ADVENTURES OFF
ROBINSON CRUSOE
BY DANIEL DE FOE
1916
SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS.
.
•
2

!
ARTES
1837
VERITAS
LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
PLURIOUS UNUMI
TUEBOR
SCIENTIA
OF THE
· SI·QUÆRIS·PENINSULAM-AMŒNAM
CIRCUMSPICE
HAVAIAJALOOLAJOKIOONIMINIE OKO ONLI
GIFT OF
REGENT LLHUBBARD
•
;
Hubbard
Imag. Voy.
PR
3403
•AI
187-n
is

"Having learned to know the value of retirement, and the blessing of
ending our days in peace."

ADVENTURES
ROBINSON CRUSOE
DANIEL DE FOE
BY
"MY BOAT"
Res.
Regent L. L. Hubbard
44
2-5-1926-

How seldom it happens that great men are born in great towns. Some
secluded spot, where the influence of nature rather than of human society is
felt, is commonly the nursery of genius. Great cities seem to have a depres-
sing influence upon the human mind. The high pressure of an artificial
competition, while forcing it into a premature activity, leaves its finest
faculties dormant. City life thus favours the production of a crowd of
mediocrities; and amid a surrounding of narrow but keenly polished wits, the
dawn of a new intellectual life is exposed to the friction of a minute and
sterile criticism which damps enthusiasm and crushes out the early spark of
originality. Conformity to a pattern of conventional acquirements takes the
place of the unfettered development of the individual nature, and a perpetual
round of petty activities keeps alive a semblance of intellectual excitement
which completes the absorption of the individual in the collective life.
How strange that the author of Robinson Crusoe, a man distinguished above
all things for individuality, and the masterpiece of whose genius is the
description of a solitary life in a desert island, should have been born in
London. We must regard this striking exception as a bold assertion of the
sovereignty of nature over the strongest combinations of those conventional
barriers by which men endeavour to restrict her sway.
Daniel De Foe was born in London, in the parish of St. Giles', Cripplegate,
in 1661. He died in the same parish in April, 1731. During his life of
seventy years he saw, seated on the throne of England, six successive monarchs,
from Charles II. to George II., and he witnessed the final phases of the greatest
revolution in our history.
MEMOIR OF DANIEL DE FOE.
Let no one imagine that in these stirring days the author of Robinson
Crusoe lived the life of a contemplative recluse. His mind was not of a kind
to be satisfied even with the activities of city life; and from about the
age of
twenty-one to that of fifty-four, he was incessantly engaged in the fiercest
political strife of that stormy period.
Daniel De Foe was the son of James Foe, a butcher, in the parish of St Giles';
his grandfather, Daniel Foe, was a yoeman of Elton, in Huntingdonshire. It
i
Pappymometer mig med m
a
Magda da da da
MEMOIR OF DANIEL DE FOE.
is not known at what time he adopted the prefix "De," which distinguishes
his name from that of his ancestors. His grandfather is said to have been a
cavalier; his father, it is certain, was a round-head and a dissenter. Daniel
received an excellent education at a dissenting academy, being intended for the
ministry, which, for some reason unknown, he did not enter. That he profited
by his education appears not only by his works, but from his own testimony.
When taunted by an opponent with his want of learning, he, on one occasion,
replied, "As to my little learning and his great capacity, I fairly challenge him
to translate with me any Latin, French, or Italian author, and after that to re-
translate them, crossways, for twenty pounds each book." He was also well
read in the theological controversies of the day.
He began life as a merchant hosier, and continued this occupation up till
1695. His place of business was in Freeman's Court, Cornhill. His business
transactions during this period were considerable.
It was not long till his political activity began to show itself. In 1682-3
he published his first tracts, one of them upon the invasion of Austria by the
Turks. He did not include these early publications in the editions he after-
wards prepared of his collected works.
In 1685 he joined the rebellion under the Duke of Monmouth. Being at
this time a young man, and comparatively unknown, he seems to have escaped
notice, and, on the failure of the enterprise, he came quietly back to London
and resumed his occupations.
On the 26th of January, 1688, he was admitted a livery man, his name being
entered in the Chamberlain's book as Daniel Foe. Towards the close of the
same year he had the gratification of meeting the Prince of Orange at Henley,
and marching with him to London; and in the following year he formed one
of a guard of honour who attended King William on the occasion of his dining
at the Guildhall with the Lord Mayor.
He had now become a considerable trader, and his business took him on.
one occasion to Spain, where he resided for some time, and learned the lang-
uage.
He also on different occasions visited France and Germany. The turning
point in De Foe's career, however, came in the form of business disasters. In
1692 he was obliged to abscond from his creditors; but during his temporary
flight, a composition was arranged on his own bond, which he faithfully dis-
charged, and afterwards made considerable efforts to pay his creditors in full.
About the causes of his want of success in business there appears to be little
doubt. He, himself, explains them with sufficient clearness. Being of a san-
guine disposition, he speculated beyond his means, and trusted people who
were unworthy of credit. That he neglected his business for literary pursuits,
is an assumption of some of his biographers which seems to be both un-
necessary and groundless. His debts amounted to £17,000, which he says he
afterwards reduced to £5,000.
ii
MEMOIR CF DANIEL DE FOE.
Lest his flight from his creditors should be supposed to reflect upon his
honour, it may be well to advert to the state of the bankruptcy law at the
time, which he was afterwards instrumental in getting changed. His own
statement of it is:-"The cruelty of our law against debtors, without distinction
of honest or dishonest, is the shame of our nation. I am persuaded the
honestest man in England, when by circumstances he is compelled to break,
will fly out the kingdom rather than submit. To stay here, this is the conse-
quence as soon as he breaks he is proscribed as a criminal, and has thirty or
sixty days to surrender both himself and all that he has to his creditors. If
he fails to do so, he has nothing before him but the gallows, without benefit of
clergy; if he surrenders, he is not sure but he shall be thrown into jail for life
by the commissioners, only on pretence that they doubt his oath. It is
certainly," he adds, "the interest of the creditor that when a debtor has failed
he should come and throw himself into the creditor's hands, and there be safe.”
His friends now wished to establish him as a factor in Cadiz, but "Providence
placed a secret aversion in his mind to quitting England."
He obtained, in 1695, the appointment of accomptant to the commissioners,
for managing the duties on glass; which he held till 1699, when the duty was
abolished.
In 1697 he published an "Essay upon Projects," which contains, among other
suggestions, one for the formation of a society for the cultivation of literature,
and the improvement of the English language, on the plan of the French
Academy, a project which has since been advocated by Swift and others, up to
the present day. From this time he became a constant writer on all the social
and political topics of the day.
In 1701 appeared a work on which De Foe always highly valued himself,
and of which it was his practice to cite himself as the author in his subsequent
publications. This was, "The True-born Englishman."
William III. had been placed on the throne by a coalition of whigs and tories.
The strong attachment of the latter to the principle of legitimacy was not, how-
ever, overcome by their well-founded distrust of James, and the sympathies of
the nation were largely on their side. Hence dreams and projects of a restora-
tion began to be entertained, and many would gladly have welcomed James
back under conditions which would have secured constitutional liberty, and
the ascendency of the Protestant religion. In the mouths of the reactionaries
the phrase," true-born Englishman," had acquired a significance which
reflected upon William as an alien. Against this use of the phrase, which he
adopted as his title, De Foe directed a satire.
Here it may be observed that while De Foe was partial to verse, and fre-
quently used it as a means of conveying his sentiments, he never took any pains.
to cultivate a style and mode of expression suitable to the most refined medium
of communication for human thought. He wrote poetry like a pamphleteer;
iii
MEMOIR OF DANIEL DE Foe.
and the English language, though it admits of a very elevated diction, is not
favourable to improvisatori. Otherwise there are touches of vigour in his
style that might almost justify one in holding, contrary to the common
opinion, that with leisure and inclination he might have been as highly dis-
tinguished as a poet as he is as a prose writer.
Take for example such distichs as this from "The True-born English-
man:"
"Who their old monarch eagerly undo,
And yet uneasily obey the new."
"Fools out of favour grudge at knaves in place,
And men are always honest in disgrace."
It was somewhat daring in Pope to place a man who could bite like
this in the "Dunciad;" yet, it is true, we are much oftener favoured with
couplets like the following:-
"Search, satire, search; a deep incision make:
The poison's strong, the antidote's too weak."
This poem admitted De Foe to the favour of King William, who though not
so great a patron of literature as his rival Louis XIV., was sensible to the muses
when they espoused his cause. He consulted and employed De Foe; yet this
did not prevent the bold and honest poet from writing in favour of peace with
France, when the king had determined on war.
Satire was De Foe's favourite weapon, and early in the following reign he
found an admirable occasion for using it. During the reign of Queen Anne
sectarian intolerance, with the least possible excuse, reached the highest point
it has ever been known to attain. The common dangers from which all Pro-
testants had escaped might have been expected to dispose them to feelings of
charity and brotherhood towards each other; but this was not the view of the
High Churchmen. A dissenter with them was more to be despised, if less to
be dreaded, than a Romanist. Conformity to the church was the only condi-
tion on which either state or civic dignities were to be held. This had led to a
practice among the dissenters of occasional conformity, for the sake of holding
office, which was defended by men of high reputation, both lay and clerical, on
the plea of moderation, until, in 1711, it was put a stop to, not by the scruples
of the dissenters themselves, but by the rising intolerance of churchmen, who
succeeded in passing, by a coalition of whigs and tories, a bill making a single
attendance at a conventicle the cause of deprivation of office.
W
On this subject De Foe took up a position offensive to all parties, and which
was the occasion of a great part of the sacrifices and sufferings of his life. He
steadily opposed the practice of occasional conformity as inconsistent and sac-
Para a Mar
iv
MEMOIR OF DANIEL DE FOE.
rilegious. He had already written against it in the reign of King William.
At the same time the further designs of the High Church party filled him with
disgust and indignation, and he employed against them the powerful weapon
of his satire.
In a tract entitled "The Shortest Way with the Dissenters," he assumed the
character of a High Churchman, and gravely parodied the intolerance of the
zealots of the party. So well had he studied his models that he was only in
advance of them in time. Extreme adherents of the party actually commended
his views, and some of his predictions came afterwards to be verified; but in
the meantime they aroused the rage of all parties, and especially of the
dissenters, who were offended with his scrupulousness, and could not compre-
hend the delicacy of his satire. They treated him as a disturber of the peace,
and called his tract scurrilous.
The matter was taken up by the House of Commons, and some parts of the
book being read in the House, 25th February, 1702-3, it was resolved, "That
this book being full of false and scandalous reflections on this Parliament, and
tending to promote sedition, be burnt by the hands of the common hangman
to-morrow in New Palace Yard."
A reward of £50 was offered for the apprehension of De Foe, who
surrendered, in order to relieve his printers from the responsibility. He was
sentenced to pay a fine of 200 marks to the Queen, to stand three times in the
pillory, to be imprisoned during the Queen's pleasure, and to find sureties for
his good behaviour for seven years. De Foe was attended to the pillory by a
guard of honour provided by the mob, which protected him from insult, and
crowned the instrument with garlands.
It is a sufficient comment upon this affair to say that De Foe was ultimately
released from prison by the intervention of Harley, afterwards Earl of Oxford,
the leader of the tory party, at whose instance the Queen paid his fine, and sent
a sum of money to his wife.

Previous to his imprisonment he had been engaged in a brick and tile kiln
work in Essex, and he complains it cost him the destruction of his business, with
the loss of £3,500, and upset his plans for paying his creditors, which were
progressing satisfactorily. He also laments the loss to his country of an industry
which he was successfully striving to introduce, this manufacture having been
previously carried on in Holland.
While in prison he was not idle. He projected a periodical paper which he
began, six months before his release, in February, 1704. This paper, which
was continued for nine years, forms one of the most considerable of his works..
It was one of the earliest British newspapers, and to render it attractive he
added to it the feature of a Scandal Club, which discussed all manner of topics,
social, political, and literary. It was written wholly by himself, and was con-
tinued without interruption during protracted absences from England, one of
V
LIFE AND ADVENTURES
OF
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
I
WAS born in the year 1632, in the city of York, of a good family,
though not of that country, my father being a foreigner of Bremen,
who settled first at Hull. He got a good estate by merchandise, and
leaving off his trade, lived afterwards at York; from whence he had married
my mother, whose relations were named Robinson, a very good family in
that country, and from whom I was called Robinson Kreutznaer; but, by the
usual corruption of words in England, we are now called,-nay, we call
ourselves, and write our name, Crusoe; and so my companions always called me.
La Vida mag van,
I had two elder brothers, one of whom was lieutenant-colonel to an English
regiment of foot in Flanders, formerly commanded by the famous Colonel
Lockhart, and was killed at the battle near Dunkirk against the Spaniards.
What became of my second brother I never knew, any more than my father
or mother did know what was become of me.
Being the third son of the family, and not bred to any trade, my head
began to be filled very early with rambling thoughts. My father, who was
very ancient, had given me a competent share of learning, as far as house-
education and a country free-school generally go, and designed me for the
law; but I would be satisfied with nothing but going to sea; and my inclina-
tion to this led me so strongly against the will, nay, the commands of my
father, and against all the entreaties and persuasions of my mother and other
friends, that there seemed to be something fearful in that propensity of nature
tending directly to the life of misery which was to befal me.
My father, a wise and grave man, gave me scrious and excellent counsel
against what he foresaw was my design. He called me one morning into hist
chamber, where he was confined by the gout, and expostulated very warmly
A
1
}
V pet pa
+
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
with me upon this subject. He asked me what reasons, more than a mere
wandering inclination, I had for leaving my father's house and my native
country, where I might be well introduced, and had a prospect of raising my
fortune by application and industry, with a life of ease and pleasure. He
told me that it was men of desperate fortunes on one hand, or of aspiring,
superior fortunes on the other, who went abroad upon adventures, to rise by
enterprise, and make themselves famous in undertakings of a nature out of
the common road; that these things were all either too far above me, or too
far below me; that mine was the middle state, or what might be called the
upper station of low life, which he had found, by long experience, was the best
state in the world, the most suited to human happiness, not exposed to the
misery and hardships, the labour and sufferings of the mechanic part of
mankind, and not embarrassed with the pride, luxury, ambition, and envy of the
upper part of mankind. He told me I might judge of the happiness of this state
by one thing, viz., that this was the state of life which all other people envied;
that kings have frequently lamented the miserable consequence of being born to
great things, and wished they had been placed in the middle of the two extremes
-between the mean and the great; that the wise man gave his testimony to
this, as the standard of felicity, when he prayed to have neither poverty nor
riches.
kad se voda) maag van die
He bade me observe it, and I should always find, that the calamities of life
were shared among the upper and lower part of mankind; but that the
middle station had the fewest disasters, and was not exposed to so many
vicissitudes as the higher or lower part of mankind; nay, they were not
subjected to so many distempers and uneasiness, either of body or mind, as
those were who, by vicious living, luxury, and extravagances on one hand, or
by hard labour, want of necessaries, and mean or insufficient diet on the other
hand, bring distempers upon themselves by the natural consequences of their
way of living; that the middle station of life was calculated for all kind of
virtues and all kind of enjoyments; that peace and plenty were the handmaids
of a middle fortune; that temperance, moderation, quietness, health, society,
all agreeable diversions, and all desirable pleasures, were the blessings attending
the middle station of life; that this way men went silently and smoothly
through the world, and comfortably out of it, not embarrassed with the labours
of the hands or of the head, not sold to a life of slavery for daily bread, or
harrassed with perplexed circumstances, which rob the soul of peace and
the body of rest; nor enraged with the passion of envy, or the sacred
burning lust of ambition for great things; but in easy circumstances, sliding
gently through the world, and sensibly tasting the sweets of living without
the bitter; feeling that they are happy, and learning by every day's experience
to know it more sensibly.
After this, he pressed me earnestly, and in the most affectionate manner,
PUR JALAN Win, mama damn, vậy validate graag vra omne atamaran Jakarta
• aghj vlagate to hear the make a algaja me
priate e qalan qala ako sa mga vergarage sale me za tamang p
LANG SA made me
Plan? Agata plan to
2
VAD VAN VI do a day at the pet –

kan pengadilan
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
not to play the young man, nor to precipitate myself into miseries which
nature, and the station of life I was born in, seemed to have provided against;
that I was under no necessity for seeking my bread; that he would do well
for me, and endeavour to enter me fairly into the station of life which he had
just been recommending to me; and that if I was not very easy and happy in
the world, it must be my mere fate or fault that must hinder it; and that he
should have nothing to answer for, having thus discharged his duty in warning
me against measures which he knew would be to my hurt; in a word, that as
he would do very kind things for me if I would stay and settle at home as he
directed, so he would not have so much hand in my misfortunes, as to give
me any encouragement to go away: and, to close all, he told me I had my
elder brother for an example, to whom he had used the same earnest per-
suasions to keep him from going into the Low Country wars, but could not
prevail, his young desires prompting him to run into the army, where he was
killed; and though he said he would not cease to pray for me, yet he would
venture to say to me, that if I did take this foolish step, God would not bless
me, and I should have leisure hereafter to reflect upon having neglected his
counsel, when there might be none to assist in my recovery.
I observed in this last part of his discourse, which was truly prophetic,.
though I suppose my father did not know it to be so himself; I say, I
observed the tears run down his face very plentifully, especially when he
spoke of my brother who was killed; and that when he spoke of having
leisure to repent, and none to assist me, he was so moved that he broke off the
discourse, and told me his heart was so full he could say no more to me.
I was sincerely affected with this discourse, as indeed who could be other-
wise? and I resolved not to think of going abroad any more, but to settle at
home according to my father's desire. But, alas! a few days wore it all off;
and, in short, to prevent any of my father's further importunities, in a few
weeks after I resolved to run quite away from him. However, I did not act
quité so hastily as the first heat of my resolution prompted, but I took my
mother, at a time when I thought her a little pleasanter than ordinary, and
told her that my thoughts were so entirely bent upon seeing the world, that I
should never settle to anything with resolution enough to go through with it,
and my father had better give me his consent than force me to go without it
and I was now eighteen years old, which was too late to go apprentice to a
trade, or clerk to an attorney; that I was sure if I did, I should never serve
out my time, but I should certainly run away from my master before my time
was out, and go to sea; and if she would speak to my father to let me go one
voyage abroad, if I came home again, and did not like it, I would go no more;
and I would promise, by a double diligence, to recover the time that I had
lost.
This put my mother into a great passion. She told me she knew it would be-
3
meddelande que van matemating typen HUYET SONGsgaden krigs, Agenda
And when a va
na na Na nada at abo
My Game Stade de ma
Malga maglia Sang Kan man sang
prada alaga —— UL
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
to no purpose to speak to my father upon any such subject; that he knew too
well what was my interest to give his consent to anything so much for my
hurt; and that she wondered how I could think of any such thing after the
discourse I had had with my father, and such kind and tender expressions as
she knew my father had used to me; and that, in short, if I would ruin
myself, there was no help for me; but I might depend I should never have
their consent to it; that for her part, she would not have so much hand in
my destruction; and I should never have it to say that my mother was willing
when my father was not.
Though my mother re used to name it to my father, yet I heard afterwards
that she reported all the discourse to him, and that my father, after showing
a great concern at it, said to her, with a sigh:-"That boy might be happy if
he would stay at home; but if he goes abroad he will be the most miserable
wretch that ever was born; I can give no consent to it."
It was not till alınost a year after this that I broke loose, though, in the
meantime, I continued obstinately deaf to all proposals of settling to business,
and frequently expostulated with my father and mother about their being so
positively determined against what they knew my inclinations prompted me
to. But being one day at Hull, whether I went casually, and without any
purpose of making an elopement at that time; but, I say, being there, and one
of my companions being going by sea to London in his father's ship, and
prompting me to go with them, with the common allurement of a sea-faring
man, that it should cost me nothing for my passage, I consulted neither father
nor mother any more, nor so much as sent them word of it; but leaving
them to hear of it as they might, without asking God's blessing or my
father's, without any consideration of circumstances or consequences, and in
an ill hour, God knows, on the 1st of September, 1651, I went on board a
ship bound for London. Never any young adventurer's misfortunes, I believe,
began sooner or continued longer than nine. The ship was no sooner got
out of the Humber, than the wind began to blow and the sea to rise in a most
frightful manner; and as I had never been at sea before, I was most inexpres-
sibly sick in body, and terrified in mind. I began now seriously to reflect
upon what I had done, and how justly I was overtaken by the judgment of
Heaven for my wicked leaving my father's house, and abandoning my duty.
All the good counsels of my parents, my father's tears and my mother's
entreaties, came now fresh into my mind; and my conscience, which was not
yet come to the pitch of hardness to which it has come since, reproached me
with the contempt of advice, and the breach of my duty to God and my father.
All this while the storm increased, and the sea went very high, though
nothing like what I have seen many times since; no, nor what I saw a few
days after; but it was enough to affect me then, who was but a young sailor,
and had never known anything of the matter. I expected every wave would
4
ROBINSON crusoe.
have swallowed us up, and that every time the ship fell down, as I thought it
did, in the trough or hollow of the sea, we should never rise more. In this
agony of mind I made many vows and resolutions, that if it would please God
to spare my life in this one voyage, if ever I got once my foot upon dry land
again, I would go directly home to my father, and never set it in a ship again
while I lived; that I would take his advice, and never run myself into such
miseries as these any more. Now I saw plainly the goodness of his observa-
tions about the middle station of life-how easy, how comfortably he had
lived all his days, and never had been exposed to tempests at sea, or troubles.
on shore; and, in short, I resolved that I would, like a true repenting prodigal,
go home to my father.
"(
These wise and sober thoughts continued all the while the storm lasted, and,
indeed, some time after; but the next day the wind was abated, and the sea
calmer, and I began to be a little inured to it: however, I was very grave for
all that day, being also a little sea-sick still; but towards night the weather
cleared up, the wind was quite over, and a charming fine evening followed.
The sun went down perfectly clear, and rose so the next morning; and having
little or no wind, and a smooth sea, the sun shining upon it, the sight was, as
I thought, the most delightful that ever I saw.
"
((
I had slept well in the night, and was now no more sea-sick, but very cheerful,
looking with wonder upon the sea that was so rough and terrible the day before,
and could be so calm and so pleasant in so little a time after. And now, lest
my good resolutions should continue, my companion, who had enticed me
away, comes to me: Well, Bob," says he, clapping me upon the shoulder,
"how do you do after it? I warrant you were frighted, wer'n't you, last night,
when it blew but a capful of wind?"-"A capful d'you call it?" said I;
"'twas a terrible storm.' A storm, you fool you!" replies he; "do you call
that a storm? why, it was nothing at all; give us but a good ship and sea-
room, and we think nothing of such a squall of wind as that; but you're but
a fresh water sailor, Bob. Come, let us make a bowl of punch, and we'll
forget all that: d'ye see what charming weather 'tis now?" To make short
this sad part of my story, we went the way of all sailors: the punch was
made, and I was made half-drunk with it; and, in that one night's wickedness,
I drowned all my repentance, all my reflections upon my past conduct, all my
resolutions for the future. In a word, as the sea was returned to its smooth-
ness of surface and settled calmness by the abatement of that storm, so the
hurry of my thoughts being over, my fears and apprehensions of being
swallowed up by the sea being forgotten, and the current of my former
desires returned, I entirely forgot the vows and promises that I made in my
distress. I found, indeed, some intervals of reflection; and the serious thoughts
did, as it were, endeavour to return again sometimes; but I shook them off,
and roused myself from them as it were from a distemper, and, applying
5
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
We Ar
myself to drinking and company, soon mastered the return of those fits-for
so I called them; and I had in five or six days as complete a victory over my
conscience as any young fellow that resolved not to be troubled with it could
desire. But I was to have another trial for it still; and Providence, as in
such cases generally it does, resolved to leave me entirely without excuse; for
if I would not take this for a deliverance, the next was to be such a one as the
worst and most hardened wretch among us would confess both the danger and
the mercy of.
The sixth day of our being at sea we came into Yarmouth Roads; the wind
having been contrary, and the weather calm, we had made but little way since
the storm. Here we were obliged to come to an anchor, and here we lay, the
wind continuing contrary, viz., at south-west for seven or eight days, during
which time a great many ships from Newcastle came into the same roads, as
the common harbour where the ships might wait for a wind for the river.
We had not, however, rid here so long, but we should have tided it up the
river, but that the wind blew too fresh, and, after we had lain four or five
days, blew very hard. However, the roads being reckoned as good as a
harbour, the anchorage good, and our ground-tackle very strong, our men
were unconcerned, and not in the least apprehensive of danger, but spent the
time in rest and mirth, after the manner of the sea; but the eighth day, in the
morning, the wind increased, and we had all hands at work to strike our top-
masts, and make everything snug and close, that the ship might ride as easy
as possible. By noon the sea went very high indeed, and our ship rid fore-
castle in, shipped several seas, and we thought once or twice our anchor
had come home; upon which our master ordered out the sheet anchor, so
that we rode with two anchors a-head, and the cables veered out to the better
end.
God
By this time it blew a terrible storm indeed; and now I began to see terror
and amazement in the faces even of the seamen themselves. The master,
though vigilant in the business of perserving the ship, yet, as he went in and
out of his cabin by me, I could hear him softly to himself say several times,
"Lord, be merciful to us! we shall be all lost; we shall be all undone !" and
the like. During these first hurries I was stupid, lying still in my cabin,
which was in the steerage, and cannot describe my temper. I could ill resume
the first penitence which I had so apparently trampled upon and hardened
myself against. I thought the bitterness of death had been past, and that this
would be nothing like the first; but when the master himself came by me, as
I said just now, and said we should be all lost, I was dreadfully frightened. I
got up out of my cabin and looked out, but such a dismal sight I never saw:
the sea ran mountains high, and broke upon us every three or four minutes.
When I could look about, I could see nothing but distress round us.
ships that rid near us, we found, had cut their masts by the board, being deep
Two
6
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
laden; and our men cried out that a ship which rid about a mile a-head of us
was foundered. Two more ships being driven from their anchors, were run
out of the roads to sea, at all adventures, and that not with a mast standing.
The light ships fared the best, as not so much labouring in the sea; but
two or three of them drove, and came close by us, running away with only
their spritsail out before the wind.
Towards evening the mate and boatswain begged the master of our ship to
let them cut away the foremast, which he was very unwilling to do; but the
boatswain protesting to him that if he did not, the ship would founder, he
consented; and when they had cut away the foremast, the mainmast stood
so loose, and shook the ship so much, they were obliged to cut that away
also, and make a clear deck.
Any one must judge what a condition I must be in at all this, who was
but a young sailor, and who had been in such a fright before at but a little.
But if I can express at this distance the thoughts I had about me at that
time, I was in tenfold more horror of mind upon account of my former
convictions, and the having returned from them to the resolutions I had
wickedly taken at first, than I was at death itself! and these, added to the
terror of the storm, put me into such a condition that I can by no words
describe it. But the worst was not come yet; the storm continued with such
fury that the seamen themselves acknowledged they had never seen a worse.
We had a good ship, but she was deep laden, and wallowed in the sea, so
that the seamen every now and then cried out she would founder.
It was
my advantage in one respect that I did not know what they meant by
founder, till I inquired. However, the storm was so violent that I saw
what is not often seen, the master, the boatswain, and some others more
sensible than the rest, at their prayers, and expecting every moment when
the ship would go to the bottom. In the middle of the night, and under all
the rest of our distresses, one of the men that had been down to see, cried
out we had sprung a leak; another said, there was four feet water in the hold.
Then all hands were called to the pump. At that word my heart, as I
thought, died within me; and I fell backwards upon the side of my bed
where I sat, into the cabin. However, the men roused me, and told me that
I, that was able do nothing before, was as well able to pump as another; at
which I stirred up, and went to the pump, and worked very heartily. While
this was doing, the master, seeing some light colliers, who, not able to ride
out the storm, were obliged to slip and run away to the sea, and would come
near us, ordered to fire a gun as a signal of distress. I, who knew nothing
what they meant, thought the ship had broken, or some dreadful thing
happened. In a word, I was so surprised that I fell down in a swoon. As
this was a time when everybody had his own life to think of, nobody minded
me, or what was become of me; but another man stepped up to the pump,
7
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
sta de quart de
da je dogaja v
and, thrusting me aside with his foot, let me lie, thinking I had been dead;
and it was a great while before I came to myself.
We worked on; but, the water increasing in the hold, it was apparent that
the ship would founder; and though the storm began to abate a little, yet as
it was not possible she could swim till we might run into any port, so the
master continued firing guns for help; and a light ship, who had rid it out
just a-head of us, ventured a boat out to help us. It was with the utmost
hazard the boat came near us, but it was impossible for us to get on board,
or for the boat to lie near the ship's side, till at last the men rowing very
heartily, and venturing their lives to save ours, our men cast them a rope
over the stern with a buoy to it, and then veered it out a great length, which
they, after much labour and hazard, took hold of, and we hauled them close
under our stern, and got all into their boat. It was to no purpose for them
or us, after we were in the boat, to think of reaching to their own ship; so all
agreed to let her drive, and only to pull her in towards shore as much as we
could; and our master promised them that if the boat was staved upon shore,
he would make it good to their master; so partly rowing, and partly driving,
our boat went away to the northward, sloping towards the shore almost as far
as Winterton Ness.
We were not much more than a quarter of an hour out of our ship till we
saw her sink, and then I understood for the first time what was meant by a
ship foundering in the sea. I must acknowledge I had hardly eyes to look up
when the seamen told me she was sinking; for from the moment that they
rather put me into the boat, than that I might be said to go in, my heart was,
as it were, dead within me, partly with fright, partly with horror of mind, and
the thoughts of what was yet before me.
While we were in this condition—the men yet labouring at the oar to bring
the boat near the shore-we could see (when, our boat mounting the waves,
we were able to see the shore) a great many people running along the strand
to assist us when we should come near; but we inade but slow way towards
the shore; nor were we able to reach the shore till, being past the lighthouse
at Winterton, the shore falls off to the westward towards Cromer, and so the
land broke off a little the violence of the wind. Here we got in, and, though
not without much difficulty, got all safe on shore, and walked afterwards on
foot to Yarmouth, where, as unfortunate men, we were used with great
humanity, as well by the magistrates of the town, who assigned us good
quarters, as by particular merchants and owners of ships, and had money
given us sufficient to carry us either to London or back to Hull, as we
thought fit.
Had I now had the sense to have gone back to Hull, and have gone home,
I had been happy, and my father, as in our blessed Saviour's parable, had even
killed the fatted calf for me; for hearing the ship I went away in was cast
8
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
away in Yarmouth Roads, it was a great while before he had any assurances
that I was not drowned.
But my ill fate pushed me on now with an obstinacy that nothing could
resist, and though I had several times loud calls from my reason and my more
composed judgment to go home, yet I had no power to do it. I know not
what to call this, nor will I urge that it is a secret overruling decree that
hurries us on to be the instruments of our own destruction, even though it be
before us, and that we rush upon it with our eyes open. Certainly, nothing
but some such decreed unavoidable misery, which it was impossible for me to
escape, could have pushed me forward against the calm reasonings and
persuasions of my most retired thoughts, and against two such visible
instructions as I had met with in my first attempt.
My comrade, who had helped to harden me before, and who was the
master's son, was now less forward than I. The first time he spoke to me
after we were at Yarmouth, which was not till two or three days, for we were
separated in the town to several quarters; I say, the first time he saw me, it
appeared his tone was altered; and, looking very melancholy, and shaking his
head, he asked me how I did, and telling his father who I was, and how I had
come this voyage only for a trial, in order to go further abroad; his father,
turning to me with a very grave and concerned tone, "Young man," says he,
"you ought never to go to sea any more; you ought to take this for a plain
and visible token that you are not to be a seafaring man.” Why, sir," said
I; "will you go to sea no more?" "That is another case," said he; "it
is my calling, and therefore my duty; but as you made this voyage for a
trial, you see what a taste Heaven has given you of what you are to expect if
you persist. Perhaps this has all befallen us on your account, like Jonah in
the ship of Tarshish. Pray," continues he, "what are you, and on what
account did you go to sea?" Upon that I told him some of my story, at the
end of which he burst out in a strange kind of passion: "What had I done,"
says he, "that such an unhappy wretch should come into my ship? I would
not set my foot in the same ship with thee again for a thousand pounds."
This indeed was, as I had said, an excursion of his spirits, which were yet
agitated by the sense of his loss, and was farther than he could have authority
to go. However, he afterwards talked very gravely to me, exhorting me to go
back to my father, and not tempt Providence to my ruin; telling me I
might see a visible hand of Heaven against me. And, young man," said he,
"depend upon it, if you do not go back, wherever you go you will meet with
nothing but disasters and disappointments, till your father's words are
fulfilled upon you.
((
""
more.
We parted soon after; for I made him little answer, and I saw him no
Which way he went I knew not. As for me, having some money in
my pocket, I travelled to London by land; and there, as well as on the road,
((
9
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
had many struggles with myself, what course of life I should take, and
whether I should go home or go to sea.
As to going home, shame opposed the best motions that offered to my
thoughts; and it immediately occurred to me how I should be laughed at
among the neighbours, and should be ashamed to see, not my father and
mother only, but even everybody else; from whence I have since often
observed how incongruous and irrational the common temper of mankind is,
especially of youth, to that reason which ought to guide them in such cases,
viz., that they are not ashamed to sin, and yet are ashamed to repent; not
ashamed of the action for which they ought justly to be esteemed fools, but
are ashamed of the returning, which only can make them be esteemed wise
men.
In this state of life, however, I remained some time, uncertain what measures
to take, and what course of life to lead. An irresistible reluctance continued
to going home; and, as I stayed awhile, the remembrance of the distress I had
been in wore off; and as that abated, the little motion I had in my desires to
return wore off with it, till at last I quite laid aside the thoughts of it, and
looked out for a voyage.
That evil influence which carried me first away from my father's house,-
which hurried me into the wild and indigested notion of raising my fortune,
and that impressed those conceits so forcibly upon me, as to make me deaf to
all good advice, and to the entreaties and even the commands of my father: I
say, the same influence, whatever it was, presented the most unfortunate of all
enterprises to my view; and I went on board a vessel bound to the coast of
Africa, or, as our sailors vulgarly called it, a voyage to Guinea.
It was my great misfortune that in all these adventures I did not ship
myself as a sailor; when, though I might indeed have worked a little harder
than ordinary, yet at the same time I should have learnt the duty and office
of a foremast man; and, in time, might have qualified myself for a mate or
lieutenant, if not for a master. But, as it was always my fate to choose for
the worse, so I did here; for having money in my pocket, and good clothes
upon my back, I would always go on board in the habit of a gentleman; and
so I neither had any business in the ship, nor learned to do any
It was my lot first of all to fall into pretty good company in London, which
does not always happen to such loose and misguided young fellows as I then
was: the devil generally not omitting to lay some snares for them very early;
but it was not so with me. I first got acquainted with the master of a ship
who had been on the coast of Guinea, and who, having had very good success
there, was resolved to go again. This captain taking a fancy to my conversa-
tion, which was not at all disagreeable at that time, hearing me say I had a
mind to see the world, told me if I would go the voyage with him I should be
at no expense; I should be his messmate and his companion; and if I could
)
-
10
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
carry anything with me, I should have all the advantage of it that the trade
would admit; and perhaps I might meet with some encouragement.
I embraced the offer; and, entering into a strict friendship with this captain,
who was an honest, plain-dealing man, I went the voyage with him, and
carried a small adventure with me, which, by the disinterested honesty of my
friend the captain, I increased very considerably; for I carried about £40 in
such toys and trifles as the captain directed me to buy. This £40 I had
mustered together by the assistance of some of my relations whom I corres-
ponded with; and who, I believe, got my father, or at least my mother, to
contribute so much as that to my first adventure.
This was the only voyage which I may say was successful in all my
adventures, which I owe to the integrity and honesty of my friend the captain;
under whom also I got a competent knowledge of the mathematics and the
rules of navigation, learned how to keep an account of the ship's course, take
an observation, and, in short, to understand some things that were needful to
be understood by a sailor; for, as he took delight to instruct me, I took
delight to learn; and, in a word, this voyage made me both a sailor and a
merchant: for I brought home five pounds nine ounces of gold-dust for my
adventure, which yielded me in London, at my return, almost £300, and this
filled me with those aspiring thoughts which have since so completed my ruin.
Yet even in this voyage I had my misfortunes too; particularly, that I was
continually sick, being thrown into a violent calenture by the excessive heat
of the climate; our principal trading being upon the coast, from the latitude
of fifteen degrees north even to the line itself.
I was now set up for a Guinea trader; and my friend, to my great misfor-
tune, dying soon after his arrival, I resolved to go the same voyage again, and
I embarked in the same vessel with one who was his mate in the former
voyage, and had now got the command of the ship. This was the unhappiest
voyage that ever man made; for though I did not carry quite £100 of my
new-gained wealth, so that I had £200 left, which I had lodged with my
friend's widow, who was very just to me, yet I fell into terrible misfortunes.
The first was this-our ship, making her course towards the Canary Islands,
or rather between those Islands and the African shore, was surprised in the
grey of the morning by a Turkish rover of Sallee, who gave chase to us with
all the sail she could make. We crowded also as much canvas as our yards.
would spread, or our masts carry, to get clear; but, finding the pirate gained
upon us, and would certainly come up with us in a few hours, we prepared to
fight; our ship having twelve guns and the rogue eighteen. About three in
the afternoon he came up with us, and bringing to, by mistake, just athwart
our quarter, instead of athwart our stern, as he intended, we brought eight of
our guns to bear on that side, and poured in a broadside upon him which
made him sheer off again, after returning our fire, and pouring in also his
11

My

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
small shot from near two hundred men which he had on board. However, we
had not a man touched, all our men keeping close. He prepared to attack us
again, and we to defend ourselves; but laying us on board the next time upon
our other quarter, he entered sixty men upon our decks, who immediately fell
to cutting and hacking the sails and rigging. We plied them with small-shot,
half-pikes, powder-chests, and such like, and cleared our deck of them twice.
However, to cut short this melancholy part of our story, our ship being disabled,
and three of our men killed, and eight wounded, we were obliged to yield,
and were carried all prisoners into Sallee, a port belonging to the Moors.
The usage I had there was not so dreadful as at first I apprehended; nor
was I carried up the country to the emperor's court, as the rest of our men
were, but was kept by the captain of the rover as his proper prize, and made
his slave, being young and nimble, and fit for his business. At this surprising
change of my circumstances, from a merchant to a miserable slave, I was per-
fectly overwhelmed; and now I looked back upon my father's prophetic
discourse to me, that I should be miserable and have none to relieve me,
which I thought was now so effectually brought to pass, that I could not be
worse; for now the hand of Heaven had overtaken me, and I was undone
without redemption. But, alas! this was but a taste of the misery I was to
go through, as will appear in the sequel of this story.
As my new patron, or master, had taken me home to his house, so I was
in hopes that he would take me with him when he went to sea again, believing
that it would some time or other be his fate to be taken by a Spanish or
Portugal man-of-war; and that then I should be set at liberty. But this hope
of mine was soon taken away; for when he went to sea, he left me on shore
to look after his little garden, and do the common drudgery of slaves about
his house; and when he came home again from his cruise, he ordered me to lie.
in the cabin to look after the ship.
Here I meditated nothing but my escape, and what method I might take to
effect it, but found no way that had the least probability in it. Nothing
presented to make the supposition of it rational; for I had nobody to com-
municate it to that would embark with me, no fellow-slave, no Englishman,
Irishman, or Scotchman there but myself; so that for two years, though I
often pleased myself with the imagination, yet I never had the least encourag-
ing prospect of putting it in practice.
After about two years an odd circumstance presented itself which put the
old thought of making some attempt for my liberty again in my head
My patron lying at home longer than usual without fitting out his ship,
which, as I heard, was for want of money, he used, constantly, once or twice a
week, sometimes oftener, if the weather was fair, to take the ship's pinnace,
and go out into the road a-fishing; and, as he always took me and young
Maresco with him to row the boat, we made him very merry, and I proved
12
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
very dexterous in catching fish; insomuch that sometimes he would send me
with a Moor, one of his kinsmen, and the youth-the Maresco, as they called
him, to catch a dish of fish for him.
It happened one time that, going a-fishing in a calm morning, a fog rose
so thick that, though we were not half a league from the shore, we lost sight
of it; and rowing we knew not whither or which way, we laboured all day,
and all the next night, and when the morning came, we found we had pulled
off to sea instead of pulling in for the shore; and that we were at least two
leagues from the shore. However, we got well in again, though with a great
deal of labour and some danger; for the wind began to blow pretty fresh in
the morning; but we were all very hungry.
care of
But our patron, warned by this disaster, resolved to take more
himself for the future; and having lying by him the long-boat of our English
ship that he had taken, he resolved he would not go a-fishing any more
without a compass and some provision; so he ordered the carpenter of his ship,
who also was an English slave, to build a little state-room, or cabin, in the
middle of the long-boat, like that of a barge, with a place to stand behind it
to steer, and haul home the main-sheet; and room before for a hand or two
to stand and work the sails. She sailed with what we call a shoulder-of-
mutton sail; and the boom gibed over the top of the cabin, which lay very
snug and low, and had in it room for him to lie, with a slave or two, and a
table to eat on, with some small lockers to put in some bottles of such liquor
as he thought fit to drink; and his bread, rice, and coffee.
We went frequently out with this boat a-fishing, and, as I was most
dexterous to catch fish for him, he never went without me. It happened that
he had appointed to go out in this boat, either for pleasure or for fish, with two
or three Moors of some distinction in that place, and for whom he had pro-
vided extraordinarily, and had therefore sent on board the boat over-night a
larger store of provisions than ordinary; and had ordered me to get ready
three fusees with powder and shot, which were on board his ship, for that
they designed some sport of fowling as well as fishing.
I got all things ready as he had directed, and waited the next morning
with the boat washed clean, her ancient and pendants out, and everything to
accommodate his guests; when by-and-by my patron came on board alone,
and told me his guests had put off going, from some business that fell out,
and ordered me, with the man and boy, as usual, to go out with the boat and
catch them some fish, for that his friends were to sup at his house, and
commanded that as soon as I got some fish I should bring it home to his
house; all which I prepared to do.
This moment, my former notions of deliverance darted into my thoughts,
for now I found I was likely to have a little ship at my command; and my
master being gone, I prepared to furnish myself, not for fishing business, but
13
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
for a voyage, though I knew not, neither did I so much as consider, whither
I should steer-anywhere to get out of that place was my desire.
My first contrivance was to make a pretence to speak to this Moor, to get
something for our subsistence on board; for I told him we must not presume
to eat of our patron's bread. He said that was true; so he brought a large
basket of rusk or biscuit, and three jars of fresh water, into the boat. I knew
where my patron's case of bottles stood, which it was evident, by the make,
were taken out of some English prize, and I conveyed them into the boat
while the Moor was on shore, as if they had been there before for our master.
I conveyed also a great lump of bees-wax into the boat, which weighed about
half a hundredweight, with a parcel of twine or thread, a hatchet, a saw, and a
hammer, all of which were of great use to us afterwards, especially the wax to
make candles. Another trick I tried upon him, which he innocently came
into also his name was Ismael, which they call Muley, or Moley; so I called
to him," Moley," said I, "our patron's guns are on board the boat; can you
not get a little powder and shot? It may be we may kill some alcamies (a
fowl like our curlews) for ourselves, for I know he keeps the gunner's stores
in the ship." "Yes," says he, "I'll bring some;" and accordingly he brought a
great leather pouch, which held a pound and a half of powder, or rather more;
and another with shot, that had five or six pounds, with some bullets; and put
all into the boat. At the same time, I had found some powder of my master's
in the great cabin, with which I filled one of the large bottles in the case,
which was also empty, pouring what was in it into another; and thus
furnished with everything needful, we sailed out of the port to fish. The
castle, which is at the entrance of the port, knew who we were, and took no
notice of us; and we were not above a mile out of the port before we hauled
in our sail, and set us down to fish. The wind blew from the N.N.E., which
was contrary to my desire, for had it blown southerly, I had been sure to have
made the coast of Spain, and at least reached to the bay of Cadiz; but my
resolutions were, blow which way it would, I would be gone from that horrid
place where I was, and leave the rest to fate.
After we had fished some time and caught nothing; for when I had fish on
my hook, I would not pull them up, that he might not see them, I said to the
Moor, This will not do; our master will not be thus served; we must stand
farther off." He, thinking no harm, agreed, and being in the head of the
boat, set the sails; and, as I had the helm, I run the boat out near a league
farther, and then brought her to, as if I would fish; when, giving the boy the
helm, I stepped forward to where the Moor was, and making as if I stooped
for something behind him, I took him by surprise with my arm under his
waist, and tossed him clean overboard into the sea. He rose immediately, for
he swam like a cork, and called to me, begged to be taken in, told ine he
would go over all the world with me. He swam so strong after the boat,
14
M
Med vorban vagy at A
•
a kada s
K kg p
By Maggie alger than he m
ang Makangyalking
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
A
that he would have reached me very quickly, there being but little wind;
upon which I stepped into the cabin, and, fetching one of the fowling pieces,
I presented it at him, and told him I had done him no hurt, and if he would
be quiet I would do him none. "But," said I, "you swim well enough to
reach to the shore, and the sea is calm; make the best of your way to shore, and
I will do you no harm; but, if you come near the boat, I'll shoot you through
the head, for I'm resolved to have my liberty;" so he turned himself about,
and swam for the shore; and I make no doubt but he reached it with ease,
for he was an excellent swimmer.
I could have been content to have taken this Moor with me, and have
drowned the boy, but there was no venturing to trust him.
When he was
gone, I turned to the boy, whom they called Xury, and said to him, “Xury, if
you will be faithful to me, I'll make you a great man; but if you will not
stroke your face to be true to me," that is, swear by Mahomet and his
father's beard, "I must throw you into the sea too.” The boy smiled in my
face, and spoke so innocently, that I could not distrust him, and swore to be
faithful to me, and go all over the world with me.
While I was in view of the Moor that was swimming, I stood out directly to
sea with the boat, rather stretching to windward, that they might think me
gone towards the Straits' mouth (as, indeed, any one that had been in their
wits must have been supposed to do); for who would have supposed we were
sailed on to the southward to the truly Barbarian coast, where whole nations
of negroes were sure to surround us with their canoes, and destroy us; where
we could not go on shore but we should be devoured by savage beasts, or more
merciless savages of human kind.
But as soon as it grew dusk in the evening I changed my course, and
steered directly south and by east, bending my course a little towards the
east, that I might keep in with the shore; and having a fair, fresh gale of wind,
and a smooth, quiet sea, I made such sail that I believed by the next day at
three o'clock in the afternoon, when I first made the land, I could not be less
than 150 miles south of Sallee; quite beyond the Emperor of Morocco's
dominions, or indeed of any other king thereabouts, for we saw no people.
Yet such was the fright I had taken of the Moors, and the dreadful
apprehensions I had of falling into their hands, that I would not stop, or go
on shore, or come to an anchor. The wind continuing fair till I had sailed in
that manner five days; and then the wind shifting to the southward, I
concluded also that if any of our vessels were in chase of me, they also would
now give over; so I ventured to make to the coast, and 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 saw, or desired
to see, any people: the principal thing I wanted was fresh water. We came
into this creek in the evening, resolving to swim on shore as soon as it was
Ana Santa Sedeta margra algteks
*
15
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
At Mga kar prej m
dark, and discover the country; but as soon as it was quite dark we heard
such dreadful noises of the barking, roaring, and howling of wild creatures, of
we knew not what kinds, that the poor boy was ready to die with fear, and
begged of me not to go on shore till day. "Well, Xury," said I, " then I won't;
but it may be we may see men by day who will be as bad to us as those
lions."" Then we give them the shoot gun," says Xury, laughing; "make
them run wey." Such English Xury spoke by conversing among us slaves.
However, I was glad to see the boy so cheerful, and I gave him a dram (out
of our patron's case of bottles) to cheer him up. After all, Xury's advice was
good, and I took it; we dropped our little anchor, and lay still all night; I
say still, for we slept none, for in two or three hours we saw vast great
creatures (we knew not what to call them) of many sorts come down to the
sea-shore and run into the water, wallowing and washing themselves for the
pleasure of cooling themselves; and they made such hideous howlings and
yellings, that I never indeed heard the like.
J
Xury was dreadfully frighted, and indeed so was I too; but we were both
more frighted when we heard one of these mighty creatures come swimming
towards our boat. We could not see him, but we might hear him by his
blowing to be a monstrous huge and furious beast. Xury said it was a lion,
and it might be so for aught I know; but poor Xury cried to me to weigh
the anchor and row away. No," says I, "Xury; we can slip our cable, with
the buoy to it, and go off to sea; they cannot follow us far." I had no sooner
said so, but I perceived the creature (whatever it was) within two oars' length,
which something surprised me; however, I immediately stepped to the cabin-
door, and taking up my gun, fired at him; upon which he immediately turned
about, and swam towards the shore again.
(A - J -
<<
A v sad sedaj pr
But it is impossible to describe the horrid noises and hideous cries and
howlings, that were raised, as well upon the edge of the shore as higher within
the country, upon the noise or report of the gun, a thing I have some reason
to believe those creatures had never heard before. This convinced me that
there was no going on shore for us in the night on that coast, and how to
venture on shore in the day was another question too; for to have fallen into the
hands of any of the savages had been as bad as to have fallen into the hands
of lions and tigers; at least we were equally apprehensive of the danger of it.
Be that as it would, we were obliged to go on shore somewhere or other
for water, for we had not a pint left in the boat--when or where to get it, was
the point. Xury said if I would let him go on shore with one of the jars, he
would find if there was any water, and bring some to me. I asked him why
he would go? why I should not go, and he stay in the boat? The boy
answered with so much affection, as made me love him ever after. Says he,
<<
If wild mans come, they eat me, you go wey."-" Well, Xury," said I, "we
will both go, and if the wild mans come, we will kill them; they shall eat
·
16
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
neither of us." So I gave Xury a piece of rusk bread to eat, and a dram out
of our patron's case of bottles which I mentioned before; and we hauled the
boat in as near the shore as we thought was proper, and so waded on shore,
carrying nothing but our arms and two jars for water.
I did not care to go out of sight of the boat, fearing the coming of canoes
with savages down the river; but the boy, seeing a low place about a mile up
the country, rambled to it, and by-and-by I saw him coming running towards me.
I thought he was pursued by some savage, or frighted with some wild beast,
and I ran forwards towards him to help him; but when I came nearer him I
saw something hanging over his shoulders, which was a creature that he had
shot, like a hare, but different in colour, and longer legs. However, we were
very glad of it, and it was very good meat; but the great joy that poor
Xury came with, was to tell me he had found good water, and seen no
wild mans.
But we found afterwards that we need not take such pains for water, for a
little higher up the creek where we were we found the water fresh when the
tide was out, which flowed but a little way up; so we filled our jars, and
feasted on the hare we had killed, and prepared to go on our way, having seen
no footsteps of any human creature in that part of the country.
As I had been one voyage to this coast before, I knew very well that the
islands of the Canaries, and the Cape de Verd Islands also, lay not far off from
the coast. But as I had no instruments to take an observation to know what
latitude we were in, and not exactly knowing, or at least remembering, what
latitude they were in, I knew not where to look for them, or when to stand off
to sea towards them; otherwise I might now easily have found some of these
Islands. But my hope was that if I stood along this coast till I came to that
part where the English traded, I should find some of their vessels upon their
usual design of trade that would relieve and take us in.
By the best of my calculation, that place where I now was must be that
country which, lying between the Emperor of Morocco's dominions and the
negroes, lies waste and uninhabited, except by wild beasts, the negroes having
abandoned it and gone farther south, for fear of the Moors, and the Moors not
thinking it worth inhabiting, by reason of its barrenness; and, indeed, both
forsaking it because of the prodigious numbers of tigers, lions, leopards, and
other furious creatures which harbour there; so that the Moors use it for their
hunting only, where they go like an army, two or three thousand men at a
time; and, indeed, for near a hundred miles together upon this coast, we
saw nothing but a waste uninhabited country by day, and heard nothing but
howlings and roaring of wild beasts by night.
Once or twice in the day-time I thought I saw the Pico of Teneriffe, being
the high top of the Mountain Teneriffe in the Canaries; and had a great mind
to venture out, in hopes of reaching thither; but having tried twice, I was
B
17
C
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
forced in again by contrary winds, the sea also going too high for my little
vessel; so I resolved to pursue my first design, and keep along the shore.
Several times I was obliged to land for fresh water after we had left this
place, and once in particular, being early in the morning, we came to an
anchor under a little point of land, which was pretty high; and the tide be-
ginning to flow, we lay still to go farther in. Xury, whose eyes were more
about him than it seems mine were, calls softly to me, and tells me that we
had best go farther off the shore; "for," says he, "look, yonder lies a dreadful
monster on the side of that hillock, fast asleep." I looked where he pointed,
and saw a dreadful monster indeed, for it was a terrible great lion that lay on
the side of the shore, under the shade of a piece of the hill that hung as it were
a little over him. "Xury," says I, "you shall go on shore and kill him."
Xury looked frighted, and said, "Me kill! he eat me at one mouth;" one
mouthful he meant. However, I said no more to the boy, but bade him lie
still, and I took our biggest gun, which was almost musket-bore, and loaded
it with a good charge of powder, and with two slugs, and laid it down; then
I loaded another gun with two bullets; and the third (for we had three pieces)
I loaded with five smaller bullets. I took the best aim I could with the first
piece to have shot him on the head, but he lay so, with his leg raised a little
above his nose, that the slugs hit his leg about the knee, and broke the bone.
He started up, growling at first, but finding his leg broke fell down again; and
then got up upon three legs and gave the most hideous roar that ever I heard.
I was a little surprised that I had not hit him on the head; however, I took
up the second piece immediately, and though he began to move off, fired again,
and shot him in the head, and had the pleasure to see him drop, and make
but little noise, but lie struggling for life. Then Xury took heart, and would
have me let him go on shore. "Well, go," said I; so the boy jumped into the
water, and, taking a little gun in one hand, swam to shore with the other
hand, and coming close to the creature, put the muzzle of the piece to his ear,
and shot him in the head again, which despatched him quite.
This was game indeed to us, but this was no food; and I was very sorry to
lose three charges of powder and shot upon a creature that was good for no-
thing to us. However, Xury said he would have some of him; so he comes on
board, and asked me to give him the hatchet. "For what, Xury?" said I.
"Me cut off his head," said he. However, Xury could not cut off his head,
but he cut off a foot, and brought it with him, and it was a monstrous.
great one.
I bethought myself, however, that perhaps the skin of him might, one way
or other, be of some value to us; and I resolved to take off his skin if I could.
So Xury and I went to work with him; but Xury was much the better work-
man at it, for I knew very ill how to do it. Indeed, it took us both up the
whole day, but at last we got off the hide, and spreading it on the top of our
—
18
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
cabin, the sun effectually dried it in two days' time, and it afterwards served
me to lie upon.
After this, we made on to the southward continually for ten or twelve days,
living very sparingly on our provisions, which began to abate very much, aud
going no oftener to the shore than we were obliged for fresh water. My design
in this was, to make the River Gambia or Senegal, that is to say, anywhere
about the Cape de Verd, where I was in hopes to meet with some European
ship; and if I did not, I knew not what course I had to take, but to seek for
the islands, or perish there among the negroes. I knew that all the ships from
Europe, which sailed either to the coast of Guinea or to Brazil, or to the East
Indies, made this Cape, or those islands; and, in a word, I put the whole of
my fortune upon this single point, either that I must meet with some ship, or
must perish.
(6
When I had pursued this resolution about ten days longer, as I have said,
I began to see that the land was inhabited; and in two or three places, as we
sailed by, we saw people stand upon the shore to look at us. We could also
perceive they were quite black, and naked. I was once inclined to have gone
on shore to them; but Xury was my better counsellor, and said to me, No
go, no go." However, I hauled in nearer the shore that I might talk to them,
and I found they ran along the shore by me a good way. I observed they
had no weapons in their hands, except one, who had a long slender stick,
which Xury said was a lance, and that they could throw them a great way
with good aim; so I kept at a distance, but talked with them by signs as well
as I could, and particularly made signs for something to eat. They beckoned
to me to stop my boat, and they would fetch me some meat. Upon this, I
lowered the top of my sail, and lay by, and two of them ran up into the coun-
try, and in less than half an hour came back, and brought with them two
pieces of dry flesh, and some corn, such as is the produce of their country;
but we neither knew what the one or the other was. However, we were will-
ing to accept it. But how to come at it was our next dispute: for I would
not venture on shore to them, and they were as much afraid of us.
But they
took a safe way for us all; for they brought it to the shore and laid it down,
and went and stood a great way off till we fetched it on board, and then came
close to us again.
We made signs of thanks to them, for we had nothing to make them amends;
but an opportunity offered that very instant to oblige them wonderfully; for
while we were lying by the shore, came two mighty creatures, one pursuing the
other (as we took it) with great fury from the mountains towards the sea.
Whether it was the male pursuing the female, or whether they were in sport or
in rage, we could not tell, any more than we could tell whether it was usual or
strange; but I believe it was the latter; because, in the first place, those ravenous
creatures seldom appear but in the night; and, in the second place, we found the
Add a P
Ap
19
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
people terribly frighted, especially the women. The man that had the lance or
dart did not fly from them, but the rest did. However, as the two creatures ran
directly into the water, they did not offer to fall upon any of the negroes, but
plunged themselves into the sea, and swam about, as if they had come for their
diversion. At last one of them began to come nearer our boat than at first I
expected; but I lay ready for him, for I had loaded my gun with all possible
expedition, and bade Xury load both the others. As soon as he came fairly
within my reach, I fired, and shot him directly in the head. Immediately he
sank down into the water, but rose instantly, and plunged up and down, as if he
was struggling for life, and so indeed he was. He immediately made to the
shore; but between the wound, which was his mortal hurt, and the strangling of
the water, he died just before he reached the shore.
It is impossible to express the astonishment of these poor creatures at the
noise and fire of my gun. Some of them were even ready to die for fear, and
fell down as dead with the very terror; but when they saw the creature dead,
and sunk in the water, and that I made signs to them to come to the shore, they
took heart and came, and began to search for the creature. I found him by his
blood staining the water; and by the help of a rope which I slung round him,
and gave the negroes to haul, they dragged him on shore, and found that it was
a most curious leopard, spotted, and fine to an admirable degree; and the
negroes held up their hands with admiration, to think what it was I had
killed him with.
The other creature, frighted with the flash of fire and the noise of the gun,
swam on shore, and ran up directly to the mountains, from whence they came;
nor could I, at that distance, know what it was. I found quickly the negroes
wished to eat the flesh of this creature, so I was willing to have them take it as
a favour from me: which, when I made signs to them that they might take him,
they were very thankful for. Immediately they fell to work with him; and
though they had no knife, yet, with a sharpened piece of wood, they took off his
skin as readily, and much more readily, than we could have done with a knife.
They offered ine some of the flesh, which I declined, pointing out that I would
give it them; but made signs for the skin, which they gave me very freely, and
brought me a great deal more of their provisions, which, though I did not
understand, yet I accepted. I then made signs to them for some water, and
held out one of my jars to them, turning it bottom upward to show that it was
empty, and that I wanted to have it filled. They called immediately to some
of their friends, and there came two women, and brought a great vessel made of
earth, and burnt, as I supposed, in the sun; this they set down to me, as before,
and I sent Xury on shore with my jars, and filled them all three.
The women
were as naked as the men.
I was now furnished with roots and corn, such as it was, and water; and,
leaving my friendly negroes, I made forward for about eleven days more, with-
20
ROBINSON Crusoe.
out offering to go near the shore, till I saw the land run out a great length into
the sea, at about the distance of four or five leagues before me, and the sea being
very calm, I kept a large offing to make this point. At length, doubling the
point, at about two leagues from the land, I saw plainly land on the other side, to
seaward; then I concluded, as it was most certain, indeed, that this was the Cape
de Verd, and those the islands, called, from thence, Cape de Verd Islands. How-
ever, they were at a great distance, and I could not well tell what I had best to
do; for if I should be taken with a fresh of wind, I might neither reach one or
other.
In this dilemma, as I was very pensive, I stepped into the cabin, and sat
down, Xury having the helm, when, on a sudden, the boy cried out, "Master,
master, a ship with a sail !" and the foolish boy was frighted out of his wits,
thinking it must needs be some of his master's ships sent to pursue us; but I
knew we were far enough out of their reach. I jumped out of the cabin, and
immediately saw, not only the ship, but that it was a Portuguese ship; and, as
I thought, was bound to the coast of Guinea, for negroes. But, when I ob-
served the course she steered, I was soon convinced they were bound some-
other way, and did not design to come any nearer to the shore; upon which I
stretched out to sea as much as I could, resolving to speak with them, if
possible.
With all the sail I could make, I found I should not be able to come in their
way, but that they would be gone by before I could make any signal to them;
but after I had crowded to the utmost, and began to despair, they, it seems,
saw, by the help of their glasses, that it was some European boat, which they
supposed must belong to some ship that was lost, so they shortened sail to let me
come up. I was encouraged with this, and as I had my patron's ancient on
board, I made a waft of it to them for a signal of distress, and fired a gun, both
which they saw; for they told me they saw the smoke, though they did not
hear the gun. Upon these signals they very kindly brought to, and lay by for
me, and in about three hours' time I came up with them.

They asked me what I was in Portuguese, in Spanish, and in French, but I
understood none of them; but at last a Scots sailor, who was on board, called
to me, and I answered him, and told him I was an Englishman; that I had
made my escape out of slavery from the Moors, at Sallee. They then bade me
come on board, and very kindly took me in, and all my goods.
4
It was an inexpressible joy to me, which any one will believe, that I was thus
delivered, as I esteemed it, from such a miserable and almost hopeless condition
as I was in, and I immediately offered all I had to the captain of the ship, as a
return for my deliverance; but he generously told me he would take nothing
from me, but that all I had should be delivered safe to me, when I came to the
Brazils. For," says he, "I have saved your life on no other terms than I
would be glad to be saved myself; and it may one time or other be my lot to be
(C
21
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
padam ng wat van bg pay my dad dad a cartagut want t
taken up in the same condition. Besides," said he,
Besides," said he, "when I carry you to the
Brazils, so great a way from your own country, if I should take from you what
you have, you will be starved there, and then I only take away that life I have
given. No, no," says he, "Seignor Inglese (Mr. Englishman), I will carry you
thither in charity, and those things will help to buy your subsistence there, and
your passage home again."
Bà tây nước nhà và Thu Hà đã tung tin đi
As he was charitable in this proposal, so he was just in the performance to a
tittle; for he ordered the seamen that none should touch anything that I had.
Then he took everything into his own possession, and gave me back an exact in-
ventory of them, that I might have them, even to my three earthen jars.
Ka
As to my boat, it was a very good one, and that he saw, and told me he would
buy it off me for his ship's use, and asked me what I would have for it? I told
him he had been so generous to me in everything, that I could not offer to make
any price of the boat, but left it entirely to him; upon which he told me he
would give me a note of hand to pay me eighty pieces of eight for it at Brazil;
and, when it came there, if any one offered to give more, he would make it up.
He offered me also sixty pieces of eight more for my boy Xury, which I was
loath to take, not that I was unwilling to let the captain have him, but I was
very loath to sell the poor boy's liberty, who had assisted me so faithfully in
procuring my own. However, when I let him know my reason, he owned it
to be just, and offered me this medium, that he would give the boy an obliga-
tion to set him free in ten years, if he turned Christian: upon this, and Xury
saying he was willing to go to him, I let the captain have him.
We had a very good voyage to the Brazils, and I arrived in the Bay de
Todos los Santos, or All Saints' Bay, in about twenty-two days after. And
now I was once more delivered from the most miserable of all conditions of
life; and what to do next with myself I was to consider.
The generous treatment the captain gave me, I can never enough remember.
He would take nothing of me for my passage; gave me twenty ducats for the
leopard's skin, and forty for the lion's skin, which I had in my boat, and
caused everything I had in the ship to be punctually delivered to me; and
what I was willing to sell he bought of me; such as the case of bottles, two
of my guns, and a piece of the lump of bees'-wax,-for I had made candles of
the rest in a word, I made about two hundred and twenty pieces of eight of
all my cargo; and with this stock I went on shore in the Brazils.
I had not been long here before I was recommended to the house of a good
honest man, like himself, who had an ingenio, as they call it (that is, a planta-
tion and a sugar-house). I lived with him some time, and acquainted myself,
by that means, with the manner of planting and making of sugar; and seeing
how well the planters lived, and how they got rich suddenly, I resolved, if I
could get a licence to settle there, I would turn planter among them resolv-
ing, in the meantime, to find out some way to get my money, which I had left
22
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
in London, remitted to me. To this purpose, getting a kind of letter of natu-
ralisation, I purchased as much land that was uncared as my money would
reach, and formed a plan for my plantation and settlement; such a one as
might be suitable to the stock which I proposed to myself to receive from
England.
I had a neighbour, a Portuguese, of Lisbon, but born of English parents,
whose name was Wells, and in much such circumstances as I was. I call him
my neighbour, because his plantation lay next to mine, and we went on very
sociably together. My stock was but low, as well as his; and we rather planted
for food than anything else for about two years. However, we began to increase,
and our land began to come into order, so that the third year we planted some
tobacco, and made each of us a large piece of ground ready for planting canes
in the year to come; but we both wanted help; and now I found, more than
before, I had done wrong in parting with my boy Xury.
But, alas! for me to do wrong that never did right, was no great wonder.
I had no remedy but to go on. I had got into an employment quite remote
to my genius, and directly contrary to the life I delighted in, and for which I
forsook my father's house, and broke through all his good advice; nay, I was
coming into the very middle station, or upper degree of low life, which my
father advised me to before; and which, if I resolved to go on with, I might
as well have stayed at home, and never have fatigued myself in the world, as I
had done; and I used often to say to myself, I could have done this as well in
England, among my friends, as have gone five thousand miles off to do it among
strangers and savages in a wilderness, and at such a distance as never to hear
from any part of the world that had the least knowledge of me.
In this manner I used to look upon my condition with the utmost regret. I
had nobody to converse with, but now and then this neighbour; no work' to
be done but by the labour of my hands; and I used to say, I lived just like a
man cast away upon some desolate island, that had nobody there but himself.
But how just has it been; and how should all men reflect, that when they
compare their present conditions with others that are worse, Heaven may
oblige them to make the exchange, and be convinced of their former felicity
by their experience; I say, how just has it been, that the truly solitary life I
reflected on, in an island of mere desolation, should be my lot, who had so
often unjustly compared it with the life which I then led, in which, had I
continued, I had, in all probability, been exceeding prosperous and rich.
I was, in some degree, settled in my measures for carrying on the plantation,
before my kind friend, the captain of the ship that took me up at sea, went
back; for the ship remained there, in providing his lading, and preparing for
his voyage, nearly three months; when, telling him what little stock I had left
behind me in London, he gave me this friendly and sincere advice:-" Seignor
Inglese," says he (for so he always called me), " if you will give me letters, and
23
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
a. procuration in form to me, with orders to the person who has your money
in London, to send your effects to Lisbon, to such persons as I shall direct,
and in such goods as are proper for this country, I will bring you the produce
of them, God willing, at my return; but, since human affairs are all subject to
changes and disasters, I would have you give orders but for one hundred pounds.
sterling, which, you say, is half your stock, and let the hazard be run for the
first; so that if it come safe, you may order the rest the same way; and, if it
miscarry, you may have the other half to have recourse to for your supply."
This was so wholesome an advice, and looked so friendly, that I could not
but be convinced it was the best course I could take; so I accordingly pre-
pared letters to the gentlewoman with whom I had left my money, and a pro-
curation to the Portuguese captain, as he desired.
I wrote the English captain's widow a full account of all my adventures-
my slavery, escape-and how I had met with the Portugal captain at sea, the
humanity of his behaviour, and what condition I was now in, with all other
necessary directions for my supply; and when this honest captain came to
Lisbon, he found means, by some of the English merchants there, to send over,
not the order only, but a full account of my story to a merchant at London, who
represented it effectually to her: whereupon she not only delivered the money,
but, out of her own pocket, sent the Portugal captain a very handsome present
for his humanity and charity to me.
The merchant in London, vesting this hundred pounds in English goods, such
as the captain had written for, sent them directly to him at Lisbon, and he
brought them all safe to me to the Brazils; among which, without my direction
(for I was too young in my business to think of them), he had taken care to have
all sorts of tools, iron work, and utensils necessary for my plantation, and
which were of great use to me.
When this cargo arrived, I thought my fortunes made, for I was surprised
with the joy of it; and my good steward, the captain, had laid out the five
pounds which my friend had sent him for a present for himself, to purchase
and bring me over a servant, under bond for six years' service, and would not
accept of any consideration, except a little tobacco, which I would have him
accept, being of my own produce.
Neither was this all; for my goods being all English manufacture, such as
cloths, stuffs, baize, and things particularly valuable and desirable in the coun-
try, I found means to sell them to a very great advantage; so that I might say
I had more than four times the value of my first cargo, and was now infinitely
beyond my poor neighbour-I mean in the advancement of my plantation; for
the first thing I did, I bought me a negro slave, and an European servant also;
I mean another besides that which the captain brought me from Lisbon.
But as abused prosperity is oftentimes made the very means of our greatest
adversity, so was it with me. I went on the next year with great success in
24
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
}
my plantation. I raised fifty great rolls of tobacco on my own ground, more
than I had disposed of for necessaries among my neighbours; and these fifty
rolls, being each of above a hundred weight, were well cured, and laid by against
the return of the fleet from Lisbon. And now, increasing in business and in
wealth, my head began to be full of projects and undertakings beyond my
reach: such as are, indeed, often the ruin of the best heads in business. Had
I continued in the station I was now in, I had room for all the happy things to
have yet befallen me, for which my father so earnestly recommended a quiet,
retired life, and of which he had so sensibly described the middle station of life
to be full of. But other things attended me, and I was still to be the wilful
agent of all my own miseries; and particularly, to increase my fault, and
double the reflections-upon myself, which in my future sorrows I should
have leisure to make, all these miscarriages were procured by my apparent
obstinate adhering to my foolish inclination of wandering abroad, and pursuing
that inclination in contradiction to the clearest views of doing myself good in
a fair and plain pursuit of those prospects and those measures of life which
nature and providence concurred to present me with, and to make my duty.
·
<
As I had once done thus in my breaking away from my parents, so I could
not be content now, but I must go and leave the happy view I had of being a
rich and thriving man in my new plantation, only to pursue a rash and im-
moderate desire of rising faster than the nature of the thing admitted; and
thus I cast myself down again into the deepest gulf of human misery that ever
man fell into, or perhaps could be consistent with life and a state of health
in the world.
To come, then, by the just degrees, to the particulars of this part of my
story-You may suppose, that having now lived almost four years in the
Brazils, and beginning to thrive and prosper very well upon my plantation, I
had not only learned the language, but had contracted acquaintance and friend-
ship among my fellow-planters, as well as among the merchants at St. Salva-
dor, which was our port; and that, in my discourses among them, I had
frequently given them an account of my two voyages to the coast of Guinea,
the manner of trading with the negroes there, and how easy it was to purchase
upon the coast for trifles—such as beads, toys, knives, scissors, hatchets, bits of
glass, and the like-not only gold dust, Guinea grains, elephants' teeth, etc.,
but negroes, for the service of the Brazils, in great numbers.
They listened always very attentively to my discourses on these heads, but
especially to that part which related to the buying negroes, which was a trade
at that time, not only not far entered into, but, as far as it was, had been
carried on by the assientos, or permission of the kings of Spain and Portugal,
and engrossed in the public stock, so that few negroes were brought, and those
excessively dear.
It happened, being in company with some merchants and planters of my
A wag mo sa
25
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
acquaintance, and talking of those things very earnestly, three of them came
to me the next morning and told me they had been musing very much upon
what I had discoursed with them of the last night, and they came to make a
secret proposal to me; and, after enjoining me secrecy, they told me that they
had a mind to fit out a ship to go to Guinea; that they had all plantations as
well as I, and were straitened for nothing so much as servants; that as it was
a trade that could not be carried on, because they could not publicly sell the
negroes when they came home, so they desired to make but one voyage to
bring the negroes on shore privately, and divide them among their own planta-
tions; and, in a word, the question was, whether I would go their supercargo
in the ship, to manage the trading part upon the coast of Guinea; and they
offered me that I should have my equal share of the negroes, without provid-
ing any part of the stock.
This was a fair proposal, it must be confessed, had it been made to any one
that had not had a settlement and a plantation of his own to look after, which
was in a fair way of coming to be very considerable, and with a good stock
upon it. But for me, that was thus entered and established, and had nothing
to do but go on as I had begun, for three or four years more, and to have sent
for the other hundred pounds from England; and who in that time, and with
that little addition, could scarce have failed of being worth three or four thousand
pounds sterling, and that increasing, too-for me to think of such a voyage
was the most preposterous thing that ever man in such circumstances could
be guilty of.
But I, that was born to be my own destroyer, could no more resist the offer
than I could restrain my first rambling designs, when my father's good counsel
was lost upon me. In a word, I told them I would go with all my heart if they
would undertake to look after my plantation in my absence, and would dispose
of it to such as I would direct, if I miscarried. This they all engaged to do, and
entered into writings or covenants to do so; and I made a formal will, dispos-
ing of my plantation and effects in case of my death, making the captain of the
ship that had saved my life, as before, my universal heir, but obliging him to
dispose of my effects as I had directed in my will; one-half of the produce
being to himself, and the other to be shipped in England.
In short, I took all possible caution to preserve my effects, and to keep up
my plantation. Had I used half as much prudence to have looked into my
own interest, and have made a judgment of what I ought to have done and not
to have done, I had certainly never gone away from so prosperous an under-
taking, leaving all the probable views of a thriving circumstance, and gone upon
a voyage to sea, attended with all its common hazards, to say nothing of the
reasons I had to expect particular misfortunes to myself.
But I was hurried on, and obeyed blindly the dictates of my fancy rather
than my reason; and, accordingly, the ship being fitted out, and the cargo
26
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
furnished, and all things done, as by agreement, by my partners in the voyage,
I went on board in an evil hour, the 1st of September, 1659-being the same
day eight years that I went from iny father and mother at Hull, in order to
act the rebel to their authority, and the fool to my own interest.
Our ship was about one hundred and twenty tons burden, carried six guns,
and fourteen men, besides the master, his boy, and myself. We had on board
no large cargo of goods, except of such toys as were fit for our trade with the
negroes--such as beads, bits of glass, shells, and other trifles, especially little.
looking-glasses, knives, scissors, hatchets, and the like.
The same day I went on board we set sail, standing away to the northward
upon our own coast, with design to stretch over for the African coast, when we
came about ten or twelve degrees of northern latitude, which, it seems, was the
manner of course in those days. We had very good weather, only excessively
hot, all the way upon our own coast till we came to the height of Cape St.
Augustina; from whence, keeping further off at sea, we lost sight of land, and
steered as if we were bound for the isle Fernando de Noronha, holding our
course N.E. by N., and leaving those isles on the east. In this course we
passed the line in about twelve days' time, and were, by our last observation,
in seven degrees twenty-two minutes northern latitude, when a violent tornado,
or hurricane, took us quite out of our knowledge. It began from the south-
east, came about to the north-west, and then settled in the north-east; from
whence it blew in such a terrible manner, that for twelve days together we
could do nothing but drive, and scudding away before it, let it carry us
whither ever fate and the fury of the winds directed; and, during these twelve
days, I need not say that I expected every day to be swallowed up; nor, indeed,
did any in the ship expect to save their lives.
<td
In this distress we had, besides the terror of the storm, one of our men die
of the calenture, and one man and the boy washed overboard. About the
twelfth day, the weather abating a little, the master made an observation as
well as he could, and found that he was in about eleven degrees north latitude,
but that he was twenty-two degrees of longitude difference west from Cape St.
Augustina, so that he found he was upon the coast of Guiana, or the north
part of Brazil, beyond the river Amazons, towards that of the river Oroonoque,
commonly called the Great River; and began to consult with me what course
he should take, for the ship was leaky, and very much disabled, and he was
going directly back to the coast of Brazil.
Cada penjara ada andalan mengde ver
I was positively against that; and looking over the charts of the sea coast
of America with him, we concluded there was no inhabited country for us to
have recourse to till we came within the circle of the Caribbee islands, and
therefore resolved to stand away for Barbadoes, which, by keeping off at sea, to
avoid the in-drift of the bay or gulf of Mexico, we might easily perform, as we
hoped, in about fifteen days' sail; whereas we could not possibly make our
27
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
voyage to the coast of Africa without some assistance both to our ship and
to ourselves.
With this design we changed our course, and steered away N.W. by W., in
order to reach some of our English islands, where I hoped for relief. But our
voyage was otherwise determined; for, being in the latitude of twelve degrees
eighteen minutes, a second storm came upon us, which carried us away with
the same impetuosity westward, and drove us so out of the way of all human
commerce, that had all our lives been saved as to the sea, we were rather
in danger of being devoured by savages, than returning to our own country.
In this distress, the wind still blowing very hard, one of our men, early in the
morning, cried out, "Land!" and we had no sooner run out of the cabin to
look out, in hopes of secing whereabouts in the world we were, than the ship
struck upon a sand, and, in a moment, her motion being so stopped, the sea
broke over her in such a manner that we expected we should all have perished
immediately; and we were immediately driven into our close quarters, to shelter
us from the very foam and spray of the sea.
It is not easy for any one who has not been in the like condition to describe
or conceive the consternation of men in such circumstances. We knew no-
thing where we were, or upon what land it was we were driven; whether an
island or the main-whether inhabited or not inhabited; and as the rage of
the wind was still great, though rather less than at first, we could not so much
as hope to have the ship hold many minutes without breaking into pieces, un-
less the winds, by a kind of miracle, should turn immediately about. In a
word, we sat looking upon one another and expecting death every moment,
and every man, accordingly, preparing for another world; for there was little
or nothing more for us to do in this. That which was our present comfort,
and all the comfort we had, was that, contrary to our expectation, the ship did
not break yet, and that the master said the wind began to abate.
Now, though we thought that the wind did a little abate, yet the ship hav-
ing thus struck upon the sand, and sticking too fast for us to expect her get-
ting off, we were in a dreadful condition indeed, and had nothing to do but to
think of saving our lives as well as we could. We had a boat at our stern
just before the storm, but she was first staved by dashing against the ship's
rudder, and, in the next place, she broke away, and either sunk or was driven
off to sea; so there was no hope from her. We had another boat on board
but how to get her off into the sea was a doubtful thing. However, there was
no time to debate; for we fancied the ship would break in pieces every minute,
and some told us she was actually broken already.
;
In this distress the mate of our vessel laid hold of the boat, and, with the
help of the rest of the men, got her slung over the ship's side; and, getting ali
into her, let go, and committed ourselves, being eleven in number, to God's
mercy and the wild sea; for though the storm was abated considerably, yet
28
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
M A
the sea ran dreadfully high upon the shore, and might be well called den wild
zee, as the Dutch call the sea in a storm.
And now our case was very dismal indeed; for we all saw plainly that the
sea went so high that the boat could not live, and that we should be inevitably
drowned. As to making sail, we had none, nor, if we had, could we have done
anything with it; so we worked at the oar towards the land, though with
heavy hearts, like men going to execution; for we all knew that when the
boat came nearer the shore she would be dashed in a thousand pieces by the
breach of the sea. However, we committed our souls to God in the most
earnest manner; and the wind driving us towards the shore, we hastened our
destruction with our own hands, pulling as well as we could towards land.
What the shore was-whether rock or sand, whether steep or shoal-we
knew not. The only hope that could rationally give us the least shadow of
expectation was, if we might find some bay or gulf, or the mouth of some
river, where by great chance we might have run our boat in, or got under the
lee of the land, and perhaps made smooth water. But there was nothing like
this appeared; but as we made nearer and nearer the shore, the land looked
more frightful than the sea.
After we had rowed, or rather driven about a league and a half, as we
reckoned it, a raging wave, mountain-like, came rolling astern of us, and
plainly bade us expect the coup de grâce. In a word, it took us with such a
fury that it overset the boat at once; and separating us as well from the boat
as from one another, gave us not time to say,
O God!" for we were all
swallowed up in a moment.
<<
Nothing can describe the confusion of thought which I felt when I sunk
into the water; for though I swam very well, yet I could not deliver myself
from the waves so as to draw breath, till that wave having driven me, or rather
carried me, a vast way on towards the shore, and having spent itself, went
back, and left me upon the land almost dry, but half-dead with the water I
took in. I had so much presence of mind, as well as breath left, that, seeing
myself nearer the mainland than I expected, I got upon my feet and endea-
voured to make on towards the land as fast as I could before another wave
should return and take me up again. But I soon found it was impossible to
avoid it; for I saw the sea come after me as high as a great hill, and as furious
as an enemy, which I had no means or strength to contend with. My business.
was to hold my breath, and raise myself upon the water, if I could; and so,
by swimming, to preserve my breathing, and pilot myself towards the shore,
if possible, my greatest concern now being that the sea-as it would carry me
a great way towards the shore when it came on-might not carry me back
again with it when it gave back towards the sea.

