordered to look after
them; and that it was the governor's pleaſure they
fhould not ſtir any where but by my direction,
and if they did they would be fetched into the
caſtle, and be laid in irons; fo that as we never
ſuffered them to fee me as governor, ſo I now
appeared as another perfon, and fpoke of the go-
vernor, the garriſon, the caſtle, and the like, up-
on all occafions.
THE Captain now had no difficulty before him,
but to furnish his two boats, ftop the breach of
one, and man them: he made his paffenger cap-
tain of one, with four other men; and himſelf,
and his mate, and five more, went in the other:
and they contrived their bufinefs very well, for
the
辈
​ROBINSON CRUSOE
431
they came up to the fhip about midnight. As
foon as they came within call of the fhip, he
made Robinfon hale 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 fhip's fide: when the captain and the
mate entering firſt with their arms, immediately
knocked down the fecond mate and carpenter
with the butt end of their mufkets, being very
faithfully feconded by their men; they fecured
all the reft that were upon the main and quarter
decks, and began to faften the hatches, to keep
them down that were below, when the other boat
and their men entering at the fore-chains, fecured
the fore-caſtle of the fhip, and the fcuttle which
went down into the cook room, making three
men they found there prifoners. When this was
done, and all fafe upon deck, the captain order-
ed the mate with three men to break into the round
houſe where the new rebel captain lay, and having
taken the alarm, had gotton up, and with two men
and a boy had gotten fire-arms in their hands
and when the mate with a crow fplit open the
door, the new captain and his men fired boldly
among them, and wounded the mate with a muſ-
ket-ball, which broke his arm, and wounded two
more of the men, but killed no body. The mate
calling for help, ruſhed however into the round-
houſe,
432
ADVENTURES OF
i
houſe, wounded as he was, and with his piftol
fhot the new captain through the head, the bul-
let entering at his mouth, and came out again
behind one of his ears, fo that he never ſpoke a
word more: upon which the reft yielded, and the
ſhip was taken effectually, without any more
lives loft:
As foon as the fhip was thus fecured the cap-
tain ordered ſeven guns to be fired, which was the
fignal agreed upon with me to give me notice
of his fuccefs, which you may be fure I was very
glad to hear, having fat watching upon the fhore
for it till near two of the clock in the morning.
Having thus heard the fignal plainly, I laid me
down; and it having been a day of great fatigue
to me, I ſlept very found, till I was fomething
furprized with the noiſe of a gun, and preſently
ftarting 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 ftood, and pointing to the fhip, he
embraced me in his arms, "my dear friend and
deliverer, fays he, there's your fhip, for fhe is all
yours, and fo are we and all that belong to her.'
I caft my eyes to the fhip, and there fhe rode
within a 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
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
433
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 fo
landed juſt at my door. I was at firſt ready to
fink down with the furprize: for I faw my de-
liverance indeed vifibly put into my hands, all
things eafy, and a large fhip juſt ready to carry
me away whither I pleaſed to go. At first, for
fome 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 furprize, and imme-
diately 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 fat down
upon the ground; and though it brought me to
myſelf, yet it was a good while before I could
fpeak a word to him. All this time the poor
man was in as great an extafy as I, only not
under
any furprize, as I was; and he ſaid a thou-
fand kind tender things to me, to compofe me
and bring me to myfelf: but fuch was the flood
of joy in my breaſt, that it put all my ſpirits into
confufion; at laft it broke out into tears; and in
a little while after I recovered my ſpeech: then
I took my turn and embraced him as my de-
liverer, and we rejoiced together. I told him I
looked upon him as a man fent from heaven to
deliver
Ff
F
i
434
ADVENTURES OF
1
}
deliver me, and that the whole tranfaction feem
ed to be a chain of wonders; that fuch things
as theſe were the teftimonies we had of a fecret
hand of providence governing the world, and an
evidence that the eye of an infinite power could
fearch into the remoteft corner of the world, and
and fend help to. the miferable whenever he
pleaſed.
I FORGOT not to lift up my heart in thank-
fulneſs to heaven, and what heart could forbear to
bleſs him, who had not only in a miraculous manner
provided for me in fuch a wilderneſs, and in ſuch
a defolate condition, but from whom every de-
liverance muſt always be acknowledged to pro-
ceed.
1
WHEN we had talked a while, the captain told
me he had brought me fome little refreſhment,
fuch as the ſhip afforded, and fuch as the wretches
that had been fo long his mafter had not plunder-
ed him of: upon this he called aloud to the
boat, and bad his men bring the things afhore
that were for the governnor; and indeed it was a
prefent, as if I had been one, not that was to be
carried away along with them, but as if I had
been to dwell upon the inland ftill, and they
were to go without me. Firft he had brought
me a cafe of bottles full of excellent cordial
waters
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
435
waters, fix large bottles of Madeira wine, the
bottles held two quarts apiece, two pound of ex-
cellent good tobacco, twelve good pieces of the
fhip's beef, and fix pieces of pork, with a bag
of peafe, and above a hundred weight of bifcuit;
he alfo brought me a box of fugar, a box of flour
a box full of lemons, and two bottles of lime
juice, and abundance of other things: but befides
theſe, and what was a thouſand times more uſeful
to me, he brought me fix new clean fhirts, fix
very good neckcloths, two pair of gloves, one pair
of fhoes, a hat and one pair of ſtockings, with a
very good fuit of cloaths of his own which had
been worn but very little; in a word he cloathed me
from head to foot. It was a very kind and a-
greeable prefent, as any one may imagine, to one in
my circumftances; but never was any thing in the
world of that kind fo unpleaſant, aukward and un-
eafy as it was to me to wear fuch cloaths at their
firft putting on.
AFTER theſe ceremonies paft, and after all his
good things were brought into my little apart-
ment we began to confult what was to be done
with the priſoners we had; for it was worth con-
fidering, 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
laft degree; and the captain faid, he knew they
Ff2
were
436
ADVENTURES OF
1
anxious about it.
he defired it, I
fuch 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 juf-
tice at the firſt Engliſh colony he could come at;
and I found that the captain himſelf was very
Upon this I told him, that if
would undertake to bring the
two men he ſpoke of, to make it their own re-
queft that he fhould leave them upon the island.
I ſhould be very glad of that, fays the captain,
with all my heart. Well, fays I, I will fend for
them up, and talk with them for you; fo I
cauſed Friday and the two hoftages for they were
now diſcharged, their comrades having perform-
ed their promife, I fay, I caufed 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
After fome time I came thither dreffed
in my new habit, and now I was called gover-
nor again: being all met, and the captain with
me, I caufed the men to be brought before me, and I
told them I had had a full account of their villanous
behavour to the captain,- and how they had run
away with the fhip, and were preparing to com-
mit farther robberies but that providence had en-
fnared 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 fhip had been feized, that fhe lay now in the
road,
came.
I
t
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
437
road, and they might fee by and by that their new
captain had received the reward of his villany, for
that they might fee him hanging at the yard arm:
that as
to them, I wanted to know what they
had to fay, why I fhould not execute them as
pirates, taken in the fact, as by my commiflion
they could not doubt but I had authority fo to
do.
ONE of them anſwered in the name of the reft
that they had nothing to fay 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 fhew
them;" for as for myſelf, I had refolved to quit
the iſland with all my men, and had taken paf-
fage with the captain to go for England: and as
for the captain, he could not carry them to Eng-
land other than as prifoners, in irons, to be tri-
ed for mutiny, and running away with the fhip
the confequence of which, they muft needs know
would be the gallows; fo that I could not tell
what was beſt for them, unleſs they had a mind
to take their fate in the iſland; if they defired
that, I did not care, as I had liberty to leave it,
I had fome inclination to give them their lives,
if they thought they could fhift on fhore.
THEY feemed very thankful for it, and faid
Ff3
they
數
​438
ADVENTURES OF
!
they would much rather venture to ſtay here than
to be carried to England to be hanged: fo I left
it on that iffue.
:
HOWEVER, the captain feemed to make fome
difficulty of it, as if he durft not leave them
there: upon this I feemed a little angry with the
captain, and told him that they were my pri-
foners, not his; and that fecing I had offered
them fo much favour, I would be as good as my
word, and that if he did not think fit to conſent
to it, I would fet 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 appared very thankful, and I accordingly
fet them at liberty, and bad them retire into the
woods to the place whence they came, and I
would leave them fome fire arms, fome ammunition,
and fome directions how they fhould live very
well, if they thought fit. upon this I prepared
to go on board the fhip, and told the captain I
would ftay that night to prepare my things, and
defired him to go on board in the mean time
and keep all right in the fhip, and fend
the boat on fhore next day for me; ordering
him, in the mean time to cauſe the new captain
who was killed to be hanged at the yard arm,
that theſe men might fee him.
•
WHEN
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
439
WHEN the captain was gone, I fent for the
me up to me to my apartment, and entered feri-
oufly into difcourfe with them of their circum-
ftances; I told them I thought they had made a
right choice, that if the captain carried them away
they would certainly be hanged: I fhewed them
the new captain, hanging at the yard-arm of the
ſhip, and told them they had nothing lefs to ex-
pect.
1
WHEN they had all declared their willingneſs
to ſtay, I then told them I would let them into
the ftory of my living there, and put them into the
way of making it eafy to them: accordingly I
gave them the whole hiſtory of the place, and of
my coming to it; fhewed them my fortifications,
the way I made my bread, planted my corn, cur-
ed my grapes, and, in a word, all that was ne-
ceffary to make them eafy: I told them the ſtory
alſo of the fixteen Spaniards that were to be ex-
pected for whom I left a letter, and made them
promiſe to treat them in common with them-
felves. Here it may be noted that the captain
had ink on board, who admired greatly that I
never hit upon a way of making ink of charcoal
and water, or of fomething elfe, as I had done
things much harder.
-
I LEFT them my fire-arms, viz. five mufkets,
F f 4
1
J
three
1
+
!
440
1
ADVENTURES OF
1
three fowling-pieces, and three fwords: I had
above a barrel and half of powder left, for after
the firſt year or two I ufed 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 fhould prevail with the
captain to leave them two barrels of gun-powder
more, and fome garden feeds, which I told them
I would have been very glad of: alfo I
gave them
the bag of peafe which the captain had brought
me to eat, and bad them be fure to fow and in-
creaſe them.
HAVING done all this, I left them the next
day, and went on board the flip; we prepared
immediately to fail, but did not weigh that night;
the next morning early two of the five men came
fwimming to the fhip's fide, and making a moſt
lamentable complaint of the other three, begged
to be taken into the fhip for God's fake, for they
fhould be murthered, 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 fome
difficulty, and after their folemn promifes of a-
mendment; they were taken on board, and were
fome time after foundly whipped and pickled,
after
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
441
•
after which they proved very honeſt and quiet
fellows.
SOME time after this the boat was ordered on
fhore, the tide being up, with the things pro-
miſed to the men, to which the captain, at my
interceffion, caufed their chefts and clothes to be
added which they took, and were very thankful
for; I alfo encouraged them by telling them that
if it lay in my way to fend any veffel to take
them in, I would not forget them.
WHEN I took leave of this ifland, I carried on
board for reliques, the great goat's fkin cap I
had made, my umbrella, and my old parrot; alſo
money I formerly men-
I forget not to take the
tioned, which had lain
by me fo long ufelefs,
that it was grown rufty, or tarniſhed, and could
hardly paſs for filver, till it had been a little rub-
bed, and handled; as alfo the money I found in
the wreck of the Sanifh fhip. And thus I
left the iſland, the 19th of December, as I found
by the fhip'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 fecond captivity, the fame day of the month
that I firſt made my efcape in the barcolongo,
from among the Moors of Sallee. In this veffel,
after a long voyage, I arrived in England, the
eleventh
442
ADVENTURES OF
eleventh of June in the year 1687, having been
thirty and five years abfent.
WHEN I came to England I was a perfect
ftranger to all the world, as if I had been never
known there. My benefactor and faithful ſteward
whom I had left my money in truft 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 eafy as to what the owed
me,affuring her I would give her no trouble; but on
the contrary, in gratitude to 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 affured
her, I would never forget her former kindneſs
to me; nor did I forget her when I had fufficient
to help her, as fhall be obferved in its place.
I went down afterwards into Yorkshire; but my
father was dead, and my mother and all the fa-
mily extinct, except that I found two fifters, 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 provifion made for me; fo that
in a word, I found nothing to relieve, or affift
me; and that little money I had would not do
much for me, as to fettling in the world,
I MET with one piece of gratitude indeed, which
I did not expect; and this was, that the mafte
of
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
443
of the ſhip, whom I had fo happily delivered,
and by the fame means faved the ſhip and cargo
having given a very handfome account to the
owners, of the manner how I had faved the lives.
of the men and the fhip, they invited me to meet
them, and fome other merchants concerned, and all
together made me a very handſome compliment up-
on the fubject, and a prefent of almoft 2001. fterling.
Bur after making feveral reflections upon the
circumſtances of my life, and how little way this
would go towards fettling me in the world, I
refolved to go to Lisbon, and fee if I might not
come by fome information of the ſtate of my
plantation in the Brafils, and of what was become
of my partner, who, I had reaſon to ſuppoſe, had
fome years now given me over for dead. With
this view I took fhipping for Liſbon, where I
arrived in April following; my man Friday ac-
companied me very honeftly in all theſe ramblings,
and proving a moſt faithful fervant upon all oc-
cafions. When I came to Lifbon I found out
by enquiry, and to my particular fatisfaction, my
old friend the captain of the fhip who firft took me
up at fea off of the fhore of Africk: He was now
grown old, and had left off going to fea, having
put his fon, who was far from a young man, into
his ſhip, and who ſtill uſed the Brafil trade; the
old man did not know me, and indeed I hard-
ly
444
ADVENTURES OF
knew him; but I foon brought him to my re-
membrance, and as foon brought myfelf to his
remembrance, when I told him who I was.