The wave that came upon me again buried me at once twenty or thirty feet
deep in its own body, and I could feel myself carried with a mighty force and
29
"App M
Pada plat
the same a MARGO
dgleda valget magique alguna data de maga a vy sport Ma
que La
Spa Spa by var. Oggy jeans, 1
S arrem adga
A tar as th
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
swiftness towards the shore a very great way; but I held my breath, and
assisted myself to swim still forward with all my might. I was ready to burst
with holding my breath, when, as I felt myself raising up, so, to my immediate
relief, I found my head and hands shoot ont above the surface of the water;
and though it was not two seconds of time that I could keep myself so, yet it
relieved me greatly-gave me breath and new courage. I was covered again
with water a good while, but not so long but I held it out; and finding the
water had spent itself, and began to return, I struck forward against the return
of the waves, and felt ground again with my feet. I stood still a few moments,
to recover breath, and till the waters went from me, and then took to my heels
and ran, with what strength I had, further towards the shore. But neither
would this deliver me from the fury of the sea, which came pouring in after me
again, and twice more I was lifted up by the waves and carried forwards as
before, the shore being very flat.
The last time of these two had well nigh been fatal to me; for the sea having
hurried me along as before, landed me, or rather dashed me, against a piece of
rock, and that with such force as it left me senseless, and indeed helpless, as to
my own deliverance; for the blow taking my side and breast, beat the breath,
as it were, quite out of my body, and had it returned again immediately, I
must have been strangled in the water; but I recovered a little before the return
of the waves, and seeing I should be covered again with the water, I resolved to
hold fast by a piece of the rock, and so to hold my breath, if possible, till the
wave went back. Now, as the waves were not so high as at first, being nearer
land, I held my hold till the wave abated, and then fetched another run, which
brought me so near the shore that the next wave, though it went over me, yet
did not so swallow me up as to carry me away; and the next run I took I got
to the mainland, where, to my great comfort, I clambered up the cliffs of the
shore, and sat me down upon the grass, and quite out of the reach of the water.
I was now landed, and safe on shore, and began to look up and thank God
that my life was saved, in a case wherein there was, some minutes before, scarce
any room to hope. I believe it is impossible to express to the life what the
ecstacies and transports of the soul are when it is so saved, as I may say,
out of the very grave; and I do not wonder now at the custom when a
malefactor, who has the halter about his neck, is tied up, and just going
to be turned off, and has a reprieve brought to him-I say I do not wonder
that they bring a surgeon with it, to let him blood that very moment they
tell him of it, that the surprise may not drive the animal spirits from the
heart, and overwhelm him.
For sudden joys, like griefs, confound at first.
I walked about on the shore, lifting up my hands; and my whole being,
as I may say, wrapt up in a contemplation of my deliverance; making a
30
aga mganga mga
Dya, ata gje
Ja
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
thousand gestures and motions, which I cannot describe; reflecting upon all
my comrades that were drowned, and that there should not be one soul saved
but myself; for, as for them, I never saw them afterwards, or any sign of them,
except three of their hats, one cap, and two shoes that were not fellows.
I cast my eyes to the stranded vessel, when, the breach and froth of the sea
being so big, I could hardly see it, it lay so far off; and considered, Lord!
how was it possible I could get on shore?
I
After I had solaced my mind with the comfortable part of my condition,
began to look round me, to see what kind of place I was in, and what was
next to be done; and I soon found my comforts abate, and that, in a word, E
had a dreadful deliverance; for I was wet, had no clothes to shift me, nor
anything either to eat or drink, to comfort me. Neither did I see any prospect
before me, but that of perishing with hunger, or being devoured by wild
beasts; and that which was particularly afflicting to me was, that I had no
weapon either to hunt and kill any creature for my sustenance, or to defend
myself against any other creature that might desire to kill me for theirs. In a
word, I had nothing about me but a knife, a tobacco-pipe, and a little tobacco
in a box. This was all my provision; and this threw me into terrible agonies
of mind, that, for a while, I ran about like a madman. Night coming upon
me, I began, with a heavy heart, to consider what would be iny lot if there
were any ravenous beasts in that country, as at night they always come abroad
for their prey.
All the remedy that offered to my thoughts, at that time, was to get up into
a thick bushy tree, like a fir, but thorny, which grew near me, and where I
resolved to sit all night, and consider the next day what death I should die;
for as yet I saw no prospect of life. I walked about a furlong from the shore,
to see if I could find any fresh water to drink, which I did to my great joy;
and having drank, and put a little tobacco in my mouth to prevent hunger, I
went to the tree, and getting up into it, endeavoured to place myself so that if
I should sleep I might not fall. And having cut me a short stick, like a
truncheon, for my defence, I took up my lodging; and having been excessively
fatigued, I fell fast asleep, and slept as comfortably as, I believe, few could have
done in my condition, and found myself more refreshed with it than I think I
ever was on such an occasion.
When I waked it was broad day, the weather clear, and the storm abated,
so that the sea did not rage and swell as before. But that which surprised me
most was, that the ship was lifted off in the night from the sand where she
lay, by the swelling of the tide, and was driven up almost as far as the rock
which I at first mentioned, where I had been so bruised by the wave dashing
me against it. This being within about a mile from the shore where I was,
and the ship seeming to stand upright still, I wished myself on board, that at
least I might save some necessary things for my use.
Demas enram CENTRAL A
Debatt ge the gapang napannan pada
CASE COVERED SE NAA data vanger van gedoen wens foci MUST STAY BE Mey@ch=RDER VINGER Krka, game to get un-Type Kung
Carleton mg, majtjen z podne, v kapsa spune, dg, The Page
Tangerang anak nagarannaga jasa pemega
PARATE VENE
pala daga ja
31
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
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 sea had
tossed her up, upon the land, about two miles on my right hand. I walked as
far as I could upon the shore to have got to her; but found a neck, or inlet,
of water between me and the boat, which was about half a mile broad; so I
came back for the present, being more intent upon getting at the ship, where I
hoped to find something for my present subsistence.
A little after noon, I found the sea very calm, and the tide ebbed so far out
that I could come within a quarter of a mile of the ship. And here I found a
fresh renewing of my grief; for I saw evidently that if we had kept on
board, we had been all safe: that is to say, we had all got safe on shore, and
I had not been so miserable as to be left entirely destitute of all comfort
and company, as I now was. This forced tears to my eyes again; but as
there was little relief in that, I resolved, if possible, to get to the ship; so I
pulled off my clothes, for the weather was hot to extremity, and took the
water. But when I came to the ship, my difficulty was still greater to know
how to get on board; for, as she lay aground, and high out of the water, there
was nothing within my reach to lay hold of. I swam round her twice, and the
second time I spied a small piece of rope, which I wondered I did not see at
first, hung down by the forechains so low, that with great difficulty I got hold
of it, and by the help of that rope I got up into the forecastle of the ship.
Here I found that the ship was bulged, and had a great deal of water in her
hold; but that she lay so on the side of a bank of hard sand, or rather earth,
that her stern lay lifted up upon the bank, and her head low, almost to the
water. By this means all her quarter was free, and all that was in that part
was dry; for you may be sure my first work was to search and to see what
was spoiled and what was free. And, first, I found that all the ship's provi-
sions were dry and untouched by the water, and being very well disposed to
eat, I went to the bread-room, and filled my pockets with biscuit, and eat it as
I went about other things, for I had no time to lose. I also found some rum
in the great cabin, of which I took a large dram, and which I had, indeed, need
enough of to spirit me for what was before me. Now I wanted nothing but a
boat to furnish myself with many things which I foresaw would be very
necessary to me.
It was in vain to sit still and wish for what was not to be had; and this
extremity roused my application. We had several spare yards, and two or
three large spars of wood, and a spare top-mast or two in the ship. I resolved
to fall to work with these, and 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 ship's side, and pulling them to
me, I tied four of them together at both ends, as well as I could, in the form
of a raft, and laying two or three short pieces of plank upon them cross-ways,
32
Maple, per poder anderledge.
- Mapag pa papa mga
ROBINSON Crusoe.
I found I could walk upon it very well, but that it was not able to bear any
great weight, the pieces being too light. So I went to work; and with the
carpenter's saw I cut a spare top-mast into three lengths, and added them to
my raft, with a great deal of labour and pains. But the hope of furnishing
myself with necessaries encouraged me to go beyond what I should have been
able to have done upon another occasion.
My raft was now strong enough to bear any reasonable weight. My next
care was what to load it with, and how to preserve what I laid upon it from
the surf of the sea but I was not long considering this. I first laid all the
plank or boards upon it that I could get, and having considered well what I
most wanted, I first got three of the seamen's chests, which I had broken open
and emptied, and lowered them down upon my raft. The first of these I filled
with provisions, viz., bread, rice, three Dutch cheeses, five pieces of dried goat's
flesh (which we lived much upon), and a little remainder of European corn,
which had been laid by for some fowls which we brought to sea with us; but
the fowls were killed. There had been some barley and wheat together; but,
to my great disappointment, I found afterwards that the rats had eaten or
spoiled it all. As for liquors, I found several cases of bottles belonging to our
skipper, in which were some cordial waters; and, in all, about five or six gal-
lons of rack. These I stowed by themselves, there being no need to put them
into the chest, nor any room for them. While I was doing this, I found the
tide began to flow, though very calm; and I had the mortification to see my
coat, shirt, and waistcoat, which I had left on the shore upon the sand, swim
away. As for my breeches, which were only linen and open-knee'd, I swan on
board in them and my stockings. However, this set me on rummaging for
clothes, of which I found enough, but took no more than I wanted for present
use, for I had other things which my eye was more upon-as, first, tools to
work with on shore. And it was after long searching that I found out the
carpenter's chest, which was indeed a very useful prize to me, and much more
valuable than a ship-lading of gold would have been at the time. I got it
down to my raft, whole as it was, without losing time to look into it, for I knew
in general what it contained.
My next care was for some ammunition and arms. There were two very
good fowling-pieces in the great cabin, and two pistols. These I secured first,
with some powder-horns and a small bag of shot, and two old rusty swords. I
knew there were three barrels of powder in the ship, but knew not where our
gunner had stowed them; but with much search I found them, two of them
dry and good, the third had taken water. These two I got to my raft, with
the arms. And now I thought myself pretty well freighted, and began to
think how I should get to shore with them, having neither sail, oar, or rudder;
and the least cap-full of wind would have overset all my navigation.
I had three encouragements: 1st, a smooth, calm sea; 2ndly, the tide rising,
с
33
Mga pagtatag ng
•
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
and setting in to the shore; 3rdly, what little wind there was blew me towards
the land. And thus, having found two or three broken oars belonging to the
boat, and besides the tools which were in the chest, two saws, an axe, and a
hammer with this cargo I put to sea. For a mile, or thereabouts, my raft
went very well, only that I found it drive a little distant from the place where
I had landed before, by which I perceived that there was some indraft of the
water, and, consequently, I hoped to find some creek or river there, which I
might make use of as a port to get to land with my cargo.
As I imagined, so it was. There appeared before me a little opening of the
land, and I found a strong current of the tide set into it; so I guided my raft,
as well as I could, to keep in the middle of the stream.
But here I had like to have suffered a second shipwreck, which, if I had, I
think verily would have broke my heart, for, knowing nothing of the coast,
my raft ran aground at one end of it upon a shoal, and not being aground at
the other end, it wanted but a little that all my cargo had slipped off towards
the end that was afloat, and so fallen into the water. I did my utmost, by
setting my back against the chests, to keep them in their places, but could not
thrust off the raft with all my strength; neither durst I stir from the posture I
was in; but holding up the chests with all my might, I stood in that manner
near half an hour, in which time the rising of the water brought me a little.
more upon a level; and, a little after, the water still rising, my raft floated
again, and I thrust her off with the oar I had into the channel, and then driving
up higher, I at length found myself in the mouth of a little river, with land on
both sides, and a strong current or tide running up. I looked on both sides
for a proper place to get to shore; for I was not willing to be driven too high
up the river, hoping, in time, to see some ship at sea, and therefore re-
solved to place myself as near the coast as I could.
At length I spied a little cove on the right shore of the creek, to which,
with great pain and difficulty, I guided my raft, and at last got so near
that, reaching ground with my oar, I could thrust her directly in. But
here I had liked to have dipped all my cargo into the sea again; for that
shore lying pretty steep-that is to say, sloping-there was no place to land,
but where one end of my float, if it ran on shore, would lie so high, and the
other sink lower, as before, that it would endanger my cargo again. All I
could do was to wait till the tide was at the highest, keeping the raft with
my oar like an anchor to hold the side of it fast to the shore, near a flat
piece of ground, which I expected the water would flow over; and so it did..
As soon as I found water enough-for my raft drew about a foot of
water-I thrust her on upon that flat piece of ground, and there fastened
or moored her, by sticking my two broken oars into the ground-one on one
side, near the end, and one on the other side, near the other end; and thus I
lay till the water ebbed away, and left my raft and all my cargo safe on shore.
34
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
da
My next work was to view the country and seek a proper place for my
habitation, and where to stow my goods, to secure them from whatever might
happen. Where I was, I yet knew not; whether on the continent or on an
island; whether inhabited or not inhabited; whether in danger of wild beasts
or not.
There was a hill not above a mile from me, which rose up very steep
and high, and which seemed to overtop some other hills, which lay as in a
ridge from it, northward. I took out one of the fowling-pieces, and one of
the pistols, and a horn of powder; and thus armed I travelled for discovery
up to the top of that hill, where, after I had with great labour and difficulty
got to the top, I saw my fate, to my great affliction, viz., that I was in an island
environed on every side by the sea. No land to be seen except some rocks,
which lay a great way off, and two small islands, less than this, which lay
about three leagues to the west.
I found also that the island I was in was barren, and, as I saw good reason
to believe, uninhabited except by wild beasts, of whom, however, I saw none.
Yet I saw abundance of fowls, but knew not their kinds; neither, when I
killed them, could I tell what was fit for food, and what not. At my coming
back I shot at a great bird, which I saw sitting upon a tree, on the side of a
great wood. I believe it was the first gun that had been fired there since the
creation of the world. I had no sooner fired, than from all the parts of the
wood there arose an innumerable number of fowls, of many sorts, making a
confused screaming and crying, every one according to his usual note, but not
one of them of any kind that I knew. As for the creature I killed, I took it
to be a kind of a hawk, its colour and beak resembling it, but it had no talons.
or claws more than common. Its flesh was carrion, and fit for nothing.
Contented with this discovery, I came back to my raft, and fell to work to
bring my cargo on shore, which took me up the rest of that day. What to do
with myself at night I knew not, nor, indeed, where to rest; for I was afraid
to lie down on the ground, not knowing but some wild beast might devour me,
though, as I afterwards found, there was really no need of those fears.
However, as well as I could, I barricaded myself round with the chests and
boards that I had brought on shore, and made a kind of hut for that night's
lodging. As for food, I yet saw not which way to supply myself, except that
I had seen two or three creatures, like hares, run out of the wood where I shot
the fowl.
I now began to consider that I might yet get a great many things out of the
ship which would be useful to me, and particularly some of the rigging and
sails, and such other things as might come to land; and I resolved to make
another voyage on board the vessel, if possible. And as I knew that the first
storm that blew must necessarily break her all to pieces, I resolved to set all
other things apart till I had got every thing out of the ship that I could get.
Then I called a council-that is to say, in my thoughts-whether I should take
35

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
back the raft; but this appeared impracticable: so I resolved to go as before,
when the tide was down; and I did so, only that I stripped before I went
from my hut, having nothing on but a chequered shirt, a pair of linen drawers,
and a pair of pumps on my feet.
I got on board the ship as before, and prepared a second raft; and, having
had experience of the first, I neither made this so unwieldy, nor loaded it so
hard. But yet I brought away several things very useful to me; as, first, in
the carpenter's stores, I found two or three bags full of nails and spikes, a great
screw-jack, a dozen or two of hatchets, and, above all, that most useful thing
called a grindstone. All these I secured, together with several things belong-
ing to the gunner; particularly two or three iron crows, and two barrels of
musket bullets, seven muskets, and another fowling piece, with some small
quantity of powder more; a large bagful of small shot, and a great roll of
sheet lead; but this last was so heavy I could not hoist it up to get it over
the ship's side.
A
Besides these things, I took all the men's clothes that I could find, and a spare
fore-top sail, a hammock, and some bedding; and with this I loaded my
second raft, and brought them all safe on shore, to my very great comfort.
I was under some apprehension, during my absence from the land, that at
least my provisions might be devoured on shore: but when I came back, I
found no sign of any visitor; only there sat a creature like a wild cat upon
one of the chests, which, when I came towards it, ran away a little distance,
and then stood still. She sat very composed and unconcerned, and looked full
in my face, as if she had a mind to be acquainted with me.
I presented my
gun to her, but, as she did not understand it, she was perfectly unconcerned
at it, nor did she offer to stir away; upon which I tossed her a bit of biscuit
-though, by the way, I was not very free of it, for my store was not great.
However, I spared her a bit, I say, and she went to it, smelled at it, and ate it,
and looked (as if pleased) for more; but I thanked her, and could spare no
more so she marched off.
Having got my second cargo on shore--though I was obliged 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 ine a little tent, with the sail and some
poles which I cut for that purpose; and into this tent I brought everything
that I knew would spoil either with rain or sun; and I piled all the empty
chests and casks up in a circle round the tent, to fortify it from any sudden
attempt either from man or beast.
When I had done this, I blocked up the door of the tent with some boards
within, and an empty chest set up on end without; and spreading one of my
beds upon the grouud, laying my two pistols just at my head, and my gun at
length by me, I went to bed for the first time, and slept very quietly all night,
for I was very weary and heavy; for the night before I had slept little, and
36

ROBINSON CRUSOE..
1
had laboured very hard all day to fetch all those things from the ship, and to
get them on shore.
:
I had the biggest magazine of all kinds now that ever was laid up, I believe,
for one man. But I was not satisfied still; for while the ship sat upright in
that posture, I thought I ought to get everything out of her that I could so
every day, at low water, I went on board and brought away something or
other but particularly the third time I went and brought away as much of
the rigging as I could, as also the small ropes and rope twine I could get, with
a piece of spare canvas, which was to mend the sails upon occasion, and the
barrel of wet gunpowder. In a word, I brought away all the sails first and
last; only that I was obliged to cut them in pieces, and bring as much at a
time as I could, for they were no more useful to be sails, but as mere canvas only.
But that which comforted me more still, was, that last of all, after I had
made five or six such voyages as these, I thought I had nothing more to ex-
pect from the ship that was worth my meddling with,-I say, after all this, I
found a great hogshead of bread, three large runlets of rum or spirits, and a
box of sugar, and a barrel of fine flour. This was surprising to me, because
I had given over expecting any more provisions, except what was spoiled by
the water. I soon emptied the hogshead of the bread and wrapped it up, par-
cel by parcel, in pieces of the sails which I cut out; and, in a word, I got all
this safe on shore also.
The next day I made another voyage. And now, having plundered the ship
of what was portable and fit to hand out, I began with the cables, cutting the
great cable into pieces such as I could move. I got two cables and a hawser
on shore, with all the iron-work I could get; and having cut down the sprit-
sail-yard and the mizen-yard, and everything I could to make a large raft, I
loaded it with all these heavy goods, and came away; but my good luck began
now to leave me, for this raft was so unwieldy and so overladen, that after I
was entered the little cove, where I had landed the rest of my goods, not being
able to guide it so handily as I did the other, it overset, and threw me and
all my cargo into the water. As for myself, it was no great harm, for I was
near the shore; but as to my cargo, it was a great part of it lost, especially
the iron, which I expected would have been of great use to me. However,
when the tide was out, I got most of the pieces of cable ashore, and some of
the iron, though with infinite labour, for I had to dip for it into the water—
a work which fatigued me very much. After this I went every day on board,
and brought away what I could get.
I had been now thirteen days on shore, and had been eleven times on board
the ship, in which time I had brought away all that one pair of hands could
well be supposed capable to bring, though I believe verily, had the calm
weather held, I should have brought away the whole ship, piece by piece; but
preparing the twelfth time to go on board, I found the wind began to rise.
37
Star Mall age take a
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
- my data ma
However, at low water, I went on board, and though I thought I had rummaged
the cabin so effectually that nothing more could be found, yet I discovered a
locker with drawers in it, in one of which I found two or three razors, and
one pair of large scissors, with some ten or a dozen of good knives and forks.
In another I found about thirty-six pounds value in money, some European
coin, some Brazil, some pieces-of-eight, some gold, and some silver.
I smiled to myself at the sight of this money. "O drug!" said I, aloud,
"what art thou good for? Thou art not worth to me-no, not the taking off
the ground; one of those knives is worth all this heap. I have no manner of
use for thee, e'en remain where thou art, and go to the bottom, as a creature
whose life is not worth saving." However, upon second thoughts, I took it
away; and wrapping all in a piece of canvas, I began to think of making
another raft; but while I was preparing this, I found the sky overcast, and the
wind began to rise, and in a quarter of an hour it blew a fresh gale from the
shore. It presently occurred to me that it was in vain to pretend to make a
raft with the wind off shore, and that it was my business to be gone before the
tide of flood began, otherwise I might not be able to reach the shore at all.
Accordingly, I let myself down into the water, and swam across the channel
which lay between the ship and the sands, and even that with difficulty enough,
partly with the weight of the things I had about me, and partly from the
roughness of the water, for the wind rose very hastily, and before it was quite
high water it blew a storm.
But I had got home to my little tent, where I lay, with all my wealth about
me, very secure. It blew very hard all that night, and in the morning when
I looked out, behold no more ship was to be seen! I was a little surprised,
but recovered myself with this satisfactory reflection, that I had lost no time,
nor abated any diligence, to get everything out of her that could be useful to
me, and that, indeed, there was little left in her that I was able to bring away
if I had had more time.
I now gave over any more thoughts of the ship, or of anything out of her,
except what might drive on shore from her wreck; as, indeed, divers pieces of
her afterwards did, but those things were of small use to me.
My thoughts were now wholly employed about securing myself against either
savages, if any should appear, or wild beasts, if any were in the island; and I
had many thoughts of the method how to do this, and what kind of dwell-
ing to make,-whether I should make me a cave in the earth, or a tent upon
the earth; and, in short, I resolved upon both-the manner and description of
which it may not be improper to give an account of.
I soon found the place I was in was not fit for my settlement, because it was
upon a low, moorish ground, near the sea, and I believed it would not be whole-
some, and more particularly because there was no fresh water near it; so I
resolved to find a more healthy and more convenient spot of ground.
38
Van de stages, a pont a ne tank —
ggg PANERA
t
PAN Man
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
I consulted several things in my situation, which I found would be proper
for me,-1st, health and fresh water, I just now mentioned; 2ndly, shelter from
the heat of the sun; 3rdly, security from ravenous creatures, whether men or
beasts; 4thly, a view to the sea, that if God sent any ship in sight, I might not
lose any advantage for my deliverance, of which I was not willing to banish all
my expectation yet.
In search of a place proper for this, I found a little plain on the side of a
rising hill, whose front towards this little plain was steep as a house-side, so
that nothing could come down upon me from the top. On the side of the rock
there was a hollow place, worn a little way in, like the entrance or door of a
cave; but there was not really any cave or way into the rock at all.
On the flat of the green just before this hollow place I resolved to pitch my
tent. This plain was not above a hundred yards broad, and about twice as
long, and lay like a green before my door, and, at the end of it, descended
irregularly every way down into the low ground by the sea-side. It was on
the N.N.W. side of the hill, so that it was sheltered from the heat every day, till
it came to a W. and by S. sun, or thereabouts, which in those countries is
near the setting.
Before I set up my tent, I drew a half-circle before the hollow place, which
took in about ten yards in its semi-diameter, from the rock, and twenty yards
in its diameter, from its beginning and ending.
In this half-circle I pitched two rows of strong stakes, driving them into
the ground till they stood very firm like piles, the biggest end being out of the
ground above five feet and a-half and sharpened on the top. The two rows did
not stand above six inches from one another.
Then I took the pieces of cable which I had cut in the ship, and laid them in
rows, one upon another, within the circle, between these two rows of stakes, up
to the top, placing other stakes in the inside, leaning against them, about two
feet and a-half high, like a spur to a post; and this fence was so strong that
neither man nor beast could get into it or over it. This cost me a great deal
of time and labour, especially to cut the piles in the woods, bring them to the
place, and drive them into the earth.
The entrance into this place I made to be, not by a door, but by a short lad-
der to go over the top; which ladder, when I was in, I lifted over after me;
and so I was completely fenced in and fortified, as I thought, from all the world,
and, consequently, slept secure in the night, which otherwise I could not have.
done; though, as it appeared afterwards, there was no need of all this caution.
from the enemies that I apprehended danger from.
Into this fence or fortress, with infinite labour, I carried all my riches, all
my provisions, ammunition, and stores, of which you have the account above;
and I made a large tent, which, to preserve me from the rains, that in one part
of the year are very violent there, I made double, one smaller tent within, and
LA BLA D
39

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
one larger tent above it; and covered the uppermost with a large tarpaulin,
which I had saved among the sails.
And now I lay no more for a while in the bed which I had brought on shore,
but in a hammock, which was indeed a very good one, and belonged to the
mate of the ship.
Into this tent I brought all my provisions, and everything that would spoil
by the wet; and having thus enclosed all my goods, I made up the entrance,
which till now I had left open, and so passed and repassed, as I said, by a
short ladder.
When I had done this, I began to work my way into the rock; and bringing
all the earth and stones that I dug down out through my tent, I laid them up
within my fence, in the nature of a terrace, so that it raised the ground within
about a foot and a-half; and thus I made me a cave, just behind my tent,
which served me like a cellar to my house.
It cost me much labour and many days before all these things were brought
to perfection; and therefore I must go back to some other things which took
up some of my thoughts. At the same time it happened, after I had laid my
scheme for the setting up my tent and making the cave, that a storm of rain
falling from a thick, dark cloud, a sudden flash of lightning happened, and,
after that, a great clap of thunder, as is naturally the effect of it. I was not so
much surprised with the lightning, as I was with a thought which darted into
my mind as swift as the lightning itself; O my powder! My very heart sank
within me when I thought that, at one blast, all my powder might be destroyed;
on which, not my defence only, but the providing me food, as I thought, en-
tirely depended. I was nothing near so anxions about my own danger,
though, had the powder took fire, I should never have known who had
hurt me.
Such impression did this make upon me, that after the storm was over, I
laid aside all my works, my building and fortifying, and applied myself to make
bags and boxes, to separate the powder, and to keep it a little and a little in a
parcel, in hope that whatever might come, it might not all take fire at once;
and to keep it so apart, that it should not be possible to make one part fire
another. I finished this work in about a fortnight; and I think my powder,
which in all was about two hundred and forty pounds weight, was divided into
not less than a hundred parcels. As to the barrel that had been wet, I did not
apprehend any danger from that; so I placed it in my new cave, which,
in my fancy, I called my kitchen; and the rest I hid up and down in holes
among the rocks, so that no wet might come to it, marking very carefully
where I laid it.
In the interval of time while this was doing, I went out once at least every
day with my gun, as well to divert myself as to see if I could kill anything fit
for food; and, as near as I could, to acquaint myself with what the island pro-
40
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
!
duced. The first time I went out, I presently discovered that there were goats
in the island, which was a great satisfaction to me; but then it was attended
with this misfortune to me, viz., that they were so shy, so subtle, and so swift
of foot, that it was the difficultest thing in the world to come at them. But I
was not discouraged at this, not doubting but I might now and then shoot
one, as it soon happened; for after I had found their haunts a little, I laid
wait in this manner for them: I observed if they saw me in the valleys, though
they were upon the rocks, they would run away, as in a terrible fright; but
if they were feeding in the valleys, and I was upon the rocks, they took no
notice of me; from whence I concluded that, by the position of their optics,
their sight was SO directed downward, that they did not readily see
objects that were above them; so afterwards, I took this method,
always climbed the rocks first, to get above them, and then had frequently
a fair mark.
I
·
The first shot I made among these creatures, I killed a she-goat, which had
a little kid by her, which she gave suck to, which grieved me heartily; for,
when the old one fell, the kid stood stock still by her, till I came and took her
up; and not only so, but when I carried the old one with me, upon my
shoulders, the kid followed me quite to my enclosure; upon which I laid down
the dam and took the kid in my arms, and carried it over my pale, in hopes
to have bred it up tame; but it would not eat; so I was forced to kill it, and
eat it myself. These two supplied me with flesh a great while; for I
ate sparingly, and saved my provisions, my bread especially, as much as
possibly I could.
Having now fixed my habitation, I found it absolutely necessary to provide
a place to make a fire in, and fuel to burn; and what I did for that, as also
how I enlarged my cave, and what conveniences I made, I shall give a full ac-
count of in its place; but I must now give some little account of myself, and
of my thoughts about living, which it may well be supposed were not a few.
I had a dismal prospect of my condition; for as I was not cast away upon
that island without being driven, as is said, by a violent storm, quite out of the
course of our intended voyage, and a great way-viz., some hundreds of leagues.
out of the ordinary course of the trade of mankind-I had great reason to
consider it as a determination of Heaven that, in this desolate place, and in this
desolate manner, I should end my life. The tears would run plentifully down
my face when I made these reflections; and sometimes I would expostulate
with myself why Providence should thus completely ruin its creatures, and
render them so absolutely miserable, so without help, abandoned, so entirely
depressed, that it could hardly be rational to be thankful for such a life.
But something always returned swift upon me to check these thoughts, and
to reprove me; and particularly one day, walking with my gun in my hand by
the sea side, I was very pensive upon the subject of my present condition, when
41

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
reason, as it were, expostulated with me the other way.
are in a desolate condition, it is true; but, pray remember,
of you? Did not you come eleven of you into the boat?
Why were they not saved and you lost? Why were you
better to be here or there?" And then I pointed to the sea.
to be considered with the good that is in them, and with what worse
attends them.
Thus,-" Well, you
where are the rest
Where are the ten?
singled out? Is it
All evils are
Then it occurred to me again how well I was furnished for my subsistence,
and what would have been my case if it had not happened (which was a hun-
dred thousand to one) that the ship floated from the place where she first struck,
and was driven so near to the shore that I had time to get all these things out
of her; what would have been my case if I had been forced to have lived in
the condition in which I at first came on shore, without necessaries of life, or
necessaries to supply and procure them? "Particularly," said I, aloud (though
to myself), "what should I have done without a gun, without ammunition,
without any tools to make anything, or to work with, without clothes, bedding,
a tent, or any manner of covering?"-and that now I had all these to sufficient
quantity, and was in a fair way to provide myself in such a manner as to live
without my gun when my ammunition was spent; so that I had a tolerable
view of subsisting, without any want, as long as I lived; for I considered from
the beginning how I would provide for the accidents that might happen, and
for the time that was to come, even not only after my ammunition should be
spent, but even after my health and strength should decay.
I confess I had not entertained any notion of my ammunition being de-
stroyed at one blast-I mean my powder being blown up by lightning; and
this made the thoughts of it so surprising to me when it lightened and thun-
dered, as I observed just now.
--
And now, being to enter into a melancholy relation of a scene of silent life,
such, perhaps, as was never heard of in the world before I shall take it from
its beginning, and continue it in its order. It was, by my account, the 30th of
September, when, in the manner as above said, I first set foot upon this horrid
island; when the sun, being to us in its autumnal equinox, was almost just over
my head; for I reckoned myself, by observation, to be in the latitude of nine
degrees twenty-two minutes north of the line.
After I had been there about ten or twelve days, it came into my thoughts
that I should lose my reckoning of time for want of books, and pen, and ink,
and should even forget the Sabbath days; but to prevent this, I cut with my
knife upon a large post, in capital letters; and making it into a great cross,
I set up on the shore where I first landed, "I came on shore here on the 30th
of September, 1659.” ·
Upon the sides of this square post I cut every day a notch with my knife,
and every seventh notch was as long again as the rest, and every first day of
42
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
the month as long again as that long one; and thus I kept my calendar, or
weekly, monthly, and yearly reckoning of time.
In the next place, we are to observe that among the many things which I
brought out of the ship in the several voyages which, as above mentioned, I
made to it, I got several things of less value, but not at all less useful to me,
which I omitted setting down before: as, in particular, pens, ink, and paper;
several parcels in the captain's, mate's, gunner's, and carpenter's keeping, three
or four compasses, some mathematical instruments, dials, perspectives, charts,
and books of navigation; all which I huddled together, whether I might want
them or no. Also, I found three very good Bibles, which came to me in my
cargo from England, and which I had packed up among my things; some
Portuguese books also, and among them two or three Popish prayer-books, and
several other books, all which I carefully secured. And I must not forget that
we had in the ship a dog and two cats-of whose eminent history I may have.
occasion to say something in its place, for I carried both the cats with me; an 1
as for the dog, he jumped out of the ship of himself, and swam on shore to me
the day after I went on shore with my first cargo, and was a trusty servant to
me many years. I wanted nothing that he could fetch me, nor any company
that he could make up to me-I only wanted to have him talk to me, but that
would not do. As I observed before, I found pens, ink, and paper, and I
husbanded them to the utmost; and I shall show that while my ink lasted, I
kept things very exact; but after that was gone I could not, for I could not
make any ink by any means that I could devise.
And this put me in mind that I wanted many things, notwithstanding all that
I had amassed together; and of these, ink was one, as also a spade, pick-axe,
and shovel, to dig or remove the earth; needles, pins, and thread. As for linen,
I soon learned to want that without much difficulty.
This want of tools made every work I did go ou heavily; and it was near
a whole year before I had entirely finished my little pale, or surrounded my
habitation. The piles or stakes, which were as heavy as I could well lift, were
a long time in cutting and preparing in the woods, and more, by far, in bringing
home; so that I spent sometimes two days in cutting and bringing home one
of those posts, and a third day in driving it into the ground; for which purpose
I got a heavy piece of wood at first, but at last bethought myself of one of the
iron crows, which, however, though I found it, made driving those posts or piles
very laborious and tedious work. But what need I have been concerned at
the tediousness of anything I had to do, seeing I had time enough to do it in?
nor had I any other employment, if that had been over, at least that I could
foresee, except the ranging the island to seek for food, which I did, more or
less, every day.

I now began to consider seriously my condition, and the circumstances I was
reduced to; and I drew up the state of my affairs in writing, not so much to
43

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
RE: S
:
leave them to any that were to come after me; for I was likely to have but
few heirs, as to deliver my thoughts from daily poring upon them, and afflicting
my mind and as my reason began now to master my despondency, I began
to comfort myself as well as I could, and to set the good against the evil, that
I might have something to distinguish my case from worse; and I stated very
impartially, like debtor and creditor, the comforts I enjoyed against the miseries
I suffered. Thus :-
EVIL.
I am cast upon a horrible desolate
island, void of all hope of recovery.
I am singled out and separated, as
it were, from all the world, to be miser-
able.
I am divided from mankind—a soli-
taire ;
one banished from human
society.
I have not clothes to cover me.
I am without any defence, or means
to resist any violence of man or beast.
I have no soul to speak to, or relieve
me.
GOOD.
But I am alive, and not drowned, as
all my ship's company were.
But I am singled out, too, from all
the ship's crew, to be spared from
death; and he that miraculously saved
me from death, can deliver me from
this condition.
But I am not starved, and perish-
ing in a barren place, affording no sus-
tenance.
But I am in a hot climate, where, if
I had clothes, I could hardly wear
them.
God
But I am cast on an island where
I see no wild beast to hurt me, as I
saw on the coast of Africa; and what
if I had been shipwrecked there?
But God wonderfully sent the ship
in near enough to the shore, that I
have got out as many necessary things
as will either supply my wants, or
enable me to supply myself, even as
long as I live.
Upon the whole, here was an undoubted testimony that there was scarce
any condition in the world so miserable, but there was something negative, or
something positive, to be thankful for in it: and let this stand as a direction,
from the experience of the most miserable of all conditions in this world-that
we may always find in it something to comfort ourselves from, and to set, in
the description of good and evil, on the credit side of the account.
Having now brought my mind a little to relish my condition, and given over
looking out to sea, to see if I could spy a ship; I say, giving over these things,
I began to apply myself to arrange my way of living, and to make things as
easy to me as I could.
4-1

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
I have already described my habitation, which was a tent under the side of
a rock, surrounded with a strong pale of posts and cables; but I might now
rather call it a wall, for I raised a kind of wall up against it of turfs, about two
feet thick on the outside; and, after some time (I think it was a year and a-
half), I raised rafters from it, leaning to the rock, and thatched or covered it
with boughs of trees, and such things as I could get, to keep out the rain,
which I found at some times of the year very violent.
I have already observed how I brought all my goods into this pale, and into
the cave which I had made behind ine. But I must observe, too, that at first
this was a confused heap of goods, which, as they lay in no order, so they took
up all my place. I had no room to turn myself; so I set myself to enlarge my
cave and work farther into the earth; for it was a loose, sandy rock, which
yielded easily to the labour I bestowed on it: and so, when I found I was
pretty safe as to beasts of prey, I worked sideways, to the right hand into the
rock; and then turning to the right again, worked quite out, and made me a
door to come out on the outside of my pale or fortification.
This gave me not only egress and regress, as it was a back-way to my tent
and to my storehouse, but gave me room to store my goods.
And now I began to apply myself to make such necessary things as I found
I most wanted, particularly a chair and a table; for without these I was not
able to enjoy the few comforts I had in the world. I could not write, or eat,
or do several things with so much pleasure, without a table, so I went to work.
And here I must needs observe that as reason is the substance and origin of the
mathematics, so by stating and squaring everything by reason, and by making
the most rational judgment of things, every man may be, in time, master of
every nechanic art. I had never handled a tool in my life; and yet, in time,
by labour, application, and contrivance, I found, at last, that I wanted nothing.
but I could have made it, especially if I had had tools. However, I made
abundance of things, even without tools; and some with no more tools than
an adze and a hatchet, which, perhaps, were never made that way before, and
that with infinite labour. For example, if I wanted a board, I had no other
way but to cut down a tree, set it on an edge before me, and hew it flat on either
side with my axe, till I had brought it to be thin as a plank, and then dub it
smooth 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 remedy for but patience, any more
than I had for the prodigious deal of time or labour which it took me up to
make a plank or board; but my time or labour was little worth, and so it was
as well employed one way as another.
However, I made me a table and a chair, as I observed above, in the first
place; and this I did out of the short pieces of boards that I brought on my
raft from the ship. But when I had wrought out some boards as above, I
made large shelves, of the breadth of a foot and a half, one over another all
45
A TOPLO MAAN
}

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
along one side of my cave, to lay all my tools, nails, and iron-work on; and, in
a word, to separate everything at large into 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 seen, it
looked like a general magazine of all necessary things; and I had everything
so ready at my hand, that it was a great pleasure to me to see all my goods in
such order, and especially to find my stock of all necessaries so great.
And now it was that I began to keep a journal of every day's employment;
for indeed, at first, I was in too much hurry-and not only hurry as to labour,
but in too much discomposure of mind, and my journal would have been full
of many dull things. For example, I must have said thus, " Sept. 30th.--After
I had got to shore, and had escaped drowning, instead of being thankful to
God for my deliverance, having first vomited with the great quantity of salt
water which had got into my stomach, and recovering myself a little, I ran
-about the shore, wringing my hands, and beating my head and face, exclaiming
at my misery, and crying out, I was undone, undone!' till, tired and faint, I
was forced to lie down on the ground to repose; but durst not sleep, for fear
of being devoured."
Some days after this, and after I had been on board the ship and got all that
I could out of her, yet I could not forbear getting up to the top of a little
mountain, and looking out to sea, in hopes of seeing a ship; then fancy at a
vast distance I spied a sail, please myself with the hopes of it, and then, after
looking steadily, till I was almost blind, lose it quite, and sit down and weep.
like a child, and thus increase my misery by my folly.
But having gotten over these things in some measure, and having settled
my household stuff and habitation, made me a table and a chair, and all as
handsome about me as I could, I began to keep my journal, of which I shall
here give you the copy (though in it will be told all these particulars over again)
as long as it lasted; for having no more ink, I was forced to leave it off.
THE JOURNAL.
September 30, 1659. — I, poor, miserable Robinson Crusoe, being ship-
wrecked during a dreadful storm in the offing, come on shore on this dismal,
unfortunate island, which I called "The Island of Despair;" all the rest of
the ship's company being drowned, and myself almost dead.
All the rest of the day I spent in afflicting myself at the dismal circum-
stances I was brought to-viz., I had neither food, house, clothes, weapon, nor
place to fly to; and, in despair of any relief, saw nothing but death before me
either that I should be devoured by wild beasts, murdered by savages, or
starved to death for want of food. At the approach of night I slept
in a tree, for fear of wild creatures; but slept soundly, though it rained
all night.
MAR
46
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
October 1.—In the morning I saw, to my great surprise, the ship had floated
with the high tide, and was driven on shore again much nearer the island,
which, as it was some comfort, on one hand, for seeing her sit upright, and
not broken to pieces, I hoped, if the wind abated, I might get on board, and
get some food and necessaries out of her for my relief; so, on the other hand,
it renewed my grief at the loss of my comrades, who, I imagined, if
we had all stayed on board, might have saved the ship, or at least
that they would not have been all drowned, as they were, and that had
the men been saved, we might perhaps have built us a boat out of the
ruins of the ship to have carried us to some other part of the world: I
spent great part of this day in perplexing myself on these things; but at
length, seeing the ship almost dry, I went upon the sand as near as I could, and
then swam on board. This day, also, it continued raining, though with no
wind at all.
From the 1st of October to the 24th.-All these days entirely spent in many
several voyages to get all I could out of the ship, which I brought on shore,
every tide of flood, upon rafts. Much rain also in the days, though with some
intervals of fair weather; but it seems this was the rainy season.
October 20.—I overset my raft, and all the goods I had got upon it; but
being in shoal water, and the things being chiefly heavy, I recovered many of
them when the tide was out.
Oct. 25.-It rained all night and all day, with some gusts of wind, during
which time the ship broke in pieces, the wind blowing a little harder than be-
fore, and was no more to be seen, except the wreck of her, and that only at low
water. I spent this day in covering and securing the goods which I had saved,
that the rain might not spoil them.
Oct. 26.—I walked about the shore almost all day, to find out a place to fix
my habitation, greatly concerned to secure myself from any attack in the night
either from wild beasts or men. Towards night I fixed upon a proper place
under a rock, and marked out a semi-circle for my encampment, which I re-
solved to strengthen with a work, wall, or fortification made of double piles,
lined within with cables, and without with turf.
From the 26th to the 30th I worked very hard in carrying all my
goods to my new habitation, though some part of the time it rained
exceedingly hard.
The 31st. In the morning I went out into the island with my gun to see
for some food, and discover the country, when I killed a she-goat, and
her kid followed ine home, which I afterwards killed also, because it would
not feed.
November 1.—I set up my tent under a rock, and lay there for the first
night, making it as large as I could, with stakes driven in to swing my
hammock upon.
47
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
Nov. 2.-I set up all my chests and boards, and the pieces of timber which
made my rafts, and with them formed a fence round me-a little within the
place I had marked out for my fortification.
Nov. 3.-I went out with my gun and killed two fowls like ducks, which
were very good food. In the afternoon went to work to make me a table.
Nov. 4. This morning I began to order my times of work, of going out
with my gun, time of sleep, and time of diversion-viz., every morning I
walked out with my gun for two or three hours, if it did not rain; then em-
ployed myself to work till about eleven o'clock; then ate what I had to live
on; and from twelve till two I lay down to sleep, the weather being ex-
cessively hot; and then, in the evening, to work again. The working part of
this day and of the next were wholly employed in making my table, for I was
yet but a very sorry workman, though time and necessity made me a complete.
natural mechanic soon after, as I believe they would do any one else.
C
Nov. 5.-This day went abroad with my gun and my dog, and killed a wild
cat; her skin pretty soft, but her flesh good for nothing. Every creature that
I killed I took off the skins and preserved them. Coming back by the sea-
shore, I saw many sorts of sea-fowls which I did not understand; but was
surprised, and almost frightened, with two or three seals, which, while I was
gazing at, not well knowing what they were, got into the sea, and escaped me.
for that time.
-
Nov. 6.--After my morning walk, I went to work with my table again
and finished it, though not to my liking; nor was it long before I learned
to mend it.
M
Nov. 7.-Now it began to be settled fair weather. The 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th,
and part of the 12th (for the 11th was Sunday), I took wholly up to make me
a chair, and, with much ado, brought it to a tolerable shape, but never to
please me; and even in the making I pulled it in pieces several times.
Note. I soon neglected my keeping Sundays; for, omitting my mark for
them on my post, I forgot which was which.
Nov. 13. This day it rained, which refreshed me exceedingly, and cooled.
the earth; but it was accompanied with terrible thunder and lightning, which
frighted me dreadfully, for fear of my powder. As soon as it was over, I re-
solved to separate my stock of powder into as many little parcels as possible,
that it might not be in danger.
Nov. 14, 15, 16.-These three days I spent in making little square chests,
or boxes, which might hold about a pound, or two pounds at most, of powder;
and so, putting the powder in, I stowed it in places as secure and remote from
one another as possible. On one of these three days I killed a large bird that
was good to eat, but I knew not what to call it.
Nov. 17.- This day I began to dig behind my tent into the rock, to make
room for my further conveniency.
48

23X127
"I caught a young parrot which I knocked down with a stick."
ROBINSON CRUsoe.
Note. Three things I wanted exceedingly for this work-viz., a pickaxe, a
shovel, and a wheelbarrow, or basket; so I desisted from my work, and began
to consider how to supply that want and make me some tools. As for the
pickaxe, I made use of the iron crows, which were proper enough, though
heavy; but the next thing was a shovel, or spade. This was so absolutely
necessary that, indeed, I could do nothing effectually without it; but what kind
of one to make I knew not.
Nov. 18.-The next day, in searching the woods, I found a tree of that wood,
or like it, which in the Brazils they call the iron-tree, for its exceeding hard-
ness. Of this, with great labour, and almost spoiling my axe, I cut a piece
and brought it home, too, with difficulty enough, for it was exceeding heavy.
The excessive hardness of the wood, and my having no other way, made me a
long while upon this machine, for I worked it effectually, by little and little,
into the form of a shovel or spade; the handle exactly shaped like ours in
England, only that the board part having no iron shod upon it at bottom, it
would not last me so long. However, it served well enough for the uses which
I had occasion to put it to; but never was a shovel, I believe, made after that
fashion, or so long in making.
I was still deficient, for I wanted a basket, or a wheelbarrow. A basket I
could not make by any means, having no such things as twigs that would bend
to make wicker-ware-at least, none yet found out; and as to a wheelbarrow,
I fancied I could make all but the wheel; but that I had no notion of, neither
did I know how to go about it. Besides, I had no possible way to make the
iron gudgeons for the spindle or axis of the wheel to run in; so I gave
it over, and so, for carrying away the earth which I dug out of the cave,
I made me a thing like a hod, which the labourers carry mortar in when they
serve the bricklayers. This was not so difficult to me as the making the shovel;
and yet this and the shovel, and the attempt which I made in vain to make a
wheelbarrow, took me up no less than four days-I mean always excepting my
morning walk with my gun, which I seldom failed, and very seldom failed also
bringing home something fit to eat.
Nov. 23. My other work having now stood still, because of my making
these tools, when they were finished, I went on, and working every day as my
strength and time allowed. I spent eighteen days entirely in widening and
deepening my cave, that it might hold my goods commodiously.
Note. During all this time, I worked to make this room or cave spacious
enough to accommodate me as a warehouse or magazine, a kitchen, a dining-
room, and a cellar. As for my lodging, I kept to the tent; excepting that some-
times, in the wet season of the year, it rained so hard that I could not keep
myself dry, which caused me afterwards to cover all my place within my pale
with long poles, in the form of rafters, leaning against the rock, and load them
with flags and large leaves of trees, like a thatch.

D
49

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
December 10.-I began now to think my cave or vault finished, when on a
sudden (it seems I had made it too large) a great quantity of earth fell down
from the top and one side; so much that, in short, it frighted me, and not
without reason, too; for if I had been under it, I had never wanted a
grave-digger. I had now a great deal of work to do over again; for
I had the loose earth to carry out; and, which was of more import-
ance, I had the ceiling to prop up, so that I might be sure no more would
come down.
Dec. 11. This day I went to work with it accordingly, and got two
shores or posts pitched upright to the top, with two pieces of boards across
over each post. This I finished the next day; and setting more posts up
with boards, in about a week more I had the roof secured; and the posts,
standing in rows, served me for partitions to part off the house.
Dec. 17.-From this day to the 20th I placed shelves, and knocked up
nails on the posts, to hang everything up that could be hung up; and now
up
began to be in some order within doors.
M
Dec. 20.-Now I carried everything into the cave, and began to furnish
my house, and set up some pieces of boards like a dresser, to order my
victuals upon; but boards began to be very scarce with me. Also, I made
me another table.
Dec. 24.-Much rain all night and all day; no stirring out.
Dec. 25.-Rain all day.
Dec. 26.-No rain, and the earth much cooler than before, and pleasanter.
Dec. 27.-Killed a young goat, and lamed another, so that I caught it, and
led it home in a string. When I had it at home, I bound and splintered up
its leg, which was broke.
N.B.—I took such care of it that it lived, and the leg grew well and as
strong as ever; but by my nursing it so long it grew tame, and fed upon the
little green at my door, and would not go away. This was the first time that
I entertained a thought of breeding up some tame creatures, that I might have
food when my powder and shot was all spent.
Dec. 28, 29, 30, 31.-Great heats, and no
stirring abroad, except in the evening, for food.
all my things in order within doors.
January 1.-Very hot still; but I went abroad early and late with my gun,
and lay still in the middle of the day. This evening, going farther into the
valleys which lay towards the centre of the island, I found there were plenty
of goats, though exceedingly shy, and hard to come at. However, I reso ved
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 set him
upon the goats; but I was mistaken, for they all faced about upon the dog, and
he knew his danger too well, for he would not come near them.
and
breeze, so that there was no
This time I spent in putting
50
ROBINSON Crusoe,
S ———
Jun. 3.-I began my fence, or wall, which, being still jealous of my being
attacked by somebody, I resolved to make very thick and strong.
N.B.-This wall being described before, I purposely omit what was said in
the Journal. It is sufficient to observe that I was no less time than from the
3rd of January to the 14th of April working, finishing, and perfecting this
wall, though it was no more than about twenty-four yards in length, being a
half-circle, from one place in the rock to another place, about eight yards from
it; the door of the cave being in the centre behind it.
All this time I worked very hard, the rains hindering me many days, nay,
sometimes weeks, together; but I thought I should never be perfectly secure
till this wall was finished; and it is scarcely credible what inexpressible labour
everything was done with, especially the bringing piles out of the woods, and
driving them into the ground; for I made them much bigger than I needed
to have done.
When this wall was finished, and the outside double-fenced, with a turf
wall raised up close to it, I pursuaded myself that if any people were to come
on shore there they would not perceive anything like a habitation; and it was
very well I did so, as may be observed hereafter, upon a very remarkable.
occasion.
During this time I made my rounds in the woods for game every day, when
the rain permitted me, and made frequent discoveries in these walks of some-
thing or other to my advantage. Particularly I found a kind of wild pigeons,
which build, not as wood-pigeons in a tree, but rather as house-pigeons, in the
holes of the rocks; and taking some young ones, I endeavoured to breed them
up tame, and did so; but when they grew older they flew away, which perhaps
was at first for want of feeding them, for I had nothing to give them. How-
ever, I frequently found their nests, and got their young ones, which were very
good meat. And now, in the managing my household affairs, I found myself
wanting in many things, which I thought at first it was impossible for me to
make; as, indeed, with some of them it was. For instance, I could never make
a cask to be hooped. I had a small runlet or two, as I observed before, but I
could never arrive at the capacity of making one by them, though I spent
many weeks about it. I could neither put in the heads, or join the staves so
true to one another as to make them hold water; so I gave that also over. In
the next place, I was at a great loss for candles; so that as soon as ever it was
dark, which was generally by seven o'clock, I was obliged to go to bed. I
remembered the lump of bees'-wax with which I made candles in my African-
adventure; but I had none of that now. The only remedy I had was that
when I had killed a goat I saved the tallow, and with a little dish made of
clay, which I baked in the sun, to which I added a wick of some oakum, I
made me a lamp; and this gave me light, though not a clear, steady light like
a candle. In the middle of all my labours it happened that, rummaging my
51

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
things, I found a little bag, which, as I hinted before, had been filled with corn
for the feeding of poultry-not for this voyage, but before, as I suppose, when
the ship came from Lisbon. The little remainder of corn that had been in the
bag was all devoured with the rats, and I saw nothing in the bag but husks
and dust; and being willing to have the bag for some other use (I think it was
to put powder in, when I divided it for the fear of the lightning, or some such
use), I shook the husks of corn out of it on one side of my fortification,
under the rock.
It was a little before the great rains just now mentioned that I threw this
stuff away, taking no notice; and not so much as remembering that I had
thrown anything there, when about a month after, or thereabouts, I saw some
few stalks of something green shooting out of the ground, which I fancied
might be some plant I had not seen; but I was surprised and perfectly
astonished when, after a little longer time, I saw about ten or twelve ears come
out, which were perfect green barley, of the same kind as our European-nay,
as our English barley.
It is impossible to express the astonishment and confusion of my thoughts
on this occasion. I had hitherto acted upon no religious foundation at all.
Indeed, I had very few notions of religion in my head, nor had entertained
any sense of anything that had befallen me, otherwise than as chance, or, as we
lightly say, what pleases God, without so much as inquiring into the end of
Providence in these things, or his order in governing events for the world.
But after I saw 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
strangely; and I began to suggest that God had miraculously caused his grain.
to grow without any help of seed sown, and that it was so directed purely for
my sustenance on that wild, miserable place.
This touched my heart a little, and brought tears out of my eyes; and I
began to bless myself that such a prodigy of nature should happen upon my
account. And this was the more strange to me, because I saw near it still, all
along by the side of the rock, some other straggling stalks, which proved to be
stalks of rice, and which I knew, because I had seen it grow in Africa, when I
was ashore there.
I not only thought these the pure productions of Providence for my support,
but not doubting that there was more in the place, I went all over that part
of the island where I had been before, peering in every corner, and under
every rock, to see for more of it, but I could not find any. At last it occurred
to my thoughts that I shook a bag of chickens' meat out in that place, and
then the wonder began to cease; and, I must confess, my religious thankfulness.
to God's Providence began to abate, too, upon the discovering that all this was
nothing but what was common, though I ought to have been as thankful for
so strange and unforeseen a providence as if it had been miraculous; for it was
52
mljam da margman seg v mate
alle man gledate para a resea
v deka v S p P
— — NAMA
Play, Wedding Metal Montg
VA A LA
1, "go-go ya Ma
hann gat tak
Para baada ya týka at K
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
really the work of Providence to me that should order or appoint that ten or
twelve grains of corn should remain unspoiled, when the rats had destroyed all
the rest, as if it had been dropped from heaven. As also, that I should throw
it out in that particular place, where, it being in the shape of a high rock, it
sprang up immediately; whereas, if I had thrown it anywhere else, at that time,
it had been burnt up and destroyed.
I carefully saved the ears of this corn, you may be sure, in their season,
which was about the end of June; and, laying up every corn, I resolved to
sow them all again, hoping, in time, to have some quantity sufficient to supply
me with bread. But it was not till the fourth year that I could allow myself
the least grain of this corn to eat, and even then but sparingly, as I shall say
afterwards, in its order; for I lost all that I sowed the first season by not
observing the proper time; for I sowed it just before the dry season, so that it
never came up at all; at least not as it would have done-of which in its place.
Besides this barley, there were, as above, twenty or thirty stalks of rice,
which I preserved with the same care and for the same use, or to the same
purpose, to make me bread, or rather food; for I found ways to cook it with-
out baking, though I did that also after some time.
But to return to my Journal:-
I worked excessively hard these three or four months to get my wall done,
and the 14th of April I closed it up, contriving to go into it, not by a door,
but over the wall, by a ladder, that there might be no sign on the outside of
my habitation.
April 16.-I finished the ladder. So I went up the ladder to the top, and
then pulled it up after me, and let it down in the inside. This was a complete
enclosure to me; for within I had room enough, and nothing could come at me
from without, unless it could first mount my wall.
The very next day after this wall was finished, I had almost had all my
labour overthrown at once, and myself killed. The case was thus :-As I was
busy in the inside, behind my tent, just at the entrance into my cave, I was
terribly frighted with a most dreadful surprising thing indeed: for, all on a
sudden, I found the earth come crumbling down from the roof of my cave,
and from the edge of the hill over my head, and two of the posts I had set up
in the cave cracked in a frightful manner. I was heartily scared; but thought
nothing of what was really the cause, only thinking that the top of my cave
was fallen in, as some of it had done before; and for fear I should be buried
in it, I ran forward to my ladder, and not thinking myself safe there neither,
I got over my wall for fear of the pieces of the hill, which I expected might
roll down upon me.
I had no sooner stepped down upon the firm ground.
than I plainly saw it was a terrible earthquake; for the ground I stood on
shook three times at about eight minutes' distance, with three such shocks as
would have overturned the strongest building that could be supposed to have
53
Kappunten att de
Vladdendron Spotify
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
stood on the earth, and a great piece of the top of a rock, which stood about
half a mile from me, next the sea, fell down with such a terrible noise as I
never heard in all my life. I perceived also the very sea was put into violent
motion by it; and I believe the shocks were stronger under the water than on
the island.
I was so much amazed with the thing itself, having never felt the like, nor
discoursed with any one that had, that I was like one dead or stupified; and
the motion of the earth made my stomach sick, like one that was tossed at sea;
but the noise of the falling of the rock awaked me, as it were, and rousing me
from the stupified condition I was in, filled me with horror, and I thought of
nothing then but the hill falling upon my tent and all my household goods,
and burying all at once; and this sunk my very soul within me a second time.
After the third shock was over-and I felt no more for some time—I began
to take courage; and yet I had not heart enough to go over my wall again, for
fear of being buried alive, but sat still upon the ground greatly cast down and
disconsolate, not knowing what to do. All this while I had not the least serious
religious thought; nothing but the common "Lord, have mercy on me!" and
when it was over, that went away too.
While I sat thus, I found the air overcast and grow cloudy, as if it would rain.
Soon after that the wind arose by little and little, so that in less than half an
hour it blew a most dreadful hurricane. The sea was all on a sudden covered
over with foam and froth-the shore was covered with the breach of the water
—the trees were torn up by the roots; and a terrible storm it was. This held
about three hours, and then began to abate; and in two hours more it was
quite calm, and began to rain very hard. All this while I sat upon the ground,
very much terrified and dejected, when, on a sudden, it came into my thoughts
that these winds and rain, being the consequences of the earthquake, the earth-
quake itself was spent and over, and I might venture into my cave again. With
this thought my spirits began to revive, and the rain also helping to persuade
me, I went in and sat down in my tent; but the rain was so violent that my
tent was ready to be beaten down with it, and I was forced to go into my cave,
though very much afraid and uneasy, for fear it should fall on my head. This
violent rain forced me to a new work-viz., to cut a hole through my new for-
tification, like a sink, to let the water go out, which would else have flooded my
cave. After I had been in my cave for some time, and found still no more
shocks of the earthquake follow, I began to be more composed. And now, to
support my spirits-which, indeed, wanted it very much-I went to my little
store and took a small sup of rum, which, however, I did then and always, very
sparingly, knowing I could have no more when that was gone. It continued
raining all that night and great part of the next day, so that I could not stir
abroad; but my mind being more composed, I began to think of what I had best
do, concluding that, if the island was subject to these earthquakes, there would
5-1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
;
be no living for me in a cave, but I must consider of building a little hut in an
open place, which I might surround with a wall, as I had done here, and so
make myself secure from wild beasts or men; for I concluded if I stayed where
I was, I should certainly, one time or other, be buried alive.
With these thoughts, I resolved to remove my tent from the place where it
now stood, which was just under the hanging precipice of the hill, and which,
if it should be shaken again, would certainly fall upon my tent; and I spent
the two next days, being the 19th and 20th of April, in contriving where and
how to remove my habitation. The fear of being swallowed up alive made me
that I never slept in quiet; and yet the apprehension of lying abroad without
any fence was almost equal to it. But still, when I looked about and saw
how everything was put in order-how pleasantly concealed I was, and how
safe from danger, it made me very loath to remove. In the meantime, it oc-
curred to me that it would require a vast deal of time for me to do this, and
that I must be contented to 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 resolution, I
composed myself for a time, and resolved that I would go to work with all speed
to build me a wall with piles and cables, etc., in a circle, as before, and set 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 remove. This was the 21st.
April 22.-The next morning I began to consider of means to put this
resolve into execution; but I was at a great loss about my tools. I had three
large axes and abundance of hatchets (for we carried the hatchets for traffic
with the Indians), but with much chopping and cutting knotty, hard wood,
they were all full of notches, and dull; and though I had a grindstone, I could
not turn it and grind my tools too. This cost me as much thought as a states-
man would have bestowed upon a grand point of politics, or a judge upon the
life and death of a man. At length I contrived a wheel with a string, to turn
it with my foot, that I might have both my hands at liberty.
Note. I had never seen any such thing in England, or at least not to take
notice how it was done, though since I have observed it is very common there.
Besides that, my grindstone was very large and heavy. This machine cost me
a full week's work to bring it to perfection.
April 28, 29.-These two whole days I took up in grinding my tools; my
machine for turning my grindstone performing very well.
April 30.—Having perceived my bread had been low a great while, now I
took a survey of it, and reduced myself to one biscuit-cake a day, which made
my heart very heavy.
May 1.—In the morning, looking toward the sea-side (the tide being low),
I saw something lie on the shore bigger than ordinary, and it looked like a
cask. When I came to it, I found a small barrel and two or three pieces of
the wreck of the ship, which were driven on shore by the late hurricane. And
55
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
?
looking towards the wreck itself, I thought it seemed to lie higher out of the
water than it used to do. I examined the barrel which was driven on shore,
and soon found it was a barrel of gunpowder; but it had taken water, and the
powder was caked as hard as a stone. However, I rolled it farther on shore
for the present, and went on upon the sands as near as I could to the wreck
of the ship, to look for more.
When I came down to the ship I found it strangely removed. The fore-
castle, which lay before buried in sand, was heaved up at least six feet;
and the stern, which was broke in pieces, and parted from the rest by the
force of the sea soon after I had left rummaging her, was tossed, as it were,
up and cast on one side, and the sand was thrown so high on that side next
her stern, that whereas there was a great place of water before, so that I
could not come within a quarter of a mile of the wreck without swimming, I
could now walk quite up to her when the tide was out. I was surprised with
this at first, but soon concluded it must be done by the earthquake; and as
by this violence the ship was more broke open than formerly, so many things
came daily on shore which the sea had loosened, and which the winds and
water rolled by degrees to the land.
This wholly diverted my thoughts from the design of removing my habi-
tation; and I busied myself mightily, that day especially, in searching whether
I could make any way into the ship, but I found nothing was to be expected
of that kind, for all the inside of the ship was choked up with sand. How-
ever, as I had learned not to despair of anything, I resolved to pull everything
to pieces that I could of the ship, concluding that everything I could get from
her would be of some use or other to me.
May 3.-I began with my saw, and cut a piece of a beam through, which
I thought held some of the upper part or quarter deck together, and when I had
cut it through, I cleared away the sand as well as I could from the side which
lay highest; but the tide coming in, I was obliged to give over for that time.
May 4-I went a fishing, but caught not one fish that I durst eat of, till
I was weary of my sport; when, just going to leave off, I caught a young
dolphin. I had made me a long line of some rope-yarn, but I had no hooks;
yet I frequently caught fish enough, as much as I cared to eat; all which
I dried in the sun, and ate them dry.
May 5.-Worked on the wreck; cut another beam asunder, and brought
three great fir planks off from the decks, which I tied together, and made to
float on shore when the tide of flood came on.
May 6.-Worked on the wreck; got several iron bolts out of her, and other
pieces of iron-work; worked very hard, and came home very much tired, and
had thoughts of giving it over.
May 7.-Went to the wreck again, not with an intent to work, but found
the weight of the wreck had broke itself down, the beams being cut; that
V VAT & S M M M
56

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
MADE MED
May 8.-Went to the wreck, and carried an iron
deck, which lay now quite clear of the water or sand.
planks, and brought them on shore also with the tide.
the wreck for next day.
several pieces of the ship seemed to lie loose, and the inside of the hold lay so
open that I could see into it, but it was almost full of water and sand.
crow to wrench up the
I wrenched open two
I left the iron crow in
May 9.-Went to the wreck, and with the crow made way into the body of
the wreck, and felt several casks, and loosened them with the crow, but could
not break them up. I felt also a roll of English lead, and could stir it, but it
was too heavy to remove.
May 10-14.-Went every day to the wreck, and got a great many pieces
of timber, and boards, or plank, and two or three hundred weight of iron.
May 15.—I carried two hatchets, to try if I could not cut a piece off the
roll of lead, by placing the edge of one hatchet, and driving it with the
other; but as it lay about a foot and a half in the water, I could not make
any blow to drive the hatchet.
May 16.-It had blown hard in the night, and the wreck appeared more
broken by the force of the water; but I stayed so long in the woods, to
get pigeons for food, that the tide prevented my going to the wreck that day.
May 17.-I saw some pieces of the wreck blown on shore, at a great
distance, near two miles off me, but resolved to see what they were, and
found it was a piece of the head, but too heavy for me to bring away.
May 24.-Every day, to this day, I worked on the wreck; and with hard
labour I loosened some things so much with the crow, that the first blowing
tide several casks floated out, and two of the seamen's chests; but the wind
blowing from the shore, nothing came to land that day but pieces of timber,
and a hogshead, which had some Brazil pork in it, but the salt water and the
sand had spoiled it. I continued this work every day to the 15th of June,
except the time necessary to get food, which I always appointed, during this
part of my employment, to be when the tide was up, that I might be ready
when it was ebbed out: and by this time I had got timber, and plank, and iron-
work, enough to have built a good boat, if I had known how; and also I got,
at several times, and in several pieces, near one hundred weight of the sheet-lead.
June 16.-Going down to the sea-side, I found a large tortoise, or turtle.
This was the first I had seen, which it seems was only my misfortune, not any
defect of the place, or scarcity; for had I happened to be on the other side of
the island, I might have had hundreds of them every day, as I found after-
wards; but perhaps had paid dear enough for them.
June 17.-I spent in cooking the turtle. I found in her threescore eggs;
and her flesh was to me, at that time, the most savoury and pleasant that ever
I tasted in my life, having had no flesh, but of goats and fowls, since I landed
in this horrid place.
57
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
June 18-Rained all day; stayed within. I thought, at this time, the rain felt
cold, and I was something chilly, which I knew was not usual in that latitude.
June 19.-Very ill, and shivering, as if the weather had been cold.
June 20.-No rest all night; violent pains in my head, and feverish.
June 21.-Very ill; frighted almost to death with the apprehensions of my
sad condition-to be sick, and no help. Prayed to God, for the first time
since the storm off Hull, but scarce knew what I said, or why, my thoughts
being all confused.
June 22.-A little better; but under dreadful apprehensions of sickness.
June 23-Very bad again; cold and shivering, and then a violent headache.
June 24-Much better.
June 25.-An ague very violent: the fit held me seven hours; cold fit,
and hot, with faint sweats after it.
June 26.—Better; and having no victuals to eat, took my gun, but found
myself very weak; however, I killed a she-goat, and with much difficulty got
it home, and broiled some of it, and ate. I would fain have stewed it, and
made some broth, but had no pot.
Ga
June 27.—The ague again so violent that I lay a-bed all day, and neither
ate nor drank. I was ready to perish for thirst; but so weak, I had not
strength to stand up, or to get myself any water to drink. Prayed to God
again, but was light-headed; and when I was not, I was so ignorant that I
knew not what to say, only I lay and cried, "Lord, look upon me! Lord, pity
me! Lord, have mercy upon me!" I suppose I did nothing else for two or
three hours, till the fit wearing off, I fell asleep, and did not wake till far in
the night. When I awoke, I found myself much refreshed, but weak, and ex-
ceeding thirsty. However, as I had no water in my habitation, I was forced to
lie till morning, and went to sleep again. In this second sleep I had this
terrible dream I thought that I was sitting on the ground, on the outside of
my wall, where I sat when the storm blew after the earthquake, and that I saw
a man descend from a great black cloud, in a bright flame of fire, and light
upon the ground. He was all over as bright as a flame, so that I could but
just bear to look towards him. His countenance was most inexpressibly dread-
ful, impossible for words to describe. When he stepped upon the ground with
his feet, I thought the earth trembled, just as it had done before in the earth-
quake, and all the air looked, to my apprehension, as if it had been filled with
flashes of fire. He was no sooner landed upon the earth, but he moved
forward towards me, with a long spear or weapon in his hand, to kill me;
and when he came to a rising ground, at some distance, he spoke to me,-or
I heard a voice so terrible that it is impossible to express the terror of it. All
that I can say I understood, was this:-"Seeing all these things have not
brought thee to repentance, now thou shalt die;" at which words, I thought
he lifted up the spear that was in his hand to kill me.
ޤ
58
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
No one that shall ever read this account will expect that I should be able
to describe the horrors of my soul at this terrible vision. I mean, that even
while it was a dream, I even dreamed of those horrors. Nor is it any more
possible to describe the impression that remained upon my mind when I
awaked, and found it was but a dream.
I had, alas! no divine knowledge. What I had received by the good
instruction of my father was then worn out by an uninterrupted series, for
eight years, of seafaring wickedness, and a constant conversation with none
but such as were, like myself, wicked and profane to the last degree. I do
not remember that I had, in all that time, one thought that so much as tended
either to looking upwards towards God, or inwards towards a reflection upon
my own ways; but a certain stupidity of soul, without desire of good, or
conscience of evil, had entirely overwhelmed me, and I was all that the most
hardened, unthinking, wicked creature among our common sailors can be
supposed to be: not having the least sense, either of the fear of God in danger,
or of thankfulness to God in deliverance.
In the relating what is already past of my story, this will be the more
easily believed when I shall add that through all the variety of miseries that
had to this day befallen me, I never had so much as one thought of it being
the hand of God, or that it was a just punishment for my sin: my rebellious
behaviour against my father; or my present sins, which were great; or so
much as a punishment for the general course of my wicked life.
When I was
on the desperate expedition on the desert shores of Africa, I never had so
much as one thought of what would become of me, or one wish to God to
direct me whither I should go, or to keep me from the danger which apparently
surrounded me, as well from voracious creatures as cruel savages. But I was
merely thoughtless of a God or a Providence, acted like a mere brute, from
the principles of nature, and by the dictates of common sense only, and,
indeed, hardly that. When I was delivered and taken up at sea by the
Portugal captain, well used, and dealt justly and honourably with, as well as
charitably, I had not the least thankfulness in my thoughts. When, again,
I was shipwrecked, ruined, and in danger of drowning, on this island, I was
as far from remorse, or looking on it as a judgment. I only said to myself
often, that I was an unfortunate dog, and born to be always miserable.
It is true, when I got on shore first here, and found all my ship's crew
drowned, and myself spared, I was surprised with a kind of ecstacy, and some
transports of soul, which, had the grace of God assisted, might have come up
to true thankfulness; but it ended where it began, in a mere common flight of
joy, or, as I may say, being glad I was alive, without the least reflection upon
the distinguished goodness of the hand which had preserved me, and had
singled me out to be preserved when all the rest were destroyed, or an inquiry
why Providence had been thus merciful unto me. Even just the same common
59

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
sort of joy which seamen generally have, after they are got safe ashore from a
shipwreck, which they drown all in the next bowl of punch, and forget almost
as soon as it is over; and all the rest of my life was like it. Even when I was,
afterwards, on due consideration, made sensible of my condition-how I was
cast on this dreadful place, out of the reach of human kind—out of all hope of
relief or prospect of redemption; as soon as I saw but a prospect of living,
and that I should not starve and perish for hunger, all the sense of my afflic-
tion wore off, and I began to be very easy, applied myself to the works proper
for my preservation and supply, and was far enough from being afflicted at
my condition, as a judgment from Heaven, or as the hand of God against me.
These were thoughts which very seldom entered my head.
The growing up of the corn, as is hinted in my Journal, had, at first, some
little influence upon me, and began to affect me with seriousness, as long as I
thought it had something miraculous in it; but as soon as ever that part of
the thought was removed, all the impression that was raised from it wore off
also, as I have noted already. Even the earthquake, though nothing could be
inore terrible in its nature, or more immediately directing to the invisible
power which alone directs such things, yet no sooner was the first fright over
but the impression it had made went off also. I had no more sense of God or
His judgments, much less of the present affliction of my circumstances being
from His hand, than if I had been in the most prosperous condition of life.
But now, when I began to be sick, and a leisurely view of the miseries of
death came to place itself before me—when my spirits began to sink under
the burden of a strong distemper, and nature was exhausted with the violence
of the fever-conscience, that had slept so long, began to awake, and I began
to reproach myself with my past life, in which I had so evidently, by uncom-
mon wickedness, provoked the justice of God to lay me under uncommon.
strokes, and to deal with me in so vindicative a manner. These reflections
oppressed me for the second or third day of my distemper; and in the violence,
as well of the fever as of the dreadful praying to God, though I cannot say
they were either a prayer attended with desires or with hopes. It was rather
the voice of mere fright and distress. My thoughts were confused, the con-
victions great upon my mind, and the horror of dying in such a miserable
condition raised vapours into my head with the mere apprehension; and in
these hurries of my soul, I knew not what my tongue might express. But it
was rather exclamation, such as, "Lord, what a miserable creature am I ! If
I should be sick, I shall certainly die for want of help, and what will become
of me?" Then the tears burst out of my eyes, and I could see no more for
a good while. In this interval the good advice of my father came to my
mind; and presently his prediction, which I mentioned at the beginning of
this story-viz., that if I did take this foolish step, God would not bless me,
and I would have leisure hereafter to reflect upon having neglected his counsel
60
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
1
when there might be none to assist in my recovery. Now," said I, aloud,
"my dear father's words are come to pass; God's justice has overtaken me,
and I have none to help or hear me. I rejected the voice of Providence,
which had mercifully put me in a posture or station of life wherein I might
have been happy and easy; but I would neither see it myself or learn to
know the blessing of it from my parents; I left them to mourn over my folly,
and now I am left to mourn under the consequences of it; I refused their help
and assistance who would have lifted me in the world, and would have made.
everything easy to me; and now I have difficulties to struggle with too great
for even nature itself to support, and no assistance, no help, no comfort, no
advice." Then I cried out, "Lord, be my help, for I am in great distress."
This was the first prayer, if I may call it so, that I had made for many years.
But to return to my Journal:
re
June 28.-Having been somewhat refreshed with the sleep I had had, and
the fit being entirely off, I got up; and though the fright and terror of my
dream was very great, yet I considered that the fit of the ague would return
again the next day, and now was my time to get something to refresh and
support myself when I should be ill. And the first thing I did I filled a large
square case-bottle with water, and set it upon my table, in reach of my bed;
and to take off the chill or aguish disposition of the water, I put about a
quarter of a pint of rum into it, and mixed them together. Then I got me a
piece of the goat's flesh and broiled it on the coals, but could eat very little.
I walked about, but was very weak, and withal very sad and heavy-hearted
under a sense of my miserable condition, dreading the return of my distemper
the next day. At night I made my supper of three of the turtle's eggs, which
I roasted in the ashes, and ate (as we call it) in the shell. And this was the
first bit of meat I had ever asked God's blessing to, that I could remember, in
my whole life. After I had eaten, I tried to walk, but found myself so weak
that I could hardly carry a gun (for I never went out without that), so I went
but a little way, and sat down upon the ground, looking out upon the sea, which
was just before me, and very calm and smooth. As I sat here, some such
thoughts as these occurred to me: What is this earth and sea of which I have
seen so much?—whence is it produced?—and what am I and all the other
creatures, wild and tame, human and brutal? Whence are we? Sure we are
all made by some secret power, who formed the earth and sea, the air and
sky. And who is that? Then it followed most naturally-it is God that has
made all. Well, but then it came on strangely, if God has made all these
things, He guides and governs them all, and all things that concern them; for
the power that could make all things must certainly have power to guide and
direct them. If so, nothing can happen in the great circuit of His works,
either without His knowledge or appointment.
And if nothing happens without His knowledge, He knows that I am here,
61
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
and am in this dreadful condition; and if nothing happens without His
appointment, He has appointed all this to befal me. Nothing occurred to my
thought to contradict any of these conclusions; and therefore it rested upon
me with the greater force that it must needs be that God had appointed all
this to befal me-that I was brought into this miserable circumstance by His
direction, He having the sole power, not of me only, but of everything that
happened in the world. Immediately it followed: why has God done this to
me?-what have I done to be thus used? My conscience presently checked.
me in that inquiry, as if I had blasphemed, and methought it spoke to me
like a voice, “Wretch, dost thou ask what thou hast done? Look back upon
a dreadful mis-spent life, and ask thyself what hast thou not done? Ask why
is it that thou wert not long ago destroyed? Why wert thou not drowned in
Yarmouth Roads-killed in the fight when the ship was taken by the Sallee
man-of-war-devoured by the wild beasts on the coast of Africa-or drowned
here, when all the crew perished but thyself? Dost thou ask, What have I
done?" I was struck dumb with these reflections, as one astonished, and had
not a word to say-no, not to answer to myself, but rose up pensive and sad,
walked back to my retreat, and went over my wall, as if I had been going to
bed. But my thoughts were sadly disturbed, and I had no inclination to
sleep; so I sat down in my chair and lighted my lamp, for it began to be dark.
Now as the apprehension of the return of my distemper terrified me very much,
it occurred to my thought that the Brazilians take no physic but their tobacco
for almost all distempers; and I had a piece of a roll of tobacco in one of the
chests which was quite cured, and some also that was green, and not quite cured.
I went, directed by heaven, no doubt, for in this chest I found a cure both
for soul and body. I opened the chest and found what I looked for-the
tobacco. And as the few books I had saved lay there too, I took out one of the
Bibles, which I mentioned before, and which to this time I had not found
leisure or inclination to look into. I say I took it out, and brought both that
and the tobacco with me to the table. What use to make of the tobacco I
knew not, in my distemper, or whether it was good for it or no; but I tried
several experiments with it, as if I was resolved it should hit one way or other.
I first took a piece of leaf, and chewed it in my mouth, which, indeed, at first,
almost stupified my brain, the tobacco being green and strong; and that I had
not been much used to. Then I took some and steeped it an hour or two in
some rum, and resolved to take a dose of it when I lay down; and, lastly,
I burnt some upon a pan of coals, and held my nose close over the
smoke of it as long as I could bear it, as well for the heat, as almost for
suffocation. In the interval of this operation, I took up the Bible, and
began to read, but my head was too much disturbed with the tobacco
to bear reading, at least at that time; only, having opened the book casually,
the first words that occurred to me were these: "Call on me in the day
, jak
62
ROBINSON Crusoe.
of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." These words
were very apt to my case, and made some impression upon my thoughts
at the time of reading them, though not so much as they did afterwards; for,
as for being delivered, the word had no sound, as I may say, to me. The
thing was so remote, so impossible in my apprehension of things, that I began
to say, as the children of Israel did when they were promised flesh to eat,
"Can God spread 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, how-
ever, the words made a great impression upon me, and I mused upon them
very often. It grew now late, and the tobacco had, as I said, dozed
my head
so much that I inclined to sleep; so I left my lamp burning in the cave lest I
should want anything in the night, and went to bed. But before I lay down
I did what I never had done in all my life-kneeled down and prayed to God
to fulfil the promise to me, that if I called upon him in the day of trouble he
would deliver me. After my broken and imperfect prayer was over, I drank
the rum in which I had steeped the tobacco; which was so strong and rank of
the tobacco, that I could scarcely get it down. Immediately upon this I went
to bed. I found presently it flew up into my head violently; but I fell into a
sound sleep, and waked no more till, by the sun, it must necessarily be near
three o'clock in the afternoon the next day. Nay, to this hour I am partly of
opinion that I slept all the next day and night, and till almost three the day
after, for otherwise I know not how I should lose a day out of my reckoning
in the days of the week, as it appeared some years after I had done; for if I
had lost it by crossing and recrossing the line, I should have lost more than
one day; but certainly I lost a day in my account, and never knew which way.
Be that, however, one way or the other, when I awaked I found myself exceed-
ingly refreshed, and my spirits lively and cheerful. When I got up I was
stronger than I was the day before, and my stomach better, for I was hungry;
and, in short, I had no fit the next day, but continued much altered for the
better. This was the 29th.
The 30th was my well day, of course, and I went abroad with my gun, but
did not care to travel too far. I killed a sea-fowl or two, something like a
brand goose, and brought them home, but was not very forward to eat them,
so I ate some more of the turtle's eggs, which were very good. This evening
I renewed the medicine, which I had supposed did me good the day before—
the tobacco steeped in rum; only I did not take so much as before, nor did I
chew any of the leaf, or hold my head over the smoke. However, I was not
so well the next day, which was the 1st of July, as I hoped I should have been,
for I had a little spice of the cold fit, but it was not much.
July 2.--I renewed the medicine all the three ways, and dosed myself with
it as at first, and doubled the quantity which I drank.
03
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
July 3.—I missed the fit for good and all, though I did not recover my full
strength for some weeks after. While I was thus gathering strength, my
thoughts ran exceedingly upon this Scripture, "I will deliver thee;" and the
impossibility of my deliverance lay much upon my mind, in bar of my ever
expecting it. But as I was discouraging myself with such thoughts, it
occurred to my mind that I pored so much upon my deliverance from the
main affliction, that I disregarded the deliverance I had received; and I was,
as it were, made to ask myself such questions as these, viz.-Have I not been
delivered, and wonderfully too, from sickness from the most distressed con-
dition that could be, and that was so 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 say, I had not owned and been thankful for that as
a deliverance. And how could I expect greater deliverance? This touched
my heart very much; and immediately I knelt down, and gave God thanks
aloud for my recovery from my sickness.
July 4-In the morning I took the Bible, and beginning at the New
Testament, I began seriously to read it, and imposed upon myself to read
awhile every morning and every night; not 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 till I found my heart more deeply and
sincerely affected with the wickedness of my past life. The impression of my
dream revived, and the words, "All these things have not brought thee to
repentance," ran seriously in my thoughts. I was earnestly begging of God
to give me repentance, when it happened providentially, the very day that,
reading the Scripture, I came to these words, "He is exalted a Prince and a
Savi u, to give repentance and to give remission." I threw down the book,
and with my heart as well as my hands lifted up to heaven, in a kind of
ecstasy of joy, I cried out aloud, "Jesus, thou son of David!—Jesus, thou
exalted Prince and Saviour! give me repentance!" This was the first time I
could say, in the true sense of the words, that I prayed in all my life; for now
I prayed with a sense of my condition, and with a true Scripture view of hope,
founded on the encouragement of the Word of God; and from this time, I
may say, I began to have hope that God would hear me.
Now I began to construe the words mentioned above, "Call on me, and I
will deliver thee," in a different sense from what I had ever done before; for
then I had no notion of anything being called deliverance, but my being
delivered from the captivity I was in; for though I was indeed at large in the
place, yet the island was certainly a prison to me, and that in the worst sense
in the world. But now I learned to take it in another sense. Now I looked
back upon my past life with such horror, and my sins appeared so dreadful,
that my soul sought nothing of God but deliverance from the load of guilt
that bore down all my comfort. As for my solitary life, it was nothing; I
adata was made
64

K
ווני
ERICZA
5322
در -
VY
12
4TT
ya
M
"I was no sooner out of sight than they dropped down into the corn again; I
fired and killed three, hanging them up for a terror to others."

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
did not so much as pray to be delivered from it, or think of it; it was all of no
consideration, in comparison to this. And I add this part here, to hint to who-
ever shall read it, that whenever they come to a true sense of things, they will find
deliverance from sin a much greater blessing than deliverance from affliction.
But, leaving this part, I return to my Journal:-
My condition began now to be, though not less miserable as to my way of
living, yet much easier to my mind; and my thoughts being directed, by a
constant reading the Scripture and praying to God, to things of a higher
nature, I had a great deal of comfort within, which, till now, I knew nothing
of; also, my health and strength returned, I bestirred myself to furnish myself
with everything that I wanted, and make my way of living as regular as I could.
From the 4th of July to the 14th, I was chiefly employed in walking about
with my gun in my hand, a little and a little at a time, as a man that was
gathering up his strength after a fit of sickness: for it is hardly to be
imagined how low I was, and to what weakness I was reduced. The appli-
cation which I made use of was perfectly new, and perhaps which had never
cured an ague before. Neither can I recommend it to any one to practise by
this experiment; and though it did carry off the fit, yet it rather contributed
to weakening me, for I had frequent convulsions in my nerves and limbs for
some time. I learned from it also this, in particular, that being abroad in
the rainy season was the most pernicious thing to my health that could be,
especially in those rains which came attended with storms and hurricanes of
wind; for as the rain which came in the dry season was almost always accom-
panied with such storms, so I found that rain was much more dangerous than
the rain which fell in September and October.
I had now been in this unhappy island above ten months. All possibility
of deliverance from this condition seemed to be entirely taken from me; and
I firmly believed that no human shape had ever set foot upon that place.
Having now secured my habitation, as I thought, fully to my mind, I had a
great desire to make a more perfect discovery of the island, and to see what
other productions I might find, which I yet knew nothing of.
It was on the 15th of July that I began to make a more particular survey of
the island itself. I went up the creek first, where, as I hinted, I brought my
rafts on shore. I found, after I came about two miles up, that the tide did
not flow any higher, and that it was no more than a little brook of running
water, very fresh and good; but this being the dry season, there was hardly
any water in some parts of it, at least not enough to run in any stream, so as
it could be perceived. On the banks of this brook, I found many pleasant
savannahs or meadows, plain, smooth, and covered with grass; and on the
rising parts of them, next to the higher grounds, where the water, as might
be supposed, never overflowed, I found a great deal of tobacco, green, and
growing to a great and very strong stalk. There were divers other plants,
E
65
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
།
Tag
which I had no notion of or understanding about, that might, perhaps, have
virtues of their own, which I could not find out. I searched for the cassava
root, which the Indians, in all that climate, make their bread of, but I could
find none. I saw large plan's of aloes, but did not understand them.
I saw
several sugar-canes, but wild, and for want of cultivation, imperfect. I
contented myself with these discoveries for this time, and came back, musing
with myself what course I might take to know the virtue and goodness of any
of the fruits or plants which I should discover; but could bring it to no
conclusion; for, in short, I had made so little observation while I was in the
Brazils, that I knew little of the plants in the field, at least very little that
might serve me to my purpose now in my distress.
The next day, the 16th, I went up the same way again; and after going
somewhat further than I had gone the day before, I found the brook and
savannahs cease, 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, indeed,
over the trees, and the clusters of grapes were just now in their prime, very
ripe and rich. This was a surprising discovery, and I was exceeding glad
of them; but I was warned by my experience to eat sparingly of them,
remembering that when I was ashore in Barbary, the eating of grapes killed
several of our Englishmen, who were slaves there, by throwing them into
flukes and fevers. But I found an excellent use for these grapes, and that
was to cure or dry them in the sun, and keep them as dried grapes or raisins
are kept, which I thought would be, as indeed they were, wholesome and
agreeable to eat, when no grapes could be had.
I spent all that evening there, and went not back to my habitation, which,
by the way, was the first night, as I might say, I had lain from home. In
the night I took my first contrivance, and got up into a tree, where I slept.
well; and the next morning proceeded upon my discovery, travelling nearly
four miles, as I might judge by the length of the valley, keeping still due
north, with a ridge of hills on the south and north side of me. At the end
of this march I came to an opening, where the country seemed to descend to
the west, and a little spring of fresh water, which issued out of the side of the
hill by me, ran the other way, that is, due east; and the country appeared so
fresh, so green, so flourishing, everything being in a constant verdure, or
flourish of spring, that it looked like a planted garden. I descended a little on
the side of that delicious vale, surveying it with a secret kind of pleasure,
though mixed with my other afflicting thoughts, to think that this was all my
own; that I was king and lord of all this country indefeasibly, and had a
right of possession; and, if I could convey it, I might have it in inheritance
as completely as any lord of a manor in England. I saw here abundance of
cocoa trecs, orange, and melon, and citron trees; but all wild, and very few
—
66
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
matt prata
bearing any fruit, at least, not then. However, the green limes that I
gathered were not only pleasant to eat, but very wholesome, and I mixed their
juice afterwards with water, which made it very wholesome, and very cool and
refreshing. I found now I had business enough to gather and carry home;
and I resolved to lay up a store, as well of grapes as limes and lemons, to
furnish myself for the wet season, which I knew was approaching. In order
to do this, I gathered a great heap of grapes in one place, a lesser heap in
another place, and a great parcel of limes and lemons in another place; and
taking a few of each with me, I travelled homewards, and resolved to come
again, and bring a bag or sack, or what I could make, to carry the rest home.
Accordingly, having spent three days in this journey, I came home (so I must
now call my tent and my cave); but before I got thither the grapes were
spoiled—the richness of the fruit 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, having made me two small bags
to bring home my harvest. But I was surprised when, coming to my heap of
grapes, which were so rich and fine when I gathered them, I found them all
spread about, trod to picces, and dragged about-some here, some there, and
abundance eaten and devoured. By this I concluded there were some wild
creatures thereabouts, which had done this; but what they were I knew not.
However, as I found there was no laying them up on heaps, and no carrying
them away in a sack—but that one way they would be destroyed, and the other
way they would be crushed with their own weight-I took another course,
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 sun. And as for
the limes and lemons, I carried as many back as I could well stand under.
When I came home from this journey I contemplated with great pleasure.
the fruitfulness of that valley, and the pleasantness of the situation-the
security from storms on that side the water, and the wood-and concluded
that I had pitched upon a place to fix my abode, which was by far the worst
part of the country. Upon the whole, I began to consider of removing my
habitation; and looking out for a place equally safe as where now I was
situate-if possible, in that pleasant, fruitful part of the island.
This thought ran long in my head, and I was exceeding fond of it for some
time, the pleasantness of the place tempting me. But when I came to a
nearer view of it, I considered that I was now by the sea-side, where it was at
least possible that something might happen to my advantage, and, by the same
ill fate that brought me hither, might bring some other unhappy wretches to
the same place. And though it was scarce probable that any such thing
should ever happen, yet to enclose myself among the hills and woods in the
centre of the island, was to anticipate my bondage, and to render such an
67
Mappa ganasan ng
Plan de markte van on
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
affair not only improbable, but impossible; and that therefore I ought not by
any means to remove. However, I was so enamoured of this place, that I
spent much of my time there for the whole of the remaining part of the month
of July. And though, upon second thoughts, I resolved not to remove, yet I
built me a little kind of a bower, and surrounded it at a distance with a strong
fence, being a double hedge, as high as I could reach, well staked, and filled
between with brushwood. And here I lay very secure, sometimes two or three
nights together, always going over it with a ladder, so that I fancied now I
had my country house and my sea-coast house; and this work took me up to
the beginning of August.
I had but newly finished my fence, and began to enjoy my labour, when the
rains came on, and made me stick close to my first habitation. For though I
had made me a tent like the other, with a piece of a sail, and spread it very
well, yet I had not the shelter of a hill to keep me from storms, nor a cave
behind me to retreat into when the rains were extraordinary.
About the beginning of August, as I said, I had finished my bower, and
began to enjoy myself. The 3d of August I found the grapes I had hung up
perfectly dried, and indeed were excellent good raisins of the sun; so I began
to take them down from the trees; and it was very happy that I did so, for
the rains which followed would have spoiled them, and I had lost the best
part of my winter food; for I had above two hundred large bunches of them.
No sooner had I taken them all down, and carried most of them home to my
cave, but it began to rain. And from hence, which was the 14th of August,
it rained, more or less every day, till the middle of October, and sometimes so
violently that I could not stir out of my cave for several days.
In this season I was much surprised with the increase of my family. I had
been concerned for the loss of one of my cats who ran away from me, or, as I
thought, had been dead; and I heard no more tidings of her, till, to my
astonishment, she came home about the end of August with three kittens.
This was the more strange to me, because, though I had killed a wild cat (as
I called it) with my gun, yet I thought it was a quite different kind from our
European cats; but the young cats were the same kind of house-breed as the
old one, and both my cats being females, I thought it very strange. But from
these three cats I afterwards came to be so pestered with cats that I was forced
to kill them like vermin, or wild beasts, and to drive them from my house as
much as possible.
From the 14th of August to the 26th, incessant rain, so that I could not
stir, and was now very careful not to be much wet. In this confinement I
began to be straitened for food; but venturing out twice, I one day killed a
goat. And the last day, which was the 26th, found a very large tortoise,
which was a treat to me; and my food was regulated thus:—I ate a bunch of
raisins for my breakfast; a piece of the goat's flesh, or of the turtle, for my
68
I
Kajang Maga a bad med gangbare
Sa page
My Pay maana marka spinge v

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
t
dinner, broiled (for, to my great misfortune, I had no vessel to boil or stew
anything); and two or three of the turtle's eggs for my supper.
During this confinement in my cover by the rain, I worked daily two or
three hours at enlarging my cave, and by degrees worked it on towards one
side till I came to the outside of the hill, and made a door or way out, which
came beyond my fence or wall; and so I came in and out this way.
But I
was not perfectly easy at lying so open, for, as I had managed myself before,
I was in a perfect enclosure; whereas now, I thought I lay exposed, and open
for anything 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 seen upon the
island being a goat.
Sept. 30.-I was now come to the unhappy anniversary of my landing. I
cast up the notches on my post, and found I had been on shore three hundred
and sixty-five days. I kept this day as a solemn fast, setting it apart for
religious exercise, prostrating myself on the ground with the most serious
humiliation, confessing my sins to God, acknowledging his righteous judg-
ments upon me, and praying to him to have mercy on me through Jesus
Christ; and not having tasted the least refreshment for twelve hours, even till
the going down of the sun, I then ate a biscuit-cake and a bunch of grapes,
and went to bed, finishing the day as I began it. I had all this time observed
no Sabbath-day; for as at first I had no sense of religion upon my mind, I
had, after some time, omitted to distinguish the weeks by making a longer
notch than ordinary for the Sabbath-day, and so did not really know what
any of the days were; but now, having cast up the days as above, I found I
had been there a year, so I divided it into weeks, and set apart every seventh
day for a Sabbath, though I found, at the end of my account, I had lost a day
or two in my reckoning. A little after this ink began to fail me, and so I con-
tented myself to use it more sparingly; to write down only the most remarkable
events of my life, without continuing a daily memorandum of other things.
The rainy season and the dry season began now to appear regular to me,
and I learned to divide them, so as to provide for them accordingly; but I
bought all my experience before I had it, and this I am going to relate was
one of the most discouraging experiments that I made.
I have mentioned that I had saved the few ears of barley and rice, which I
had so surprisingly found spring up, as I thought, of themselves, and I believe
there were about thirty stalks of rice, and about twenty of barley; and now I
thought it a proper time to sow it, after the rains, the sun being in its southern
position, going from me. Accordingly, I dug up a piece of ground as well as
as I could with my wooden spade, and dividing it into two parts, I sowed my
grain; but as I was sowing, it casually occurred to my thoughts that I would
not sow it all at first, because I did not know when was the proper time for
it, so I sowed about two-thirds of the seed, leaving about a handful of each.
69

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
It was a great comfort to me afterwards that I did so, for not one grain of
what I sowed this time came to anything; for the dry months following, the
earth having had no rain after the seed was sown, it had no moisture to assist
its growth, and never came up at all till the wet season had come again, and then
it grew as if it had been but newly sown. Finding my first seed did not
grow, which I easily imagined was by the drought, I sought for a moister
piece of ground to make another trial in, and I dug up a piece of ground near
my new bower, and sowed the rest of my seed in February, a little before the
vernal equinox; and this having the rainy months of March and April to
water it, sprung up very pleasantly, and yielded a very good crop; but having
part of the seed left only, and not daring to sow all that I had, I had but a
small quantity at last, my whole crop not amounting to above half a peck of each
kind. But by this experiment I was made master of my business, and knew-
exactly when the proper season was to sow, and that I might expect two
seed-times and two harvests every year.
When this corn was growing, I made a little discovery, which was of use to
me afterwards. As soon as the rains were over, and the weather began to
settle, which was about the month of November, I made a visit up the country
to my bower, where, though I had not been some months, yet I found all
things just as I left them. The circle or double hedge that I had made was not
only firm and entire, but the stakes which I had cut out of some trees that
grew thereabouts were all shot out, and grown with long branches, as much as
a willow-tree usually shoots the first year after lopping its head. I could not
tell what tree to call it that these stakes were cut from. I was surprised, and
yet well pleased, to see the young trees grow, and I pruned them, and led them
up to grow as much alike as I could; and it is scarce credible how beautiful
a figure they grew into in three years. So that though the hedge made a
circle of about twenty-five yards in diameter, yet the trees, for such I might
now call them, soon covered it, and it was a complete shade, sufficient to lodge
under all the dry season. This made me resolve to cut some more stakes, and
make me a hedge like this in a semi-circle round my wall (I mean that of my
first dwelling), which I did; and placing the trees or stakes in a double row,
at about eight yards distant from my first fence, they grew presently, and
were at first a fine cover to my habitation, and afterwards served for a defence
also, as I shall observe in its order.
I found now that the seasons of the year might generally be divided, not
into summer and winter, as in Europe, but into the rainy seasons and the
dry seasons, which were generally thus:-
The half of February, the whole of March, and the half of April-rainy,
the sun being then on or near the equinox.
The half of April, the whole of May, June, and July, and the half of
August-dry, the sun being then to the north of the Line.
A v tak p
70

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
The half of August, the whole of September, and the half of October-
rainy, the sun being then come back.
The half of October, the whole of November, December, and January, and
the half of February,-dry, the sun being then to the south of the Line.
The rainy seasons sometimes held longer or shorter as the winds happened
to blow, but this was the general observation I made. After I had found, by
experience, the ill consequences of being abroad in the rain, I took care to
furnish myself with provisions beforehand, that I might not be obliged to go
out, and I sat within doors as much as possible during the wet months. This
time I found much employment, and very suitable also to the time, for I
found great occasion for many things which I had no way to furnish myself
with but by hard labour and constant application. Particularly I tried many
ways to make myself a basket, but all the twigs I could get for the purpose
proved so brittle that they would do nothing. It proved of excellent advantage
to me now, that when I was a boy, I used to take great delight in standing at
a basket-maker's, in the town where my father lived, to see them make their
wicker-ware; and being, as boys usually are, very officious to help, and a
great observer of the manner in which they worked those things, and some-
times lending a hand, I had by these means full knowledge of the methods of it,
and I wanted nothing but the materials, when it came into my mind that the
twigs of that tree from whence I cut my stakes that grew might possibly be
as tough as the sallows, willows, and osiers in England, and I resolved to try.
Accordingly, the next day I went to my country-house, as I called it, and
cutting some of the smaller twigs, I found them to my purpose as much as I
could desire; whereupon I came the next time prepared with a hatchet to cut
down a quantity, which I soon found, for there was great plenty of them.
These I set up to dry within my circle or hedge, and when they were fit for
use I carried them to my cave: and here, during the next season, I employed
myself in making, as well as I could, a great many baskets, both to carry
earth or to carry or lay up anything, as I had occasion; and though I did not
finish them very handsomely, yet I made them sufficiently serviceable for my
purpose; and thus, afterwards, I took care never to be without them: and as my
wicker-ware decayed I made more, especially strong deep baskets to place my
corn in, instead of sacks, when I should come to have any quantity of it.
Having mastered this difficulty, and employed a world of time about it, I
bestirred myself to see, if possible, how to supply two wants. I had no vessel
to hold anything that was liquid, except two runlets, which were almost full
of rum, and some glass bottles, some of the common size, and others which
were case-bottles, square, for the holding of waters, spirits, etc. I had
not so much as a pot to boil anything, except a great kettle, which I saved
out of the ship, and which was too big for such use as I desired it, viz., to
make broth, and stew a bit of meat by itself. The second thing I fain would
Th
71

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
have had was a tobacco-pipe, but it was impossible for me to make one;
however, I found a contrivance for that, too, at last. I employed myself in
planting my second rows of stakes or piles and in this wicker-working all the
summer or dry season, when another business took me up more time than it
could be imagined I could spare.
I mentioned before that I had a great mind to see the whole island, and
that I had travelled up the brook, and so on to where I built my bower,
and where I had an opening quite to the sea, on the other side of the island.
I now resolved to travel quite across to the sea-shore on that side; so, taking
my gun, a hatchet, and my dog, and a larger quantity of powder and shot
than usual, with two biscuit-cakes and a great bunch of raisins in my pouch.
for my store, I began my journey. When I had passed the vale where my
bower stood, as above, I came within view of the sea to the west, and it being
a very clear day, I fairly descried land,-whether an island or continent I
could not tell; but it lay very high, extending from the W. to the W.S. W. at
a very great distance; by my guess, it could not be less than fifteen or twenty
leagues off.
I could not tell what part of the world this might be, otherwise than that I
knew it must be part of America, and, as I concluded, by all my observations,
must be near the Spanish dominions, and perhaps was all inhabited by savages,
where, if I had landed, I had been in a worse condition than I was now; and
therefore I acquiesced in the disposition of Providence, which I began now to
own and to believe ordered everything for the best; I say I quieted my mind
with this, and left off afflicting myself with fruitless wishes of being there.
Besides, after some thought upon this affair, I considered that if this land
was the Spanish coast, I should certainly, one time or other, see some vessel
pass or repass one way or other; but if not, then it was the savage coast,
between the Spanish country and Brazils, where are found the worst of
savages; for they are cannibals or men-eaters, and fail not to murder and
devour all the human bodies that fall into their hands.