AFTER fome paffionate expreffions of the old
acquaintance between us, I enquired after my
plantation and my partner: the old man told me
he had not been in the Brafils for about nine
years, but that he could affure me that when he
came away my partner was living, but the truf-
tees whom I had joined with him, to take cog-
nizance of my part, were both dead; that how-
ever, be believed that I would have a very good
account of the improvement of the plantation,
for that upon the general belief of my being
caft away and drowned, my truſtees had given in
the account of the produce of my part of the
plantation to the procurator fifcal, who had ap-
propriated it, in cafe I never came to claim it, one
third to the King, and two thirds to the monaftry
of St. Auguftine to be expended for the benefit
of the poor, and for the converfion 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 diftributed to charitable
ufes, could not be reftored; but he affured me,
that the ſteward of the kings revenue (from lands)
and the proviedore or fteward of the monaftery,
had
}
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
445
•
་
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 re-
ceived duly 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 no obftruction to my
poffeffing 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 but one half of it, and that to the beſt
of his remembrance he that heard, that the king's
third of my part, which was it feems granted
away to fome other monaſtery, or religious houſe,
amounted to above two hundred moidores a year:
that as to my being reſtored to a quiet poffeffion
of it, there was no queſtion to be made of that,
my partner being alive to witneſs my title, and my
name being alfo enrolled in the regiſter of the
country; alfo he told me that the furvivors of my
two truſtees were very fair honeft people, and
very wealthy, and he believed I would not only
have their affiftance for putting me in poffeffion,
but would find a very confiderable fum of money
in their hands for my account being the produce
of the farm while their fathers held the truft
and
446
ADVENTURES OF
1
!
}
and before it was given up as above, which as he
remembered was for about twelve years.
I SHEWED myſelf a little concerned and uneafy
at this account, and enquired of the old captain,
how it came to pafs that the truftees fhould thus
difpofe of my effects when he knew that I had made
my will, and had made him the Portugueze cap-
tain, my univerfal heir, &c.
ง
He told me that was true, but that as there was
no proof of my being dead, he could not act as
executor, until fome certain account fhould come
of my death, and that befides, he was not will-
ing to intermeddle with a thing fo remote; that
is 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 poffeffion of the Ingenio,
fo they called the fugar-houfe, and had given his
fon, who was now at the Brafils orders to do it.
"But fays the old man, I have one piece of
news to tell you, which perhaps may not be ſo
acceptable to you as the reft, and that is, believ-
ing you were loft, and all the world believing
fo alſo, your partner and truſtees did offer to
account with me in your name, for fix or eight
of the firſt years profits which I recieved thereout;
there being at that time, fays he, great diſburſe-
ments for increafing the works, building an In-
genio,
1
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
447
genio, and buying flaves, it did not amount to
near ſo much as afterwards it produced: however
fays the old man, I fhall give you a true account
of what I have received in all, and how I have
difpofed of it.
AETER a few days father conference with this
ancient friend, he brought me an account of the
firft fix years income of my plantation, figned by
my partner and the merchants truſtees, being always
delivered in goods, viz. tobacco in roll and fugar
in chefts, befides rum, moloffes, &c. which is the
confequence of a ſugar-work; and I found by this
account, that every year the income confiderably
increaſed; but, as above, the diſburſement being
large, the fum at firft was fmall: however, the
old man let me fee that he was debtor to me 470
moidores of gold, befides 60 chefts of fugar, and
15 double rolls of tobacco, which were loft in his
ſhip, he having been fhipwrecked coming home
to Lifbon 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 loffes,
and buy him a fhare in a new fhip; however,
my old friend, fays, he, you ſhall not want a fup-
ply in your neceffity, and as foon as my fon re-
turns you ſhall be fully fatisfied. Upon that he
pulls out an old pouch, and gives me 160 Por-
tugal
448
ADVENTURES OF
}
tugal moidores in gold; and gave me the writing
of his title to the ſhip, which his fon was gone to
the Brafils in, of which he was a quarter part
owner, and his fon another, he puts them both in-
to my hands, for fecurity of the reſt.
I was too much moved with the honefty and
kindneſs of the poor man to be able to bear this;
and remember what he had done for me, how he
had taken me up at fea, and how generouſly he
had uſed me on all occafions, and particularly,
how fincere a friend he was now to me, I could
hardly refrain weeping at what he faid to me;
therefore, firſt I aſked him if his circumſtances
admitted him to fpare fo much money at that
time, and if it would not ftraiten him? He told
me, he could not fay 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 faid was full of
affection, and I could hardly refrain from tears
while he ſpoke; in fhort, 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 poffeffion of the
plantation, I would return the other to him alſo,
as indeed I afterwards did; and that as to the bill
of fale of his part in his fons fhip, I would not
take
1
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
449
take it by any means, but that if I wanted money,
I found he was honeft 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 paft, the old man began to afk
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 it if I
pleaſed, but that if I did not, there were ways e-
nough to fecure my right, and immediately to ap
propriate the profits to my uſe; and as there were
ſhips in the river of Liſkon, juſt ready to go away
to Brafil, 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 fame perfon
who took up the land for the planting the faid
plantation at firſt. This being regularly atteſted
by a notary, and a procuration affixed, he directed
me to fend it with a letter of his writing, to a
merchant of his acquaintance at the place, and
then propoſed my ftaying with him till an account
came of the return.
NEVER any thing was more honourable than the
proceedings upon this procuration, for in leſs than
feven months I received a large packet from the
furvivors of my truſtees the merchants, for whofe
G g
account
f
450
ADVENTURES OF
account I went to fea, in which where the follow-
ing particular letters and papers encloſed.
FIRST There was the account current of the
produce of my farm, or plantation, from the year
when their father had balanced with my old Por-
tugal captain, being for fix years; the balance
appeared to be 1174 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 perfon not to be found, which
they called civil death; and the balance of this,
the value of the plantation increafing, amounted
to 19446 crufadoes, being about 3240 moidores.
THIRDLY, There was the prior of Auguftin's
account, who had received the profits for above
fourteen years, but not being to account for what
was diſpoſed of to the hoſpital, very honeſtly declar-
ed he had 872 moidores not diftributed, which he
acknowledged to my account, as to the king's
part, that refunded nothing.
THERE was letter of my partners con gratulat-
ing me very affectionately upon my being alive,
giving me an account how the eftate was improved
and what it produced a year, with a particular of
the
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
451
the number of ſquares or acres that it contained,
how planted, how many flaves there were upon it,
and making two and twenty croffes for bleffings,
told me he had ſaid ſo many Ave Marias to thank
the bleffed virgin that I was alive: inviting me
very paffionately to come over and take pofeffion
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 fent me, as a prefent, feven fine Leopards
fkins, which he had it feems received from Africa,
by fome other fhip which he had fent thither, and
who it feems had made a better voyage than I:
He fent me alfo five chefts of excellent fweetmeats,
and an hundred pieces of gold uncoined, not quite
fo large as moidores.
By the fame fleet, my two merchants truſtees
fhipped me 1200 chefts of fugar, 800 rolls of
tobacco, and the reft of the whole account in
gold.
I MIGHT well fay, now indeed, that the latter
end of Job was better than the beginning. It is
impoffible to exprefs here the flutterings of my
very heart, when I looked over theſe letters, and
eſpecially when I found all my wealth about me;
for as the Brafil fhips come all in fleets, the fame
Gg 2
fhips
452
ADVENTURES OF
ſhips which brought my letters, brought my goods;
and the effects where fafe in the river before the
letters came to my hand. In a word, I turned
pale and grew fick; and had not the old man run
and fetched me a cordial, I believe the fudden
furprize of joy had overfet nature, and I had died
upon the fpot. Nay, after that, I continued very
ill, and was fo fome hours till a phyfician being
fent for, and fomething of the real caufe of my
illnefs 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 eafed by a vent
given in that manner to the fpirits, I fhould have
died.
I was now mafter, all on a fudden, of above five
thousand pounds fterl. in money, and had an eftate,
I might well call it in the Brafils, of above a thou-
fand pounds a year, as fure as an eftate of lands in
England. And in a word, I was in a condition
which I fcarce knew how to underſtand, or how
to compoſe myſelf, for the enjoyment of it. The
firſt thing I did, was to recompence my original
benefactor, my good old captain, who had been
firſt charitable to me in my diſtreſs, kind to me in
my beginning, and honeft to me at the end: I
fhewed him all that was fent to me, I told him,
that next to the providence of heaven, which dif-
pofes all things, it was owing to him; and that it
4
now
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
453
剪
​now lay on me to reward him, which I would do
an hundred fold: fo 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 for the 470 moidores,
which he had acknowledged he owed me, in the
fulleft and firmeft manner poffible; 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 ufual fleets
to him in my name; and a claufe in the end, be-
ing a grant of 100 moidores a year to him, during
his life, out of the effects, and 50 moidores a year
to his fon after him, for his life: and thus I re-
quited my old man.
I was now to confider which way to fteer my
courſe next, and what to do with the eſtate that
providence had thus put into my hands; and in-
deed I had more care upon my head now, than I
had in my filent ftate of life in the ifland, 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 bufinefs was how to fe-
cure 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
G g 3
contrary,
C
454
ADVENTURES OF
1
contrary, I knew not where to put it, or whom to
truft with it. My old patron the captain, indeed
was honeft, and that was the only refuge I had.
In the next place my intereſt in the Brafils ſeemed
to fummon me thither, but now I could not tell,
how to think of going thither, 'till I had fettled
my affairs, and left my effects in fome fafe hands
behind me. At first I thought of my old friend
the widow, who I knew was honeft, and would be
juſt to me; but then fhe was in years, and but
poor, and for ought I knew, might be indebted;
ſo that in a word, I had no way but to go back to
England myſelf, and take my effects with me.
It was fome months however before I refolved
upon this; and therefore, as I had rewarded the
old captain fully, and to his fatisfaction, who had
been my former benefactor, fo I began to think of
my poor widow, whoſe huſband had been my firſt
benefactor, and the 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 an
hundred pounds from me, and to talk with her,
and comfort her in her poverty, by telling her,
the ſhould, if I lived, have a further fupply: at
the fame time I fent my two fifters in the country,
each of them an hundred pounds, they being,
though
}
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
455
though not in want, yet not in very good circum-
ſtances; one having been married, and left a
widow; and the other having a huſband not fo
kind to her as he ſhould be. But among all my
relations, or acquaintances, I could not yet pitch
upon one, to whom I durft commit the grofs of
my ſtock, that I might go away to the Brafils,
and leave things fafe behind me; and this greatly
perplexed me.
I HAD Once a mind to have gone to the Brafils,
and have ſettled myſelf there; for I was, as it
were, naturalized to the place; but I had fome
little fcruple in my mind about religion, which
infenfibly drew me back, of which I fhall fay more
preſently. However it was not religion that kept
me from going there for the prefent; and as I had
made no fcruple of being openly of the religion of
the country, all the while I was among them, fo
neither did I yet; only that now and then having
of late thought more of it, (than formerly) when
I began to regret my having profeffed my felf
papiſt, and thought it might not be the beſt religi-
on to die with.
BUT, as I have faid, this was not the main thing
that kept me from going to the Brafils, but that
really I did not know with whom to leave my
effects behind me; ſo I refolved at laft to go to
England
Gg 4
456
ADVENTURES OF
with it, where, if I arrived, I concluded I fhould
make ſome acquaintance, or find fome relations that
would be faithful to me; and accordingly I pre-
pared to go to England with all my wealth.
In order to prepare things for my going home,
I firſt, the Brafil fleet being juſt going away, re-
folved to give anſwers fuitable to the juft and faith-
ful account of things I had from thence; and firſt
to the prior of St. Auguftine I wrote a letter full
of thanks for their juft dealings, and the offer of
the 872 moidores, which were undifpofed of,
which I defired might be given 500 to the mona-
ftery, and 372 to the poor, as the prior fhould
direct, defiring the good padres prayers for me,
and the like. I wrote next a letter of thanks to
my two truſtees, with all the acknowledgement
that ſo much juſtice and honeſty called for; as for
fending them any prefent, they where far above
having any occafion for it.
partner, acknowledging his induſtry in the impro-
ving the plantation, and his integrity increaſing the
ftock 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
defired him to fend whatever became due to me,
'till he ſhould hear from me more particularly,
afſuring him that it was my intention not only to
come to him, but to fettle myſelf there for the re-
mainder
Laftly I wrote to my
K
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
457
mainder of my life: to this I added a very hand-
fome preſent of fome Italian filks for his wife, and
two daughters, for fuch the captains fon informed
me he had; with two pieces of fine Engliſh broad
cloth, the beſt I could get in Liſbon, five pieces
of black bays, and fome Flanders lace of a good
value.
HAVING thus fettled my affairs, fold my cargo,
and turned all my effects into bills of exchange,
my next difficulty was which way to go to England:
I had been accuſtomed enough to the fea, and yet
I had a ſtrange averfion to go to England by fea at
that time; and though I could give no reafon for
it, yet the difficulty increaſed upon me fo 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 fea,
and this might be fome of the reafon : but let no
man flight the ſtrong impulfes of his own thoughts
in cafes of fuch moment: two of the fhips which
I had fingled out to go in I mean, more particu-
larly ſingled out than any other, that is to fay, fo
as in one of them to put my things on board, and
in the other to have agreed with the captain, I
fay, two of thefe fhips mifcarried, viz. one was
taken by the Algerines, and the other was caft away
on
458
ADVENTURES OF
i
{
1
J
on the Start, near Torbay, and all the people
drowned, except three; fo that in either of thofe
veffels I had been made miferable, and in which
moft it was hard to ſay.