With these considerations, I walked very leisurely forward; I found that
side of the island where I now was much pleasanter than mine,-the open or
savannah fields sweet, adorned with flowers and grass, and full of very fine
woods. I saw abundance of parrots, and fain I would have caught one, if
possible, to have kept it to be tame, and taught it to speak to me. I did.
after some painstaking, catch a young parrot, for I knocked it down with a
stick, and having recovered it, I brought it home; but it was some years
before I could make him speak; however, at last I taught him to call me by
my name very familiarly. But the accident that followed, though it be a
trifle, will be very diverting in its place.
I was exceedingly diverted with this journey. I found in the low ground
hares (as I thought them to be) and foxes; but they differed greatly from all
72
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
1
the other kinds I had met with, nor could I satisfy myself to eat them, though
I killed several. But I had no need to be venturous, for I had no want of
food, and of that which was very good, too, especially these three sorts, viz.,
goats, pigeons, and turtle, or tortoise, which, added to my grapes, Leadenhall
market could not have furnished a table better than I, in proportion to the
company; and though my case was deplorable enough, yet I had great cause
for thankfulness that I was not driven to any extremities for food, but had
rather plenty, even to dainties.
I never travelled in this journey above two miles outright in a day, or
thereabouts; but I took so many turns and returns to see what discoveries I
could make, that I came weary enough to the place where I resolved to sit
down all night; and then I either reposed myself in a tree, or surrounded
myself with a row of stakes set upright in the ground, either from one tree
to another, or so as no wild creature could come at me without waking me.
As soon as I came to the sea-shore, I was surprised to see that I had taken
up my lot on the worst side of the island, for here, indeed, the shore was
covered with innumerable turtles, whereas, on the other side I had found but
three in a year and a half. Here was also an infinite number of fowls of
many kinds, some which I had seen, and some which I had not seen before,
and many of them very good meat, but such as I knew not the names of,
except those called penguins.
I could have shot as many as I pleased, but was very sparing of my powder
and shot, and therefore had more mind to kill a she-goat, if I could, which I
could better feed on; and though there were many goats here, more than on
my side the island, yet it was with much more difficulty that I could come
near them, the country being flat and even, and they saw me much sooner than
when I was on the hill.
I confess this side of the country was much pleasanter than mine; but yet
I had not the least inclination to remove, for, as I was fixed in my habitation,
it became natural to me; and I seemed all the while I was here to be as it
were upon a journey, and from home. However, I travelled along the shore
of the sea towards the east, I suppose about twelve miles, and then setting up
a great pole upon the shore for a mark, I concluded I would home again, and
that the next journey I took should be on the other side of the island east from
my dwelling, and so round till I came to my post again.
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 myself descended into a very
large valley, but so surrounded with hills, and those hills covered with wood,
that I could not see which was my way by any direction but that of the sun,
nor even then, unless I knew very well the position of the sun at that time of
73
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
·
the day. It happened, to my further misfortune, that the weather proved
hazy for three or four days while I was in the valley, and, not being able to
see the sun, I wandered about very uncomfortably, and at last was obliged to
find the sea-side, look for my post, and come back the same way I went. And
then, by easy journeys, I turned homeward, the weather being exceeding hot,
and my gun, ammunition, hatchet, and other things, very heavy.
In this journey my dog surprised a young kid, and seized upon it; and I,
running in to take hold of it, caught it and saved it alive from the dog. I
had a great mind to bring it home if I could, for I had often been musing
whether it might not be possible to get a kid or two, and so raise a breed of
tame goats, which might supply me when my powder and shot should be
all spent. I made a collar for this little creature; and with a string, which I
made of some rope-yarn, which I always carried about me, I led him along,
though with some difficulty, till I came to my bower, and there I enclosed
him and left him, for I was very impatient to be at home, from whence I had
been absent above a month.
I cannot express what a satisfaction it was to me to come into my old hutch,
and lie down in my hammock-bed. This little wandering journey, without
settled place of abode, had been so unpleasant to me, that my own house, as I
called it to myself, was a perfect settlement to me, compared to that; and it
rendered everything about me so comfortable, that I resolved I would never go
a great way from it again, while it should be my lot to stay on the island.
I reposed myself here a week, to rest and regale nyself after my long
journey, during which most of the time was taken up in the weighty affair of
making a cage for my Poll, who began now to be a mere domestic, and to be
well acquainted with me. Then I began to think of the poor kid which I had
penned in within my little circle, and resolved 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 almost starved for want of food. I went and cut
boughs of trees, and branches of such shrubs as I could find, anl threw it
But it was
over; and having fed it, I tied it as I did before, to lead it away.
so tame with being hungry that I had no need to have tied it, for it followed
me like a dog. And as I continually fed it, the creature became so loving, so
gentle, and so fond, that it became from that time one of my domestics also,
and would never leave me afterwards.
The rainy season of the autumnal equinox was now come; and I kept the
30th of September in the same solemn manner as before (being the anniversary
of my landing on the island), having now been there two years, and no more
prospect of being delivered than the first day I came there. I spent the whole
day in humble and thankful acknowledgments of the many wonderful mercies.
which my solitary condition was attended with, and without which it might
have been infinitely more miserable. I gave humble and hearty thanks that
State Kamera mod
71
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
+
God had been pleased to discover to me that it was possible I might be more
happy in this solitary condition than I should have been in the liberty of“
society, and in all the pleasures of the world-that He could fully make up to
me the deficiencies of my solitary state, and the want of human society, by
His presence, and the communications of His grace to my soul, supporting,
comforting, and encouraging me to depend upon His providence here, and
hope for His eternal presence hereafter.
It was now that I began sensibly 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 changed
both my sorrows and my joys-my very desires altered; my affections.
changed their gusts, and my delights were perfectly new from what they
were at my first coming, or indeed for the two years past.
Before, as I walked about, either on my hunting, or for viewing the country,
the anguish of my soul at my condition would break out upon me on a
sudden, and my very heart would die within me, to think of the woods, the
mountains, the deserts I was in, and how I was a prisoner, locked up with the
eternal bars and bolts of the ocean, in an uninhabited willerness, without
redemption. In the midst of the greatest composure of my mind this would
break out upon me like a storm, and make me ring my hands, and weep like
a child. Sometimes it would take me in the middle of my work, and I would
immediately sit down and sigh, and look upon the ground for an hour or two
together; and this was still worse to me, for if I could burst out into tears, or
vent myself by words, it would go off, and the grief having exhausted itself,
would abate.
1
But now I began to exercise myself with new thoughts. I daily read the
Word of God, and applied all the comforts of it to my present state. One
morning, being very sad, I opened the Bible upon these words, "I will never,
never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Immediately it occurred that these words
were to me. Why else should they be directed in such a manner, just at the
moment when I was mourning over my condition, as one forsaken of God and
man? "Well, then," said I, "if God does not forsake me, of what ill conse-
quence can it be, or what matters it, though the world should all forsake me,
seeing on the other hand, if I had all the world, and should lose the favour
and blessing of God, there would be no comparison in the loss ?”
From this moment I began to conclude in my mind that it was possible
for me to be more happy in this forsaken, solitary condition, than it was
probable I should ever have been in any other particular state in the world;
and with this thought I was going to give thanks to God for bringing me to
this place. I knew not what it was, but something shocked my mind at that
thought, and I durst not speak the words. How canst thou become such a
hypocrite," said I, even audibly, "to pretend to be thankful for a condition,
CC
75
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
which, however thou mayest endeavour to be contented with, thou wouldst
-rather pray heartily to be delivered from?" so I stopped there, but though I could
not say I thanked God for being there, yet I sincerely gave thanks to God for
opening my eyes, by whatever afflicting providences, to see the former
condition of my life, and to mourn for my wickedness, and repent. I never
opened the Bible or shut it but my very soul within me blessed God for direct-
ing my friend in England, without any order of inine, to pack it up among my
goods, and for assisting me afterwards to save it out of the wreck of the ship.
Thus, and in this disposition of mind, I began my third year; and though
I have not given the reader the trouble of so particular an account of my
works this year as the first, yet in general it may be observed that I was very
seldom idle, but having regularly divided my time according to the several
daily employments that were before me, such as, first, my duty to God, and
the reading the Scriptures, which I constantly set apart some time for
thrice every day; secondly, 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, cutting, preserving, and cooking, what I had
killed or caught for my supply: these took up great part of the day; also, it
is to be considered, that in the middle of the day, when the sun was in the
zenith, the violence of the heat was too great to stir out; so that about four
hours in the evening was all the time I could be supposed to work in, with
this exception, that sometimes I changed my hours of hunting and working,
and went to work in the morning, and abroad with my gun in the afternoon.
To this short time allowed for labour, I desire may be added the exceeding
laboriousness of my work; the many hours which for want of tools, want of
help, and want of skill, everything I did took up out of my time; for example,
I was two and forty days in making a board for a long shelf, which I wanted
in my cave; whereas, two sawyers, with their tools and a saw-pit, would have
cut six of them out of the same tree in half a day.
T
My case 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 in
cutting down, and two more cutting off the boughs, and reducing it to a log,
or piece of timber. With inexpressible hatching and hewing I reduced both
the sides of it into chips till it began to be light enough to move; then I
turned it, and made one side of it smooth and flat as a board from end to end;
then turning that side downward, cut the other side, till I brought the plank
to be about three inches thick, and smooth on both sides. Any one may
judge the labour of my hands in such a piece of work, but labour and patience
carried me through that, and many other things; I only observe this in
particular, to show the reason why so much of my time went away with so
little work, viz., that what might be a little to be done with help and tools,
was a vast labour and required a prodigious time to do alone, and by hand. But
1
76
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
para planteja maan geven plaats da
notwithstanding this, with patience and labour I got through everything that
my circumstances made necessary to me to do, as will appear by what follows.
I was now, in the months of November and December, expecting my crop
of barley and rice. The ground I had manured and dug up for them was not
great; for, as I observed, my seed of each was not above the quantity of half
a peck, for I had lost one whole crop by sowing in the dry season; but now
my crop promised very well, when on a sudden I found I was in danger of
losing it all again by enemies of several sorts, which it was scarcely possible
to keep from it; as, first the goats, and wild creatures which I called hares,
who, tasting the sweetness of the blade, lay in it night and day, as soon as it
came up, and eat it so close that it could get no time to shoot up into stalk.
This I saw 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 speed.
However, as my arable land was but small, suited to my crop, I got it totally
well fenced in about three weeks' time, and, shooting some of the creatures in
the day-time, I set my dog to guard it in the night, tying him up to a stake
at the gate, where he would stand and bark all night long; so in a little time
the enemies forsook the place, and the corn grew very strong and well, and
began to ripen apace.
But as the beasts ruined me before while my corn was in the blade, so the
birds were as likely to ruin me now when it was in the ear; for going along
by the place to see how it throve, I saw my little crop surrounded with fowls
of I know not how many sorts, who stood, as it were, watching till I should
be gone. I immediately let fly among them, for I always had my gun with
ine. I had no sooner shot but there rose up a little cloud of fowls, which I
had not seen at all, from among the corn itself.
This touched me sensibly, for I foresaw that in a few days they would devour
all my hopes; that I should be starved, and never be able to raise a crop at all,
and what to do I could not tell; however, I resolved not to lose my corn, if
possible, though I should watch it night and day. In the first place, I went
among it to see what damage was already done, and found they had spoiled a
good deal of it; but that as it was yet too green for them, the loss was not so
great, but that the remainder was likely to be a good crop, if it could be saved..
I stayed by it to load my gun, and then coming away, I could easily see the
thieves sitting upon all the trees about me, as if they only waited till I was
gone away. And the event proved it to be so, for as I walked off, as if I was
gone, I was no sooner out of their sight than they dropt down one by one into
the corn again. I was so provoked that I could not have patience to stay till
more came on, knowing that every grain that they eat now was, as it might
be said, a peck-loaf to me in the consequence, but coming up to the hedge, I
fired again and killed three of them. This was what I wished for. So I took
them up, and served them as we serve notorious thieves in England-hanged
C
77


LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
dan mengem
them in chains, for a terror to others. It is impossible to imagine that this
should have such an effect as it had; for the fowls would not only not come at
the corn, but, in short, they forsook all that part of the island; and I could
never see a bird near the place as long as my scarecrows hung there. This I
was very glad of, you may be sure; and about the latter end of December,
which was our second harvest of the year, I reaped my corn.
I was sadly put to it for a scythe or sickle to cut it down; and all I could
do was to make one, as well as I could, out of one of the broad-swords, or
cutlasses, which I saved among the arms out of the ship. However, as my
first crop was but small, I had no great difficulty to cut it down. In short, I
reaped it my way; for I cut nothing off but the ears, and carried it away in a
great basket which I had made, and so rubbed it out with my hands. And
at the end of all my harvesting, I found that out of my half peck of seed I
had near two bushels of rice, and about two bushels and a half of barley-that
is to say, by my guess, for I had no measure at that time.
However, this was a great encouragement to me, and I foresaw that, in time,
it would please God to supply me with bread. And yet here I was perplexed
again, for I neither knew how to grind or make meal of my corn, or, indeed,
how to clean it and part it; nor, if made into meal, how to make bread of it;
and if how to make it, yet I knew not how to bake it. These things being
added to my desire of having a good quantity for store, and to secure a constant
supply, I resolved not to taste any of this crop, but to preserve it all for seed
against the next season; and, in the meantime, to employ all my study and
hours of working to accomplish this great work of providing myself with corn
and bread.
It might be truly said that now I worked for my bread. I believe few
people have thought much upon the strange multitude of little things necessary
in the providing, producing, curing, dressing, making, and finishing, this one
article of bread.
I, that was reduced to a mere state of nature, found this to my daily dis-
couragement, and was made more sensible of it every hour, even after I had
got the first handful of seed-corn, which, as I have said, came up unexpectedly,
and indeed to a surprise.
First-I had no plough to turn up the earth-no spade or shovel to dig it.
Well, this I conquered by making me a wooden spade, as I observed before.
But this did my work but in a wooden manner; and though it cost me a great
many days to make it, yet, for want of iron, it not only wore out soon, 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 sown I had no harrow, but
was forced to go over it myself, and drag a great heavy bough of a tree over
it, to scratch it, as it may be called, rather than rake or harrow it. When it was
78
Stat de Madr
za tu drar qumatwa pwan ng mga dama mtendangan jang
3. de mega markk
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
was an
growing, and grown, I have observed already how many things I wanted to
fence it, secure it, mow or reap it, cure and carry it home, thrash, part it from
the chaff, and save it. Then I wanted a mill to grind it, sieves to dress it,
yeast and salt to make it into bread, and an oven to bake it; but all these
things I did without, as shall be observed. And yet the corn
inestimable comfort and advantage to me too. All this, as I said, made
everything laborious and tedious to me, but that there was no help for.
Neither was my time so much less to me, because, as I had divided it, a
certain part of it was every day appointed to these works; and as I had
resolved to use none of the corn for bread till I had a greater quantity by me,
I had the next six months to apply myself wholly, by labour and invention, to
furnish myself with utensils proper for the performing all the operations.
necessary for making the corn, when I had it, fit for my use.
But, first, I was to prepare more land, for I had now seed enough to sow
above an acre of ground. Before I did this, I had a week's work at least to
make me a spade, which, when it was done, was but a sorry one, indeed, and
very heavy, and required double labour to work with it. However, I got
through that, and sowed my seed in two large flat pieces of ground, as near
my house as I could find them to my mind, and fenced them in with a good
hedge, the stakes of which were all cut off that wood which I had set before,
and knew it would grow; so that in one year's time I knew I should have a
quick or living hedge, that would want but little repair. This work did not
take me up less than three months, because a great part of that time was 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 in the following occu-
pations-always observing that all the while I was at work, I diverted myself
with talking to my parrot, and teaching him to speak. And I quickly taught
him to know his own name, and at last to speak it out pretty loud-Poll!
which was the first word I ever heard spoken in the island by any mouth but
my own. This, therefore, was not my work, but an assistance to my work;
for now, as I said, I had a great employment upon my hands, as follows:
I had long studied to make, by some means or other, some earthen vessels,
which, indeed, I wanted sorely, but knew not where to come at them.
However, considering the heat of the climate, I did not doubt but if I could
find out any clay, I might make some pots that might, being dried in the sun,
be hard enough and strong enough to bear handling, and to hold anything
that was dry, and required to be kept so. And as this was necessary in the
preparing corn, meal, etc., which was the thing I was doing, I resolved to
make some as large as I could, and fit only to stand like jars, to hold what
should be put into them.
It would make the reader pity me, or rather laugh at me, to tell how many
awkward ways I took to raise this paste; what add, misshapen, ugly things I
79
•
Dan aku baru stand othe
A DA M
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
made; how many of them fell in, and how many fell out, the clay not being
stiff enough to bear its own weight; how many cracked by the over-violent
heat of the sun, being set out too hastily; and how many fell in pieces with.
only removing, as well before as after they were dried; and, in a word, how,
after having laboured hard to find the clay-to dig it, to temper it, to bring it
home and work it-I could not make above two large earthen ugly things (I
cannot call them jars) in about two months' labour.
However, as the sun baked these two very dry and hard, I lifted them very
gently up, and set them down again in two great wicker baskets which I had
made on purpose for them, that they might not break; and as between the
pot and the basket there was a little room to spare, I stuffed it full of the rice
and barley straw; and these two pots being to stand always dry, I thought
would hold my dry corn, and perhaps the meal, when the corn was bruised.
Though I miscarried so much in my design for large pots, yet I made
several smaller things with better success; such as little round pots, flat
dishes, pitchers, and pipkins, and any things my hand turned to; and the
heat of the sun baked them quite hard.
But all this would not answer 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 some time, making a pretty large fire for cooking my meat,
when I went to put it out after I had done with it, I found a broken piece of
one of my earthenware vessels in the fire, burnt as hard as a stone and red as
a tile. I was agreeably surprised to see it, and said to myself that certainly
they might be made to burn whole if they would burn broken.
This set me to study how to order my fire, so as to make it burn some pots.
I had no notion of a kiln, such as the potters burn in, or of glazing them with
lead, though I had some lead to do it with; but I placed three large pipkins,
and two or three pots on a pile, one upon another, and placed my firewood all
round it with a great heap of embers under them. I plied the fire with fresh
fuel round the outside and upon the top till I saw the pots in the inside red-
hot quite through, and observed that they did not crack at all; when I saw
them clear red, I let them stand in that heat about five or six hours, till I
found one of them, though it did not crack, did melt or run; for the sand
which was mixed with the clay melted by the violence of the heat, and would
have run into glass if I had gone on; so I slacked my fire gradually till the
pots began to abate of the red colour, and watching them all night, that I
might not let the fire abate too fast, in the morning I had three very good
(I will not say handsome) pipkins, and two other earthen pots, as hard burnt
as could be desired, and one of them perfectly glazed with the running of
the sand.
After this experiment, I need not say that I wanted no sort of earthenware
for my use; but I must needs say as to the shapes of them, they were very
80

WIN
"The boat, made of one tree, was bigger than any canoe;
to get it into the water failed."
but all
but all my devices
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
indifferent, as any one may suppose, when I had no way of making them, but
as the children make dirt pies, or as a woman would make pies that never
learned to raise paste.
No joy at a thing of so mean a nature was ever equal to mine, when I
found I had made an earthen pot that would bear the fire; and I had hardly
patience to stay till they were cold before I set one on the fire again with
some water in it, to boil me some meat, which it did admirably well; and
with a piece of a kid I made some very good broth, though I wanted oatmeal
and several other ingredients requisite to make it as good as I would have
had it been.
My next concern was to get me a stone mortar to stamp or beat some corn
in; for as to the mill there was no thought of arriving at that perfection of
art with one pair of hands. To supply this want, I was at a great loss; for,
of all the trades in the world, I was as perfectly unqualified for a stone-cutter
as any whatever; neither had I any tools to go about it with. I spent many
a day to find out a great stone big enough to cut hollow, and make fit for a
mortar, and could find none at all, except what was in the solid rock, and which
I had no way to dig or cut out; nor indeed were the rocks in the island of hard-
ness sufficient, but were all of a sandy crumbling stone, which neither would
bear the weight of a heavy pestal, nor would break the corn without filling it
with sand; so, after a great deal of time lost in searching for a stone, I gave
it over, and resolved to look out for a great block of hard wood, which I found
indeed much easier; and getting one as big as I had strength to stir, I
rounded it, and formed it on the outside with my axe and hatchet, and then,
with the help of fire and infinite labour, made a hollow place in it, as the
Indians in Brazil make their canoes. After this, I made a great heavy pestal
or beater of the wood called the iron-wood; and this I prepared and laid by
against my next crop of corn, which I proposed to myself to grind, or rather
pound, into meal to make bread.
My next difficulty was to make a sieve or search to dress my meal, and to
part it from the bran and the husk; without which I did not see it possible I
could have any bread. This was a most difficult thing even to think on, for
to be sure I had nothing like the necessary thing to make it; I mean fine
thin canvas or stuff to search the meal through. And here I was at a full
stop for many months; nor did I really know what to do. Linen I had none.
left, but what was mere rags; I had goats'-hair, but neither knew how to
weave it or spin it; and had I known how, here were no tools to work it with.
All the remedy that I found for this was, that at last I did remember I had
among the seamen's clothes which were saved out of the ship, some neckcloths
of calico or muslin; and with some pieces of these I made three small sieves,
proper enough for the work; and thus I made shift for some years: how I
did afterwards I shall show in its place.
F
81

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
·
The baking part was the next thing to be considered, and how I should
make bread when I came to have corn; for, first, I had no yeast; as to that
part, there was no supplying the want, so I did not concern myself much about
it. But for an oven, I was indeed in great pain. At length I found out an
experiment for that also, which was this: I made some earthen vessels very
broad, but not deep, that is to say, about two feet diameter, and not above nine
inches deep; these I burned in the fire, as I had done the other, and laid them
by. And when I wanted to bake I made a great fire upon my hearth, which
I had paved with some square tiles, of my own baking and burning also; but
I should not call them square.
When the firewood was burned pretty much into embers, or live coals, I
drew them forward upon this hearth, so as to cover it all over, and there I
let them lie till the hearth was very hot; then sweeping away all the embers,
I set 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 good pastry cook into the bargain; for I
made myself several cakes and puddings of the rice; but I made no pies,
neither had I anything to put into them, supposing I had, except the flesh.
either of fowls or goats.
It need not be wondered at if all these things took me up most part of the
third year of my abode here; for it is to be observed that in the intervals of
these things I had my new harvest 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 thrash it on, or instrument to thrash it with.
And now, indeed, my stock of corn increasing, I really wanted to build my
barns bigger. I wanted a place to lay it up in, for the increase of the corn
now yielded me so much, that I had of the barley about twenty bushels, and
of the rice as much, or more, insomuch that now I resolved to begin to use it
freely; for my bread had been quite gone a great while; also, I resolved to see
what quantity would be sufficient for me a whole year, and to sow but once a year.
Upon the whole, I found that the forty bushels of barley and rice were
much more than I could consume in a year, so I resolved to sow just the same
quantity every year that I sowed the last, in hopes that such a quantity would
fully provide me with bread, etc.
All the while these things were doing, you may be sure my thoughts ran
many times upon the prospect of land which I had seen from the other side
of the island; and I was not without secret wishes that I were on shore there,
fancying that, seeing the mainland, and an inhabited country, I might find
some way or other to convey myself farther, and perhaps at last find some
means of escape.
82
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
But all this while I made no allowance for the dangers of such an under-
taking, and how I might fall into the hands of savages, and perhaps such as I
might have reason to think far worse than the lions and tigers of Africa; that
if I once came in their power, I should run a hazard of more than a thousand
to one of being killed, and perhaps of being eaten; for I had heard that the
people of the Carribean coast were cannibals, or man-eaters, and I knew by
the latitude that I could not be far from that shore. Then, supposing they
were not cannibals, yet they might kill me, as many Europeans who had fallen
into their hands had been served, even when they had been ten or twenty
together-much more I, that was but one, and could make little or no defence.
All these things, I say, which I ought to have considered well, and did come
into my thoughts afterwards, yet gave me no apprehensions at first, and my
head ran mightily upon the thought of getting over to the shore.
Now I wished for my boy Xury, and the long-boat with the shoulder-of-
mutton sail, with which I sailed above a thousand miles on the coast of Africa;
but this was in vain. Then I thought I would go and look at our ship's boat,
which, as I have said, was blown up upon the shore a great way in the storm,
when we were first cast away. She lay almost where she did at first, but not
quite; and was turned, by the force of the waves and the winds, almost
bottom upward, against a high ridge of beachy, rough sand, but no water
about her. 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 Brazils with her easily enough; but I might have foreseen that
I could no more turn her and set her upright upon her bottom than I could
remove the island. However, I went to the woods and cut levers and rollers,
and brought them to the boat, resolving to try what I could do, suggesting to
myself that if I could but turn her down, I might repair the damage she had
received, and thus I might go to sea in her very easily.
I spared no pains, indeed, in this piece of fruitless toil, and spent, I think,
three or four weeks about it. At last, finding it impossible to heave it up with
my little strength, I fell to digging away the sand, to undermine it, and so to
make it fall down, setting pieces of wood to thrust 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, so I was forced to give it over;
and yet, though I gave over the hopes of the boat, my desire to venture over the
main increased, rather than decreased, as the means for it seemed impossible.
This at length put me upon thinking whether it was not possible to make
myself a canoe, or periagua, such as the natives of those climates make, even
without tools, or, as I might say, without hands, of the trunk of a great tree.
This I not only thought possible, but easy, and pleased myself extremely with
the thoughts of making it, and with my having much more convenience for
it than any of the negroes or Indians; but not at all considering the particular
83
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
inconveniences which I lay under more than the Indians did-viz., want of
hands to move it, when it was made, into the water--a difficulty much harder
for me to surmount than all the consequences of want of tools could be to
them; for what was it to me, if when I had chosen a vast tree in the woods,
and with much trouble cut it down, if I had been able with my tools to hew
and dub the outside into the proper shape of a boat, and burn or cut out the
inside to make it hollow, so to make a boat of it—if, after all this, I must
leave it just there where I found it, and not be able to launch it into the water.
One would have thought I could not have had the least reflection upon my
mind of my circumstances while I was making this boat, but should have
immediately thought how I should get it into the sea; but my thoughts were
so intent upon my voyage over the sea in it, that I never once considered
how I should get it off of the land; and it was really, in its own nature, more
easy for me to guide it over forty-five miles of sea, than forty-five fathoms of
land, where it lay, to set it afloat in the water.
I went to work upon this boat the most like a fool that ever man did, who
had his senses awake. I pleased myself with the design, without determining
whether I was able to undertake it, not but that the difficulty of launching
my boat came often into my head; but I put a stop to my inquiries into it,
by this foolish answer, which I gave myself, "Let me first make it; I will
find one way or other to get it along."
This was a preposterous method; but the eagerness of my fancy prevailed,
and to work I went. I felled a cedar tree, and I question whether Solomon
ever had such a one for the building of the Temple of Jerusalem. It was five
feet ten inches diameter at the lower part, and four feet eleven inches
diameter at the end of twenty-two feet, after which it lessened for a
while, and then parted into branches. It was not without infinite labour
that I felled this tree. was twenty days hacking and hewing it at
the bottom. I was fourteen more getting the branches and limbs and the
head cut off. After this, it cost me a month to shape it to a proportion, and
to something like the bottom of a boat, that it might swim upright as it
ought to do. It cost me near three months more to clear the inside, and
work it out so as to make an exact boat of it. This I did without fire, by
mere mallet and chisel, and by the dint of hard labour, till I brought it to be
a very handsome periagua, and big enough to have carried six and twenty
men, consequently big enough to have carried me and all my cargo.
When I had gone through this work, I was extremely delighted with it.
The boat was much bigger than ever I saw a canoe or periagua, that was
made of one tree, in my life. Many a weary stroke it had cost, and had I
gotten it into the water, I should have begun the maddest voyage, and the
most unlikely to be performed, that ever was undertaken.
But all my devices to get it into the water failed me. It lay about one
84

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
pg pg
hundred yards from the water; but the first inconvenience was, it was up hill
towards the creek. To take away this discouragement, I resolved to dig into
the surface of the earth, and so make a declivity. This I began, and it cost
me a prodigious deal of pains; but when this was worked through, it was
still much the same, for I could no more stir the canoe than I could the other
boat. Then I measured the distance of ground, and resolved to cut a dock
or canal, to bring the water up to the canoe, seeing I could not bring the
canoe down to the water. I began this work; but when I began to enter
upon it, and calculate how deep it was to be, 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 could have gone through with it; for the shore lay so high, that at
the upper end it must have been at least twenty feet deep. So at length I
gave this attempt over also.
This grieved me heartily; and now I saw, though too late, the folly of
beginning a work before we count the cost.
In the middle of this work, I finished my fourth year in this place, and
kept my anniversary with the same devotion, and with as much comfort as
before; for, by a constant study and serious application to the Word of God,
and by the assistance of His grace, I gained a different knowledge from what
I had before. I entertained different notions of things. I looked now upon
the world as a thing remote, which I had nothing to do with, no expectation
from, and, indeed, no desires about.
In the first place, I was removed from all the wickedness of the world here.
I had neither the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, nor the pride of life.
I had nothing to covet, for I had all that I was now capable of enjoying-I
was lord of the whole manor, or, if I pleased, I might call myself king over the
whole country; there were no rivals, none to dispute sovereignty or command.
with me.
I might have raised ship-loadings of corn, but I had no use for it.
So I let as little grow as I thought enough for my occasion. I had tortoise
or turtle enough, but now and then one was as much as I could put to any
use. I had timber enough to have built a fleet of ships, and grapes enough to
have made wine, or to have cured into raisins, to have loaded that fleet when
it had been built.
But all I could make use of was all that was valuable: I had enough to eat
and supply my wants, and what was all the rest to me?
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 use; and that, whatever we may heap up to give others, we
enjoy just as much as we can use, and no more. I had, as I hinted before, a
parcel of money, as well gold as silver, about thirty-six pounds sterling.
Alas! there the sorry, 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
$5
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
gross of tobacco-pipes; or for a hand-mill to grind my corn; nay, I would
have given it all for a sixpenny-worth of turnip and carrot seed 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; there it lay in a drawer, and grew mouldy with the
damp of the cave in the wet seasons; and if I had had the drawer full of
diamonds, they had been of no manner of value to me, because of no use.
I had now brought my state of life to be easier in itself than it was at first,
and easier to my mind, as well as to my body. I frequently sat down to meat with
thankfulness, and admired the hand of God's providence, which had thus spread
my table in the wilderness. I learned to look more upon the bright side of
my condition, and to consider what I enjoyed rather than what I wanted; and
this gave me sometimes such secret comforts, that I cannot express them.
Another reflection was of great use to me, and doubtless would be so to any
one that should fall into such distress as mine was; and this was, to compare
my present condition with what I at first expected it would be; nay, with
what it would certainly have been, if the good providence of God had not
ordered the ship to be cast up nearer to the shore, where I not only could come
at her, but could bring what I got out of her to the shore, without which I
had wanted for tools to work, weapons for defence, and gunpowder and shot
for getting my food.
I spent whole hours, I may say whole days, in representing to myself, how
I must have acted if I had got nothing out of the ship. How I could not have
got any food, except fish and turtles; and that, as it was long before I
found any of these, I must have perished; that I should have lived, if I had
not perished, like a savage; that if I had killed a goat or a fowl, by any con-
trivance, I had no way to flay or open it, but must gnaw it with my teeth, and
pull it with my claws, like a beast.
These reflections made me very sensible of the goodness of Providence, and
very thankful for my present condition, with all its hardships and misfortunes;
and this part also I cannot but recommend to the reflection of those who are
apt, in their misery, to say, "Is any affliction like mine?" Let them consider
how much worse the cases of some people are, and their case might have been,
if Providence had thought fit.
Kdy
I had lived a dreadful life, perfectly destitute of the knowledge and fear of
God. I had been well instructed by father and mother. But, alas! falling
early into the seafaring life, which, of all lives, is the most destitute of the fear
of God, though his terrors are always before them; all that little sense of
religion which I had entertained was laughed out of me by my messmates; by a
hardened despising of dangers, and the views of death, which grew habitual to
me; by my long absence from all manner of opportunities to converse with
anything but what was like myself, or to hear anything that was good, or
tended towards it.
86
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
So void was I of everything that was good, that, in the greatest deliverances.
I enjoyed-such as my escape from Sallee; my being taken up by the Portu-
guese master of the ship; my being planted so well in the Brazils; my receiving
the cargo from England, and the like-I never had once the words, "Thank
God," on my mind, or in my mouth; nor in the greatest distress had I so much
as a thought to pray to him, or to say, "Lord, have mercy upon me!” no, nor
to mention the name of God, unless it was to swear by, and blaspheme it.
I had terrible reflections upon my mind for many months, on account of my
wicked and hardened life past; and when I looked about me, and considered
what particular providences had attended me since my coming into this place,
and how God had dealt bountifully with me—had not only punished me less
than my iniquity had deserved, but had so plentifully provided for me-this
gave me great hopes that my repentance was accepted, and that God had yet
mercy in store for me.
With these reflections, I worked my mind up, not only to a resignation to
the will of God in the present disposition of my circumstances, but even to a
sincere thankfulness for my condition; and that I who was yet a living man,
ought not to complain, seeing that I enjoyed so many mercies which I had no
reason to have expected in that place. I had now been here so long, that many
things which I brought on shore for my help were either quite gone, or very
much wasted.
My ink, as I observed, had been gone some time, all but a very little, which
I eked out with water, a little and a little, till it was so pale it scarce left any
appearance upon the paper. As long as it lasted, I made use of it to minute
down the days of the month on which any remarkable thing happened to me;
and, by casting up times past, I remembered that there was a strange concur-
rence of days in the various providences which befel me, and which, if I had
been superstitiously inclined to observe days as fatal or fortunate, I might have
had reason to look upon with a great deal of curiosity.
I had observed that the same day that I broke away from my friends, and
ran away to Hull, in order to go to sea, the same day afterwards I was taken
by the Sallee man-of-war, and made a slave. The same day of the year that
I escaped out of the wreck of that ship in Yarmouth Roads, that same
day-year afterwards I made my escape from Sallee in a boat. The same day
of the year I was born on, viz., the 30th of September, that same day I had
my life so miraculously saved twenty-six years after, when I was cast on this
island. So that my wicked life and my solitary life began both on a day.
The next thing to my ink being wasted was that of my bread, I mean the
biscuit which I brought out of the ship. This I had husbanded to the last
degree, allowing myself but one cake of bread a day for above a year; and
yet I was quite without bread for near a year before I got any corn of my own.
My clothes, too, began to decay. As to linen, I had none a good while,
87.

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
except some chequered shirts which I found in the chests of the other seamen.
I began to consider about putting the few rags I had, which I called clothes,
into some order. I had worn out all the waistcoats I had, and my business
was now to try if I could make jackets out of the great watch-coats which
I had by me, and with such other materials as I had. So I set to work
tailoring, or rather, indeed, botching, for I made most piteous work of it.
I have mentioned that I saved the skins of all the creatures that I killed,
I mean four-footed ones, and I had them hung up stretched out with sticks in
the sun to dry. The first thing I made of these was a great cap for my head,
with the hair on the outside, to shoot off the rain; and this I performed so
well, that after I made me a suit of clothes wholly of these skins-that is
to say, a waistcoat, and breeches open at the knees, and both loose, for they
were rather wanting to keep me cool than to keep me warm. They were
wretchedly made; for if I was a bad carpenter, I was a worse tailor. However,
they were such as I made very good shift with, and when I was out, if it
happened to rain, the hair of my waistcoat and cap being outermost, I
was kept very dry.
After this, I spent a great deal of time and pains to make an umbrella.
I had seen them made in the Brazils, and as I was obliged to be much abroad,
it was a most useful thing to me, as well for the rains as the heats.
I took a
world of pains with it, and was a great while before I could make anything
likely to hold; nay, I spoiled two or three before I made one to my mind.
The main difficulty I found was to make it let down. At last I made one to
answer, and covered it with skins, the hair upwards, so that it cast off the
rain like a penthouse, and kept off the sun so effectually, that I could walk
out in the hottest weather with greater advantage than I could before in the
coolest, and when I had no need of it, could close it, and carry it under my arm.
Thus I lived mighty comfortably, my mind being entirely composed by
resigning myself to the will of God, and throwing myself wholly upon the
disposal of His providence. This made my life better than sociable, for when
I began to regret the want of conversation, I would ask myself, whether thus
conversing mutually with my own thoughts, and (as I hope I may say) with
even God himself, was not better than the utmost enjoyment of human society
in the world?
I cannot say that after this, for five years, any extraordinary thing happened
to me, but I lived on in the same course, and in the same place as before.
The chief things I was employed in, besides my yearly labour of planting my
barley and rice, and curing my raisins, of both which I always kept up just
enough to have sufficient stock of one year's provision beforehand;-I say,
besides this yearly labour, and my daily pursuit of going out with my gun, I
had one labour, to make a canoe, which at last I finished-so that by digging
a canal to it of six feet wide and four feet deep, I brought it into the creek,
88
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
almost half a mile. As for the first, which was so vastly big, I was obliged to let
it lie where it was, as a memorandum to teach me to be wiser the next time.
However, though my little periagua was finished, the size of it was not at
all answerable to the design which I had in view when I made the first-I
mean of venturing over to the terra firma, where it was above forty miles
broad; the smallness of my boat assisted to put an end to that design, and
now I thought no more of it. My next design was to make a cruise round
the island; for as I had been on the other side in one place, crossing, as I
have already described it, over the land, the discoveries I made in that little
journey made me eager to see other parts of the coast; and, now I had a boat,
I thought of nothing but sailing round the island.
For this purpose I fitted up a little mast in my boat, and made a sail, too,
out of some of the pieces of the ship's sails which lay in store, and of
which I had a great stock by me. Having fitted my mast and sail, and tried
the boat, I found she would sail very well; then I made little lockers or
boxes, at each end of my boat, to put provisions, ammunition, etc., into; and
a little, long hollow place I cut in the inside of the boat, where I could lay
my gun, making a flap to hang down over it, to keep it dry.
I fixed my umbrella in a step at the stern, like a mast, to stand over my
head, and keep the heat of the sun off me, like an awning; and thus I every
now and then took a little voyage upon the sea, but never went far out, nor
far from the little creek. At last, being eager to view the circumference of
my little kingdom, I resolved upon my cruise; and accordingly I victualled
my ship for the voyage, putting in two dozen of loaves (cakes I should rather
call them) of barley bread, an earthen pot full of parched rice (a food I ate a
great deal of), a little bottle of rum, half a goat, and powder and shot for
killing more, and two large watchcoats, of those which, as I mentioned before,
I had saved out of the seamen's chests-these I took, one to lie upon, and the
other to cover ine in the night.
It was the 6th of November, in the sixth year of my reign, or my captivity,
that I set out on this voyage. I found it longer than I expected, for though
the island itself was not large, yet when I came to the east side of it, I found,
a great ledge of rocks lie out about two leagues into the sea -some above water,
some under it; and beyond that a shoal of sand, lying dry half a league more,
so that I was obliged to go a great way out to sea to double the point.
When first I discovered them, I was going to give over my enterprise, not
knowing how far it might oblige me to go out to sea, and doubting how I
should get back again, so I came to an anchor; for I had made me a kind of
an anchor with a piece of broken grappling which I got out of the ship.
Having secured my boat, I took my gun and went on shore, climbing up a
hrill, which seemed to overlook that point where I saw the full extent of it, and
resolved to venture.
89
7
P
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
In my viewing the sea from that hill where I stood, I perceived a strong and
furious current, which ran to the east, and even came close to the point; and I
took the more notice of it, because I saw there might be some danger that when
I came into it I might be carried out to sea by the strength of it, and not be
able to make the island again. And, indeed, had I not got first upon this hill, I
believe it would have been so, for there was the same current on the other side
the island, and I saw there was a strong eddy under the shore, so I had nothing
to do but to get out of the first current, and I should presently be in an eddy.
I lay here, however, two days, because the wind blowing pretty fresh at
E.S.E., and that being just contrary to the current, made a great breach of the
sea upon the point, so that it was not safe for me to keep too close to the shore
for the beach, nor to go too far off, because of the stream.
The third day, in the morning, the wind having abated overnight, the sea
was calm, and I ventured; but no sooner was I come to the point but I found
myself in a great depth of water, and a current like the sluice of a mill. It
carried my boat along with it with such violence that all I could do could not
keep her so much as on the edge of it, but hurried me farther and farther out
from the eddy, which was on my left hand. There was no wind stirring to
help me, and now I began to give myself over for lost; for as the current was
on both sides of the island, I knew in a few leagues' distance they must join
again, and then I was irrecoverably gone; nor did I see any possibility of
avoiding it, so that I had no prospect before me but of perishing, not by the
sea, for that was calm enough, but of starving from hunger. I had, indeed,
found a tortoise on the shore, as big almost as I could lift, and had tossed it
into the boat, and I had a great jar of fresh water. But what was all this to
being driven into the vast ocean, where there was no shore, no mainland or
island, for a thousand leagues at least?
And now I saw how easy it was for the providence of God to make even the
most miserable condition of mankind worse. Now I looked back upon my
desolate, solitary island as the most pleasant place in the world, and all the
happiness my heart could wish for was to be but there again. I stretched
out my hands to it, with eager wishes, "O happy desert!" said I, "I shall never
see thee more. O miserable creature! whither am I going?" Then I
reproached myself with my unthankful temper, and that I had repined at my
solitary condition; and now what would I give to be on shore there again!
It is scarcely possible to imagine the consternation I was now in, being driven
from my beloved island (for so it appeared to me now to be) into the wide
ocean, almost two leagues, and in the utmost despair of ever recovering it
again. However, I worked hard, till my strength was almost exhausted, and
kept my boat as much to the northward as possibly I could. When about
noon, as the sun passed the meridian, I thought I felt a little breeze of wind in
my face, springing up from S.S.E.. This cheered my heart a little, and especi-
•
90
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
ally when, in about half an hour more, it blew a pretty gentle gale. By this
time, I had got at a frightful distance from the island, and had the least cloudy
or hazy weather intervened, I had been undone another way; for I had no
compass on board, and should never have known how to steer towards the
island, if I once had lost sight of it. But the weather continuing clear, I got
up my mast again and spread my sail, standing away to the north as much as
possible, to get out of the current.
Just as I had set my mast and sail, and the boat began to stretch away, I
saw by the clearness of the water some alteration of the current was near; for
where the current was strong the water was foul; but perceiving the water
clear, I found the current abate, and presently I found to the east, at about
half a mile, a breach of the sea upon some rocks. These rocks I found caused
the current to part again, and made a strong eddy, which ran back again to
the north-west, with a very sharp stream.
They who know what it is to have been in such extremities may guess what
my present surprise of joy was, and how gladly I put my boat into the stream
of this eddy; and the wind also freshening, how gladly I spread my sail to it,
running cheerfully before the wind, and with a strong tide under foot.
This eddy carried me about a league in my way back again, directly towards
the island, but about two leagues more to the northward than the current
which carried me away at first.. So that when I came near the island, I found
myself open to the northern shore of it, that is to say, the other end of the
island, opposite to that which I went out from.
When I had made something more than a league of way by the help of this
current or eddy, I found it was spent, and served me no farther. However, I
found that being between two great currents, viz., that on the south side, which
had hurried me away, and that on the north, which lay about a league on the
other side, I found the water at least still, and running no way; and having
still a breeze of wind fair for me, I kept on steering directly for the island,
though not making such fresh way as I did before.
About four o'clock in the evening, being within a league of the island, I
found the point of the rocks which occasioned this disaster, stretching out to
the southward, and casting off the current more southerly, had, of course,
made another eddy to the north; and this I found very strong, but not setting
the way my course lay. Having a fresh gale, I stretched across this eddy,
slanting north-west; and in about an hour came within a mile of the shore,
where, it being smooth water, I soon got to land.
When I was on shore, I fell on my knees and gave God thanks for my
deliverance, and refreshing myself with such things as I had, I brought my boat
close to the shore, in a little cove that I had spied under some trees, and laid me
down to sleep, being quite spent with the labour and fatigue of the voyage.
I was now at a loss which way to get home with my boat.
I had run so
91

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
Kwa muda kattaligra
much hazard, and knew too much of the case, to think of attempting it by the
way I went out; and what might be at the other side I knew not, nor had I
a mind to run any more ventures. So I resolved on the next morning to
make my way westward, and to see if there was no creek where I might lay
up my frigate in safety, so as to have her again, if I wanted her. In about
three miles, coasting the shore, I came to a very good inlet or bay, about a
mile over, which narrowed till it came to a brook, where I found a very
convenient harbour for my boat, and where she lay as if she had been in a
little dock made on purpose for her. Here I put in, and having stowed my
boat very safe, I went on shore to look about me, and see where I was.
I found I had but a little passed by the place where I had been before, when I
travelled on foot to that shore. So taking nothing out of my boat but my
gun and umbrella, I began my march. The way was comfortable enough
after such a voyage as I had been upon, and I reached my old bower in the
evening, where I found everything standing as I left it.
I got over the fence, and laid me down in the shade to rest, for I was very
weary, and fell asleep; but judge what a surprise I must be in, when I was
awakened out of my sleep by a voice calling me by my name several times,
"Robin, Robin, Robin Crusoe; poor Robin Crusoe! Where are you, Robin
Crusoe? Where are you? Where have you been?"
I was so dead asleep at first, being fatigued with paddling the first part of
the day, and with walking the latter part, that I did not wake thoroughly;
but, dozing between sleeping and waking, thought I dreamed that somebody
spoke to me; but as the voice continued to repeat "Robin Crusoe, Robin
Crusoe," at last I began to wake more perfectly, and was at first dreadfully
frightened, and started up in the utmost consternation; but no sooner were
my eyes open, than I saw my Poll sitting on the top of the hedge; and
immediately knew that it was he that spoke to me; for just in such bemoaning
language I had used to talk to him, and teach him; and he had learned it so
perfectly that he would sit upon my finger, and lay his bill close to my face,
and cry, "Poor Robin Crusoe! Where are you? Where have you been?
How came you here?" and such things.
I was amazed how the creature got thither, and how he should just keep
about the place and nowhere else; and holding out my hand, and calling him.
by his name, "Poll," the sociable creature came to me, and sat upon my
thumb, as he used to do, and continued talking to me.
(alpha vlaga sa parte mua kurtarmagine)
I had now had enough of rambling to sea for some time, and was content
for many days to sit still, and reflect upon the danger I had been in. I would
have been very glad to have had my boat again on my side of the island; but
I knew not how it was practicable to get it about. As to the east side of the
island, I knew there was no venturing that way; my very heart would shrink,
and my blood run chill, to think of it; and as to the other side of the island,
92
at myymag gaan mata me qe me at man
Vatatayo sa vyt
Ky
Appleg
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
I did not know how it might be there; but supposing the current ran with
the same force against the shore at the east as it passed by it on the other, I
might run the same risk of being driven down the stream and carried by the
island, as I had been before of being carried away from it; so I contented
myself to be without any boat, though it had been the product of so many
months' labour to make it, and of so many more to get it into the sea.
In this government of my temper, I remained nearly a year; and lived a
very sedate, retired life, and my thoughts being very much composed, as to
my condition, and fully comforted in resigning myself to the dispositions of
Providence, I lived really very happily in all things, except that of society.
I improved myself in this time in the mechanical exercises which my
necessities put me upon applying myself to; and I believe I made a very good
carpenter, considering how few tools I had.
Besides this, I arrived at an unexpected perfection in my earthen-wares, and
contrived to make them with a wheel, which I found infinitely easier and
better; because I made things round and shaped, which before were ugly
things to look on. But I think I was never more vain of my performance,
or more joyful for anything I found out, than for being able to make a tobacco-
pipe; and though it was a very clumsy thing when it was done, and only
burned red like other earthenware, yet as it was hard and firm, and would
draw the smoke, I was exceedingly comforted with it, for I had been always
used to smoke; and there were pipes in the ship, but I forgot them at first,
not thinking that there was tobacco in the island; and afterwards, when I
searched the ship again, I could not come at any pipes.
In my wickerwork, also, I improved much, and made abundance of necessary
baskets, as well as my invention showed me; though not very handsome,
they were such as were handy and convenient for laying things up in, or
fetching things home. Also, large deep baskets were the receivers of my
corn, which I rubbed out as soon as it was dry, and cured.
I began now to perceive my powder abated considerably; this was a want
which it was impossible for me to supply, and I began seriously to consider
what I must do when I should have no more powder; that is to say, how I
should kill any goats. I had, in the third year of my being here, kept a young
kid, and bred her up tame, and as I could never find in my heart to kill her,
she died at last of mere age.
Being now in the eleventh year of my residence, and my ammunition.
growing low, I set myself to study some art to trap and snare the goats, to
see whether I could not catch some of them alive. For this purpose I made
snares to hamper them; and I do believe they were more than once taken in
them; but my tackle was not good, for I had no wire, and I always found
them broken, and my bait devoured. At length I resolved to try a pitfall:
so I dug several large pits in the earth, in places where I had observed the
Da kan de
93.
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
goats used to feed, and over those pits I placed hurdles, of my own making
too, with a great weight upon them; and several times I put ears of barley
and dry rice, without setting the trap, and I could easily perceive that the
goats had gone in and eaten up the corn, for I could see the marks of their
feet. At length I set three traps in one night; and going the next morning
I found them all standing, and yet the bait eaten and gone.
This was very
discouraging. However, I altered my traps; and, not to trouble you with
particulars, going one morning to see my traps, I found in one of them a large
old he-goat, and in one of the others three kids, a male and two females.
As to the old one, I knew not what to do with him; he was so fierce, I
durst not go into the pit to him to bring him away alive, so I let him out, and
he ran away as if he had been frightened out of his wits.
Then I went to the three kids, and, taking them one by one, I tied them
with strings together, and with some difficulty brought them all home.
It was a good while before they would feed, but throwing them some sweet.
corn, it tempted them, and they began to be tame. And now I found that if
I expected to supply myself with goats' flesh when I had no powder or shot
left, breeding some up tame was my only way, when I might have them about
my house like a flock of sheep. But then it occurred to me that I must keep
the tame from the wild, or else they would always run wild when they grew
up; and the only way for this was to have some enclosed piece of ground,
well fenced either with hedge or pale, to keep them in so effectually that those
within might not break out, or those without break in.
This was a great undertaking for one pair of hands; yet, as I saw there.
was an absolute necessity for it, my first work was to find out a proper piece
of ground, where there was likely to be herbage for them to eat, water for
them to drink, and cover to keep them from the sun.
I pitched upon a plain open piece of meadow land, or savannah, which had
two or three little drills of fresh water in it, and at one end was very woody.
I began by enclosing this piece of ground in such a manner that my hedge or
pale must have been at least two miles about; but if it was ten miles about, I
was like to have time enough to do it in; but I did not consider that my
goats would be as wild in so much compass as if they had the whole island,
and I should have so much room to chase them in that I should never catch them.
My hedge was begun and carried on, I believe about fifty yards, when this
thought occurred to me, so I presently stopped short, and for the beginning, I
resolved to enclose a piece of about 150 yards in length, and 100 yards in
breadth, which, as it would maintain as many as I should have in any
reasonable time, so as my stock increased, I could add more ground to my
enclosure.
This was acting with some prudence, and I went to work with courage.
I was about three months in hedging in the first piece, and till I had done it,
9-1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
I
I tethered the three kids in the best part of it, and used them to feed as near
me as possible, to make them familiar; and very often I would go and carry
them some ears of barley, or a handful of rice, and feed them out of my hand;
so that after my enclosure was finished, and I let them loose, they would
follow me up and down, bleating after me for a handful of corn.
This answered my purpose, and in about a year and a half I had a flock of
twelve goats, kids and all; and in two years more I had three-and-forty,
besides several that I took and killed for my food. After that I enclosed five
several pieces of ground to feed them in, with little pens to drive them into,
to take them as I wanted, and gates out of one piece of ground into another.
Now I not only had goats' flesh to feed on when I pleased, but milk too, a
thing which, in the beginning, I did not so much as think of, and which, when
it came into my thoughts, was really an agreeable surprise, for now I set up
my dairy, and had sometimes a gallon or two of milk in a day. After a great
many essays and miscarriages, I made both butter and cheese, also salt
(though I found it partly made to my hand by the heat of the sun upon some
of the rocks of the sea), and never wanted it afterwards. How mercifully can
our Creator treat His creatures, even in those conditions in which they seemed
to be overwhelmed in destruction! What a table was here spread for me in
the wilderness, where I saw nothing at first but to perish for hunger.
It would have made a stoic smile to have seen me and my little family sit
down to dinner. There was my majesty, the prince of the whole island; I
had the lives of all my subjects at my absolute command; I could hang,
draw, give liberty, and take it away. Then, to see how like a king I dined,
too, all alone, attended by my servants! Poll, as if he had been my favourite,
was the only person permitted to talk to me. My dog, who was now grown
very old and crazy, and had found no species to multiply his kind upon, sat
always at my right hand, and two cats, one on one side of the table, and
one on the other, expecting now and then a bit from my hand, as a mark
of special favour.
With this attendance, and in this plentiful manner, I lived. Neither could
I be said to want anything but society; and of that, some time after this, I
was likely to have too much.
I was impatient, as I have observed, to have the use of my boat, though
loath to run any more hazards. And therefore sometimes I sat contriving
ways to get her about the island, and at other times I sat myself down
contented enough without her. But I had a strange uneasiness in my mind.
to go down to the point of the island, where, in my last ramble, I went up the
hill to see how the shore lay. This inclination increased upon me every
day, and at length I resolved to travel thither by land, following the edge of
the shore. I did so; but had any one in England met such a man as I was,
it must either have frightened him, or raised a great deal of laughter. And as
95
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
2
I frequently stood still to look at myself, I could not but smile at the notion
of my travelling through Yorkshire with such an equipage, and in such a
dress. Be pleased to take a sketch of my figure, as follows:-
I had a great high shapeless cap, made of a goat's skin, with a flap hanging
down behind, as well to keep the sun from me as to shoot the rain off from
running into my neck, nothing being so hurtful in these climates as the rain
upon the flesh under the clothes.
I had a short jacket of goat's skin, the skirts coming down to about the
middle of the thighs, and a pair of open-kneed breeches of the same. The
breeches were made of the skin of an old goat, whose hair hung down such
a length on either side, that, like pantaloons, it reached to the middle of my
legs. Stockings and shoes I had none, but had made me a pair of somethings,
like buskins, to flap over my legs, and lace on either side like spatterdashes,
but of a most barbarous shape, as indeed were all the rest of my clothes.
I had on a broad belt of goat's skin dried, which I drew together with two
thongs of the same instead of buckles, and in a kind of frog on either side of
this, instead of a sword and dagger, hung a little saw, and a hatchet, one on
one side, and one on the other. I had another belt fastened in the same
manner, which hung over my shoulder, and at the end of it under my left
arm, hung two pouches, both made of goat's skin too, in one of which hung
my powder, in the other my shot. At my back I carried my basket, and on
my shoulder my gun, and over my head a great clumsy goat's skin umbrella,
but which, after all, was the most necessary thing I had about me, next to my
gun. As for my face, the colour of it was really not so mulatoo-like as one
might expect from a man not at all careful of it, and living within nine or ten
degrees of the equinox. My beard I had once suffered to grow till it was
about a quarter of a yard long; but as I had both scissors and razors, I had
cut it pretty short, except what grew on my upper lip, which I had trimmed
into a large pair of Mahometan whiskers, such as I had seen worn by some
Turks at Sallee. Of these moustachios, or whiskers, I will not say they were
long enough to hang my hat upon them, but they were of a length and shape
monstrous enough, and such as in England would have passed for frightful.
In this kind of dress I went my new journey, and was out five or six days.
I travelled first along the sea-shore, directly to the place where I first brought
my boat to an anchor to get upon the rocks. And having no boat now to take
care of, I went over the land a nearer way to the same height that I was
upon before, when, looking forward to the points of the rocks which lay out,
I was surprised to see the sea all smooth and quiet-no rippling, no motion,
no current, any more than in any other place. I was at a loss to understand
this, and resolved to spend some time in observing it, to see if nothing from
the sets of the tide had occasioned it. But I was presently convinced how it
was, viz., that the tide of ebb setting from the west, and joining with the
96

amimik
"I found a very convenient harbour for my boat, where she lay as if in a
little dock made on purpose for her."
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
current of waters from some great river on the shore, must be the occasion of
this current, and that, according as the wind blew from the west or from the
north, this current came nearer, or went farther from the shore. For, waiting
thereabouts till evening, I went up to the rock again, and then the tide of ebb
being made, I plainly saw the current again as before, only that it ran farther
off, being near half a league from the shore, whereas in my case it set close upon
the shore, and hurried me and my canoe along with it, which at another time
it would not have done.
This observation convinced me that I had but to observe the ebbing and
the flowing of the tide, and I might very easily bring my boat about the island
again; but when I began to think of putting it in practice, I had such terror
upon my spirits at the remembrance of the danger I had been in, that I could
not think of it again with any patience. I took up another resolution, which
was more safe, though more laborious-and this was, that I would make me
another perigua or canoe, and so have one for one side of the island, and one
for the other.
I now had, as I may call it, two plantations in the island-one my little
fortification or tent, with the wall about it, under the rock, with the cave
behind me, which by this time I had enlarged into several apartments or
caves, one within another. One of these, which was the driest and largest,
had a door out beyond my wall or fortification, and was all filled up with the
large earthen pots, of which I have given an account, and with fourteen or
fifteen great baskets, which would hold five or six bushels each. In these I
laid up my stores of provisions, especially my corn, some in the ear cut off
short from the straw, and the other rubbed out with my hand.
As for my wall, made with long stakes or piles, those piles grew like trees,
and were by this time so big, and spread so much, that there was not the least
appearance of any habitation behind them.
Near this dwelling of mine, but a little farther within the land, and upon
lower ground, lay my two pieces of corn land, which I kept duly cultivated
and sowed, and which yielded me their harvest in its season; and whenever I
had occasion for more corn, I had more land adjoining as fit as that.
Besides this, I had my country seat, and a tolerable plantation there also;
first, I had my little bower, as I called it, which I kept in repair-that is to
say, I kept the hedge, which encircled it, constantly fitted up in its usual height,
the ladder standing always in the inside. I kept the trees, which at first were
no more than stakes, always cut, so that they might spread and grow thick and
wild, and make the more agreeable shade. In the middle of this I had my
tent always standing, being a piece of a sail spread over poles, set up for that
purpose, and which never wanted any renewing; and under this I had made
me a couch, with the skins of the creatures I had killed, and a blanket laid on
them, such as belonged to our sea-bedding, which I had saved; and a great
G
97

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
watch-coat to cover me.
from my chief seat, I took up my habitation.
Adjoining this, I had enclosures for my goats; and I had taken an
inconceivable deal of pains to fence and enclose this ground. I was so anxious
to see it kept entire, lest the goats should break through, that I never left off
till, with infinite labour, I had stuck the outside of the hedge so full of small
stakes, and so near to one another, that it was rather a pale than a hedge, and
there was scarce room to put a hand through between them; which afterwards,
when those stakes grew, as they did in the next rainy season, made the
enclosure strong like a wall.
I
This will testify for me that I was not idle, and that I spared no pains to
bring to pass whatever appeared necessary for my comfortable support.
considered the keeping up a breed of tame creatures thus at my hand would
be a living magazine of flesh, milk, butter, and cheese for me as long as I
lived in the place, if it were to be forty years.
In this place also I had my grapes growing, which I principally depended
on for my winter store of raisins, and which I never failed to preserve very
carefully, as the best and most agreeable dainty of my whole diet; and indeed
they were not only agreeable, but medicinal, wholesome, nourishing, and
refreshing to the last degree.
And here, whenever I had occasion to be absent
As this was also about half-way between my other habitation and the place
where I had laid up my boat, I generally stayed here in my way thither, for
I used frequently to visit my boat; and kept all things belonging to her in
very good order. Sometimes I went out in her to divert myself, but no more
hazardous voyages would I go, scarcely ever above a stone's cast or two from
the shore, I was so apprehensive of being hurried out of my knowledge again
by the currents or winds, or any other accident. But now I come to a new
scene of my life.
One day, about noon, going towards my boat, I was exceedingly surprised
with the print of a man's naked foot on the shore. I stood like one thunder-
struck, or as if I had seen an apparition. I listened, I looked round me, but
I could hear nothing, nor see anything; I went up to a rising ground, to look
farther; I went up the shore, and down the shore, but I could see no other
impression but that one. I went to it again to see if there were any more, and
to observe if it might not be my fancy; but there was exactly the print of a
foot-toes, heel, and every part. How it came thither I could not in the
lest imagine; but after innumerable fluttering thoughts, like a man confused
and out of myself, I came home to my fortification, not feeling the ground I
went on, but terrified to the last degree, looking behind me at every two or
three steps, mistaken every bush and tree, and fancying every stump at a
distance to be a man.
When I came to my castle (for so I think I called it ever after this), I fled
98
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
into it like one pursued. Whether I went over by the ladder, as first contrived,
or went in at the hole in the rock, which I had called a door, I cannot
remember; nor could I remember the next morning, for never frightened
hare fled to cover, or fox to earth, with more terror of mind than I to this retreat.
I slept none that night; the farther I was from the occasion of my fright,
the greater my apprehensions were. Sometimes I fancied it must be the devil,
and reason joined in with me in this supposition, for how should any other
thing in human shape come into the place? But then, to think that Satan
should take human shape upon him, where there could be no occasion for it,
but to leave the print of his foot behind him, and that even for no purpose, for
he could not be sure I should see it. I considered that the devil might have
found out abundance of other ways to have terrified me than this of the single
print of a foot; that as I lived quite on the other side of the island, he would
never have been so simple as to leave a mark in a place where it was ten
thousand chances to one whether I should ever see it, and in the sand too,
which the first surge of the sea, upon a high wind, would have defaced entirely.
All this seemed inconsistent with the notions we usually entertain of the
subtilty of the devil.
I presently concluded, then, that it must be some of the savages of the
main-land opposite, who had wandered out to sea in their canoes, and, either
driven by the currents or by contrary winds, had made the island, and had
been on shore, but were gone away again to sea; being as loath, perhaps, to
stay in this desolate island as I would have been to have had them.
While these reflections were rolling in my mind, I was very thankful that I
was not thereabouts at that time, or that they did not see my boat, by which
they would have concluded that some inhabitants had been in the place, and
perhaps have searched farther for me. Then terrible thoughts racked my
imagination about their having found out my boat, and that, if so, I should
certainly have them come again in greater numbers, and devour me; that if
they should not find me yet they would find my enclosure, destroy my corn,
and carry away my flock of tame goats, and I should perish at last for want.
Thus my fear banished all my religious hope, all that former confidence in
God, which was founded upon such wonderful experience as I had had of His
goodness; as if He that had fed me by miracle hitherto could not preserve, by
His power, the provision which He had made for me by His goodness. I re-
proached myself with my laziness, that would not sow any more corn one year
than would just serve me till the next season, as if no accident could intervene
to prevent my enjoying the crop that was upon the ground; and this I thought
so just a reproof, that I resolved for the future to have two or three years'
corn beforehand; so that, whatever might come, I might not perish for want
of bread.
I now trembled at the very apprehensions of seeing a man, and was ready to
A Ma
99
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
sink into the ground at but the shadow or silent appearance of a man having
set his foot in the island.
""
One morning early, lying in my bed, and filled with thoughts about my
danger from the appearances of savages, I found it discomposed me very much;
upon which these words of the Scripture come into my thoughts: "Call upon
me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
Upon this, rising cheerfully out of my bed, my heart was not only comforted,
but I was guided and encouraged to pray earnestly to God for deliverance;
when I had done praying, I took up my Bible, and opening it to read, the first
words that presented to me were, "Wait on the Lord, and be of good cheer,
and he shall strengthen thy heart; wait, I say, on the Lord." It is impossible
to express the comfort this gave me. In answer, I thankfully laid down the
book, and was no more sad, at least on that occasion.
In the middle of these cogitations, apprehensions, and reflections, it came
into my thoughts one day that all this might be a mere chimera of my own,
and that this foot might be the print of my own foot, when I came on shore
from my boat; this cheered me up a little, and I began to persuade myself it
was all a delusion; that it was nothing else but my own foot; and why might
I not come that way from the boat, as well as I was going that way to the boat?
Now I began to take courage, and to peep abroad again, for I had not stirred
out of my castle for three days and nights, so that I began to starve for provi-
sions; for I had little or nothing within doors but some barley-cakes and water;
then I knew that my goats wanted to be milked too, which usually was my
evening diversion; and the poor creatures were in great pain and inconvenience
for want of it; and, indeed, it almost spoiled some of them, and almost dried
up their milk. Encouraging myself, therefore, with the belief that this was
nothing but the print of one of my own feet, and that I might be truly said to
start at my own shadow, I began to go abroad again, and went to my country-
house to milk my flock: but to see with what fear I went forward, how often I
looked behind me, how I was ready, every now and then, to lay down my basket,
and run for my life, it would have made any one think I was haunted with an
evil conscience, or that I had been lately most terribly frightened; and so,
indeed, I had. However, I went down thus two or three days, and having seen
nothing, I began to be a little bolder, and to think there was nothing in it but
my own imagination; but I could not persuade myself fully of this till I should
go down to the shore again, and see this print of a foot, and measure it by my
own, and see if there was any similitude or fitness, but when I came to the
place--first, it appeared evident to me, that when I laid up my boat, I could
not possibly be on shore any where thereabouts; secondly, when I came to
measure the mark with my own foot, I found my foot not so large by a great
deal. Both these things filled my head with new imaginations, and gave me
the vapours again to the highest degree, so that I shook with cold like one in an
100
a nə d
Ka
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
ague; and I went home again, filled with the belief that some man or men had
been on shore there: or, that the island was inhabited, and I might be surprised
before I was aware; and what course to take for my security I knew not.
The first thing I proposed to myself was, to throw down my enclosures, and
turn all my tame cattle wild into the woods, lest the enemy should find them,
and frequent the island in prospect of the like booty: then the simple thing of
digging up my two corn-fields, lest they should find grain there, then to de-
molish my bower and tent, that they might not see any vestiges of habitation,
and be prompted to look farther, in order to find out the persons inhabiting.
These were the subject of the first night's cogitations after I was come home.
again, while the apprehensions which had so overrun my mind were fresh upon
me, and my head was full of vapours. I looked, I thought, like Saul, who
complained not only that the Philistines were upon him, but that God had
forsaken him; for I did not now take due ways to compose my mind, by
crying to God in my distress, and resting upon His providence, as I had done
before, for my defence and deliverance; which, if I had done, I had at least
been more cheerfully supported under this new surprise, and perhaps carried
through it with more resolution.
The confusion of my thoughts kept me awake all night; but in the morning.
I fell asleep; and waked much better composed than I had ever been before.
And now I began to think sedately; and, upon debate with myself, I concluded
that this island, so exceedingly pleasant and fruitful, was not so entirely
abandoned as I might imagine; that although there were no stated inhabitants.
who lived on the spot, yet that there might sometimes come boats off from the
shore, who, either with design, or perhaps never but when they were driven
by cross winds, might come to this place; that I had lived here fifteen years
now, and had not met with the least shadow or figure of any people yet; and
that, if at any time they should be driven here, it was probable they went
away again as soon as ever they could; that the most I could suggest any
danger from was, from any casual accidental landing of straggling people from
the main, who, as it was likely, if they were driven hither, were here against
their wills, and went off again with all possible speed, seldom staying one night
on shore, lest they should not have the help of the tides and daylight back
again; and that, therefore, I had nothing to do but to consider of some safe
retreat, in case I should see any savages land upon the spot.
Now I began to repent that I had dug my cave so large as to bring a door
through again, which door, as I said, came out beyond where my fortification
joined to the rock: upon considering this, therefore, I resolved to draw me a
second fortification, in the same manner of a semi-circle, at a distance from my
wall, just where I had planted a double row of trees about twelve years before.
These trees having been planted so thick, they wanted but a few piles to be
driven between them, that they might be thicker and stronger, and my wall
101

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
gadgets Mag
would be soon finished. I had now a double wall; and my outer wall was
thickened with pieces of timber, old cables, and everything I could think of,
to make it strong; having in it seven little holes, about as big as I could put
my arm out at. In the inside of this, I thickened my wall to about ten feet
thick, continually bringing earth out of my cave, and laying it at the foot of
the wall, and walking upon it; and through the seven holes I contrived to
plant the muskets which I had got on shore out of the ship; these I planted
like cannon, and fitted them into frames, that held them like a carriage, so
that I could fire all the seven guns in two minutes' time. This wall I was
many a weary month in finishing, and never thought myself safe till it was done.
Then I stuck all the ground without my wall, for a great length every way,
full with stakes of the osier-like wood, which I found so apt to grow. I believe
I might set in near twenty thousand of them, leaving a pretty large space
between them and my wall, that I might have room to see an enemy, and they
might have no shelter from the young trees, if they attempted to approach my
outer wall.
Thus, in two years' time, I had a thick grove; and in five or six years' time I
had a wood before my dwelling, growing so monstrously thick and strong that
it was indeed perfectly impassable; and no man could ever imagine that there
was anything beyond it, much less a habitation. The way which I proposed
myself to go in and out was by setting two ladders, one to a part of the rock
which was low, and then broke in, and left room to place another ladder upon
that, so when the two ladders were taken down, no man living could come
down to me without doing himself mischief; and if they had come down, they
were still on the outside of my outer wall.
Thus I took all the measures human prudence could suggest for my own
preservation; and it will be seen that they were not altogether without just
reason, though I foresaw nothing at that time more than my fear suggested to me.
While this was doing, I was not altogether careless of my other affairs; for
I had a great concern upon me for my little herd of goats. They were not
only a ready supply to me on every occasion, and began to be sufficient for me,
without the expense of powder and shot, but also without the fatigue of hunting
after the wild ones; and I was loath to lose the advantage of them, and to have
them all to nurse up over again.
After long consideration, I could think of but two ways to preserve them.
One was, to find another convenient place to dig a cave under ground, and to
drive them into it every night; and the other was, to enclose two or three little
bits of land, remote from one another, and as much concealed as I could, where
I might keep about half dozen young goats in each place, so that if any disaster
happened to the flock in general, I might be able to raise them again with
little trouble and time; and this, though it would require a good deal of time
and labour, I thought was the most rational design.
102
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
A
sagt valg den verband
agad a
Accordingly I spent some time to find out the most retired parts of the island,
and pitched upon one, which was as private as my heart could wish for. It was
a little damp piece of ground, in the middle of the hollow and thick woods, where
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, nearly three
acres, so surrounded with woods, that it was almost an enclosure by nature.
$1
I immediately went to work with this piece of ground; and, in less than a
month's time, I had so fenced it round, that my flock were secured in it.
Without any further delay, I removed ten young she-goats, and two he-goats,
to this piece; and, when they were there, I continued to perfect the fence till
I had made it as secure as the other. All this labour I was at purely from
my apprehensions on the account of the print of a man's foot; for, as yet, I
had never seen any human creature come near the island, and I had now lived
two years under this uneasiness, which made my life much less comfortable
than it was before. I must observe, with grief, too, that the discomposure of
my mind had made great impression upon the religious part of my thoughts;
for the dread and terror of falling into the hands of savages and cannibals lay
so upon my spirits, that I seldom found myself in a due temper for application
to my Maker, at least, not with the sedate calmness and resignation of soul
which I was wont to do.
But to go on. After I had thus secured one part of my living stock, I
went about the whole island searching for another private place to make such
another deposit; when, wandering more to the west point of the island than I
had ever done yet, and looking out to sea, I thought I saw a boat upon the sea at
a great distance. I looked at it till my eyes were not able to look any longer;
but as I descended from the hill I could see no more of it. When I was come
down the hill to the end of the island, where I had never been before, I was
presently convinced that the seeing the print of a man's foot was not such a
strange thing in the island as I imagined. And but that it was a special
providence that I was cast upon the side of the island where the savages never
came, I should easily have known that nothing was more frequent than for
the canoes from the main, when they happened to be a little too far out at sea,
to shoot over to that side of the island for harbour. Likewise, as they often
met and fought in their canoes, the victors, having taking any prisoners, would
bring them over to this shore, where, according to their dreadful customs,
being all cannibals, they would kill and eat them; of which hereafter.
When I was come down to the shore, being the S.W. point of the island, I
was perfectly confounded and amazed at seeing the shore spread with skulls,
hands, feet, and other bones of human bodies; and particularly, I observed a
place where there had been a fire made, and a circle dug in the earth, like a
cockpit, where I supposed the savage wretches had sat down to their inhuman
feastings upon the bodies of their fellow-creatures.
103
All – watakan ada pad
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
I was so astonished with the sight of these things, that I entertained no.
notions of any danger to myself from it for a long while: all my apprehensions
were buried in the thoughts of such a pitch of inhuman brutality, and the
horror of the degeneracy of human nature, which I never had so near a view
of before. I turned away my face from the horrid spectacle; my stomach
grew sick, and I was just at the point of fainting, when nature discharged the
disorder from my stomach: and having vomited with uncommon violence, I
was a little relieved, but could not bear to stay in the place a moment; so I
got up the hill again with all the speed I could, and walked on towards my
own habitation.
I had been here now almost eighteen years, and never saw the least footsteps
of human creature there before; and I might be eighteen years more as en-
tirely concealed as I was how, if I did not discover myself to them. Yet I
entertained such an abhorrence of the savage wretches that I have been
speaking of, and of the wretched, inhuman custom of their devouring and
eating one another up, that I continued pensive and sad, and kept close within
my own circle for almost two years after this: when I say my own circle, I
mean my three plantations, viz., my castle, my country seat (which I called
my bower), and my enclosure in the woods; nor did I look after this for any
öther use than as an enclosure for my goats; for the aversion which nature
gave me to these hellish wretches was such, that I was as fearful of seeing
them as of seeing the devil himself. I did not go to look after my boat all
this time, but began rather to think of making another: for I could not think
of making any more attempts to bring the other boat round the island, lest I
should meet with some of these creatures at sea; in which case, if I had
happened to have fallen into their hands, I knew what would have been my lot.
Time, however, and the satisfaction I had that I was in no danger of being
discovered by these people, began to wear off my uneasiness about them; and
I began to live in the same composed manner as before, only with this differ-
ence, that I used more caution, and kept my eyes more about me lest I should
be seen by any of them; and particularly, I was more cautious of firing my
gun, lest any of them, being on the island, should happen to hear it. It was
a very good providence to me that I had furnished myself with a tame breed
of goats, and that I had no need to hunt any more about the woods, or shoot
at them; so that for two years after this, I believe I never fired my gun once
off, though I never went out without it; and, what was more, as I had saved
three pistols out of the ship, I always carried them out with me, or at least
two of them, sticking them in my goatskin belt. I also furbished up one of the
great cutlasses that I had out of the ship, and made me a belt to hang it on also;
so that I was now a most formidable fellow to look at when I went abroad, if
you add to the former description of myself, the particular of two pistols and
a great broad-sword hanging at my side in a belt, but without a scabbard.
104
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
I made my tour every morning to the top of the hill, which was from my
castle, as I called it, about three miles, or more, to see if I could observe any
boats upon the sea, coming near the island, or standing over towards it; but I
began to tire of this duty, after I had, for two or three months, constantly
kept my watch, but came always back without any discovery; there having
not, in all that time, been the least appearance, not only on or near the shore,
but on the whole ocean, so far as my eyes or glass could reach every way.
I went and removed my boat, which I had on the other side, and carried it
down to the east end of the island, where I ran it into a little cove, which I
found under some high rocks, and where I knew, by reason of the currents,
the savages durst not, at least would not come with their boats upon any
account whatever. With my boat I carried away everything that I had left
there belonging to her, viz., a mast and a sail which I had made for her, and a
thing like an anchor, but which indeed could not be called either anchor or
grapnel; however, it was the best I could make of its kind. All these I
removed, that there might not be the least shadow for discovery, or ap-
pearance of any boat, or of any human habitation upon the island. Besides
this, I kept myself more retired than ever, and seldom went from my cell
except upon my constant employment, to milk my she-goats, and manage
my little flock in the wood, which, as it was quite on the other part of the
island, was out of danger; for certain it is that these savage people, who
sometimes haunted this island, never came with any thoughts of finding any-
thing here, and consequently never wandered off from the coast, and I
doubt not but they might have been several times on shore after my appre-
hensions of them had made me cautious, as well as before,
I believe the reader of this will not think it strange if I confess that these
anxieties, these constant dangers I lived in, and the concern that was now
upon me, put an end to all invention, and to all the contrivances that I had laid
for my future accommodations and conveniences. I had the care of my safety
more now upon my hands than that of my food. I cared not to drive a nail,
or chop a stick of wood, for fear the noise should be heard; much less would
I fire a gun for the same reason; and, above all, I was intolerably uneasy at
making any fire, lest the smoke, which is visible at a great distance in the day,
should betray me. For this reason I removed that part of my business which
required fire, such as burning of pots and pipes, etc., into any new apartment
in the woods; where, after I had been some time, I found to my unspeakable.
consolation, a mere natural cave in the earth, which went in a vast way, and
where, I dare say, no savage, had he been at the mouth of it, would be so
hardy as to venture in; nor, indeed, would any man else, but one who, like
me, wanted nothing so much as a safe retreat.
The mouth of this hallow was at the bottom of a great rock, where I was
cutting down some thick branches of trees, to make charcoal. I was afraid of
A
105

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
C
·
making a smoke about my habitation, and yet I could not live without baking
my bread, cooking my meat, etc.; so I contrived to burn some wood here, as
I had seen done in England, under turf, till it became chark or dry coal; and
then putting the fire out, I preserved the coal to carry home, and perform the
other services for which fire was wanting, without danger of smoke. While I
was cutting down some wood here, I perceived that, behind a very thick
branch of brushwood, there was a kind of hollow place. I was curious to look
in, and getting with difficulty into the mouth of it, I found it was pretty large,
that is to say, sufficient for me to stand upright in, and perhaps another with
me; but I must confess that I made more haste out than I did in, when,
looking farther into the place, which was perfectly dark, I saw two broad shin-
ing eyes of some creature, whether devil or man I knew not, which twinkled
like two stars; the dim light from the cave's mouth shining directly in, and
making the reflection. After some pause, I recovered myself, and began to
call myself a thousand fools, and to think that he that was afraid to see the
devil, was not fit to live twenty years in an island all alone; and that I might
well think there was nothing in this cave more frightful than myself. Upon
this, plucking up my courage, I took up a firebrand, and in I rushed again. I
had not gone three steps, before I was almost as much frightened as before ;
for I heard a very loud sigh, like that of a man in pain, and it was followed
by a broken noise as of words half expressed, and then a deep sigh again. I
stepped back, and was indeed struck with such a surprise that it put me into
a cold sweat, and if I had had a hat on my head, I will not answer for it that
my hair might not have lifted it off. But plucking up my spirits as well as I
could, and encouraging myself with considering that the power and presence
of God was everywhere, and was able to protect me, I stepped forward again,
and by the light of the firebrand, holding it over my head, I saw lying on the
ground a monstrous, frightful, old he-goat, just making his will, as we say,
and gasping for life, and dying, indeed, of mere old age. I stirred him a little
to see if I could get him out, and he essayed to get up, but was not able to
raise himself; and I thought with myself he might even lie there, for if he
had frightened me, so he would certainly fright the savages, if any one of them
should be so hardy as to come in there while he had life in him.
I was now recovered from my surprise, and began to look round me. I
found the cave was very small,-that is to say, it might be about twelve feet
over, but in no manner of shape, no hands having ever been employed in
making it but those of Nature. I observed also that there was a place at the
farther side of it that went in further, but was so low that it required me to
creep upon my hands and knees to go into it, and whither it went I knew not;
so, having no candle, I gave it over for that time, but resolved to come again
the next day provided with candles, and a tinder-box, which I had made of the
lock of one of the muskets, with some wildfire in the pan.
106
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
Accordingly, the next day I came provided with six large candles of my
own making (for I made very good candles now of goats' tallow, for candle-
wick, using sometimes rags or rope-yarn, and sometimes the dried rind of a
weed like nettles); and going into this low place I was obliged to creep upon
all fours, almost ten yards. When I had got through the strait, I found the
roof rose higher up, I believe near twenty feet; but never was such a glorious
sight seen in the island, I dare say, as it was to look round the sides and roof
of this vault or cave-the wall reflected a hundred thousand lights to me from
my two candles.
What it was in the rock-whether diamonds or any other
precious stones, or gold-which I rather supposed it to be-I knew not. The
place I was in was a most delightful cavity, or grotto, though perfectly dark;
the floor was dry and level, and had a sort of a small loose gravel upon it, so
that there was no nauseous or venomous creature to be seen, neither was there
any damp or wet on the sides or roof; the only difficulty in it was the entrance,
—which, however, as it was a place of security, and such a retreat as I wanted,
I thought was a convenience. I was rejoiced at the discovery, and resolved,
without any delay, to bring some of those things which I was most anxious
about to this place, particularly my magazine of powder, and my spare arms,
viz., two fowling pieces and three muskets. I kept in my castle only five,
which stood ready mounted like pieces of cannon on my outmost fence, and
were ready also to take out upon any expedition. Upon this occasion of re-
moving my ammunition I happened to open the barrel of powder which I took
up out of the sea, and which had been wet. I found that the water had
penetrated about three or four inches into the powder on every side, which,
caking and growing hard, had preserved the inside like a kernel in the shell,
so that I had nearly sixty pounds of very good powder in the centre of the
cask. This was a very agreeable discovery to me at that time; so I carried
all away thither, never keeping above two or three pounds of powder with me
in my castle, for fear of a surprise of any kind; I also carried thither all the
lead I had left for bullets.
I fancied myself now like one of the ancient giants who were said to live in
caves and holes in the rocks, where none could come at them; for I persuaded
myself, while I was here, that if five hundred savages were to hunt me, they
could never find me out-or if they did, they would not venture to attack me.
The old goat whom I found expiring died in the mouth of the cave the day
after I made this discovery; and I found it much easier to dig a great hole
there, and throw him in and cover him with earth, than to drag him out; so
I interred him there, to prevent offence to my nose.
I was now in the twenty-third year of my residence in this island, and was so
naturalized to the place and the manner of living, that, could I but have en-
joyed the certainty that no savages would come to the place to disturb me, I
could have been content to spend the rest of my time there, even to the last
J
107
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
..