HAVING been thus harraffed in my thoughts,
my old pilot, to whom I communicated every
thing, preffed me earneſtly not to go by fea, but
either to go by land to the Groyne, and crofs over
the bay of Biscay to Rochelle, from whence it was.
but an eafy and fafe journey by land to Paris, and
fo to Calais and Dover; or to go up to Madrid,
and fo all the way by land through France,
In a word, I was fo prepoffeffed againſt my go-
ing by fea at all, except from Calais to Dover, that
I refolved to travel all the way by land, which, as
I was not in hafte, and did not value the charge,
was by much the pleaſanter way; and to make it
more fo, my old captain brought an English
gentleman, the fon of a merchant in Lisbon, who
was willing to travel with me; after which wẹ
picked up two more English merchants alfo, and
two young Portugueſe gentlemen, the laſt going to
Paris only, fo that in, all there were fix of us and
five fervants; the two merchants and the two Por-
tugueze contenting themfelves with one fervant
between two, to fave the charge; and as for me,
-I got an English failor to travel with me as a
fervant
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
459
1
fervant, befides my man Friday, who was too
much a ſtranger to be capable of ſupplying the
place of a fervant on the road.
In this manner I fet out from Lifbon, 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 becaufe I was
the oldeſt man, as becauſe I had two fervants, and
indeed was the original of the whole journey.
As I have troubled you with none of my fea-
journals, fo I fhall trouble you now with none of
my land journal; but fome adventures that hap-
pened 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 fome time
to ſee the court of Spain, and to fee what was
worth obferving; but it being the latter part of
the fummer, we haftened away, and fet 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
fo much fnow was fallen on the French fide of the
mountains, that feveral travellers were obliged to
come back to Pampelona, after having attempted,
at an extreme hazard, to pafs on.
WHEN
1
450
ADVENTURES OF
1
WHEN We came to Pampelona itſelf we found
it fo indeed; and to me that had been always
ufed to a hot climate, and indeed to countries
where I could fcarce bear any cloaths on, the cold
was infufferable; nor indeed was it more painful
than it was furprizing, to come but ten days before
out of Old Caftile, where the weather was not only
warm but very hot, and immediately to feel a wind
from the Pyrenean mountains fo very keen, fo
feverely cold, as to be intolerable, and to endan-
ger benumbing and perifhing of our fingers and
toes.
POOR Friday was really frighted when he faw
the mountains all covered with fnow, and felt
cold weather, which he had never ſeen before or
felt in his life. To mend the matter, when we
came to Pampelona it continued fnowing with fo
much violence, and fo long, that the people faid
winter was come before its time, and the roads.
which were difficult before, were now quite im-
paffable; for, in a word, the fnow lay in fome
places too thick for us to travel, and being not
hard frozen, as is the cafe in northern countries,
there was no going without being in danger of be-
ing buried alive every ſtep. We ſtayed no leſs
than twenty days at Pampelona, when feeing the
winter coming on, and no likelihood of its being
better, for it was the fevereft winter all over
Europe
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
461
Europe that had been known in the memory of
man. I propofed that we fhould all go away to
Fonterabia, and there take fhipping for Bourdeaux,
which was a very little voyage.
BUT while I was confidering this, there come
in four French gentlemen, who having been ſtop-
ped on the French fide of the paffes, as we were
on the Spanish, had found out a guide, who tra-
verfing the country near the head of Languedoc,
had brought them over the mountains by fuch ways
that they were not much incommoded with the
fnow; or where they met with fnow in any quantity,
they faid it was frozen hard enough to bear them and
their horfes. We fent for this guide, who told
us, he would undertake to carry us the fame
way with no hazard from the fnow, provided
we were armed fufficiently to protect, ourfelves
from wild beafts; for he faid, upon theſe great
fnows, it was frequent for fome wolves to fhew
themſelves at the foot of the mountains, being
made ravenous for want of food, the ground being
covered with fnow: we told him, we were well
enough prepared for fuch creatures as they were,
if he would infure us from a kind of two-legged
wolves, which we were told we were in mof
danger from, efpecially on the French fide of the
mountains.
1
HE
462
ADVENTURES OF
1
HE fatisfied us that there was no danger öf
that kind in the way that we were to go; ſo we re-
adily agreed to follow him, as did alfo twelve
other gentlemen with their fervants, fome French,
fome Spaniſh, who, as I faid, had attempted to
go, and were obliged to come back again.
ACCORDINGLY we fet out from Pampelona,
with our guide, on the 15th of November, and
indeed I was furpriſed, when inftead of going
forward, he came directly back with us on the
fame road that we came from Madrid about
twenty miles; when being paffed two rivers and
come into the plain country, we found ourſelves in
a warm climate again; where the country was
pleaſant and no fnow to be feen; but on a fud-
den, turning to his left, he approached the moun-
tains another way; and though it is true the hills and
precipices looked dreadful, yet he made ſo many
tours, fuch meanders, and led us by fuch wind-
ing ways, that we were infenfibly paffed the
height of the mountains without being much in-
cumbred with the fnow; and all on a fudden
he fhewed us the pleafant fruitful provinces of
Languedoc and Gafcoign, all green and flouriſh-
ing, though indeed it was at a great diſtance, and
we had fome rough way to paſs yet.
WE
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
463
WE were a little uneafy, however, when we
found it fnowed one whole day and a night, fo
faft that we could not travel; but he bid us be
eaſy, we ſhould foon be paft it all: we found,
indeed, that we began to deſcend every day, and
to come more north than before: and fo depend-
ing upon our guide, we went on.
It was about two hours, or a little more be
fore night when our guide being fomething be-
fore us, and not juft in fight, out rushed three
monftrous 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 had been devoured indeed
before we could have helped him; one of them
made an attempt upon his horfe, and the other
aimed at himſelf, which terrified him fo that he
had not preſence of mind enough to draw his
piftol, but ho! loed and cried out to us for help:
my man Friday being next me, I bad him ride
up and fee what was the matter; as foon as
Friday come in fight of the man, he ho! loed
as loud as t'other, O mafter! O mafter! but like a
bold fellow rode directly up to the poor man, aml
with his piftol fhot the wolf that attacked him
into the head.
Ir
Jus at
464
ADVENTURES OF
Ir was happy for the poor man that it was
my man Friday; for he having been ufed to
that kind of creature in his country, he had no
fear upon him, but went clofe up to him and
ſhot him, as above; whereas any other of us
would have fired at a farther distance, and have
perhaps either miffed the wolf or endangered ſhoot-
ing the man.
BUT it was enough to have terrified a bold-
er man than I, and indeed it alarmed all our
company, when with the noiſe of Friday's piftol
we heard on both fides the difmalleft howlings
of wolves, and the noife redoubled by the echo
of the mountains, that it was to us as if there
had been a prodigious number of them; and
perhaps indeed there was not fuch a few as that
we had no caufe of apprehenfions: however, as
Friday had killed this wolf, the other that had
made an attempt upon the horſe, left him imme-
diately and fled without doing him any damage;
but the man indeed was a little hurt, for the
raging creature had attempted him twice, and bit
his leg, and though he made fome defence, he
was just as it were tumbling down by the dif-
order of his horſe, when Friday came up and fhot
the wolf.
IT
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
465
It is eafy to fuppofe, that at the noife of
Friday's piftol we all mended our pace, and rode
up as faſt as the way, which was very difficult,
would give us lcave, to fee what was the matter;
as foon as we came clear of the trees, which
blinded us before, we faw clearly what had been
the cafe, and how Friday had difengaged the poor
guide, though we did not prefently difcern what
kind of creature it was he had killed.
!
Bur never was a fight managed fo hardily and
in fuch a furprizing manner, as that which fol-
lowed between Friday and a bear, which gave
us all, though at firft we were furprized and
afraid for him, the greateſt diverſion imaginable :
as the bear is a heavy, clumfy creature, and does
not gallop as the wolf does, who is fwift and
light, fo he has two particular qualities which
generally are the rule of his actions; firſt, as to
men who are not his proper prey, I ſay, not his pro
per prey, becauſe he does not uſually attempt them,
except they firſt attack him, unleſs he be excef-
five hungry, which it is probable might now
be his cafe, the ground being covered with fnow ;
on the contrary, if you meet him in the woods,
if you don't meddle with him, he won't meddle
with you; but then you muſt take care to be very
civil to him, and give him the road; for when
he thinks himſelf abufed, he fets all other bufi-
H.h
nefs
1
1
466
ADVENTURES OF
1
t
¿
neſs afide to purſue his revenge, and will have
fatisfaction in point of honour; this is his firft
quality: the next is, if he be once affronted, he
will never leave you, night or day till he has
his revenge, but follows at a good round rate
till he overtakes you.
My man Friday had delivered our guide, and
when we came up to him, he was helping him
off from his horfe, for the man was hurt, and
frighted very much; when on a fudden we ſpied
the bear come out of the wood, and a vaſt mon-
ftrous one it was, the biggeft by far that ever I
ſaw: we were all a little furprized when we faw
him: but when Friday faw him, it was eafy to
fee joy and courage in the fellows counten-
ance; "O! O! O! fays Friday three times, point
ing to him, O mafter! you give me te leave!
me ſhakee te hand with him; me make you good
laugh.
་
I was furprized to fee the fellow fo well
pleaſed; you fool, fays I he will eat you up.
Eatee me up! eatee me up! fay Friday, twice
over again, me eatee him up; me make you
good laugh; you all fit here, me ſhow you
good laugh: fo down he fits, and gets off his
boots in a moment, and put on a pair of pumps,
(as we call the flat fhoes they wear, and which
+
he
1
1
1
ROBINSON O CRUSOE.
467
he had in his pocket) gives my other fervant
his horfe, and with his gun away he flew, fwift
like the wind.
THE bear was walking foftly on, and offered
to meddle with no body, till Friday coming pretty
near, calls to him, as if the bear could under-
ſtand him; " Hark ye, hark ye, fays Friday,
me fpeakee wit you. We followed at a dif
tance; for now being come down on the Gaf
coign fide of the mountains, we were entered a·
vaſt great foreft, where the country was plain
and pretty open, though it had many trees in it
fcattered here and there
譬
​FRIDAY who had, as we fay, the heels of the
bear, came up with him quickly, and takes up a
great ftone, or clod, that he had got under a
tree, 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 anfwered
Friday's end, for the rogue was fo void of fear
that he did it purely to make the bear follow
him, and fhew us fome laugh, as he called it.
As foon as the bear felt the blow, and faw him,
he turns about and comes after, him, taking dev-
ilifh long ftrides, and fhuffling along at a ſtrange
rate, ſo as would have put a horſe to a mid-
ding gallop: away runs Friday, and takes his
Hh 2
courfe
468
ADVENTURES OF
1
courfe as if he run towards us for help; fo we
all refolved 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 bufinefs 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, faid I, is this your mak-
ing us laugh? Come away and take your horſe,
that we may ſhoot, the creature; he hears me and
cries out, no ſhoot, no fhoot, ftand fill, and you
get much laugh:" and as the nimble creature
ran two for the beaft's one, he turned on a fud-
den, on one fide of us,
and feeing
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 fix yards from the butt
of the tree. The bear foon came to the tree,
and we followed at a diſtance, the firſt thing
he did, he ſtopped at the gun, fielt to it, but
let it lie, and up he fcrambles into the tree,
climbing like a cat, though fo monftrouſly heavy;
I was amazed at the folly, as I thought it, of
my man, and could not for my life fee any
thing to laugh at yet, till feeing the bear get
up the tree, we all rode nearer to him.
WNEN
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
469
WHEN ´We came to the tree, there was Friday
got out to the fmall end of a large limb of the
tree, and the bear got about half way to him;
as foon as the bear got out to that part where .
the limb of the tree was weaker, "Ha, fays he
to us, now you fee me teachee the bear dance;"
fo he falls a jumping and fhaking the bough,
at which the bear began to totter, but ſtood ſtill,
and began to look behind him, to fee how he
ſhould get back; then indeed we did laugh hearti-
ly: but Friday had not done with him by a
great deal: when feeing him ftand ſtill he calls
out to him again, as if he had fuppofed the
bear could speak Engliſh. What you come no
farther, pray you come farther; fo he left jump-
ing and fhaking the tree; and the bear juft as if
he underſtood Engliſh, did come a little farther,
then he fell a jumping again, and the bear ftop-
ped again. We thought now was a good time
to knock him in the head, and called to Friday
to ſtand ſtill, and we ſhould ſhoot the bear, but
he cried out earnestly, O pray! O pray! no
fhoot, me fhoot by and then; he would have
faid, by and by; however, to fhorten the ftory
Friday danced fo much, and the bear ftood fo
tickiliſh, that we had laughed enough indeed
but ſtill could not imagine what the fellow would
do: for firſt we thought he depended upon fhak-
ing the bear off: and we found the bear was too
cunning
H h 3
!
}
470
ADVENTURES OF
cunning for that too: for he would not go aut
too far to be thrown down, but clings faft with
his great broad claws and feet fo that we could
not imagine what would be the end of it, and what
the jeft would be at laſt.
1
BUT Friday put us out of doubt quickly: for
feeing the bear cling faft to the bough, and that
he would not be perfuaded to come any farther;"
Well, fays Friday, you no come farther, me go;
you no come to me, me go come to you;" and
upon this, he goes out to the fmaller end of the
bough' where it would bend with his weight, and
gently lets himſelf down by it, fliding down the
bough, till he came near enough to jump down
on his feet, and away he run to his gun, he takes
it up, and ſtands ftill. Well, faid I to him,
Friday, what will you do now? why dont you
fhoot him? No fhoot fays Friday, no yet, me
ſhoot now, me no kill; me ftay, give you more
laugh;" and indeed fo he did, as you will fee
preſently? for when the bear faw his enemy gone
he comes back from the bough where he ftood;
but did it mighty leifurely, he looked behind
him every ſtep, and coming backward till he got
into the body of the tree; then with the fame
hinder end foremoſt, he came down the tree,
grafping it with his claws, and moving one foot
at a time, very leiſurely; at this juncture, and
juſt before he could fet his hind foot on the
ground
į
1
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
471
:
1
ground, Friday ftept up clofe to him, clapt the
muzzle of his piece into his ear and hot him
dead.