I
moment, till I had laid me down and died, like the old goat in the cave.
had also some little diversions and amusements, which made the time pass
more pleasantly with me than it did before:-first, I had taught my Poll to
speak; and he did it so familiarly, and talked so articulately, that it was very
pleasant to me. I believe no bird ever spoke plainer,-and he lived with me
no less than six-and-twenty years. My dog was a pleasant and loving com-
panion to me for no less than sixteen years of my time, and then died of old
age. My cats multiplied to that degree that I was obliged to shoot several of
them to keep them from devouring me and all I had; but, at length, after
some time continually driving them from me, and letting them have no pro-
vision with me, they all ran wild into the woods, except two or three favourites,
which I kept tame. Besides these I always kept two or three household kids
about me, whom I taught to feed out of my hand; and I had two more parrots,
which talked pretty well, and would all call "Robinson Crusoe," but none like
my first; nor, indeed, did I take the pains with any of them that I had done
with him. I had also several tame sea-fowls, whose names I knew not, that I
caught upon the shore, and cut their wings; and the little stakes which I had
planted before my castle wall being now grown up to a good thick grove, these
fowls all lived among the low trees, and bred there, which was very agreeable
so that I began to be very well contented with the life I led, if I could
have been secured from the dread of the savages. But it was otherwise
directed; and it may not be amiss for all people who shall meet with my story
to make this observation from it:-How frequently, in the course of our lives,
the evil which in itself we seek most to shun, and which, when we are fallen
into, is the most dreadful to us, is oftentimes the very means of our deliverance.
I could give many examples of this in the course of my life; but in nothing
was it more remarkable than in the circumstances of my last years of solitary
residence in this island.
to me,-
A
It was now the month of December, in my twenty-third year. And this,
being the southern solstice (for winter I cannot call it), was the particular
time of my harvest, and required me to be pretty much abroad in the fields,
when, going out early in the morning even before it was thorough daylight, I
was surprised with seeing a light of some fire upon the shore, at a distance
from me of about two miles, and, to my great affliction, it was on my side of
the island.
I stopped short within my grove, not daring to go out, lest I might be sur
prised. And yet I had no more peace within, from the apprehensions I had
that if these savages, in rambling over the island, should find my corn standing
or cut, or any of my works and improvements, they would immediately conclude
that there were people in the place, and would never rest till they had found
me out. In this extremity I went back directly to my castle, pulled up the ladder
after me, and made all things without look as wild and natural as I could.
108
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
Then I prepared myself within, putting myself in a posture of defence. I
loaded all my muskets, which were mounted upon my new fortification, and
all my pistols, and resolved to defend myself to the last gasp-not forgetting
seriously to commend myself to the Divine protection, and earnestly to pray to
God to deliver me out of the hands of the barbarians. I continued in this
posture about two hours, and then began to be impatient for intelligence.
After sitting awhile, and musing what I should do in this case, I was not able
to bear sitting in ignorance any longer. So setting up my ladder to the side
of the hill, where there was a flat place, and then pulling the ladder after me,
I set it up again, and mounted the top of the hill, and pulling out my perspec-
tive-glass, I laid me down flat on my belly on the ground, and began to look
for the place. I presently found there were no less than nine naked savages
sitting round a small fire they had made, not to warm them, for they had
no need of that, the weather being extremely hot, but, as I supposed, to dress
some of their barbarous diet of human flesh which they had brought with them.
.
They had two canoes, which they had hauled up upon the shore; and as it
was then ebb of tide, they seemed to me to wait for the return of the flood to
go away again. It is not easy to imagine what confusion this sight put me
into, especially seeing them come on my side of the island, and so near to me;
but when I considered their coming must be always with the current of the
ebb, I began afterwards to be more sedate in my mind, being satisfied that I
might go abroad with safety all the time of the flood of tide, if they were not
on shore before; and having made this observation, I went abroad about my
harvest work with the more composure.
·
As I expected, so it proved; for, as soon as the tide made to the westward,
I saw them all take boat and paddle away. I observed that for an hour or
more before they went off they were dancing, and I could easily discern their
postures and gestures by my glass. I could perceive that they were naked,
but whether they were men or women I could not distinguish.
As soon as I saw them gone, I took two guns upon my shoulders, and two
pistols in my girdle, and my great sword by my side without a scabbard, and
with all the speed I was able to make, went away to the hill where I had dis-
covered the first appearance of all. And as soon as I got thither, I perceived
there had been three canoes of the savages at that place; and looking out
farther, I saw they were all at sea together, making over for the main. This
was a dreadful sight to me, especially as, going down to the shore, I could see
the marks of horror which the dismal work they had been about had left behind
it, viz., the blood, the bones, and part of the flesh of human bodies eaten and
devoured by those wretches with merriment and sport. I was so filled with
indignation at the sight, that I now began to premeditate the destruction of
the next that I saw there, let them be whom or how many soever. It seemed
evident to me that the visits which they made to this island were not very
a mga maging man d
p ph V KATER
109

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
frequent, for it was above fifteen months before any more of them came on
shore there again—that is, I neither saw them or any footsteps or signals of
them in all that time. Yet all this while I lived uncomfortably, by reason of
the constant apprehensions of their coming upon me by surprise.
I spent my days now in great perplexity and anxiety of mind, expecting
that I should one day or other fall into the hands of these merciless creatures;
and if I did at any time venture abroad, it was not without looking round me
with the greatest caution imaginable. And now I found, to my comfort, how
happy it was that I had provided a tame flock of goats; for I durst not upon
any account fire my gun, especially near that side of the island where they
usually came, lest I should alarm the savages; and if they had fled from me
now, I was sure to have them come again with perhaps two or three hundred
canoes, and then I knew what to expect. I wore out a year and three months
before I saw any more of the savages. It is true they might have been there
once or twice; but I did not see them.
The perturbation of my mind, during this fifteen or sixteen months' interval,
was very great. I slept unquietly, dreamed frightful dreams, and often started
out of my sleep in the night. In the day, great troubles overwhelmed my
mind; and in the night, I dreamed often of killing the savages. But to wave
all this for a while-in the middle of May, on the sixteenth day, I think, as
well as my poor wooden calendar would reckon, it blew a very great storm of
wind, with a great deal of lightning and thunder, and a very foul night it was
after it. I was reading in the Bible, and taken up with serious thoughts about
my present condition, when I was surprised with the noise of a gun, as I
thought, fired at sea. This was a surprise quite of a different nature from any
I had met with before. I started up in the greatest haste imaginable; clapped
my ladder to the middle place of the rock, and pulled it after me; and,
mounting it the second time, got to the top of the hill the very moment that a
flash of fire bid me listen for the second gun, which, in about half a minute, I
heard; and, by the sound, knew that it was from that part of the sea where
I was driven down the current in my boat. I immediately considered that
this must be some ship in distress, and that they had some other ship in
company, and fired these for signals of distress, and to obtain help. I had the
presence of mind to think that, though I could not help them, it might be they
might help me; so I brought together all the dry wood I could get at hand,
and, making a good handsome pile, I set it on fire upon the hill. The wood
was dry, and blazed freely; and, though the wind blew very hard, yet it
burned fairly cut, so that I was certain, if there was any such thing as a ship,
they must see it, and no doubt they did; for as soon as ever my fire blazed up,
I heard another gun, and after that several others, all from the same quarter.
I plied my fire all night long, till daybreak; and when it was broad day, and
the air cleared up, I saw something at a great distance at sea, full east of the
A pak me per gli aman da dataan besar tempat makan penga qada
110
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
island,-whether a sail or a hull I could not distinguish, not even with my
glass, the distance was so great, and the weather something hazy.
I looked frequently at it all that day, and soon perceived that it did not
move; so I concluded that it was a ship at anchor; and being eager to be
satisfied, I took my gun and ran towards the south side of the island, to the
rocks where I had formerly been taken away by the current. The weather by
this time being perfectly clear, I could plainly see, to my great sorrow, the
wreck of a ship, cast away in the night upon those concealed rocks which I
found when I was out in my boat; and which rocks, as they checked the
violence of the stream, and made a kind of counter-stream, were the occasion
of my recovering from the most hopeless condition that ever I had been in in
my life. Thus, what is one man's safety is another man's destruction; for it
seems these men, whoever they were, being out of their knowledge, and the
rocks being wholly under water, had been driven upon them in the night, the
wind blowing hard at E.N.E. Had they seen the island, as I suppose they
did not, they must, as I thought, have endeavoured to save themselves on
shore by the help of their boat; but their firing off guns for help, especially
when they saw, as I imagined, my fire, filled me with many thoughts. First,
I imagined that upon seeing my light, they might have put themselves into
their boat, and endeavoured to make the shore; but that the sea running very
high, they might have been cast away. Other times, I imagined they had
some ship or ships in company, who, upon the signals of distress they made,
had taken them up, and carried them off to sea in their boat, and being hurried
away by the current that I had been formerly in, were carried out into the
great ocean, where there was nothing but misery and perishing.
As all these were but conjectures, so, in the condition I was in, I could do
no more than look upon the misery of the poor men, and pity them; which
had this good effect upon my side, that it gave me more and more cause to
give thanks to God, who had so happily and comfortably provided for me in
my desolate condition; when, of two ships' companies, now cast away upon
this part of the world, not one life was spared but mine. I learned here again
to observe, that it is very rarely the providence of God casts us into any
condition of life so low, or any misery so great, but we may see something
or other to be thankful for, and may see others in worse circumstances than
our own. Such certainly was the case of these men, of whom I could not so
much as see room to suppose any of them were saved; nothing could make it
rational to expect that they did not all perish there, except the possibility of
their being taken up by another ship in company; and this was but mere
possibility indeed, for I saw not the least sign or appearance of any such thing.
I cannot explain, by any possible words, what a strange longing I felt in my
soul, breaking out sometimes thus:-"O that there had been but one soul
saved out of this ship, to have escaped to me, that I might have had one
Va multumque atende
T
111
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
companion, one fellow-creature, to have spoken to me and to have conversed
with!" In all the time of my solitary life I never felt so earnest, so strong a
desire after the society of my fellow-creatures, or so deep a regret at the
want of it.
I believe I repeated the words, "O that it had been but one!" a thousand
times; and my desires were so moved by it, that when I spoke the words my
hands, would clinch together, and my fingers would press the palms of my
hand, so that if I had had any soft thing in my hand, I would have crushed it
involuntarily; and the teeth in my head would strike together, and set against
one another so strong, that for some time I could not part them again. Some
days after, the corpse of a drowned boy come on shore at the end of the
island, which was next the shipwreck. He had no clothes on but a seaman's
waistcoat, a pair of open-kneed linen drawers, and a blue linen shirt; but
nothing to direct me so much as to guess what nation he was of. He had
nothing in his pockets but two pieces-of-eight and a tobacco-pipe-the last was
to me of ten times more value than the first.
to me.
It was now calm, and I had a great mind to venture out in my boat to this
wreck, not doubting but I might find something on board that might be useful
But that did not altogether press me so much as the possibility that
there might be some living creature on board, whose life I might not only
save, but might, by saving that life, comfort my own to the last degree; and
this thought clung so to my heart that I could not be quiet night or day, but
I must venture out in my boat to this wreck; I thought the impression was so
strong upon my mind that it must come from some invisible direction, and
that I should be wanting to myself if I did not go.
Under the power of this impression, I hastened back to my castle; prepared
everything for my voyage, took a quantity of bread, a great pot of fresh water,
a compass to steer by, a bottle of rum (for I had still a great deal of that left),
and a basket of raisins; and thus, loading myself with everything necessary, I
went down to my boat, got the water out of her, got her afloat, loaded all my
cargo in her, and then went home again for more. My second cargo was a
great bag of rice, the umbrella to set up over my head for a shade, another
large pot of fresh water, and about two dozen small loaves, or barley cakes,
more than before, with a bottle of goat's milk, and a cheese: all which, I
carried to my boat; and praying to God to direct my voyage, I put out, and
paddling the canoe along the shore, came at last to the utmost point of the
island on the north-east side. And now I was to launch out into the ocean,
venture or not to venture. I looked on the rapid currents which ran con-
stantly on both sides of the island at a distance, and which were very terrible
to me, from the remembrance of the hazard I had been in before, and my heart
began to fail me; for I foresaw that if I was driven into either of those currents
I should be carried a great way out to sea, and perhaps out of my reach, or
112

W
"Going towards the boat I was exceedingly surprised with the print of a man's
naked foot on the shore."
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
sight of the island again; and that then, as my boat was but small, if any little
gale of wind should rise, I should be inevitably lost.
These thoughts so oppressed my mind that I began to give over my enter-
prise; and having hauled my boat into a little creek on the shore, I stepped
out, and sat down upon a rising bit of ground, very pensive and anxious,
between fear and desire about my voyage; when, as I was musing, I could
perceive that the tide was turned, and the flood came on; upon which my
going was impracticable for so many hours. Presently it occurred to me that
I should go up to the highest piece of ground I could find, and observe, if
I could, how the sets of the tide or currents lay when the flood came in, that
I might judge whether, if I was driven one way out, I might not expect to be
driven another way home, with the same rapidity of the currents.
I cast my
eye upon a little hill, which sufficiently overlooked the sea both ways, and
whence I had a clear view of the currents, and which way I was to guide
myself in my return. Here I found that as the current of ebb set out close by
the south point of the island, so the current of the flood set in close by the
shore of the north side; and that I had nothing to do but to keep to the north
side of the island in my return, and I should do well enough.
Encouraged with this observation, I resolved to set out the next morning
with the first of the tide, reposing myself for the night in my canoe under the
great watch-coat. In the morning I launched out. I made a little out to
sea, full north, till I began to feel the benefit of the current, which set east-
ward, and which carried me at a great rate; and yet did not so hurry me as
the current on the south side had done before, so as to take from me all
government of the boat; but having a strong steerage with my paddle, I went,
at great rate, directly for the wreck, and in less than two hours I came up
to it. It was a dismal sight to look at: the ship, which by its building was
Spanish, stuck fast, jammed in between two rocks. The stern and quarter of
her were beaten to pieces by the sea; and as her forecastle, which stuck in the
rocks, had run on with great violence, her mainmast and foremast were brought
by the board, that is, broken short off; but her bowsprit was sound, and the
head and bow appeared firm. When I came close to her, a dog appeared
upon her. I took him into the boat, but found him almost dead with hunger
and thirst. I gave him a cake of my bread, and some fresh water. After this
I went on board. The first sight I met with was two men drowned in the
cook-room, or forecastle of the ship, with their arms fast about one another.
I concluded, that when the ship struck, it being in a storm, the sea broke so
high, and so continually over her, that the men were not able to bear it, and
were strangled with the constant rushing in of the water. Besides the dog,
there was nothing left in the ship that had life; nor any goods, that I could
see, but what were spoiled by the water. There were some casks of liquor,
which lay lower in the hold, and which, the water being ebbed out, I could
II
-
113
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
see; but they were too big to meddle with. I saw several chests, which I
believe belonged to some of the seamen; and I got two of them into the boat,
without examining what was in them. Had the stern of the ship been fixed,
and the forepart broken off, I am persuaded I might have made a good voyage;
for, by what I found in these two chests, I had room to suppose the ship had
a great deal of wealth on board; and, if I may guess from the course she
steered, she must have been bound from Buenos Ayres, or the Rio de la Plata,
in the south part of America, beyond the Brazils to the Havannah, in the gulf of
Mexico, and so perhaps to Spain. She had, no doubt, great treasure in her, but
of no use, at that time, to anybody. What became of the crew I then knew not.
I found, besides these chests, a little cask full of liquor, of about twenty
gallons, which I got into my boat with much difficulty. There were several
muskets in the cabin, and a great powder-horn, with about four pounds
of powder in it. As for the muskets, I had no occasion for them, so I left
them, but took the powder-horn. I took a fire-shovel and tongs, which I
wanted extremely; also two little brass kettles, a copper pot to make chocolate,
and a gridiron; and with this cargo, and the dog, I came away, the tide
beginning to make home again; and the same evening I reached the island,
weary and fatigued to the last degree. I reposed that night in the boat; and
in the morning I resolved to harbour what I had got in my new cave, and
not carry it home to my castle. After refreshing myself, I got my cargo on
shore, and began to examine the particulars. The cask of liquor I found to
be a kind of ruin, and not at all good; but when I came to open the chests,
I found several things of great use to me. I found in one a fine case of
bottles, of an extraordinary kind, and filled with cordial waters, fine, and very
good. The bottles held about three pints each, and were tipped with silver.
I found two pots of very good succades, or sweetmeats, so fastened on the top
that the salt water had not hurt them; and two more of the same, which the
water had spoiled. I found some good shirts, which were very welcome to
me; and about a dozen and a half of white linen handkerchiefs and coloured
neckcloths. Besides this, when I came to the till in the chest, I found there
three great bags of pieces-of-eight, which held about eleven hundred pieces in
all; and in one of them, wrapped up in a paper, six doubloons of gold, and
some small bars or wedges of gold. I suppose they might all weigh nearly a
pound. In the other chest were some clothes, but of little value. Upon the
whole, I got very little by this voyage that was of any use to me; for, as to
the money, I had no occasion for it. It was to me as the dirt under my feet,
and I would have given it all for three or four pair of English shoes and
stockings, which were things I greatly wanted, but had none on my feet for
many years. I had, indeed, got two pair of shoes now, which I took off the
feet of the two drowned men whom I saw in the wreck, and I found two pair
more in one of the chests; but they were not like our English shoes, either
ing Manat – abatera, a dead aroma a la vegan, apa
114
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
for ease or service, being rather what we call pumps than shoes. I found in
this seaman's chest about fifty pieces-of-eight, in rials, but no gold. I suppose
this belonged to a poorer man than the other, which seemed to belong to some
officer. Well, however, I lugged this money home to my cave, and laid it up,
as I had done that before which I had brought from our own ship; but it was
a pity that the other part of this ship had not come to my share; for I am
satisfied I might have loaded my canoe several times over with money; and,
thought I, if I ever escape to England, it might lie here safe enough till I
come again and fetch it.
Having now brought all my things on shore, and secured them, I went back
to my boat, and paddled her along the shore to her old harbour, where I laid
her up, and made the best of my way to my old habitation, where I found
everything safe and quiet. I began now to repose myself, live after my old
fashion, and take care of my family affairs. And for a while I lived easily
enough, only that I was more vigilant than I used to be, looked out oftener,
and did not go abroad so much. And if, at any time, I did stir with any
freedom, it was always to the east part of the island, where I was pretty well
satisfied the savages never came, and where I could go without so many pre-
cautions, and such a load of arms and ammunition as I carried with me if I
went the other way. I lived in this condition nearly two years more; but my
unlucky head was all these two years filled with projects and designs, how I
might get away from this island. Sometimes I was for making another voyage
to the wreck, though my reason told me that there was nothing left there
worth the hazard of my voyage; sometimes for a ramble one way, sometimes
another: and I believe verily, if I had had the boat that I went from Sallee
in, I should have ventured to sea, bound anywhere, I knew not whither.
I now retired into my castle, after my late voyage to the wreck, my frigate
laid up and secured under water, as usual, and my condition restored to what
it was before. I had more wealth, indeed, than I had before, but was not at
all the richer; for I had no more use for it than the Indians of Peru had
before the Spaniards came there.
It was one of the nights in the rainy season in March, the four-and-twentieth
year of my first setting foot in this island of solitude, I was lying in my
hammock, awake, very well in health, no uneasiness of body, nor any un-
easiness of mind more than ordinary, but I could by no means close my eyes,
so as to sleep. It is impossible to set down the crowd of thoughts that
whirled through that great thoroughfare of the brain-the memory, in this
night's time. I ran over the whole history of my life, to my coming to this
island, and also of part of my life since I came to this island. In my
reflections upon the state of my case since I came on shore on this island, I
was comparing the happy posture of my affairs in the first years of my
habitation here, with the life of anxiety, fear, and care, which I had lived in
115
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
ever since I had seen the print of a foot in the sand; not that I did not be-
lieve the savages had frequented the island all the while, and might have been
several hundreds of them at times on shore there, but I had never known it.
I came to reflect seriously upon the real danger I had been in for so many
years in this very island, and how I had walked about in the greatest security,
and with all possible tranquillity, even when perhaps nothing but the brow of
a hill, a great tree, or casual approach of night, had been between me and the
worst kind of destruction, viz., that of falling into the hands of cannibals and
savages, who would have seized on me with the same view as I would on a
goat or a turtle, and have thought it no more crime to kill and devour me,
than I did a pigeon or a curlew. I was sincerely thankful to my great
Preserver, to whose singular protection I acknowledged, with great humility,
all these unknown deliverances were due, and without which I must inevitably
have fallen into their merciless hands.
Then it occurred to me to inquire what part of the world these wretches
lived in? how far off the coast was whence they came? what they ventured
so far from home for? what kind of boats they had? and why I might not
order myself and my business so, that I might be as able to go over thither,
as they were to come to me.
I never troubled myself to consider what I should do with myself when I
went thither; what would become of me if I fell into the hands of the savages;
or how I should escape them if they attacked me; my mind was wholly bent
upon the notion of my passing over in my boat to the mainland. I looked
upon my present condition as the most miserable that could possibly be; that
I was not able to throw myself into anything but death, that could be called
worse. All this was the fruit of a disturbed mind, an impatient temper, made
desperate, as it were, by the long continuance of my troubles, and the disap-
pointments I had met in the wreck I had been on board of, and where I had
been so near obtaining what I so earnestly longed for, somebody to speak to,
and to learn some knowledge from them of the place where I was, and of the
probable means of my deliverance. All my calm of mind, in my resignation
to Providence, and waiting the issue of the dispositions of Heaven, seemed to
be suspended; and I had, as it were, no power to turn my thoughts to any-
thing but to the project of a voyage to the main, which came upon me with
such force, and such an impetuosity of desire, that it was not to be resisted.
When this had agitated my thoughts for two hours or more, with such
violence that it set my very blood into a ferment, and my pulse beat as if I
had been in a fever, Nature, fatigued and exhausted, threw me into a sound
sleep. I dreamed that as I was going out in the morning as usual, from my
castle, I saw upon the shore two canoes and eleven savages coming to land,
and that they brought with them another savage, whom they were going to
kill, in order to eat him; on a sudden, the savage that they were going to kill
-
116
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
jumped away, and ran for his life; and I thought, in my sleep, that he came
running into my little thick grove, before my fortification, to hide himself;
and that I, seeing him alone, and not perceiving that the others sought him
that way, showed myself to him, and smiling upon him, encouraged him; that
he kneeled down to me, seeming to pray me to assist him; upon which I
showed him my ladder, made him go up, and carried him into my cave, and
he became my servant: and that as soon as I had got this man, I said to my-
self, "Now I may certainly venture to the mainland, for this fellow will serve
me as a pilot, and will tell me what to do, what places to venture into, and
what to shun." I waked with this thought; and was under such inexpressible
impressions of joy at the prospect of my escape in my dream, that the
disappointments which I felt upon coming to myself, and finding that it was
no more than a dream, were equally extravagant the other way, and threw me
into a very great dejection of spirits.
I made this conclusion, however, that my only way to attempt an escape.
was, if possible, to get a savage into my possession; and, if possible, it should
be one of their prisoners, whom they had condemned to be eaten, and should
bring hither to kill. My next thing was to contrive how to do it, and this
indeed was very difficult to resolve on. I could pitch upon no probable means
for it, so I resolved to put myself upon the watch, to see them when they came
on shore, and leave the rest to the event; taking such measures as the oppor-
tunity should present, let what would be.
With these resolutions in my thoughts, I set myself upon the scout as often
as possible; indeed, so often that I was heartily tired of it, for it was above a
year and a half that I waited; and for great part of that time went out to the
west end, and to the south-west corner of the island almost every day, to look
for canoes, but none appeared. This was very discouraging, but the longer it.
seemed to be delayed, the more eager I was for it. In a word, I was not at
first so careful to shun the sight of these savages, and avoid being seen by
them, as I was now eager to be upon them. Besides, I fancied myself able to
manage two or three savages, if I had them, so as to make them entirely slaves
to me to do whatever I should direct them, and to prevent their being able to
do me any hurt.
About a year and a half after I entertained these notions, I was surprised
one morning by seeing no less than five canoes all on shore together on my
side the island, and the people who belonged to them all landed and out of
sight. The number of them broke all my measures; for seeing so many, and
knowing that they always came four or six, or sometimes more in a boat, I
could not tell what to think of it, or how to take my measures, to attack
twenty or thirty men single-handed; so I lay still in my castle, perplexed and
discomforted. However, I put myself into the same position for an attack that
I had formerly provided, and was ready for action, if anything presented. Hav-

117

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
Spleen manat puguin ty talentenar de
ing waited a good while, listening to hear if they made any noise, at length,
being very impatient, I set my guns at the foot of my ladder, and clambered
up to the top of the hill, standing so, however, that they could not perceive me
by any means. Here I observed, by the help of my perspective glass, that they
were no less than thirty in number; that they had a fire kindled, and that they
had meat dressed. How they had cooked it I knew not, or what it was; but
they were all dancing, in barbarous gestures and figures, round the fire.
While I was thus looking on them, I perceived two miserable wretches
dragged from the boats, and brought out for slaughter. I perceived one of
them immediately fall, knocked down with a club, or wooden sword; and two
or three others were at work immediately, cutting him open for their cookery,
while the other victim was left standing by himself, till they should be ready
for him. In that very moment, this poor wretch, seeing himself a little at
liberty, and unbound, and inspired with hopes of life, he started away from
them, and ran with incredible swiftness along the sands, directly towards that
part of the coast where my habitation was. I was dreadfully frightened, when
I perceived him run my way; and especially when, as I thought, I saw him
pursued by the whole body; and now I expected that part of my dream was
coming to pass, and that he would certainly take shelter in my grove; but I
could not depend, upon my dream, that the other savages would not pursue
him thither, and find him. However, I kept my station, and my spirits began
to recover when I found that there was not above three men that followed him;
and still more was I encouraged, when I found that he outstripped them exceed-
ingly in running, and gained ground on them; so that, if he could but hold out
for half an hour, I saw he would fairly get away from them all.
There was between them and my castle, the creek, which I mentioned in the
first part of my story, and this he must necessarily swim over, or the poor wretch
would be taken there; but he made nothing of it, though the tide was then up;
but plunging in, swam through in about thirty strokes, or thereabouts, landed,
and ran with exceeding strength and swiftness. When the three persons came
to the creek, I found that two of them could swim, but the third could not; he
looked at the others, and soon after went softly back again, which was very
well for him in the end. I observed that the two who swam were more than
twice as long swimming over the creek as the fellow was that fled from them.
It came upon my thoughts, that now was the time to get me a servant, and
perhaps a companion, and that I was plainly called by Providence to save this
poor creature's life. I immediately ran down the ladders with all possible
expedition, fetched my two guns, and getting up again with the same haste to
the top of the hill, I crossed towards the sea; and having a very short cut, and
all down hill, placed myself in the way between the pursuers and the pursued,
hallooing aloud to him that fled, who, looking back, was at first perhaps as
much frightened at me as at them; but I beckoned with my hand to him to
118
gig a preg meg ga sa mga
get pregiata med et plat
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
come back; and, in the meantime, I slowly advanced towards the two that
followed; then rushing at once upon the foremost, I knocked him down with
the stock of my piece. I was loath to fire, because I would not have the rest
hear; though, at that distance, it would not have been easily heard, and being
out of sight of the smoke, too, they would not have known what to make of it.
Having knocked this fellow down, the other who pursued him stopped, as if
he had been frightened, and I advanced towards him; but as I came nearer, I
perceived he had a bow and arrow, and was fitting it to shoot at me; so I was
then obliged to shoot at him first, which I did, and killed him at the first shot.
The poor savage who fled, though he saw both his enemies fallen and killed,
as he thought, was so frightened with the fire and noise of my piece, that he
stood stock still, though he seemed rather inclined still to fly than come on.
I hallooed again to him, and made signs to come forward, which he understood,
and came a little way; then stopped again, and then a little farther, and stopped
again; and I could perceive that he stood trembling, as if he had been taken
prisoner, and had just been to be killed as his two enemies were. I beckoned
to him again to come to me, and gave him all the signs of encouragement that
I could think of; and he came nearer and nearer, kneeling down every ten or
twelve steps, in token of acknowledgment for saving his life. I smiled at
him, and looked pleasantly, and beckoned to him to come still nearer; at
length he came close to me, and then he kneeled down again, kissed the
ground, and laid his head upon the ground, and, taking me by the foot, set my
foot upon his head; this, it seems, was in token of swearing to be my slave for
ever. I took him up and made much of him, and encouraged him all I could.
But there was more work to do yet; for I perceived the savage whom I knocked
down was not killed, but stunned with the blow, and began to come to himself.
So I pointed to him, and showed him the savage, that he was not dead. Upon
this he spoke some words to me, and though I could not understand them, yet
I thought they were pleasant to hear, for they were the first sound of a man's
voice that I had heard, my own excepted, for above twenty-five years. But
there was no time for such reflections now. The savage who was knocked
down recovered himself so far as to sit up upon the ground, and I perceived
that my savage began to be afraid; but when I saw that, I presented my other
piece at the man, as if I would shoot him. Upon this, my savage, for so I
call him now, made a motion to me to lend him my sword, which hung naked
in a belt by my side. He no sooner had it, but he ran to his enemy, and at
one blow cut off his head so cleverly-no executioner in Germany could have
done it sooner or better-which I thought very strange for one who, I had
reason to believe, never saw a sword in his life before, except their own
wooden swords. However, it seems, as I learned afterwards, they make their
wooden swords so sharp and heavy, and the wood is so hard, that they will
even cut off heads with them, ay, and arms, with one blow. When he had
119

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
done this, he comes laughing to me in sign of triumph, and brought me the
sword again, and with abundance of gestures which I did not understand, laid
it down, with the head of the savage that he had killed, just before me. But
that which astonished him most was to know how I killed the other Indians
so far off. Pointing to him, he made signs to me to let him go to him; and I
bade him go as well as I could. When he came to him, he stood like one
amazed, looking at him, turning him first on one side then on the other; looked
at the wound the bullet had made, which it seems was just in his breast, where
it had made a hole; no great quantity of blood had followed, but he had bled
inwardly, for he was quite dead. He took up his bow and arrows and came
back. So I turned to go away, and beckoned him to follow me, making signs
to him that more might come after them. Upon this he made signs to me
that he should bury them with sand, that they might not be seen by the rest.
if they followed, and so I made signs to him again to do so. He fell to work,
and in an instant he had scraped a hole in the sand with his hands, big enough
to bury the first in, and then dragged him into it, and covered him; and did
so by the other also. I believe he had buried them both in a quarter of an hour.
Then calling him away, I carried him, not to my castle, but quite away to my
cave on the farther part of the island. So I did not let my dream come to
pass in that part, that he came in to my grove for shelter. Here I gave
him bread and a bunch of raisins to eat, and a draught of water,
which I found he was indeed in great distress for from his running. And
having refreshed him, I made signs for him to go and lie down to sleep,
showing him a place where I had laid some rice-straw, and a blanket to lie
upon it, which I used to sleep upon myself sometimes. So the poor creature
lay down, and went to sleep.
He was a comely, handsome fellow, perfectly well made, with straight strong
limbs, not too large, tall and well shaped; and, as I reckon, about twenty-six
years of age. He had a very good countenance, not a fierce and surly aspect,
but seemed to have something very manly in his face; and yet he had all the
sweetness and softness of a European, too, especially when he smiled. His
hair was long and black, not curled like wool; his forehead very high and
large; and a great vivacity and sparkling sharpness in his eyes. The colour
of his skin was not quite black, but tawny; not an ugly, yellow, nauseous.
tawny, as the Brazilians and Virginians, and other natives of America are,
but of a bright dun olive-colour, that had in it something very agreeable,
though not easy to describe. His face was round and plump; his nose small,
not flat like the negroes; a very good mouth, thin lips, and his fine teeth
well set, and as white as ivory.
After he had slumbered, rather than slept, about half an hour, he awoke
again, and came out of the cave to me; for I had been milking my goats,
which I had in the enclosure just by.. When he espied me, he came running
120
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
to me, laying himself down again upon the ground, with all the possible signs
of an humble, thankful disposition, making a great many antic gestures to
show it. At last he lays his head flat upon the ground, close to my foot, and
sets my other foot upon his head, as he had done before, and made all the
signs of servitude and submission imaginable, to let me know how he would
serve me so long as he lived. I understood him in many things, and let him
know I was very well pleased with him. In a little time I began to speak to
him, and teach him to speak to me. And, first, I let him know his name
should be FRIDAY, which was the day I saved his life. I likewise taught him to
say Master; and then let him know that was to be my name. I likewise taught
him to say Yes and No, and to know the meaning of them. I gave him some milk
in an earthen pot, and let him see me drink it before him, and sop my bread
in it; and gave him a cake of bread to do the like, which he quickly complied
with, and made signs that it was very good for him. I kept there with him
all that night; but, as soon as it was day, I beckoned to him to come with me,
and let him know I would give him some clothes, at which he seemed very
glad, for he was stark naked. As we went by the place where he had buried
the two men, he pointed to the place, and showed me the marks that he had
made to find them again, making signs to me that we should dig them up and
eat them. At this I appeared very angry, expressed my abhorrence of it, and
beckoned with my hand to him to come away, which he did immediately, with
great submission. I then led him up to the top of the hill, to see if his
enemies were gone; and, pulling out my glass, I looked and saw plainly the
place where they had been, but no appearance of them or their canoes. So
that it was plain they were gone, and had left their two comrades behind
them, without any search after them.
I was not content with this discovery; but having now more courage, and
consequently more curiosity, I took my man Friday with me, giving him the
sword in his hand, with the bow and arrows at his back, which I found he
could use very dexterously, making him carry one gun for me, and I two for
myself; and away we marched to the place where these creatures had been,
for I had a mind now to get some further intelligence of them. When I came
to the place, my very blood ran chill in my veins, and my heart sunk within
me, at the horror of the spectacle; it was a dreadful sight, at least to me,
though Friday made nothing of it. The place was covered with human bones,
the ground dyed with their blood, and great pieces of flesh left here and there,
half-eaten, mangled, and scorched; and, in short, all the tokens of a triumphant
feast they had been making there, after a victory over their enemies. I saw
three skulls, five hands, and the bones of three or four legs and feet, and
abundance of other parts of the bodies; and Friday, by his signs, made me
understand that they brought over four prisoners to feast upon; that three of
them were eaten up, and that he, pointing to himself, was the fourth; that
121

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
there had been a great battle between them and their next king, of whose
subjects, it seems, he had been one, and that they had taken a great number
of prisoners; all which were carried to several places, by those who had taken
them in fight in order to feast upon them. I caused Friday to gather all the skulls,
bones, flesh, and whatever remained, and lay them together in a heap, and make
a great fire upon it, and burn them all to ashes. I found Friday had still a hanker-
ing stomach after some of the flesh, and was still a cannibal in his nature; but I
showed so much abhorrence at the very thoughts of it, that he durst not discover it.
When he had done this, we came back to our castle; and there I fell to
work for my man Friday; and first of all, I gave him a pair of linen drawers,
which I had out of the poor gunner's chest which I found in the wreck, and
which, with a little alteration, fitted him very well; and then I made him a
jerkin of goat's skin, and I gave him a cap which I made of hare's skin, and
thus he was clothed, for the present, and was mighty well pleased to see him-
self almost as well clothed as his master. It is true he went awkwardly in
these clothes at first: wearing the drawers was very awkward to him, and the
sleeves of the waiscoat galled his shoulders and the inside of his arms; but a
little easing them where he complained they hurt him, and using himself to
them, he at length took to them very well.
The next day, after I came home to my hutch with him, I began to consider
where I should lodge him; and, that I might do well for him, and yet be
perfectly easy myself. I made a little tent for him in the vacant place between
my two fortifications. As there was a door there into my cave, I made a
framed doorcase, and a door to it of boards, and set it up in the passage,
a little with the entrance; and, causing the door to open in the inside,
I barred it up in the night, taking in my ladders too, so that Friday
could no way come at me in the inside of my innermost wall, without making
so much noise in getting over that it must needs awaken me; for my first wall
had now a complete roof over it of long poles, covering all my tent, and leaning
up to the side of the hill; which was again laid across with sticks, instead of
laths, and then thatched over a great thickness with the rice-straw, which was
strong like reeds; and at the 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 out-
side, would not have opened at all, but would have fallen down and made a
great noise.
As to weapons, I took them all in to my side every night. But
I needed none of all this precaution; for never man had a more faithful, loving,
sincere servant than Friday was to me. Without passions, sullenness, or
designs, perfectly obliged and engaged, his affections were tied to me like those
of a child to a father; and I daresay he would have sacrificed his life to save
mine; the many testimonies he gave me of this put it out of doubt, and soon
convinced me that I needed to use no precautions for my safety on his account.
I was greatly delighted with my new companion, and made it my business.
122
Car SDA ENTRE SUR SEIn za koje
*** da ayda değer vi ved den g
A
stra jopa v Zagre
Ha
S
Pada
Margt, at det dig Model
Pada m
A
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
to teach him everything that was proper to make him handy and helpful; but
especially to make him speak, and understand me when I spoke. He was the
aptest scholar that ever was; and particularly was so merry, so constantly
diligent, and so pleased when he could but understand me, or make me under-
stand him, that it was very pleasant for me to talk to him. Now my life began
to be so easy, that could I but have been safe from more savages, I cared not
if I was never to remove from the place where I lived.
After I had been two or three days returned to my castle, I thought that,
in order to bring Friday off from his horrid way of feeding, and from the relish
of a cannibal's stomach, I ought to let him taste other flesh; so I took
him out with me one morning to the woods. I went intending to kill a kid
out of my flock, and bring it home and dress it; but as I was going, I saw a she-
goat lying down in the shade, and two young kids sitting by her. I caught hold
of Friday. "Hold," said I, "stand still;" and made signs to him not to stir.
Immediately I presented my piece, shot, and killed one of the kids. The poor
creature, who had, at a distance, indeed, seen me kill the savage, his enemy,
but did not know, nor could imagine how it was done, was surprised, trembled,
and shook, and looked so amazed that I thought he would have sunk down.
He did not see the kid I shot at, or perceive I had killed it, but ripped up his
waistcoat, to feel whether he was not wounded; and, as I found presently,
thought I was resolved to kill him; for he came and kneeled down to me, and
embracing my knees, said a great many things I did not understand; but I
could easily see the meaning was, to pray me not to kill him.
I soon found a way to convince him that I would do him no harm; and
taking him up by the hand, laughed at him, and pointing to the kid whieh I
had killed, beckoned to him to run and fetch it, which he did and while he
was wondering, and looking to see how the creature was killed, I loaded my
gun again. By-and-by I saw a great fowl, like a hawk, sitting upon a tree
within shot; so, to let Friday understand a little what I would do, I called him
to me again, pointed at the fowl-which was a parrot, though I thought it had
been a hawk-pointing to the parrot and to my gun, and to the ground under
the parrot, to let him see I would make it fall, I made him understand that I
would shoot and kill that bird; accordingly, I fired, and bade him look, and
immediately he saw the parrot fall. He stood like one frightened again, not-
withstanding all I had said to him; and I found he was the more amazed,
because he did not see me put anything into the gun, but thought that there
must have been some wonderful fund of death and destruction in that thing,
able to kill man, beast, bird, or anything near or far off; and the astonishment
this created in him was such as could not wear off for a long time; and, I
believe, if I would have let him, he would have worshipped me and my gun. As
for the gun itself, he would not so much as touch it for several days after; but
he would speak to it and talk to it, as if it had answered him, when he was by
123
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
magde magggg markaz
himself; which, as I afterwards learned of him, was to desire it not to kill him.
After his astonishment was a little over, I pointed to him to run and fetch the
bird I had shot, which he did, but stayed some time; for the parrot not being
quite dead, had fluttered away a good distance from the place where she fell:
however, he found her, took her up, and brought her to me; and as I had per-
ceived his ignorance about the gun before, I took this advantage to charge the
gun again, and not to let him see me do it, that I might be ready for any other
mark that might present; but nothing more offered at that time: so I brought
home the kid, and the same evening I took the skin off, and cut it out as well
as I could; and having a pot fit for that purpose, I boiled some of the flesh,
and made some very good broth. After I had begun to eat, I gave some to
my man, who seemed very glad of it, and liked it very well; but that which
was strangest to him was to see me eat salt with it. He made a sign to me
that the salt was not good to eat and putting a little into his own mouth, he
seemed to nauseate it, and would spit and sputter at it, washing his mouth
with fresh water after it: on the other hand, I took some meat into my mouth
without salt, and I pretended to spit and sputter for want of salt, as much as
he had done at the salt; but it would not do; he would never care for salt
with his meat or in his broth; at least, not for a great while, and then
but a very little.
¿
Having thus fed him with boiled meat and broth, I was resolved to feast
him the next day by roasting a piece of the kid this I did by hanging it
before the fire on a string, as I had seen many people do in England, setting
two poles up, one on each side of the fire, and one across on the top, and tying
the string to the cross stick, letting the meat turn continually. This Friday
admired very much; but when he came to taste the flesh, he took so many
ways to tell me how well he liked it, that I could not but understand him: and
at last he told me, as well as he could, he would never eat man's flesh any more,
which I was very glad to hear.
The next day I set him to work to beating some corn out, and sifting it in
the manner I used to do, and he soon understood how to do it as well as I:
after that, I let him see me make my bread, and in a little time Friday was
able to do all the work for me, as well as I could do it myself.
I began now to consider, that having two mouths to feed instead of one, I
must provide more ground for my harvest, and plant a larger quantity of corn;
so I marked out a larger piece of land, and began the fence in the same
manner as before. Friday worked very willingly and very hard, and I told
him that it was for corn to make more bread, because he was now with me,
and that I might have enough for him and myself too. He appeared very
sensible of that part, and let me know that he thought I had much more labour
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.
124
To v Kamni olgan,
– pa dodamaðr varer, men da je met an
K de a often d
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
S
This was the pleasantest year of all the life I led in this place. Friday be-
gan to talk pretty well, and understand the names of almost everything I had
occasion to call for, and of every place I had to send him to, and talked a
great deal to me; so that, in short, I began now to have some use for my
tongue again. Besides the pleasure of talking to him, I had a singular satis-
faction in the fellow himself; his simple, unfeigned honesty appeared to me.
more and more every day, and I began really to love the creature; and, on his
side, I believe he loved me more than it was possible for him ever to love
anything before.
I had a mind once to try if he had any inclination for his own country again;
and having taught him English so well that he could answer me almost any
question, I asked him whether the nation that he belonged to never conquered
in battle? At which he smiled, and said, "Yes, yes, we always fight the
better;" that is, he meant, always get the better in fight; and so we began
the following discourse:
Master. You always fight the better; how came you to be taken prisoner
then, Friday?
Friday.—My nation beat much for all that.
Master.-How beat? If your nation beat them, how came you to
be taken?
Friday. They more many than my nation, in the place where me was;
they take one, two, three, and me; my nation over-beat them in the yonder
place, where me no was; there my nation take one, two, great thousand.
Master-But why did not your side recover you from the hands of your
enemies, then?
Friday. They run one, two, three, and me, and make go in the canoe; my
nation have no canoe that time.
Master.-Well, Friday, and what does your nation do with the men they
take? Do they carry them away and eat them, as these did?
Friday. Yes, my nation eat mans too: eat all up.
Master. Where do they carry them?
K
(
O MEN MEN pagan pa z T
Friday.-Go to other place, where they think.
Master.-Do they come hither?
Friday.-Yes, yes, they come hither; come other else place.
Master. Have you been here with them?
Friday. Yes, I have been here (points to the NW. side of the island,
which, it seems, was their side).
By this, I understood that my man Friday had formerly been among the
savages who used to come on shore on the farther part of the island, on the
same man-eating occasions he was now brought for: and some time after, when
I took courage to carry him to that side, he presently knew the place, and told
me he was there once, when they eat up twenty men, two women,
and one
125
mange my garage metadata, hogy a bridge, we do
I made a plate Sangalo man, amekumenata vallan kad v
- A SE PROGngata, mere
Made Setmanak van de sa kontaktedet often i Madh bean a M
sa
My plan wagon + VARA.
Kapag ang

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
child. He could not tell twenty in English, but he numbered them, by laying
so many stones in a row, and pointing to me to tell them over.
After this discourse I had with him, I asked him how far it was from our
island to the shore, and whether the canoes were not often lost. He told me
there was no danger-no canoes ever lost; but that after a little way out to
sea, there was a current and wind, always one way in the morning, the other
in the afternoon. This I undersood to be no more than the sets of the tide,
as going out or coming in; but I afterwards understood it was occasioned by
the great draft and reflux of the mighty river Oroonoko, in the mouth or
gulph of which river, as I found afterwards, our island lay; and that this
land which I perceived to the W. and N.W. was the great island Trinidad,
on the north point of the river. I asked Friday a thousand questions about
the country, the inhabitants, the sea, the coast, and what nations were
near. He told me all he knew, with the greatest openness imaginable. I
asked him the names of the several nations of his sort of people, but could
get no other name than Caribs: from whence I easily understood that
these were the Caribbees, which our maps place on the part of America
which reaches from the mouth of the river Oroonoko to Guiana, and
onwards to St Martha. He told me, that up a great way beyond the
moon, that was, beyond the setting of the moon, there dwelt white bearded
men, like me, and that they had killed much mans, that was his word; by all
which I understood he meant the Spaniards, whose cruelties in America had
been spread over the whole country, and were remembered by all the nations
from father to son.
"
I inquired if he could tell me how I might go from this island and get
among those white men: he told me, "Yes, yes, you may go in two canoe.
I could not understand or make him describe to me what he meant by two
canoe, till at last I found he meant a large boat, as big as two canoes. This
part of Friday's discourse I began to relish very well; and from this time I
entertained some hopes that one time or other I might find an opportunity to
make my escape from this place, and that this poor savage might be a means
to help me.
During the long time that Friday had now been with me, and that he
began to speak to me, and understand me, I was not wanting to lay a
foundation of religious knowledge in his mind; particularly I asked him
one time, who made him. The poor creature did not understand me at
all, but thought I had asked him who was his father. I took it up by
another handle, and asked him who made the sea, the ground we walked on,
and the hills and woods. He told me, "It was one Benamuckee, that lived
beyond all." He could describe nothing of this great person, but that he was
very old, "much older," he said, "than the sea or the land, than the moon or
the stars." I asked him then, if this old person had made all things, why
126
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
did not all things worship him? He looked very grave, and, with a perfect
look of innocence, said, "All things say O to him." I asked him if the
people who die in the country went away anywhere? He said, "Yes; they
all went to Benamuckee." Then I asked him whether those they eat up went
thither too? He said, "Yes."
From these things I began to instruct him in the knowledge of the true
God. I told him that the great Maker of all things lived up there, point-
ing up towards heaven; that He governed the world by the same power
and providence by which He made it; that He was omnipotent, and could do
everything for us, give everything to us, take everything from us; and thus,
by degrees, I opened his eyes. He listened with great attention, and received
with pleasure the notion of Jesus Christ being sent to redeem us, and of the
manner of making our prayers to God, and His being able to hear us, even in
heaven. He told me one day, that if our God could hear us, up beyond the
sun, he must needs be a greater God than their Benamuckee, who lived but a
little way off, and yet could not hear till they went up to the great mountains
where he dwelt to speak to him. I asked him if ever he went thither to
speak to him? He said, "No; they never went that were young men; none
went thither but the old men," whom he called their Oowokakee; that is, as
I made him explain it to me, their religious, or clergy; and that they went to
say O (so he called saying prayers), and then came back and told them what
Benamuckee said.
I endeavoured to clear up this fraud to my man Friday; and told him that
the pretence of their old men going up to the mountains to say O to their
god Benamuckee was a cheat; and their bringing word thence what he said
was much more so; that if they met with any answer, or spake with any one
there, it must be with an evil spirit: and then I entered into a long discourse.
with him about the devil, his rebellion against God, his enmity to man, his
setting himself up in the dark parts of the world to be worshipped instead of
God, and the many stratagems he made use of to delude mankind to their
ruin; how he had a secret access to our passions and to our affections, and to
adapt his snares to our inclinations, so as to cause us even to be our own
tempters, and run upon our destruction by our own choice.
I found it was not so easy to imprint right notions in his mind about the
devil as it was about the being of a God. Nature assisted all my arguments.
to evidence to him the necessity of a great First Cause-an overruling,
governing Power, but there appeared nothing of this kind in the notion of an
evil spirit; of his origin, his being, his nature, and, above all, of his inclina-
tion to do evil, and to draw us in to do so too: and the poor creature puzzled
ine once in such a manner, by a question merely natural and innocent, that
I scarce knew what to say to him. I had been telling him how the devil
was God's enemy in the hearts of men, and used all his malice and skill to
gada pela m
127

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
defeat the good designs of Providence, and to ruin the kingdom of Christ in
the world, and the like. "Well," says Friday, "you say God is so strong, so
great; is he not much strong, much might as the devil?"
"Yes, yes, Friday; God is stronger than the devil: and therefore we pray
to tread him down under our feet, and enable us to resist his temptations and
quench his fiery darts."
"But if God much stronger, much might as the wicked devil, why God no
kill the devil, so make him no more do wicked ?”
I was strangely surprised at this question, and at first I could not tell what
to say; so I pretended not to hear him, and asked him what he said; but he
was too earnest for an answer to forget his question, so that he repeated it in
the very same broken words as above. By this time I had recovered myself
a little, and I said, "God will at last punish him severely; he is reserved for
the judgment, and is to be cast into the bottomless pit, to dwell with ever-
lasting fire." This did not satisfy Friday; he returned upon me, repeating
my words,
“Reserved at last!' me no understand: why not kill the devil
now; not kill great ago?". "You may as well ask me," said I, "why God
does not kill you or me, when we do wicked things here that offend him: we
are preserved to repent and be pardoned." He mused some time on this:
"Well, well," says he, mightily affectionately, "that well so you, I, devil, all
wicked, all preserve, repent, God pardon all." Here I was run down again by
him to the last degree; and it was a testimony to me how the mere notions
of nature, though they will guide reasonable creatures to the knowledge of a
God, and of a worship or homage due to the supreme being of God, yet
nothing but divine revelation can form the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and of
redemption purchased for us; of a Mediator of the new covenant, and of an
Intercessor at the footstool of God's throne-nothing but a revelation from
heaven can form these in the soul; and therefore the gospel of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ, and the Spirit of God, are the absolutely necessary
instructors of the souls of men in the saving knowledge of God, and the
means of salvation.
I diverted the present discourse between me and my man, rising up hastily,
as upon some sudden occasion of going out; then sending him for something
a good way off, I seriously prayed to God that he would enable me to instruct
this poor savage; assisting by His Spirit, the heart of the poor ignorant
creature to receive the light of the knowledge of God in Christ, reconciling
him to Himself.
L
<
I had, God knows, more sincerity than knowledge in all the methods I took
for this poor creature's instruction, and must acknowledge, what I believe
all that act upon the same principle will find, that in laying things open to
him, I really informed and instructed myself in many things that either I did
not know, or had not fully considered before, but which occurred naturally to
128

Belia
"Putting myself in a posture of defence, I loaded my muskets, which were
mounted upon my fortification, resolved to defend myself to the last."
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
my mind upon searching into them, for the information of this poor savage.
When I reflected that in this solitary life I had not only been moved to look
up to heaven myself, and to seek the hand that had brought me here, but was
now made an instrument, under Providence, to save the life, and, for aught I
knew, the soul of a poor savage, and bring him to the true knowledge of religion,
and of the Christian doctrine, that he might know Christ Jesus, in whom is
life eternal; when I reflected upon all these things, a secret joy ran through
my soul.
I continued in this thankful frame all the remainder of my time, and the
conversation which employed the hours between Friday and me was such as
made the three years which we lived there together completely happy, if any
such thing as complete happiness can be formed in a sublunary state. This
savage was now a good Christian; a much better than I. I applied myself,
in reading the Scriptures, to let him know, as well as I could, the meaning of
what I read, and he, by his serious inquiries and questionings, made me a
much better scholar in Scripture knowledge than I should ever have been by
my own private reading.
As to all the disputes, wrangling, strife, and contention which have happened
in the world about religion, whether niceties in doctrines, or schemes of church
government, they were all perfectly useless to us; and, for aught I can yet see,
they have been so to the rest of the world. We had the sure guide to heaven,
viz., the Word of God; and we had, blessed be God, comfortable views of the
Spirit of God teaching and instructing by His word, leading us into all truth,
and making us both willing and obedient to the instruction of His word.
After Friday and I became more intimately acquainted, I acquainted him
with my own history, or at least so much of it as related to my coming to this
place; how I had lived there, and how long; I let him into the mystery, for
such it was to him, of gunpowder and bullet, and taught him how to shoot.
I gave him a knife, which he was wonderfully delighted with; and I made him
a belt, with a frog hanging to it, such as in England we wear hangers in; and
in the frog, instead of a hanger, I gave him a hatchet, which was not only as
good a weapon in some cases, but much more useful upon other occasions.
I described to him the country of Europe, particularly England, which I
came from; how we lived, how we worshipped God, how we behaved to one
another, and how we traded in ships to all parts of the world. I gave him an
account of the wreck which I had been on board of, and showed him, as near
as I could, the place where she lay; but she was all beaten in pieces before,
and gone. I showed him the ruins of our boat, which we lost when I escaped,
and which I could not stir with my whole strength then; but was now fallen
almost to pieces. Upon seeing this boat, Friday stood musing a great while,
and said nothing. I asked him what it was he studied upon.
At last, says
he, “Me see such boat like come to place at my nation." I did not understand
Nga magaganda K
1
129

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
him a good while; but, when I had examined further into it, I understood by
him, that a boat, such as that had been, came on shore upon the country where
he lived, driven thither by stress of weather. I imagined that some European.
ship must have been cast away upon their coast, and the boat might get loose
and drive ashore; but was so dull that I never once thought of men making
their escape from a wreck thither, so I only inquired after a description
of the boat.
Friday described the boat to me well enough; but brought me better to
understand him when he added with some warinth, "We save the white mans
from drown." Then I asked if there were any white mans, as he called them,
in the boat. "Yes," he said; "the boat full of white mans." I asked him
how many.
He told upon his fingers seventeen. I asked him then what be-
came of them. He told me, "They live, they dwell at my nation." This put
new thoughts into my head, for I imagined that these might be the men be-
longing to the ship that was cast away in the sight of my island, and who had
saved themselves in their boat, and were landed upon that wild shore among
the savages. Upon this I inquired of him more critically what was become of
them. He assured me they lived still there; that they had been there about
four years; that the savages left them alone, and gave them victuals to live on.
I asked him how it came to pass they did not kill them and eat them. He said,
"No, they make brother with them;" that is, as I understood him, a truce;
and then he added, "They no eat mans but when make the war fight;" that
is to say, they never eat any men but such as come to fight with them, and are
taken in battle.
tr
It was after this some considerable time, that being upon the top of the hill,
at the east side of the island, whence I had in a clear day discovered the con-
tinent of America, Friday looks very earnestly towards the mainland, and, in
a kind of surprise, falls a jumping and dancing, and calls out to me. I asked
him what was the matter. "O joy!" says he; "O glad! there see my country,
there my nation!" I observed an extraordinary sense of pleasure appeared in
his face; his eyes sparkled, and his countenance discovered a strange eager-
ness, as if he had a mind to be in his own country again. This observation
put a great many thoughts into ine, which made me, at first, not so easy about
my new man Friday as I was before; and I made no doubt but that, if Friday
could get back to his own nation again, he would not only forget all his religion,
but all his obligation to me, and would be forward enough to give his country-
men an account of me, and come back, perhaps, with a hundred or two of them,
and make a feast upon me, at which he might be as merry as he used to be
with those of his enemies, when they were taken in war. But I wronged the
poor, honest creature very much, for which I was sorry afterwards. However,
as my jealousy increased, and held me some weeks, I was a little more circum-
spect, and not so familiar and kind to him as before, in which I was certainly
in the wrong, the honest, grateful creature having no thought but what con-
-
130
ROBINSON Crusoe.
sisted with the best principles, both as a religious Christian, and as a grateful
friend, as appeared afterwards to my full satisfaction.
While my jealousy of him lasted, I was every day pumping him, to see if
he would discover any of the new thoughts which I suspected were in him; but
everything he said was so honest and so innocent, that I could find nothing to
nourish my suspicion; and, in spite of all my uneasiness, he made me at last
entirely his own again; nor did he in the least perceive that I was uneasy, and
therefore I could not suspect him of deceit.
((
One day, while walking up the same hill, but the weather being hazy at
sea, so that we could not see the continent, I called to him, and said, "Friday,
do not you wish yourself in your own country, your own nation?” "Yes," he
said, "I be much O glad to be at my own nation." What would you do
there?" said I: "would you turn wild again, eat men's flesh again, and be a
savage, as you were before?" He looked full of concern, and shaking his head,
said, “No, no; Friday tell them to live good; tell them to pray God; tell them
to eat corn-bread, cattle-flesh, milk; no eat man again." 'Why, then," said I
to him, "they will kill you." He looked grave at that, and then said, "No,
no, they no kill me, they willing love learn." He meant by this they would
be willing to learn. He added, they learned much of the bearded mans that
came in the boat. Then I asked him if he would go back to them. He
smiled at that, and told me that he could not swim so far. I told him, I
would make a canoe for him. He told me he would go, if I would go with
him. "I go!" said I; "why, they will eat me if I go there." No, no," said
he, "me make they no eat you; me make they much love you." He meant,
he would tell them how I had killed his enemies, and saved his life, and so he
would make them love me. Then he told me, as well as he could, how kind.
they were to seventeen white men, or bearded men, as he called them, that
came on shore there in distress.
<<
"C
From this time I had a mind to venture over, and see if I could possibly
join with these bearded men, who I made no doubt were Spaniards and
Portuguese; not doubting but we might find some method to escape thence,
better than I could from an island forty miles off the shore, alone and without
help. So after some days, I took Friday to work again, by way of discourse,
and told him I would give him a boat to go back to his own nation. I carried
him to my frigate, which lay on the other side of the island, and having cleared
it of water, I brought it out, showed it him, and we both went into it. I found
he was a most dexterous fellow at managing it, and would make it go almost
as swift again as I could. So when he was in, I said to him, "Well, now,
Friday, shall we go to your nation ?" He looked very dull at my saying so,
which it seems was because he thought the boat too small to go so far. I
then told him I had a bigger; so the next day I went to the place where the
first boat lay which I had made, but which I could not get into the water. He
said that was big enough: but then, as I had taken no care of it, and it had
131

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
lain two or three and twenty years there, the sun had split and dried it, that
it was 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.
((
I was by this time so fixed upon my design of going over with him to the
continent, that I told him we would go and make one as big as that, and he
should go home in it.
home in it. He answered not one word, but looked very grave and
sad. I asked him what was the matter with him. He asked me again, "Why
you angry mad with Friday?--what me done?" I asked him what he meant.
I told him I was not angry with him at all. "No angry!" said he, repeating
the words several times, "why send Friday home away to my nation?" "Why,
Friday, did not you say you wished you were there?" Yes, yes, wish we
both there; no wish Friday there, no master there." In a word, he would
not think of going there without me. "I go there, Friday; what shall I do
there?" He turned very quick upon me at this. You do great deal much
good; you teach wild mans be good, sober, tame mans; you tell them know
God, pray God, and live new life. "Alas! Friday," said I, "thou knowest
not what thou sayest; I am but an ignorant man myself."-"Yes, yes," said
he; "teachee me good, you teachee them good." "No, no, Friday," said I;
"you shall go without me; leave me here to live by myself, as I did before."
He looked confused again at that; and running to one of the hatchets which
he used to wear, he took it up hastily, and gave it to me. What must I do
with this?" said I again. He returned very quick-" What you send Friday
away for? Take kill Friday, no send Friday away." This he spoke so
earnestly that tears stood in his eyes. In a word, I so plainly discovered the
utmost affection in him to me, that I told him then, and often after, that I
would never send him away from me, if he was willing to stay.
"
(6
((
As I found by all his discourse a settled affection to me, and that nothing
could part him from me, so I found all the foundation of his desire to go to
his own country was laid in his ardent affection to the people, and his hopes
of my doing them good-a thing which, as I had no notion of myself, so I had
not the least thought or desire of undertaking it. But still I found a strong
inclination to attempting my escape; and therefore, without 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 of good large vessels; but the main thing I looked
at was, to get one so near the water that we might launch it when it was made,
to avoid the mistake I committed at first. At last Friday pitched upon a tree;
for I found he knew much better than I what kind of wood was fittest for it.
Nor can I tell, to this day, what wood to call the tree we cut down. Friday
wished to burn the hollow or cavity of this tree out, to make it for a boat, but
I showed him how to cut it with tools, which he did very handily; and in
about a month's hard labour, we finished it and made it very handsome with
our axes, which I showed him how to handle; we cut and hewed the outside
Page SEN JA
132
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
into the true shape of a boat. After this, however, it cost us near a fort-
night's time to get her along, as it were, inch by inch, upon great rollers into
the water; but when she was in, she would have carried twenty men
with great ease.
((
It amazed me to see with what dexterity, and how swiftly, my man Friday
could manage her, turn her, and paddle her along. I asked him if we might
venture over in her. Yes," he said, we venture over in her very well,
though great blow wind." However, I had a farther design, and that was to
make a mast and a sail, and to fit her with an anchor and a cable. As to a
mast, that was easy enough to get. I pitched upon a straight young cedar
tree, which I found near the place, and set Friday to work to cut it down, and
gave him directions how to shape and order it. The sail was my particular
care. I had old sails, or rather pieces of old sails, enough; but as I had had
them now six-and-twenty years by me, and had not been very careful to pre-
serve them, I did not doubt but they were all rotten, and, indeed, most of
them were so. However, I found two pieces, which appeared pretty good,
and with these I went to work; and with a great deal of pains, and awkward
stitching, for want of needles, I at length made a three-cornered ugly thing,
like what we call in England a shoulder-of-mutton sail, to go with a boom at
bottom, and a little short sprit at the top, such as our ship's longboats sail
with, and such as I best knew how to manage.
((
I was nearly two months performing this last work, viz., rigging and fitting
my mast and sails; for I finished them very complete, making a small stay
and a foresail to it, to assist if we should turn to windward; and what was
more than all, I fixed a rudder to the stern to steer with.
After all this was done, I had my man Friday to teach as to what belonged
to the navigation of my boat; for, though he knew very well how to paddle
a canoe, he knew nothing of what belonged to a sail and a rudder, and was
most amazed when he saw me work the boat by the rudder, and how the sail
gibbed, and filled this way or that way, as the course we sailed changed.
However, with a little use, I made all these things familiar to him, and he
became an expert sailor; except that of the compass, I could make him
understand very little.
I was now entered on the seven-and-twentieth year of my captivity in this
place; though the three last years that I had this creature with me ought
rather to be left out of the account, my habitation being quite of another
kind than in all the rest of the time. I kept the anniversary of my landing
here with the same thankfulness to God for his mercies as at first; and if I
had cause of acknowledgment at first, I had much more now, having such
additional testimonies of the care of Providence over me, and the great
hopes I had of being effectually and speedily delivered; for I had an invin-
cible impression upon my thoughts that my deliverance was at hand, and that
I should not be another year in this place. I went on, however, with my
133

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
husbandry; digging, planting, and fencing, as usual. I gathered and cured
my grapes, and did every necessary thing as before.
The rainy season was, in the meantime, upon me, when I kept more within
doors than at other times. We had stowed our new vessel as securely as we
could, bringing her up into the creek, and hauling her up to the shore at high-
water mark. I made my man Friday dig a little dock, just big enough to
hold her, and deep enough to give her water to flow in; and then, when the
tide was out, we made a strong dam across the end of it, to keep the water
out, and so she lay dry as to the tide and sea; and to keep the rain off, we
laid a great many boughs of trees, so thick that she was as well thatched as a
house; and thus we waited for the months of November and December, in
which I designed to make my adventure.
<<
>>
When the settled season began to come in, as the thought of my design
returned with the fair weather, I was preparing daily for the voyage. The first
thing I did was to lay by a certain quantity of provisions, being the stores for
our voyage, and intended in a week or a fortnight's time to open the dock and
launch out our boat. I was busy one morning upon something of this kind,
when I called to Friday, and bid him go to the sea-shore, and see if he could
find a turtle, a thing which we generally got once a week, for the sake of the
eggs as well as the flesh. Friday had not been long gone when he came
running back, and flew over my outer wall, like one that felt not the ground
he set his feet on, and before I had time to speak to him, he cries out to me,
O master! O master! O sorrow! O bad!". What's the matter, Friday?
said I.-"O yonder there; one, two, three canoes; one, two, three?" By
this way of speaking, I concluded there were six; but on inquiry I found there
were but three. "Well, Friday," said I, "do not be frightened." So I
heartened him up as well as I could. However, I saw the poor fellow was
most terribly scared, for nothing ran in his head but that they were come to
look for him, and would cut him in pieces and eat him; and the poor fellow
trembled so that I scarcely knew what to do with him. I comforted him as
well as I could, and told him I was in as much danger as he, and that they
would eat me as well as him. But," said I, "Friday, we inust resolve to
fight them. Can you fight, Friday?"-"Me shoot; but there come many
great number:" No matter for that," said I, again; "our guns will fright
them that we do not kill." I asked him whether, if I resolved to defend him,
he would defend me, and stand by me, and do just as I bid him. He said, "Me
die when you bid die, master." So I went and fetched a good dram of rum
and gave him, for I had been so good a husband of my rum, that I had a
great deal left.
When he had drank it, I made him take the two fowling-
pieces, which we always carried, and loaded them with large swan-shot, as big
as small pistol bullets. Then I took four muskets, and loaded them with two
slugs, and five small bullets each; and my two pistols I loaded with a brace
(C
134
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
of bullets each. I hung my great sword, as usual, naked by my side, and
gave Friday his hatchet. When I had thus prepared myself, I took my
perspective-glass and went up to the side of the hill, to see what I could dis-
cover; I found that there were one-and-twenty savages, three prisoners, and
three canoes; and that their whole business seemed to be the triumphant ban-
quet upon these three human bodies. I observed also that they had landed,
not where they had done when Friday made his escape, but nearer to my creek,
where the shore was low, and where a thick wood came almost close down to
the sea.
This, with the abhorrence of the inhuman errand these wretches
came about, filled me with such indignation that I came down again to Friday,
and told him I was resolved to go down to them, and kill them all; if he
would stand by me. He had now got over his fright, and his spirits being a
little raised with the dram I had given him, he was very cheerful, and told me,
as before, he would die when I bid die.
C
In this fit of fury I divided the arms between us. I gave Friday one pistol
to stick in his girdle, and three guns upon his shoulder, and I took one pistol
and the other three guns myself; and in this posture we marched out. I took
a small bottle of rum in my pocket, and gave Friday a large bag with more
powder and bullets. I charged him to keep close behind me, and not to stir,
or shoot, or do anything till I bade him, and in the meantime not to speak a
word. In this posture I fetched a compass to my right hand of near a mile,
as well to get over the creek as to get into the wood, so that I could come
within shot of them before I should be discovered.
I entered the wood with all possible wariness and silence, Friday following
close at my heels. I marched till I came to the skirt of the wood on the side
which was next to them, only that one corner of the wood lay between me and
them.
Here I called softly to Friday, and, showing him a great tree which
was just at the corner of the wood, I bade him go to the tree, and bring me
word if he could see there what they were doing. He did so, and came
immediately back to me, and told me they might be plainly viewed there-
that they were all about their fire eating the flesh of one of their prisoners,
and that another lay bound upon the sand a little from them, whom he said
they would kill next, and this fired the very soul within me. He told me it
was not one of their nation, but one of the bearded men he had told me of
that came to their country in the boat. I was filled with horror at the very
naming of the white bearded man; and going to the tree I saw plainly by my
glass a white man, who lay upon the beach of the sea with his hands and feet
tied with flags, and that he was a European, and had clothes on.
There was another tree, and a little thicket beyond it, about fifty yards.
nearer to them than the place where I was, which, by going a little way about,
I saw I might come at undiscovered, and that then I should be within half a
shot of them; so I withheld my passion, though I was indeed enraged to the
135

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
highest degree; and going back about twenty paces, I got behind some bushes,
which held all the way till I came to the other tree, and then came to a little
rising ground, which gave me a full view of them at the distance of about
eighty yards. I had now not a moment to lose, for nineteen of these wretches sat
upon the ground, all close huddled together, and had just sent the other two
to butcher the poor Christian, and bring him to their fire; they were stooping
down to untie the bands at his feet. I turned to Friday:-"Now, Friday,
said I, “do as I bid thee. Do exactly as you see me do; fail in nothing." So
I set down one of the muskets and the fowling-piece upon the ground, and
Friday did the like by his, and with the other musket I took my aim at the
savages, bidding him do the like; then asking him if he was ready, he said,
"Yes.'
"Then fire at them," said I; and at the same moment I fired also.
Friday took his aim so much better than I, that on the side that he shot he
killed two of them, and wounded three more; and on my side I killed one,
and wounded two. They were, you may be sure, in a dreadful consternation;
and all of them that were not hurt jumped upon their feet, but did not im-
mediately know which way to run, or which way to look, for they knew not
whence their destruction caine. Friday kept his eyes close upon me, that, as
I had bid him, he might observe what I did; so, as soon as the first shot was
made, I threw down the piece, and took up the fowling-piece, and Friday did
the like; he saw me cock and present; he did the same again.
"Are you
ready, Friday?" said I.-"Yes."-"Let fly, then, in the name of God!" and
with that I fired again among the amazed wretches, and so did Friday; and as
our pieces were now loaded with small pistol bullets, we found only two drop;
but so many were wounded, that they ran about yelling and screaming like
mad creatures, all bloody, and most of them miserably wounded; three more
fell quickly after, though not quite dead.
"Now, Friday," said I, laying down the discharged pieces, and taking up
the musket which was yet loaded, "follow me;" upon which I rushed out of
the wood and showed myself, and Friday close at my foot. As soon as I per-
ceived they saw ine, I shouted as loud as I could, and bade Friday do so too;
and running as fast as I could, I made directly towards the poor victim, who
was lying upon the beach. The two butchers who were going to work with
him had left him at the surprise of our first fire, and fled in a terrible fright to
the sea-side, and had jumped into a canoe, and three more of the rest made
the same way. I turned to Friday, and bade him step forwards and fire at
them; he understood me immediately, and running about forty yards, to be
nearer them, he shot at them; he killed two of them, and wounded the third,
so that he lay down in the bottom of the boat as if he had been dead.
""
While my man Friday fired at them, I pulled out my knife and cut the flags
that bound the poor victim, and loosing his hands and feet, I lifted him up,
and asked him in the Portuguese tongue what he was. He answered in Latin,
136
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
((
Christianus; but was so weak and faint that he could scarce stand or speak.
I took my bottle out of my pocket, and gave it him, making signs that he
should drink, which he did; and I gave him a piece of bread, which he ate.
Then I asked him what countryman he was; and he said Espagniole; and
being a little recovered, let me know, by all the signs he could possibly make,
how much he was in my debt for his deliverance. "Seignior," said I, with
as much Spanish as I could make up, we will talk afterwards, but we must
fight now if you have any strength left, take this pistol and sword, and lay
about you." He took them very thankfully; and no sooner had he the arms
in his hands, but, as if they had put new vigour into him, he flew upon his
murderers like a fury, and had cut two of them in pieces in an instant; for the
truth is, as the whole was a surprise to them, so the poor creatures were so
much frightened with the noise of our pieces that they fell down for mere
amazement and fear, and had no more power to attempt their own escape than
their flesh had to resist our shot: and that was the case with those five that
Friday shot at in the boat, for as three fell with the hurt they received, so the
other two fell with the fright.
I kept my piece in my hand still without firing. I called to Friday and
bade him run up to the tree whence we first fired, and fetch the arms which
lay there, which he did with great swiftness. I sat down myself to load all
the rest again, and bade them come to me when they wanted. While I was
loading these pieces, there happened a fierce engagement between the Spaniard
and one of the savages, who made at him with one of their great wooden
swords, the 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 the Indian a good while, and had cut two great wounds on
his head; but the savage being a stout, lusty fellow, closing in with him, had
thrown him down, and was wringing my sword out of his hand, when the
Spaniard, though undermost, wisely quitting the sword, drew the pistol from
his girdle, shot the savage through the body, and killed him upon the spot
before I, who was running to help him, could come near him.
Friday, being now left to his liberty, pursued the flying wretches, with no
weapon in his hand but his hatchet; and with that he despatched those three
who were wounded at first, and all the rest he could come up with; and the
Spaniard coming to me for a gun, I gave him one of the fowling-pieces, with
which he pursued two of the savages, and wounded them both; but, as he was
not able to run, they both got from him into the wood, where Friday pursued
them, and killed one of them, but the other was too nimble for him ; and
though he was wounded, he plunged himself into the sea, and swam with all
his might to those two who were left in the canoe, which three, with one
wounded, were all that escaped our hands of one-and-twenty.
Those that were in the canoe worked hard to get out of gunshot, and though
137
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
Friday made two or three shots at them, I did not find that he hit any of them.
Friday would fain have had me take one of their canoes, and pursue them;
and, indeed, I was very anxious about their escape, lest carrying the news
home to their people, they should come back perhaps with two or three
hundred of the canoes and devour us; so I consented to pursue them by sea,
and running to one of their canoes, I jumped in, and bade Friday follow me;
but when I was in the canoe, I was surprised to find another poor creature lie
there, bound hand and foot, as the Spaniard was, for the slaughter, and almost
dead with fear, not knowing what was the matter; for he had not been able to
look up over the side of the boat, he was tied so hard neck and heels, and had
been tied so long, that he had really but little life in him.
I immediately cut the twisted flags which bound him, and would have helped
him up, but he could not stand or speak, but groaned most piteously, believing,
it seems, still, that he was only unbound in order to be killed. When Friday
came to him I bade him speak to him, and tell him of his deliverance; and
pulling out my bottle, made him give the poor wretch a dram; which, with
the news of his being delivered, revived him, and he sat up in the boat. But
when Friday came to hear him speak, and look in his face, it would have moved
any one to tears to have seen how Friday kissed him, embraced him, hugged
him, cried, laughed, hallooed, jumped about, danced, sung; then cried again,
wrung his hands, beat his own face and head, and then sung and jumped again,
like a distracted creature. It was a good while before I could make him speak
to me, or tell me what was the matter, but when he came a little to himself, he
told me that it was his father.

It is not easy for me to express how it moved me to see what ecstasy and
filial affection had worked in this poor savage at the sight of his father, and of
his being delivered from death; nor, indeed, can I describe half the extrava-
gances of his affection after this; for he went into the boat, and out of the
boat, a great many times. When he went in to him, he would sit down by
him, open his breast, and hold his father's head close to his bosom for many
minutes together, to nourish it, then he took his arms and ankles, which were
numbed and stiff with the binding, and chafed and rubbed them with his
hands; and I, perceiving what the case was, gave him some rum out of my
bottle to rub them with, which did them a great deal of good.
This affair put an end to our pursuit of the canoe with the other savages,
who were now almost out of sight; and it was happy for us that we did not,
for it blew so hard within two hours after, and before they could be got a
quarter of their way, and continued blowing so hard all night, and that from
the north-west, which was against them, that I could not suppose their boat
could live, or that they ever reached their own coast.
But to return to Friday. He was so busy about his father, that I could not
find in my heart to take him off for some time; but after I thought he could
138
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
að þar var ma satutarkemmation, mga tamp
leave him a little, I called him to me, and he came jumping and laughing, and
pleased to the highest extreme; then I asked him if he had given his father
any bread. He shook his head, and said, “None, ugly dog eat all up self."
I then gave him a cake of bread, out of a little pouch I carried on
purpose. I also gave him a dram for himself, but he would not taste
it, but carried it to his father. I had in my pocket two or three bunches
of raisins, so I gave him a handful of them for his father. He had
no sooner given his father these raisins, but I saw him come out of
the boat, and run away as if he had been bewitched, for he was the swiftest
fellow on his feet that ever I saw. He ran at such a rate that he was out of
sight in an instant; and though I called and hallooed after him, it was all
one-away he went; and in a quarter of an hour afterwards I saw him come
back again. When he had came up to me, I found he had been home for an
earthen pot, to bring his father some 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 of it. The
water revived his father more than all the rum or spirits I had given him, for
he was fainting with thirst.
When his father had drank, I called to him to know if there was any water
left; he said "Yes," and I bid him give it to the poor Spaniard, who was in
as much want of it as his father; and I sent one of the cakes that Friday
brought, to the Spaniard too, who was indeed very weak, and was reposing
himself upon a green place under the shade of a tree. His limbs were also
very stiff, and very much swelled with the rude bandage he had been tied
with. When I saw that upon Friday's coming to him with the water he sat
up and drank, and took the bread and began to eat, I went to him and gave
him a handful of raisins. He looked up in my face with all the tokens of
gratitude and thankfulness that could appear in any countenance, but was so
weak notwithstanding, he had so exerted himself in the fight, that he could
not stand up upon his feet; he tried to do it two or three times, but was
really not able, his ankles were so swelled and so painful to him; so I bade
him sit still, and caused Friday to rub his ankles, and bathe them with rum, as
he had done his father's.
I observed the poor affectionate creature, every two minutes, all the time he
was here, turn his head about, to see if his father was in the same place and
posture as he left him sitting. At last he found he was not to be seen, at
which he started up, and, without speaking a word, flew with such swiftness
to him that one could scarce perceive his feet touch the ground as he went;
but when he came he found he had only laid himself down to ease his limbs,
so Friday came back to me presently; and then I spoke to the Spaniard to let
Friday help him up, if he could, and lead him to the boat, and then he should
carry him to our dwelling, where I would take care of him. But Friday took
- a CARE
139
A v m
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
the Spaniard upon his back, and carried him away to the boat, and set him
down softly upon the gunnel of the canoe, with his feet in the inside of it; and
then lifting him quite in, he set him close to his father; and presently stepping
out again, launched the boat off, and paddled it along the shore faster than I
could walk, though the wind blew pretty hard. He brought them both safe
into our creek, and, leaving them in the boat, ran away to fetch the other
canoe. As he passed me I spoke to him, and asked him whether he went.
He told me, "Go fetch more boat;" so away he went like the wind, for sure
never man or horse ran like him; and he had the other canoe in the creek
almost as soon as I got to it by land; so he wafted me over, and then went to
help our new guests out of the boat; but they were neither of them able to
walk, so that poor Friday knew not what to do.
To remedy this, I went to work in my thought, and calling to Friday to bid
them sit down on the bank while he came to me, I soon made a kind of hand-
barrow to lay them on, and Friday and I carried them both up together upon
it between us.
But when we got them to the outside of our fortification, we were at a worse
loss than before, for it was impossible to get them over, and I was resolved not
to break it down, so I set to work again; and Friday and I, in about two
hours' time, made a tent, covered with old sails, and above that with bows of
trees, in the space without our outward fence, between that and the grove of
young wood which I had planted; and here we made them two beds of such
things as I had, viz., of good rice-straw, with blankets laid upon it, to lie on,
and another to cover them, on each bed.
My island was now peopled. I had three subjects, and they were of three
different religions. My man Friday was a Protestant, his father was a Pagan
and a cannibal, and the Spaniard was a Papist.
As soon as I had secured my two rescued prisoners, and given them shelter,
I began to think of making some provision for them. I ordered Friday to
take a yearling goat, out of my particular flock, to be killed. I cut off the
hinder-quarter, and chopping it into small pieces, I set Friday to work to
boiling and stewing, and made them a very good dish of flesh and broth. I
cooked it without doors, and carried it all into the new tent, and having set a
table there for them, I sat down, and ate my own dinner with them, and, as
well as I could, cheered and encouraged them. Friday was my interpreter to
his father, and, indeed, to the Spaniard too; for the Spaniard spoke the
language of the savages pretty well.
After we had supped, I ordered Friday to take one of the canoes, and go.
and fetch our muskets and other fire-arms, which for want of time we had left
upon the place of battle; and, the next day, I ordered him to bury the dead
bodies of the savages, which lay open to the sun, and would presently be
offensive. I also ordered him to bury the horrid remains of their barbarous
140
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
feast; all which he punctually performed, and effaced the very appearance of
the savages being there, so that when I went again, I could scarce know where
it was, otherwise than by the corner of the wood pointing to the place.
I began to enter into a little conversation with my two new subjects. I sent
Friday to inquire of his father what he thought of the escape of the savages in
that canoe, and whether we might expect a return of them, with a power too
great for us to resist. His opinion was, that the savages in the boat never
could live out the storm which blew that night they went off, but must, of
necessity, be drowned, or driven south to those other shores, where they were
sure to be devoured; but, as to what they would do, if they came safe on
shore, it was his opinion that they were so dreadfully frightened with the
manner of their being attacked, that he believed they would tell the people
their companions were all killed by thunder and lightning, not by the hand
of man; and that the two which appeared, viz., Friday and I, were two
heavenly spirits or furies come down to destroy them, and not men with
weapons. This, he said he knew, because he heard them all cry out so in their
language, one to another; it was impossible for them to conceive that a man
could dart fire, and speak thunder, and kill at a distance, without lifting up
the hand: and this old savage was in the right, for, I understood since, by
other hands, the savages never attempted to go over to the island afterwards,
they were so terrified with the accounts given by those four men (for it seems
they did escape the sea), that they believed whoever went to that enchanted
island would be destroyed with fire from the gods. I was under continual
apprehensions for a good while, and kept always upon my guard; for, as there
were now four of us, I would have ventured upon a hundred of them in the
open field at any time.
In time, however, no more canoes appearing, the fear of their coming wore
off, and I began to take my former thoughts of a voyage to the main into con-
sideration, being likewise assured by Friday's father that I might depend upon
good usage from their nation, on his account, if I would go. But my thoughts
were a little suspended when I had a serious discourse with the Spaniard, and
when I understood that there were sixteen more of his countrymen and Portu-
guese, who, having been cast away and made their escape to that side, lived
there at peace, indeed, with the savages, but were very sore put to it for
necessaries, and, indeed, for life. I asked him all the particulars of their
voyage, and found they were a Spanish ship bound from the Rio de la Plata
to the Havana, being directed to leave their loading there, which was chiefly
hides and silver, and to bring back what European goods they could meet with
there; that they had five Portuguese seamen on board whom they took out of
another wreck; that five of their own men were drowned when first the ship
was lost, and that these escaped through infinite dangers and hazards, and
arrived, almost starved, on the cannibal coast, where they expected to have
141
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
been devoured every moment. He told me they had some arms with them,
but they were perfectly useless, for that they had neither powder nor ball, the
washing of the sea having spoiled all their powder but a little, which they used
at their first landing, to provide themselves some food.
I asked him what he thought would become of them there, and if they had
formed any design of making their escape. He said they had many consul-
tations about it; but that, having neither vessel nor tools to build one, nor
provisions of any kind, their councils always ended in tears and despair. I
asked him how he thought they would receive a proposal from me which might
tend towards an escape; and whether, if they were all here, it might be done.
I told him I feared most their treachery and ill-usage of me if I put my life in
their hands, for that gratitude was no inherent virtue in the nature of man,
nor did men always square their dealings by the obligations they had received,
so much as they did by the advantages they expected. I told him it would be
very hard that I should be the instrument of their deliverance, and that they
should afterwards make me their prisoner in New Spain, where an Englishman
was certain to be made a sacrifice, what necessity or what accident soever
brought him thither; and that I had rather be delivered up to the savages,
and be devoured alive, than fall into the merciless claws of the priests, and be
carried into the Inquisition. I added that, otherwise, I was persuaded, if they
were all here, we might, with so many hands, build a barque large enough to
carry us all away, either to the Brazils southward, or to the islands or Spanish
coast, northward, but that if, in requital, they should, when I had put weapons
into their hands, carry me by force among their own people, I might be ill-used
for
my kindness to them, and make my case worse than it was before.
He answered, with a great deal of candour and ingenuousness, that their
condition was so miserable, and that they were so sensible of it, that he
believed they would abhor the thought of using any man unkindly that should
contribute to their deliverance; and that, if I pleased, he would go to them,
with the old man, and discourse with them about it and return again, and
bring me their answer; that he would make conditions with them, upon their
solemn oath, that they should be absolutely under my direction, as their com-
mander and captain and they should swear upon the holy sacraments and
gospel to be true to me, and go to such Christian country as I should agree to,
and no other; and to be directed wholly and absolutely by my orders, till they
were landed safely in such country as I intended; and that he would bring a
contract from them, under their hands, for that purpose. Then he told me he
would first swear to me himself, that he would never stir from me as long as
he lived, till I gave him orders; and that he would take my side to the last
drop of his blood, if there should happen the least breach of faith among his
countrymen. He told me they were all of them very civil, honest men, and
they were under the greatest distress imaginable, having neither weapons or
Ja me fat an
142
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
A ga mandatemaldadan a
clothes, nor any food, but at the mercy and discretion of the savages, out of all
hopes of ever returning to their own country; and that he was sure, if I would
undertake their relief, they would live and die by me.
Upon these assurances I resolved to relieve them, if possible, and to send
the old savage and this Spaniard over to them to treat. But when we had got
all things in readiness to go, the Spaniard himself started an objection which
had so much prudence in it on one hand, and so much sincerity on the other
hand, that I could not but be very well satisfied in it; and, by his advice, put
off the deliverance of his comrades for at least half a year. The case was
thus:-He had been with us now about a month, during which time I had let
him see in what manner I had provided, with the assistance of Providence, for
my support; and he saw evidently what stock of corn and rice I had laid up,
which, though it was more than sufficient for myself, yet it was not sufficient,
without good husbandry, for my family, now it was increased to four; but much
less would it be sufficient if his countrymen should come over, and, least of all,
would it be sufficient to victual our vessel, if we should build one, for a voyage
to any of the Christian colonies of America. He thought it would be advisable
to let him and the other two dig and cultivate some more land, as much as I could
spare seed to sow, and that we should wait another harvest, that we might have a
supply of corn for his countrymen when they should come; for want might be
a temptation to them to disagree, or not to think themselves delivered, other-
wise than out of one difficulty into another. "You know," said he, "the
children of Israel, though they rejoiced at first for their being delivered out of
Egypt, yet rebelled even against God himself that delivered them, when they
came to want bread in the wilderness."
His caution was so seasonable, and his advice so good, that I could not but
be very well pleased with his proposal, as well as I was satisfied with his
fidelity. So we fell to digging, all four of us, and, in about a month's time,
we had got as much land cured and trimmed up, as we sowed two and twenty
bushels of barley on, and sixteen jars of rice, which was, in short, all the seed
we had to spare. Indeed, we left ourselves barely sufficient for our own food,
for the six months that we had to expect our crop, that is to say, reckoning
from the time we set our seed aside for sowing; for it is not to be supposed it
is six months in the ground in that country.
·F
Having now society enough, and our number being sufficient to put us out
of fear of the savages, if they had come, unless their number had been very
great, we went freely all over the island, whenever we found occasion; and as
we had our escape upon our thoughts, it was impossible, at least to me, to
have the means of it out of mine. For this purpose I marked out several trees,
which I thought fit for our work, and I set Friday and his father to cut them
down; and then I caused the Spaniard, to whom I imparted my thoughts on
that affair, to oversee and direct their work. I showed them with what
me, aplinka, van je vjet
pagkapatid
143

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
indefatigable pains I had hewed a large tree into single planks, and I caused
them to do the like, till they had made about a dozen large planks of good
oak, near two feet broad, thirty-five feet long, and from two inches to four
inches thick.
At the same time I contrived to increase my little flock of tame goats as
much as I could. We got about twenty young kids to breed up with the rest;
for whenever we shot the dam we saved the kids, and added them to our flock.
But, above all, the season for curing the grapes coming on, I caused such a
prodigious quantity to be hung up in the sun, that, I believe, had we been at
Alicant, where the raisins of the sun are cured, we could have filled sixty or
eighty barrels; and these, with our bread, formed a great part of our food
-very good living, too, I assure you, for they are exceedingly nourishing.
It was now harvest, and our crop in good order. From twenty-two bushels
of barley, we brought in and thrashed out above two hundred and twenty
bushels; and the like in proportion of the rice, which was store enough for our
food to the next harvest, though all the sixteen Spaniards had been on shore
with me; or, if we had been ready for a voyage, it would very plentifully have
victualled our ship to have carried us to any part of America. When we had
housed and secured our magazine of corn, we fell to work to make more
baskets, in which we kept it. The Spaniard was very handy and dexterous at
this kind of work.
And now, having a full supply of food for all the guests I expected, I gave
the Spaniard leave to go over to the main, to see what he could do with those
he had left behind them there. I gave him a strict charge not to bring any
man with him who would not first swear, in the presence of himself and the
old savage, that he would no way injure, fight with, or attack the person he
should find in the island, who was so kind as to send for them in order to
their deliverance; but that they would stand by him and defend him against
all such attempts, and wherever they went, would be entirely under his com-
mand, and that this should be put in writing, and signed in their hands. How
they were to have done this, when I knew they had neither pen or ink, was a
question which we never asked. Under these instructions, the Spaniard and
the old savage, the father of Friday, went away in one of the canoes which
they were brought in when they came as prisoners to be devoured by the
savages. I gave each of them a musket, with a firelock on it, and about eight
charges of powder and ball, charging them to be very good husbands of both,
and not to use them but upon urgent occasions.
I gave them provisions of bread, and of dried grapes sufficient for themselves
for many days, and sufficient for all the Spaniards for about eight days' time;
and wishing them a good voyage, I saw them go, agreeing with them about a
signal they should hang out at their return, by which I should know them
again before they came on shore. They went away, with a fair gale, on the
144