Then the
Then the rogue turned about to fee if we
did not laugh and when he faw we were pleaſed
by our looks, he falls a laughing himſelf very
loud;
"fo we kill bear if he was in my coun-
try, fays Friday. So you kill them, fays I, why
you have no guns; no, fays he, no gun but we
fhoot, great much long arrow." This was indeed
a good diverfion to us; but we were ftill in
a wild place, and our guide hurt, and what to do
we hardly knew: the howling of wolves run
much in my head: and indeed, except the noiſe
I once heard on the fhore of Africa, of which
I have faid fomething already, I never heard
any thing that filled me with fo 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
monftrous creature off, which was worth faving:
but we had near three leagues to go, and our
guide haftened us, fo we left him, and went for-
ward on our journey
THE ground was ftill covered with fnow,
though not fo deep and dangerous as on the
mountains, and the ravenous creatures, as we
heard afterwards, were come down into the foreft
H h 4
and
472
ADVENTURES OF
Į
1
and plain country, preffed by hunger to feek for
food; and had done a great deal of mifchief in
the villages, where they furprized the country
people, killed a great many of their fheep and
horſes, and ſome people too. We had one dan-
gerous place to pafs, which our guide told us,
if there were any more wolves in the country,
we ſhould find them there, and this was in a
fmall plain, furrounded with woods on every fide
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 fun fet
when we entered the firft wood, and a little after
the fun fet 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 faw five great wolves crofs.
the road, full fpeed one after another, as if they
had been in chace of fome prey, and had it in
view; they took no notice of us, and were gone
out of fight in a few moments. Upon this our
guide, who by the way was but a faint-hearted
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 faw no more wolves. till we came through
that wood, which was near half a league, and
entered the plain, as foon as we came into the
plain we had occafion enough to look about us:
1
the
:
ROBINSON CRUSO E
473
1
the first object we met with, was a dead horſe
´that is to fay, a poor horfe which the wolves had
killed, and at leaſt a dozen of them at work; we
could not fay 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 fuffer 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, but we began to hear
the wolves howl in the wood on our left, in a
frightful manner, and prefently after we faw 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
fcarce knew in what manner to receive them;
but found to draw ourfelves in a cloſe line was
the only way; fo 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 fecond volley immediately
"if
if they continued to advance upon us, and that
then thoſe who had fired at firft, fhould not
pretend to load their fufees, again but ftand ready
with every one a piftol; for we were all armed
with a fuſee, and a pair of piſtols each man; fo
we
474
ADVENTURES OF
}
1
we were by this method able to fire fix volleys
half of us at a time; however, at prefent we had
no neceffity; for upon firing the first volley,
the enemy made a full ftop, being terrified as
well with the noife, as with the fire; four of them
being ſhot into the head, dropped, feveral others
were wounded, and went bleeding off, as we
could fee by the fnow; I found they ſtopped,
but did not immediately retreat; whereupon re-
membring that I had been told, that the fierceft
creatures were terrified at the voice of a man,
I caufed all our company to ho! loe as loud as
we could; and I found the notion not altogether.
miſtaken; for upon our fhout, they began to re-
tire, and turn about; then I ordered a fecond
volley to be fired in their rear, which put them
to the gallop, and away they went to the woods,
This gave us leifure to charge our pieces again,
and that we might loofe no time, we kept go-
ing; but we had but little more than loaded our
fufees, and put ourſelves into a readineſs, when
we heard a terrible noiſe in the fame wood, on
our left, only that it was farther onward the fame
way we were to go.
<
THE night was coming on, and the light be-
gan to be duſky, which made it worfe on our
fide; but the noife encreafing, we could eafily
perceive that it was the howling and yelling of
thofe
ROBINSON CRUSO E.
475
1
thofe hellish creatures; and on a fudden, we per-
ceived two or three troops of wolves, one on our
left, one behind us, and one on our front; fo
that we feemed to be furrounded with them; how-
ever, as they did not fall upon us, we kept our
way forward, as faft as we could make our horſes
go, which, the way being very rough, was only a
good large trot; in this manner we came in view
of the entrance of a wood, through which we were
to paſs, at the farther fide of the plain; but we
were greatly furprifed, when coming nearer the
lane, or paſs, we faw a confuſed number of wolves
ftanding juft at the entrance. On a fudden, at
another opening of the wood, we heard the noiſe
of a gun, and looking that way, out rufhed a
horſe, with a faddle and a bridle on him, flying
like the wind, and fixteen or feventeen wolves
after him, full fpeed; indeed the horſe had the
heels of them, but as we fuppofed that he could
not hold it at that rate, we doubted not but they
would get up with him at laft, and no queftion
but they did.
BUT here we had a moſt horrible fight; for
riding up to the entrance where the horfe came
out, we found the carcafe of another horfe, and
of two men devoured by the ravenous creatures,
and one of the men was no doubt the fame that
we heard fire the gun, for there lay a gun juft by
him
}
476
ADVENTURES OF
{
him fired off; but as to the man, his head and the
upper part of his body was eaten up. This fill. ·
ed us with horror, and we knew not what courfe
to take, but the creatures refolved us foon, 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 fome large
timber trees, which had been cut down the fum-
mer before, and I fuppofe 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 breaft work, to ftand in a trian-
gle, or three fronts, inclofing our horfes in the
center,
We did fo, and it was well we did; for never
was a more furious charge than the creatures
made upon us in the place; they came on with a
growling kind of noiſe (and mounted the piece of
timber, which as I faid, was our breaſt work) as
if they were only rufhing upon their prey; and this
fury of theirs, it feems, was principally occafioned
by their feeing our horfes behind us, they being
the prey they aimed at: I ordered our men to
fire as before, every other man, and they took
their aim ſo ſure, that they indeed killed ſeveraļ
of
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
477
1
}
of the wolves at the firſt volley; but there was a
neceffity to keep a continual firing, for they came
on like devils, thofe behind puſhing on thoſe
before.
WHEN We had fired the fecond volley of our
fufees, 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; fo we
fired two vollies of our piftols, and I believe in
thefe four firings we had killed feventeen or
eighteen of them, and lamed twice as many, yet
they came on again. I was loath to ſpend our
laſt ſhot too haftily, fo I called my fervant, not
my man Friday, for he was better employed, for
with the greateſt dexterity imaginable he had
charged my fufee and his own while we were
engaged; but, as I faid, I called my other man,
and giving him a horn of powder. I bad 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
fome were got upon it, when I fnapping an un-
charged piftol clofe to the powder, fet it, on fire;
thoſe that were upon the timber were fcorched
with it, and fix or ſeven of them fell, or rather
jumped in among us, with the force and fright
of the fire: we diſpatched thefe in an inftant, and
the reft were fo frighted with the light, which the
5
night
478
ADVENTURES OF
1
}
night, for it was now very near dark, made more
terrible, that they drew back a little; upon which
I ordered our laft piftol to be fired off in one
volley, and after that we gave a fhout: upon this
the wolves turned tail, and we fallied immediate-
ly upon near twenty lame ones, that we found
ftruggling on the ground, and fell a cutting them
with our fwords, which anfwered our expectation,
for the crying and howling they made was better
underſtood by their fellows; fo that they all fled
and left us.