227
جانا
V
na
Щи
Makma
TH
Th
"I clambered to the top of the hill, and perceived two miserable wretches
dragged from the boats for slaughter."
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
*
day that the moon was at full, by my account in the month of October.
It was no less than eight days I had waited for them, when a strange and
unforeseen accident intervened, of which the like has not perhaps been heard
of in history. I was fast asleep in my hutch one morning, when my man
Friday came running to me, and called aloud, "Master, master, they are come,
they are come!" I jumped up, and, regardless of danger, I went out as soon
as I could get my clothes on, through my little grove, which, by the way, was
by this time grown to be a very thick wood. I was surprised, when, turning
my eyes to the sea, I saw a boat at about half a league and a half distance,
standing in for the shore, with a shoulder-of-mutton sail, and the wind blow-
ing pretty fair to bring them in; also I observed that they did not come from
that side which the shore lay on, but from the southermost end of the island.
Upon this I called Friday in, and bade him lie close, for these were not the
people we looked for, and that we might not know yet whether they were friends
or enemies. Then I went in to fetch my perspective glass; and, having
taken the ladder out, I climbed to the top of the hill, as I used to do
when I was apprehensive of anything, and to take my view the plainer,
without being discovered. I had scarce set my foot upon the hill, when
my eye plainly discovered a ship lying at anchor about two leagues and a half
distance from me, S.S.E., but not above a league and a half from the shore.
By my observation, it appeared to be an English ship, and the boat appeared
to be an English long-boat.
The joy of seeing a ship, and one that I had reason to believe was manned
by my own countrymen, and consequently friends, was such as I cannot
describe; but yet I had some secret doubts about me, bidding me keep on my
guard. In the first place, it occurred to me to consider what business an
English ship could have in that part of the world, since it was not the way to
or from any part where the English had traffic, and I knew there had been no
storms to drive them in there in distress; and that if they were really English
it was most probable that they were here upon no good design, and that I had
better continue as I was, than fall into the hands of thieves and murderers.
I had not kept myself long in this posture till I saw the boat draw near the
shore, as if they looked for a creek to thrust in at for the convenience of
landing. However, as they did not come quite far enough, they did not see
the little inlet where I formerly landed my rafts, but run their boat on shore
upon the beach at about half a mile from me, which was very happy for me.
When they were on shore, I was fully satisfied they were Englishmen, at least
most of them. One or two I thought were Dutch. There were in all eleven
men, whereof three of them I found were unarmed, and, as I thought, bound;
and when the first four or five of them were jumped on shore, they took those
three out of the boat as prisoners. One of the three I could perceive using
the most passionate gestures of entreaty, affliction, and despair, even to a kind
K
145
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
My L
of extravagance. The other two lifted up their hand sometimes, and appeared
concerned, indeed, but not to such a degree as the first. I was perfectly con-
founded at the sight, and knew not what the meaning of it should be. Friday
called out to me in English, as well as he could, "O master! you see English
mans eat prisoner as well as savage mans."-"Why, Friday," says I, "do you
think they are going to eat them, then ?"—"Yes," says Friday, "they will eat
them."-"No, no," says I, "Friday; I am afraid they will murder them,
indeed; but you may be sure they will not eat them."
All this while I had no thought of what the matter really was, but stood
trembling with the horror of the sight, expecting every moment when the three
prisoners should be killed; nay, once I saw one of the villains lift up his arm
with a great cutlass to strike one of the poor men; and I expected to see him
fall every moment. I wished heartily now for the Spaniard and the savage
that was gone with him, or that I had any way to have come undiscovered
within shot of them, that I might have secured the three men, for I saw no
fire-arms they had among them. After I had observed the outrageous usage
of the three men by the seamen, I observed the fellows run scattering about
the island as if they wanted to see the country. I observed that the three
other men had liberty to go also where they pleased; but they sat down all
three upon the ground, very pensive, and looked like men in despair. This
put me in mind of the first time when I came on shore and began to look
about me; how I gave myself over for lost; how wildly I looked round me;
what dreadful apprehensions I had; and how I lodged in the tree all night,
for fear of being devoured by wild beasts.
It was at high water when these people came on shore, and while they
rambled about to see what kind of a place they were in, they had carelessly
stayed till the tide was spent, and the water was ebbed considerably away,
leaving their boat aground. They had left two men in the boat, who, as I
found afterwards, having drank a little too much brandy, fell asleep; however,
one of them waking a little sooner than the other, and finding the boat too
fast aground for him to stir it, hallooed out for the rest, who were straggling
about, upon which they all came to the boat; but it was past their strength to
launch her, the boat being very heavy, and the shore on that side being a soft
oozy sand, almost like a quicksand. In this condition, like true seamen, who
are, perhaps, the least of all mankind given to forethought, they gave it over,
and away they strolled about the country again; and I heard one of them say
aloud to another, calling them off from the boat, "Why, let her alone, Jack,
can't you? she'll float next tide;" by which I was fully confirmed of what
countrymen they were. All this while I kept myself close, not once daring to
stir out of my castle, any farther than to my place of observation, near the top
of the hill; and very glad I was to think how well it was fortified. I knew it
was no less than ten hours before the boat could float again, and by that time
146
Page 1 the change da
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
Apple w
·
it would be dark, and I might be at more liberty to see their motions, and to
hear their discourse. In the meantime I fitted myself up for a battle, as
before, though with more caution, knowing I had to do with another kind of
enemy than I had at first. I ordered Friday also, whom I had made an
excellent marksman with his gun, to load himself with arms. I took myself two
fowling-pieces, and I gave him three muskets. My figure, indeed, was very fierce.
I had my formidable goat-skin coat on, with the great cap I have mentioned, a
naked sword by my side, two pistols in my belt, and a gun upon each shoulder.
It was my design not to have made any attempt till it was dark; but about
two o'clock, being the heat of the day, I found that they were all gone strag-
gling into the woods, and, as I thought, laid down to sleep. The three poor
distressed men, too anxious for their condition to get any sleep, had, however,
sat down under the shelter of a great tree, at about a quarter of a mile from
me, and out of sight of any of the rest. I resolved to discover myself to them,
and learn something of their condition. Immediately I marched as above, my
man Friday at a good distance behind me, as formidable for his arms as I, but
not making quite so staring a spectre-like figure as I did. I came as near them
undiscovered as I could, and then, before any of them.saw me, I called aloud to
them in Spanish, "What are ye, gentlemen? They started up at the noise, but
were ten times more confounded when they saw me, and the uncouth figure that I
made. They made no answer at all. I perceived them just going to fly from me,
when I spoke to them in English: "Gentlemen," said I, "do not be surprised at
me; perhaps you may have a friend near when you did not expect it."-"He must
be sent directly from Heaven then," said one of them very gravely to me, and
pulling off his hat at the same time to me, "for our condition is past the help
of man. All help is from Heaven, sir," said I; "but can you put a
stranger in the way to help you? for you seem to be in some great distress.
I saw you when you landed; and when you seemed to make application to the
brutes that came with you, I saw one of them lift up his sword to kill you.”
""
<<
(C
The poor man, with tears running down his face, and trembling, looked like
one astonished, returned, "Am I talking to God or man? Is it a real man,
or an angel?"- Be in no fear about that, sir," said I; "if God had sent an
angel to relieve you, he would have come better clothed, and armed after
another manner than you see me. Pray lay aside your fears. I am a man,
an Englishman, and disposed to assist you. You see I have one servant only;
we have arms and ammunition; tell us freely, can we serve you? What is
your case?"—"Our case, sir," said he, "is too long to tell you, while our
murderers are so near us; but, in short, sir, I was commander of that ship;
my men have mutinied against me; they have been hardly prevailed on not to
murder me, and at last have set me on shore in this desolate place, with these
two men with me,-one my mate, the other a passenger. We expected to
perish, believing the place to be uninhabited, and know not yet what to think
147
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
. . . . .
of it." "Where are these brutes your enemies?" said I; "do you know where
they are gone?"-"There they lie, sir," said he, pointing to a thicket of trees;
"my heart trembles for fear they have seen us, and heard you speak; if they
have, they will certainly murder us all."-" Have they any fire-arms?" said I.
He answered, "They had only two pieces, one of which they left in the boat."
<<
Well, then," said I, "leave the rest to me. I see they are all asleep; it is
an easy thing to kill them all, but shall we rather take them prisoners?" He
told me there were two desperate villains among them that it was scarce safe
to show any mercy to, but if they were secured, he believed all the rest would
return to their duty. I asked him which they were? He told me he could
not at that distance distinguish them, but he would obey my orders in any-
thing I would direct. Well," said I, "let us retreat out of their view or
hearing, lest they awake, and we will resolve further." So they willingly went
back with me, till the woods covered us from them.
<<
(C
Look you, sir," said I, "if I venture upon your deliverance, are you
willing to make two conditions with me?" He anticipated my proposals by
telling me that both he and the ship, if recovered, should be directed and
commanded by me in everything; and if the ship was not recovered he would
live and die with me in what part of the world soever I would send him; and
the two other men said the same. "Well," said I, "my conditions are but
two: first, that while you stay in this island with me, you will not pretend
to any authority here; and if I put arms in your hands, you will, upon all
occasions, give them up to me, and do no prejudice to me or mine upon this
island, and in the meantime be governed by my orders; secondly, that if the
ship is recovered, you will carry me and my man to England, passage free."
He gave me all the assurances that he would comply with these most
reasonable demands, and, besides, would owe his life to me, and acknowledge
it upon all occasions as long as he lived. "Well, then," said I, "here are
three muskets for you, with powder and ball; tell me next what you think is
proper to be done." He showed all the testimonies of his gratitude that he
was able, but offered to be wholly guided by me. I told him I thought it was
hard venturing anything, but the best method I could think of was to fire on
them at once as they lay, and if any were not killed at the first volley, and
offered to submit, we might save them, and so put it wholly upon God's
providence to direct the shot. He said that he was loath to kill them, if he
could help it; but that those two were incorrigible villains, and had been the
authors of the mutiny in the ship, and if they escaped we should be undone
still, for they would go on board and bring the whole ship's company, and
destroy us all. "Well, then," said I, "necessity legitimates my advice, for it
is the only way to save our lives." However, seeing him still cautious of
shedding blood, I told him they should go themselves, and manage as they
found convenient.
VAPAA dd ja sytet T
mata. Grega v p
pdf
Valga tangalar va alkavat tempa bu
148
Ma ang mga makan malay
Alan Pang Mga market men
sky may make out at man a plate w P
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
In the middle of this discourse we heard some of them awake, and soon
after we saw two of them on their feet. I asked him if either of them were
the heads of the mutiny? He said, "No." Well, then," said I, "you may
let them escape; and Providence seems to have awakened them on purpose to
save themselves; if the rest escape you, it is your fault." Animated with
this, he took the musket I had given him in his hand, and a pistol in his belt,
and his two comrades, each with a piece in his hand; the two men made some
noise, at which one of the seamen, who was awake, turned about, and seeing
them coming cried out to the rest; but it was too late then, for the moment
he cried out the two men fired, the captain wisely reserving his own piece.
They had so well aimed their shot that one of the men was killed on the spot,
and the other very much wounded. He started up on his feet, and called
eagerly for help to the other; but the captain, stepping to him, told him it was
too late to cry for help, he should call upon God to forgive his villainy, and
with that word knocked him down with the stock of his musket, so that he
never spoke more. There were three more in the company, and one of them
was slightly wounded. By this time I was come; and when they saw their
danger, and that it was in vain to resist, they begged for mercy. The captain.
told them he would spare their lives if they would give him an assurance of
their abhorrence of the treachery they had been guilty of, and would swear to
be faithful to him in recovering the ship, and afterwards in carrying her back
to Jamaica, whence they came. They gave him all the protestations of their
sincerity that could be desired. He was willing to believe them, and spare
their lives, only I obliged him to keep them bound hand and foot while they
were on the island.
Tagged d
((
palate plakkaat myydyty
While this was doing, I sent Friday with the captain's mate to the boat with
orders to secure her, and bring away the oars and sails; and by-and-bye three
straggling men, that were (happily for them) parted from the rest, came back
upon hearing the guns fired; and seeing the captain, who was before their
prisoner, now their conqueror, they submitted to be bound also; and so our
victory was complete.
It now remained that the captain and I should inquire into one another's
circumstances. I began first, and told my whole history, which he heard with
an attention even to amazement,-and particularly at the wonderful manner
of my being furnished with provisions and ammunition; and, indeed, as my
story is a whole collection of wonders, it affected him deeply. But when he
reflected thence upon himself, and how I seemed to have been preserved there
on purpose to save his life, the tears ran down his face, and he could not speak
a word more. After this communication was at an end, I carried him and his
two men into my apartment, leading them in at the top of the house. I re-
freshed him with such provisions as I had, and showed them all the contri-
vances I had made during my long inhabiting that place.
1-19
Les Paul Van /


LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
NEVER
Above all, the captain admired my fortification, and how perfectly I had
concealed my retreat. I told him this was my castle, but that I had a seat in
the country, as most princes have, whither I could retreat upon occasion, and
I would show him that too another time; but at present our business was to
consider how to recover the ship. He agreed with me as to that, but told me
he was perfectly at a loss what measures to take, for that there were still six-
and-twenty hands on board, who, having entered into a cursed conspiracy, by
which they had all forfeited their lives to the law, would be hardened in it now
by desperation, and would carry it on, knowing that if they were subdued they
would be brought to the gallows as soon as they came to England, or to any
of the English colonics, and that therefore there would be no attacking them
with so small a number as we were.
I mused for some time upon what he had said, and found it was a very
rational conclusion, and that therefore something was to be resolved on speed-
ily, as well to draw the men on board into some snare for their surprise, as to
prevent their landing upon us, and destroying us. It occurred to me that in
a little while the ship's crew, wondering what was become of their comrades.
and of the boat, would certainly come on shore in their other boat to look for
them, and that then perhaps they might come armed, and be too strong for
us. This he allowed to be rational. Upon this, I told him the first thing we
had to do was to stave the boat, which lay upon the beach, so that they might
not carry her off, and taking everything out of her, leave her so far useless as
not to be fit to swim. Accordingly we went on board, took the arms which
were left on board out of her, and whatever else we found there, which was a
bottle of brandy, and another of rum, a few biscuit-cakes, a horn of powder, and
a great lump of sugar in a piece of canvas, all which was very welcome to me,
especially the brandy and sugar, of which I had had none left for many years.
When we had carried all these things on shore, we knocked a great hole in
her bottom, that if they had come strong enough to master us, yet they could
not carry off the boat. Indeed, it was not much in my thoughts that we could
be able to recover the ship; but my view was, that if they went away without
the boat, I did not much question to make her again fit to carry us to the
Leeward Islands, and call upon our friends the Spaniards in my way, for I had
them still in my thoughts.
While we were thus preparing our designs, we heard the ship fire a gun,
and make a waft with her ensign as a signal for the boat to came on board,
but no boat stirred; and they fired several times, making other signals for the
boat. At last, when all their signals and firing proved fruitless, and they found
the boat did not stir, we saw them, by the help of my glasses, hoist another
boat out, and row towards the shore; and we found, as they approached, that
there were no less than ten men in her, and that they had fire-arms with them.
As the ship lay almost two leagues from the shore, we had a full view of
150
Pag
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
them as they came, and a plain sight even of their faces. The captain knew
the persons and characters of all the men in the boat, of whom, he said, there
were three very honest fellows, who were led into this conspiracy by the rest,
being overpowered and frightened; but that as for the boatswain, who was the
chief officer among them, and all the rest, they were as outrageous as any of
the ship's crew, and were no doubt desperate in their new enterprise; and
terribly apprehensive he was that they would be too powerful for us. I smiled
at him, and told him that men in our circumstances were past the operation of
fear; that seeing almost every condition that could be was better than that
which we were in, we ought to expect that the consequence, whether death or
life, would be sure to be a deliverance. I asked him what he thought of the
circumstances of my life, and whether a deliverance were not worth venturing
for? "And where, sir," said I, "is your belief of my being preserved here on
purpose to save your life, which elevated you a little while ago? For my
part," said I, "there seems to be but one thing amiss in all the prospect of it."
"What is that?" asked he. "Why," said I, "it is, that you say there are three
or four honest fellows among them which should be spared. Had they been
all of the wicked part of the crew, I should have thought God's providence had
singled them out to deliver them into your hands; for depend upon it, every
man that comes ashore is our own, and shall die or live as they behave to us.'
As I spoke this with a raised voice and cheerful countenance, I found it greatly
encouraged him, so we set vigorously to our business.
We had, upon the first appearance of the boats coming from the ship,
considered of separating our prisoners, and we had, indeed, secured them
effectually. Two of them, of whom the captain was less assured than ordinary,
I sent with Friday, and one of the three delivered men, to my cave, where
they were remote enough, and out of danger of being heard or discovered, or
of finding their way out of the woods if they could have delivered themselves.
Here they left them bound, but gave them provisions, and promised them, if
they continued there quietly, to give them their liberty in a day or two, but
that if they attempted their escape they should be put to death without mercy.
They promised faithfully to bear their confinement with patience, and were
thankful that they had such good usage as to have provisions and light left
them; for Friday gave them candles for their comfort, and they did not know
but that he stood sentinel over them at the entrance.
The other prisoners had better usage. Two of them were kept pinioned,
indeed, because the captain was not able to trust them; but the other two
were taken into my service, upon the captain's recommendation, and upon
their solemnly engaging to live and die with us; so with them and the three
honest men we were seven men, well armed; and I made no doubt we should
be able to deal well enough with the ten that were coming, considering that
the captain had said there were three or four honest men among them also.
Stag At Tar --
151

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
As soon as they got to the place where their other boat lay, they ran their
boat into the beach and came all on shore, hauling the boat up after them,
which I was glad to see, for I was afraid they would rather have left the boat
at an anchor some distance from the shore, with some hands in her to guard
her, and so we should not be able to seize the boat. Being on shore, the first
thing they did, they ran all to their other boat; and it was easy to see they
were under a great surprise to find her stripped, as above, of all that was in
her, and a great hole in her bottom. After they had mused awhile upon this,
they set up two or three great shouts, hallooing with all their might, to try if
they could make their companions hear; but all was to no purpose. Then
they came all close in a ring, and fired a volley of their small arms, which,
indeed, we heard, and the echoes made the woods ring; but it was all one.
Those in the cave, we were sure, could not hear, and those in our keeping,
though they heard it well enough, yet durst give no answer to them. They
were so astonished at this that, as they told us afterwards, they all resolved to
go on board again to their ship, and let them know that the men were all
murdered, and the long-boat staved; accordingly, they immediately launched
their boat again, and got all of them on board.
The captain was confounded at this, believing they would go on board the
ship again, and set sail, giving their comrades over for lost, and so he should
still lose the ship, which he was in hopes we should have recovered; but he
was quickly as much frightened the other way.
They had not been long put off with the boat when we perceived them
coming on shore again; but with this new measure in their conduct, which it
seems they consulted together upon, viz., to leave three men in the boat, and
the rest to go on shore, and go up into the country to look for their fellows.
This was a great disappointment to us, for now we were at a loss what to do,
as our seizing those seven men on shore would be no advantage to us if we
let the boat escape, because they would row away to the ship, and then the
rest of them would be sure to weigh and set sail, and so our recovering the
ship would be lost. However, we had no remedy but to wait and see what
the issue of things might present. The seven men came on shore, and the
three who remained in the boat put her off to a great distance from the shore,
and came to an anchor to wait for them; so that it was impossible for us to
come at them in the boat. Those that came on shore kept close together,
marching towards the top of the little hill under which my habitation lay;
and we could see them plainly, though they could not perceive us. We should
have been very glad if they would have come nearer to us, so that we might
have fired at them, or that they would have gone farther off, that we might
come aboard. But when they were come to the brow of the hill, where they
could see a great way into the valleys and woods, which lay towards the
north-east part, and where the island lay lowest, they shouted and hallooed
152
bda – Manga Papan mana sevg
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
till they were weary; and not caring, it seeins, to venture far from the shore,
nor far from one another, they sat down together under a tree to consider it.
Had they thought fit to have gone to sleep there, as the other part of them
had done, they had done the job for us; but they were too full of apprehen-
sions of danger to venture to go to sleep, though they could not tell what the
danger was they had to fear.
Can a pagan Malaty
A me pa da ——
The captain made a proposal to me upon this consultation of theirs, viz.,
that perhaps they would all fire a volley again, to endeavour to make their
fellows hear, and that we should all sally upon them just at the juncture when
their pieces were discharged, and they would certainly yield, and we should
have them without bloodshed. I liked this proposal, provided it was done
while we were near enough to come up to them before they could load their
pieces again. But this event did not happen, and we lay still a long time,
irresolute what course to take. We waited a great while, very impatient for
their removing; and were very uneasy when, after long consultation, we saw
them all start up, and march down towards the sea. It seems they had such
dreadful apprehensions of the danger of the place that they resolved to go on
board the ship again, give their companions over for lost, and so go on with
their intended voyage with the ship.
As soon as I perceived them go towards the shore, I imagined it to be as it
really was, that they had given over their search, and were going back again;
and the captain, as soon as I told him my thoughts, was ready to sink at the
apprehensions of it; but I presently thought of a stratagem to fetch them back
again. I ordered Friday and the captain's mate to go over the little creek west-
ward towards the place where the savages came on shore when Friday was
rescued, and so soon as they came to a little rising ground, at about half a
mile distance, I bade them halloo out as loud as they could, and wait till they
found the scamen heard them; that as soon as ever they heard the seamen
answer them, they should return it again; and then keeping out of sight, take
a round, always answering when the others hallooed to draw them as far into
the island, and among the woods, as possible, and then wheel about again to
me by such ways as I directed them.
They were just going into the boat when Friday and the mate hallooed.
They heard them, and, answering, ran along the shore westward, towards the
voice they heard, when they were stopped by the creek, where, the water being
up, they could not get over, and called for the boat to come up and set them
over; as, indeed, I expected. When they had set themselves over, I observed
that the boat being gone a good way into the creek, they took one of the three
men out of her to go along with them, and left only two in the boat, having
fastened her to the stump of a tree on the shore. This was what I wished for;
and immediately leaving Friday and the captain's mate to their business, I
took the rest with me, and crossing the creek out of their sight, we surprised
153
Sebentage was
K
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
the two men before they were aware; one of them lying on shore and the
other being in the boat. The fellow on shore was between sleeping and wak-
ing, and going to start up; the captain, who was foremost, ran in upon him.
and knocked him down, and then called out to him in the boat to yield, or he
was a dead man. There needed very few arguments to persuade a single man
to yield, when he saw five men upon him, and his comrade knocked down;
besides, this was, it seems, one of the three who were not so hearty in the
mutiny as the rest of the crew, and therefore was easily persuaded not only to
yield, but afterwards to join very sincerely with us. In the meantime,
Friday and the captain's mate so well managed their business with the rest,
that they drew them, by hallooing and answering, from one hill to another,
and from one wood to another, till they not only heartily tired them, but
left them where they were sure they could not reach back to the boat before
it was dark; and, indeed, they were heartily tired themselves by the time they
came back to us.
We had nothing now to do but to watch for them in the dark, and to fall
upon them, so as to make sure work with them. It was several hours after
Friday came back to me before they came back to their boat; and we could
hear the foremost of them, long before they came up, calling to those behind
to come along; and could also hear them answer, and complain how lame and
tired they were, and not able to come any faster, which was very welcome
news to us. It is impossible to express their confusion when they found the
boat fast aground in the creek, the tide ebbed out, and their men gone. We
could hear them calling to one another in a lamentable manner, telling one
another they were got into an enchanted island; that either there were inhabi-
tants in it, and they should be all murdered, or else there were devils and
spirits in it, and they should be all carried away and devoured. They hallooed
again, and called their two comrades by their names a great many times, but
got no answer. After some time we could see them run about wringing their
hands like men in despair, and sometimes they would go and sit down in the
boat to rest themselves, then come ashore again and walk about again, and do
the same thing over again. My men would fain have had me give them leave
to fall upon them in the dark; but I was willing to take them at some advan-
tage, so as to spare them, and kill as few of them as I could; and especially I
was unwilling to hazard the killing any of our men, knowing the others were
very well armed. I resolved to wait to see if they did not separate; and
therefore, to make sure of them, I drew my ambuscade nearer, and ordered
Friday and the captain to creep upon their hands and feet close to the ground
that they might not be discovered, and get as near them as they possibly could
before they offered to fire.
They had not been long in that posture when the boatswain, who was the
principal ringleader of the mutiny, and had now shown himself the most
154
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
dejected and dispirited of all the rest, came walking towards them, with two
more of the crew. The captain was so eager at having this principal rogue so
much in his power that he could hardly have patience to let him come so near
as to be sure of him, for they only heard his tongue before; but when they
came nearer, the captain and Friday, starting up on their feet, let fly at them.
The boatswain was killed upon the spot, the next man was shot in the body,
and fell just by him, though he did not die till an hour or two after, and the
third ran for it. At the noise of the fire I immediately advanced with my
whole army, which was now eight men, viz., myself, generalissimo; Friday,
my lieutenant-general; the captain and his two men, and the three prisoners
of war whom we had trusted with arms. We came upon them, indeed, in the
dark, so that they could not see our number; and I made the man they had left
in the boat, who was now one of us, call them by name, to try if I could bring
them to a parley, and so perhaps might reduce them to terms. So he called out.
as loud as he could to one of them, "Tom Smith! Tom Smith!" Tom Smith
answered immediately, "Is that Robinson?" for he knew the voice. The
other answered, "Ay, ay; for God's sake, Tom Smith, throw down your arms
and yield, or you are all dead men this moment."- Whom must we yield to?
Where are they!" said Smith again.- "Here they are," said he; "here's our
captain, and fifty men with him, have been hunting you these two hours; the
boatswain is killed, Will Fry is wounded, and I am a prisoner, and if you do
not yield you are all lost."-"Will they give us quarter, then?" said Tom
Smith, "and we will yield."—"I'll go and ask," said Robinson; so he asked
the captain, and the captain himself then called out, "You, Smith, you know
my voice; if you lay down your arms immediately and submit, you shall have
your lives, all but Will Atkins."
Upon this Will Atkins cried out, "For God's sake, captain, give me
quarter; what have I done? They have all been as bad as I," which, by
the way, was not true; for this Will Atkins was the first man that laid
hold of the captain when they mutinied, and used him barbarously, tying
his hands, and giving him injurious language. However, the captain
told him he must lay down his arms at discretion, and trust to the governor's
mercy; by which he meant me, for they all called me governor. In a word,
they all laid down their arms and begged their lives; and I sent the man that
had parleyed with them, and two more, who bound them; and then my great
army of fifty men, which, with those three, were in all but eight, came up and
seized upon them, and upon their boat; only I kept myself and one more out
of sight for reasons of state.
Our next work was to repair the boat and seize the ship. As for the
captain, now he had leisure to parley with them, he expostulated with them
upon the villany of their practices with him, and upon the further wickedness
of their design, and how certainly it must bring them to misery and distress
155
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
pa pad te maak met
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 not his
prisoners, but the commander's of the island; that they thought they had set
him on shore in a barren uninhabited island, but it pleased God so to direct
them that it was inhabited, and that the governor was an Englishman, that he
might hang them all there, if he pleased; but as he had given them quarter,
he supposed he would send them to England, to be dealt with as justice
required, except Atkins, whom he was commanded by the governor to advise
to prepare for death, for that he would be hanged in the morning.
Though this was all a fiction of his own, it had its desired effect. Atkins
fell upon his knees to beg the captain to intercede with the governor for his
life; and the rest begged of him, for God's sake, that they might not be sent.
to England.
It now occurred to me that the time of our deliverance was come, and that
it would be a most easy thing to bring these fellows in to be hearty in getting
possession of the ship. So I retired in the dark from them, that they might
not see what kind of a governor they had, and called the captain to me.
When I called at a distance, one of the men was ordered to speak again, and
say to the captain, "Captain, the commander calls for you;" and presently
the captain replied, "Tell his Excellency I am coming." This more perfectly
amazed them, and they all believed that the commander was just by with his
fifty men. Upon the captain coming to me, I told him my project for seizing
the ship, which he liked wonderfully well, and resolved to put it in execution
the next morning. But, in order to execute it with more art, and to be secure
of success, I told him we must divide the prisoners, and that he should go and
take Atkins, and two more of the worst of them, and send them pinioned to
the cave where the others lay. This was committed to Friday and the two
men who came on shore with the captain. They conveyed them to the cave
as to a prison, and it was, indeed, a dismal place to men in their condition.
The others I ordered to my bower, and as it was fenced in, and they pinioned,
the place was secure enough; considering they were upon their behaviour.

To these in the morning I sent the captain, who was to enter into a parley
with them to try them, and tell me whether he thought he might be trusted
to go on board and surprise the ship. He talked to them of the injury done.
him, of the condition they were brought to, and that though the governor had
given them quarter for their lives as to the present action, yet if they were sent
to England, they would all be hanged in chains; but that if they would join in
so just an attempt as to recover the ship, he would have the governor's engage-
ment for their pardon.
promised that they would
the world; that they would
"Well," said the captain,
They fell down on their knees to the captain, and
be faithful to him, and would go with him all over
own him as a father to them as long as they lived.
156
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
"I must go and tell the governor what you say, and see what I can do to bring
him to consent to." 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 secure, I told him he should go back again and choose out those
five, and tell them that they might see he did not want men, that he would
take out those five to be his assistants, and that the governor would keep the
other two, and the three that were sent prisoners to the castle (my cave), as
hostages for the fidelity of those five; and that if they proved unfaithful in
the execution, the five hostages should be hanged in chains alive on the shore.
This looked severe, and convinced them that the governor was in earnest.
However, they had no way left them but to accept it; and it was now the
business of the prisoners, as much as of the captain, to persuade the other five
to do their duty.
Our strength was now ordered for the expedition. First, the captain,
his mate, and passenger; second, the two prisoners of the first gang, to whom,
having their character from the captain, I had given their liberty, and trusted
them with arms; third, the other two that I had kept in my bower pinioned,
but, on the captain's motion, had now released; fourth, these five released at
last, so that they were twelve in all, besides five we kept prisoners in the cave
for hostages.
I asked the captain if he was willing to venture with these hands on board
the ship. As for me and my man Friday, I did not think it was proper for
us to stir, having seven men left behind; and it was employment enough for
us to keep them asunder, and supply them with victuals. As to the five in
the cave, I resolved to keep them fast, but Friday went in twice a day to them,
to supply them with necessaries; and I made the other two carry provisions.
to a certain distance, where Friday was to take it.
When I showed myself to the two hostages, it was with the captain, who
told them I was the person the governor had ordered to look after them, and
that it was the governor's pleasure they should not stir anywhere but by my
direction; that if they did, they would be fetched into the castle and laid in
irons. So that as we never suffered them to see me as governor, I now
appeared as another person, and spoke of the governor, the garrison, the castle,
and the like, upon all occasions.
The captain now had no difficulty before him, but to furnish his two boats,
stop the breach of one, and man them. He made his passenger captain of
one, with four of the men, and himself, his mate, and five more went in the
other; and they contrived their business very well, for they came up to the
ship about midnight. As soon as they came within call of the ship, he made
Robinson hail them, and tell them they had brought off the men and the boat,
but that it was a long time before they had found them, and the like, holding
them in a chat till they came to the ship's side, when the captain and the mate
Bygge deleng M
157
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
a app na platna op
entering first, immediately knocked down the second mate and carpenter with
the butt-end of their muskets, being faithfully seconded by their men; they
secured all the rest that were upon the main and quarter-decks, and began to
fasten the hatches, to keep them down that were below; when the other boat
and their men, entering at the fore-chains, secured the forecastle of the ship,
and the scuttle which went down into the cook-room, making three men they
found there prisoners. When this was done, and all safe upon deck, the cap-
tain ordered the mate, with three men, to break into the round-house, where
the new rebel captain lay, who, having taken the alarm, had got up, and with
two men and a boy had got fire-arins in their hands; and when the mate, with
a crow, split open the door, the new captain and his men fired boldly among
them, and wounded the mate with a musket-ball, which broke his arm, and
wounded two more of the men, but killed nobody. The mate calling for help,
rushed into the round-house, wounded as he was, with his pistol, shot the new
captain through the head, the bullet entering at his mouth, and came out
again behind one of his cars, so that he never spoke a word more. The rest
yielded, and the ship was taken effectually, without any more lives lost.
As soon as the ship was secured the captain ordered seven guns to be fired,
which was the signal agreed upon with me to give me notice of his success,
which, you may be sure, I was very glad to hear, having sat watching upon
the shore for it till near two o'clock in the morning. Having heard the signal
plainly, I laid me down, and it having been a day of great fatigue to me, I slept
very soundly, till I was surprised with the noise of a gun, and starting up, I
heard a man call me by the name of "Governor! Governor!" I knew the
captain's voice; when climbing up to the top of the hill, there he stood, and,
pointing to the ship, he embraced me in his arms. "My dear friend and
deliverer," said he, "there's your ship, for she is all yours, and so are we, and
all that belong to her." I cast iny eyes to the ship, and there she rode within
little more than half-a-mile of the shore. I was at first ready to sink down
with the surprise, for I saw my deliverance visibly put into my hands, all things
easy, and a large ship just ready to carry me away whither I pleased to go. At
first I was not able to answer him one word, but as he had taken me in his
arms, I held fast by him, or I should have fallen to the ground. He perceived
the surprise, and pulled a bottle out of his pocket and gave me a dram of
cordial, which he had brought on purpose for me. After I had drank it I sat
down upon the ground, and though it brought me to myself, yet it was a good
while before I could speak a word to him. All this time the poor man was in
as great an ecstasy as I. He said a thousand kind and tender things to me to
compose and bring me to myself; but such was the flood of joy in my breast,
that it put all my spirits into confusion. At last I broke out into tears, and,
in a little while after, I recovered my speech. I then embraced him as my
deliverer, and we rejoiced together. I told him I looked upon him as sent from

158
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
heaven to deliver me, and that the whole transaction seemed to be a chain of
wonders; that such things as these were the testimonies we had of a secret
hand of Providence governing the world, and an evidence that the eye of an
infinite power could search into the remotest corner of the world, and send
help to the miserable whenever He pleased. I forgot not to lift up my heart
in thankfulness to Heaven; and what heart could forbear to bless Him, who
had not only in a miraculous manner provided for me in such a wilderness,
and in such a desolate condition, but from whom every deliverance must
always be acknowledged to proceed.
When we had talked a while the captain told me he had brought me some little
refreshment, such as the ship afforded, and such as the wretches that had been
so long his masters had not plundered him of. Upon this he called aloud to
the boat, and bade his men bring the things ashore that were for the governor;
and, indeed, it was a present as if I had been to dwell upon the island still.
First, he had brought me a case of bottles full of cordial waters, six large
bottles of Maderia wine, two pounds of excellent tobacco, twelve good pieces
of the ship's beef, and six pieces of pork, with a bag of peas, and about an
hundred weight of biscuit; he also brought me a box of sugar, a box of flour,
a bag full of lemons, and two bottles of lime juice, and abundance of other
things. But besides these, and what was more useful to me, he brought me
six new shirts, six very good neckcloths, two pair of gloves, one pair of shoes,
a hat, and one pair of stockings, with a very good suit of clothes of his own,
which had been worn but very little; in a word, he clothed me from head to
foot. It was a very kind and agreeable present to one in my circumstances,
but never was anything in the world so awkward and uneasy as it was for me
to wear such clothes at first.
After these ceremonies were passed, and after all his good things were
brought into my little apartment, we began to consult what was to be done.
with the prisoners, for it was worth considering whether we might venture to
take them away with us or no, especially two of them, whom he knew to be
incorrigible and refractory to the last degree. The captain said he knew they
were such rogues that if he did carry them away it must be in irons, as male-
factors, to be delivered over to justice at the first English colony he could come
to. Upon this, I told him that, if he desired it, I would. undertake to bring the
two men he spoke of to make it their own request that he should leave
them upon the island. "I should be very glad of that," says the captain,
"with all my heart." "Well," says I, "I will send for them up, and talk with
them for you." So I caused Friday and the two hostages to go to the cave,
and bring up the five men, pinioned as they were, to the bower, and keep them
there till I came. After some time, I came thither, dressed in my new habit,
and now I was called governor again. Being all met, and the captain with me,
I caused the men to be brought before me. I told them I had got a full
De Vlaar van or vala
((
A me, quia qytete te paket sparką ar dak g van a halakat Mg 1 p m
A
159
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
Laura Ma
account of their villanous behaviour to the captain, and how they had run
away with the ship, and were preparing to commit farther robberies, but that
Providence had ensnared them in their own ways, and that they were fallen
into the pit which they had dug for others. I let them know that by my
direction the ship had been seized; that she lay now in the road; that their
new captain had received the reward of his villany, and that they would see
him hanging at the yard-arm. That, as to them, I wanted to know what they
had to say why I should not execute them as pirates, taken in the fact, as by
my commission they could not doubt but I had authority so to do.
One of them answered in the name of the rest, that they had nothing to say
but this, that when they were taken, the captain promised them their lives,
and they humbly implored my mercy. But I told them I knew not what
mercy to show them; for as for myself, I had resolved to quit the island with
all my men, and had taken passage with the captain to go for England; and
as the captain could not carry them to England, otherwise than as prisoners,
to be tried for mutiny, the consequence of which, they must needs know, would
be the gallows, so I could not tell what was best for them, unless they had a
mind to take their fate in the island. If they desired that, as I had liberty to
leave the island, I had some inclination to give them their lives if they
thought they could shift on shore. They seemed very thankful for it, and said.
they would much rather venture to stay there than be carried to England to
be hanged.
•
However, the captain seemed to make some difficulty of it, as if he durst
not leave them there. Upon this, I seemed a little angry with the captain,
and told him that they were my prisoners, not his, and that seeing I had
offered them favour, I would be as good as my word; and that if he did not
think fit to consent to it, I would set them at liberty, and he might take them
again if he could catch them. Upon this they appeared very thankful, and I
accordingly set them at liberty, and bade them retire into the woods, to the
place whence they came, and I would leave them some fire-arms, some am-
munition, and some directions how they should live very well if they thought
fit. Upon this I prepared to go on board the ship, but told the captain I
would stay that night to prepare my things, and desired him to go on board.
in the meantime, and keep all right in the ship, and send the boat on shore
next day for me, ordering him to cause the new captain, who was killed, to be
hanged at the yard-arm, that these men might see him.
When the captain was gone, I sent for the men up to me to my apartment,
and entered seriously into discourse with them on their circumstances. I told
them I thought they had made a right choice; that if the captain had carried
them away, they would certainly be hanged. I showed them the new captain
hanging at the yard-arm of the ship, and told them they had nothing less
to expect.
160

Co
48
"Friday looks earnestly towards the mainland: 'Oh joy!' says he, 'Oh glad!
there see my country, my nation!""
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
When they had all declared their willingness to stay, I then told them I
would let them into the story of my living there, and put them into the way
of making it easy to them. Accordingly, I gave them the whole history of
the place, and of my coming to it, showed them my fortifications, the way I
made my bread, planted my corn, cured my grapes, and, in a word, all that
was necessary to make them easy. I told them the story also of the seventeen
Spaniards that were to be expected, for whom I left a letter, and made them
promise to treat them in common with themselves. Here it may be noted
that the captain had ink on board. He was greatly surprised that I never hit
upon a way of making ink of charcoal and water, or of something else, as I
had done things much more difficult.
I left them my fire-arms, viz., five muskets, three fowling-pieces, and three
swords. I had above a barrel and a half of powder left, for after the first year
or two I used but little, and wasted none. I gave them a description of the
way I managed the goats, and directions to milk and fatten them, and to make
both butter and cheese. In a word, I gave them every part of my own story,
and told them I should prevail with the captain to leave them two barrels of
gunpowder more, and some garden seeds, which I told them I would have been
very glad of. Also, I gave them the bag of peas which the captain had
brought me to eat, and bade them be sure to sow and increase them.
Having done all this, I left them the next day, and went on board the ship.
We prepared to sail, but did not weigh that night. The next morning early,
two of the five men came swimming to the ship's side, and, making the most
lamentable complaint of the other three, begged to be taken into the ship for
God's sake, for they should be murdered, and begged the captain to take them
on board, though he hanged them immediately. Upon this the captain pre-
tended to have no power without me; but after some difficulty, and after their
solemn promises of amendment, they were taken on board, and were soundly
whipped and pickled, after which they proved very honest and quiet fellows.
Some time after this the boat was ordered on shore with the things promised
to the men, to which the captain, at my intercession, caused their chests and
clothes to be added, which they took and were very thankful for. I also
encouraged them, by telling them that if it lay in my power to send any vessel
to take them in, I would not forget them.
When I took leave of this island, I carried on board, for reliques, the great
goat-skin cap I had made, my umbrella, and one of my parrots, also the money
formerly mentioned, which had lain by me so long useless that it was grown
rusty, and could hardly pass for silver till it had been rubbed up. And thus
I left the island the 19th of December, in the year 1686, after I had been
upon it eight-and-twenty years, and two months, and nineteen days, being
delivered from this second captivity the same day of the month that I
first made my escape in the long-boat from anong the Moors of Salee. In
all p
L
161

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
this vessel, after a long voyage, I arrived in England the 11th of June, in
the year 1687, having been thirty-five years absent.
When I came to England I was as perfect a stranger as if I had never been
known there. My benefactor and faithful steward whom I had left my money
in trust with was alive, but had had great misfortunes; was become a widow the
second time, and very low in the world. I made her easy as to what she
owed me, assuring her I would give her no trouble; but, on the contrary, in
gratitude for her former care and faithfulness to me, I relieved her as my
little stock would afford, which at that time would allow me to do but very
little for her; but I assured her I would never forget her former kindness to
me, nor did I forget her when I had sufficient to help her. I went down
afterwards into Yorkshire, but my father was dead, and my mother and all the
family extinct except two sisters and two of the children of one of my brothers;
and as I had been long ago given over for dead, there had been no provision
made for me, so that I found nothing to assist me, and that the little money
I had would not do much for me as to settling me in the world.
I met with one piece of gratitude which I did not expect. The master of the
ship which I had so happily delivered, and by the same means saved the ship and
cargo, having given a very handsome account to the owners of the manner how I
had saved the lives of the men and the ship, they invited me to meet them
and some other merchants concerned, and altogether made me a very hand-
some compliment upon the subject, and a present of almost £200 sterling.
After making several reflections upon the circumstances of my life, and how
little way this would go towards settling me in the world, I resolved to go to
Lisbon, and see if I might not come at some information of the state of my
plantation in the Brazils, and of what was become of my partner, who, I had
reason to suppose, had some years past given me over for dead. With this
view I took shipping for Lisbon, where I arrived in April following, my man
Friday accompanying me in all these rambles, and proving a most faithful
servant upon all occasions. When I came to Lisbon I found out my old
friend the captain of the ship who first took me up at sea off the shore of
Africa. He was now grown old, and had left off going to sea, having put his
son into his ship, and who still used the Brazil trade. The old man did not
know me, and indeed I hardly knew him. But I soon brought him to my
remembrance, and brought myself to his remembrance, when I told him who
I was.
I inquired after my plantation and my partner. The old man told me he
had not been in the Brazils for about nine years, but that when he came away
my partner was living, but the trustees whom I had joined with him to take
cognizance of my part, were both dead; that, however, he believed I would
have a very good account of the improvement of the plantation; for that, upon
the general belief of my being cast away and drowned, my trustees had given
Med en la d
pada mata maenam akar pharvete var valg
panga kumar Agreement Matte
162
#
plagg p

ROBINSON crusoe.
in the account of the produce of my part of the plantation to the procurator-fiscal
who had appropriated it, in case I never came to claim it, one-third to the king,
and two-thirds to the monastery of St Augustine, to be expended for the benefit
of the poor, and for the conversion of the Indians to the Catholic faith; but that
if I appeared, or any one for me, to claim the inheritance, it would be restored,
only that the improvement or annual production being distributed to charitable
uses, could not be restored; but he assured me that the steward of the king's
revenue from lands, and the providore or steward of the monastery, had taken
great care all along that the incumbent, that is to say, my partner, gave
every year a faithful account of the produce, of which they had duly received
my moiety. I asked him if he knew to what height of improvement he had
brought the plantation, and whether he thought it might be worth looking
after; or whether, on my going thither, I should meet with any obstruction
to my possessing my just right in the moiety. He could not tell exactly to
what degree the plantation was improved, but he knew that my partner was
grown exceeding rich upon his part of it; and that, to the best of his re-
membrance, he had heard that the king's third of my part, which was granted
away to some other monastery or religious house, amounted to above two
hundred moidores a year; that as to my being restored to a quiet possession
of it, there was no question of that, my partner being alive to witness my
title, and my name being enrolled in the register of the country; also he told
me that the survivors of my two trustees were very fair, honest people, and
very wealthy; and he believed I would not only have their assistance for
putting me in possession, but would find a very considerable sum of
money in their hands for my account, being the produce of the farm while
their fathers held the trust, which, as he remembered, was for about twelve
years.
05
I showed myself a little concerned at this account, and inquired of the old
captain how it came to pass that the trustees should thus dispose of my effects,
when he knew that I had made my will, and had made him, the Portuguese
captain, my universal heir, etc.
He told me that as there was no proof of my being dead, he could not act
as executor, until some certain account should come of my death; and, besides,
he was not willing to intermeddle with a thing so remote; that it was true he
had registered my will, and put in his claim, and could he have given any
account of my being dead or alive, he would have acted by procuration, and
taken possesion of the ingenio (so they call the sugar-house), and have given
his son, who was now at the Brazils, orders to do it. But," said the old
man, "I have one piece of news to tell you, which perhaps may not be so
acceptable to you as the rest; and that is, believing you were lost, and all the
world believing so also, your partner and trustees did offer to account with
me, in your name, for the first six or eight years' profits, which I received.
<<
163
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
There being at that time great disbursements for increasing the works,
building an ingenio, and buying slaves, it did not amount to near so much as
afterwards it produced. However, I shall give you a true account of what I
have received in all, and how I have disposed of it."
After a few days' farther conference with this ancient friend, he brought me
an account of the first six years' income of my plantation, signed by my
partner and the merchant-trustees, being always delivered in goods, viz.,
tobacco in roll, and sugar in chests, besides rum, molasses, etc., which is the
consequence of a sugar-work; and I found by this account, that every year
the income considerably increased. The old man let me see that he was
debtor to me four hundred and seventy moidores of gold, besides sixty chests
of sugar, and fifteen double rolls of tobacco, which were lost in his ship, he
having been shipwrecked coming home to Lisbon, about eleven years after my
leaving the place. The good man then began to complain of his misfortunes,
and how he had been obliged to make use of my money to recover his losses,
and buy him a share in a new ship. "However, my old friend," said he,
'you shall not want a supply in your necessity, and as soon as my son returns,
you shall be fully satisfied." Upon this he pulled out an old pouch, and gave
me one hundred and sixty Portugal moidores in gold; and giving the writings
of his title to the ship, which his son was gone to the Brazils in, of which he
was quarter-part owner, and his son another, he put them both into my hands.
for security of the rest.
((
I was too much moved with the honesty and kindness of the poor man to
bear this; and remembering what he had done for me, I could hardly refrain
weeping, therefore I asked him if his circumstances admitted him to spare so
much money at that time, and if it would not straiten him? He told me he
could not say but it might straiten him a little; but, however, it was my
money, and I might want it more than he.
I took one hundred of the moidores, then returned him the rest, and told
him if ever I had possession of the plantation I would return the other to
him also (as, indeed, I afterwards did). As to the bill of sale of his part in
his son's ship, I would not take it by any means.
When this was passed, the old man asked me if he should put me into a
method to make my claim to my plantation. I told him I thought to go over
to it myself. He said I might do so if I pleased; but that, if I did not,
there were ways enough to secure my right, and immediately to appropriate
the profits to my use. And as there were ships in the river of Lisbon just
ready to go away to Brazil, he made me enter my name in a public register,
with his affidavit, affirming, upon oath, that I was alive, and that I was the
same person who took up the land for the planting the said plantation at first.
This being regularly attested by a notary, and a procuration affixed, he directed
me to send it, with a letter of his writing, to a merchant of his acquaintance
164

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
at the place; and then proposed my staying with him till an account came of
the return.
In less than seven months I received a large packet form the survivors of
my trustees, the merchants for whose account I went to sea, in which were the
following particular letters and papers enclosed :-
First, there was the account-current of the produce of my plantation, from
the year when their fathers had balanced with my old Portugal captain, being
for six years. The balance appeared to be one thousand one hundred and
seventy-four moidores in my favour.
Secondly, there was the account of four years more, while they kept the
effects in their hands, before the government claimed the administration, as
being the effects of a person not to be found, which they called civil death;
and the balance of this, the value of the plantation increasing, amounted to
nineteen thousand four hundred and forty-six crusadoes, being about three
thousand two hundred and forty moidores.
Thirdly, there was the Prior of St Augustine's account, who had received
the profits for above fourteen years; but not being to account for what was
disposed of by the hospital, very honestly declared he had eight hundred and
seventy-two moidores not distributed, which he acknowledged to my account.
As to the king's part, that refunded nothing.
There was a letter of my partner's congratulating me very affectionately
upon my being alive, giving me an account how the estate was improved, and
what it produced a year, with the particulars of the number of acres that it
contained, how planted, and how many slaves there were, upon it. And
making two-and-twenty crosses for blessings, told me he had said so many
Ave Marias to thank the Blessed Virgin that I was alive. Inviting me very
passionately to come over and take possession of my own, and, in the mean-
time, to give him orders to whom he should deliver my effects, if I did not
come myself, concluding with a hearty tender of his friendship, and that of
his family; and sent me, as a present, seven fine leopards' skins, which he had
received from Africa, by some other ship that he had sent thither, and which,
it seems, had made a better voyage than I. He sent me also five chests of
excellent sweetmeats, and a hundred pieces of gold uncoined, not quite so
large as moidores. By the same fleet my two merchant-trustees shipped me
one thousand two hundred chests of sugar, eight hundred rolls of tobacco,
and the rest of the whole account in gold.
I might well say now that the latter end of Job was better than the begin-
ning. It is impossible to express the flutterings of my heart when I found
all my wealth about me; for as the Brazil ships come all in fleets, the same
ships which brought my letters brought my goods, and the effects were safe
in the river before the letters came to my hand. In a word, I turned pale,
and grew sick; and, had not the old man run and fetched me a cordial, I
165
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
believe the sudden surprise of joy had overset nature, and I had died upon
the spot; nay, after that I continued very ill, and was so some hours, till a
physician being sent for, and something of the real cause of my illness being
known, he ordered me to be let blood; after which I had relief, and grew
well, but I verily believe if I had not been eased by a vent given in that
manner to the spirits, I should have died.
I was now master, all on a sudden, of above five thousand pounds sterling
in money, and had an estate, as I might well call it, in the Brazils, of above a
thousand pounds a year, as sure as an estate of lands in England. The first
thing I did was to recompense my original benefactor, my good old captain,
who had been first charitable to me in my distress, kind to me in my begin-
ning, and honest to me at the end. I showed him all that was sent to me. I
told him that, next to the Providence of heaven, which disposed all things, it
was owing to him, and that it now lay on me to reward him, which I would
do a hundred-fold; so I first returned to him the hundred moidores I had
received of him; then I sent for a notary and caused him to draw up a general
discharge from the four hundred and seventy moidores which he had acknow-
ledged he owed me. After which I caused a procuration to be drawn,
empowering him to be the receiver of the annual profits of my plantation,
and appointing my partner to account with him, and make the returns, by the
usual fleets, to him in my name; and, by a clause in the end, made a grant of
one hundred moidores a year to him during his life, out of the effects, and
fifty moidores a year to his son after him, for his life.
I had now to consider which way to steer my course next, and what to do
with the estate that Providence had thus put into my hands. My interest in
the Brazils seemed to summon me thither, but I could not think of going
thither till I had settled my affairs, and left my effects in some safe hands
behind me. At first I thought of my old friend the widow, who I knew was
honest, and would be just to me; but then she was in years, and poor, and,
for aught I knew, might be in debt; so that, in a word, I had no way but to
go back to England myself, and take my effects with me.
It was some months before I resolved upon this; and, as I had rewarded
the old captain, I began to think of the poor widow whose husband had been
my first benefactor. The first thing I did, I got a merchant in Lisbon to
write to his correspondent in London to find her out, and carry her, in money,
a hundred pounds from me, and to comfort her in her poverty by telling her
she should, if I lived, have a further supply. At the same time I sent my
two sisters in the country a hundred pounds each, they being, though not in
want, yet not in very good circumstances; one having been married and left
a widow, and the other having a husband not so kind to her as he should
be. But, among all my relations or acquaintances, I could not yet pitch
upon one to whom I durst commit the gross of my stock, that I might
166
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
go away to the Brazils, and leave things safe behind me, and this greatly
perplexed me.
I had once a mind to go to the Brazils, and settle myself there, for I was,
as it were, naturalized to the place; but I had some little scruple in my mind
about religion which insensibly drew me back.
I resolved at last to go to England, where, if I arrived, I concluded I should
make some acquaintance, or find some relations, that would be faithful to me;
and, accordingly, I prepared to go to England with all my wealth.
In order to prepare things for my going home, I first (the Brazil fleet being
just going away) resolved to give answers suitable to the just and faithful
account of things I had from thence. To the Prior of St Augustine I wrote
a letter full of thanks for his just dealings, and the offer of the eight hundred
and seventy-two moidores which were undisposed of, which I desired might
be given, five hundred to the monastery, and three hundred and seventy-two
to the poor, as the prior should direct, desiring the good padre's prayers for
me, and the like. I wrote next a letter of thanks to my two trustees, with all
the acknowledgment that so much justice and honesty called for; as for
sending them any present, they were far above having any occasion for it.
Lastly, I wrote to my partner, acknowledging his industry in improving the
plantation, and his integrity in increasing the stock of the works, giving him.
instructions for his future government of my part, according to the powers I
had left with my old patron, to whom I desired him to send whatever became
due to me, till he should hear from me more particularly, assuring him that it
was my intention not only to come to him, but to settle myself there for the
remainder of my life. To this I added a very handsome present of some
Italian silks for his wife and two daughters-for such the captain's son
informed me he had-with two pieces of fine English broad cloth, the best I
could get in Lisbon, five pieces of black baize, and some Flanders lace of a
good value.
Having thus settled my affairs, sold my cargo, and turned all my effects
into bills of exchange, my next difficulty was which way to go to England. I
had been accustomed enough to the sea, and yet I had a strange aversion to
go to England by sea at that time; and though I could give no reason for it,
yet the difficulty increased upon me so much that though I had once shipped
my baggage in order to go, yet I altered my mind, and that not once, but two
or three times.
It is true I had been very unfortunate by sea, and this might be one of the
reasons; but let no man slight the strong impulses of his own thoughts in
cases of such moment. Two of the ships which I had singled out to go in
miscarried, viz., one was taken by the Algerines, and the other was cast away
on the Start, near Torbay, and all the people drowned except three, so that in
either of those vessels I had been made miserable.
167
Makaylah mengat
(tagad Ka And An
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
Having been thus harassed in my thoughts, my old pilot, to whom I com-
municated everything, pressed me not to go by sea, but either to go by land
to the Groyne, and cross over the Bay of Biscay to Rochelle, whence it was
but an easy and safe journey by land to Paris, and so to Calais and Dover;
or to go up to Madrid, and so all the way by land through France. In a
word, I was so prepossessed against going by sea at all, except from Calais to
Dover, that I resolved to travel all the way by land, which, as I was not in
haste, and did not value the charge, was by much the pleasanter way, and to
make it more so, my old captain brought an English gentleman, the son of a
merchant in Lisbon, who was willing to travel with me; after which we
picked up two more English merchants also, and two young Portuguese
gentlemen, the last going to Paris only; so that, in all, there were six of us,
and five servants-the two merchants and the two Portuguese contenting
themselves with one servant between two, to save the charge; and as for me,
I got an English sailor to travel with me as a servant, besides my man Friday,
who was too much a stranger to be capable of supplying the place of a servant
on the road.
Me at a dry
Adam and
In this manner I set out from Lisbon, and our company being very well
mounted and armed, we made a little troop, whereof they did me the honour
to call me captain, as well because I was the oldest man, as because I had
two servants, and, indeed, was the origin of the whole journey.
When we came to Madrid, we, being all of us strangers to Spain, were
willing to stay some time to see the court of Spain, and what was worth
observing; but, it being the latter part of the summer, we hastened away, and
set out from Madrid about the middle of October; but when we came to
Navarre we were alarmed at several towns on the way, with an account that
so much snow was fallen on the French side of the mountains that several
travellers were obliged to come back to Pampeluna, after having attempted, at
an extreme hazard, to pass on.
When we came to Pampeluna itself, we found it so indeed; and to me, that
had been always used to a hot climate, and to countries where I could scarce
bear any clothes on, the cold was insufferable; nor was it more painful than
surprising, to come but ten days before out of Old Castile, where the weather
was very hot, and immediately to feel a wind from the Pyrenean mountains so
keen as to endanger benumbing and perishing of our fingers and toes.
Poor Friday was really frightened when he saw the mountains all covered
with snow, and felt cold weather, which he had never seen or felt before in
his life. To mend the matter, when we came to Pampeluna, it continued
snowing with so much violence and so long, that the roads, which were difficult
before, were now quite impassable, for the snow lay in some places too thick
for us to travel, and being not hard frozen, as is the case in the northern
countries, there was no going without being in danger of being buried alive
168
m

• pd pemba
– poder de mult felt at malaman m
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
every step. We stayed no less than twenty days at Pampeluna; when
(seeing the winter coming on, and no likelihood of its being better, for it was
the severest winter all over Europe that had been known in the memory of
man) I proposed that we should go away to Fontarabia, and there take ship-
ping for Bordeaux, which was a very little village. But while I was considering
this, there came in four French gentlemen, who, having been stopped on the
French side of the passes, as we were on the Spanish, had found out a guide,
who, traversing the country near the head of Languedoc, had brought them over
the mountains by such ways that they were not much incommoded with the
snow; for when they met with snow in any quantity, they said it was frozen
hard enough to bear them and their horses. We sent for this guide, who told
us he would undertake to carry us the same way, with no hazard from the snow,
provided we were armed sufficiently to protect ourselves from wild beasts; for,
he said, in these great snows it was frequent for wolves to show themselves at
the foot of the mountains, being made ravenous for want of food. We told him
we were well enough prepared for such creatures as they were, if he would ensure
us from a kind of two-legged wolves, which, we are told, we are in danger
from, especially on the French side of the mountains. He satisfied us that
there was no danger of that kind in the way that we were to go. So we
agreed to follow him, as did also twelve other gentlemen, with their servants,
some French, some Spanish, who, as I said, had attempted to go, and were
obliged to come back again.
Accordingly, we set out from Pampeluna with our guide on the 15th of
November. I was surprised, when, instead of going forward, he came directly
back with us on the same road that we came from Madrid, about twenty miles,
when, having passed two rivers, and came into the plain country, we found
ourselves in a warm climate again, where the country was pleasant, and no
snow to be seen, but, on a sudden, turning to his left, he approached the
mountains another way; and though it is true the hills and precipices looked
dreadful, yet he made so many tours, such meanders, and led us by such wind-
ing ways, that we insensibly passed the height of the mountains without being
much encumbered with the snow; and, all on a sudden, he showed us the
pleasant and fruitful provinces of Languedoc and Gascony, all green and flourish-
ing, though at a great distance, and we had some rough way to pass still.
We were a little uneasy, however, when we found that it snowed one whole
day and night so fast that we could not travel; but he bid us be easy, we
should soon be past it all. We found, indeed, that we began to descend every
day, and to come more north than before, and so, depending upon our guide,
we went on.
badan denga
•
It was about two hours before night, when, our guide being something
before us, and not just in sight, out rushed three monstrous wolves, and after
them a bear, from a hollow way adjoining a thick wood. Two of the wolves.
Apa a magnet an a
data
169
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
Latest Ajao A Van BUMN di baga penga
made at the guide, and had he been far before us, he would have been
devoured before we could have helped him. One of them fastened upon his
horse, and the other attacked the man with such violence, that he had not
time or presence of mind enough to draw his pistol, but hallooed and cried
out to us most lustily. My man Friday being next me, I bade him ride up
and see what was the matter. As soon as Friday came in sight of the man,
he hallooed out as loud as the other, "O master, O master!" but like a bold
fellow, rode directly up to the poor man, and with his pistol shot the wolf that
attacked him on the head.
It was happy for the poor man that it was my man Friday; for, having
been used to such creatures in his country, he had no fear upon him, but
went close up to him and shot him; whereas any other of us would have
fired at a farther distance, and have perhaps either missed the wolf or
endangered shooting the man.
But it was enough to have terrified a bolder man than I, and, indeed, it
alarmed all our company, when, with the noise of Friday's pistol, we heard
on both sides the most dismal howling of wolves; and the noise, redoubled
by the echo of the mountains, appeared to us as if there had been a prodigious
number of them. However, as Friday had killed this wolf, the other that had
fastened upon the horse left him immediately and fled, without doing him any
damage, having happily fastened upon his head, where the bosses of the bridle
had stuck in his teeth. But the man was most hurt; for the raging creature
had bit him twice, once in the arm, and the other time a little above his knee,
and though he had made some defence, he was tumbling down by the disorder
of his horse, when Friday came up and shot the wolf.
It is easy to suppose that at the noise of Friday's pistol we all mended our
pace, and rode up as fast as the way, which was very difficult, would give us
leave, to see what was the matter. As soon as we came clear of the trees,
which blinded us before, we saw clearly what had been the case, and how
Friday had disengaged the poor guide, though we did not presently discern.
what kind of creature it was he had killed.
Friday had delivered our guide, and when we came up to him was helping
him off from his horse, when on a sudden we espied the bear come out of the
wood-and a monstrous one it was, the biggest by far that ever I saw. We
were all a little surprised when we saw him; but when Friday saw him, it
was easy to see joy and courage in the fellow's countenance. "O, 0, 0 !”
says Friday, three times, pointing to him; "O master! you give me te leave,
me shakee te hand with him; me makee you good laugh."
I was surprised to see the fellow so well pleased: "You fool!" says I, "he
will eat you up."- "Eatee me up! eatee me up!" says Friday, twice over
again; "me eatee him up; me makee you good laugh; you all stay here; me
show you good laugh." So down he sits, and gets off his boots in a moment,
170
ROBINSON crusoe.
Kapp
and puts on a pair of pumps, which he had in his pocket, gives my other
servant his horse, and with his gun away he flew, swift like the wind.
""
The bear was walking softly on, and offered to meddle with nobody, till Friday
coming pretty near, calls to him, as if the bear could understand him, "Hark
ye, hark ye, me speakee with you.' We followed at a distance, for now being
come down on the Gascony side of the mountains, we were entered a vast
forest, where the country was plain and pretty open. Friday, who had, as we
say, the heels of the bear, came up with him quickly, and took up a great
stone, and threw it at him, and hit him just on the head, but did him no
more harm than if he had thrown it against a wall; but it answered Friday's
end, for the rogue was so void of fear that he did it purely to make the bear
follow him, and show us some laugh, as he called it. As soon as the bear felt
the blow, and saw him, he turns about, and comes after him, taking very long
strides, and shuffling on at a strange rate, so as would have put a horse to a
middling gallop. Away runs Friday, and takes his course as if he ran towards
us for help; so we all resolved to fire at once upon the bear, and deliver my
man; though I was heartily angry at him for bringing the bear back upon us,
when he was going about his own business another way, and I called out,
"You dog! is this your making us laugh? Come away and take your horse,
that we may shoot the creature. He heard me, and cried out, "No shoot, no
shoot; stand still, and you get much laugh;" and as the nimble creature ran
two feet for the bear's one, he turned on a sudden on one side of us, and
seeing a great oak-tree fit for his purpose, he beckoned to us to follow ; and
doubling his pace, he got nimbly up the tree, laying his gun down upon the
ground, at about five or six yards from the bottom of the tree. The bear
soon came to the tree, and we followed at a distance. The first thing he did,
he stopped at the gun, smelled at it, but let it lie, and up he scrambles into
the tree, climbing like a cat, though so monstrous heavy. I was amazed at
the folly, as I thought it, of my man, and could not for my life see anything
to laugh at yet, till seeing the bear get up the tree, we all rode near to him.
>>
When we came to the tree, there was Friday got out to the small end of a
large branch, and the bear got about half way to him. As soon as the bear
got out to that part where the limb of the tree was weaker,-"Ha!" says he to
us, "now you see me teachee the bear dance: so he began jumping and
shaking the bough, at which the bear began to totter, but stood still, and began
to look behind him, to see how he should get back; then, indeed, we did laugh
heartily. But Friday had not done with him yet by a great deal; when seeing
him stand still, he called out to him again, as if he had supposed the bear
could speak English, "What you no come farther? pray you come farther;" so
he left jumping and shaking the tree; and the bear, just as if he understood
what he said, did come a little farther; then he began jumping again, and the
bear stopped again. We thought now was a good time to knock him in the
171
VOJE TAPETANA Veteranangkan pengan
mga Pang

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
head, and called to Friday to stand still, and we would shoot at the bear; but
he cried out earnestly, "O pray! O pray! no shoot, me shoot by and then :"
he would have said by-and-bye. However, to shorten the story, Friday danced
so much, and the bear stood so ticklish, that we had laughing enough, but still
could not imagine what the fellow would do: for first, we thought he depended
upon shaking the bear off; and we found the bear was too cunning for that
too, for he would not go out far enough to be thrown down, but clung fast
with his great broad claws and feet, so that we could not imagine what would
be the end of it, and what the jest would be at last. But Friday put us out.
of doubt quickly, for seeing the bear cling fast to the bough, and that he would
not be persuaded to come any farther, "Well, well," says Friday, "you no come
farther, me go; you no come to me, me come to you;" and upon this he went
out to the smaller end of the bough, where it would bend with his weight, and
gently let himself down by it, sliding down the bough till he came near enough
to jump down on his feet, and away he ran to his gun, took it up, and stood still.
"Well," said I to him, "Friday, what will you do now? Why don't you shoot
him?"-"No shoot," says Friday, "no yet; me shoot now, me no kill; me shall
give you one more laugh ;" and, indeed, so he did, for when the bear saw his
enemy gone, he came back from the bough where he stood, but very cautiously,
looking behind him every step, and coming backward till he got into the body
of the tree; then, with the same hinder end foremost, he canie down the tree,
grasping it with his claws, and moving one foot at a time, very leisurely. At
this juncture, and just before he could set his hind foot on the ground, Friday
stepped up close to him, and clapped the muzzle of his piece into his ear, and
shot him dead. Then the rogue turned about to see if we did not laugh; and
when he saw we were pleased, by our looks, he began to laugh very loud.
"So we kill bear in my country," says Friday. So you kill them?" says I
"why, you have no guns."-"No," says he, "no gun, but shoot great much
long arrow." This was a good diversion to us; but we were still in a wild
place, and our guide very much hurt, and what to do we hardly knew; the
howling of wolves ran much in my head; and, indeed, except the noise I once
heard on the shore of Africa, of which I have said something already, I never
heard anything that filled me with so much horror.
((
>
These things, and the approach of night, called us off, or else, as Friday
would have had us, we should certainly have taken the skin of this monstrous
creature off, which was worth saving, but we had near three leagues to go, and
our guide hastened us; so we left him, and went forward on our journey.
The ground was still covered with snow, though not so deep and dangerous
as on the mountains; and the ravenous creatures, as we heard afterwards,
were come down into the forest and plain country, pressed by hunger to seek
for food, and had done a great deal of mischief in the villages, where they
surprised the country people, killed a great many of their sheep and horses,
172
V ta namen K
•
Ka mga bata mga mata.
KAM J MED Spade da v svet p
Data Manage and m
pagkagaling tally
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
and some people too. We had one dangerous place to pass, and our guide
told us if there were more wolves in the country we should find them there;
and this was a small plain surrounded with woods on every side, and a long
narrow defile, or lane, which we were to pass to get through the wood, and
then we should come to the village where we were to lodge. It was within
half an hour of sunset when we entered the wood, and a little after sunset
when we came into the plain. We met with nothing in the first wood, except
that in a little plain within the wood, which was not above two furlongs over,
we saw five great wolves cross the road, full speed, one after another, as if they
had some prey in view. They took no notice of us, and were gone out of sight
in a few moments. Upon this our guide, who 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 saw no
more wolves till we came through that wood, which was near half a league,
and entered the plain. As soon as we came into the plain, the first object we
met with was a horse which the wolves had killed, and at least a dozen of
them at work picking his bones. We did not think fit to disturb them at
their feast, neither did they take much notice of us. Friday would have let
fly at them, but I would not suffer him by any means; for I found we were
like to have more business upon our hands than we were aware of. We had
not gone half over the plain, when we began to hear the wolves howl in the
wood on our left in a frightful manner, and presently after we saw about a
hundred coming on directly towards us, all in a body, and most of them in a
line, as regularly as an army drawn up by experienced officers. I scarce knew
in what manner to receive them, but found to draw ourselves in a close line
was the only way. So we formed in a moment; but that we might not have
too much interval, I ordered that only every other man should fire, and that
the others, who had not fired, should stand ready to give them a second volley
immediately, if they continued to advance upon us; and then that those who
had fired at first should not load their fusees again, but stand ready, every one
with a pistol, for we were all armed with a fusee and a pair of pistols each.
However, upon firing the first volley, the enemy made a full stop, being
terrified as well with the noise as with the fire; four of them being shot in the
head, dropped; several others were wounded, and went bleeding off, as we
could see by the snow. I found they stopped, but did not immediately retreat.
Whereupon, remembering that I had been told that the fiercest creatures were
terrified at the voice of a man, I caused all the company to halloo as loud as
we could, and I found the notion not altogether mistaken; for upon our shout
they began to turn about. I then ordered a second volley to be fired in their
rear, which put them to the gallop, and away they went to the woods. This
gave us leisure to charge our pieces again; and that we might lose no time,
we kept going; but we had but little more than loaded our fusees, and put
173

P
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
ourselves in readiness, when we heard a terrible noise in the same wood on
our left, only that it was farther onward, the same way we were to go.
The night was coming on, which made it worse on our side; but the noise
increasing, we could easily perceive that it was the howling and yelling of
those hellish creatures; and, on a sudden, we perceived two or three troops of
wolves, one on our left, one behind us, and one in our front, so that we seemed
to be surrounded with them. However, as they did not fall upon us, we kept
our way forward, as fast as we could make our horses go, which, the way being
very rough, was only a good hard trot. In this manner we came in view of
the entrance of a wood, through which we were to pass, at the farther side of
the plain; but we were greatly surprised, when coming nearer the lane or pass,
we saw a confused number of wolves standing just at the entrance.
On a
sudden, at another opening of the wood, we heard the noise of a gun, and
looking that way, out rushed a horse, with a saddle and a bridle on him, flying
like the wind, and sixteen or seventeen wolves after him full speed. The horse
had the advantage of them; but as we supposed that he could not hold it at
that rate, we doubted not but they would get up with him at last: no question
but they did.
But here we had a most horrible sight; for, riding up to the entrance where
the horse came out, we found the carcases of another horse and of two men
devoured by the ravenous creatures, and one of the men was no doubt the
same whom we heard fire the gun, for there lay a gun just by him fired off;
but as to the other man, his head and the upper part of his body were eaten
up. This filled us with horror, and we knew not what course to take; but the
creatures resolved us soon, for they gathered about us presently in hopes of
prey, and I verily believe there were three hundred of them. It happened very
much to our advantage, that at the entrance into the wood, but a little way
from it, there lay some large timber trees, which had been cut down the sum-
mer before, and I suppose lay there for carriage. I drew my little troop in
among those trees, and placing ourselves in a line behind one long tree, I
advised them all to alight, and keeping that tree before us for a breastwork,
to stand in a triangle, or three fronts, enclosing our horses in the centre. We
did so, and it was well we did; for never was a more furious charge than the
creatures made upon us in this place. They came on with a growling kind of
noise, and mounted the piece of timber, which, as I said, was our breastwork,
as if they were only rushing upon their prey; and this fury of theirs, it seems,
was principally occasioned by their seeing our horses behind us. I ordered
our men to fire as before, every other man, and they took their aim so sure
that they killed several of the wolves at the first volley; but there was a
necessity to keep a continual firing, for they came on like devils, those behind
pushing on those before.
When we had fired a second volley of our fusees we thought they stopped a
174
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
little, and I hoped they would have gone off, but it was but a moment, for
others came forward again; so we fired two volleys of our pistols, and I believe
in these four firings we had killed seventeen or eighteen of them, and lamed
twice as many, yet they came on again. I was loath to spend our shot too
hastily, so I called my servant, not my man Friday, for he was better employed,
for, with the greatest dexterity imaginable, he had charged my fusee and his
own while we were engaged, but, as I said, I called my other man, and
giving him a horn of powder, I bade him lay a train all along the piece of
timber, and let it be a large train. He did so, and had but just time to get
away when the wolves came up to it, and some got upon it, when I, snapping
an uncharged pistol close to the powder, set it on fire. Those that were upon
the timber were scorched with it, and six or seven of them fell, or rather
jumped in among us with the force and fright of the fire. We despatched
these in an instant, and the rest were so frightened with the light, which the
night-for it was now very near dark-made more terrible, that they drew
back a little; upon which I ordered our last pistols to be fired off in one volley,
and after that we gave a shout; upon this the wolves turned tail, and we
sallied immediately upon near twenty laine ones that we found struggling on
the ground, and fell to cutting them with our swords, which answered our
expectation, for the crying and howling they made was better understood by
their fellows, so that they all fled and left us.
We had, first and last, killed about three-score of them, and had it been
daylight we had killed many more. The field of battle being thus cleared, we
made forward again, for we had still near a league to go. We heard the raven-
ous creatures howl and yell in the woods as we went several times, and some-
times we fancied we saw some of them; but the snow dazzling our eyes, we
were not certain. In about an hour more we came to the town where we were
to lodge, which we found in a terrible fright, and all in arms; for, it seems,
the night before the wolves and some bears had broke into the village, and
put them in such terror, that they were obliged to keep guard night and day,
but especially in the night, to preserve their cattle, and indeed their people.
The next morning our guide was so ill, and his limbs swelled so much with
the rankling of his wounds, that he could go no farther; so we were obliged
to take a new guide here, and go to Thoulouse, where we found a warm
climate, a fruitful, pleasant country, and no snow, no wolves, nor anything
like them; but when we told our story at Thoulouse, they told us it was
nothing but what was ordinary in the great forest at the foot of the mountains,
especially when the snow lay on the ground; but they inquired much what
kind of a guide we had got, who would venture to bring us that way in such a
severe season, and told us it was surprising we were not all devoured. When
we told them how we placed ourselves and the horses in the middle, they
blamed us exceedingly, and told us it was fifty to one but we had been all
Jijabanja
175
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
destroyed, for it was the sight of the horses which made the wolves so furious,
seeing their prey, and that at other times they are really afraid of a gun,—but
being excessively hungry, and raging on that account, the eagerness to come at
the horses had made them senseless of danger—and that if we had not by the
continued fire, and at last by the stratagem of the train of powder, mastered
them, it had been great odds but that we had been torn to pieces; whereas,
had we been content to have sat still on horseback, and fired as horsemen, they
would not have taken the horses so much for their own, when men were on
their backs; and, withal, they told us that if we had stood altogether, and left
our horses, they would have been so eager to have devoured them, that we
might have come off safe, especially having our fire-arms in our hands, and
being so many in number. For my part, I was never so sensible of danger in
my life, for, seeing above three hundred devils come roaring and open-
mouthed to devour us, and having nothing to shelter us or retreat to, I gave
myself over for lost. I believe I shall never care to cross those mountains
again. I would much rather go a thousand leagues by sea, though I was sure
to meet with a storm once a week.
M
I was now come to the centre of my travels, and had in a little time all my
new-discovered estate safe about me, the bills of exchange which I brought
with me having been currently paid.
My principal guide and privy-counsellor was my good, ancient widow, who,
in gratitude for the money I had sent her, thought no pains too much
nor care too great to employ for me; and I trusted her so entirely with
everything, that I was perfectly easy as to the security of my effects; and,
indeed, I was very happy from the beginning, and now to the end, in the
unspotted integrity of this good gentlewoman.
And now, having resolved to dispose of my plantation in the Brazils, I wrote
to my old friend at Lisbon, who offered it to the two merchants, the survivors
of my trustees, who lived in the Brazils. They accepted the offer, and remitted
thirty-three thousand pieces-of-eight to pay for it.
In return, I signed the instrument of sale in the form which they sent from
Lisbon, and sent it to my old man, who sent me the bills of exchange for
thirty-two thousand eight hundred pieces-of-eight for the estate, reserving the
payment of one hundred moidores a year to him (the old man) during his life,
and fifty moidores afterwards to his son for his life, which I had promised them,
and which the plantation was to make good as a rent-charge. And thus I
have given the first part of a life of fortune and adventure, a life of chequer-
work which the world will seldom be able to show the like of;-beginning
foolishly, but closing much more happily than any part of it ever gave me
leave to hope for.
·
Any one would think that in this state of complicated good fortune I was
past running any more hazards, but I was inured to a wandering life, had no
176

K
A
$1176
"Friday fired at them; I pulled out my knife and cut the flags that bound
the poor victim."
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
family, nor many relations, nor, however rich, had I contracted much acquaint-
ance; and though I had sold my estate in the Brazils, I could not keep that
country out of my head, and had a great mind to be upon the wing again.
Especially I could not resist the strong inclination I had to see my island, and
to know if the poor Spaniards were in being there. My true friend, the
widow, earnestly dissuaded me from it, and so far prevailed with me, that for
almost seven years she prevented my running abroad, during which time I
took my two nephews, the children of one of my brothers, into my care. The
eldest having something of his own, I bred up as a gentleman, and gave him
a settlement of some addition to his estate after my decease. The other I
placed with the captain of a ship. And after five years, finding him a sensible,
bold, enterprising young fellow, I put him into a good ship and sent him to
sea; and this young fellow afterwards drew me in, as old as I was, to further
adventures myself.
In the meantime I in part settled myself here. For, first of all, I married,
and that not either to my disadvantage or dissatisfaction, and had three
children, two sons and one daughter; but my wife dying, and my nephew
coming home with good success from a voyage to Spain, my inclination to go
abroad and his importunity prevailed, and engaged me to go in his ship as a
private trader to the East Indies. This was in the year 1694.
In this voyage I visited my new colony in the island-saw my successors
the Spaniards-had the whole story of their lives, and of the villains I left
there-how at first they insulted the poor Spaniards-how they afterwards
agreed, disagreed, united, separated, and how at last the Spaniards were obliged
to use violence with them-how they were subjected to the Spaniards-how
honestly the Spaniards used them. A history, if it were entered into, as full
of variety and wonderful accidents as my own part-particularly, also, as to
their battles with the Caribbeans, who landed several times upon the island,
and as to the improvement they made upon the island itself-and how five of
them made an attempt upon the mainland, and brought away eleven men and
five women prisoners, by which, at my coming, I found about twenty young
children on the island.
Here I stayed about twenty days, left them supplies of all necessary things,
and particularly of arms, powder, shot, clothes, tools, and two workmen, which
I brought from England with me, viz., a carpenter and a smith.
Besides this, I shared the lands into parts with them, reserved to myself the
property of the whole, but gave them such parts respectively as they agreed
on; and having settled all things with them, and engaged them not to leave
the place, I left them there.
I touched at the Brazils, whence I sent a barque, which I bought there,
with more people to the island; and in it, besides other supplies, I sent seven
women, being such as I found proper for service, or for wives to such as would
M
177
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON Crusoe.
take them.
As to the Englishmen, I promised to send them some women
from England, with a good cargo of necessaries, if they would apply themselves
to planting—which I afterwards could not perform. The fellows proved very
honest and diligent after they were mastered, and had their properties set
apart for them. I sent them, also, from the Brazils, five cows, three of them
being big with calf, some sheep, and some hogs, which when I came again
were considerably increased.
But all these things, with some very surprising incidents in some new
adventures of my own, for ten years more, I shall give a farther account of in
the second part of my history..
i
I
178
PART II.
THAT homely proverb, used in England, viz., "That what is bred in the bone
will not go out of the flesh," was never more verified than in the story of my
life. Any one would think that after thirty-five years' affliction, and a variety
of unhappy circumstances, the native propensity to rambling, which I gave an
account of in my first setting out in the world, should be worn out, and I
might, at sixty-one years of age, have been a little inclined to stay at home,
and have done venturing life and fortune any more.
Nay, farther, the common motive of foreign adventures was taken away in
me, for I had no fortune to make; I had nothing to seek. If I had gained
ten thousand pounds, I had been no richer; for I had already sufficient for
me, and for those I had to leave it to; for, having no great family, I could
not spend what I had, unless I would set up for an expensive way of living,
such as servants, equipage, gaiety, and the like, which were things I had no
inclination to; so that I had nothing, indeed, to do but to sit still, and fully
enjoy what I got, and see it increase upon my hands. Yet these things had no
effect upon me, or at least not enough to resist the strong inclination I had to
go abroad again, which hung about me like a chronical distemper. In
particular, the desire of seeing my new plantation in the island, and the
colony I left there, ran in my head continually. I dreamed of it all night,
and my imagination ran upon it all day; it was uppermost in all my thoughts;
and my fancy worked so strongly upon it, that I talked of it in my sleep; in
short, nothing could remove it out of my mind. It even broke so violently
into all my discourses that it made my conversation tiresome, for I could talk
of nothing else; all my discourse ran into it, even to impertinence; and I
saw it myself.
My imagination worked up to such a height, and brought me into such
excess of vapours, that I actually supposed myself often upon the spot, at my
old castle, behind the trees; saw my old Spaniard, Friday's father, and the
reprobate sailors I left upon the island; nay, I fancied I talked with them.
and looked at them steadily, though I was broad awake, as at persons before
me; and this I did till I often frightened myself with the images my fancy
represented to me. One time, in my sleep, I had the villany of the three
pirate sailors related to me by the first Spaniard and Friday's father. They
told me how they barbarously attempted to murder all the Spaniards, and
that they set fire to the provisions they had laid up, on purpose to distress
and starve them; things that I had never heard of, and that, indeed, were
never all of them true in fact; but it was so warm in my imagination, and
so realised to me, that, to the hour I saw them, I could not be persuaded but
179
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
that it was, or would be, true. Also, how I resented it when the Spaniard.
complained to me; and how I brought them to justice, tried them, and
ordered them all three to be hanged. In this kind of temper I lived some
years. I had no enjoyment of my life, no pleasant hours, no agreeable diver-
sion, but what had something or other of this in it; so that my wife, who saw
my mind wholly bent upon it, told me very seriously one night, that she believed
there was some secret impulse of Providence upon me, which had determined
me to go thither again; and that she found nothing hindered my going, but
my being engaged to a wife and children. She told me that it was true she
could not think of parting with me; but as she was assured that if she was
dead it would be the first thing I would do; so, as it seemed to her that the
thing was determined above, she would not be the obstruction; for, if I
thought fit and resolved to go-[Here she found me very intent upon her
words, and that I looked very earnestly at her, so that it a little disordered
her, and she stopped. I asked her why she did not go on, and say out what
she was going to say? But I perceived that her heart was too full, and tears
stood in her eyes.] "Speak out, my dear," said I; "are you willing I should
go?"-"No," said she, very affectionately, "I am far from willing; but if
you are resolved to go, rather than I would be the only hindrance, I will go
with you; for though I think it a most preposterous thing for one of your
years, and in your condition, yet, if it must be, I would not leave you; for, if
it be of Heaven, you must do it; there is no resisting it. And if Heaven
make it your duty to go, He will also make it mine to go with you, or other-
wise dispose of me, that I may not obstruct it."
This affectionate behaviour of my wife's brought me a little out of the
vapours, and I began to consider what I was doing. I corrected my wander-
ing fancy, and began to argue with myself sedately what business I had after
three-score years, and after such a life of tedious sufferings and disasters,
closed in so happy and easy a manner: I say, what business had I to rash
into new hazards, and put myself upon adventures fit only for youth and
poverty to run into?
So I resolved to divert myself with other things, and to engage in some
business that might effectually tie me up from any more excursions of this
kind; for I found that thing return upon me chiefly when I was idle, and had
nothing of moment immediately before me. I bought a little farm in the
county of Bedford, and resolved to remove myself thither. I had a convenient
little house upon it; and the land about it, I found, was capable of great
improvement. It was many ways suited to my inclination, which delighted
in cultivating, managing, planting, and improving of land; and particularly,
being an inland country, I was removed from conversing among sailors, and
things relating to the remote parts of the world.
I went down to my farm, settled my family, bought ploughs, harrows, a
180
Pa
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
My d
cart, waggon, horses, cows, and sheep, and, setting seriously to work, became
in one half-year a country gentleman. My thoughts were entirely taken up
in managing my servants, cultivating the ground, enclosing, planting, etc.;
and I lived, as I thought, the most agreeable life that nature was capable of
directing, or that a man bred to misfortunes was capable of retreating to.
I farmed upon my own land, I had no rent to pay, was limited by no
articles; I could pull up or cut down as I pleased-what I planted was for
myself, and what I improved was for my family, and having thus left off the
thoughts of wandering, I had not the least discomfort in any part of life as to
this world. Now I thought indeed that I enjoyed the middle state which my
father so earnestly recommended to me, and lived a kind of heavenly life, some-
thing like what is described by the poet, upon the subject of a country life :
"Free from vices, free from care,
Age has no pain, and youth no snare."
But in the middle of all this felicity, one blow from unseen Providence
unhinged me at once, and not only made a breach upon me inevitable, but
drove me, by its consequences, into a deep relapse of the wandering disposi-
tion, which, as I may say, being born in my blood, soon recovered its hold of
me; and, like the returns of a violent distemper, came on with an irresistible
force upon me. This blow was the loss of my wife. It is not my business
here to write an elegy upon my wife, to give a character of her particular
virtues, and make my court to the sex by the flattery of a funeral sermon.
She was, in few words, the stay of all my affairs, the centre of all my enter-
prises, the engine that, by her prudence, reduced me to that happy compass I
was in, from the most extravagant and ruinous project that filled my head,
and did more to guide iny rambling genius than a mother's tears, a father's
instructions, a friend's counsel, or all my own reasoning powers could do. I was
happy in listening to her, and in being moved by her entreaties; and to the
last degree desolate in the world by the loss of her.
When she was gone I was as much alone, except for the assistance of ser-
vants, as I was in my island. I neither knew what to think nor what to do. I
saw the world busy around me; one part labouring for bread, another part
squandering in vile excesses, or empty pleasures, equally miserable, because
the end they proposed still fled from them; for the men of pleasure every day
surfeited of their vice, and heaped up work for sorrow and repentance; and
the men of labour spent their strength in daily struggling for bread to main-
tain the vital strength they laboured with-so living in a daily circulation of
sorrow, living but to work, and working but to live, as if daily bread were the
only end of wearisome life, and a wearisome life the only occasion of daily bread.
This put me in mind of the life I lived in my island, where I suffered no
more corn to grow, because I did not want it, and bred no more goats, because
181

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
I had no more use for them; where the money lay in the drawer till it grew
mouldy, and had scarce the favour to be looked upon in twenty years.
All these things, had I improved them as I ought to have done, and as
reason and religion had dictated to me, would have taught me to search
farther than human enjoyments for a full felicity; and that there was some-
thing which certainly was the reason and end of life superior to all these things.
But my sage counsellor was gone. I was like a ship without a pilot-my
thoughts ran all away again into the old affair. My head was quite turned
with the whimseys of foreign adventures; and all the pleasant, innocent
amusements of my farm, my garden, my cattle, and my family, which before
entirely possessed me, were nothing to me. I resolved to leave off housekeep-
ing, let my farm, and return to London; and in a few months after I did so.
When I came to London, I was still as uncasy as I was before. I had no
relish for the place, no employment in it, nothing to do but to saunter about
like an idle person, useless in God's creation. This was the thing which, of
all circumstances of life, was the most my aversion, who had been all my days
used to an active life; and I would often say to myself, "A state of idleness
is the very dregs of life." And, indeed, I thought I was much more suitably
employed when I was twenty-six days making a deal board.
It was now the beginning of the year 1693, when my nephew, whom, as I
have observed before, I had brought up to the sea, and had made him com-
mander of a ship, was come home from a short voyage to Bilboa.
He came
to me, and told me that some merchants of his acquaintance had been pro-
posing to him to go a voyage for them to the East Indies, and to China, as
private traders. "And now, uncle," said he, "if you will go to sea with me,
I will engage to land you upon your old habitation in the island, for we are
to touch at the Brazils."
Nothing can be a greater demonstration of a future state, and of the exist-
ence of an invisible world, than the concurrence of second causes with the
ideas of things which we form in our minds, perfectly reserved, and not com-
municated to any in the world.
My nephew knew nothing how far my distemper of wandering was returned
upon me, and I knew nothing of what he had in his thought to say, when
that very morning, before he came to me, I had, in a great confusion of
thought, and revolving every part of my circumstances in my mind, come to
this resolution, that I would go to Lisbon and consult with my old sea-
captain; and if it was rational and practicable, I would go and see the island
again, and what was become of my people there. I had pleased myself with
the thoughts of peopling the place, and carrying inhabitants from hence,
getting a patent for the possession, and I knew not what, when, in the middle
of all this, in comes my nephew, with his project of carrying me thither in
his way to the East Indies.
182
A m m at a dat
plan, tad ar mamangalam kell me se mer enn har gj
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
S
I paused awhile at his words, and looking steadily at him, "What devil,"
said I, "sent you on this unlucky errand?" My nephew stared as if he had
been frightened at first; but perceiving that I was not displeased with the
proposal, he recovered himself. "I hope it may not be an unlucky proposal,
sir," said he, "I daresay you would be pleased to see your new colony there,
where you once reigned with more felicity than most of your brother monarchs
in the world."
"(
"
In a word, the scheme hit so exactly with the prepossession I was under,
and of which I have said so much, that I told him, in a few words, if he agreed
with the merchants, I would go with him, but I told him I would not promise
to go any farther than my own island. "Why, sir," said he, "you don't want
to be left there again, I hope?” Why," said I, can you not take me up
again on your return?" He told me it would not be possible to do so, that
the merchants would never allow him to come that way with a laden ship of
such value, it being a month's sail out of his way, and might be three or four.
((
Besides, sir, if I should miscarry," said he, "and not return at all, then you
would be just reduced to the condition you were in before."
This was very rational, but we found out a remedy for it, which was to
carry a framed sloop on board the ship, which being taken in pieces, and
shipped on board, might by the help of some carpenters, whom we agreed to
carry with us, be set up again in the island, and finished fit to go to sea in
a few days.
I was not long in resolving; for, indeed, the importunities of my nephew
joined so effectually with my inclination, that nothing could oppose me. On
the other hand, my wife being dead, nobody concerned themselves so much for
me as to persuade me to one way or the other, except my ancient good friend
the widow, who earnestly struggled with me to consider my years, my easy
circumstances, and the needless hazards of a long voyage, and, above all, my
young children. But it was all to no purpose. I had an irresistible desire
for the voyage; and I told her I thought there was something so uncommon
in the impressions I had upon my mind, that it would be a kind of resisting
Providence if I should attempt to stay at home. After which she ceased her
expostulations, and joined with me, not only in making provision for my
voyage, but also in settling my family affairs for my absence, and providing
for the education of my children.
I made my will, and settled the estate I had in such a manner for my
children, and placed in such hands, that I was perfectly easy and satisfied they
would have justice done them, whatever might befall me; and for their
education, I left it wholly to the widow, with a sufficient maintenance to
herself for her care, which she richly deserved; for no mother could have
taken more care in their education or understood it better, and as she lived till
I came home, I also lived to thank her for it.
183

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
An arcade
My nephew was ready to sail about the beginning of January, 1694-5; and
I, with my man Friday, went on board, in the Downs, the 8th, having, besides
that sloop, which I mentioned above, a very considerable cargo of all kinds of
necessary things for my colony, which, if I did not find in good condition, I
resolved to leave so.
I carried with me some servants, whom 1 purposed to place there as
inhabitants, or at least to set on work there, upon my account, while I stayed,
and either to leave them there or carry them forward, as they should appear
willing; particularly I carried two carpenters, a smith, and a very ingenious
fellow, a cooper by trade, and also a general mechanic, for he was dexterous
at making wheels, and hand-mills to grind corn, was a good turner, and a
good pot-maker; in a word, we called him our Jack-of-all-trades. With these
Ï carried a tailor, who had offered himself to go a passenger to the East Indies
with my nephew, but afterwards consented to stay on our new plantation; and
who proved a most handy fellow in many other businesses besides that of
his own.
My cargo consisted of a sufficient quantity of linen, and some English thin
stuffs, for clothing the Spaniards that I expected to find there, and enough of
them, as, by my calculation, might comfortably supply them for seven years:
the materials I carried for clothing them, with gloves, hats, shoes, stockings,
and all such things as they could want for wearing, amounted to above two
hundred pounds, including some beds, bedding, and household stuff, particularly
kitchen utensils, with pots, kettles, pewter, brass, etc., and near a hundred
pounds more in iron-work, nails, tools of every kind, staples, hooks, hinges,
and every necessary thing I could think of.
I carried also a hundred spare arms, muskets, and fusees, besides some
pistols, a considerable quantity of shot of all sizes, three or four tons of lead,
and two pieces of brass cannon; and, because I knew not what time and what
extremities I was providing for, I carried a hundred barrels of powder, besides
swords, cutlasses, and the iron part of some pikes and halberts, so that we had
a large magazine of all sorts of stores; and I made my nephew carry two
small quarter-deck guns more than he wanted for his ship, to leave behind if
there was occasion; that when we came there, we might build a fort, and man
it against all sorts of enemies; and, indeed, I thought there would be need
enough for all, and much more, if we hoped to maintain our possession of
the island.
I had not such bad luck in this voyage as I had been used to meet with;
yet some odd accidents, cross winds, and bad weather, happened on first setting
out, which made the voyage longer than I expected, and I began to think the
same ill fate attended me, and that I was born to be never contented with
being on shore, and yet to be always unfortunate at sea.
Contrary winds first put us to the northward, and we were obliged to put
184
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
all made to
in at Galway, in Ireland, where we lay wind-bound two-and-twenty days; but
we had this satisfaction with the disaster, that provisions were here exceeding
cheap, and in the utmost plenty, so that while we lay here, we never touched
the ship's stores, but rather added to them. Here, also, I took in several live
hogs, and two cows with their calves, which I resolved, if I had a good
passage, to put on shore in my island; but we found occasion to dispose
otherwise of them.
We set out on the fifth of February from Ireland, and had a very fair gale
of wind for some days. As I remember, it might be about the 20th of
February, late in the evening, when the mate, having the watch, came into the
round-house, and told us he saw a flash of fire, and heard a gun fired; and
while he was telling us of it, a boy came in, and told us the boatswain heard
another. This made us all run out upon the quarter-deck, where, for a while,
we heard nothing; but in a few minutes we saw a very great light, and found
that there was some terrible fire at a distance. Immediately we had recourse
to our reckonings, in which we all agreed that there could be no land that
way in which the fire showed itself, no, not for five hundred leagues, for it
appeared at W.N.W. Upon this, we concluded it must be some ship on fire
at sea; and as, by our hearing the noise of guns just before, we concluded
that it could not be far off, we stood directly towards it, and were presently
satisfied we should discover it, because the farther we sailed, the greater the
light appeared; though, the weather being hazy, we could not perceive anything
but the light for a while. In about half-an-hour's sailing, the wind being fair
for us, and the weather clearing up a little, we could plainly discern that it
was a great ship on fire in the middle of the sea.
I was most sensibly touched with this disaster. I recollected my former.
circumstances, and in what condition I was in when taken up by the Portuguese
captain; and how much more deplorable the circumstances of the poor creatures
belonging to that ship must be, if they had no other ship in company with them.
Upon this, I immediately ordered that five guns should be fired, one after
another; that, if possible, we might give notice to them that there was help
for them at hand, and that they might endeavour to save themselves in their
boat; for though we could see the flames of the ship, yet they, it being night,
could see nothing of us.
We lay by some time upon this, only driving as the burning ship drove,
waiting for daylight; when, on a sudden, to our great terror, though we had
reason to expect it, the ship blew up in the air; and in a few minutes all the
fire was out that is to say, the rest of the ship sunk. This was a terrible
sight, for the sake of the poor men, who, I concluded, must be either destroyed
in the ship, or be in the utmost distress in their boat, in the middle of the
ocean, which, at present, I could not see. However, to direct them as well as
I could, I caused lights to be hung out in all the parts of the ship, and kept
185
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
firing guns all the night long, letting them know by this that there was a ship
not far off.
About eight o'clock in the morning we discovered the ship's boats by the
help of our perspective glasses, and found there were two of them, both
thronged with people, and deep in the water. We perceived they rowed, the
wind being against them. They saw our ship, and did their utmost to make
us see them.
We immediately spread our ancient to let them know we saw them, and
hung a waft out, as a signal for them to come on board, and then made more
sail, standing directly to them. In little more than half an hour we came up
with them, and took them all in, being no less than sixty-four men, women,
and children, for there were a great many passengers.
Upon inquiry, we found it was a French merchant ship of three hundred
tons, home bound from Quebec, in the river of Canada. The master gave us
a long account of the distress of his ship, how the fire began in the steerage
by the negligence of the steersman; but, on his crying for help, was, as
everybody thought, entirely put out; but they soon found that some sparks
had got into some part of the ship so difficult to come at that they could not
effectually quench it; and afterwards getting in between the timbers, and
within the ceiling of the ship, it proceeded into the hold, and mastered all the
skill and application they were able to exert.
They had no more to do then but to get into their boats, which, to their
great comfort, were pretty large, being their long-boat, and a great shallop,
besides a small skiff, which was of service to them, to get some fresh water
and provisions into her, after they had secured then lives from the fire. They
had, indeed, small hope of their lives by getting into these boats at that
distance from any land, only that they thus escaped from the fire, and there
was a possibility that some ship might happen to be at sea and might take
them in. They had sails, oars, and a compass; and were preparing to make
the best of their way back to Newfoundland, the wind blowing pretty fair at
S.E. by E. They had as much provision and water as, with sparing it so as
to be next door to starving, might support them about twelve days, in which,
if they had no bad weather and no contrary winds, the captain said he hoped
he might get to the Banks of Newfoundland, and might perhaps take some
fish to sustain them till they might go on shore. But there were so many
chances against them in all these cases, such as storms to overset and founder
them, rains and cold to benumb and perish their limbs, contrary winds to
keep them out and starve them, that it must have been next to miraculous if
they had escaped.
In the midst of their consternation, every one being hopeless and ready to
despair, the captain, with tears in his eyes, told me they were on a sudden
surprised with the joy of hearing a gun fire, and after that four more. These
4
186
ROBINSON crusoe.
were the five guns which I caused to be fired at first seeing the light. This
revived their hearts, and gave them the notice, which, as above, I desired it
should, that there was a ship at hand for their help. It was upon the hearing
of these guns that they took down their masts and sails-the sound coming
from the windward, they resolved to lie by till morning. Some time after
this, hearing no more guns, they fired three muskets, one a considerable while
after another; but these, the wind being contrary, we never heard.
Some time after that again they were still more agreeably surprised with
seeing our lights, and hearing the guns which, as I have said, I caused to be
fired all the rest of the night. This set them to work with their oars, to keep
their boats ahead, that we might the sooner come up with them, and, at last,
to their inexpressible joy, they found we saw them.
It is impossible for me to express the several gestures, the strange ecstasies,
the variety of postures which these poor delivered people ran into, to express
the joy of their souls at so unexpected a deliverance. Grief and fear are
easily described; sighs, tears, groans, and a very few motions of the head and
hands, make up the sum of its variety; but an excess of joy, a surprise of
joy, has a thousand extravagances in it. There were some in tears; some
raging and tearing themselves, as if they had been in the greatest agonies of
sorrow; some stark raving and downright lunatic; some ran about the ship
stamping with their feet, others ringing their hands; some were dancing, some
singing, some laughing, more crying; many quite dumb, not able to speak a
word; others sick and vomiting; several swooning and ready to faint, and a
few were crossing themselves, and giving God thanks.
There were two priests among them. One an old man, and the other a
young man and that which was strangest was, the oldest man was the worst.
As soon as he set his foot on board our ship, and saw himself safe, he dropped
down stone dead to all appearance; not the least sign of life could be perceived
in him. Our surgeon immediately applied proper remedies to recover him,
and was the only man in the ship that believed he was not dead. At length
he opened a vein in his arm, having first chafed and rubbed the part, so as to
warm it as much as possible. Upon this, the blood, which only dropped at
first, flowing freely, in three minutes after the man opened his eyes; and a
quarter of an hour after that he spoke, grew better, and in a little time, quite
well. After the blood was stopped, he walked about, told us he was perfectly
well, took a dram of cordial which the surgeon gave him, and had come to
himself. About a quarter of an hour after this they came running into the
cabin to the surgeon, who was bleeding a French woman that had fainted, and
told him the priest was gone stark mad. It seems he had begun to resolve
the change of his circumstances in his mind, and again this put him into an
ecstasy of joy His spirits whirled about faster than the vessels could convey
them, the blood grew hot and feverish; and the man was as fit for Bedlam as
.
187
Marath
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
mapanga Marta Canada p
A to
any creature that ever was in it. The surgeon would not bleed him again in that
condition, but gave him something to put him to sleep, which after some time
operated upon him, and he awoke next morning perfectly composed and well.
The younger priest behaved with great command of his passions, and was
really an example of a serious, well-governed mind. At his first coming on
board the ship, he threw himself flat on his face, prostrating himself in thank-
fulness for his deliverance, in which I unseasonably disturbed him, really thinking
he had been in a swoon, but he spoke calmly, thanked me, told me he was
giving God thanks for his deliverance; begged me to leave him a few moments,
and that, next to his Maker, he would give me thanks also.
I was heartily sorrow that I disturbed him, and not only left him, but kept
others from interrupting him also. He continued in that posture about three
minutes, or little more, after I left him, then came to me, as he had said he
would, and, with a great deal of seriousness and affection, with tears in his
eyes, thanked me that had, under God, given him and so many miserable
creatures their lives.
After this, the young priest applied himself to his countrymen; laboured to
compose them; persuaded, entreated, argued, reasoned with them, and did his
utmost to keep them within the exercise of their reason; and with some he
had success, though others were for a time out of all government of themselves.
We were somewhat disordered by these extravagances among our new
guests, for the first day; but after they had retired to lodgings, provided for
them as well as our ship would allow, and they had slept heartily-as most of
them did, they were quite another sort of people the next day.
Nothing of good manners, or civil acknowledgments for the kindness shown
them, was wanting. The French, it is known, are naturally apt enough to
exceed that way. The captain and one of the priests came to me the next day,
and desired to speak with me and my nephew. The commander began to
consult with us what should be done with them; and, first, they told us we had
saved their lives, so all they had was little enough for a return to us for that
kindness received. The captain said they had saved some money and some
things of value in their boats, caught hastily out of the flames, and if we would
accept it, they were ordered to make an offer of it all to us; they only desired
to be set on shore somewhere in our way, where, if possible, they might get a
passage to France. My nephew wished to accept their money at first word,
and to consider what to do with them afterwards; but I overruled him in that
part, for I knew what it was to be set on shore in a strange country; and if
the Portuguese captain that took me up at sea had served me so, and taken all
I had for my deliverance, I must have starved, or have been as much a slave
at the Brazils as I had been at Barbary, the mere being sold to a Mahometan
excepted; and perhaps a Portuguese is not a much better master than a Turk,
if not, in some cases, much worse.
188
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
I therefore told the French captain that we had taken them up in their
distress, but that it was our duty to do so, as we were fellow-creatures; and
we would desire to be so delivered, if we were in the like, or any other
extremity; that we had done nothing for them but what he believed they
would have done for us, if we had been in their case, and they in ours; but
that we took them up to save them, not to plunder them; and it would be a
most barbarous thing to take that little from them which they had saved out
of the fire, and then set them on shore and leave them; that this would be
first to save them from death, and then kill them ourselves; save them from
drowning, and abandon them to starving; and, therefore, I would not let the
least thing be taken from them. As to setting them on shore, I told them,
indeed, that was an exceeding difficulty to us, for that the ship was bound to
the East Indies; and though we were driven out of our course to the westward
a very great way, and perhaps were directed by Heaven on purpose for their
deliverance, yet it was impossible for us wilfully to change our voyage on their
particular account; nor could my nephew, the captain, answer it to the
freighters, with whom he was under charter to pursue his voyage by the way
of Brazil; and all I knew we could do for them was, to put ourselves in the
way of meeting with other ships homeward bound from the West Indies, and
get them a passage, if possible, to England or France.
The first part of the proposal they could not but be thankful for, but they
were in very great consternation, especially the passengers, at the notion of
being carried away to the East Indies. They entreated me, that as I was
driven so far to the westward before I met with them, I would at least keep
on the same course to the Banks of Newfoundland, where it was probable I
might meet with some ship or sloop that they might hire to carry them back
to Canada, whence they came.
I thought this was but a reasonable request on their part, and therefore I
inclined to agree to it; for, indeed, I considered that to carry this whole
company to the East Indies would not only be an intolerable severity upon the
poor people, but would be ruining our whole voyage, by devouring all our
provisions. So I consented that we would carry them to Newfoundland, if
wind and weather would permit; and if not, that I would carry them to
Martinico, in the West Indies.
The wind continued fresh easterly, but the weather pretty good; and as the
winds had continued in the points between N.E. and S.E. a long time, we
missed several opportunities of sending them to France; for we met several
ships bound to Europe, whereof two were French, from St Christopher's; but
they had been so long beating up against the wind that they durst take in no
passengers, for fear of wanting provisions for the voyage, as well for themselves.
as for those they should take in; so we were obliged to go on. It was about
a week after this that we made the Banks of Newfoundland, where we put all
189
Key A
maglia mga ar Arm S
ThePals The
Mandag van de be

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
our French people on board a bark, which they hired at sea, to carry them to
France, if they could get provisions to victual themselves with. The young
priest I spoke of, hearing we were bound to the East Indies, desired to go the
voyage with us, and to be set on shore on the coast of Coromandel; which I
readily agreed to, for I wonderfully liked the man, also four of the seamen
entered themselves on our ship, and proved very useful fellows.
From hence we directed our course for the West Indies, steering away S.
and S. by E. for about twenty days together, sometimes little or no wind at
all; when we met with another subject for our humanity to work upon, almost
as deplorable as that before.
It was in the latitude of 27 degrees 5 minutes north, on the 19th day of
March, 1694-5, when we spied a sail, our course S.E. and by S. We soon
perceived it was a large vessel, and that she bore up to us, but could not at
first know what to make of her, till, after coming a little nearer, we found she
had lost her main-topmast, foremast, and bowsprit; presently she fired a gun,
as a signal of distress. The weather was pretty good, wind at N.N.W. a fresh
gale, and we soon came to speak with her.
We found her a ship of Bristol, bound home from Barbadoes, but had been
blown out of the road at Barbadoes a few days before she was ready to sail, by
a terrible hurricane, while the captain and chief mate were both gone on shore;
so that, besides the terror of the storm, they were in an indifferent case for good
artists to bring the ship home. They had been already nine weeks at sea, and
had met with another terrible storm, after the hurricane was over, which had
blown them quite out of their knowledge to the westward, and in which they
lost their masts. They told us they expected to have seen the Bahama Islands,
but were driven away again to the south-east, by a strong gale of wind at
N.N.W., the same that blew now; and having no sails to work the ship with
but a maincourse, and a kind of square sail upon a jury foremast, they could
not lie near the wind, but were endeavouring to stand away for the Canaries.
But that which was worst of all, was that they were almost starved for want
of provisions. Their bread and flesh were quite gone; they had not one ounce
left in the ship, and had had none for eleven days. The only relief they had
was their water was not all spent, and they had about half a barrel of flour
left; they had sugar enough, and seven casks of rum.
There was a youth, and his mother, and a maid-servant on board, who were
passengers, and thinking the ship was ready to sail, unhappily came on board
the evening before the hurricane began; and having no provisions of their own
left, they were in a more deplorable condition than the rest; for the seamen
being reduced to such an extreme necessity themselves, had no compassion for
the poor passengers; and they were indeed in such a condition that their
misery is very hard to describe.
I had perhaps not known this part, if my curiosity had not led me to go on

190
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
board the ship. The second mate, who upon this occasion commanded the
ship, had been on board our ship, and he told me they had three passengers in
the great cabin that were in a deplorable condition. "Nay," said he, "I
believe they are dead, for I have heard nothing of them for above two days,
and I was afraid to inquire after them, for I had nothing to relieve them with."
We immediately applied ourselves to give them relief; and, indeed, I had
so far overruled things with my nephew, that I would have victualled them,
though we had gone to Virginia, or any other part of the coast of America, to
have supplied ourselves; but there was no necessity for that.
But now they were in a new danger, for they were afraid of eating too much
even of that little we gave them. The mate, or commander, brought six men
with him in his boat, but these poor wretches looked like skeletons, and were
so weak that they could hardly sit to their oars. The mate himself was very
ill, and half-starved, for he declared he had reserved nothing from the men,
and went share and share alike with them in every bit they ate.
I cautioned him to eat sparingly, but set meat before him immediately; and
he had not eaten three mouthfuls before he began to be sick and out of order;
so he stopped awhile, and our surgeon mixed him up something with some
broth, which he said would be to him both food and physic, and after he had
taken it he grew better. In the meantime I forgot not the men. I ordered
victuals to be given them, and the poor creatures rather devoured than ate it.
They were so exceeding hungry that they were in a manner ravenous, and had
no command of themselves; and two of them ate with so much greediness, that
they were in danger of their lives the next morning.
The sight of these people's distress was very moving to me, and brought to
mind what I had a terrible prospect of at my first coming on shore in my
island, where I had never the least mouthful of food, or any prospect of pro-
curing any, besides the hourly apprehensions I had of being made the food of
other creatures. But all the while the mate was thus relating to me the miser-
able condition of the ship's company, I could not put out of my thought the
story he had told me of the three poor creatures in the great cabin, viz., the
mother, her son, and the maid-servant, whom he had heard nothing of for two
or three days.
I kept the mate, whom we then called captain, on board with his men, to
refresh them, and ordered my own boat to go on board the ship, and with my
mate and twelve men, to carry them a sack of bread, and four or five pieces of
beef to boil. Our surgeon charged the men to cause the meat to be boiled
while they stayed, and to keep guard in the cook-room, to prevent the men
taking it to eat raw, or taking it out of the pot before it was well boiled, and
then to give every man but a very little at a time; and by this caution he
preserved the men, who would otherwise have killed themselves with that very
food that was given them on purpose to save their lives.
191

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
At the same time, I ordered the mate to go into the great cabin, and see
what condition the poor passengers were in; and if they were alive, to comfort
them, and give them what refreshment was proper. The surgeon gave him a
large pitcher, with some of the prepared broth, and which he did not question
would restore them gradually.
I was not satisfied with this; but, having a great mind to see the scene of
misery which I knew the ship itself would present me with, in a more lively
manner than I could have it by report, I took the captain of the ship with me,
and went myself, a little after, in their boat.
I found the poor men on board almost in a tumult to get the victuals out of
the boiler before it was ready; but my mate observed his orders, and kept a
good guard at the cook-room door; and the man he placed there, after using
all possible persuasion to have patience, kept them off by force: however, he
caused some biscuit cakes to be dipped in the pot, and softened with the liquor
of the meat, which they called brewis, and gave them every one some, to stay
their stomachs, and told them it was for their own safety that he was obliged
to give them but little at a time. But it was all in vain; and had I not come
on board, and their own commander and officers with me, and with good words,
and some threats also of giving them no more, I believe they would have
broken into the cook-room by force, and torn the meat out of the furnace;
however, we pacified them, and fed them gradually and cautiously for the first,
and the next time gave them more, and at last the men did well enough.
But the misery of the poor passengers in the cabin was of another nature,
and far beyond the rest. For six or seven days it might be said they had
really no food at all, and for several days before but very little. The poor
mother, who, as the men reported, was a woman of sense and good breeding,
had spared all she could so affectionately for her son, that at last she entirely
sunk under it; and when the mate of our ship went in, she sat upon the floor,
with her back up against the sides, between two chairs, which were lashed fast,
and her head sunk between her shoulders, like a corpse, though not quite dead.
My mate said all he could to revive and encourage her, and with a spoon put
some broth into her mouth. She opened her lips and lifted up one hand, but
could not speak; yet she understood what he said, and made signs to him,
intimating that it was too late for her, but pointed to her child, as if she would
have said they should take care of him. However, the mate, who was exceed-
ingly moved by the sight, endeavoured to get some of the broth into her
mouth, and, as he said, got two or three spoonfuls down; though I question
whether he could be sure of it or not; but it was too late, and she died the
same night.
The youth, who was preserved at the price of his most affectionate mother's
life, was not so far gone; yet he lay in a cabin bed, with hardly any life left in
him.
He had a piece of an old glove in his mouth, having eaten up the rest
- - A shape
192
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
of it; however, being young, and having more strength than his mother, the
mate got something down his throat, and he began sensibly to revive.
But the next care was the poor maid; she lay all along upon the deck, hard
by her mistress, and just like one that had fallen down with an apoplexy, and
struggled for life. Her limbs were distorted; one of her hands was clasped
round the frame of a chair, and she griped it so hard that we could not easily
make her let it go; her other arm lay over her head, and her feet lay both
together, set fast against the frame of the cabin table; in short, she lay just
like one in the agonies of death.
The poor creature was not only starved with hunger, and terrified with the
thoughts of death, but, as the men told us afterwards, was broken-hearted for
her mistress, whom she saw dying for two or three days before, and whom
she loved most tenderly.
We knew not what to do with this poor girl; for when our surgeon, who
was a man of very great knowledge and experience, had, with great application,
recovered her as to life, she was little less than distracted for a considerable
time after.
Whoever shall read these memorandums must be desired to consider, that
visits at sea are not like a journey into the country, where sometimes
people stay a week or a fortnight at a place. Our business was to relieve.
this distressed ship's crew, but not lie by for them; and though they were
willing to steer the same course with us for some days, yet we could carry no
sail, to keep pace with a ship that had no masts: however, as their captain
begged of us to help him to set up a main topmast, and a kind of a topmast
to his jury-foremast, we did, as it were, lie by him for three or four days; and
then, having given him five barrels of beef, a barrel of pork, two hogsheads of
biscuit, and a proportion of pease, flour, and what other things we could
spare; and taking three casks of sugar, some rum, and some pieces-of-eight
from them for satisfaction, we left them; taking on board with us, at their
own earnest request, the youth and the maid, and all their goods.
The young lad was about seventeen years of age; a pretty, well-bred, modest,
and sensible youth, greatly dejected at the loss of his mother, and, as it seems,
he had lost his father but a few months before, at Barbadoes. He begged of
the surgeon to speak to me to take him out of the ship; for he said the cruel
fellows had murdered his mother. And, indeed, so they had, that is to say,
passively; for they might have spared a small sustenance to the poor helpless
widow, that might have preserved her life, though it had been but just enough
to keep her alive; but hunger knows no friend, no relation, no justice, no right,
and therefore is remorseless and capable of no compassion.
The surgeon told him how far we were going; and that it would carry him
away from all his friends, and put him, perhaps, in as bad circumstances
almost as those we found him in, that is to say, starving in the world. He
N
193

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
said it mattered not whither he went, if he was but delivered from the terrible
crew that he was among; that the captain (by which he meant me), had saved
his life, and he was sure would not hurt him; and as for the maid, he was
sure, if she came to herself, she would be very thankful for it, let us carry
them where we would. The surgeon represented the case so affectionately to
me that I yielded, and we took them both on board, with all their goods,
except eleven hogsheads of sugar, which could not be removed or come at;
and as the youth had a bill of lading for them, I made his commander sign a
writing, obliging himself to go, as soon as he came to Bristol, to one Mr Rogers,
a merchant there, to whom the youth said he was related, and to deliver a letter
which I wrote to him, and all the goods he had belonging to the deceased
widow; which I suppose was not done, for I could never learn that the ship
came to Bristol, but was, as is most probable, lost at sea; being in so disabled
a condition, and so far from any land, that I am of opinion the first storm she
met with afterwards, she might founder in the sea; for she was leaky, and had
damage in her hold, when we met with her.
I was now in the latitude of 19 degrees 32 minutes, and had hitherto a
tolerable voyage as to weather, though, at first, the winds had been contrary.
I came to my old habitation, the island, on the 10th of April, 1695. It was
with no small difficulty that I found the place; for as I came to it, and went
from it, before, on the south and east side of the island, coming from the
Brazils, so now, coming in between the main and the island, and having no
chart for the coast, nor any landmark, I did not know it when I saw it, or
know whether I saw it or not.
We beat about a great while, and went on shore on several islands in the
mouth of the great river Oronooque, but none for my purpose; only this I
learned by my coasting the shore, that I was under one great mistake before,
viz., that the continent which I thought I saw from the island I lived in, was
really no continent, but a long island, or rather a ridge of islands, reaching
from one to the other side of the extended mouth of that great river; and that
the savages who came to my island were not properly those which we call
Caribbees, but islanders, and other barbarians who inhabited nearer to our
side than the rest.
I visited several of these islands to no purpose; some I found were inhabited,
and some were not. On one of them I found some Spaniards, but, speaking
with them, found they had a sloop in a small creek hard by, and came thither
to make salt, and to catch pearl-mussels if they could; but that they belonged
to the Isle de Trinidad, which lay further north, in the latitude of 10 and
11 degrees.
Thus coasting from one island to another, sometimes with the ship, some-
times with the Frenchmen's shallop, which we had found a convenient boat,
and therefore kept her with their very good will, at length I came fair on the
194

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
south side of my island, and presently knew the very countenance of the place;
so I brought the ship safe to an anchor, broadside with the little creek where
my old habitation was.
As soon as I saw the place, I called for Friday, and asked him if he knew
where he was? He looked about a little, and presently clapping his hands,
cried, "O yes, O there, O yes, O there!" pointing to our old habitation, and
fell dancing and capering like a mad fellow, and I had much ado to keep him
from jumping into the sea, to swim ashore to the place.
<<
"Well, Friday," said I, "do you think we shall find anybody here or no?
and do you think we shall see your father?" The fellow stood mute as a
stock a good while; but when I named his father, he looked dejected, and I
could see the tears run down his face very plentifully.
What is the matter,
Friday?" said I; are you troubled because you may see your father?"-
"No, no," said he, shaking his head, "no see him more: no, never more see
him again."-"Why so" said I, "Friday? how do you know that?"-"O no,
O no," said Friday; "he long ago die, long ago; he much old man."-" Well,
well," said I, "Friday, you don't know: but shall we see any one else then?”
The fellow, it seems, had better eyes than I, and he points to the hill just
above my old house; and, though we lay half a league off, he cries out, "We
see, we see, yes, yes, we see much man there, and there, and there." I looked, but
I saw nobody, no not with a perspective-glass, which was, I suppose, because
I could not hit the place; for the fellow was right, as I found upon inquiry
the next day; and there were five or six men all together, who stood to look
at the ship, not knowing what to think of us.
As soon as Friday told me he saw people, I caused the English ancient to
be spread, and fired three guns, to give them notice we were friends, and in
little more than a quarter of an hour after, we perceived a smoke arise from
the side of the creek; so I immediately ordered the boat out, taking Friday
with me, and hanging out a flag of truce, I went directly on shore, taking
with me the young friar I mentioned, to whom I had told the story of my
living there, and the manner of it, and every particular, both of myself and
those I left there, and who was, on that account, extremely desirous to go
with me.
We had, besides, about sixteen men well armed, if we had found
any new guests there which we did not know of, but we had no need of weapons.
As we went on shore upon the tide of flood, near high water, we rowed
directly into the creek; and the first man I fixed my eye upon was the
Spaniard whose life I had saved, and whom I knew perfectly well. I ordered
nobody to go on shore at first but myself; but there was no keeping Friday
in the boat, for the affectionate creature had spied his father at a distance, a
good way off, where, indeed, I saw nothing of him; and if they had not let
him go ashore, he would have jumped into the sea. He was no sooner on
shore, but he flew away to his father, like an arrow out of a bow. It would
Stadig ma
A de temps, Paladin pornata in d
195

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
have made any man shed tears to have seen the first transports of this poor
fellow's joy when he came to his father: how he embraced him, kissed him,
stroked his face, took him up in his arms, set him down upon a tree, and lay
down by him; then stood and looked at him, as one would look at a strange
picture, for a quarter of an hour together; then lay down on the ground, and
stroked his legs, and kissed them, and then got up again, and stared at him ;
one would have thought the fellow bewitched. But the next day his passion
ran out another way. In the morning, he walked along the shore with his
father several hours, always leading him by the hand, as if he had been a lady;
and every now and then he would come to the boat to fetch something for
him, either a lump of sugar, a dram, a biscuit-cake, or something or other that
was good. In the afternoon his frolics ran another way; for then he would
set the old man down upon the ground and dance about him, and make a
thousand antic postures and gestures; and all the while he did this he would
be talking to him, and telling him one story or other of his travels, and of
what had happened to him abroad, to divert him. In short, if the same filial
affection was to be found in Christians to their parents, in our part of the
world, one would be tempted to say there would hardly have been any need of
the fifth commandment.
It would be needless to take notice of all the ceremonies and civilities that
the Spaniards received me with. The first Spaniard came towards the boat,
attended by one more, carrying a flag of truce also; but he had no thoughts
of its being me that was come, till I spoke to him. "Seignior," said I, in
Portuguese, "do you not know me?" At which he spoke not a word, but
giving his musket to the man that was with him, threw his arms abroad,
saying something in Spanish that I did not perfectly hear, came forward and
embraced me, telling me he was inexcusable not to know that face again that
he had once scen as if an angel from heaven sent to save his life. He said
abundance of very handsome things, as a well-bred Spaniard always knows
how; and then beckoning to the person that attended him, bade him go and
call out his comrades. He then asked me if I would walk to my old habitation,
where he would give me possession of my own house again, and where I should
see they had made but mean improvements; so I walked along with him, but,
alas! I could no more find the place then if I had never been there, for they
had planted so many trees, and placed them in such a position, so thick and
close to one another, and in ten years' time they were grown so big, that,
in short, the place was inaccessible, except by such windings and blind ways
as they themselves only, who made them, could find.
I asked them what put them upon all these fortifications. He told me I
would say there was need enough of it, when they had given me an account
how they had passed their time since their arriving in the island, especially after
they had the misfortune to find that I was gone. He told me he could not
magdan - great sta
196

ROBINSON Crusoe.
•
*
but have some satisfaction in my good future, when he heard that I was gone
in a good ship, and to my satisfaction; and that he had oftentimes a strong
persuasion that one time or other he should see me again; but nothing that
ever befell him in his life was so surprising and afflicting to him as the
disappointment he was under when he came back to the island and found I
was not there.
As to the three barbarians (so he called them) that were left behind, and of
whom, he said, he had a long story to tell me, the Spaniards all thought them-
selves much better among the savages, only that their number was so small;
"and," said he, "had they been strong enough, we had been all long ago in
purgatory;" and with that he crossed himself on the breast. "But, sir," con-
tinued he, "I hope you will not be displeased when I tell you how, forced by
necessity, we were obliged, for our own preservation, to disarm them, and
make them our subjects, as they would not be content with being moderately
our masters, but would be our murderers." I answered I was afraid of it
when I left them there, and nothing troubled me at my parting from the
island but that they were not come back, that I might have put them in
possession of everything first, and left the others in a state of subjection, as
they deserved; but if they had reduced them to it, I was very glad, and should
be very far from finding any fault with it; for I knew they were a parcel of
refractory, ungoverned villains, and were fit for any manner of mischief.
While I was thus saying this, the man came whom he had sent back, and
with him eleven more. In the dress they were in it was impossible to guess
what nation they were of, but he made all clear, both to them and to me.
First he turned to me, and pointing to them, said, "These, sir, are some of the
gentlemen who owe their lives to you ;" and then turning to them, and pointing
to me, he let them know who I was; upon which they all came up, one
by one, not as if they had been sailors, and ordinary fellows, and the like,
but really as if they had been ambassadors or noblemen, and I a monarch or
great conqueror. Their behaviour was, to the last degree, obliging and
courteous, and yet mixed with a manly, majestic gravity, which very well
became them; and, in short, they had so much more manners than I, that I
scarce knew how to receive their civilities, much less how to return them in kind.
The history of their coming to, and conduct in, the island, after my going
away, is so very remarkable, and has so many incidents, which the former part
of my relation will help to understand, and which will, in most of the particulars,
refer to the account I have already given, that I cannot but commit them, with
great delight, to the reading of those that come after me.
In order to do this as succinctly and intelligibly as I can, I must go back to
the circumstances in which I left the island, and in which the persons were of
whom I am to speak. And first it is necessary to repeat that I sent away
Friday's father and the Spaniard (the two whose lives I had rescued from the
197
dan, Thandig je v

mga kasama sa m

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
savages) in a large canoe to the main, as I then thought it, to fetch over the
Spaniard's companions that he left behind him, in order to save them from the
like calamity that he had been in, and in order to succour them for the
present; and that, if possible, we might together find some way for our
deliverance afterwards.
When I sent them away, I had no visible appearance of my own deliverance,
any more than I had twenty years before, much less had I any foreknowledge
of an English ship coming on shore there to fetch me off; and it could not be
but a very great surprise to them, when they came back, not only to find that
I was gone, but to find three strangers left on the spot, possessed of all that I
had left behind me, which would otherwise have been their own.
sea.
The first thing, however, which I inquired into, that I might begin where I
left off, was of their own part; and I desired the Spaniard would give me a
particular account of his voyage back to his countrymen with the boat,
when I sent him to fetch them over. He told me that nothing remarkable
happened to them on the way, having had very calm weather, and a smooth
As for his countrymen, they were overjoyed to see him (it seems he was
the principal man among them, the captain of the vessel they had been ship-
wrecked in having been dead some time); they were, he said, the more sur-
prised to see him, because they knew that he was fallen into the hands of the
savages, who, they were satisfied, would devour him, as they did all the rest of
their prisoners, and when he told them the story of his deliverance, and in
what manner he was furnished for carrying them away, it was like a dream to
them; and their astonishment, he said, was somewhat like that of Joseph's
brethren, when he told them who he was, and the story of his exaltation in
Pharaoh's court; but when he showed them the arms, the powder, the ball,
and provisions, that he brought them for their journey or voyage, they were
restored to themselves, took a just share of the joy of their deliverance, and
immediately prepared to come away with him.
Their first business was to get canoes; and in this they were obliged not to
stick so much upon the honesty of it, but to trespass upon their friendly
savages, and to borrow two large canoes, on pretence of going out a fishing, or
for pleasure. In these they came away the next morning. It seems they
wanted no time to get themselves ready; for they had no baggage, neither
clothes nor provisions, nor anything in the world but what they had on them,
and a few roots to eat, of which they used to make their bread.
They were in all three weeks absent, and in that time, unluckily for them,
I had the occasion offered for my escape from the island, leaving three of the
most impudent, hardened ungoverned, disagreeable villains behind me that
any man could desire to meet with, to the poor Spaniards' grief and disappoint-
ment, you may be sure.
The only just thing the rogues did was, that when the Spaniards came
//
198

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
¡
ashore, they gave my letter to them, and gave them provisions, and other
relief, as I had ordered them to do; also they gave them the long paper of
directions which I had left with them, containing the particular methods which
I took for managing every part of my life there; the way I baked my bread,
bred up tame goats, and planted my corn; how I cured my grapes, made my
pots, and, in a word, everything I did; all this being written down, they
gave to the Spaniards (two of them understood English well enough); nor
did they refuse to accommodate the Spaniards with anything else, for they
agreed very well for some time. They gave them an equal admission into the
house, or cave, and they began to live very sociably; and the head Spaniard,
who had seen pretty much of my methods, and Friday's father together,
managed all their affairs; but as for the Englishmen, they did nothing but
ramble about the island, shoot parrots, and catch tortoises, and when they
came home at night, the Spaniards provided their suppers for them.
The Spaniards would have been satisfied with this, had the others but let them
alone, which, however, they could not find in their hearts to do long; but, like
the dog in the manger, they would not eat themselves, neither would they let the
others eat. The differences were at first trivial, and such as are not worth
relating, but at last it broke out into open war, and began with all the rudeness
and insolence that can be imagined,-without reason, without provocation,
contrary to nature, and indeed to common sense; and though, it is true, the
first relation of it came from the Spaniards themselves, whom I may call the
accusers, yet when I came to examine the fellows, they could not deny a
word of it.
But before I come to the particulars of this part I must supply a defect in
my former relation. I forgot to set down among the rest, that just as we
were weighing the anchor to set sail, there happened a little quarrel on
board of our ship, which I was once afraid would have turned to a second
mutiny; nor was it appeased till the captain, rousing up his courage, and
taking us all to his assistance, parted them by force, and, making two of
the most refractory fellows prisoners, he laid them in irons; and as they
had been active in former disorders, and let fall some ugly, dangerous.
words, the second time he threatened to carry them in irons to England,
and have them hanged there for mutiny, and running away with the
ship. This, it seems, though the captain did not intend to do it, frightened
some other men in the ship; and some of them had put it into the heads
of the rest, that the captain only gave them good words for the present,
till they should come to some English port, and that then they should be all
put into gaol, and tried for their lives. The mate got intelligence of this, and
acquainted us with it, upon which it was desired that I, who still passed for a
great man among them, should go down with the mate, and satisfy the men,
and tell them that they might be assured, if they behaved well the rest of the
199

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
voyage, all they had done for the past should be pardoned. So I went, and
after passing my word to them, they appeared easy, and the more so when
I caused the two men that were in irons to be released and forgiven.
But this mutiny had brought us to anchor for that night. The wind also
falling calm next morning, we found that our two men, who had been laid in
irons, had stolen each of them a musket, and some other weapons (what powder
or shot they had we knew not), and had taken the ship's pinnace, which was
not yet hauled up, and run away with her to their companions in roguery on
shore. As soon as we found this, I ordered the long-boat on shore with
twelve men and the mate, and away they went to seek the rogues; but they
could neither find them or any of the rest, for they all fled into the woods-
when they saw the boat coming on shore. The mate was once resolved, in
justice to their roguery, to have destroyed their plantations, burned all their
household stuff and furniture, and left them to shift without it; but having
no orders, he let it all alone, left everything as he found it, and, bringing the
pinnace away, came on board without them. These two men made their
number five, but the other three villains were so much more wicked than
they, that after they had been two or three days together, they turned the two
new comers out of doors to shift for themselves, and would have nothing to do
with them, nor could they for a good while be persuaded to give them any
food; as for the Spaniards, they were not yet come.
When the Spaniards came first on shore, the business began to go forward.
The Spaniards would have persuaded the three English brutes to have taken
in their countrymen again, that, as they said, they might be all one family,
but they would not hear of it; so the two poor fellows lived by themselves;
and finding nothing but industry and application would make them live com-
fortably, they pitched their tents on the north shore of the island, but a little
more to the west, to be out of danger of the savages, who always landed on
the east parts of the island.
Here they built two huts, one to lodge in, the other to lay up their
magazines and stores in, and the Spaniards having given them some corn for
seed, and some of the peas which I had left them, they dug, planted, and
enclosed, after the pattern I had set for them all, and began to live pretty
well. Their first crop of corn was on the ground, and though it was but a
little bit of land which they had dug up at first, having had but a little time,
yet it was enough to relieve them and find them with bread and other eatables;
and one of the fellows being the cook's mate of the ship, was very ready at
making soup, puddings, and such other preparations as the rice, and the milk,
and such little flesh as they got, furnished him to do.
They were going on in this little thriving position when the three unnatural
rogues, their own countrymen too, in mere humour and to insult them, came
and bullied them, and told them the island was theirs; that the governor,
200
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
meaning me, had given them the possession of it, and nobody else had any
right to it; and that they should build no houses upon their ground, unless
they would pay rent for them.
The two men, thinking they were jesting at first, asked them to come in
and sit down, and see what fine houses they had built, and to tell them what
rent they demanded; and one of them merrily said, if they were the ground-
landlords, he hoped, if they built tenements upon their land, and made im-
provements, they would, according to the custom of landlords, grant a long
lease; and desired they would get a scrivener to draw the writings. One of
the three, cursing and raging, told them they should see they were not in jest;
and going to a little place at a distance, where the honest men had made a
fire to dress their victuals, he takes a firebrand, and claps it to the outside.
of their hut, and very fairly set it on fire; and it would have been all burned
down in a few minutes, if one of the two had not run to the fellow, thrust him
away, and trod the fire out with his feet, and that not without difficulty.
The fellow was in such a rage at the honest man's thrusting him away, that
he turned upon him with a pole he had in his hand, and had not the man
avoided the blow very nimbly, and ran into the hut, he had ended his days at
once. His comrade, seeing the danger they were both in, ran in after him,
and immediately they canie both out with their muskets, and the man that
was first struck at with the pole knocked the fellow down that began the
quarrel with the stock of his musket, before the other two could come to help
him; and then seeing the rest come at them, they stood together, and present-
ing the other end of their pieces to them, bade them stand off.
The others had fire-arms with them too, but one of the two honest men,
bolder than his comrade, and made desperate by his danger, told them, if they
offered to move hand or foot, they were dead men, and boldly commanded
them to lay down their arms. They did not, indeed, lay down their arms, but
seeing him so resolute, it brought them to a parley, and they consented to
take their wounded man with them and be gone; and, indeed, it seems the
fellow was wounded sufficiently with the blow. However, they were much in
the wrong, since they had the advantage, that they did not disarm them
effectually, as they might have done, and have gone immediately to the
Spaniards, and given them an account how the rogues had treated them; for
the three villains studied nothing but revenge, and every day gave them some
intimation that they did so.
<del
But not to crowd this part with an account of the lesser part of the rogueries,
such as treading down their corn, shooting three young kids and a she-goat,
which the poor men had got to breed up tame for their store, and, in a word,
plaguing them night and day in this manner, it forced the two men to such
desperation, that they resolved to fight them all three, the first time they had
a fair opportunity. In order to do this they resolved to go to the castle, ast
201
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
they called it (that was my old dwelling), where the three rogues and the
Spaniards all lived together at that time, intending to have a fair battle, and the
Spaniards should stand by to see fair play; so they got up in the morning
before day, and came to the place, and called the Englishmen by their names,
telling a Spaniard that answered that they wanted to speak with them.
It happened that the day before, two of the Spaniards having been in the
woods, had seen one of the two Englishmen, whom for distinction I called the
honest men, and he had made a sad complaint to the Spaniards of the barbarous
usage they had met with from their three countrymen, and how they had ruined.
their plantation, and destroyed their corn that they had laboured so hard to
bring forward, and killed the milch-goat and their three kids, which was
all they had provided for their sustenance; and if he and his friends, meaning
the Spaniards, did not assist them again, they should be starved. When the
Spaniards came home at night, and they were all at supper, one of them took
the freedom to reprove the three Englishmen, though in very gentle and man-
nerly terms, and asked them how they could be so cruel, they being harmless,
inoffensive fellows; that they were putting themselves in a way to subsist by
their labour, and that it had cost them a great deal of pains to bring things to
such perfection as they were then in.
((
One of the Englishmen returned very briskly, "What had they to do there?
that they came on shore without leave; and that they should not plant or build
upon the island; it was none of their ground." Why," said the Spaniard
very calmly, "Seignior Inglese, they must not starve." The Englishman
replied, like a rough-hewn tarpauling, "They might starve; they should not
plant nor build in that place. "But what must they do then, seignior?" said
the Spaniard. Another of the brutes returned, "Do? they should be servants,
and work for them."-" But how can you expect that of them?" said the
Spaniard; "they are not bought with your money; you have no right to make
them servants." The Englishman answered, "The island was theirs; the
governor had given it to them, and no man had anything to do there but
themselves;" and with that he swore by his Maker that they would go and
burn all their new huts; they should build none upon their land. Why,
seignior," said the Spaniard, "by the same rule, we must be your servants too."
"C
<<
Ay," said the bold dog, "and so you shall, too, before we have done with
you;" mixing two or three oaths in his speech. The Spaniard only smiled at
that, and made him no answer. However, this little discourse had heated
them; and starting up, one said to the other (I think it was he they called
Will Atkins), "Come, Jack, let's go and have t'other brush with them; we'll
demolish their castle, I'll warrant you; they shall plant no colony in our
dominions."
""
Upon this, they went all trooping away, with every man a gun, a pistol, and
sword, and muttered some insolent things among themselves of what they
202
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
would do to the Spaniards when opportunity offered; but the Spaniards, it
seems, did not so perfectly understand them as to know all the particulars,
only that, in general, they threatened them hard for taking the two English-
men's part.
Whither they went, or how they bestowed their time that evening, the
Spaniards did not know; but it seems they wandered about the country part
of the night, and then lying down in the place which I used to call my bower,
they were weary, and overslept themselves. They had resolved to stay till mid-
night, and so to take the two poor men when they were asleep, and, as they
acknowledged afterwards, intended to set fire to their huts while they were in
them, and either burn them there, or murder them as they came out.
As
malice seldom sleeps very sound, it was very strange they should not have
been kept awake.
-
However, as the two men had also a design upon them, as I have said,
though a much fairer one than that of burning and murdering, it happened,
and very luckily for them all, that they were up and gone abroad, before the
bloody-minded rogues came to their huts.
When they came there and found the men gone, Atkins, who, it seems, was
the forwardest man, called out to his comrade, "Ha, Jack, here's the nest, but
the birds are flown." They mused awhile, to think what should be the occasion
of their being gone abroad so soon, and suggested presently that the Spaniards
had given them notice of it; and with that they shook hands, and swore to one
another that they would be revenged of the Spaniards. As soon as they had
made this bloody bargain, they fell to work with the poor men's habitation;
they did not set fire, indeed, to anything, but they pulled down both their
houses, and pulled them so limb from limb that they left not the least stick
standing, or scarce any sign on the ground where they stood; they tore all their
little collected household stuff in pieces, and threw everything about in such a
manner, that the poor men afterwards found some of their things a mile off
their habitation. When they had done this, they pulled up all the young trees.
which the poor men had planted, pulled up an enclosure they had made to
secure their cattle and their corn, and, in a word, sacked and plundered every-
thing as completely as a horde of Tartars would have done.
The two men were, at this juncture, gone to find them out, and resolved to
fight them wherever they had been, though they were but two to three; so
that, had they met, there certainly would have been bloodshed among them;
for they were all very stout, resolute fellows. When the three came back like
furious creatures, flushed with the rage which the work they had been about
had put them into, they came up to the Spaniards, and told them what they had
done, by way of scoff and bravado; and one of them stepping up to one of the
Spaniards, as if they had been a couple of boys at play, takes hold of his hat
as it was upon his head, and giving it a twirl about fleering in his face, says
203
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
to him, "And you, Seignior Jack Spaniard, shall have the same sauce if you
do not mend your manners." The Spaniard, who, though a quiet, civil man,
was as brave a man as could be, and, withal, a strong, well-made man, looked
at him for a good while, and then, having no weapon in his hand, stepped
gravely up to him, and, with one blow of his fist, knocked him down, as an ox
is felled with a pole-axe, at which one of the rogues, as insolent as the first,
fired his pistol at the Spaniard immediately. He missed his body, indeed, for
the bullets went through his hair, but one of them touched the tip of his ear,
and he bled pretty much. The blood made the Spaniard believe he was more
hurt than he really was, and that put him into some heat, for before he acted
all in a perfect calm, but now resolving to go through with his work, he
stooped, and took the fellow's musket whom he had knocked down, and was
just going to shoot the man who had fired at him, when the rest of the
Spaniards, being in the cave, came out, and calling to him not to shoot, they
stepped in, secured the other two, and took their arms from them.
When they were thus disarmed, and found they had made all the Spaniards
their enemies, as well as their own countrymen, they began to cool, and, giving
the Spaniards better words, would have had their arms again, but the Spaniards,
considering the feud that was between them and the other two Englishmen,
and that it would be the best method they could take to keep them from
killing one another, told them they would do them no harm; and if they would
live peaceably, they would be very willing to assist and associate with them as
they did before, but that they could not think of giving them their arms again,
while they appeared so resolved to do mischief with them to their own country-
men, and had even threatened them all to make them their servants.
The rogues were now no more capable to hear reason than to act with
reason; but being refused their arms, they went raving away, and raging like
madmen, threatening what they would do, though they had no fire-arms. But
the Spaniards, despising their threatening, told them they should take care how
they offered any injury to their plantation or cattle, for if they did, they would
shoot them as they would ravenous beasts, wherever they found them; and
if they fell into their hands alive, they would certainly be hanged. However,
this was far from cooling them, but away they went, raging and swearing like
furics. As soon as they were gone the two men came back in passion and
rage enough also, though of another kind; for having been at their plantation,
and finding it all demolished and destroyed, as above, it will casily be supposed
they had provocation enough. They could scarce have room to tell their tale,
the Spaniards were so eager to tell them theirs; and it was strange enough to
find that three men should thus bully nineteen, and receive no punishment at all.
The Spaniards, indeed, despised them, and especially, having thus disarmed
them, made light of their threatenings; but the two Englishmen resolved to
have their remedy against them, what pains soever it cost to find them out.
204
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
((
<<
But the Spaniards interposed here too, and told them, that as they had dis-
armed them, they could not consent that they (the two) should pursue them
with fire-arms, and perhaps kill them. But," said the grave Spaniard, who
was their governor, we will endeavour to make them do you justice, if you
will leave it to us; for there is no doubt but they will come to us again when
their passion is over, being not able to subsist without our assistance. We
promise you to make no peace with them, without having a full satisfaction.
for you, and, upon this condition, we hope you will promise to use no violence
with them, other than in your own defence." The two Englishmen yielded to
this with great reluctance, but the Spaniards protested that they did it only to
keep them from bloodshed, and to make them all easy at last. "For," said
they, "we are not so many of us; here is room enough for us all, and it is a
great pity that we should not be all good friends." At length they did con-
sent, and waited for the issue of the thing, living for some days with the
Spaniards, for their own habitation was destroyed.
In about five days' time, the three vagrants, tired with wandering, and
almost starved with hunger, came back to the grove; and finding my
Spaniard, and two more with him, walking by the side of the creek, they
came up in a very submissive, humble manner, and begged to be received
again into the family. The Spaniards used them civilly, but told them they
had acted so unnaturally to their countrymen, and so very grossly to them
(the Spaniards), that they could not come to any conclusion without consulting
the two Englishmen and the rest; but, however, they would go to them and
discourse about it, and they should know in half-an-hour. It may be guessed
that they were very hard put to it; for, it seems, as they were to wait this
half-hour for an answer, they begged they would send them out some bread
in the meantime, which they did, sending at the same time a large piece of
goat's flesh, and a boiled parrot.
After half-an-hour's consultation, they were called in, and a long debate
ensued; their two countrymen charging them with the ruin of all their labour,
and a design to murder them; all which they owned before, and therefore could
not deny now. The Spaniards acted the moderators between them, and as
they had obliged the two Englishmen not to hurt the three while they were
naked and unarmed, so they now obliged the three to go and rebuild their
fellows' two huts, one to be of the same, and the other of larger dimensions
than they were before; to fence their ground again where they had pulled up
their fences, plant trees in the room of those pulled up, dig up the land again
for planting corn, where they had spoiled it, and, in a word, to restore every-
thing to the same state as they found it, as near as they could; for entirely it
could not be, the season for the corn, and the growth of the trees and hedges,
not being possible to be recovered.
Well, they submitted to all this; and as they had plenty of provisions given
•
205
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
Sa page VIN
A t may makanan de m
them all the while, they grew very orderly, and the whole society began to live
pleasantly and agreeably together again, only that these three fellows could
never be persuaded to work for themselves, except now and then a little, just
as they pleased; however, the Spaniards told them plainly, that if they would
not live sociably and friendly together, and study the good of the whole
plantation, they would be content to work for them, and let them walk about
and be as idle as they pleased; and thus, having lived pretty well together for
a month or two, the Spaniards gave them arms again, and gave them liberty
to go abroad with them as before.
It was not above a week after they had these arms, and went abroad, before
the ungrateful creatures began to be as insolent and troublesome as ever, but,
however, an accident happened which endangered the safety of them all; and
they were obliged to lay by all private resentments, and look to the preserva-
tion of their lives.
It happened one night that the Spanish governor, that is, the Spaniard
whose life I had saved-who was now the captain, or leader, or governor of
the rest-found himself very uneasy in the night. He was perfectly well in
body, as he told me the story, only found his thoughts tumultuous; his mind
ran upon men fighting and killing one another, but he was broad awake, and
could not by any means get sleep. He lay a great while, but growing more.
and more uneasy, he resolved to rise. Being got up, he looked out, but the
trees which I had planted, as in my former account is described, and which
were now grown tall, intercepted his sight so that he could only look up, and
see that it was a clear starlight night, and, hearing no noise, he turned and
laid him down again. But it was all one; he could not sleep, nor could he
compose himself to anything like rest; his thoughts were to the last degree
uneasy, and he knew not for what.
(C
Having made some noise with rising and walking about, going out, and
coming in, another of them waked, and, calling, asked who it was that was up.
The governor told him how it had been with him. Say you so?" said the
other Spaniard; "such things are not to be slighted, I assure you. There is
certainly some mischief working near us;" and presently he asked him,
"Where are the Englishmen ?" "They are all in their huts," said he, "safe
enough." It seems the Spaniards had kept possession of the main apartment,
and had made a place for the three Englishmen, who, since their last mutiny,
were always quartered by themselves, and could not come at the rest. "Well,"
said the Spaniard, "there is something in it, I am persuaded, from my own
experience. Come, let us go and look abroad; and if we find nothing at all
in it to justify the trouble, I'll tell you a story to the purpose, that shall con-
vince you of the justice of my proposing it."
S
In a word, they went out to go to the top of the hill, where I used to go,
but they being a good company and not alone, as I was, used none of my
203
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
·
cautions, but were going round through the grove, unconcerned and unwary,
when they were surprised with seeing a light as of fire a very little way off
from them, and hearing the voices of men-not of one or two, but of a great
number.
In all the discoveries I had made of the savages landing on the island, it
was my constant care to prevent them making the least discovery of their
being any inhabitant upon the place; and when by any occasion they came to
know it, they felt it so effectually that those who got away were scarce able to
give any account of it, for we disappeared as soon as possible; nor did ever
any that had seen me escape to tell any one else, except it was the three
savages in our last encounter, who jumped into the boat, of whom I men-
tioned I was afraid they should go home and bring more help. Whether it was
the consequence of the escape of those men that so great a number came now
together, or whether they came ignorantly, and by accident, on their usual
bloody errand, the Spaniards could not understand; but, whatever it was, it
had been their business either to have concealed themselves, or not to have
seen them at all, much less to have let the savages see that there were any
inhabitants in the place; or to have fallen upon them so effectually as that
not a man of them should have escaped, which could only have been by getting
in between them and their boats; but this presence of mind was wanting to
them, which was the ruin of their tranquillity for a great while.
The governor and the man with him, surprised with this sight, ran back
immediately and raised their fellows, giving them an account of the imminent
danger they were all in, and they again as readily took the alarm; but it was
impossible to persuade them to stay close within where they were, but they
must all run out to see how things stood.
While it was dark, they were well enough, and they had opportunity enough,
for some hours, to view them by the light of three fires they had made at a
distance from one another. What they were doing they knew not, and what
to do themselves they knew not. For, first, the enemy were too many; and,
secondly, they did not keep together, but were divided into several partics, and
were on shore in several places.
The Spaniards were in no small consternation at this sight; and as they
found that the fellows ran straggling all over the shore, they made no doubt
but, first or last, some of them would chop in upon their habitation, or upon
some other place where they would see the token of inhabitants; and they
were in great perplexity also for fear of their flock of goats, which would have
been little less than starving them if they should have been destroyed; so the
first thing they resolved upon was to despatch three men away before it was
light, two Spaniards and one Englishman, to drive all the goats away to the
great valley where the cave was, and, if need were, to drive them into the very
cave itself. Could they have seen the savages all together in one body, and
V zg
207

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
at a distance from their canoes, they resolved, if there had been a hundred of
them, to have attacked them; but that could not be, for there were some of
them two miles off from the other, and, as it appeared afterwards, they were
of two different nations.
After having mused a great while on the course they should take, and
beating their brains in considering their present circumstances, they resolved
at last, while it was still dark, to send the old savage, Friday's father, out as a
spy, to learn, if possible, something concerning them,-as what they came for,
what they intended to do, and the like. The old man readily undertook it,
and stripping himself quite naked, as most of the savages were, away he went.
After he had been gone an hour or two, he brings word that he had been
among them undiscovered,-that he found they were two parties, and of two
several nations, who had war with one another, and had a great battle in their
own country; and that both sides having several prisoners taken in the fight,
they were, by mere chance, landed all on the same island, for the devouring
their prisoners and making merry, but their coming so by chance to the same
place had spoiled all their mirth, that they were in a great rage at one
another, and were so near, that he believed they would fight again as soon as
daylight began to appear; but he did not perceive that they had any notion
of anybody being on the island but themselves. He had hardly made an end
of telling his story, when they could perceive, by the unusual noise they made,
that the two little armies were engaged in a bloody fight.
Friday's father used all the arguments he could to persuade our people to
lie close, and not to be seen. He told them their safety consisted in it, and
that they had nothing to do but lie still, and the savages would kill one
another to their hands, and then the rest would go away. But it was impos-
sible to prevail, especially upon the Englishmen. Their curiosity was so
importunate upon their prudentials, that they must run out and see the battle;
however, they used some caution, too. They did not go openly, just by their
own dwelling, but went farther into the woods, and placed themselves to
advantage, where they might securely see them manage the fight, and, as they
thought, not be seen by them; but the savages did see them, as we shall find
hereafter.
The battle was very fierce; and if I might believe the Englishmen, one of
them said he could perceive that some of them were men of great bravery, of
invincible spirits, and of great policy in guiding the fight. The battle, they
said, held two hours before they could guess which party would be beaten;
but then that party which was nearest our people's habitation began to appear
weakest, and after some time more, some of them began to fly; and this put
our men again into a great consternation, lest any of those that fled should
run into the grove before their dwelling for shelter, and thereby involuntarily
discover the place; and that, by consequence, the pursuers would do the like.
208

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
in search of them. Upon this, they resolved that they would stand armed
within the wall, and whoever came into the grove, they resolved to sally out
over the wall and kill them, so that, if possible, not one should return to give
an account of it. They ordered also that it should be done with their swords,
or by knocking them down with the stocks of their muskets, but not by
shooting them, for fear of raising an alarm by the noise.
As they expected; it fell out. Three of the routed army fled for life, and,
crossing the creek, ran directly into the place, not in the least knowing whither
they went, but running as into a thick wood for shelter. The scout they kept
to look abroad gave notice of this within, with this addition, to our men's
great satisfaction, viz., that the conquerors had not pursued them, or seen which
way they were gone. Upon this, the Spaniard governor, a man of humanity,
would not suffer them to kill the three fugitives, but sending three men out
by the top of the hill, ordered them to go round, come in behind them, and
surprise and take them prisoners, which was done. The residue of the con-
quered people fled to their canoes, and got off to sea. The victors retired,
made no pursuit, or very little, but drawing themselves into a body together,
gave two great screaming shouts, which they supposed was by way of triumph
-and so the fight ended; and the same day, about three o'clock in the after-
noon, they also marched to their canoes. And thus the Spaniards had the
island again free to themselves, their fight was over, and they saw no savages
for several years after.
After they were all gone, the Spaniards came out of their den, and viewing
the field of battle, they found about two-and-thirty men dead on the spot.
Some were killed with great long arrows, some of which were found sticking
in their bodies; but most of them were killed with great wooden swords,
sixteen or seventeen of which they found in the field of battle, and as many
bows, with a great many arrows. These swords were strange, great unwieldy
things, and they must be very strong men that used them. Most of those
men that were killed with them had their heads smashed to pieces, their brains
knocked out, and several their arms and legs broken, so that it is evident they
fight with inexpressible rage and fury. We found not one man that was not
stone dead,—for either they stay by their enemy till they have killed him, or they
carry all the wounded men that are not quite dead away with them.
Jan matagal.
S
This deliverance tamed our Englishmen for a great while. The sight had
filled them with horror, and the consequences appeared terrible to the last
degree, especially upon supposing that some time or other they should fall into
the hands of those creatures, who would not only kill them as enemies, but
kill them for food, as we kill our cattle; and they professed to me that the
thoughts of being eaten up like beef or mutton, though it was supposed it
was not to be till they were dead, had something in it so horrible that it
nauseated their very stomachs, made them sick when they thought of it, and
m
O
209
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
filled their minds with such unusual terror, that they were not themselves for
some weeks after. For a great while after they were tractable, and went about
the common business of the whole society well enough,-planted, sowed,
reaped, and began to be all naturalised to the country. But some time after this
they fell into such measures again, as brought them into great trouble.
They had taken three prisoners, as I observed; and these three being lusty,
stout young fellows, they made them servants, and taught them to work for
them; and as slaves they did well enough, but they did not take their measures
with them as I did by my man Friday, viz., to begin with them upon the
principle of having saved their lives, and then instruct them in the rational
principles of life, much less of religion,—civilizing and reducing them by
kind usage and affectionate arguments; but as they gave them their food
every day, so they gave them their work too, and kept them fully employed in
drudgery enough, but they failed in this by it, that they never had them to
assist them and fight for them as I had my man Friday, who was as true to
me as the flesh upon my bones.
Being all now good friends-for common danger, as I said above, had
effectually reconciled them-they began to consider their general circumstances;
and the first thing that came under consideration was whether, seeing the
savages particularly haunted that side of the island, and that there were more
remote and retired parts of it equally adapted to their way of living, and mani-
festly to their advantage, they should not rather move their habitation, and
plant in some more proper place for their safety, and especially for the security
of their cattle and corn.
Upon this, after long debate, it was concluded that they would not remove
their habitation; because that, some time or other, they thought they
might hear from their governor again, meaning me; and if I should send
any one to seek them, I should be sure to direct them to that side, where, if
they should find the place demolished, they would conclude the savages had
killed us all; and we were gone, and so our supply would go too. But as to
their corn and cattle, they agreed to remove them into the valley where my
cave was, where the land was as proper for both, and where, indeed, there was
land enough; however, upon second thoughts, they altered one part of their
resolution, and resolved only to remove part of their cattle thither, and
plant part of their corn there; and so if one part was destroyed, the
other might be saved. And one part of prudence they used, which it was very
well they did, that they never trusted those three savages which they had
prisoners, with knowing anything of the plantation they had made in that
valley, or of any cattle they had there, much less of the cave there, which they
kept in case of necessity, as a safe retreat; and thither they carried also the two
barrels of powder which I had sent them at my coming away. But, however,
they resolved not to change their habitation; yet they agreed, that as I had
210

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
- plan de
Am
carefully covered it first with a wall or fortification, and then with a grove of
trees, so seeing their safety consisted entirely in their being concealed, of
which they were now fully convinced, they set to work to cover and conceal
the place yet more effectually than before. For this purpose, as I planted trees,
or rather thrust in stakes, which in time all grew up to be trees, for some good
distance before the entrance into my apartments, they went on in the same
manner, and filled up the rest of that whole space of ground from the trees I
had set quite down to the side of the creek, where, as I said, I landed my
floats, and even into the very ooze where the tide flowed, not so much as leav-
ing any place to land, or any sign that there had been any landing thereabouts,
these stakes also being of a wood very forward to grow, as I have noted
formerly, they took care to have them generally much larger and taller than
those which I had planted; and as they grew apace, so they planted them so
very thick and close together, that when they had been three or four years grown,
there was no piercing with the eye any considerable way into the plantation;
and as for that part which I had planted, the trees were grown as thick as
a man's thigh, and among them they placed so many other short ones, and so
thick, that it stood like a palisado a quarter of a mile thick, and it was next to
impossible to penetrate it, but with a little army to cut it all down,-for a
little dog could hardly get between the trees, they stood so close.
They did the same by all the ground to the right hand and to the left, and
round even to the side of the hill, leaving no way, not so much as for them-
selves, to come out but by the ladder placed up to the side of the hill, and
then lifted up, and placed again from the first stage up to the top; and when
the ladder was taken down, nothing but what had wings or witchcraft to assist
it could come at them. This was excellently contrived; nor was it less than
what they afterwards found occasion for, which served to convince me that as
human prudence has the authority of Providence to justify it, so it has doubt-
less the direction of Providence to set it to work; and if we listen carefully to
the voice of it, I am persuaded we might prevent many of the disasters which
our lives are now, by our own negligence, subjected to.
They lived two years after this in perfect retirement, and had no more
visits from the savages. They had, indeed, an alarm given them one morning,
which put them into a great consternation; for, some of the Spaniards being out
early one morning on the west side of the island, (which was that end which I
never went, for fear of being discovered), they were surprised with seeing above
twenty canoes of Indians coming on shore. They made the best of their way
home in hurry enough; and giving the alarm to their comrades, they kept
close all that day and the next, going out only at night to make their obser-
vation, but they had the good luck to be mistaken; for wherever the savages
went they did not land that time on the island, but pursued some other design.
And now they had another broil with the three Englishmen, one of whom,
211
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
a most turbulent fellow, being in a rage at one of the three slaves, whom
I mentioned, because the fellow had not done something right which he bid
him do, and seemed a little untractable in his showing him, drew a hatchet out
of a frog-belt, in which he wore it by his side, and fell upon the poor savage,
not to correct him but to kill him. One of the Spaniards, who was by, seeing
him give the fellow a barbarous cut with the hatchet, which he aimed at his
head, but struck into his shoulder, so that he thought he had cut the poor
creature's arm off, ran to him, and entreating him not to murder the poor man,
placed himself between him and the savage to prevent mischief. The fellow being
enraged the more at this, struck at the Spaniard with his hatchet, and swore he
would serve him as he intended to serve the savage; which the Spaniard per-
ceiving, avoided the blow, and with a shovel which he had in his hand (for
they were all working in the field about their corn land) knocked the brute
down. Another of the Englishmen, running at the same time to help
his comrade, knocked the Spaniard down; and then two Spaniards more came
in to help their man, and a third Englishman fell in upon them. They had
none of them any fire-arms or any other weapons but hatchets and other tools,
except this third Englishman; he had one of my rusty cutlasses, with which
he made at the two last Spaniards, and wounded them both. This fray set
the whole family in an uproar, and more help coming in, they took the three
Englishmen prisoners. The next question was, what should be done with
them? They had been so often mutinous, and went so furious, so desperate,
and so idle withal, they knew not what course to take with them, for they
were mischievous to the highest degree, and cared not what hurt they did to
any man; so that, in short, it was not safe to live with them.
The Spaniard who was governor told them, in so many words, that if they
had been of his country, he would have hanged them; for all laws and all
governors were to preserve society, and those who were dangerous in the
society ought to be expelled out of it; but as they were Englishmen, and that
it was to the generous kindness of an Englishman that they all owed their
preservation and deliverance, he would use them with all possible lenity, and
would leave them to the judgment of the other two Englishmen, who were
their countrymen.
One of the two honest Englishmen stood up and said they desired it might
not be left to them,-"For," said he, "I am sure we ought to sentence them
to the gallows;" and with that he gave an account how Will Atkins, one of
the three, had proposed to have all the five Englishmen joined together, and
murder all the Spaniards when they were in their sleep.
When the Spanish governor heard this, he calls to Will Atkins, "How,
Seignior Atkins, would you murder us all? What have you to say to that?”
The hardened villain was so far from denying it, that he said it was true, and
swore they would do it still before they had done. with them."Well, but
ه ی ما
212

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
Seignior Atkins," says the Spaniard, "what have we done to you, that you will
kill us? And what would you get by killing us? And what must we do to
prevent your killing us? Must we kill you, or you kill us? Why will you
put us to the necessity of this, Seignior Atkins?" said the Spaniard very calmly,
and smiling. Seignior Atkins was in such a rage at the Spaniard's making a
jest of it, that, had he not been held by three men, and withal had no weapon
near him, it was thought he would have attempted to kill the Spaniard in the
middle of all the company. This hair-brain carriage obliged them to consider
seriously what was to be done. The two Englishmen, and the Spaniard who
had saved the poor savage, were of opinion that they should hang one of the
three, for an example to the rest, and that particularly it should be he that had
twice attempted to commit murder with his hatchet; and, indeed, there was
some reason to believe he had done it, for the poor savage was in such a
miserable condition with the wound he had received, that it was thought he
could not live. But the governor Spaniard still said no. It was an English-
man that had saved their lives, and he would never consent to put an English-
man to death, though he had murdered half of them,-nay, he said if he had
been killed himself by an Englishman, and had time left to speak, it should be
that they should pardon him.
This was so positively insisted on by the governor Spaniard, that there was
no gainsaying it; and as merciful counsels are most apt to prevail, where they
are so earnestly pressed, so they all came into it; but then it was to be con-
sidered what should be done to keep them from doing the mischief they
designed; for all agreed, governor and all, that means were to be used for
preserving the society from danger. After a long debate, it was agreed, first,
that they should be disarmed, and not permitted to have either gun, powder,
shot, sword, or any weapon; and should be turned out of the society, and
left to live where they would, and how they would by themselves; but that
none of the rest, either Spaniards or English, should converse with them, speak
with them, or have anything to do with them; that they should be forbid to
come within a certain distance of the place where the rest dwelt; and if they
offered to commit any disorder, so as to spoil, burn, kill, or destroy any of the
corn, plantings, buildings, fences, or cattle belonging to the society, they
should die without mercy, and they would shoot them wherever they would
find them..
The governor, a man of great humanity, musing upon the sentence, con-
sidered a little upon it, and, turning to the two Englishmen, said, "Hold;
you must reflect that it will be long ere they can raise corn and cattle of their
own, and they must not starve; we must therefore allow them provisions." So
he caused to be added, that they should have a proportion of corn given them
to last them eight months, and for seed to sow, by which time they might be
supposed to raise some of their own; that they should have six milch-goats,
pada para
213


LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
four he-goats, and six kids given them, as well for present subsistence as for a
store; and that they should have tools given them for their work in the fields,
such as six hatchets, an adze, a saw, and the like; but they should have none
of these tools or provisions unless they would swear solemnly that they would
not hurt or injure any of the Spaniards with them, or of their fellow-Englishmen.
Thus they dismissed them the society, and turned them out to shift for
themselves. They went away sullen and refractory, as neither content to go
away nor to stay; but, as there was no remedy, they went, pretending to go
and choose a place where they would settle themselves, and some provisions.
were given them, but no weapons.
About four or five days after, they came again for some victuals, and gave
the governor an account where they had pitched their tents, and marked them-
selves out a habitation and plantation. It was a very convenient place, indeed,
on the remotest part of the island N.E., much about the place where I
providentially landed in my first voyage when I was driven out to sea, in ny
foolish attempt to sail round the island.
Here they built themselves two handsome huts, and contrived them in a
manner like my first habitation, being close under the side of a hill having
some trees growing already on three sides of it, so that by planting others, it
would be very easily covered from sight. They desired some dried goat-skins,
for beds and covering, which were given them; and upon giving their words.
that they would not disturb the rest, or injure any of their plantations, they
gave them hatchets and what other tools they could spare; some peas, barley,
and rice, for sowing, and, in a word, anything they wanted, except arms and
ammunition.
They lived in this separate condition about six months, and had got in their
first harvest, though the quantity was small, the parcel of land they had
planted being but little; for, having all their plantation to form, they had a
great deal of work upon their hands; and when they came to make boards
and pots, and such things, they were quite out of their element, and could
make nothing of it; and when the rainy season came on, for want of a cave in
the earth, they could not keep their grain dry, and it was in great danger of
spoiling; and this humbled them much so they came and begged the
Spaniards to help them, which they very readily did; and in four days worked
a great hole in the side of the hill for them, big enough to secure their corn
and other things from the rain; but it was a poor place at best, compared
with mine, and especially as mine was then, for the Spaniards had greatly en-
larged it, and made several new apartments in it.
About three quarters of a year after this separation a new frolic took these.
rogues, which, together with the former villany they had committed, brought
mischief enough upon them, and had very near been the ruin of the whole
colony. The three new associates began, it seems, to be weary of the laborious
214
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
Sa pangkat ke Makkarakat ja ma p
life they led, and that without hope of bettering their circumstances; and a
whim took them that they would make a voyage to the continent whence the
savages came, and would try if they could seize upon some prisoners among
the natives there, and bring them home, so as to make them do the laborious.
part of the work for them.
The project was not so preposterous, if they had gone no farther. But they
did nothing, and proposed nothing, but had either mischief in the design, or
mischief in the event. And if I may give my opinion, they seemed to be
under a blast from Heaven; for if we will not allow a visible curse to pursue
visible crimes, how shall we reconcile the events of things with the Divine.
justice?
But to return to the story :-The three fellows came down to the Spaniards
one morning, and in very humble terms desired to be admitted to speak with
them. The Spaniards very readily heard what they had to say, which was:
that they were tired of living in the manner they did; and that they were not
handy enough to make the necessaries they wanted, and that having no help,
they found they should be starved; but if the Spaniards would give them
leave to take one of the canoes which they came over in, and give them arms
and ammunition proportioned to their defence, they would go over to the main.
and seek their fortunes, and so deliver them from the trouble of supplying
them with any other provisions.
The Spaniards were glad enough to get rid of them, but very honestly re-
presented to them the certain destruction they were running into; told them
they had suffered such hardships upon that very spot, that they could, without
any spirit of prophecy, tell them they would be starved or murdered, and bade
them consider of it.
The men replied audaciously, they would be starved if they stayed here, for
they could not work, and would not work, and they could but be starved
abroad; and if they were murdered, there was an end of them; they had
no wives or children to cry after them; and, in short, insisted importunately
upon their demand, declaring they would go, whether they gave them any
arms or not.
The Spaniards told them, with great kindness, that if they were resolved to
go, they should not go like naked men, and be in no condition to defend them-
selves, and that though they could ill spare their fire-arms, having not enough
for themselves, yet they would let them have two muskets, a pistol, and a cut-
lass, and each man a hatchet, which they thought was sufficient for them.
They accepted the offer; and having baked bread enough to serve them a
month, and given them as much goat's-flesh as they could eat while it was
sweet, and a great basket of dried grapes, a pot of fresh water, and a young
kid alive, they boldly set out in the canoe for a voyage over the sea, where it
was at least forty miles broad.
215

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
| Add to
The boat, indeed, was a large one, and would very well have carried fifteen
or twenty men, and therefore was rather too big for them to manage; but as
they had a fair breeze, and flood-tide with them, they did well enough. They
had made a mast of a long pole, and a sail of four large goat-skins dried,
which they had laced together, and away they went merrily enough. The
Spaniards called after them, " Bon veyajo;" and no man ever thought of see-
ing them any more.
The Spaniards were often saying to one another, and to the two honest.
Englishmen who remained behind, how quietly and comfortably they lived,
now these three turbulent fellows were gone. As for their coming again, that
was the remotest thing from their thoughts that could be imagined; when,
behold, after two-and-twenty days' absence, one of the Englishmen, being
abroad upon his planting work, sees three strange men coming towards him
at a distance, with guns upon their shoulders.
Away ran the Englishman, as if he was bewitched, comes frightened and
amazed to the governor Spaniard, and tells him they were all undone, for there
were strangers upon the island, but could not tell who they were.
The Spani-
ard, pausing a while, says to him, "How do you mean; you cannot tell who?
They are the savages, to be sure.' "No, no," says the Englishman; "they are
men in clothes, with arms." "Nay, then," says the Spaniard, "why are you so
concerned? If they are not savages, they must be friends; for there is no
Christian nation upon earth but will do us good rather than harm."
While they were debating thus, came the three Englishmen, and standing
without the wood, which was new planted, hallooed to them. They presently
knew their voices, and so all the wonder ceased. But now the admiration
was turned to another question: what could be the matter, and what made
them come back again?
It was not long before they brought the men in, and inquiring where they
had been, and what they had been doing, they gave them a full account of
their voyage in a few words ;-that they reached the land in two days or some-
thing less; but finding the people alarmed at their coming, and preparing with
bows and arrows to fight them, they durst not go on shore, but sailed on to
the northward six or seven hours, till they came to a great opening, by which
they perceived that the land they saw from our island was not the main,
but an island. Upon entering that opening of the sea, they saw another
island on the right hand, north, and several more west, and being resolved to
land somewhere, they put over to one of the islands which lay west, and went
boldly on shore, and they found the people very courteous and friendly to
them; and that they gave several roots and some dried fish, and appeared very
sociable; and the women as well as the men were very forward to supply
them with anything they could get for them to eat, and brought it to them a
great way upon their heads.
216
Papel nga vle patat setja tarde van
Caplan, Span
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
nga qarat
They continued here for four days, and inquired as well as they could of
them, by signs, what nations were this way and that way; and were told of
several fierce and terrible people that lived almost every way, who, as they
made known by signs to them, used to eat men; but as for themselves, they
said, they never ate men or women, except only such as they took in the wars;
and then, they owned, they made a great feast, and ate their prisoners.
The Englishmen inquired when they had had a feast of that kind, and they
told them about two moons ago, pointing to the moon and to two fingers;
and that their great king had two hundred prisoners now, which he had taken
in his war, and they were feeding them to make them fat for the next feast.
The Englishmen seemed mightly desirous of seeing those prisoners; but the
others, mistaking them, thought they were desirous to have some of them to
carry away for their own eating. So they beckoned to them, pointing to the
setting of the sun, and then to the rising, which was to signify that the next
morning at sunrising they would bring some for them; and, accordingly, the
next morning they brought down five women and eleven men, and gave them
to the Englishmen, to carry with them on their voyage, just as we would
bring so many cows and oxen down to a sea-port town to victual a ship.
To refuse the prisoners would have been the highest affront to the savage
gentry that could be offered them, and what to do with them they knew not.
However, after some debate, they resolved to accept of them; and, in return,
they gave the savages one of their hatchets, an old key, a knife, and six or
seven of their bullets; which, though they did not understand their use, they
seemed particularly pleased with; and then tying the poor creatures' hands
behind them, they dragged the prisoners into the boat for our men.

The Englishmen were obliged to come away as soon as they had them, or
else they that gave them this noble present would certainly have expected that
they should have gone to work for them, have killed two or three of them
the next morning, and perhaps have invited the donors to dinner. But
having taken their leave, with all the respect and thanks that could well pass
between people, where, on either side, they understood not one word they
could say, they put off with their boat, and came back towards the first island;
where, when they arrived, they set eight of their prisoners at liberty.
In their voyage, they endeavoured to have some communication with their
prisoners; but it was impossible to make them understand anything. Nothing
they could say to them, or do for them, but was looked upon as going to
murder them. They first of all unbound them, but the poor creatures
screamed at that, especially the women, as if they had just felt the knife at
their throats; for they immediately concluded they were unbound on purpose
to be killed. If they gave them anything to eat, it was the same thing; they
then concluded it was for fear they should sink in flesh, and so not be fat
enough to kill. If they looked at one more particularly, the party presently
217

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
— —
concluded it was to see whether he or she was fattest, and fittest to kill first;
nay, after they had brought them quite over, and began to use them kindly,
and treat them well, still they expected every day to make a dinner or supper
for their new masters.
When the three wanderers had given this unaccountable history of their
voyage, the Spaniard asked them where their new family was; and being told
that they had brought them on shore, and put them into one of their huts,
and were come up to beg some victuals for them, they (the Spaniards) and
the other two Englishmen, that is to say, the whole colony, resolved to go all
down to the place and see them; and did so, and Friday's father with them.
When they came into the hut, where they sat, all bound; for when they
had brought them on shore, they bound their hands, that they might not take
the boat and make their escape; there, I say, they sat, all of them stark naked.
First, there were three men, lusty, comely fellows, well shaped, straight and
fair limbs, about thirty to thirty-five years of age; and five women, whereof
two might be from thirty to forty; two more not above four or five-and-
twenty; and the fifth, a tall, comely maiden, about sixteen or seventeen. The
women were well-favoured, agreeable persons, both in shape and features, only
tawny; and two of them, had they been white, would have passed for very
handsome women, even in London itself, having pleasant, agreeable counte-
nances, and of a very modest behaviour, especially when they came afterwards
to be clothed.
man pa man med en p
K
The sight was something uncouth to our Spaniards, who were, to give them
a just character, men of the best behaviour, of the most calm, sedate tempers,
and perfect good humour, that ever I met with; and, in particular, of the
most modesty, I say, the sight was very uncouth, to see three naked men and
five naked women, all bound, and in the most miserable circumstances that
human nature could be supposed to be, viz., to be expecting every moment to
be dragged out, and have their brains knocked out, and then to be eaten up
like a calf that is killed for a dainty.
The first thing they did was to cause the old Indian, Friday's father, to go
in and see if he knew any of them, and if he understood their speech. As soon
as the old man came in, he looked seriously at them, but knew none of them;
neither could any of them understand a word he said, or a sign he could make,
except one of the women. However, this was enough to answer the end, which
was to satisfy them that the men into whose hands they were fallen were
Christians; that they abhorred eating men or women; and that they might be
sure they would not be killed. As soon as they were assured of this, they dis-
covered such a joy, and by such awkward gestures several ways, as is hard to
describe, for it seems they were of several nations.
The woman who was their interpreter was bid, in the next place, to ask them
if they were willing to be servants, and to work for the men who had brought
&
218
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
What go tap
them away, to save their lives; at which they all fell a dancing; and presently
one fell to taking up this, and another that, anything that lay next, to carry-on
their shoulders, to intimate they were willing to work.
The governor, who found that they having women among them would
presently be attended with some inconvenience, and might occasion some strife,
and perhaps bloodshed, asked the three men what they intended to do with
these women, and how they intended to use them, whether as servants or as
wives? One of the Englishmen answered very boldly that they would use
them as both, to which the governor said; "I am not going to restrain you
from it; you are your own masters as to that, but this I think is but just, for
avoiding disorders and quarrels among you, and I desire of you for that reason
only, viz. That you will all engage, that if any of you take any of these
women as a wife, that he shall take but one; and that having taken one, none
else shall touch her; for though we cannot marry any one of you, yet it is but
reasonable that, while you stay here, the woman any of you takes shall be
maintained by the man that takes her, and should be his wife; "I mean," says
he, "while he continues here, and that none else should have anything to do
with her." All this appeared so just, that every one agreed to it without any
difficulty.
Then the Englishmen asked the Spaniards if they designed to take any of
them? But every one of them answered "No." Some of them said they had
wives in Spain, and the others did not like women that were not Christians;
and all together declared that they would not touch one of them; which was
an instance of such virtue as I have not met with in all my travels. The five
Englishmen took them every one a wife, and so they set up a new form of
living. The Spaniards and Friday's father still lived in my old habitation,
which they had enlarged exceedingly within. The three servants which were
taken in the last battle of the savages lived with them; and these carried on
the main part of the colony, supplied all the rest with food, and assisted them
in anything they could, or as they found necessity required.
But the wonder of the story was, how five such refractory, ill-matched fellows
should agree about these women, and that two of them should not choose the
same woman, especially seeing two or three of them were, without comparison,
more agreeable than the others; but they took a good way to prevent quarrel-
ing among themselves, for they set the five women by themselves in one of
their huts, and they went all into the other hut, and drew lots among them
who should choose first.
Map
He that drew to choose first went away by himself to the hut where the
poor naked creatures were, and fetched out her he chose; and it was worth
observing, that he that chose first took her that was reckoned the homeliest and
oldest of the five, which made mirth enough among the rest; and even the
Spaniards laughed at it; but the fellow considered better than any of them,
219


LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
Wala ako n
that it was application and business they were to expect assistance in, as much
as anything else, and she proved the best wife of all the parcel.
When the poor women saw themselves set in a row thus, and fetched out
one by one, the terrors of their condition returned upon them again, and they
firmly believed they were now going to be devoured. Accordingly, when the
English sailor came in and fetched out one of them, the rest set up a most
lamentable cry, and hung about her, and took their leave of her with such
agonies and affection as would have grieved the hardest heart in the world.
Nor was it possible for the Englishmen to satisfy them that they were not to
be immediately murdered, till they fetched the old man, Friday's father, who
immediately let them know that the five men, who were to fetch them out one
by one, had chosen them for their wives.
When they had done, and the fright the women were in was a little over,
the men went to work, and the Spaniards came and helped them; and in few
hours they had built them every one a new hut or tent for their lodging apart;
for those they had already were crowded with their tools, household stuff, and
provisions. The three wicked ones had pitched farthest off, and the two honest
ones nearer, but both on the north shore of the island, so that they continued
separate as before; and thus my island was peopled in three places; and, as I
might say, three towns were begun to be built.
And here it is very well worth observing, that, as it often happens in the
world, (what the wise ends of God's providence are in such a disposition of
things, I cannot say), the two honest fellows had the two worst wives; and the
three reprobates, that were scarce worth hanging, that were fit for nothing, and
neither seemed born to do themselves good, nor any one else, had three clever,
diligent, careful, and ingenious wives; not that the first two were bad wives
as to their temper or humour, for all the five were most willing, quiet, passive,
and subjected creatures, rather like slaves than wives, but they were not alike
capable, ingenious, or industrious, or alike cleanly and neat.
Another observation I must make, to the honour of a diligent application
on one hand, and to the disgrace of a slothful negligent, idle temper on the
other, that when I came to the place, and viewed the several improvements,
plantings, and management of the several little colonies, the two men had so
far outgone the three, that there was no comparison. They had, indeed, both
of them as much ground laid out for corn as they wanted, but the difference
of the cultivation, of the planting, of the fences, and, indeed, of everything else,
was easy to be seen at first view.
The two men had innumerable young trees planted about their huts, so that
when you came to the place, nothing was to be seen but a wood, and though
they had twice had their plantation demolished, once by their own countrymen,
and once by the enemy, yet they had restored all again, and everything was
thriving and flourishing about them. They had grapes planted in order, and
all p me
220
ROBINSON Crusoe.
managed like a vineyard, though they had themselves never seen anything of
that kind; and, by their good ordering their vines, their grapes were as good
again as any of the others. They had also found themselves out a retreat in
the thickest part of the woods, where, though there was not a natural cave, as
I had found, yet they made one with incessant labour of their hands, and
where, when the mischief which followed happened, they secured their wives
and children so as they could never be found; they having, by sticking
innumerable stakes and poles of the wood which, as I said, grew so readily,
made the grove unpassable, except in some places, where they climbed up to
get over the outside part, and then went on by ways of their own leaving.
As to the three reprobates, as I justly call them, though they were much
civilized by their settlement compared to what they were before, and were not
so quarrelsome, yet one of the certain companions of a profligate inind never
left them, and that was their idleness. It is true they plauted corn, and made
fences; but Solomon's words were never better verified than in mine, “I went
by the vineyard of the slothful, and it was all overgrown with thorns;" for
when the Spaniards came to view their crop, they could not see it in some
places for weeds; the hedge had several gaps in it, where the wild goats had.
got in and eaten up the corn; perhaps here and there a dead bush was
crammed in, to stop them out for the present, but it was only shutting the
stable door after the steed was stolen; whereas, when they looked on the
colony of the other two, there was the very face of industry and success upon
all they did; there was not a weed to be seen in all their corn, or a gap in
any of their hedges; and they, on the other hand, verified Solomon's words in
another place," that the diligent hand maketh rich;" for everything grew and
thrived, and they had plenty within and without; they had more tame cattle
than the others, more utensils and necessaries within doors, and yet more
pleasure and diversion too.
It is true, the wives of the three were very handy and cleanly within doors,
and having learned the English ways of dressing and cooking from one of the
other Englishmen, who, as I said, was a cook's mate on board the ship, they
dressed their husbands' victuals very nicely and well, whereas the others
could not be brought to understand it; but then the husband, who, as I say,
had been cook's mate, did it himself. But as for the husbands of the three
wives, they loitered about, fetched turtles' eggs, and caught fish and birds; in
a word, anything but labour, and they fared accordingly. The diligent lived
well and comfortably, and the slothful hard and beggarly; and so, I believe,
generally speaking, it is all over the world.
But I now come to a scene different from all that had happened before,
either to them or to me. Early one morning, there came on shore five or six
canoes of Indians or savages, and there is no room to doubt they came upon
the old errand of feeding upon their slaves; but that part was now so familiar
221

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
to the Spaniards, and to our men too, that they did not concern themselves
about it, as I did. But having been made sensible, by their experience, that
their only business was to lie concealed, and that if they were not seen by any
of the savages, they would go off again quietly, when their business was done,
having, as yet, not the least notion of there being any inhabitants in the island;
I say, having been made sensible of this, they had nothing to do but to give
notice to all the three plantations to keep within doors, and not show them-
selves, only placing a scout in a proper place, to give notice when the boats
went to sea again.
This was, without doubt, very right; but a disaster spoiled all theşe
measures, and made it known among the savages that there were inhabitants
there; which was, in the end, the desolation of almost the whole colony.
After the canoes with the savages were gone off, the Spaniards peeped abroad
again; and some of them had the curiosity to go to the place where they had
been, to see what they had been doing. Here, to their great surprise, they
found three savages left behind, and lying fast asleep upon the ground. It
was supposed they had either been so gorged with their inhuman feast, that, like
beasts, they had fallen asleep, and would not stir when the others went, or had
wandered into the woods, and did not come back in time to be taken in.
The Spaniards were greatly surprised at this sight, and perfectly at a loss
what to do. The Spanish governor, as it happened, was with them, and his
advice was asked, but he professed he knew not what to do. As for slaves,
they had enough already; and as to killing them, there were none of them
inclined to do that. The Spaniard governor told them they could not think
of shedding innocent blood; for as to them, the poor creatures had done them
no wrong, invaded none of their property, and they thought they had no just
quarrel against them, to take away their lives. And here I must, in justice to
these Spaniards, observe, that let the accounts of Spanish cruelty in Mexico
and Peru be what they will, I never met with seventeen men of any nation
whatsoever, in any foreign country, who were so universally modest, temperate,
virtuous, or so very good humoured, and so courteous, as these Spaniards;
and as to cruelty, they had nothing of it in their very nature; no inhumanity,
no barbarity, no outrageous passions; and yet all of them men of great courage
and spirit. Their temper and calmness had appeared in their bearing the insuf-
ferable usages of the three Englishmen; and their justice and humanity appeared
now in the case of the savages as above. After some consultation, they, resolved
upon this: that they would lie still a while longer, till, if possible, these three
men might be gone. But then the governor Spaniard recollected that the
three savages had no boat; and even if they were left to rove about in the-
island, they would certainly discover that there were inhabitants in it; and so
they should be undone that way. Upon this, they went back again, and there
lay the fellows fast asleep still, and so they resolved to awaken them, and take
·
222
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
them prisoners; and they did so. The poor fellows were strangely frightened
when they were seized upon and bound, and afraid, like the women, that they
should be murdered and eaten; for it seems those people think all the world
does as they do, eating men's flesh; but they were soon made easy as to that,
and away they carried them.
It was very happy for them that they did not carry them home to their
castle, I mean to my palace under the hill; but they carried them first to the
bower, where was the chief of their country work, such as the keeping the
goats, and planting the corn, etc.; and afterwards they carried them to the
habitation of the two Englishmen.
Here they were set to work, though it was not much they had for them to
do; and whether it was by negligence in guarding them, or that they thought
the fellows could not mend themselves, I know not, but one of them ran
away, and taking to the woods, they never heard of him any more.
They had good reason to believe he got home again soon after in some other
boats or canoes of savages who came on shore three or four weeks afterwards;
and who, carrying on their revels as usual, went off in two days' time. This
thought terrified them exceedingly; for they concluded, that if this fellow
came home safe among his comrades, he would tell them that there were
people in the island, and also how few and weak they were; for this savage
had never been told how many there were, or where they lived; nor had he
ever heard the fire of any of their guns, much less had they shown him any
of their retired places, such as the cave in the valley, or the new retreat
which the two Englishmen had made.
The first testimony they had that this fellow had given intelligence of them
was, that about two months after this, six canoes of savages, with about seven,
eight, or ten men in a canoe, came rowing along the north side of the island,
where they never used to come before, and landed about an hour after sunrise,
about a mile from the habitation of the two Englishmen, where this escaped
man had been kept. The two men had the happiness to discover them about
a league off, so that it was above an hour before they landed; and as they
landed a mile from their huts, it was some time before they could come at
them. Having great reason to believe that they were betrayed, the first thing
they did was to bind the two slaves which were left, and cause two of the
three men whom they brought with the women (who proved very faithful to
them), to lead them, with their wives, and whatever they could carry away
with them, to their retiring places in the woods, and there to bind the two
fellows hand and foot, till they heard farther.
Seeing the savages were all come on shore, and that they bent their course
directly that way, they opened the fences where the milch-cows were kept, and
drove them all out; leaving their goats to straggle in the woods whither they
pleased, that the savages might think they were wild; but the rogue who
kde jeg var
223
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
came with them was too cunning for that, and gave them an account of it all,
for they went directly to the place.
When the two poor frightened men had secured their wives and goods, they
sent the other slave, who was at their place by accident, away to the Spaniards
with all speed, to give them the alarm, and desire speedy help; and in the
meantime, they took their arms, and what ammunition they had, and retreated
towards the place in the wood where their wives were sent, keeping at a
distance, so that they might see which way the savages took.
From a rising ground they could see their enemies come on directly to their
habitation, and, in a moment more, could see all their huts and household
stuff flaming up together, to their great grief and mortification; for they had
a very great loss, to them irretrievable, at least for some time. They kept
their station for a while, till they found the savages, like wild beasts, spread
themselves all over the place, rummaging every place they could think of, in
search of prey; and in particular for the people, of whom, it now plainly
appeared, they had intelligence.
The two Englishmen seeing this, thinking themselves not secure where they
stood, thought it proper to make another retreat about half a mile farther,
believing that the farther they strolled, the fewer would be together.
Their next halt was at the entrance into a very thick-grown part of the
woods, where an old trunk of a tree stood, which was hollow and vastly large;
and in this tree they both took their stand, resolving to see there what might
offer. They had not stood long before two of the savages appeared running
directly that way, as if they had noticed where they stood, and were coming
up to attack them, and a little way farther they espied three more coming
after them, and five more beyond them, all coming the same way; besides
which, they saw seven or eight more at a distance, running every way, like
sportsmen beating for their game.
The poor men were now in great perplexity whether they should stand and
keep their posture, or fly; but after a short debate with themselves they
considered, that if the savages ranged the country thus before help came, they
might perhaps find out their retreat in the woods, and then all would be lost;
so they resolved to stand them there, and if they were too many to deal with,
they would get up to the top of the tree, whence they doubted not to defend
themselves, as long as their ammunition lasted, though all the savages that
were landed were to attack them.
Having resolved upon this, they next considered whether they should fire.
at the first two, or wait for the three, and so take the middle party, by
which the two and the five that followed would be separated; at length
they resolved to let the first two pass by, unless they should spy them in the
tree, and come to attack them. The first two savages confirmed them also in
this regulation, by turning a little from them towards another part of the
– pada mala venda, ma dag mg
224

murmu
B
DJ
VAY
"If you will make good our pay," said the Dutchman, "we will go.
along with you."
FROTAS