WE had, first and laft, killed about threefcore
of them, and had it been day light we had killed
many more: the field of battle being thus clear-
ed, we made forward again, for we had ſtill above
half a league to go: we heard the ravenous
creatures howl and yell in the woods as we went,
feveral times; and fometimes we fancied we faw
fome of them, but the fnow dazzling our eyes
we were not certain; fo 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, that the night before the
wolves and fome bears had broke into the village
in the night, and put them in a terrible fright,
and they were obliged to keep guard night and
day, but eſpecially in the night, to preferve their
cattle and indeed their people.
THE
4
મ
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
479
THE next morning our guide was fo ill, and
his leg fwelled fo with the rankling of his bites,
that he could go no farther fafely; fo we were
obliged to take a new guide there, and go to
Tholoufe, where we found a warm climate, a
fruitful pleaſant country, and no fnow, no wolves,
or any thing like them; but when we told our ſtory
at Tholouſe, they told us it was nothing but what
was ordinary in the great foreft at the foot of the
mountains, eſpecially when the fnow lay on the
ground; but they inquired much what kind of
a guide we had gotten, who would venture to
bring us that way in fuch a fevere ſeaſon, and
told us it were very much we were not all de-
voured. When we told them how we placed
ourſelves, and the horfes in the middle, they
blamed us exceedingly, and told us, it was fifty
to one but we had been all deftroyed; for it was
the fight of the horfes which made the wolves fo
furious, ſeeing their prey, and that at other times
they are really afraid of a gun; but the being ex-
ceffive hungry, and raging on that account, the
eagerness to come at the horfes made them fenfe-
lefs of danger; and that if we had not by the
continued fire, and at last by the ftratagem 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 fat ftill on
horfe-back, and fired as horfe-men, they would
not have taken the horfes for fo much their own
when
¡
480
ADVENTURES OF
}
}
when men were on their backs, as otherwife;
and withal they told us that at last, if we had
ſtood all together, and left our horfes, they would
have been fo eager to have devoured them that
we might have come off fafe, efpecially having
our fire arms in our hands, and being fo many
in number. For my part, I was never more fen-
fible of danger in my life; for feeing above
three hundred devils come roaring and open
mouthed to devour us, and having nothing to
fhelter us, or retreat to, I gave myſelf over for
loft; and, as it was, I believe I fhall never care
to croſs thofe mountains again; I think I would
much rather go a thouſand leagues by fea, though
I were fure to meet with a ſtorm once a week.
こ
​I HAVE nothing uncommon to take notice of
in my paffage through France, nothing but what
other travellers have given an account of, with
much more advantage than I can. I travelled
from Tholouſe to Paris, and without any con-
fiderable ftay came to Calais, and landed fafe at
Dover the 14th of January, after having had a
fevere cold feafon to travel in.
I WAS now come to the center of my travels,
and had in a little time all my new diſcovered
eſtate ſafe about me, the bills of exchange which
I brought
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
481
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, or care too great, to employ for me
and I truſted her fo entirely with every thing,
that I was perfectly eafy as to the fecurity 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 I began to think of leaving my ef-
fects with this woman and feetting out for Lif-
bon, and fo to the Brafils; but now another
fcruple came in my way, and that was religion;
for as I had entertained fome doubts about the
Roman religion even while I was abroad, efpe-
cially in my ſtate of folitude fa I knew there
was no going to the Brafils for me, much leſs
going to fettle there, unless I refolved to em-
brace the Roman catholic religion, without any
reſerve, unleſs, on the other hand, I refolved to
be a facrifice to my principles, be a martyr for
religion, and die in the inquifition; fo I refoved
to ftay at home, and if I could find means for it,
to difpofe of my plantation,
Vol. I.
I i
To
482
ADVENTURES OF
Tò this purpoſe I wrote to my old friend at
Liſbon, who in return gave me notice, that he
could eaſily difpòfe of it there; but that if I
thought fit to give him leave he would offer it inmy
name to the two merchants, the furvivors of my
trufteès, who lived in the Brafils, and fully un-
derſtood the value of it, by living juft upon the
ſpot, and who I knew were very rich; fo that
he believeed they would be fond of buying it;
he did not doubt bút I fhould make four or five
thouſand pieces of eight the more of it.
ACCORDINGLY I agreed, gave him orders to
offer it to them, and he did fo; and in about
eight months more, the fhip being then returned
he fent me an account, that they had accepted the
offer, and had remitted thirty-three thouſand
pieces of eight to a correſpondent of theirs at Liſbon,
to pay for it,
In return, I figned the inftrument of fale in
the form which they fent from Liſbon, and fent
it to my old man, who fent me bills of ex-
change for thirty two thoufand eight hundred
pieces of eight for the eftate, referving the
payment of a hundred moidores a year to him,
the old man, during his life, and fifty moidores
afterwards to his fon for his life, which I had
promiſed
*
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
483
!
promiſed them, 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 adventures,
a life of providence's chequer work, and of a
variety which the world will feldom be able to
of fhew the like of; beginning fooliſhly, but
clofing much more happily than at any part it
ever gave me leave fo much as to hope for.
ANY one would think, that in this ftate of
complicated good fortnne, I was paft running
any more hazards; and fo indeed I had been if
other circumſtances had concurred, but I was in-
ured to a wandering life, had no family, not
many relations, nor, however rich, had I con-
tracted much acquainance; and though I had
fold my eſtate in the Brafils, yet I could not keep
the country out of my head, and had a great
mind to be on the wing again, efpecially I
could not refift the ftrong inclination I had to
fee my iſland, and to know if the poor Spaniards
were in being there, and how the rogues I had
left there uſed them.
My true friend, the widow, earneſtly diffuad-
ed me from it, and fo far prevailed with me, that
for almoſt ſeven years fhe prevented my running
abroad; during which time I took my two ne-
3
phews,
t
484
ADVENTURES OF
1
phews, the children of one of my brothers, into
my care: the eldeft having fomething of his own,
I bred up as a gentleman, and gave him a fet-
lement of fome addition to his eftate, after my
deceaſe; the other I put out to a captain of a ſhip,
and after five years, finding him a fenfible, bold
enterpriſing young fellow, I put him into a good
fhip, and fent him to fea, and this young fellow
afterwards drew me in, as old as I was, to farther
adventures myſelf.
In the mean time, I in part fettled myſelf
here; for first of all I married, and that not either
to my diſadvantage or diffatisfaction, and had
three children, two fons and one daughter, but.
my wife dying, and my nephew coming home
with good fuccefs from a voyage to Spain, my
inclination to go abroad, and his importunity
prevailed, and engaged me to go in his fhip
as a private trader, to the Eaſt-Indies: this was in
the year 1694.
In this voyage I vifited my new colony in the
iſland, ſaw my fucceffors the Spaniards, had the
whole ftory of their lives, and of the villains I
left there, how at firft they infulted the poor
Spaniards, how they afterwards agreed, difagreed
united and ſeparated; of all which, and how I
fupplied
+
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
485
ſupplied them with neceffaries, with all the other
remarkable occurrences that happened during the
ten following years of my life, as well as in my
and return home, you have a true, faithful and
exact narrative in the ſecond part of my adven-
tures, &c.
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.