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
wood; but the three, and the five after them, came forward directly to the
tree, as if they had known the Englishmen were there. Seeing them come
straight towards them, they resolved to take them in a line as they came, and
to fire but one at a time.
While they were thus waiting, and the savages came on, they saw that one
of the three was the runaway savage that had escaped from them; and re-
solved that, if possible, he should not escape, though they should both fire; so
the other stood ready with his piece, that if he did not drop at the first shot,
he should be sure to have a second. But the first was too good a marksman
to miss his aim; for as the savages kept near one another, a little behind in a
line, he fired, and hit two of them directly. The foremost was killed outright,
the second, which was the runaway Indian, was shot through the body and
fell, but was not quite dead; the third had a scratch in the shoulder, and
being dreadfully frightened, though not much hurt, sat down upon the ground,
screaming and yelling in a hideous manner.
The five that were behind, more frightened with the noise than sensible of
the danger, stood still at first; for the woods made the sound a thousand times.
greater than it really was, the echoes rattling from one side to another, and
the fowls rising from all parts, screaming, just as it was when I fired the first
gun that perhaps was ever shot off in the island.
However, all being silent again, and they not knowing what the matter was,
came on till they came to the place where their companions lay in a condition
miserable enough, and here the poor ignorant creatures, not sensible that they
were within reach of the same mischief, stood altogether over the wounded
man, talking.
Our two men, though it grieved them to be obliged to kill so many poor
creatures, who had no notion of their danger; yet, having them all thus in
their power, resolved to let fly both together among them; and singling out,
by agreement, which to aim at, they shot together, and killed, or very much
wounded, four of them; the fifth, frightened to death, though not hurt, fell
with the rest; so that our men, seeing them all fall together, thought they had
killed them all.
The belief that the savages were all killed made our two men come boldly
out from the tree before they had charged their guns, and they were under
some surprise when they came to the place, and found no less than four of
them alive, and of them two very little hurt, and one not at all. This obliged
them to fall upon them with the stocks of their muskets; and first they made
sure of the runaway savage that had been the cause of all the mischief; and
of another that was hurt in the knee, and put them out of their pain: then
the man that was not hurt at all came and kneeled down to them, with his
two hands held up, and made piteous moans to them, by gestures and signs,
for his life, but could not say one word to them that they could understand.
P
225
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
However, they made signs to him to sit down at the foot of a tree hard by,
and one of the Englishmen tied his hands behind him, and there they left him;
and with what speed they could made after the other two who were gone
before, fearing any more of them should find the way to their covered place in
the woods, where their wives and their goods lay. They came once in sight of
the two men, but it was at a great distance; however, they had the satisfaction
to see them cross over a valley towards the sea, quite the contrary way from.
that which led to their retreat, so they went back to the tree where they left
their prisoner, but he was gone, and the two pieces of rope-yarn, with which
they had bound him, lay at the foot of the tree.
They were now in as great concern as before, not knowing what course to
take, or how near the enemy might be, or in what number, so they resolved
to go to the place where their wives were, to see if all was well there, and to
make them easy; for though the savages were their own countrymen, yet they
were terribly afraid of them.
When they came there, they found the savages had been in the wood, and
very near that place, but had not found it; for it was indeed inaccessible,
unless the persons seeking it had been directed by those that knew it. They
found everything safe, only the women in a terrible fright. While they were
here, they had the comfort to have seven of the Spaniards come to their
assistance; the other ten, with their servants, and old Friday (I mean Friday's
father), were gone in a body to defend their bower, and the corn and cattle that
was kept there, in case the savages should have roamed over to that side of the
country, but they did not spread so far. With the seven Spaniards came one
of the three savages who were their prisoners formerly; and with them also
came the savage whom the Englishman had left bound hand and foot at the
tree; for it seems they came that way, saw the slaughter of the seven men,
and unbound the eighth, and brought him along with them; where, however,
they were obliged to bind him again, as they had the two others who were left
when the third ran away.
The prisoners now began to be a burden to them, and they were so afraid
of their escaping, that they once resolved to kill them all, believing they were
under an absolute necessity to do so for their own preservation. However, the
Spaniard governor would not consent to it; but ordered that, for the present,
they should be sent out of the way, to my old cave in the valley, and be kept
there, with two Spaniards to guard them.
When the Spaniards came, the two Englishmen were so encouraged, that
they could not stay any longer there; but taking five of the Spaniards, with
four muskets and a pistol among them, and two stout quarter staves, away they
went in quest of the savages. And first they came to the tree where the men
lay that had been killed; but it was easy to see that more of the savages had
been there; they had attempted to carry their dead men away, and had
vad tags, stage de ma
226

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
dragged two of them a good way, but had given it over. From thence they
advanced to the first rising ground, where they had stood and seen their
camp destroyed, and where they had the inortification still to see some of
the smoke, but neither could they here see any of the savages. They then
resolved to go forward towards their ruined plantation; but a little before
they came thither, coming in sight of the sea-shore, they saw plainly the
savages all embarked again in their canoes, in order to be gone.
There was
no way to come at them, to give them a parting blow; but, upon the whole,
they were very well satisfied to be rid of them.
The poor Englishmen being now twice ruined, and all their improvements
destroyed, the rest agreed to come and help them to rebuild, and assist them
with needful supplies. Their three countrymen, who were not yet noted for
having the least inclination to do any good, as soon as they heard of it (for
they, living remote eastward, knew nothing of the matter till all was over),
came and offered their assistance, and worked for several days to restore their
habitation, and make necessaries for them. And thus, in a little time, they
were set upon their legs again.
About two days after this they had the farther satisfaction of seeing three
of the savages' canoes come on shore, and, at some distance from them, two
drowned men; by which they had reason to believe that they had met with a
storm at sea, which had overset some of them; for it had blown very hard the
night after they went off.
It was five or six months after this before they heard any more of the
savages, in which time our men were in hopes they had either forgot their
former bad luck, or given over hopes of better; when, on a sudden, they were.
invaded with a most formidable fleet of no less than eight and twenty canoes
full of savages, armed with bows and arrows, great clubs, wooden swords, and
such like engines of war; and they brought such numbers with them, that it
put all our people into the utmost consternation.
As they came on shore in the evening, at the eastermost side of the island,
our men had that night to consider what to do; and, in the first place, know-
ing that their being entirely concealed was their only safety before, and would
be much more so now, while the number of their enemies was so great, they
resolved, first of all, to take down the huts which were built for the two
Englishmen, and drive away their goats to the old cave; because they supposed
the savages would go thither, as soon as it was day, to play the old game over
again, though they did not now land within two leagues of it. In the next
place, they drove away all the flocks of goats they had at the old bower, which
belonged to the Spaniards, and left as little appearance of inhabitants as
possible; and the next morning early they posted themselves, with all their
force, at the plantation of the two men, to wait for their coming. As they
guessed, so it happened. These new invaders, leaving their canoes at the east
th
227
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
•
end of the island, came ranging along the shore, directly towards the place,
to the number of two hundred and fifty, as near as our men could judge.
Our army was small indeed; but that which was worse, they had not arms for
all their number either. The whole account stood thus: first, as to men,
seventeen Spaniards, five Englishmen, Friday's father, the three slaves taken.
with the women, and three other slaves, who lived with the Spaniards. To
arm these, they had eleven muskets, five pistols, three fowling-pieces, five
muskets, or fowling-pieces, two swords, and three old halberts.
To their slaves they did not give either musket or fusee, but they had each
a halbert, or a long staff, like a quarter-staff, with a great spike of iron fastened
into each end of it, and by his side a hatchet; also every one of our men had
a hatchet. Two of the women could not be prevailed upon but they would
come into the fight, and they had bows and arrows, which the Spaniards had
taken from the savages when the first action happened, which I have spoken
of, where the Indians fought with one another, and the women had hatchets too.
The Spaniard governor commanded the whole; and Will Atkins, who was a
most daring, bold fellow, commanded under him. The savages came forward
like lions; and our men had no advantage in their situation, only that Will
Atkins, who now proved a most useful fellow, with six men, was planted just
behind a small thicket of bushes, as an advanced guard, with orders to let the
first of them pass by, and then fire into the middle of them, and as soon as he
had fired to make his retreat as nimbly as he could round a part of the wood,
and so come in behind the Spaniards, where they stood, having a thicket of
trees before them.
•
When the savages came on, they ran straggling about every way out of all
order. Will Atkins let about fifty of them pass by him; then seeing the rest.
come in a throng, he orders three of his men to fire, having loaded their
muskets with six or seven bullets a-piece, about as big as large pistol bullets.
How many they killed or wounded they knew not; the consternation and
surprise was inexpressible among the savages; they were frightened to the
last degree to hear such a dreadful noise, and see their men killed, and others
hurt, but see nobody that did it; when, in the middle of their fright, Will
Atkins and his other three let fly again among the thickest of them; and in
less than a minute, the first three being loaded again, gave them a third volley.
Had Will Atkins and his men retired immediately, as soon as they had fired,
or had the rest of the body been at hand, to have poured in their shot con-
tinually, the savages had been effectually routed; for the terror that was among
them came principally from this, that they were killed by the gods with
thunder and lightning, and could see nobody that hurt them; but Will Atkins,
staying to load again, discovered the cheat. Some of the savages who were at
a distance spying them, came upon them behind; and though Atkins and his
men fired at them also two or three times, and killed above twenty, retiring as
P
228
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
fast as they could, yet they wounded Atkins himself, and killed one of his
fellow Englishmen with their arrows, as they did afterwards one Spaniard, and
one of the Indian slaves who came with the women. This slave was a gallant
fellow, and fought most desperately, killing five of them with his own hand,
having no weapons but one of the armed staves and a hatchet.
Our men being thus hard laid at, Atkins wounded, and two other men
killed, retreated to a rising ground in the wood; and the Spaniards, after
firing three volleys upon them, retreated also, for their number was so great,
and they were so desperate, that though above fifty of them were killed, and
more than as many wounded, yet they came on in the teeth of our men,
fearless of danger, and shot their arrows like a cloud; and it was observed
that their wounded men, who were not quite disabled, were made outrageous
by their wounds, and fought like madmen.
When our men retreated, they left the Spaniard and the Englishmen that.
were killed behind them; and the savages, when they came up to them, killed
them over again in a wretched manner, breaking their arms, legs, and heads
with their clubs and wooden swords, like true savages; but finding our men
were gone, they did not pursue them, but drew themselves up in a ring,
and shouted twice, in token of their victory; after which they had the
mortification to see several of their wounded men fall, dying with the mere
loss of blood.
The Spaniard governor having drawn his little body up together upon a
rising ground, Atkins, though he was wounded, would have had them march
and charge again all together at once; but the Spaniard replied:—“ Seignior
Atkins, you see how their wounded men fight; let them alone till morning;
all the wounded men will be stiff and sore with their wounds, and faint with
the loss of blood, and so we shall have the fewer to engage." This advice was
good; but Will Atkins replied merrily, "That is true, Seignior, and so shall I
too; and that is the reason I would go on while I am warm. Well, Seignior
Atkins," says the Spaniard, "you have behaved gallantly, and done your part;
we will fight for you if you cannot come on; but I think it best to stay till
morning:" so they waited.
""
But as it was a clear moonlight night, and they found the savages in great
disorder about their dead and wounded men, and a great noise and hurry
among them where they lay, they afterwards resolved to fall upon them in the
night, especially if they could come to give them but one volley before they
were discovered, which they had a fair opportunity to do. One of the English-
men led them round between the woods and the sea-side westward, and then
turning short south they came so near where the thickest of them lay, that,
before they were seen or heard, eight of them fired in upon them, and did
dreadful execution upon them. In half a minute more eight others fired after
them, pouring in their small shot in such a quantity that abundance were
(c
229


LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
killed and wounded; and all this while they were not able to see who hurt
them, or which way to fly.
The Spaniards charged again with the utmost expedition, and then divided
themselves into three bodies, and resolved to fall in among them altogether.
They had in each body eight persons, that is to say, twenty-two men, and the
two women, who, by the way, fought desperately. They divided the fire-arms.
equally in each party, as well as the halberts and staves. They would have
had the women kept back, but they were resolved to die with their husbands.
Having thus formed their little ariny, they marched out from among the trees,
and came up to the teeth of the enemy, shouting and hallooing as loud as they
could. The savages stood all together, but were in the utmost confusion,
hearing the noise of our men shouting from three quarters together; they
would have fought if they had seen us, for as soon as we came near enough to
be seen, some arrows were shot, and poor old Friday was wounded, though
not dangerously. Our men gave them no time, but, running up to them, fired
among them three ways, and then fell in with the butt-ends of their muskets,
their swords, armed staves, and hatchets, and laid about so well, that they set
up a dismal screaming and howling, flying to save their lives which way
soever they could.
Our men had killed or mortally wounded in the two fights about one
hundred and eighty of them. The rest being frightened out of their wits,
scoured through the woods and over the hills, with all the speed fear and
nimble feet could help them to; and as we did not trouble ourselves to pursue
them, they all got to the sea-side where they landed, and where their canoes
lay. But their disaster was not at an end yet, for it blew a terrible storm of
wind that evening from the sea, so that it was impossible for them to go off;
nay, the storm coutinuing all night, when the tide came up, their canoes were
most of them driven by the surge of the sea so high upon the shore that it
required infinite toil to get them off; and some of them were dashed to pieces
against the beach, or against one another.
Our men, though glad of their victory, got little rest that night; but having
refreshed themselves as well as they could, they resolved to march to that part
of the island where the savages were fled, and see what posture they were in.
This necessarily led them over the place where the fight had been, where they
found several of the poor creatures not quite dead, and yet past recovering life.
However, there was no need to give any orders in this case; for their own savages,
who were their servants, despatched these poor creatures with their hatchets.
At length they came in view of the place where the more miserable remains
of the savages' army lay, where there appeared about a hundred still. Their
posture was generally sitting upon the ground, with knees up towards their
mouth, and the head put between the hands, leaning down upon the knees.
When our men came within two musket-shots of them, the Spaniard
230
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
}
C
governor ordered two muskets to be fired, without ball, to alarm them. This
he did that by their countenance he might know what to expect, whether they
were still in heart to fight, or were so heartily beaten as to be discouraged,
and so he might manage accordingly. This stratagem took; for as soon as
the savages heard the first gun, and saw the flash of the second, they started
up in the greatest consternation imaginable; and as our men advanced swiftly
towards them, they all ran screaming and yelling away, with a kind of howling
noise, which our men had never heard before; and thus they ran up the hills
into the country.
At first our men had much rather the weather had been calm, and they had
all gone away to sea, but they did not then consider that this might probably
have been the occasion of their coming again in such multitudes as not to be
resisted, or, at least, to come so many and so often, as would quite desolate the
island, and starve them. Will Atkins, who, notwithstanding his wound, kept
always with them, proved the best counsellor in this case.
His advice was, to
take the advantage that offered, and step in between them and their boats, and
so deprive them of the capacity of ever returning any more to plague the island.
They consulted long about this, and some were against it for fear of making
the wretches fly to the woods, so they should have them to hunt like wild
beasts, and be afraid to stir out about their business, and have their plantations
continually rifled, all their tame goats destroyed, and be reduced to a life of
continual distress.
Will Atkins told them they had better have to do with a hundred men than
with a hundred nations; that as they must destroy their boats, so they must
destroy the men, or be all of them destroyed themselves. In a word, he
showed them the necessity of it so plainly, that they all came into it; so they
went to work immediately with the boats, and getting some dry wood together
from a dead tree, they tried to set some of them on fire, but they were so wet
that they would not burn; however, the fire so burned the upper part, that it
soon made them unfit for swimming in the sea as boats. When the Indians
saw what they were about, some of them came running out of the woods, and
coming as near as they could to our men, they kneeled down and cried, "Oa,
Oa, Waramokoa," and some other words of their language, which none of the
others understood anything of; but as they made pitiful gestures and strange.
noises, it was easy to understand they begged to have their boats spared, and
that they would be gone, and never come there again. But our men were now
satisfied that they had no way to preserve themselves, or to save their colony
but effectually to prevent any of these people from ever going home again;
depending on this, that if even so much as one of them got back into their
country to tell the story, the colony was undone; so that, letting them know
that they should not have any mercy, they fell to work with their canoes, and
destroyed every one that the storm had not destroyed before, at the sight of
231
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
which, the savages raised a hideous cry, which our people heard plainly enough;
after which they ran about the island like distracted men, so that our men did
not really know what to do with them.
Though our men were able to fight them upon all occasions, yet they were
in no condition to pursue them, or hunt them up and down; for as they were
too nimble of foot for our men when they found them single, so our men durst
not go abroad single, for fear of being surrounded with their numbers. The
best was, they had no weapons; for though they had bows, they had no arrows.
left, nor any materials to make any; nor had they any edge-tool or weapon
among them.
The extremity they were reduced to was indeed deplorable; but, at the
same time, our men were also brought to very bad circumstances by them;
for though their retreats were preserved, yet their provision was destroyed,
and their harvest spoiled; and what to do, or which way to turn themselves,
they knew not. The only refuge they had now, was the stock of cattle they
had in the valley by the cave, and some little corn which grew there, and the
plantation of the three Englishmen, Will Atkins and his comrades, who were
now reduced to two; one of them being killed by an arrow, which struck him
on one side of his head, just under the temples, so that he never spoke more;
and it was very remarkable that this was the same barbarous fellow that cut
the poor savage slave with his hatchet, and who afterwards intended to have
murdered the Spaniards.
When they saw what their circumstances were, the first thing they con-
cluded was, that they would, if possible, drive them up to the farther part of
the island, south-west, that if any more savages came on shore they might not
find one another; then, that they would daily hunt and harass them, and kill
as many of them as they could come at, till they had reduced their number;
and if they could at last tame them, and bring them to anything, they would
give them corn, and teach them how to plant, and live upon their daily labour.
In order to this, they so followed them, and so terrified them with their
guns, that in a few days, if any of them fired a gun at an Indian, if he did not
hit him, yet he would fall down for fear; and so dreadfully frightened were
they that they kept out of sight farther and farther; till, at last our men
following them, and almost every day killing or wounding some of them, they
kept up in the woods or hollow places so much, that it reduced them to the
utmost misery for want of food; and many were afterwards found dead in the
woods, without any hurt, being absolutely starved to death.
When our men found this, it made their hearts relent, and pity moved them,
especially the Spaniard governor, who was the most gentleman-like, generous-
minded man that I ever met with in my life; and he proposed, if possible, to
take one of them alive, and bring him to understand what they meant, so far
as to be able to act as interpreter, and go among them and see if they might
1
232
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
be brought to some conditions that might be depended upon, to save their
lives and do us no harm.
It was some while before any of them could be taken; but being weak and
half-starved, one of them was at last surprised and made a prisoner. He was
sullen at first, and would neither eat nor drink; but finding himself kindly
used, and victuals given to him, and no violence offered him, he at last grew
tractable, and came to himself. They brought old Friday to him, who talked
often with him, and told him how kind the others would be to them all; that
they would not only save their lives, but give them part of the island to live
in, provided they would give satisfaction that they would keep in their own
bounds, and not come beyond it to injure or prejudice others; and that they
should have corn given them to plant and make it grow for their bread, and
some bread given them for their present subsistence; and old Friday bade the
fellow go and talk with the rest of his countrymen, and see what they said to
it; assuring them that, if they did not agree immediately, they should be
all destroyed.
The poor wretches, thoroughly humbled, and reduced in number to about
thirty-seven, closed with the proposal at the first offer, and begged to have
some food given them; upon which, twelve Spaniards and two Englishmen,
well armed, with three Indian slaves and old Friday, marched to the place.
where they were. The three Indian slaves carried them a large quantity of
bread, some rice boiled up to cakes and dried in the sun, and three live goats;
and they were ordered to go to the side of a hill, where they sat down, ate
their provisions very thankfully, and were the most faithful fellows to their
words that could be thought of; for, except when they came to beg victuals.
and directions, they never came out of their bounds; and there they lived
when I came to the island, and I went to see them.
.
They had taught them to plant corn, make bread, breed tame goats, and
milk them; they wanted nothing but wives, and they soon would have been a
nation. They were confined to a neck of land, surrounded with high rocks
behind them, and lying plain towards the sea before them, on the south-east
corner of the island. They had land enough, and it was very good and fruitful,
about a mile and a half broad, and three or four miles in length.
Our men taught them to make wooden spades, such as I made for myself,
and gave among them twelve hatchets and three or four knives; and there
they lived, the most subjected, innocent creatures that ever were heard of.
After this, the colony enjoyed a perfect tranquillity, with respect to the
savages, till I came to revisit them, which was about two years after; not but
that, now and then, some canoes of savages came on there for their unnatural
feasts; but as they were of several nations, and perhaps had never heard of
those that came before, they did not make any inquiry after their countrymen;
and if they had, it would have been very hard to have found them out.
233
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
Thus, I think, I have given a full account of all that happened to them till
my return, at least, that was worth notice. The savages were wonderfully
civilized by them, and they frequently went among them; but forbid, on pain
of death, any one of the Indians coming to them, because they would not have
their settlement betrayed again. One thing was very remarkable, viz., that
they taught the savages to make wicker-work, or baskets, but they soon outdid
their masters; for they made abundance of ingenious things in wicker-work,
particularly of all sorts of baskets, sieves, bird-cages, cupboards, etc.; as also
chairs to sit on, stools, beds, couches, and abundance of other things, being
very ingenious at such work, when they were once put in the way of it.
My coming was a particular relief to these people, because we furnished
them with knives, scissors, spades, shovels, pickaxes, and all things of that
kind which they could want. With the help of those tools, they were so very
handy that they came at last to build up their huts or houses very handsomely,
raddling or working it up like basket-work all the way round, which was a
very extraordinary piece of ingenuity, and looked very odd, but was an exceed-
ing good fence as well against heat as against all sorts of vermin; and our men
were so taken with it, that they got the wild savages to come and do the like
for them; so that when I came to see the two Englishmen's colonies, they
looked, at a distance, as if they all lived like bees in a hive. As for Will
Atkins, who was now become a very industrious, useful, and sober fellow, he
had made himself such a tent of basket-work as, I believe, was never seen. It
was one hundred and twenty paces round on the outside, as I measured by my
steps; the walls were as close worked as a basket, in panels of thirty-two in
number, and very strong, standing about seven feet high. In the middle was
another not about twenty-two paces round, but built stronger, being octagon
in its form, and in the eight corners stood eight very strong posts, round the
top of which he laid strong pieces pinned together with wooden pins, from
which he raised a pyramid for a roof of eight rafters, very handsome, I assure
you, and joined together very well, though he had no nails, and only a few
iron spikes, which he made himself out of the old iron that I had left there;
and, indeed, this fellow showed abundance of ingenuity in several things which
he had no knowledge of. He made him a forge, with a pair of wooden bellows.
to blow the fire; he made himself charcoal for his work; and he formed out
of the iron crows a middling good anvil to hammer upon. In this manner he
made many things, but especially hooks, and spikes, bolts, and hinges. But to
return to the house. After he had pitched the roof of his innermost tent, he
worked it up between the rafters with basket-work, so firm, and thatched that
over again so ingeniously with rice-straw, and over that a large leaf of a tree,
which covered the top, that his house was as dry as if it had been tiled or
slated. Indeed, he owned that the savages had made the basket-work for him.
The outer circuit was covered as a lean-to all round this inner apartment, and
234
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
long rafters lay from the thirty-two angles to the top posts of the inner house,
being about twenty feet distant, so that there was a space like a wall within
the outer wicker-wall and without the inner, near twenty feet wide.
The inner place he partitioned off with the same wicker-work, but much
fairer, and divided into six apartments, so that he had six rooms on a floor,
and out of these there was a door, coming into the main tent, another door
into the main tent, and another door into the space or walk that was round it;
so that walk was also divided into six equal parts, which served not only for a
retreat, but to store up any necessaries which the family had occasion for.
These six spaces not taking up the whole circumference, what other apartments
the outer circle had, were thus ordered: As soon as you were in at the door of
the outer circle you had a short passage straight before you to the door of
the inner house; but on either side was a wicker partition, and a door in it,
by which you went first into a large room, or storehouse, twenty feet wide
and about thirty feet long, and through that into another not quite so
long, so that in the outer circle were ten handsome rooms, six of which
were only to be come at through the apartments of the inner tent, and
served as closets or retiring rooms to the respective chambers of the inner
circle; and four large warehouses, or barns, or what you please to call them,
which went through one another, two on either hand of the passage that led
through the outer door to the inner tent.
·
Such a piece of basket-work, I believe, was never seen in the world, nor a
house or tent so neatly contrived, much less so built. In this great bee-hive
lived the three families, that is to say, Will Atkins and his companion; the
third was killed, but his wife remained with three children, and the other two
men were not at all backward to give the widow her full share of everything,
I mean as to their corn, milk, grapes, etc., and when they killed a kid, or
found a turtle on shore.
One thing, however, cannot be omitted, viz., that as for religion, I do not
know that there was anything of that kind among them. They often, indeed,
put one another in mind that there was a God, by the very common method
of seamen, swearing by his name; nor were their poor ignorant savage wives
much better for having been married to Christians, as we must call them; for
as they knew very little of God themselves, so they were utterly incapable of
entering into any discourse with their wives about a God, or to talk anything
to them concerning religion.
The utmost of all the improvement which I can say the wives had made
from them was, that they had taught them to speak English pretty well; and
most of their children, who were near twenty in all, were taught to speak
English too, from their first learning to speak, though they at first spoke it in
a very broken manner, like their mothers. There was none of these children
above six years old when I came thither, for it was not much above seven
235
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
years since they had fetched these five savage ladies over; but they had all
been pretty fruitful, for they had all children, more or less; and the mothers
were all a good sort of well-governed, quiet, laborious women, modest and
decent, helpful to one another, mighty observant and subject to their masters
(I cannot call them husbands), and wanted nothing but to be well-instructed
in the Christian religion, and to be legally married; both which were happily
brought about afterwards, in consequence of my coming among them.
Having thus given an account of the colony in general, and pretty much of
my runagate English, I must say something of the Spaniards, who were the
main body of the family, and in whose story there are some incidents also
remarkable enough.
I had a great many discourses with them about their circumstances when
they were among the savages. They told me readily that they had no instances
to give of their application or ingenuity in that country; that they were a poor,
miserable, dejected handful of people; that if means had been put into their
hands, yet they had so abandoned themselves to despair, and so sunk under
the weight of their misfortune, that they thought of nothing but starving.
One of them, a grave and sensible man, told me he was convinced they were
in the wrong; that it was not the part of wise men to give themselves up to
their misery, but always to take hold of the helps which reason offered as well
for present support as for future deliverance. He told me that grief was the
most senseless, insignificant passion in the world, for that it regarded only
things past, which were generally impossible to be recalled, or to be remedied,
but had no views of things to come, and had no share in anything that looked
like deliverance, but rather added to the affliction than proposed a remedy;
and upon this he repeated a Spanish proverb, which, though I cannot repeat
in just the same words that he spoke it in, yet I remember I made in into an
English proverb of my own, thus:-
In trouble to be troubled,
Is to have your trouble doubled.
He ran on then in remarks upon all the little improvements I had made in
my solitude; my unwearied application, as he called it; and how I had made
a condition, which in its circumstances was at first much worse than theirs,
a thousand times more happy than theirs was, even now when they were all
together. He told me it was remarkable that Englishmen had a greater
presence of mind in their distress than any people that ever he met with;
that their unhappy nation and the Portuguese were the worst men in the
world to struggle with misfortune; for that their first step in dangers, after
the common efforts were over, was to despair, lie down under it, and die,
without rousing their thoughts up to proper remedies for escape.
I told him their case and mine differed exceedingly; that they were cast
236

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
upon the shore without necessaries, without supply of food, till they could
provide it; that it was true, I had this disadvantage and discomfort, that I
was alone; but then the supplies I had providentially thrown into my hands,
by the unexpected driving of the ship on shore, was such a help as would have
encouraged any creature in the world to have applied himself as I had done.
"Seignior," said the Spaniard, "had we poor Spaniards been in your case, we
should never have got the half those things out of the ship as you did; nay,
we should never have found means to have got a raft to carry them, or to
have got the raft on shore without boat or sail; and how much less should
we have done if any of us had been alone!" Well, I desired him to abate
his compliments, and go on with the history of their coming on shore, where
they landed. He told me they unhappily landed at a place where there were
people without provisions; whereas, had they had the common sense to put
off to sea again, and gone to another island a little further, they had found
provisions, though without people. The Spaniards of Trinidad had frequently
been there, and had filled the island with goats and hogs at several times,
where they had bred in such multitudes, and where turtle and sea-fowls were
in such plenty, that they could have been in no want of flesh, though they
had found no bread; whereas, here they were only sustained with a few roots
and herbs, which they understood not, and which had no substance in them,
and which the inhabitants gave them sparingly enough; and they could treat
them no better, unless they would turn cannibals, and eat men's flesh, which
was the great dainty of their country.
They gave me an account how many ways they strove to civilize the savages
they were with, and to teach them rational customs in the ordinary way of
living, but in vain; and how they retorted it upon them as unjust, that they,
who came there for assistance and support, should attempt to set up for
instructors of those that gave them food, intimating, it seems, that none should
set up for instructors of others but those who could live without them.
They gave me dismal accounts of the extremities they were driven to; how
sometimes they were many days without any food at all, the island they were
upon being inhabited by a sort of savages that lived more indolently, and for
that reason were less supplied with the necessaries of life than they had reason
to believe others were in the same part of the world, and yet they found that
these savages were less ravenous and voracious than those who had better
supplies of food.
They then gave me an account how the savages whom they lived among
expected them to go out with them into their wars; and, it was true, that as
they had fire-arms with them, had they not had the disaster to lose their
ammunition, they could have been serviceable not only to their friends, but
have made themselves terrible both to friends and enemies; but being without
powder and shot, and yet in a condition that they could not in reason deny to
237
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
go out with their landlords to their wars, so when they came into the field of
battle they were in a worse condition than the savages themselves, for they
had neither bows nor arrows, nor could they use those the savages gave them;
so they could do nothing but stand still and be wounded with arrows, till they
came up to the teeth of their enemy; and then, indeed, the three halberds
they had were of use to them; and they would often drive a whole little army
before them with those halberds, and sharpened sticks put into the muzzles of
their muskets. But that, for all this, they were sometimes surrounded with
multitudes, and in great danger from their arrows, till at last they found the
way to make themselves large targets of wood, which they covered with the
skins of wild beasts, whose names they knew not, and these covered them from
the arrows of the savages; that, notwithstanding these, they were sometimes
in great danger, and five of them were once knocked down together with the
clubs of the savages, which was the time when one of them was taken prisoner,
that is to say, the Spaniard whom I relieved; that at first they thought he
had been killed, but when they afterwards heard he was taken prisoner they
were under the greatest grief imaginable, and would willingly have all ventured
their lives to have rescued him.
They told me that when they were so knocked down, the rest of their com-
pany rescued them, and stood over them fighting till they were come to
themselves, all but him whom they thought had been dead; and then they made
their way with their halberds and pieces, standing together in a line through
a body of above a thousand savages, beating down all that came in their way,
got the victory over their enemies, but to their great sorrow, because it was
with the loss of their friend.
S
They described most affectionately how they were surprised with joy at the
return of their friend and companion in misery, who they thought had been
devoured by wild men ; and yet how more and more they were surprised with
the account he gave them of his errand, that there was not a Christian in any
place near, much more one that was able, and had humanity enough, to con-
tribute to their deliverance.
They described how they were astonished at the sight of the relief I sent
them, and at the appearance of loaves of bread, things they had not seen since
their coming to that miserable place; how often they crossed it and blessed it
as bread sent from Heaven; and what a reviving cordial it was to their spirits
to taste it, as also the other things I had sent for their supply; and, after all,
they would have told me something of the joy they were in at the sight of a
boat and pilots, to carry them away to the person and place from whence all
these new comforts came; but it was impossible to express it by words, for
their excessive joy naturally driving them to unbecoming extravagances, they
had no way to describe them but by telling me they bordered upon lunacy,
having no way to give vent to their passions suitable to the sense that was
238

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
LEN A –
Makale jako p
upon them; that in some it worked one way, and in some another; and that
some of them, through a surprise of joy, would burst into tears, others be
stark mad, and others immediately faint. This discourse extremely affected
me, and called to my mind Friday's ecstasy when he met his father, and the
poor people's ecstasy when I took them up at sea after their ship was on fire;
the joy of the mate of the ship when he found himself delivered in the place
where he expected to perish; and my own joy, when, after twenty-eight years'
captivity, I found a good ship ready to carry me to my own country. All
these things made me more sensible of the relation of these poor men, and
more affected with it.
Having thus given a view of the state of things as I found them, I must
relate the heads of what I did for these people, and the condition in which I
left them. It was their opinion, and mine too, that they would be troubled
no more with the savages, or if they were they would be able to cut them off,
if they were twice as many as before; so they had no concern about that.
Then I entered into a serious discourse with the Spaniard, whom I call
governor, about their stay in the island; for as I was not come to carry any
of them off, so it would not be just to carry off some and leave others,
who, perhaps, would be unwilling to stay if their strength was diminished.
On the other hand, I told them I came to establish them there, not to
remove them; and then I let them know that I had brought with me relief
of sundry kinds for them; that I had been at a great charge to supply
them with all things necessary, as well for their convenience as their
defence; and that I had such and such particular persons with me, as well to
recruit their number, as by the particular necessary employments which they
were bred to, being artificers, to assist them in those things in which at present
they were in want.
They were all together when I talked thus to them; and before I delivered.
to them the stores I had brought, I asked them one by one if they had entirely
forgot and buried the first animosities that had been among them, and would
shake hands with one another, and engage in a strict friendship and
union of interest, that so there might be no more misunderstandings and
jealousies.
Will Atkins, with abundance of frankness and good humour, said they had
met with affliction enough to make them all sober, and enemies enough to
make them all friends; that, for his part, he would live and die with them; and
was so far from designing anything against the Spaniards, that he owned they
had done nothing to him but what his own mad humour made necessary, and
what he would have done, and perhaps worse, in their case; and that he would
ask them pardon, if I desired it, for the foolish and brutish things he had done
to them, and was very willing and desirous of living in terms of entire friend-
ship and union with them, and would do anything that lay in his power to

239
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
convince them of it; and as for going to England, he cared not if he did not
go
thither these twenty years.
The Spaniards said they had, indeed, at first disarmed and excluded Will
Atkins and his two countrymen for their ill conduct, but that Will Atkins had
behaved himself so bravely in the great fight they had with the savages, and
on several occasions since, and had showed himself so faithful to, and concerned
for, the general interest of them all, that they had forgotten all that was passed,
and thought he merited as much to be trusted with arms and supplied with
necessaries as any of them; and they had testified their satisfaction in him, by
committing the command to him next to the governor himself; and as they
had entire confidence in him and all his countrymen, so they acknowledged
they had merited that confidence by all the methods that honest men could
merit to be valued and trusted; and they most heartily embraced the occasion
of giving me this assurance, that they would never have any interest separate
from one another.
Upon these frank and open declarations of friendship, we appointed the
next day to dine all together; and, indeed, we made a splendid feast. I caused
the ship's cook and his mate to come on shore and dress our dinner, and the
old cook's mate we had on shore assisted. We brought on shore six pieces of
good beef, and four pieces of pork, out of the ship's provisions, with our punch-
bowl, and materials to fill it. I gave them ten bottles of French claret, and
ten bottles of English beer; things that neither the Spaniards nor the English
had tasted for many years, and which it may be supposed they were very glad
of. The Spaniards added to our feast five whole kids, which the cooks roasted;
and three of them were sent, covered up close, on board the ship to the seamen,
that they might feast on fresh meat from on shore, as we did with their salt
meat from on board.
After this feast, at which we were very innocently merry, I brought my
cargo of goods; wherein, that there might be no dispute about dividing, I
showed them that there was a sufficiency for them all, desiring that they might
all take an equal quantity of the goods that were for wearing; that is to say,
equal when made up. I distributed linen sufficient to make every one of them
four shirts, and, at the Spaniard's request, afterwards made them up six. I
allotted the thin English stuffs, which I mentioned before, to make every one
a light coat, like a frock, which I judged fittest for the heat of
the season, cool and loose; and ordered that whenever they decayed,
they should make more, as they thought fit: the like for pumps, shoes,
stockings, hats, etc.
I cannot express what satisfaction sat upon the countenances of all these
poor men when they saw the care I had taken of them, and how well I had
furnished them. They told me I was a father to them; and that having such
a correspondent as I was in so remote a part of the world, it would make them
240

35
O
CLO
"He saluted them with a ladle full of the stuff, boiling hot, which so burned
and scalded them, being half-naked, that they roared like bulls, and
leaped into the sea."
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
forget that they were left in a desolate place; and they all voluntarily engaged
to me not to leave the place without my consent.
Then I presented to them the people I had brought with me, the tailor, the
smith, and the two carpenters, all of them most necessary people; but above
all, my general artificer, than whom they could not name anything that was
more useful to them. The tailor, to show his concern for them, went to work
immediately, and with my leave, made them every one a shirt, the first thing
he did; and, what was still more, he taught the women not only how to sew
and stitch, and use the needle, but made them assist to make the shirts for
their husbands, and for all the rest.
As to the carpenters, I scarce need mention how useful they were, for they
took to pieces all my clumsy, unhandy things, and made clever, convenient
tables, stools, bedsteads, cupboards, lockers, shelves, and everything they
wanted of that kind. But to let them see how nature made artificers at first,
I carried the carpenters to see Will Atkins' basket-house, as I called it; and
they both owned they never saw an instance of such natural ingenuity before,
nor anything so regular and handily built, at least of its kind; and one of them,
when he saw it, after musing a good while, turning about to me, "I am sure,
said he, "that man has no need of us; you need do nothing but give him tools."
>>
Then I brought them out all my store of tools, and gave every man a
digging-spade, a shovel, and a rake, for we had no harrows or plough; and to
every separate place a pickaxe, a crow, a broad axe, and a saw; appointing
that as often as any were broken or worn out, they should be supplied, without
grudging, out of the general stores that I left behind. Nails, staples, hinges,
hammers, chisels, knives, scissors, and all sorts of iron-work, they had without
reserve, as they required; and for the use of the smith, I left two tons of
unwrought iron for a supply.
My magazine of powder and arms which I brought them was such, even to
profusion, that they could not but rejoice at them; for now they could march
as I used to do, with a musket upon each shoulder, if there was occasion, and
were able to fight a thousand savages, if they had but some little advantages
of situation.

So deadly s
I carried on shore with me the young man whose mother was starved to
death, and the maid also. She was a sober, well educated, religious young
woman, and behaved so inoffensively that every one gave her a good word.
She had, indeed, an unhappy life with us, there being no woman in the ship
but herself, but she bore it with patience. After a while, seeing things so well
ordered, and in so fine a way of thriving upon my island, and considering that
they had neither business nor acquaintance in the East Indies, or reason for
taking so long a voyage, both of them came to me, and desired I would give
them leave to remain on the island, and be entered among my family, as they
called it. I agreed to this readily, and they had a little plot of ground allotted
241
A

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
to them, where they had three tents or houses set up, surrounded with a
basket-work, pallisadoed like Atkins's, adjoining to his plantation. Their tents
were contrived so that they had each of them a room apart to lodge in, and a
middle tent like a great storehouse, to lay their goods in, and to eat and drink
in. And now the other two Englishmen removed their habitation to the same
place; and so the island was divided into three colonies, viz., the Spaniards,
with old Friday and the first servants, at my old habitation under the hill,
which was the capital city, and where they had so enlarged and extended their
works, as well under as on the outside of the hill, that they lived, though
perfectly concealed, yet full at large. Never was there such a little city in a
wood, and so hid, in any part of the world; for I verily believe that a thousand
men might have ranged the island a month, and, if they had not known there
was such a thing, and looked on purpose for it, they would not have found it;
for the trees stood so thick and so close, and grew so fast woven one into
another, that nothing but cutting them down first could discover the place.
The other colony was that of Will Atkins, where there were four families of
Englishmen, I mean those I had left there, with their wives and children;
three savages that were slaves, the widow and the children of the Englishman
that was killed, the young man and the maid, and, by the way, we made a
wife of her before we went away. There was also the two carpenters and the
tailor, whom I brought with me for them; also the smith, who was a very
necessary man to them, especially as a gunsmith, to take care of their arms;
and my other man, whom I called Jack-of-all-trades, who was in himself as
good almost as twenty men; for he was not only a very ingenious fellow, but
a very merry fellow; and before I went away we married him to the honest
maid that came with the youth in the ship I mentioned before.
And now I speak of marrying, it brings me naturally to say something of
the French ecclesiastic that I had brought with me out of the ship's crew
whom I took up at sea. It is true this man was a Roman Catholic.
But justice demands of me to give him a due character, and I must say,
he was a grave, sober, pious, and most religious person; exact in his life,
extensive in his charity, and exemplary in almost everything he did. What
then can any one say against being very sensible of the value of such a man,
notwithstanding his profession? though it may be my opinion, perhaps, as
well as the opinion of others who shall read this, that he was mistaken.
The first hour that I began to converse with him after he had agreed to go
with me to the East Indies, I found reason to delight exceedingly in his
conversation; and he first began with me about religion in the most obliging
manner imaginable. "Sir," said he, "you have not only under God (and at
that he crossed his breast) saved my life, but you have admitted me to go this
voyage in your ship, and by your obliging civility have taken me into your
family, giving me an opportunity of free conversation. Now, sir, you see by
2.42

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
·
my habit what my profession is, and I guess by your nation what yours is. I
may think it is my duty, and doubtless it is so, to use my utmost endeavours,
on all occasions, to bring all the souls I can to the knowledge of the truth, and
to embrace the Catholic doctrine; but as I am here under your permission,
and in your family, I am bound in justice to your kindness, as well as in
decency and good manners, to be under your government; and therefore I
shall not, without your leave, enter into any debate on the points of religion
in which we may not agree, farther than you shall give me leave."
I told him his carriage was so modest that I could not but acknowledge it;
that it was true we were such people as they called heretics, but that he was
not the first Catholic I had conversed with, without falling into inconveniences,
or carrying the questions to any height in debate; that he should not find
himself the worse used for being of a different opinion from us; and if we did
not converse without any dislike on either side, it should be his fault, not ours.
He replied, that he thought all our conversation might be easily separated
from disputes; that it was not his business to cap principles with every man he
conversed with, and that he rather desired me to converse with him as a
gentleman than as a religionist; and that if I would give him leave at any
time to discourse upon religious subjects, he would readily comply with it,
and that he did not doubt but I would allow him also to defend his own
opinions as well as he could; but that, without my leave, he would not break
in upon me with any such thing. He told me farther, that he would not cease
to do all that became him, in his office as a priest, as well as a private
Christian, to procure the good of the ship, and the safety of all that was in
her; and though, perhaps, we would not join with him, and he could not pray
with us, he hoped he might pray for us, which he would do upon all occasions.
In this manner we conversed, and as he was of the most obliging, gentleman-
like behaviour, so he was, if I may be allowed to say so, a man of good sense,
and, as I believe, of great learning.
He gave me a most diverting account of his life, and of the many extra-
ordinary events of it. Of many adventures which had befallen him in the
few years that he had been abroad in the world; and particularly it was very
remarkable, that in the voyage he was now engaged in, he had the misfortune
to be five times shipped and unshipped, and never to go to the place whither
any of the ships he was in at first designed. That his first intent was to have
gone to Martinico, and that he went on board a ship bound thither at St
Malo; but, being forced into Lisbon by bad weather, the ship received some
damage by running aground in the mouth of the river Tagus, and was obliged
to unload her cargo there; but finding a Portuguese ship there bound to the
Madeiras, and ready to sail, and supposing he should easily meet with a vessel
there bound to Martinico, he went on board, in order to sail to the Madeiras ;
but the master of the Portuguese ship, being but an indifferent mariner, had
243
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
at man munta sadama
been out of his reckoning, and they drove to Fyal, where, however, he hap-
pened to find a very good market for his cargo, which was corn, and therefore
resolved not to go to the Madeiras, but to load salt at the Isle of May, and to
go away to Newfoundland. He had no remedy in this exigence but to go
with the ship, and had a pretty good voyage as far as the Banks (so they call
the place where they catch the fish), where, meeting with a French ship bound
from France to Quebec, in the river of Canada, and from thence to Martinico,
to carry provisions, he thought he should have an opportunity to complete his
first design; but when he came to Quebec, the master of the ship died, and
the vessel proceeded no farther; so the next voyage he shipped himself for
France, in the ship that was burned when he took them up at sea, and then
shipped with us for the East Indies, as I have already said. Thus he had
been disappointed in five voyages, all, as I may call it, in one voyage, besides
what I shall have occasion to mention farther of him.
But to return to what concerns our affairs in the island. He came to me
one morning (for he lodged among us all the while we were upon the island),
and told me, with a very grave countenance, that he had for two or three days
desired an opportunity of some discourse with me, which he hoped might in
some measure correspond with my general design, which was the prosperity of
my new colony, and perhaps might put it, at least more than he yet thought
it was, in the way of God's blessing.
<<
I looked a little surprised at the last part of his discourse, and turning a
little short, "How, sir," said I, can it be said that we are not in the way of
God's blessing, after such visible assistances and deliverances as we have seen
here, and of which I have given you a large account?"" If you had pleased,
sir," said he, with a world of modesty, and yet great readiness, "to have heard
me, you would have found no room to be displeased, much less to think so
hard of me, that I should suggest that you have not had wonderful assistances
and deliverances; and I hope, on your behalf, that you are in the way of
God's blessing; your design is exceeding good, and will prosper, but, sir,
though it were more so than is even possible to you, yet there may be some
among you that are not equally right in their actions; and you know that in
the story of the children of Israel, one Achan in the camp removed God's
blessing from them, and turned His hand so against them, that six-and-thirty
of them, though not concerned in the crime, were the objects of divine
vengeance, and bore the weight of that punishment."
I was sensibly touched with his discourse, and told him his inference was
so just, and the whole design seemed so sincere, and was really so religious in
its own nature, that I was very sorry I had interrupted him, and begged him
to go on; but, in the meantime, because it seemed that what we had both to
say might take up some time, I told him I was going to the Englishmen's
plantations, and asked him to go with me, and we might discourse of it by
1
244

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
the way. He told me he would the more willingly wait on me thither, because
there partly the thing was acted which he desired to speak to me about; so
we walked on, and I pressed him to be free and plain with me in what he had
to say.
(C
Why, then, sir," said he, "I will take the liberty you give me; and there
are three things which, if I am right, must stand in the way of God's blessing
upon your endeavours here, and which I should rejoice, for your sake and their
own, to see removed. And, I promise myself that you will fully agree with
me in them all, as soon as I name them. First, sir, you have here four
Englishmen, who have fetched women from among the savages, and have
taken them as their wives, and have had many children by them all, and yet
are not married to them after any stated legal manner, as the laws of God and
man require, and therefore are yet, in the sense of both, no less than fornicators,
if not living in adultery. To this, sir, I know you will object that there was
no clergyman or priest of any kind, or any profession, to perform the ceremony;
nor any pen and ink, or paper, to write down a contract of marriage, and have
it signed between them. And I know also, sir, what the Spaniard governor
has told you, I mean, of the agreement that he obliged them to make when
they took those women, viz., that they should choose them out by consent, and
keep separately to them; which, by the way, is nothing of a marriage, no
agreement with the women, as wives, but only an agreement among themselves,
to keep them from quarrelling. But, sir, the essence of the sacrament of
matrimony (so he called it, being a Roman) consists not only in the mutual
consent of the parties to take one another as man and wife, but in the formal
and legal obligation that there is in the contract, to compel the man and
woman, at all times, to own and acknowledge each other; obliging the man
to abstain from all other women, to engage in no other contract while these
subsist, and, on all occasions, as ability allows, to provide honestly for them
and their children, and to oblige the women to the same or like conditions,
mutatis mutandis, on their side. Now, sir," said he, "these men may, when
they please, or when occasion presents, abandon these women, disown their
children, leave them to perish, and take other women, and marry them while
these are living;" and here he added, with some warmth, "How, sir, is God
honoured in this unlawful liberty? And how shall a blessing succeed your
endeavours in this place, however good in themselves, and however sincere in
your design, while these men, who at present are your subjects, are allowed
by you to live in open adultery?"
I was struck with the thing itself, but much more with the convincing
arguments he supported it with; for it was certainly true, that though they
had no clergyman upon the spot, yet a formal contract on both sides, made
before witnesses, and confirmed by any token which they had all agreed to be
bound by, though it had been but breaking a stick between them, engaging
245

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
— — — V dan saya sang
the men to own these women for their wives upon all occasions, and never to
abandon them or their children, and the women to the same with their
husbands, had been an effectual lawful marriage in the sight of God; and it
was a great neglect that it was not done. But I thought to have got off my
young priest by telling him that all that part was done when I was not there;
and that they had lived so many years with them now, that if it was adultery,
it was past remedy; nothing could be done in it now.
"Sir," said he, "asking your pardon for such freedom, you are right in.
this, that, it being done in your absence, you could not be charged with that
part of the crime; but, I beseech you, flatter not yourself that you are not.
therefore under an obligation to do your utmost now to put an end to it.
Let the time past lie on whom it will, all the guilt, for the future, will lie
entirely upon you! because it is certainly in your power now to put an
end to it.'
66
I was so dull that I did not understand him right; but I imagined that, by
putting an end to it, he meant that I should part them, and not suffer them
to live together any longer; and I said to him I could not do that by any
means, for that would put the whole island into confusion. "No, sir," said
he, I do not mean that you should now separate them, but legally and
effectually marry them; and as my way of marrying them may not be easy
to reconcile them to, though it will be effectual, even by your own laws, so
your way may be as well before God, and as valid among men. I mean by a
written contract signed by both man and woman, and by all the witnesses
present, which all the laws of Europe would decree to be valid."
I was amazed to see so much true piety, and so much sincerity of zeal,
besides the usual impartiality in his discourse as to his own party or church,
and such true warmth for preserving the people, that he had no knowledge
of or relation to, from transgressing the laws of God. But recollecting what
he had said of marrying them by a written contract, I returned it back upon
him, and told him I granted all that he had said to be just, and on his part
very kind; that I would discourse with the men upon the point now, when I
came to them; and I knew no reason why they should scruple to let him
marry them all, which I knew well enough would be granted to be as authentic
and valid in England as if they were married by one of our own clergymen.
I then pressed him to tell me what was the second complaint which he had
to make. He told me that, notwithstanding these English subjects of mine
had lived with these women almost seven years, had taught them to speak
English, and even to read it, and that they were women of tolerable under-
standing, and capable of instruction, yet they had not to this hour taught them
anything of the Christian religion, no, not so much as to know that there was
a God, or a worship, or in what manner God was to be served; or that their
own idolatry, and worshipping they knew not whom, was false and absurd.
246
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
"I am persuaded," said he, "had those men lived in the savage country
whence their wives came, the savages would have taken inore pains to have
brought them to be idolaters and to worship the devil, than any of these men,
so far as I can see, have taken with them to teach them the knowledge of the
true God. Now, sir," said he, "though I do not acknowledge your religion,
or you mine, yet we would be glad to see the devil's servants, and the subjects
of his kingdom, taught to know the general principles of the Christian religion;
that they might, at least, hear of God and a Redeemer, and of the resurrection,
and of a future state."
(6
I could hold no longer. I took him in my arms, and embraced him with
an excess of passion. How far," said I to him, "have I been from under-
standing the most essential part of a Christian, viz., to love the interest of the
Christian church, and the good of other men's souls! I scarce have known
what belongs to the being a Christian."
"Why,
I now pressed him for the third article in which we were to blame.
really," said he, "it is of the same nature. It is a maxim, sir, that is, or
ought to be, received among all Christians, of what church soever, that the
Christian knowledge ought to be propagated by all possible means, and on all
possible occasions. Now, sir, you have such an opportunity here to have six
or seven-and-thirty poor savages brought over from a state of idolatry to the
knowledge of God, their Maker and Redeemer, that I wonder how you can
pass such an occasion of doing good, which is really worth the expense of a
man's whole life."
I was now struck dumb indeed. I had here the spirit of true Christian
zeal for God and religion before me, let his particular principles be of what
kind soever. As for me, I had not so much as entertained a thought of this
in my heart before, and I believe I should not have thought of it; for I looked
upon these savages as slaves, whom, had we not had any work for them to do,
we would have used as such, or would have been glad to have transported
to any other part of the world; for our business was to get rid of them, and
we would all have been satisfied if they had been sent to any country, so they
had never seen their own.
He looked earnestly at me, seeing me in some disorder-"Sir," said he, "I
shall be very sorry if what I have said gives you any offence."-" No, no," said
I, "I am offended with nobody but myself; but I am confounded, not only to
think that I should never take any notice of this before, but with reflecting
what notice I am able to take of it now. You know, sir,” said I,
"what
circumstances I am in. I am bound to the East Indies in a ship freighted
by merchants, and to whom it would be an insufferable piece of injustice to
detain their ship here, the men lying all this while at victuals and wages on the
owners' account. It is true, I agreed to be allowed twelve days here; and if
I stay more, I must pay three pounds sterling per diem demurrage; nor can I
247

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
stay upon demurrage above eight days more, and I have been here thirteen
already; so that I am perfectly unable to engage in this work, unless I would
suffer myself to be left behind here again; in which case, if this single ship
should miscarry in any part of her voyage, I should be just in the same con-
dition that I was left in here at first, and from which I have been so wonder-
fully delivered." He owned the case was very hard upon me as to my voyage;
but laid it home upon my conscience, whether the blessing of saving thirty-
seven souls was not worth venturing all I had in the world for. I was not so
sensible of that as he was. I replied to him thus: "Why, sir, it is a valuable
thing indeed to be an instrument in God's hand to convert thirty-seven
heathens to the knowledge of Christ; but as you are an ecclesiastic, and are
given over to the work, so it seems so naturally to fall into the way of your
profession; how is it, then, that you do not rather offer yourself to undertake
it than press me to do it?"
Upon this, he faced about just before me, as he walked along, and putting
me to a full stop, made me a very low bow. "I most heartily thank God and
you, sir,” said he, "for giving me so evident a call to so blessed a work; and if
you think yourself discharged from it, and desire me to undertake it, I will most
readily do it, and think it a happy reward for all the hazards and difficulties
of such a broken, disappointed voyage as I have met with, that I am dropped
at last into so glorious a work."
I discovered a kind of rapture in his face while he spoke this to me; he was
fired with the joy of being embarked in such a work. I paused a considerable
while before I could tell what to say to him, for I was surprised to find a
man of such sincerity and zeal, and carried out in his zeal beyond the ordinary
rate of men, not of his profession only, but of any profession whatsoever. But
after I had considered I asked him seriously if he was in earnest, and if he
would venture, on the single consideration of an attempt to convert those poor
people, to be locked up in an unplanted island for perhaps his life, and at last
might not know whether he should be able to do them good or not?
،،
He turned short upon me, and asked me what I called a venture? "Pray,
sir," said he, "what do you think I consented to go in your ship to the East
Indies for?"- "Nay," said I, "that I know not, unless it was to preach to the
Indians."- "Doubtless it was," said he; "and do you think, if I can convert
these thirty-seven men to the faith of Jesus Christ, it is not worth my time,
though I should never be fetched off the island again?-nay, is it not infinitely
of more worth to save so many souls than my life is, or the life of twenty more
of the same profession? Yes, sir," said he, "I would give Christ and the
blessed Virgin thanks all my days, if I could be the happy instrument of sav-
ing the souls of those poor men, though I were never to set my foot off this
island, or see my native country any more. But since you will honour me
with putting me into this work, for which I will pray for you all the days of
248
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
my life, I have one humble petition to you besides."—" What is that?" said I.
"It is, that you will leave your man Friday with me, to be my interpreter
to them, and to assist me, for without some help I cannot speak to them, or
they to me."
I was touched at his requesting Friday, because I could not think of parting
with him; he had been the companion of my travels, he was not only faithful
to me, but sincerely affectionate to the last degree, and I had resolved to do
something considerable for him if he outlived ine, as it was probable he would.
Then I knew that as I had bred Friday up to be a Protestant, it would quite
confound him to bring him to embrace another religion; and he would never,
while his eyes were open, believe that his old master was a heretic, and would
be damned; and this might in the end ruin the poor fellow's principles, and so
turn him back again to his first idolatry. However, a sudden thought relieved
me in this strait. I told him I could not say that I was willing to part
with Friday on any account whatever, though a work that to him was of more
value than his life, ought to be to me of much more value than the keeping or
parting with a servant. But, on the other hand, I was persuaded that Friday
would by no means agree to part with me; and I could not force him to it
without his consent, because I had promised I would never send him away,
and he had engaged to me that he would never leave me, unless I sent him away.
He seemed very much concerned at it, for he had no rational access to these
poor people, seeing he did not understand one word of their language nor they one
of his. To remove this difficulty, I told him Friday's father had learned Spanish,
which I found he also understood, and he should serve him as an interpreter.
So he was much better satisfied, and nothing could persuade him but he would
stay and endeavour to convert them; but Providence gave another very happy
turn to all this.
When we came to the Englishmen, I sent for them all together, and after
some account given them of what I had done for them, I began to talk to them
of the scandalous life they led, and then gave them a full account of the notice
the clergyman had taken of it; and arguing how unchristian and irreligious a
life it was, I first asked them if they were married men or bachelors? They
explained their condition to me, and showed that two of them were widowers,
and the other three were single men. I asked them with what conscience
they could take these women, and call them their wives, and have so many
children by them, and not be lawfully married to them?
They all gave me the answer I expected, viz., that there was nobody to
marry them; that they agreed before the governor to keep them as their
wives, and to maintain them and own them as their wives; and they thought, as
things stood with them, they were as legally married as if they had been
married by a parson.
I told them that no doubt they were married in the sight of God, and were
249
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
bound in conscience to keep them as their wives; but that the laws of men
being otherwise, they might desert the poor women and children hereafter;
and that their wives, being poor desolate women, friendless and moneyless,
would have no way to help themselves; I therefore told them that, unless I
was assured of their honest intent, I could do nothing for them, but would
take care that what I did should be for the women and children without them;
and that, unless they would give some assurances that they would marry the
women, I could not think it was convenient they should continue together as
man and wife.
All this went on as I expected; and they told me, especially Will Atkins,
who now seemed to speak for the rest, that they loved their wives as well as
if they had been born in their own native country, and would not leave them
on any account whatever; and they did verily believe that their wives were as
virtuous and as modest, and did, to the utmost of their skill, as much for them
and for their children as any women could possibly do; and they would not
part with them on any account; and Will Atkins added, that if any man would
take him away, and offer to carry him home to England, and make him captain
of the best man-of-war in the navy, he would not go with him, if he
might not carry his wife and children with him; and if there was a clergy-
man in the ship, he would be married to her now with all his heart.
This was just as I would have it. The priest was not with me at that
moment, so to try him farther, I told him I had a clergyman with me, and, if
he was sincere, I would have him married next morning, and bade him con-
sider of it, and talk with the rest. He said, as for himself, he need not consider
of it at all, for he was ready to do it, and was glad I had a minister with me,
and he believed they would be all willing also. I then told him that my
friend, the minister, was a Frenchman, and could not speak English, but I
would act the clerk between thein.
Before I went from their quarter, they all came to me, and told me they had
been considering what I had said; that they were glad to hear I had a clergy-
man in my company, and they were very willing to give me the satisfaction I
desired, and to be formally married as soon as I pleased; for they were far
from desiring to part with their wives, and that they meant nothing but what
was honest when they chose them. So I appointed them to meet me the next
morning; and, in the meantime, they should let their wives know the meaning
of the marriage law; and that it was not only to prevent any scandal, but also
to oblige them that they should not forsake them, whatever might happen.
The women were easily made sensible of the meaning of the thing, and
were very well satisfied with it, as indeed they had reason to be; so they failed
not to attend altogether at my apartment next morning, where I brought out
my clergyman, and though he had not on a minister's gown, after the manner
of England, or the habit of a priest, after the manner of France, yet having a
250
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
black vest something like a cassock, with a sash round it, he did not look very
unlike a minister; as for his language, I was his interpreter. But the serious-
ness of his behaviour to them, and the scruples he made of marrying the
women, because they were not baptized and professed Christians, gave them an
exceeding reverence for his person; and there was no need, after that, to
inquire whether he was a clergyman or not. Indeed, I was afraid his scruples
would have been carried so far as that he would not have married them at all;
nay, notwithstanding all I was able to say to him, he resisted me, though
modestly, yet very steadily; and at last refused absolutely to marry them,
unless he had first talked with the men and the women too; and though at
first I was a little backward to it, yet at last I agreed to it, perceiving the
sincerity of his design.
When he came to them, he let them know that I had acquainted him with
their circumstances, and with the present design; that he was very willing to
marry them, as I desired, but that before he could do it, he must take the
liberty to talk with them. He told them, that in the sight of all indifferent
men, and in the sense of the laws of society, they had lived all this while in
open fornication; and that it was true that nothing but the consenting to
marry, or effectually separating them from one another, could now put an end
to it; but there was a difficulty in it too, with respect to the laws of Christian
matrimony, which he was not fully satisfied about, that of marrying one that
is a professed Christian to a savage, an idolater, and a heathen, and yet that
he did not see that there was time left to endeavour to persuade the women to
be baptized, or to profess the name of Christ, whom they had, he doubted,
heard nothing of, and without which they could not be baptized. He told
them he doubted they were but indifferent Christians themselves; that they
had but little knowledge of God or of his ways, and therefore he could not
expect that they had said much to their wives on that head yet; but that
unless they would promise him to use their endeavours with their wives to per-
suade them to become Christians, and would, as well as they could, instruct
them in the knowledge and belief of God that made them, and to worship Jesus
Christ that redeemed them, he could not marry them; for he would have no
hand in joining Christians with savages.
:
They heard all this very attentively, and I delivered it very faithfully to them
from his mouth, as near his own words as I could; only sometimes adding
something of my own, to convince them how just it was, and that I was of his
mind and I always very faithfully distinguished between what I said from
myself, and what were the clergyman's words. They told me it was very true
what the gentleman said, that they were very indifferent Christians themselves,
and that they had never talked to their wives about religion. Lord, sir,"
said Will Atkins, "how should we teach them religion? why, we know nothing
ourselves; and besides, should we talk to them of God and Jesus Christ, and
<<
251
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
heaven and hell, it would make them laugh at us, and ask us what we believe
ourselves? And if we should tell them that we believe all the things we speak
of to them, such as of good people going to heaven, and wicked people to the
devil, they would ask us where we intend to go ourselves, that believe all this,
and are such wicked fellows as we indeed are? Why, sir, 'tis enough to give
them a surfeit of religion at first hearing. Folks must have some religion
themselves before they pretend to teach other people."-" Will Atkins," said I
to him, "though I am afraid that what you say has too much truth in it, yet
can you not tell your wife there is a God, and a religion better than her own;
that her gods are idols, that can neither hear nor speak; that there is a great
Being that made all things, and that can destroy all that he has made; that he
rewards the good and punishes the bad; and that we are to be judged by him
at last for all we do here? You are not so ignorant, but even nature itself
will teach you all this is true; and I am satisfied you know it all to be true,
and believe it yourself."-"That is true, sir," said Atkins; "but with what face
can I say anything to my wife of all this, when she will tell me immediately it
cannot be true?""Not true!" said I; "what do you mean by that?"-"Why,
sir," said he, "she will tell me it cannot be true that this God I shall tell her
of can be just, or can punish or reward, since I am not punished and sent to
the devil, that have been such a wicked creature as she knows I have been,
even to her, and to everybody else; and that I should be suffered to live, that
have been acting so contrary to what I must tell her is good, and to what I
ought to have done."-"Why, truly Atkins," said I, "I am afraid thou
speakest too much truth;" and with that I informed the clergyman of what
Atkins had said, for he was impatient to know. "Oh," said the priest, "tell
him there is one thing will make him the best minister in the world to his
wife, and that is, repentance; for none teach repentance like true penitents.
He wants nothing but to repent, and then he will be so much the better quali-
fied to instruct his wife; he will then be able to tell her that there is not only
a God, and that he is the just rewarder of good and evil, but that he is a merci-
ful Being, and with infinite goodness and long-suffering forbears to punish
those that offend; waiting to be gracious, and willing not the death of a sinner,
but rather that he should turn and live; that oftentimes he suffers wicked men
to go a long time, and even reserves damnation to the general day of retribu-
tion; that it is a clear evidence of God and of a future state, that righteous
men recive not their reward, or wicked men their punishment, till they come
into another world; and this will lead him to teach his wife the doctrine of
the resurrection and of the last judgment. Let him but repent himself, he
will be an excellent preacher of repentance to his wife."
I repeated all this to Atkins, who was more than ordinarily affected with it,
being eager, and hardly suffering me to make an end. "I know all this,
master," said he, "and a great deal more; but I have not the impudence to
a mpaka leo ma ta m
me
252
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
Ma
talk this to my wife, when God and my conscience know, and my wife will be
an undeniable evidence against me, that I have lived as if I had never heard of a
God or future state, or anything about it; and to talk of my repenting, alas!
(and with that he fetched a deep sigh, and I could see that the tears stood in
his eyes) 'tis past all that with me. Past it, Atkins?" said I; "what dost
thou mean by that?"-"I know well enough what I mean," said he; "I mean
'tis too late, and that is too true."
<<
I told the clergyman, word for word, what he said. The poor zealous priest
-I must call him so, for, be his opinion what it will, he had certainly a most
singular affection for the good of other men's souls, and it would be hard to
think he had not the like for his own-I say, this affectionate man could not
refrain from tears; but recovering himself, he said to me, "Ask him but one.
question: Is he easy that it is too late; or is he troubled, and wishes it were
not so?" I put the question fairly to Atkins, and he answered, with a great
deal of passion, "How could any man be easy in a condition that must certainly
end in eternal destruction? that he was far from being easy; but that, on the
contrary, he believed it would, one time or other, ruin him."-"What do you
mean by that?" said I. Why," he said, "he believed he should one time or
other cut his throat, to put an end to the terror of it."
CC
>>
The clergyman shook his head, with great concern in his face, when I told
him all this; but turning quick to me upon it, said, "If that be his case, we
may assure him it is not too late. Christ will give him repentance. But pray,
said he, "explain this to him; that as no man is saved but by Christ, and the
merit of his passion procuring divine mercy for him, how can it be too late for
any man to receive mercy? Does he think he is able to sin beyond the power or
reach of divine mercy? Pray tell him there may be a time when provoked
mercy will no longer strive, and when God may refuse to hear, but that it is
never too late for men to ask mercy; and we, that are Christ's servants, are
commanded to preach mercy at all times, in the name of Jesus Christ, to all
those that sincerely repent; so that it is never too late to repent.”
I told Atkins all this, and he heard me with great earnestness; but it
seemed as if he turned off the discourse to the rest, for he said to me he would
go and have some talk with his wife; so he went out a while, and we talked
to the rest. I perceived they were all stupidly ignorant as to matters of
religion, as much as I was when I went rambling away from my father; and
yet there were none of them backward to hear what had been said; and all of
them seriously promised that they would talk with their wives about it, and do
their endeavours to persuade them to turn Christians.
The clergyman smiled upon me when I reported what answer they gave, but
said nothing a good while; but at last shaking his head, "We that are Christ's
servants," said he, "can go no farther than to exhort and instruct; and when
men comply, submit to the reproof, and promise what we ask; 'tis all we can
253
• Mga la vall
v po pa do Mundo a
Laat a
NA VEGA Spa de maga a
Mega Man van Van de
:
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
We are bound to accept their good words; but believe me, sir," said he,
"whatever you may have known of the life of that man you call Will Atkins,
I believe he is the only sincere convert among them. I will not despair of the
rest;
but that man is apparently struck with the sense of his past life, and I
doubt not, when he comes to talk of religion to his wife, he will talk him-
self effectually into it; for attempting to teach others is sometimes the best
way of teaching ourselves. If that poor Atkins begins but once to talk seriously
of Jesus Christ to his wife, my life for it he talks himself into a thorough con-
vert, makes himself a penitent, and who knows what may follow?"
Upon this discourse, however, and their promising, as above, to endeavour
to persuade their wives to embrace Christianity, he married the other two
couple; but Will Atkins and his wife were not yet come in. After this, my
clergyman waiting awhile, was curious to know where Atkins was gone; and
turning to me, said, "I entreat you, sir, let us walk out of your labyrinth here,
and look; I dare say we shall find this poor man somewhere or other talking
seriously to his wife, and teaching her already something of religion." So we
went out together, and I took him a way that none knew but myself, and
where the trees were so very thick that it was not easy to see through the
thicket of leaves, and far harder to see in than to see out; when, coming to the
edge of the wood, I saw Atkins and his tawny wife sitting under the shade of
a bush, very eager in discourse. I stopped short till my clergyman came up
to me, and then having showed him where they were, we stood and looked
very steadily at them a good while. We observed him very earnest with her,
pointing up to the sun, and to every quarter of the heavens, and then down to
the earth; then out to the sea, then to himself, then to her, to the woods, to
the trees. "Now," said the clergyman, "you see my words are made good;
the man preaches to her. Mark him now; he is telling her that our God has
made him and her, and the heavens, the earth, the sea, the woods, the trees, etc."
Immediately we perceived Will Atkins start upon his feet, fall down on his
knees, and lift up both his hands. We supposed he said something, but we
could not hear him; it was too far for that. He did not continue kneeling
half a minute, but comes and sits down again by his wife, and talks to her
again. While the poor fellow was upon his knees, I could see the tears run
down my clergyman's cheeks, and I could hardly forbear myself; but it was
a great affliction to us both, that we were not near enough to hear anything
that passed between them. However, we could come no nearer for fear of
disturbing them; so we resolved to see an end of this piece of still conversation,
and it spoke loud enough to us without the help of voice. He sat down again,
as I have said, close by her, and talked again earnestly to her, and two or
three times we could see him embrace her most passionately; another time we
saw him take out his handkerchief and wipe her eyes, and then kiss her again
with a kind of transport very unusual; and after several of these things, we
254

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
A m
saw him on a sudden jump up again, and lend her his hand to help her up,
when immediately leading her by the hand a step or two, they both kneeled
down together, and continued so about two minutes.
My friend could bear it no longer, but cried out aloud, "St Paul! St Paul!
behold, he prayeth." I was afraid Atkins would hear him, therefore I entreated
him to withhold himself awhile, that we might see an end of the scene, which
to me, I must confess, was the most affecting that ever I saw in my life. Well,
he strove with himself for a while, but was in such raptures, to think that the
poor heathen woman was become a Christian, that he was not able to contain
himself. He wept several times, then throwing up his hands and crossing his
breast, said over several things ejaculatory, and by way of giving God thanks
for so miraculous a testimony of the success of our endeavours. Some he
spoke softly, and I could not well hear others; some in Latin, some in French;
then two or three times the tears would interrupt him, that he could not speak
at all; but I begged that he would contain himself, and let us more narrowly
and fully observe what was before us, which he did for a time, the scene not
being near ended yet; for after the poor man and his wife were risen again
from their knees, we observed he stood talking still eagerly to her, and we
observed, by her motion, that she was greatly affected with what he said, by her
frequently lifting up her hands, laying her hand to her breast, and such other
postures as express the greatest seriousness and attention. This continued for
about a quarter of an hour, and then they walked away; so we could see no
more of them in that situation. I took this interval to say to the clergyman,
first, that I was glad to see the particulars we had both been witnesses to;
that though I was hard enough of belief in such cases, yet that I began to
think it was all very sincere here, both in the man and his wife, however
ignorant they might both be, and I hoped such a beginning would yet have a
more happy end. "And who knows," said I, "but these two may in time, by
instruction and example, work upon some of the others ?"- "Some of them?"
said he, turning quick upon me, "ay, upon all of them. Depend upon it, if
those two savages-for he has been but little better, as you relate it-should
embrace Jesus Christ, they will never leave it till they work upon all the rest;
for true religion is naturally communicative, and he that is once made a Chris-
tian will never leave a Pagan behind him, if he can help it."—" But, my friend,"
said I, "will you give me leave to start one difficulty here? I cannot tell how
to object the least thing against that affectionate concern which you show for
the turning of the poor people from their Paganism to the Christian religion;
but how does this comfort you, while these people are, in your account, out of
the pale of the Catholic church, without which you believe there is no salva-
tion? so that you esteem these heretics as effectually lost as the Pagans
themselves."
To this he answered, with abundance of candour, thus: "Sir, I am a Catholic
pabalgana v ___gdalen
255

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
of the Roman church, a priest of the order of St Benedict, and I embrace all
the principles of the Roman faith; but yet, if you will believe me, and that I
do not speak in compliment to you, or in respect to my circumstances and
your civilities—I say, nevertheless, I do not look upon you, who call yourselves
reformed, without some charity, I dare not say (though I know it is our
opinion in general) that you cannot be saved. I will by no means limit the
mercy of Christ so far as think that he cannot receive you into the bosom of
his church, in a manner to us unperceivable; and I hope you have the same
charity for us. I pray daily for your being all restored to Christ's church,
by whatsoever method he, who is all-wise, is pleased to direct. In the
meantime, surely you will allow it consists with me, as a Roman, to
distinguish far between a Protestant and a Pagan; between one that
calls on Jesus Christ, though in a way which I do not think is according
to the true faith, and a savage or a barbarian, that knows no God, no
Christ, no Redeemer; and if you are not within the pale of the Catholic church,
we hope you are nearer being restored to it than those that know nothing of
God or of his church; and I rejoice, therefore, when I see this poor man, who,
you say, has been a profligate, and almost a murderer, kneel down and pray
to Jesus Christ, as we suppose he did, though not fully enlightened; believing
that God, from whom every such work proceeds, will sensibly touch his heart, and
bring him to the farther knowledge of that truth in his own time; and if God
shall influence this poor man to convert and instruct the ignorant savage, his
wife, I can never believe that he shall be cast away himself. Certainly, I
would rejoice if all the savages in America were brought, like this poor
woman, to pray to God, though they were all to be Protestants at first, rather
than they should continue Pagans or heathens; firmly believing, that He that
had bestowed the first light on them would farther illuminate them with a
beam of his heavenly grace, and bring them into the pale of his church, when
he should see good.
""
I was astonished at the sincerity and temper of this pious Papist, as much
as I was oppressed by the power of his reasoning; and it presently occurred
to my thoughts that if such a temper was universal, we might be all Catholic
Christians, whatever church or particular profession we joined in; that a spirit
of charity would soon work us all up into right principles; and as he thought
that the like charity would make us all Catholics, so I told him I believed,
had all the members of his church the like moderation, they would soon all be
Protestants. However, I talked to him another way; and taking him by the
hand, "My friend," said I, "I wish all the clergy of the Romish church were
blessed with such moderation, and had an equal share of your charity. I am
entirely of your opinion; but I must tell you, that if you should preach such
doctrine in Spain or Italy, they would put you into the Inquisition."—" It
may be so," said he; "I know not what they would do in Spain or Italy, but
256

WARN
NORED
Father Simon entertains Robinson Crusoe.
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
I will not say they would be the better Christians for that severity; for I am
sure there is no heresy in abounding with charity."
As Will Atkins and his wife were gone, our business there was over, so we
went back our own way; and when we came back, we found them waiting to
be called in. Observing this, I asked my clergyman if we should discover to
him that we had seen him under the bush or not; and it was his opinion we
should not, but that we should talk to him first, and hear what he would say
to us; so we called him in alone, nobody being in the place but ourselves, and
I began with him thus:
What was
"Will Atkins," said I, "prythee what education had you?
your father?"
W. A.-A better man than ever I shall be; sir, my father was a clergyman.
R. C-What education did he give you ?
W. A.—He would have taught me well, sir, but I despised all education,
instruction, or correction, like a beast as I was.
R. C.-It is true, Solomon says, "He that despises reproof is brutish."
W. A.-Ay, sir, I was brutish indeed, for I murdered my father; for God's
sake, sir, talk no more about that; sir, I murdered my poor father.
R. C.-Ha! a murderer!
Here the priest started (for I interpreted every word he spoke) and looked
pale: it seems he believed that Will had really killed his father.
R. C.—No, no, sir, I do not understand him so. Will Atkins, explain
yourself; you did not kill your father, did you, with your own hands?
W. A.—No, sir, I did not cut his throat, but I cut the thread of all his
comforts, and shortened his days. I broke his heart by the most
ungrateful return, for the most tender and affectionate treatment that ever
father gave.
R. C.-Well, I did not ask you about your father to extort this confession:
I pray God give you repentance for it, and forgive that and all your other sins.
W. A.-Though you, sir, do not extort the confession that I make about
my father, conscience does; and whenever we come to look back upon our
lives, the sins against our indulgent parents are certainly the first to touch us.
R. C.-You talk too feelingly for me, Atkins; I cannot bear it.
W. A.-You bear it, master! I dare say you know nothing of it.
R. C.-Yes, Atkins; every shore, every hill, nay, I may say every tree in
this island, is witness to the anguish of my soul for my ingratitude to, and
bad usage of a good, tender father; a father much like yours, by your descrip-
tion: and I murdered my father as well as you, Will Atkins; but I think, for
all that, my repentance is short of yours too, by a great deal.
I would have said more, if I could have restrained my passions; but I
thought this poor man's repentance was so much sincerer than mine, and that
instead of my going about to instruct him, the man was made a teacher to me.
R
mag menar
257
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
The following dialogue between Will Atkins and his wife I took down in
writing, just after he had told it to me :—
W. A.--I asked her if she would be married to me our way. She asked
me what way that was; I told her marriage was appointed by God.
Wife.-Appointed by your God! Why, have you a God in your country?
W. A.-Yes, my dear, God is in every country.
Wife. No your God in my country; my country have the great old
Benamuckee god.
W. A.-Child, I am very unfit to show you who God is. God is in heaven,
and made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and all that in them is.
Wife. No makee de earth; no you God makee all earth; no makee
my country.
Will Atkins laughed a little at her expression of God not making her country.
Wife. No laugh; why laugh me? This nothing to laugh.
W. A.--That's true, indeed; I will not laugh any more, my dear.
Wife. Why, you say you God makee all?
W. A.-Yes, child; our God made the whole world, and you, and me, and
all things; for he is the only true God, and there is no God but him; he lives
for ever in heaven.
Wife.-Why you no tell me long ago?
W. A. That's true, indeed; but I have been a wicked wretch, and have not
only forgotten to acquaint thee with anything before, but have lived without
God in the world myself.
Wife. What, have you a great God in your country, you no know him? No
say O to him? No do good thing for him? That no possible.
W. A.-It is true; though, for all that, we live as if there was no God in
heaven, or that he had no power on earth.
Wife. But why God let you do so? Why he no makee you good live?
W. A.-It is all our own fault.
Wife. But you say me he is great, much great, have much great power,
can makee kill when he will; why he no makee kill when you no serve him?
No say O to him, no be good mans.
W. A.-That is true, he might strike me dead; and I ought to expect it;
for I have been a wicked wretch, that is true; but God is merciful, and does
not deal with us as we deserve.
Wife. But then you do not tell God thankee for that too?
W. A.-No, indeed, I have not thanked God for his mercy, any more than I
have feared God for his power.
Wife. Well, and yet no kill, no makee you dead; what you say to him for
that? You no tell him thankee for all that too?
W. A.-I am an unthankful, ungrateful dog, that is true.
Wife. Why he no makee you much good better? you say he makee you.
-
Madden van değ
258
ROBINSON CRUSOE..
W. A.-He made me as he made all the world; it is I have deformed my-
self and abused his goodness, and made myself an abominable wretch.
Wife. I wish you makee God know me; I no makee him angry, I no do
bad wicked thing.
Here Will Atkins said his heart sunk within him, to hear a poor untaught
creature desire to be taught to know God, and he such a wicked wretch that
he could not say one word to her about God, but what the reproach of his own
carriage would make most irrational to her to believe; nay, that already
she had told him that she could not believe in God, because he, that was so
wicked, was not destroyed.
They had several other discourses, it seems, after this, too long to be set
down here; and particularly she made him promise that since he confessed his
own life had been a wicked, abominable course of provocations against God,
that he would reform it, and not make God angry any more, lest he should
make him dead, as she called it, and then she would be left alone, and never be
taught to know this God better.
This was a strange account, and very affecting to us both, but particularly
to the young clergyman; he turned to me, and told ine that he believed that
there must be more to do with this woman than to marry her. I did not
understand him at first, but he explained himself, viz., that she ought to be
baptized. I agreed with him, and wished it to be done presently. "No, no;
hold, sir," said he; "though I would have her to be baptized by all means, for
I must observe that Will Atkins, her husband, has indeed brought her, in a
wonderful manner, to be willing to embrace a religious life, and has given her
just ideas of the being of a God-of his power, justice, and mercy, yet I desire
to know of him if he has said anything to her of Jesus Christ, and of the sal-
vation of sinners; of the nature of faith in him, and redemption by him; of the
Holy Spirit, the resurrection, the last judgment, and the future state.”
I called Will Atkins again, and asked him, but the poor fellow fell immedi-
ately into tears, and told us he had said something to her of all those things,
but that he was himself so wicked a creature, and his own conscience so
reproached him with his horrid, ungodly life, that he trembled at the appre-
hensions that her knowledge of him should lessen the attention she should give
to those things, and make her rather contemn religion than receive it; but he
was assured that her mind was so disposed to receive due impressions of all
those things, that if I would but discourse with her, my labour would not be lost.
I called her in, and placing myself as interpreter between my religious priest
and the woman, I entreated him to begin with her; but sure such a sermon
was never preached by a Popish priest in these latter ages of the world. In a
word, he brought the poor woman to embrace the knowledge of Christ, and of
redemption by him, not with wonder and astonishment only, as he did the first
notions of a God, but with joy and faith; with an affection, and degree of
259

PANAM
Katja Pro A M
Let me te dar með vanda
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
understanding, scarcely to be imagined, much less to be expressed; and at her
own request she was baptized.
When he was preparing to baptize her, I entreated him to perform that
office with caution, that the man might not perceive he was of the Romish
Church, because of other ill consequences which might attend a difference
among us in that very religion which we were instructing the other in. He
told me that as he had no consecrated chapel, nor proper things for the office,
I should see him do it in a manner that I should not know by it that he was
a Roman Catholic myself, if I had not known it before; and so he did; for
saying only some words over to himself in Latin, which I could not understand,
he poured water upon the woman's head, pronouncing in French, very loudly,
"Mary, (which was the name her husband desired me to give her, for I was
her godfather), I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost;" so that none could know anything by it what religion he
was of
As soon as this was over, we married them; and after the marriage was over,
he turned to Will Atkins, and in a very affectionate manner exhorted him,
not only to persevere in that good disposition he was in, but to support
the convictions that were upon him by a resolution to reform his life; told
him it was in vain to say he repented if he did not forsake his crimes;
represented to him how God had honoured him with being the instrument of
bringing his wife to the knowledge of the Christian religion, and that he
should be careful he should not dishonour the grace of God, and that if he
did, he would see the heathen a better Christian than himself; the savage
converted, and the instrument cast away. He said a great many good things
to them both; and then recommending them to God's goodness, gave them
the benediction again, I repeating everything to them in English; and thus
ended the ceremony.
But my clergyman had not done yet; his thoughts hung continually upon
the conversion of the thirty-seven savages, and fain he would have stayed upon
the island to have undertaken it; but I convinced him, first, that his undertak-
ing was impracticable in itself; and, secondly, that perhaps I would put it into
a way of being done in his absence to his satisfaction.
Having thus brought the affairs of the island to a narrow compass, I was
preparing to go on board the ship, when the young man. I had taken out of
the famished ship's company came to me, and told me he understood I had a
clergyman with me, and that I had caused the Englishmen to be married to
the savages; that he had a match too, which he desired might be finished
before I went, between two Christians, which he hoped would not be disagree-
able to me.
V 116 – Vlog -
I knew this must be the young woman who was his mother's servant, for
there was no other Christian woman on the island; so I began to persuade
260
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
1 de ma
him not to do anything of that kind rashly, or because he found himself in
this solitary circumstance. I represented to him that he had considerable
substance in the world, and good friends, as I understood by himself, and the
maid also; that the maid was not only poor, and a servant, but was unequal
to him, she being six or seven and twenty years old, and he not above seventeen
or eighteen; that he might probably, with my assistance, make a remove from
this wilderness, and come into his own country again; and that then it would
be a thousand to one but he would repent his choice, and the dislike of that
circumstance might be disadvantageous to both. I was going to say more,
but he interrupted me, and told me, with a great deal of modesty, that he had
nothing of that kind in his thoughts; and he was very glad to hear that I had
an intent of putting them in a way to see their own country again; and
nothing should have made him think of staying there, but that the voyage I
was going was so exceeding long and hazardous, and would carry him quite
out of the reach of all his friends, that he had nothing to desire of me, but that
I would settle him in some little property in the island where he was, give him
a servant or two, and some few necessaries, and he would live here like a
planter, waiting the good time when, if ever I returned to England, I would
redeem him; and hoped I would not be unmindful of him when I came to
England; that he would give me some letters to his friends in London, to let
them know how good I had been to him, and in what part of the world, and
what circumstances I had left him in; and he promised me that whenever I
redeemed him, the plantation, and all the improvements he had made upon it,
let the value be what it would, should be wholly mine.
His discourse was very prettily delivered, considering his youth, and was
the more agreeable to me, because he told me the match was not for himself.
I gave him all possible assurances that if I lived to come safe to England, I
would deliver his letters, and do his business effectually, and that he might
depend I should never forget the circumstances I had left him in. I was
impatient to know who was the person to be married; upon which he told me
it was my Jack-of-all-trades and his maid Susan. I was agreeably surprised
when he named the match; for, indeed, I thought it very suitable. The
character of that man I have given already; and as for the maid, she was a
very honest, modest, sober, and religious young woman; had a very good share
of sense, was agreeable enough in her person, spoke to the purpose, always
with decency and good manners, and was neither too backward to speak when
requisite, nor impertinently forward when it was not her business; and was
also very handy and housewifely, and an excellent manager.
The match being proposed in this manner, we married them the same day;
and as I was father at the altar, and gave her away, so I gave her a portion.
I appointed her and her husband a large space of ground for their plantation;
and, indeed, this match, and the proposal the young gentleman made to give
261


LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
agenda – Magan to steny pro amabloga
him a small property in the island, put me upon parcelling it
out amongst them, that they might not quarrel afterwards about their
situation.
This sharing out the land to them I left to Will Atkins, who was now grown
a sober, grave, managing fellow, perfectly reformed, exceedingly pious and
religious. He divided things so justly, and so much to every one's satisfaction,
that they only desired one general writing under my hand for the whole, which
I caused to be drawn up, and signed and sealed, setting out the bounds and situa-
tion of every man's plantation, and testifying that I gave them thereby severally
a right to the whole possession and inheritance of the respective plantations or
farms, with their improvements, to them and their heirs, reserving all the rest
of the island as my own property, and a certain rent for every particular
plantation after eleven years, if I, or any one from me, or in my name, came
to demand it, producing an attested copy of the same writing.
One thing I must not omit, and that is, that being now settled in a kind of
commonwealth among themselves, and having much business in hand, it was
odd to have seven-and-thirty Indians live in a nook of the island, independent,
and indeed, unemployed; for, excepting the providing themselves food, which
they had difficulty enough to do, sometimes they had no manner of business or
property to manage. I proposed, therefore, to the governor Spaniard that he
should go to them, with Friday's father, and propose to them to remove, and
either plant for themselves, or be taken into their several families as servants,
to be maintained for their labour, but without being absolute slaves, for I would
not permit them to make them slaves by force, by any means.
They most willingly embraced the proposal, and came all very cheerfully
along with him; so we allotted them land and plantations, which three or
four accepted of, but all the rest chose to be employed as servants in the
several families we had settled; and thus my colony was in a manner settled
as follows:-The Spaniards possessed my original habitation, which was the
capital city, and extended their plantations eastward. The English lived in
the north-east part, and came on southward and south-west, towards the back
of the Spaniards; and every plantation had a great addition of land to take in,
if they found occasion, so that they need not jostle one another for want of
room. All the east end of the island was left uninhabited, that if any of the
savages should come on shore there for their usual customary barbarities, they
might come and go; if they disturbed nobody, nobody would disturb them;
and no doubt they were often ashore, and went away again, for I never heard
that the planters were ever attacked or disturbed any more.
It now came into my thoughts that I had hinted to my friend the clergy
man that the work of converting the savages might perhaps be set on foot in
his absence to his satisfaction, and told him that now I thought it was put in
a fair way; for the savages, being thus divided among the Christians, if they
262


ROBINSON CRUSOE,
would but every one of them do their part with those which came under their
hands, I hoped it might have a very good effect.
He agreed presently in that, if they did their part. "But how," said he,
shall we obtain that of them?" I told him we would call them all together,
and leave it in charge with them, or go to them, one by one, which he thought
best; so we divided it, he to speak to the Spaniards, who were all Papists,
and I to speak to the English, who were all Protestants; and we recommended
it earnestly to them, and made them promise that they would never make any
distinction of Papist or Protestant in their exhorting the savages to turn
Christians, but teach them the general knowledge of the true God, and of their
Saviour Jesus Christ.
When I came to Will Atkins' house, there I found the young woman I have
mentioned above and Will Atkins' wife, who were become intimates; and this
prudent religious young woman had perfected the work Will Atkins had
begun; and though it was not above four days after what I have related, yet
the newly-baptized savage woman was made such a Christian as I have seldom
heard of in all my observation or conversation in the world.
It came next into my mind in the morning before I went to them, that
amongst all the needful things I had to leave with them, I had not left them
a Bible, in which I showed myself less considering for them than my good friend
the widow was for me when she sent me the cargo of a hundred pounds from
Lisbon, where she packed up three Bibles and a Prayer-book However, the
good woman's charity had a greater extent than ever she imagined, for they
were reserved for the comfort and instruction of those that made much
better use of them than I had done.
I took one of the Bibles in my pocket, and when I came to Will Atkins'
house, and found the young woman and Atkins' wife had been discoursing of
religion together-for Will Atkins told it me with a great deal of joy-I asked
if they were together now, and he said yes; so I went into the house, and he
with me, and we found them together very earnest in discourse. "Oh, sir,"
said Will Atkins, "when God has sinners to reconcile to himself, and aliens
to bring home, he never wants a messenger. My wife has got a new instructor.
I knew I was unworthy as I was incapable of that work; that young woman
has been sent thither from heaven,-she is enough to convert a whole island
of savages."
We talked a little, and I did not perceive that they had any book among
them. I put my hand in my pocket, and pulled out my Bible. "Here," said
I to Atkins, "I have brought you an assistant that perhaps you had not
before." The man was so confounded, that he was not able to speak for some
time; but, recovering himself, he took it with both his hands, and turning to his
wife, "Here, my dear," said he, "did not I tell you our God, though he lives.
above, could hear what we said? Here's the book I prayed for when you and
263
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
I kneeled down under the bush; now God has heard us, and sent it." When
he said so, the man fell into such transports of passionate joy, that between the
joy of having it, and giving God thanks for it, the tears ran down his face like
a child that was crying.
The woman was surprised, and was like to have run into a mistake that
none of us were aware of, for she firmly believed God had sent it upon her
husband's petition. It is true that providentally it was so, and might be
taken so in a consequent sense; but I believe it would have been no difficult
matter at that time to have persuaded the poor woman to have believed that
an express messenger came from Heaven on purpose to bring that individual
book. But it was too serious a matter to suffer any delusion to take place;
so I turned to the young woman, and told her we did not desire to impose
upon the new convert in her first and more ignorant understanding of things,
and begged her to explain to her that God may be very properly said to
answer our petitions, when, in the course of His providence, such things are
in a particular manner brought to pass as we petitioned for.
This the young woman did effectually afterwards, so that there was, I assure
you, no priestcraft used here; and I should have thought it one of the most
unjustifiable frauds in the world to have had it so. But the surprise of joy
upon Will Atkins is really not to be expressed, and there we may be sure was
no delusion. Sure no man was ever more thankful in the world for anything
of its kind than he was for the Bible; and though he had been a most profligate
creature, headstrong, furious, and desperately wicked, yet this man is a standing
rule to us all for the well instructing of children, viz., that parents should
never give over to teach and instruct, nor ever despair of the success of
their endeavours, let the children ever be so refractory, or, to appearance, in-
sensible to instruction; for, if ever God in his providence touches the conscience
of such, the force of their education returns upon them, and the early instruc-
tion of parents is not lost, though it may have been many years laid asleep, but
some time or other they may find the benefit of it. And thus it was with this
poor man.
Among the rest, it occurred to him, he said, how his father used to insist so
much on the inexpressible value of the Bible, and the privilege and blessing of
it to nations, families, and persons; but he never entertained the least notion of
the worth of it till now, when being to talk to heathens, savages, and barbarians,
he wanted the help of the written oracle for his assistance.
The young woman was glad of it also for the present occasion, though she
had one, and so had the youth, on board our ship, among their goods, which
were not yet brought on shore. And now, having said so many things of this
young woman, I cannot omit telling one story more of her and myself, which
has something in it very instructive and remarkable.
I have related to what extremity the poor young woman was reduced. One
264
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
Se vem a ve stand
day, being discoursing with her on the extremities they suffered, I asked her
if she could describe, by what she had felt, what it was to starve and how it
appeared? She told me she believed she could, and she told her tale very dis-
tinctly thus:-
"First, sir," said she, "we had for some days fared exceedingly hard, and
suffered very great hunger, but at last we were wholly without food of any
kind, except sugar, and a little wine-and-water. The first day after I had
received no food at all, I found myself towards evening first empty and sick at
the stomach, and nearer night much inclined to yawning and sleep. I lay
down on the couch in the great cabin to sleep, and slept about three hours, and
awaked a little refreshed, having taken a glass of wine when I lay down. After
being about three hours awake, it being about five o'clock in the morning, I
found myself empty, and my stomach sickish, and lay down again, but could
not sleep at all, being very faint and ill; and thus I continued all the second
day with a strange variety,-first hungry, then sick again, with retchings to
vomit. The second night, being obliged to go to bed again without any food,
more than a draught of fresh water, and being asleep, I dreamed I was at
Barbadoes, and that the market was mightily stocked with provisions,—that I
bought some for my mistress, and went and dined very heartily. I thought my
stomach was as full after this as it would have been after a good dinner; but
when I awaked, I was exceedingly sunk in my spirits to find myself in the
extremity of a famine. The last glass of wine we had I drank, and put sugar
in it, because of its having some spirit to supply nourishment; but there being
no substance in the stomach for the digesting office to work upon, I found the
only effect of the wine was to raise disagreeable fumes from the stomach into
the head, and I lay, as they told me, stupid and senseless, as one drunk, for
sometime. The third day, in the morning after a night of strange, confused,
and inconsistent dreams, and rather dozing than sleeping, I awaked ravenous
and furious with hunger,-and I question, had not my understanding returned
and conquered it, whether, if I had been a mother, and had had a little child
with me, its life would have been safe or not. This lasted about three hours,
-during which time I was twice raging mad as any creature in Bedlam, as my
young master told me, and as he can now inform you.
"In one of those fits of distraction I fell down and struck my face against
the corner of a pallet-bed, in which my mistress lay, and with the blow the
blood gushed out of my nose; and the cabin-boy bringing me a little basin, I
sat down and bled into it a great deal. As the blood came from me I came to
myself, and the violence of the fever I was in abated, and so did the ravenous
part of the hunger. Then I grew sick, and retched to vomit, but could not,
for I had nothing in my stomach to bring up. After I had bled some time I
swooned, and they all believed I was dead; but I came to myself soon after,
and then had a most dreadful pain in my stomach not to be described,-not
265
J
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
like the colic, but a gnawing, eager pain for food; and towards night it went
off with an earnest longing for food. I took another draught of water with
sugar in it,—but my stomach loathed the sugar, and brought it all up again;
then I took a draught of water without sugar, and that stayed with me; and I
laid me down upon my bed, praying most heartily that it would please God to
take me away; and composing my mind in hopes of it, I slumbered awhile, and
then waking, thought myself dying, being light with vapours from an empty
stomach. I recommended my soul then to God, and earnestly wished that
somebody would throw me into the sea.
“All this while my mistress lay by me, just, as I thought, expiring, but bore
it with much more patience than I,-gave the last bit of bread she had left to
her child, my young master, who would not have taken it, but she obliged him
to eat it; and I believe it saved his life.
tr
Towards the morning I slept again, and when I awoke I fell into a
violent passion of crying, and after that had a second fit of violent hunger. I
got up ravenous, and in a most dreadful condition. Had my mistress been
dead, as much as I loved her, I am certain I should have eaten a piece of her
flesh with as much relish and as unconcerned as ever I did eat the flesh of any
creature appointed for food,—and once or twice I was going to bite my own
arm; at last I saw the basin in which was the blood I had bled at my nose the
day before. I ran to it, and swallowed it with such haste, and such a greedy
appetite, as if I wondered nobody had taken it before, and afraid it should be
taken from me now. After it was down, though the thoughts of it filled me
with horror, yet it checked the fit of hunger, and I took another draught of
water, and was composed and refreshed for some hours after. This was the
fourth day,—and thus I kept up till towards night, when, within the compass
of three hours, I had all the several circumstances over again one after another,
viz., sick, sleepy, eagerly hungry, pain in the stomach, then ravenous again,—then
sick, then lunatic, then crying, then ravenous again, and so every quarter of
an hour, and my strength wasted exceedingly; at night I lay me down, having
no comfort but in the hope that I should die before morning.
"All this night I had no sleep; but the hunger was now turned into a
disease; and I had a terrible colic and griping, by wind, instead of food,
having found its way into the bowels; and in this condition I lay till morning,
when I was suprised by the cries and lamentations of my young master, who
called out to me that his mother was dead. I lifted myself up a little, for I
had not strength to rise, but found she was not dead, though she was able to
give very little signs of life.
"I had then such convulsions in my stomach, as I cannot describe; with
such frequent throes and pangs of appetite as nothing but the tortures of death
can imitate; and in this condition I was when I heard the seamen above cry
out, 'A sail! a sail!' and halloo and jump about as if they were distracted.
266
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
I was not able to get off from the bed, and my mistress much less; and
my young master was so sick that I thought he had been expiring; so we
could not open the cabin door or get any account what it was that occasioned
such confusion; nor had we had any conversation with the ship's company for
two days, they having told us that they had not a mouthful of anything to eat
in the ship; and this they told us afterwards, they thought we had been dead.
It was this dreadful condition we were in when you were sent to save our lives;
and how you found us, sir, you know as well as I, and better too."
This was her own relation, and is such a distinct account of starving to
death, as I confess I never met with, and was exceedingly entertaining to me.
I am the rather apt to believe it to be a true account, because the youth gave
me an account of a good part of it, though not so distinct and so feeling as
the maid; and the rather, because it seems his mother fed him at the price of
her own life. No question, as the case is here related, if our ship, or some
other, had not so providentially met them, a few days more would have ended
all their lives, unless they had prevented it by eating one another; and that
even, as their case stood, would have served them but a little while, they being
five hundred leagues from any land, or any possibility of relief, other than in
the miraculous manner it happened.
For many reasons I did not think fit to let them know anything of the sloop
I had framed, and which I thought of setting up among them; for I found, at
least at my first coming, such seeds of division among them, that I saw plainly
had I set up the sloop, and left it among them, they would, upon every slight
disgust, have separated, and gone away from one another; or perhaps have turned
pirates, and so made the island a den of thieves, instead of a plantation of
sober and religious people, as I intended it; nor did I leave the two pieces of
brass cannon that I had on board, or the two quarter-deck guns that my
nephew took, for the same reason. I thought it was enough to qualify them
for a defensive war against any that should invade them, but not to set them
up for an offensive war, or to go abroad to attack others, which, in the end,
would only bring ruin and destruction upon them. I reserved the sloop,
therefore, and the guns, for their service another way.
Having now done with the island, I left them all in good circumstances, and
in a flourishing condition, and went on board my ship again on the 6th of May,
having been about twenty-five days among them; and as they were all resolved
to stay upon the island till I came to remove them, I promised to send them
farther relief from the Brazils, if I could possibly find an opportunity; and
particularly I promised to send them some cattle, such as sheep, hogs, and
COWS. As to the two cows and calves which I brought from England, we had
been obliged, by the length of our voyage, to kill them at sea, for want of hay
to feed them.
The next day, giving them a salute of five guns at parting, we set sail, and
267

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
arrived at the bay of All Saints in the Brazils, in about twenty-two days,
meeting nothing remarkable in our passage but this: that about three days
after we had sailed, being becalmed, and the current setting strong to the EN.
E, running, as it were, into a bay or gulf on the land side, we were driven
something out of our course, and once or twice our men cried out, "Land to
the eastward!" but whether it was the continent or islands we could not tell
by any means. But the third day, towards evening, the sea smooth, and the
weather calin, we saw the sea, as it were covered, towards the land, with some-
thing very black. Not being able to discover what it was, our chief mate
going up the main-shrouds a little way, and looking at them with a perspective,
cried out it was an army. I could not imagine what he meant by an army,
and thwarted him a little hastily. "Nay, sir," said he, "don't be angry, for
'tis an army, and a fleet too. I believe there are a thousand canoes, and you
may see them paddle along, for they are coming towards us apace.'
""
I was a little surprised then, indeed, and so was my nephew, the captain;
for he had heard such terrible stories of them in the island, and having never
been in those seas before, that he could not tell what to think of it, but said,
two or three times, we should all be devoured. I must confess, considering
we were becalmed, and the current set strong towards the shore, I liked it the
worse; however, I bade them not be afraid, but bring the ship to an anchor as
soon as we came so near as to know that we must engage them.
The weather continued calm, and they came on apace towards us; so I gave
orders to come to an anchor, and furl all our sails. As for the savages, I told
them they had nothing to fear but fire, and therefore they should get
their boats out, and fasten them, one close by the head, and the other by the
stern, and man them both well, and wait the issue in that posture. This I did,
that the men in the boats might be ready with sheets and buckets to put out
any fire these savages might endeavour to fix on the outside of the ship.
In this posture we lay by for them, and in a little while they came up with us;
but never was such horrid sight seen by Christians. Though my mate was
much mistaken in his calculation of their number, yet when they came up we
reckoned about a hundred and twenty-six, some of them had sixteen or seven-
teen men in them, and some more, and the least six or seven.
•
When they came nearer to us, they seemed to be struck with wonder and
astonishment, as at a sight which doubtless they had never seen before; nor
could they at first, as we afterwards understood, know what to make of us;
they came boldly up, however, very near to us, and seemed to go about to row
round us; but we called to our men in the boats not to let them come too near
them. This very order brought us to an engagement with them, without our
designing it; for five or six of the large canoes came so near our long-boat,
that our men beckoned with their hands to keep them back, which they under-
stood very well, and went back; but at their retreat about fifty arrows came
268
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
on board us from those boats, and one of our men in the long-boat was very
much wounded. However, I called to them not to fire by any means; but we
handed down some deal boards into the boat, and the carpenter presently set
up a kind of fence like waste boards to cover them from the arrows of the
savages, if they should shoot again.
About half an hour afterwards they all came up in a body astern of us, and
so near that we could easily discern what they were, though we could not tell
their design; and I easily found they were some of my old friends, the same
sort of savages that I had been used to engage with; and in a short time more
they rowed a little farther out to sea, till they came directly broadside with us,
and then rowed down straight upon us till they came so near that they could
hear us speak. Upon this I ordered all my men to keep close, lest they should
shoot any more arrows, and made all our guns ready; but being so near as to
be within hearing, I made Friday go out upon the deck, and call out aloud to
them in his language, to know what they meant; which accordingly he did.
Whether they understood him I knew not; but as soon as he had called to
them, six of them, who were in the foremost or nighest boat to us, turned their
canoes from us, and stooping down, showed us their naked backs. Whether
this was a defiance or challenge, we were not aware, or whether it was done in
mere contempt, or as a signal to the rest; but immediately Friday cried out
they were going to shoot, and, unhappily for him, poor fellow, they let fly
about three hundred of their arrows, and, to my inexpressible grief, killed poor
Friday, no other man being in their sight. The poor fellow was shot with no
less than three arrows, and about three more fell very near him.
I was so enraged at the loss of my old trusty servant and companion, that I
immediately ordered five guns to be loaded with small shot, and four with
great, and gave them such a broadside as they had never heard in their lives
before. They were not above half a cable's length off when we fired; and our
gunners took their aim so well, that three or four of their canoes were
overset.
The ill manners of turning up their bare backs to us gave us no great offence;
neither did I know for certain whether that which would pass for the greatest
contempt among us might be understood so by them or not; therefore, in
return, I had only resolved to have fired four or five guns at them with powder
only, which I knew would frighten them sufficiently, but when they shot at us
directly with all the fury they were capable of, I thought myself not only justi-
fiable before God and man, but would have been very glad if I could have over-
set_every canoe there, and drowned every one of them.
I can neither tell how many we killed nor how many we wounded at this
broadside, but sure such a fright and hurry never were seen among such a
multitude. There were thirteen or fourteen of their canoes split and overset
in all, and the men all set a swimming. The rest, frightened out of their wits,
M Pag me to at mga tag
by mga tag to a p
26.0

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
patte
g. Makanja
scoured away as fast as they could, taking but little care to save those whose
boats were split or spoiled with our shot, so I suppose that many of them were
lost; and our men took up one poor fellow swimming for his life, above an
hour after they were all gone.
The small shot from our cannon must needs kill and wound a great many;
but, in short, we never knew how it went with them, for they fled so fast that,
in three hours or thereabouts, we could not see above three or four straggling
canoes, nor did we ever see the rest any more; for a breeze of wind springing
up the same evening, we weighed, and set sail for the Brazils.
We had a prisoner, indeed, but the creature was so sullen that he would
neither eat nor speak, but we all fancied he would starve himself to death; but
I took a way to cure him, for I made them take him and turn him into the
long-boat, and make him believe they would toss him into the sea again,
and so leave him where they found him, if he would not speak. Nor would
that do, but they really did throw him into the sea, and came away from him;
and then he followed them, for he swam like a cork, and called to them in his
tongue, though they knew not one word of what he said; at last they took him
in again, and then he began to be more tractable.
We were now under sail again, but I was the most disconsolate creature
alive for want of my man Friday, and would have been very glad to have gone
back to the island, to take one of the rest thence for my occasion, but it could
not be. So we went on. We had one prisoner, as I have said, but it was a
long time before we could make him understand anything; but, in time, our
men taught him some English, and he began to be a little tractable. After-
wards, we inquired what country he came from, but could not make anything
of what he said; for his speech was so odd, all gutturals, and he spoke in the
throat in such a hollow, odd manner, that we could never form a word after
him; and we were all of opinion that they might speak that language as well if
they were gagged as otherwise. He told us, however, some tiine after, when
we had taught him to speak a little English, that they were going with their
kings to fight a great battle. When he said kings, we asked him how many
kings? He said they were five nation (we could not make him understand
the plural s), and that they all joined to get against two nation. We asked
him what made them come up to us? He said, "To makee te great wonder
look." Here it is to be observed, that all those natives, as also those of Africa,
when they learn English, always add two e's at the end of the words where we
use one; and they place the accent upon them, as makée, takée, and the like;
nay, I could hardly make Friday leave it off, though at last he did.
And now I name the poor fellow once more, I must take my last leave of
him. Poor honest Friday! We buried him with all the decency and
solemnity possible, by putting him into a coffin, and throwing him into the
sea; and I caused them to fire eleven guns for him; and so ended the life of
270
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
La
the most grateful, faithful, honest, and most affectionate servant that ever
man had.
We went now away with a fair wind for Brazil; and in about twelve days'
time we made land, in the latitude of five degrees south of the line, being the
north-easternmost land of all that part of America. We kept on S. by E., in
sight of the shore four days, when we made Cape St Augustine, and in three
days came to an anchor off the bay of All Saints, the old place of my deliver-
ance, from whence came both my good and evil fate.
Never ship came to this port that had less business than I had, and yet it
was with great difficulty that we were admitted to hold the least correspondence
on shore. Not my partner himself, who was alive, and made a great figure
among them, not my two merchant-trustees, not the fame of my wonderful
preservation in the island, could obtain me that favour. They were so strict
with us, as to landing any goods, that it was with extreme difficulty that I got
on shore three bales of English goods, such as fine broadcloths, stuffs, and some
linen, which I had brought for a present to my partner.
He was a very generous, open-hearted man. Though, like me, he began
with little at first, he sent me on board a present of fresh provisions, wine, and
sweetmeats, some tobacco, and three or four fine medals of gold. My present
consisted of fine broadcloth, English stuffs, lace, and fine Hollands; also, I
delivered him about the value of one hundred pounds sterling, in the same
goods, for other uses; and I obliged him to set up the sloop, which I had
brought with me from England, for the use of my colony, in order to send the
refreshments I intended to my plantation.
Accordingly, he got hands, and finished the sloop in a very few days, and I
gave the master of her such instructions that he could not miss the place. I
got him soon loaded with the small cargo I sent them; and one of our seamen,
that had been on shore with me there, offered to go with the sloop and settle
there, upon my letter to the governor Spaniard, to allot him a sufficient
quantity of land for a plantation, and giving him some clothes and tools for
his planting work, which he said he understood, having been an old planter at
Maryland, and a buccaneer into the bargain. I encouraged the fellow by
granting all he desired; and, as an addition, I gave him the savage, whom we
had taken prisoner of war, to be his slave, and ordered the governor Spaniard
to give him his share of everything he wanted with the rest.
((
When we came to fit this man out, my old partner told me there was a
certain very honest fellow, a Brazil planter of his acquaintance, who had fallen
into the displeasure of the church. I know not what the matter is with him,"
said he," but, on my conscience, I think he is a heretic in his heart, and he
has been obliged to conceal himself for fear of the Inquisition;" that he would
be very glad of such an opportunity to make his escape, with his wife and two
daughters; and if I would let them go to my island, and allot them a plantation,
pata alga m
da de la + Vardar pa va
271
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
he would give them a small stock to begin with,- for the officers of the
Inquisition had seized all his effects and estate, and he had nothing left but a
little household stuff, and two slaves; "and," added he, "though I hate his
principles, yet I would not have him fall into their hands, for he will be
assuredly burned alive if he does."
I granted this, and joined my Englishmen with them; and we concealed the
man, and his wife and daughters, on board our ship, till the sloop put out to
go to sea; and then having put all their goods on board some time before, we
put them on board the sloop after she was got out of the bay.
Our seaman was mightily pleased with this new partner; and their stocks,
indeed, were much alike, rich in tools, in preparations, and a farm, but
nothing to begin with, except as above; however, they carried over with them,
what was worth all the rest, some materials for planting sugar-canes, with
some plants of canes, which he, I mean the Portugal man, understood very well.
Among the rest of the supplies sent to my tenants in the island I sent them
by the sloop three milch cows and five calves, about twenty-two hogs among
them, three sows big with pig, two mares, and a stone-horse.
For my
Spaniards, according to my promise, I engaged three Portugal women to go,
and recommended them to marry them, and use them kindly. I could have
procured more women, but I remembered that the poor persecuted man had
two daughters, and that there were but five of the Spaniards that wanted,-
the rest had wives of their own, though in another country.
All this cargo arrived safe, and was very welcome to my old inhabitants,
who were now, with this addition, between sixty and seventy people, besides
little children, of which there were a great many. When I came back to
England, I found letters at London from them all, by way of Lisbon.
I have now done with the island, and all manner of discourse about it; and
whoever reads the rest of my memorandums would do well to turn his thoughts
entirely from it, and expect to read of the follies of an old man, not warned by
his own harms, much less by those of other men, to beware; not cooled
by almost forty years' miseries and disappointments,-- not satisfied with
prosperity beyond expectation, nor made cautious by afflictions and distress
beyond imitation.
I had no more business to go to the East Indies than a man at full liberty
has to go to the turnkey at Newgate and desire him to lock him up among the
prisoners there, and starve him. Had I taken a small vessel from England, and
gone directly to the island; had I loaded her, as I did the other vessel, with all
the necessaries for the plantation, and for my people; had I carried over
cannon and ammunition, servants and people to plant, and taken possession
of the place; fortified and strengthened it in the name of England,
and increased it with people, as I might easily have done; had I then
settled myself there, and sent the ship back laden with good rice, as
272

MEREKA
Cuand
3009
"He sat lolling back in a great elbow chair, and had his meat brought him
by two slaves, one of whom fed him with a spoon."
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
I might also have done in six months' time, and ordered my friends
to have fitted her out again for our supply,- had I done this, and
stayed there myself, I had at least acted like a man of common sense. But I
was possessed of a wandering spirit, and scorned all advantages. I pleased
myself with being a patron of the people I placed there, and doing for them in
a kind of haughty, majestic way, like an old patriarchal monarch, providing
for them as if I had been father of the whole family as well as of the plan-
tation. But I never so much as pretended to plant in the name of any
government or nation, or to acknowledge any prince, or to call my people
subjects to any one nation more than another. Nay, I never so much as gave
the place a name, but left it as I found it, belonging to nobody, and the people
under no discipline or government but my own; who, though I had influence
over them as a father and benefactor, had no authority or power to act or
command one way or other, farther than voluntary consent moved them to
comply; yet even this, had I stayed there, would have done well enough, but
as I rambled from them, and came there no more, the last letters I had from
any of them were by my partner's means, who afterwards sent another sloop
to the place, and who sent me word-though I had not the letter till I got to
London, several years after it was written-that they went on but poorly,
were discontented with their long stay there; that Will Atkins was dead,-
that five of the Spaniards were come away,-and though they had not been
much molested by the savages, yet they had had some skirmishes with them;
and that they begged of him to write to me to think of the promise I had made
to fetch them away, that they might see their country again before they died.
But I was gone a wild-goose chase, indeed; and they that will have any more
of me, must be content to follow me into a new variety of follies, hardships,
and wild adventures, wherein the justice of Providence may be duly observed;
and we may see how easily Heaven can gorge us with our own desires, make
the strongest of our wishes be our affliction, and punish us most severely with
those very things which we think would be our utmost happiness. Whether
I had business or not, away I went; it is no time now to enlarge upon the
reason or absurdity of my own conduct,—I was embarked for the voyage, and
the voyage I went..
I shall only add a word or two concerning my honest Popish clergyman,
for let their opinion of us be as uncharitable as it may, I verily believe this
man was very sincere, and wished the good of all men. I believe he was
upon the reserve in many of his expressions, to prevent giving me offence; for
I scarce heard him once call on the Blessed Virgin, or mention St Jago, or
his guardian angel, though so common with the rest of them. However, I
say, I had not the least doubt of his sincerity and pious intentions.
A ship being ready to sail for Lisbon, my pious priest asked me leave to go
thither; being still, as he observed, bound never to finish any voyage he began.
S
273
A Mada daşlar qatoriga. Mari
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
A man van d
How happy it had been for me if I had gone with him! But it was too late
now. All things Heaven appoints for the best. Had I gone with him, I had
never had so many things to be thankful for, and the reader had never heard
of the second part of the travels and adventures of Robinson Crusoe. From
the Brazils, we made directly over the Atlantic Sea to the Cape of Good Hope,
and had a tolerable good voyage, our course generally south-east, now and
then a storm, and some contrary winds. But my disasters at sea were at
an end, my future rubs and cross events were to befal me on shore, that it
might appear the land was as well prepared to be our scourge as the sea.
Our ship was on a trading voyage, and had a supercargo on board, who had
to direct all her motions after she arrived at the Cape, only being limited to a
certain number of days for stay, by charter party, at the several ports she was
to go to. This was none of my business, neither did I meddle with it; my
nephew, the captain, and the supercargo, adjusting all those things between
them as they thought fit.
We stayed at the Cape no longer than was needful to take in fresh water, but
made the best of our way for the coast of Coromandel. We were informed
that a French man-of-war, of fifty guns, and two large merchant ships, were
gone for the Indies, and as I knew we were at war with France, I had some appre-
hensions of them; but they went their own way, and we heard no more of them.
We touched first at the island of Madagascar, where, though the people are
fierce and treacherous, and very well armed with lances and bows, which they
use with inconceivable dexterity, yet we fared very well with them a while;
they treated us very civilly, and for some trifles which we gave them, such as
knives, scissors, etc., they brought us eleven good fat bullocks, which we took
in partly for fresh provisions for our present spending, and the rest to salt for
the ship's use.
We were obliged to stay here some time after we had furnished ourselves
with provisions; and I, who was always too curious to look into every nook of
the world wherever I came, went on shore as often as I could. We went on
shore one evening, and the people, who, by the way, are very numerous, came
thronging about us, and stood gazing at us at a distance; but as we had traded
freely with them, and had been kindly used, we thought ourselves in no danger.
We cut three boughs out of a tree, and stuck them up at a distance from us,
which is a mark in that country of a truce and friendship when it is accepted,
and the other side set up three poles or boughs; but then this is a known
condition of the truce, that you are not to pass beyond their three poles towards.
them, nor they to come past your three poles, or boughs, towards you; so that
you are perfectly secure within the three poles, and all the space between your
poles and theirs is allowed like a market for free converse, traffic, and commerce.
When you go there, you must not carry your weapons with you; and if they
come into that space, they stick up their javelins and lances all at the first poles,
A p
par maming and m
274
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
and come on unarmed; but if any violence is offered them, and the truce thereby
broken, away they run to the poles, and lay hold of their weapons, and the
truce is at an end.
One evening, when we went on shore, a greater number of their people came
down than usual, but all very friendly and civil. They brought several kinds
of provisions, for which we gave them toys; the women also brought us milk.
and roots, and several things very acceptable to us. All was quiet, and we
made us a little tent or hut of some boughs or trees, and lay on shore all night.
I know not what was the occasion, but I was not so well satisfied to lie on
shore as the rest; and the boat riding at anchor at about a stone's cast fron
the land, with two men in her to take care of her, I made one of them come
on shore, and getting some boughs of trees to cover us in the boat, I spread
the sail on the bottom of the boat, and lay under the cover of the branches of
the trees all night.
About two o'clock in the morning we heard one of our men make a terrible
noise on the shore, calling out, for God's sake, to bring the boat in, and come
and help them, for they were all like to be murdered; at the same time, I
heard the fire of five muskets, and that three times over; for it seems the
natives here were not so easily frightened with guns as the savages were in
America, where I had to do with them. All this while I knew not what was
the matter, but rousing immediately from sleep with the noise, I caused the
boat to thrust in, and resolved, with three fusces we had on board, to land
and assist our men.
We got the boat soon to the shore, but our men were in too much haste;
for being come to the shore, they plunged into the water, to get to the boat
with all the expedition they could, being pursued by between three and four
hundred men. Our men were but nine in all, and only five of them had
fusees with them; the rest had pistols and swords, indeed, but they were of
small use to them.
We took up seven of our men, and with difficulty enough too, three of them
being very ill wounded; and that which was still worse, was, that while we
stood in the boat to take our men in, we were in as much danger as they were
in on shore, for they poured their arrows in upon us so thick that we were
glad to barricade the side of the boat up with the benches, and two or three
loose boards, which, to our great satisfaction, we had by mere accident in the
boat. And yet, had it been daylight, they are, it seems, such exact marksinen,
that if they could have seen but the least part of any of us, they would have
been sure of us. We had, by the light of the moon, a little sight of them, as
they stood pelting us from the shore with darts and arrows; and having got
ready our fire-arms, we gave them a volley, that wounded several; however,
they stood thus in battle array on the shore till break of day, which we
supposed was that they might see the better to take their aim at us.
- KTM
peals Mag
275
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
In this condition we lay, and could not tell how to weigh our anchor, or set
up our sail, because we must needs stand up in our boat, and they were as sure
to hit us as we were to hit a bird in a tree with small shot. We made signals
of distress to the ship, and, though she rode a league off, yet my nephew, the
captain, hearing our firing, and by glasses perceiving the posture we lay in,
and that we fired towards the shore, pretty well understood us; and weighing
anchor with all speed, he stood as near the shore as he durst with the ship,
and then sent another boat, with ten hands in her, to assist us, but we called
to them not to come too near, telling them what condition we were in; however,
they stood in near to us, and one of the men taking the enl of a tow-line in
his hand, and keeping one boat between him and the enemy, so that they
could not perfectly see him, swam on board and made fast the line to the boat;
upon which we slipped out a little cable, and leaving our anchor behind, they
towed us out of reach of the arrows.
As soon as we were got from between the ship and the shore, that we could
lay her side to the shore, she ran along just by them, and poured in a broadside
among them, loaded with pieces of iron and lead, small bullets, and such stuff,
besides the great shot, which made a terrible havoc among them.
When we were got on board, and out of danger, we had time to examine
into the occasion of this fray; and, indeed, our supercargo, who had been often
in those parts, put me upon it; for he said he was sure the inhabitants would
not have touched us after we had made a truce, if we had not done something
to provoke them to it. It came out that an old woman who had come to sell
us some milk, had brought it within our poles, and a young woman with her,
who also brought some roots or herbs; and while the old woman was selling
us the milk, one of our men offered some rudeness to the wench that was with
her, at which the old woman made a great noise; however, the seaman would
not quit his prize, but carried her out of the old woman's sight among the
trees, it being almost dark. The old woman went away without her, and, as
we may suppose, made an outcry among the people she came from, who, upon
notice, raised this great army upon us in three or four hours, and it was great.
odds but we had all been destroyed.
One of our men was killed with a lance thrown at him just at the beginning
of the attack, as he sallied out of the tent they had made. The rest came off
free, all but the fellow who was the occasion of all the mischief, who paid dear
enough for his black mistress, for we could not hear what became of him for a
great while.
We lay upon the shore two days after, and made signals for him,
and made our boat sail up shore and down shore several leagues, but in vain,
we were obliged to give him over, and if he alone had suffered for it, the loss
had been less.
I could not satisfy myself, however, without venturing on shore once more,
to try if I could learn anything of him or them. It was the third night after
276

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
the action that I had a great mind to learn, if I could by any means, what
mischief we had done, and how the game stood on the Indians' side. I was
careful to do it in the dark, lest we should be attacked again; but I ought,
indeed, to have been sure that the men I went with had been under my
command, before I engaged in a thing so hazardous and mischievous as I was
brought into by it, without design.
We took twenty as stout fellows with us as any in the ship, besides the
supercargo and myself, and we landed two hours before midnight, at the same
place where the Indians stood drawn up the evening before.
We landed without any noise, and divided our men into two bodies, whereof
the boatswain commanded one and I the other. We neither saw nor heard
any body stir when we landed. We marched up, one body at a distance from
the other, to the place, but at first could see nothing, it being very dark, till
by-and-by our boatswain, who led the first party, stumbled and fell over a dead
body. This made them halt a while. Knowing by the circumstances that
they were at the place where the Indians had stood, they waited for my coming up
there. We concluded to halt till the moon began to rise, which we knew would
be in less than an hour, when we could discern the havoc we had made among
them. We told thirty-two bodies upon the ground, whereof two were not
quite dead; some had an arm, and some a leg shot off, and one his head.
When we had made, as I thought, a full discovery of all we could come to
the knowledge of, I resolved on going on board; but the boatswain and his party
sent me word that they were resolved to make a visit to the Indian town,
where these dogs, as they called them, dwelt, and asked me to go along with
them; and if they could find them, as they still fancied they should, they did
not doubt of getting a good booty; and it might be they would find Tom
Jeffrey there; that was the man's name we had lost.
Had they sent to ask my leave to go, I should have commanded them
instantly on board, knowing it was not a hazard fit for us to run, who had a ship
and ship-loading in our charge, and a voyage to make which depended very
much upon the lives of the men; but as they sent me word they were resolved
to go, and only asked me and my company to go along with them, I positively
refused. One or two of the men began to importune me to go, and when I
refused, began to grumble, and say they were not under my command, and
they would go. Come, Jack," said one of the men, "will you go with me?
I'll go for one." Jack said he would, and then another, and, in a word,
they all left me but one, whom I persuaded to stay, and a boy left in the boat.
So the supercargo and I, with the third man, went back to the boat, where
we told them we would stay for them, and take care to take in as many of
them as should be left; for I told them it was a mad thing they were going
about, and supposed most of them would have the fate of Tom Jeffrey.
(C
They told me, like seamen, they would warrant it they would come off again,

277

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
and they would take care, etc.; so away they went. I entreated them to
consider the ship and the voyage, that their lives were not their own, and that
they were entrusted with the voyage in some measure; that if they miscarried,
the ship might be lost for want of their help, and that they could not answer
for it to God or mau. But I might as well have talked to the mainmast of
the ship; they were mad upon their journey, only they gave me good words,
and begged I would not be angry; that they did not doubt but they would be
back again in about an hour at farthest, for the Indian town, they said, was
not above half a mile off, though they found it above two miles before they
got to it.
They all went away, and though the attempt was desperate, and such as
none but madmen would have gone about, yet to give them their due, they
went about it as warmly as boldly. They were gallantly armed, for they had
every man a fusee or musket, a bayonet, and a pistol; some of them had broad
cutlasses, some of them had hangers, and the boatswain and two more had
pole-axes; besides all which, they had among them thirteen hand grenadoes.
When they went out, their chief design was plunder, and they were in
mighty hopes of finding gold there; but a circumstance which none of them
were aware of set them on fire with revenge, and made devils of them all.
When they came to the few Indian houses which they thought had been the
town, not above half a mile off, they were under a great disappointment, for
there were not above twelve or thirteen houses; and where the town was, or
how big, they knew not. They consulted, therefore, what to do, and were
some time before they could resolve, for if they fell upon these they must cut
all their throats; it was ten to one but some of them might escape, it being in
the night, and if one escaped he would run and raise all the town, so they
should have a whole army upon them. Again, on the other hand, if they went
away and left those untouched-for the people were all asleep-they could not
tell which way to look for the town; however, the last was the best advice, so
they resolved to leave them, and look for the town as well as they could. They
went on a little way, and found a cow tied to a tree. This, they presently
concluded, would be a good guide to them; for, they said, the cow certainly
belonged to the town before them or the town behind them; and if they untied
her, they should see which way she went. If she went back, they had nothing
to say to her; but if she went forward, they would follow her; so they cut the
cord which was make of twisted flags, and the cow went on before them,
directly to the town; which consisted of about two hundred houses or huts,
and in some of these they found several families living together.
Here they found all in silence, as profoundly secure as sleep could make them;
and, first, they called another council, to consider what they had to do. They
resolved to divide themselves into three bodies, and to set three houses on fire
in three parts of the town, and as the men came out to seize them and bind
•
skapade, ak tett val Park
278
·
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
alleg skal laget att speak t
them, and so to search the rest of the houses for plunder; but they resolved to
march silently first through the town and see what demensions it was of, and
if they might venture upon it or not.
They did so, and desperately resolved that they would venture upon them;
but while they were animating one another to the work, three of them, who
were a little before the rest, called out aloud to them, and told them that they
had found Tom Jeffrey. They all ran up to the place, where they found the
poor fellow hanging up naked by one arm, and his throat cut. There was an
Indian house just by the tree, where they found sixteen or seventeen of the
principal Indians, who had been concerned in the fray with us before, and two
or three of thein wounded with our shot; our men found they were awake,
and talking one to another in that house, but knew not their number.
The sight of their poor mangled comrade so enraged them, that they swore
to one another they would be revenged, and that not an Indian that came into
their hands should have any quarter; and to work they went immediately, and
yet not so madly as might be expected from the rage and fury they were in.
Their first care was to get something that would soon take fire, but after a
little search, they found that would be to no purpose-for most of the houses
were low and thatched with flags and rushes, of which the country is so full;
so they presently made some wildfire, as we call it, by wetting a little powder.
on the palm of their hands, and in a quarter of an hour they set the town on
fire in four or five places, and particularly that house where the Indians were
not gone to bed.
As soon as the fire began to blaze, the poor frightened creatures began to
rush out to save their lives, but met with their fate in the attempt, and
especially at the door, where they drove them back, the boatswain himself
killing one or two with his pole-axe. The house being large, and many in it,
he did not care to go in, but called for a hand grenado, and threw it in among
them, which at first frightened them, but, when it burst, made such havoc
among them that they cried out in a hideous manner. In short, most of the
Indians who were in the open part of the house were killed or hurt with the
grenado, except two or three more who pressed to the door, which the
boatswain and two or three others kept, with their bayonets on the muzzles of
their pieces, and despatched all that came in their way; but there was another
apartment in the house, where the prince or king, or whatever he was, and
several others, were; and these were kept in till the house, which was by this
time all in a light flame, fell in upon them, and they were smothered together.
While this was doing I was very uneasy, and especially when I saw the
flames of the town, which, it being night, seemed to be just by me. My
nephew, the captain, who was roused by his men, seeing such a fire, was very
uneasy, not knowing what the matter was, or what danger I was in, especially
hearing the guns too-for by this time they began to use their fire-arms; not
279


LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
knowing what exigence we might be in, he took another boat, and with thirteen
men and himself came ashore to me.
He was surprised to see me and the supercargo in the boat with no more
than two men; and though he was glad that we were well, yet he was in some
impatience with us to know what was doing, for the noise continued, and the
flame increased. In short, it was next to an impossibility for any men in the
world to restrain their curiosity to know what had happened, or their concern
for the safety of the men. In a word, the captain told me he would go and
help his men, let what would come. I argued with him, as I did before with
the men--the safety of the ship, the danger of the voyage, the interest of the
owners and merchants, and told him I and the two men would go, and only
see if we could at a distance learn what was likely to be the event, and come
back and tell him. It was as vain to talk to my nephew, as it was to talk to
the rest before; he would go, he said, and he only wished he had left but ten
men in the ship, for he could not think of having his men lost for want of help.
I was no more able to stay behind now than I was to persuade them not to
go; so the captain ordered two men to row back the pinnace, and fetch twelve
men more, leaving the long-boat at an anchor; and that when they came back,
six men should keep the two boats, and six more come after us; so that he
left only sixteen men in the ship, for her whole company consisted of sixty-five
men, whereof two were lost in the late quarrel which brought this mischief on.
Being now on the march, we felt little of the ground we trod on; and being
guided by the fire, we kept no path, but went directly to the place of the flame.
If the noise of the guns was surprising to us before, the cries of the poor people
now filled us with horror. I was never at the sacking of a city, or the taking
of a town by storm. I had heard of Oliver Cromwell taking Drogheda, in
Ireland, and killing man, woman, and child. I had read of Count Tilly
sacking the city of Magdebourg, and cutting the throats of twenty-two
thousand of all sexes, but I never had an idea of the thing itself before, nor is
it possible to describe it, or the horror that was upon our minds at hearing it.
However, we went on, and at length came to the town, though there was no
entering the streets of it for the fire. The first object we niet was the ruins of
a hut, or rather the ashes of it, and just before it, plainly now to be seen by
the light of the fire, lay four men and three women killed, and, as we thought,
one or two more lay in the heap among the fire. We saw the fire increased
forward, and the cry went on just as the fire went on; so that we were in the
u most confusion. We advanced a little way farther, and behold, to our
astonishment, three naked women, and crying in a most dreadful manner,
came flying as if they had wings, and after them sixteen or seventeen men,
natives, in the same terror and consternation, with three of our English
butchers in the rear; who, when they could not overtake them, fired in among
them, and one that was killed by their shot fell down in our sight. When the
280
me streweng
vega dela p
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
rest saw us, believing us to be their enemies, and that we would murder them
as well as those that pursued them, they set up a most dreadful shriek, especially
the women, and two of them fell down, as if already dead, with fright.
!
My very soul shrank within me when I saw this; and I believe, had the
three English sailors that pursued them come on, I had made our men kill
them all; however, we took some means to let the poor flying creatures know
that we would not hurt them; and immediately they came up to us, with their
hands lifted up, made piteous lamentation to us to save them, which we let
them know we would; whereupon they crept altogether in a huddle close
behind us, as for protection. I left my men drawn up together, and charging
them to hurt nobody, but, if possible, to get at some of our people, and see
what devil it was possessed them, and what they intended to do, and to
command them off, assuring them that if they stayed till daylight they would
have a hundred thousand men about their ears. I say I left them, and went.
among those flying people, taking only two of our men with me; and there
was indeed a piteous spectacle among them; some of them had their feet
terribly burned, with trampling and running through the fire, others their
hands burned; one of the women had fallen down in the fire, and was very
much burned before she could get out again; and two or three of the men had
cuts in their backs and thighs, from our men pursuing; and another was shot
through the body, and died while I was there."
I would fain have learned what the occasion of all this was, but I could not
understand one word they said-though, by signs, I perceived some of them
knew not what was the occasion themselves. I was so terrified in my thoughts
at this outrageous attempt, that I could not stay there, but went back to my
own men, and resolved to go into the middle of the town, through the fire or
whatever might be in the way, and put an end to it, cost what it would.
Accordingly, as I came back to my men, I told them my resolution, and
commanded them to follow me, when, at the very moment, came four of our
men, with the boatswain at their head, roving over heaps of bodies they had
killed, all covered with blood, as if they wanted more people to massacre, when
our men hallooed to them as loud as they could halloo.
As soon as the boatswain saw us, he set up a halloo like a shout of triumph,
for having, as he thought, received more help; and without waiting to hear
me, "Captain," said he, "noble captain! I am glad you are come; we have
not half done yet: villanous, hell-hound dogs! I'll kill as many of them as
poor Tom has hairs upon his head. We have sworn to spare none of them;
we'll root out the very nation of them from the earth:" and thus he ran on,
out of breath too with action, and would not give us leave to speak a word.
At last, raising my voice, that I might silence him a little, "Barbarous dog!"
said I, “what are you doing? I won't have one creature touched more, upon
pain of death. I charge you, upon your life, to stop your hands, and stand
peter ms.
281

Ja da to my d
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
""
"do you
"Why, sir," said he;
still here, or you are a dead man this minute.'
know what you do, or what they have done? If you want a reason for what
we have done, come hither;" and with that he showed me the poor fellow
hanging with his throat cut.
I confess I was urged then myself, and at another time would have been
forward enough; but I thought they had carried their rage too far, and
remembered Jacob's words to his sons Simeon and Levi-" Cursed be their
anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel." But I had now a
new task upon my hands; for when the men I carried with me saw the sight,
as I had done, I had as much to do to restrain them as I should have had with
the others; nay, my nephew himself fell in with them, and told me, in their
hearing, that he was only concerned for fear of the men being overpowered;
and as to the people, he thought not one of them ought to live, for they had all
glutted themselves with the murder of the poor man, and that they ought to
be used like murderers. Upon these words, away ran eight of my men, with
the boatswain and his crew, to complete their bloody work; and I, seeing it
out of my power to restrain them, came away pensive and sad.
I got nobody to come back with me but the supercargo and two men, and
with these walked back to the boat. It was a very great piece of folly in me
to venture back as it were alone; for as it began now to be almost day, and
the alarm had run over the country, there stood about forty men armed with
lances and bows, at the little place where the twelve or thirteen houses stood,
mentioned before; but by accident I missed the place, and came directly to the
sea-side, and by the time I got there, it was broad day.
I observed, about the time that I came to the boat-side, that the fire was
pretty well out, and the noise abated; but in about half-an-hour after I got on
board, I heard a volley of our men's fire-arms, and saw a great smoke. This,
I understood afterwards, was our men falling upon the men, who, as I said,
stood at the few houses on the way, of whom they killed sixteen or seventeen,
and set all the houses on fire, but did not meddle with the women or children.
By the time the men got to the shore again with the pinnace, our men
began to appear. They came dropping in, not in two bodies, as they went,
but straggling here and there in such a manner, that a small force of
resolute men might have cut them all off. But the dread of them was
upon the whole country; and the men were surprised and so frightened,
that I believe a hundred of thein would have fled at the sight of but five of
our men. Nor in all this terrible action was there a man that made any
considerable defence. They were so surprised between the terror of the fire
and the sudden attack of our men in the dark, that they knew not which way
to turn themselves; if they fled one way they were met by one party, if back
again, by another; so that they were everywhere knocked down.
I was very angry with my nephew, the captain, and, indeed, with all the
282
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
men, but with him in particular, as well for his acting so out of his duty, as
commander of the ship, and having the charge of the voyage upon him, as in
his prompting, rather than cooling, the rage of his blind men, in so bloody and
cruel an enterprise. My nephew answered me very respectfully, but told me
that when he saw the body of the poor seaman whom they had murdered in so
cruel and barbarous a manner, he was not master of himself. He owned he
should not have done so, as he was commander of the ship; but as he was a
man, and nature moved him, he could not bear it. As for the rest of the men,
they were not subject to me at all, and they knew it well enough; so they
took no notice of my dislike.
The next day we set sail, so we never heard any more of it.
Our men
differed in the account of the number they had killed, but according to the
best of their accounts, put all together, they killed or destroyed about one
hundred and fifty people, men, women, and children, and left not a house
standing in the town. As for the poor fellow Tom Jeffrey, his throat was so
cut that his head was half off, so they took him down from the tree.
However just our men thought this action, I was against them in it, and I
always, after that time, told them God would blast the voyage; for I looked
upon all the blood they shed that night to be murder in them. For though it
is true that they had killed Tom Jeffrey, yet Jeffrey was the aggressor, had
broken the truce, and had violated a young woman of theirs, who came down
to them innocently, and on the faith of the public capitulation.
The boatswain defended this quarrel when we were afterwards on board.
He said it was true that we seemed to break the truce, but really had not; and
that the war was begun the night before by the natives themselves, who had shot
at us, and killed one of our men without any just provocation; so that as we
were in a capacity to fight them now, we might also be in a capacity to do
ourselves justice upon them in an extraordinary manner; that though the poor
man had taken a little liberty with the wench, he ought not to have been
murdered, and that in such a villanous manner.
We were now bound to the Gulf of Persia, and from thence to the coast of
Coromandel, only to touch at Surat. But the chief of the supercargo's design
lay at the Bay of Bengal, where, if he missed his business outward-bound, he
was to go up to China, and return to the coast as he came home.
The first disaster that befell us was in the Gulf of Persia, where five of our
men, venturing on shore on the Arabian side of the gulf, were surrounded by
the Arabians, and either all killed, or carried away into slavery; the rest of
the boat's crew were not able to rescue them, and had but just time to get off
their boat. I began to upbraid them with the just retribution of Heaven in
this case; but the boatswain very warmly told me he thought I went farther
in my censures than I could show any warrant for in Scripture; and referred
to Luke xiii. 4, where our Saviour intimates that those men on whom the
283
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
Tower of Siloam fell were not sinners above all the Galileans. But that which
put me to silence in the case was, that not one of these five men who were now
lost were of those who went on shore to the massacre of Madagascar, so I
always called it, though our men could not bear to hear the word massacre
with any patience.
But my frequent preaching to them on this subject had worse consequences
than I expected; and the boatswain, who had been the head of the attempt,
came up boldly to me one time, and told me he found that I brought that
affair continually upon the stage; that I made unjust reflections upon it, and
had used the men very ill on that account, and himself in particular; and that,
therefore, unless I would resolve to have done with it, and also not to concern
myself any farther with him, or any of his affairs, he would leave the ship. I
heard him patiently enough till he had done, and then told him that I confessed
I had all along opposed the massacre of Madagascar, and that I had on all
occasions spoken my mind freely about it, though not more upon him than
any of the rest. I conceived I had a right to speak even farther than I had
done, and would not be accountable to him or any one else, and began to be a
little warm with him. He made but little reply to me at that time, and I thought
the affair had been over. We were at this time in the road to Bengal; and
being willing to see the place, I went on shore with the supercargo, in the
ship's boat, to divert myself; and towards evening was preparing to go on
board, when one of the men came to me, and told me he would not have me
trouble myself to come down to the boat, for they had orders not to carry me
on board any more. Any one may guess what a surprise I was in at so insolent
a message. I asked the man who bade him deliver that message to me? He
told me the coxswain. I said no more to the fellow, but bade him let them
know he had delivered his message, and that I had given him no answer to it.
I immediately went and found out the supercargo, and told him the story,
adding, what I presently foresaw, that there would be a mutiny in the ship;
and entreated him to go immediately on board the ship in an Indian boat, and
acquaint the captain of it. But I might have spared this intelligence, for before
I had spoken to him on shore, the matter was effected on board. The
boatswain, the gunner, the carpenter, and all the inferior officers, as soon as I
was gone off in the boat, came up, and desired to speak with the captain; and
there the boatswain, making a long harangue, and repeating all he said to me,
told the captain, in a few words, that as I was now gone peaceably on shore,
they were loth to use any violence with me, which, if I had not gone on shore,
they would otherwise have done, to oblige me to have gone. They therefore
thought fit to tell him, that as they shipped themselves to serve in the ship
under his command, they would perform it well and faithfully; but if I would
not quit the ship, they would all leave her and sail no farther with him, and
at that word all, he turned his face towards the mainmast, which was, it seems,
284
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
•
the signal agreed on between them, at which the seamen, being got together
there, cried out, "One and all! one and all !”
My nephew was a man of spirit, and of great presence of mind; and though
he was surprised at the thing, he told them calmly that he would consider the
matter. He used some arguments with them, to show them the injustice of
the thing, but it was all in vain; they swore, and shook hands round before
his face, that they would all go on shore, unless he would engage not to suffer
me to come any more on board the ship.
This was a hard article upon him, so he began to talk smartly to them; told
them that I was a considerable owner of the ship, and that, in justice, he could
not put me out of my own house. But they all rejected the proposal, and said
they would have nothing to do with me any more; if I came on board, they
would all go on shore. Well," said the captain, "if you are all of this mind,
let me go on shore and talk with him." So away he came to me with his
account, a little after the message had been brought to me from the coxswain.
<<
I was very glad to see my nephew, for I was not without apprehensions that
they would confine me by violence, set sail, and run away with the ship; and
then I had been stripped naked in a remote country, having nothing to help
myself; in short, I had been in a worse case than when I was alone in the
island. But when my nephew told me what they had said to him, and how
they had sworn and shook hands that they would, one and all, leave the ship
if I was suffered to go on board, I told him he should not be concerned at it
at all, for I would stay on shore. I only desired he would take care and send
me all my necessary things on shore, and leave me a sufficient sum of money,
and I would find my way to England.
This was a heavy piece of news to my nephew, but there was no way to help
it but to comply; so he went on board the ship again, and satisfied the men
that his uncle had yielded to their importunity, and had sent for his goods
from on board the ship; so that the matter was over in a few hours.
I was now alone in the most remote part of the world, for I was nearly
three thousand leagues by sea farther off from England than I was at my
island; only, it is true, I might travel here by land over the Great Mogul's
country to Surat, might go from thence to Bassora by sea, up the Gulf of
Persia, and take the way of the caravans, over the Desert of Arabia, to Aleppo
and Scanderroon; thence by sea again to Italy, and so overland into France.
I had another way before me, which was to wait for some English ships, which
were coming to Bengal from Achin, on the island of Sumatra, and get passage
on board them for England. But as I came hither without any concern with
the East-India Company, so it would be difficult to go hence without their
license, unless with great favour of the captains of the ships, or the company's
factors; and to both I was an utter stranger.
Here I had the mortification to see the ship set sail without me; treatment a
285
STA JA,

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
man in my circumstances scarcely ever met with, except from pirates running
away with a ship, and setting those that would not agree with their villany on
shore. However, my nephew left me two servants, or rather, one companion
and one servant; the first was clerk to the purser, whom he engaged to go
with me; the other was his own servant. I took a good lodging in the house
of an English woman, where several merchants lodged, some French, two
Italians, or rather Jews, and one Englishman. Here I stayed above nine.
months, considering what course to take, and how to manage myself. I had
some English goods with me of value, and a considerable sum of money; my
nephew furnishing me with a thousand pieces-of-eight, and a letter of credit
for more, if I had occasion.
I quickly disposed of my goods to advantage; and, as I orignally intended,
I bought here some very good diamonds, which, of all other things, were the
most proper for me in my present circumstances, because I could always carry
my whole estate about me.
After a long stay here, and many proposals made for my return to England,
the English merchant who lodged with me, and with whom I had contracted.
au intimate acquaintance, came to me one morning. "Countryman," said he,
"I have a project to communicate to you, which, as it suits with my thoughts,
may, for aught I know, suit with yours also, when you shall have thoroughly
considered it. Here we are posted, you by accident, and I by my own choice,
in a part of the world very remote from our own country; but it is in a
country where, by us, who understand trade and business, a great deal of money
is to be got. If you will put one thousand pounds to my one thousand pounds,
we will hire a ship here, the first we can get to our minds; you shall be
captain, I'll be merchant, and we'll go a trading voyage to China; for what
should we stand still for? The whole world is in motion, rolling round and
round; all the creatures of God, heavenly bodies and earthly, are busy and
diligent; why should we be idle? There are no drones in the world but men;
why should we be of that number?"
I liked this proposal very well; and the more so because it seemed to be
expressed with so much good will, and in so friendly a manner. I will not
say but that I might, by my loose, unhinged circumstances, be the fitter to
embrace a proposal for trade, otherwise trade was none of my clement. How-
ever, I might perhaps say with some truth, that if trade was not my element,
rambling was; and no proposal for seeing any part of the world, which I had
not seen before, could possibly come amiss to me.
m
K
It was, however, some time before we could get a ship to our minds, and
when we had got a vessel, it was not easy to get English sailors; that is to
say, so many as were necessary to govern the voyage and manage the sailors
which we should pick up there. After some time we got a mate, a boatswain,
and a gunner-English;-a Dutch carpenter, and three foremast men.
With
286
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
·
these we found we could do well enough, having Indian seamen, such as they
were, to make up.
We made this voyage to Achin, in the island of Sumatra, and thence to
Siam, where we exchanged some of our wares for opium and some arrack; the
first a commodity which bears a great price among the Chinese, and which
at that time was much wanted there. We went up to Suskan, made a very
great voyage, were eight months out, and returned to Bengal. I was very well
satisfied with my adventure. Our people in England often admire how officers.
which the Company send into India, and the merchants which generally stay
there, get such very great estates as they do, and sometimes come home worth
sixty or seventy thousand pounds at a time; but it is no wonder, when we
consider the innumerable ports and places where they have a free commerce,
that it will be done; and when we consider that at those places and ports
where the English ships come, there is such great and constant demands for
the growth of all other countries, that there is a certain vent for the returns,
as well as a market abroad for the goods carried out.
In short, we made a very good voyage, and I got so much money by my
first adventure, and such an insight into the method of getting more, that had
I been twenty years younger, I should have been tempted to stay here, and
seek no farther for making any fortune; but what was all this to a man upwards
of three-score, that was rich enough, and came abroad more in obedience to a
restless desire of seeing the world, than a covetous desire of gaining by it?
And, indeed, I think it is with great justice I now call it restless desire, for it
was so. When I was at home, I was restless to go abroad; and when I was
abroad, I was restless to be at home. I thought that by this voyage I had
made no progress at all, because I was come back, as I might call it, to the
place whence I came, as to a home: whereas my eye, like that which Solomon
speaks of, was never satisfied with seeing. I was come into a part of the world
which I was never in before, a part which I had heard much of, and was
resolved to see as much of as I could; and then I thought I might say I had
seen all the world that was worth seeing.
But my fellow-traveller and I had different notions. I do not name this to
insist on my own, for I acknowledge his were the most just, and the more
suited to the end of a merchant's life, who, when he is abroad upon adventures,
is wise to stick to that as the best thing for him, which he is likely to get the
most money by. My new friend kept himself to the nature of the thing, and
would have been content to have gone like a carrier's horse, always to the
same inn, backward and forward, provided he could, as he called it, find his
account in it. On the other hand, mine was the motion of a mad, rambling
boy, that never cares to see a thing twice over. My friend, always upon the
search for business, proposed another voyage to me among the Spice Islands,
and to bring home a loading of cloves from the Manillas, or thereabouts;
287
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
P
places, indeed,.where the Dutch trade, but belonging partly to the Spaniards.
We went not so far, but to some other, where they have not the whole power,
as they have at Batavia, Ceylon, etc.
We were not long in preparing for this voyage; the chief difficulty was in
bringing me to come into it. However, at last, nothing else offering, and
finding that really stirring about and trading had more pleasure in it than
sitting still, I resolved on this voyage too, which we made very successfully,
touching at Borneo, and several islands whose names I do not remember, and
came home in about five months. We sold our spice, which was chiefly cloves.
and nutmegs, to the Persian merchants, who carried them away to the gulf;
and making near five of one, we really got a great deal of money.
My friend, when we made up this account, smiled at me: "Well, now," said
he, with a sort of agreeable insult upon my indolent temper, "is not this
better than walking about here, like a man with nothing to do, and spending
our time in staring at the nonsense and ignorance of the Pagans ?"" Why
truly," said I, "my friend, I think it is, and I begin to be a convert to the
principles of merchandising, but I must tell you, by the way, you do not know
what I am doing; for if I once conquer my backwardness, and embark
heartily, as old as I am, I shall harass you up and down the world till I tire
you; for I shall pursue it so eagerly, I shall never let you lie still.”
But to be short with my speculations, a little while after this there came in
a Dutch ship from Batavia; she was a coaster, not a European trader, of about
two hundred tous burthen. The men, as they pretended, having been so sickly
that the captain had not hands enough to go to sea with, he lay by at Bengal;
and having got money enough, or being willing, for other reasons, to go for
Europe, he gave public notice he would sell his ship. This came to my ears.
before my new partner heard of it, and I had a great mind to buy it; so I went
to him and told him of it. Musing some time, he replied, "She is a little too big;
but, however, we will have her." Accordingly, we bought the ship, and agree-
ing with the master, we paid for her, and took possession. When we had done
so, we resolved to engage the men, if we could, to join with those we had, for
the pursuing our business; but, on a sudden, they having received not their
wages, but their share of the money, as we afterwards learned, not one of them
was to be found. We inquired much about them, and at length were told
they were all gone together by land to Agra, the great city of the Mogul's resi-
dence, and from thence to travel to Surat, and go by sea to the Gulf of Persia.
I was troubled that I should miss the opportuity of going with them; for
such a ramble, I thought, and in such company as would both have guarded
and diverted me, would have suited mightily with my design; and I should
have both seen the world and gone homeward too; but I was much better
satisfied a few days after, when I came to know what sort of fellows they were.
Their history was, that this man they called captain was the gunner only, that
288

<<
3
Gle
211
The boatswain defended this quarrel when we were afterwards on board."

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
3
they had been a trading voyage, in which they had been attacked by some of
the Malays, who had killed the captain and three of his men; and that after
the captain was killed, these men, eleven in number, had resolved to run away
with the ship; which they did, and brought her to Bengal, leaving the mate
and five men on shore.
<<
Well, let them get the ship how they would, we came honestly by her, as
we thought, though we did not examine into things so exactly as we ought.
We picked up some more English sailors here after this, and some Dutch; and
now we resolved on a second voyage to the south-east for cloves, etc., that is
to say, among the Philippine and Molucca Isles; and, in short, I spent, from
first to last, six years in this country, trading from port to port, backward and
forward, with very good success, and was now the last year with my new
partner, going in the ship above mentioned, on a voyage to China, but design-
ing first to go to Siam, to buy rice.
In this voyage, being by contrary winds obliged to beat up and down a
great while in the Straits of Molucca, and among the islands, we were no
sooner got clear of those difficult seas than we found our ship had sprung a leak,
and we were not able to find out where it was. This forced us to make some
port, and my partner, who knew the country better than I did, directed
the captain to put into the river of Cambodia; for I had made the
English mate, one Mr Thomson, captain, not being willing to take the charge
of the ship upon myself. This river lies on the north side of the great bay or
gulf which goes up to Siam. While we were here, and going often on shore
for refreshments, there came to me one day an Englishman, a gunner's mate
on board an English East India ship, which rode in the same river, at or near
the city of Cambodia. What brought him hither we knew not; but he came
to me and spoke English. Sir," said he, "you are a stranger to me, I
to you, but I have something to tell you that very nearly concerns you.'
22
CC
((
I looked steadfastly at him a good while, and thought at first I had known
him, but I did not, "If it very nearly concerns me," said I, "and not yourself,
what moves you to tell it to me?". I am moved," said he, "by the imminent
danger you are in, and, for aught I see, you have no knowledge of it."-"I
know no danger I am in," said I, "but that my ship is leaky, and I cannot
find it out; but I intend to lay her aground to-morrow, to see if I can find
it.". But, sir," said he, "leaky or not leaky, find it or not find it, you will be
wiser than to lay your ship on shore to-morrow, when you hear what I have
to say to you. Do you know, sir," said he, "the town of Cambodia lies about
fifteen leagues up this river, and there are two large English ships about five
leagues on this side, and three Dutch ?"-" Well," said I," and what is that to
me?"—"Why, sir," said he, "is it for a man that is upon such adventures as
you are, to come into a port, and not examine first what ships there are there,
and whether he is able to deal with them? I suppose you do not think you
T
1
289

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
Sa Santa er den med. “
LAT, MA
The portable at nagsang ngan ang mangan
Apple
are a match for them?" I was very much amused at his discourse, but I
could not conceive what he meant; and I turned short upon him and said,
"Sir, I wish you would explain yourself. I cannot imagine what reason I
have to be afraid of any of the Company's ships, or Dutch ships. I am no
interloper; what can they have to say to me?" He looked like a man half
angry and half pleased, and pausing awhile, but smiling, "Well, sir," said he,
'if you think yourself secure, you must take your chance. I am sorry your
fate should blind you against good advice; but assure yourself, if you do not
put to sea immediately, you will the very next tide be attacked by five long-
boats full of men, and perhaps, if you are taken, you will be hanged for a
pirate, and the particulars be examined afterwards. I thought, sir," added he,
"I should have met with a better reception than this, for doing you a piece of
service of such importance."-"I can never be ungrateful," said I, "for any
service, or to any man that offers me any kindness; but it is past my
comprehension what they should have such a design upon me for. However,
since you say there is no time to be lost, and that there is some villanous
design on hand against me, I will go on board this minute, and put to sea
immediately, if my men can stop the leak, or if we can swim without stopping
it; but, sir," said I, "shall I go away ignorant of the cause of all this? Can
you give me no further light into it?"-"I can tell you but part of the story,
sir," said he; "but I have a Dutch seaman here with me, and I believe I
could persuade him to tell you the rest; but there is scarce time for it. The
short of the story is this, the first place, of which I suppose you know well
enough, that you were with this ship was at Sumatra; that there your captain
was murdered by the Malays, with three of his men, and that you, or some of those
that were on board with you, ran away with the ship, and are since turned
pirates. This is the sum of the story, and you will all be seized as pirates, I
can assure you, and executed with little
very ceremony." Now you speak
plain English," said I, "and I thank you; and though I know nothing that
we have done like what you talk of, yet seeing such a work is doing, as you
say, and that you seem to mean honestly, I will be upon my guard.”—“ Nay,
sir," said he, "do not talk of being upon your guard; the best defence is, to
be out of the danger. If you have any regard for your life, and the lives of all
your men, put to sea without fail, at high water, and as you have a whole tide
before you, you will be gone too far out before they can come down; for they
will come away at high water; and as they have twenty miles to come, you
will get near two hours of them by the difference of the tide, not reckoning
the length of the way."-"Well," said I, "you have been very kind in this;
what shall I do to you to make you amends?"- Sir," said he, "you may not
be willing to make me any amends, because you may not be convinced of the
truth of it. I will make an offer to you. I have nineteen months' pay due to
me on board the ship which I came out of England in; and the Dutchınan
(C
<<
200
sapna favrda për gruppent a g
pagpapadla venda a cat să c
da me pa
Magdalen, protegi
·
Pot" orgy out as
S
1.
4
:
-I
27
Punis
!
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
that is with me has seven months' pay due to him. If you will make good
our pay to us, we will go along with you; if you find nothing inore in it, we
will desire no more; but if we do convince you that we have saved your lives,
and the ship, and the lives of all the men in her, we will leave the rest to you."
I consented to this readily, and went immediately on board, and the two
men with me. As soon as I came to the ship's side, my partner, who was on
board, came out on the quarter-deck, and called to me with a great deal of
joy,-"O ho! O ho! we have stopped the leak; we have stopped the leak !"-
"Say you so?" said I; "thank God! but weigh anchor, then, immediately.".
"Weigh!" said he; "what do you mean by that? What is the matter?"-
"Ask no questions," said I; "but all hands to work, and weigh without losing
a minute. He was surprised; but, however, he called the captain, and he
immediately ordered the anchor to be got up; and though the tide was not
quite down, yet a little land-breeze blowing, we stood out to sea. Then I
called him into the cabin, and told him the story; and we called in the men,
and they told us the rest of it; but as it took up a great deal of time before
we had done, a seaman came to the cabin door, and called out to us that the
captain bade him tell us we were chased, "Chased!" said I; "by what?"-
"By five sloops, or boats," says the fellow, "full of men."-" Very well," said I,
"then it is apparent there is something in it." In the next place, I
ordered all our men to be called up, and told them there was a design to
seize the ship and take us for pirates, and asked them if they would stand by
us, and by one another; the men answered cheerfully one and all, that they
would live and die with us.
Cadet tag, Malaybala makan
P
The gunner had in the meantime orders to bring two guns to bear fore and
aft, out of the steerage, to clear the deck and load them with musket-bullets
and small pieces of old iron, and what came next to hand, and thus we made
ready for fight; but all this while we kept out to sea with wind enough, and
could see the boats at a distance, being five large long boats, following us
with all the sail they could make.
Two of those boats outsailed the rest, were near two leagues a-head of them,
and gained upon us considerably, so that we found they would come up with
us, upon which we fired a gun without ball to intimate that they should bring
to, and we put out a flag of truce, as a signal for parley; but they came
crowding after us, till they came within shot, when we took in our white flag,
they having made no answer to it, and hung out a red flag, and fired at them
with a shot. Notwithstanding this, they came on till they were near enough
to call to them with a speaking trumpet which we had on board; so we called
to them, and bade them keep off, at their peril.
It was all one; they crowded after us and endeavoured to come under our
stern, so as to board us on our quarter; upon which, seeing they were resolute
for mischief, and depended upon the strength that followed them, I ordered to
291
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
bring the ship to, so that they lay upon our broadside; when immediately we
fired five guns at them, one of which had been levelled so true as to carry away
the stern of the hindermost boat, and bring them to the necessity of taking
down their sail, and running all to the head of the boat, to keep her from
sinking; so she lay by, and had enough of it; but seeing the foremost boat
crowd on after us, we made ready to fire at her in particular. While this was
doing, one of the three boats that was behind made up to the boat which we
had disabled to relieve her, and we could see her take out the men. We called
again to the foremost boat, and offered a truce, to parley again, and to know
what her business was with us; but had no answer, only she crowded
close under our stern. Upon this, our gunner, who was a very dexterous fellow,
ran out his two chase-guns, and fired again at her, but the shot missing, the
men in the boat shouted, waved their caps and came on; but the gunner,
getting quickly ready again, fired among them a second time, one shot of
which, though it missed the boat itself, yet fell in among the men, and we
could easily see had done a great deal of mischief among them; but we took
no notice of that, wore the ship again, and brought our quarter to bear upon
them, and firing three guns more, we found the boat was almost split to pieces.
But, to complete their misfortune, our gunner let fly two guns at them again;
where we hit them we could not tell, but we found the boat was sinking, and
some of the men already in the water. Upon this, I immediately manned
out our pinnace, which we kept close by our side, with orders to pick up some
of the men if they could, and save them from drowning, and immediately
come on board the ship with them. Our men in the pinnace followed their
orders, and took up three men, one of whom was just drowning, and it was a
good while before we could recover him. As soon as they were on board, we
crowded all sail we could make, and stood farther out to sea.
Being thus delivered from a danger, which, though I knew not the reason.
of, yet seemed to be much greater than I apprehended, I resolved that we
should change our course, and not let any one know whither we were going; so
we stood out to sea eastward, quite out of the course of all European ships.
When we were at sea, we began to consult with the two seamen, and inquire
what the meaning of all this should be; and the Dutchman let us into the
secret at once, telling us that the fellow that sold us the ship was no more
than a thief that had run away with her. Then he told us that the captain,
whose name too he told us, though I do not remember it now, was treacher-
ously murdered by the natives on the coast of Malucca, with three of his men,
-and that he, this Dutchman, and four more, got into the woods, where they
wandered about a great while, till at length, he in particular, in a miraculous
manner, made his escape, and swam off to a Dutch ship, which, sailing near
the shore in its way from China, had sent their boat on shore for fresh water.
He then told us that he went to Batavia, where two of the seamen belonging
292
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
Dra
to the ship arrived, having deserted the rest in their travels, and gave an
account that the fellow who run away with the ship sold her at Bengal to a
set of pirates, who were gone a cruising in her, and that they had already
taken an English ship and two Dutch ships very richly laden.
This latter part we found to concern us directly, though we knew it to be
false; yet, as my partner said, very justly, if we had fallen into their hands,
and they had had such a prepossession against us beforehand, it had been in
vain for us to have defended ourselves, or to hope for any good quarter at their
hands, and therefore it was his opinion we should go directly back to Bengal,
from whence we came, without putting in at any port whatever.
I was some time of my partner's opinion; but after a little more serious
thinking I told him I thought it was a very great hazard for us to attempt
returning to Bengal, for that we were on the wrong side of the Straits of
Malucca, and that if the alarm was given, we should be sure to be waylaid on
every side, as well by the Dutch at Batavia as the English elsewhere;-that
if we should be taken, as it were, running away, we should even condemn our-
selves, and there would want no more evidence to destroy us. I also asked the
English sailor's opinion, who said he was of my mind, and that we should
certainly be taken. This danger a little startled my partner, and all the ship's
company, and we immediately resolved to go away to the coast of Tonquin,
and so on to the coast of China. This was approved of as the best method
for our security; and accordingly we steered away N.N.E., keeping above fifty
leagues off from the usual course to the castward. This, however, put us to
some inconvenience for, first, the winds, when we came that distance from
the shore, seemed to be more steadily against us, blowing almost trade, as we
call it, from the E. and E.N.E., so that we were a long while upon our voyage,
and we were but ill provided with victuals for so long a run; and, what was
still worse, there was some danger that those English and Dutch ships, whose
boats pursued us, whereof some were bound that way, might have got in before
us, and if not, some other ship bound to China might have information of us
from them, and pursue us with the same vigour.
I must confess I was now very uneasy, and thought myself, including the
late escape from the long-boats, to have been in the most dangerous condition
that ever I was in through my past life; for whatever ill circumstances I had
been in, I was never pursued for a thief before. I was in the worst plight
imaginable; for though perfectly innocent, I was in no condition to make that
innocence appear.
This made me very anxious to make an escape, though
which way to do it I knew not, or what port or place we could go to.
My
partner seeing me thus dejected, though he was concerned at first, began to
encourage me, and describing to me the several ports of that coast, told me he
would put in on the coast of Cochin China, or the bay of Tonquin, intending
afterwards to go to Macao, a town once in possession of the Portuguese.
S
293

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
Hither then we resolved to go; and, after a tedious and irregular course,
and very much straitened for provisions, we came within sight of the coast
very early in the morning. We resolved to put up into a small river, which,
however, had depth enough of water for us, and to see if we could, either
overland or by the ship's pinnace, come to know what ships were in any port
thereabouts. This happy step was our deliverance; for though we did not
immediately see any European ships in the Bay of Tonquin, yet the next
morning there came into the bay two Dutch ships; and a third, without any
colours, passed by at about two leagues distance, steering for the coast of
China, and in the afternoon went by two English ships steering the same.
course; and thus we thought we saw ourselves beset with enemies both one
way and the other. The place we were in was wild and barbarous,—the people
thieves, even by profession; and though we had not much to seek of them,
excepting a few provisions, yet it was with much difficulty that we kept
ourselves from being insulted by them in several ways.
volgde jedva da je matkan vaan paljasta
I have observed above that our ship sprung a leak at sea, and that we could
not find it out; and it happened that, as I have said, it was stopped unex-
pectedly, in the happy minute of our being to be seized by the Dutch and
English ships in the Bay of Siam; yet, as we did not find the ship so perfectly
tight and sound as we desired, we resolved while we were at this place to lay
her on shore, and take out what heavy things we had on board, and clean her
bottom, and, if possible, find out where the leaks were. Accordingly, having
lightened the ship, and brought all our guns and other moveables to one side,
we tried to bring her down, that we might come at her bottom; but, on second
thoughts, we did not care to lay her on dry ground, neither could we find out
a proper place for it.
The inhabitants, who had never been acquainted with such a sight, came
down the shore to look at us; and seeing the ship lie down on one side in such
a manner, and heeling in towards the shore, and not seeing our men, who were
at work on her bottom with stages, and with their boats on the off-side, they
presently concluded that the ship was cast away, and lay fast on the ground.
On this supposition, they all came about us in two or three hours' time with
ten or twelve large boats, having some of them eight, some ten men in a boat,
intending, no doubt, to have come on board and plundered the ship, and if
they found us there, to have carried us away for slaves to their king.
When they came up to the ship, and began to row round her, they discovered
us all hard at work on the outside of the ship's bottom and side, washing, and
graving, and stopping, as every seafaring man knows how. They stood for a
while gazing at us, and we, who were a little surprised, could not imagine what
their design was; but we took this opportunity to get some of us into the ship,
and others to hand down arms and ammunition to those that were at work, to
defend themselves with, if there should be occasion; and it was no more than
my
C
294
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
need, for in less than a quarter of an hour's consultation, they agreed that
the ship was really a wreck, and that we were all at work endeavouring to save
her, or to save our lives by the help of our boats; and when we handed our
arms into the boat, they concluded, by that motion, that we were endeavouring
to save some of our goods.
I immediately called to the men that worked upon the stages to slip them
down, and get up the side into the ship, and bade those in the boat row round
and come on board; and the few who were on board worked with all the
strength and hands we had to bring the ship to rights; but, however, neither
the men upon the stages nor those in the boats could do as they were ordered,
before the Cochin Chinese were upon them; and two of their boats boarded
our long-boat, and began to lay hold of the men as their prisoners.
The first man they laid hold of was an English seaman, a stout, strong fellow,
who having a musket in his hand, never offered to fire it, but laid it down in
the boat, like a fool, as I thought; but he understood his business better than
I could teach him, for he grappled the Pagan, and dragged him by main force
out of their boat into ours, where, taking him by the ears, he beat his head so
against the boat's gunnel, that the fellow died in his hands; and in the mean-
time a Dutchman, who stood next, took up the musket, and with the butt-end
of it so laid about him, that he knocked down five of them who attempted to
enter the boat. But this was doing little against resisting thirty or forty men,
who, fearless because ignorant of their danger, began to throw themselves into
the long-boat, where we had but five men in all to defend it; but the following
accident, which deserved our laughter, gave our men a complete victory.
Our carpenter being prepared to grave the outside of the ship, as well
as to pay the seams where he had calked her to stop the leaks, had got
two kettles just let down into the boat, one filled with boiling pitch, and the
other with rosin, tallow, and oil, and such stuff as the shipwrights use for that
work; and the man that attended the carpenter had a great iron ladle in his
hand, with which he supplied the men that were at work with the hot stuff.
Two of the enemy's men entered the boat just where this fellow stood, being
in the fore-sheets; he immediately saluted them with a ladle-full of the stuff,
boiling hot, which so burned and scalded them, being half-naked, that they
roared out like bulls, and, enraged with the fire, leaped both into the sea. The
carpenter saw it and cried out, "Well done, Jack! give them some more of it,"
and stepping forward himself, took one of the mops, and dipping it in the
pitch-pot, he and his man threw it among them so plentifully, that, of all the
men in the three boats, there was not one that escaped being scalded and
burned with it in a most frightful, pitiful manner.
I was never better pleased with a victory in my life; not only as it was a
perfect surprise to me, and that our danger was imminent before, but as we
got this victory without any bloodshed, except of that man the fellow killed.
patkan garter
}
295
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
with his naked hands, and which I was very much concerned at; for I was
sick of killing such poor wretches, even though it was in my own defence.
But to return to my story:-All the while this was doing, my partner and
I, who managed the rest of the men on board, had with great dexterity brought
the ship almost to rights, and having got the guns into their places again, the
gunner called to me to bid our boat get out of the way, for he would let fly
among them. I called back again to him, and bade him not offer to fire, for
the carpenter would do the work without him; but bade him heat another
pitch-kettle, which our cook, who was on board, took care of; but the enemy
was so terrified with what they had met with in their first attack, that they
would not come on again, and gave over the enterprise, finding it was not as
they expected. Thus we got clear of this merry fight; and having got some
rice, and some roots and bread, with about sixteen hogs, on board, two days
before, we resolved to stay here no longer, but go forward, whatever came of
it. We therefore got all our things on board the same evening, and the next
morning were ready to sail. In the meantime, lying at anchor at some distance
from the shore, we were not so much concerned, being now in a fighting posture,
as well as in a sailing posture, if any enemy had presented. The next day,
having finished our work within board, and finding our ship was perfectly
healed of all her leaks, we set sail.
When we were thus got to sea, we kept on N.E., as if we would go to the
Manillas or the Philippine Islands, and this we did that we might not fall into
the way of any of the European ships; and then we steered north, till we came
to the latitude of 22 degrees 30 minutes, by which means we made the island
Formosa directly, where we came to an anchor, in order to get water and fresh
provisions, which the people there, who are very courteous and civil in their
manners, supplied us with willingly, and dealt very fairly and punctually with
us in all their agreements, which is what we did not find among other people,
and may be owing to the remains of Christianity which was once planted here
by a Dutch missionary of Protestants, and is a testimony of what I have often
observed, viz., that the Christian religion, where it is received, always civilizes
the people and reforms their manners, whether it works saving effects upon
them or no.
Thence we sailed still north, keeping the coast of China at an equal distance,
till we knew we were beyond all the ports of China where our European ships
usually come; being resolved, if possible, not to fall into any of their hands,
especially in this country; where, as our circumstances were, we could not fail
of being entirely ruined.
Being now come to the latitude of 30 degrees, we resolved to put into the
first trading port we should come at; and standing in for the shore, a boat
came off two leagues to us with an old Portuguese pilot on board, who, knowing
us to be a European ship, came to offer his service, which, indeed, we were glad
296
ROBINSON crusoe.
makakap ketat med
of, and took him on board; upon which, without asking us whither we would
go, he dismissed the boat he came in, and sent it back.
I thought it was now so much in our choice to make the old man carry us
whither he would, that I began to talk to him about carrying us to the Gulf of
Nanquin, which is the most northern part of the coast of China. The old man
said he knew the Gulf of Nanquin very well; but smiling, asked us what we
would do there? I told him we would sell our cargo and purchase China
wares, calicoes, raw silks, tea, wrought silks, etc.; and so would return by the
same course we came. He told us our best port would have been to put in at
Macao, where we could not have failed of a market for our opium to our satis-
faction, and might for our money have purchased all sorts of Chinese goods as
cheap as we could at Nanquin.
Not being able to put the old man out of his talk, of which he was very
conceited, I told him we were gentlemen as well as merchants, and that we
had a mind to go and see the great city of Pekin, and the famous court of the
monarch of China. "Why, then," says the old man," you should go to Ningpo,
where, by the river which runs into the sea there, you may go up within five
leagues of the great canal. This canal is a navigable stream, which goes
through the heart of that vast Empire of China, crosses all the rivers, passes
some considerable hills by help of sluices and gates, and goes up to the city of
Pekin, being in length nearly two hundred and seventy leagues.
""
"Well," said I, "Seignior Portuguese, but that is not our business now.
The great question is, if you can carry us to the city of Nanquin, whence we
can travel to Pekin afterwards?" He said he could do so very well, and that
there was a great Dutch ship gone up that way just before. This gave me a
little shock, for a Dutch ship was now our terror, and we had much rather
have met the devil, at least if he had not come in too frightful a figure; and
we depended upon it that a Dutch ship would be our destruction, for we were
in no condition to fight them; all the ships they trade with into those parts
being of great burthen, and of much greater force than we were.
The old man found me under some concern when he named a Dutch ship,
and said to me, "Sir, you need be under no apprehensions of the Dutch. I
suppose they are not now at war with your nation ?"-"No," said I, "that is
true; but I know not what liberties men may take when they are out of the
reach of the laws of their own country."—"Why," said he, "you are no pirates;
what need you fear? They will not meddle with peaceable merchants, surely."
If I had any blood in my body that did not fly up into my face at that word,
it was hindred by some stop in the vessels appointed by nature to circulate it,
for it put me into the greatest disorder and confusion imaginable; nor was it
possible for me to conceal it, and the old man easily perceived it.
"Sir," said he, "I find you are in some disorder in your thoughts at my talk;
pray be pleased to go which way you think fit, and depend upon it, I'll do you
297
San Matte may mga ma
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
((
all the service I can."- Why, seignior," said I, "it is true I am a little
unsettled in my resolution at this time, whither to go in particular; and I am
something more so for what you said about pirates. I hope there are no
pirates in these seas; we are but in an ill condition to meet with them, for
you see we have but a small force, and are but very weakly manned.”—-“ Oh,
sir," said he, "don't be concerned; I do not know that there have been any
pirates in these seas these fifteen years, except one, which was seen, as I hear,
in the Bay of Siam, about a month since. She was not built for a privateer,
but was run away with by a reprobate crew that was on board, after the captain
and some of his men had been murdered by the Malayans, at or near the island
of Sumatra."-"What," said I, seeming to know nothing of the matter, "did
they murder the captain?"-"No," said he, "I don't understand that they
murdered him; but as they afterwards ran away with the ship, it is generally
believed that they betrayed him into the hands of the Malayans, who did
murder him, and perhaps they procured them to do it."-"Why, then," said I,
"they deserve death as much as if they had done it themselves."-"Nay," said
the old man, "they do deserve it; and they will certainly have it, if they light
upon any English or Dutch ship; for they have all agreed together, that if they
meet that rogue they'll give him no quarter."-" But," said I to him, "you say
the pirate is gone out of these seas; how can they meet with him, then ?".
<<
JUMAA, a dandy
Why, that's true," said he, "they do say so; but he was, as I tell you, in
the Bay of Siam, in the river Cambodia, and was discovered there by some
Dutchmen who belonged to the ship, and who were left on shore when they
ran away with her. Nay," continued he, "if the foremost boats had been well
seconded by the rest, they had certainly taken him; but he, finding only two
boats within reach of him, tacked about, and fired at those two, and disabled
them before the others came up, and then standing off to sea, the others were
not able to follow, and so he got away; but they had all so exact a description
of the ship, that they will be sure to know her; and wherever they find her,
they have vowed to give no quarter either to the captain or seamen, but to
hang them all up at the yard-arin."-"What!" said I," will they execute them,
right or wrong; hang them first, and judge them afterwards?"-"Oh, sir,
said the old pilot, "there is no need to make a formal business of it with such
rogues as those; let them tie them back to back, and set them a diving, 'tis no
more than they deserve."
""
4 page man de vê pêc
-alaga dan pada de a kom
I knew I had my old man fast on board, and that he could do no harm, so
I turned short upon him: "Well now, seignior," said I, "this is the very
reason why I would have you to carry us up to Nanquin, and not put back to
Macao, or to any other part of the country where the English or Dutch ships
come; for be it known to you, seignior, those captains of the English and
Dutch ships are a parcel of rash, proud, insolent fellows, that neither know
what belongs to justice, or how to behave themselves as the laws of God and
Kada se katalog man tag
Sa mga san gi ng tar det
298
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
nature direct; but being proud of their offices, and not understanding their
power, they would act the murderers to punish robbers." With this I told
him that this was the very ship they attacked, and gave him a full account of
the skirmish we had with their boats, and how foolishly and cowardly they
behaved. I told him all the story of our buying the ship, and how the
Dutchmen served us.
A
Valigering. We began gapagtate a
<<
The old man was amazed at this relation, and told us we were right to go
away to the north; and that if he might advise us, it should be to sell the ship
in China, and buy or build another in the country. I told him I would take
his advice when I came to any port where I could find a ship for my turn, or
get any customer to buy this. He replied, I should meet with customers
enough for the ship at Nanquin, and that a Chinese junk would serve me very
well to go back again; and that he would procure me people both to buy the
one and sell the other. Well, but, seignior," said I, " as you say they know
the ship so well, I may, pahaps, if I follow your measures, be instrumental in
bringing some honest, innocent men into a terrible broil, and perhaps to be
murdered in cold blood, for wherever they find the ship, they will prove the
guilt upon the men by proving this was the ship."-"Why," said the old man,
I'll find out a way to prevent that also; for as I know all those commanders
you speak of very well, and shall see them all as they pass by, I will be sure
to set them to rights in the thing, and let them know that they have been so
much in the wrong; that though the people who were on board at first might
run away with the ship, yet it was not true that they had turned pirates; and
that, in particular, these were not the men that first went off with the ship,
but innocently bought her for their trade."
We went forward directly for Nanquin, and in about thirteen days' sail came
to an anchor, at the south-west point of the great Gulf of Nanquin, where I came
by accident to understand that two Dutch ships were gone before me, and that I
should certainly fall into their hands. I consulted my partner in this exigency,
and he was as much at a loss as I was, and would very gladly have been safe
on shore almost anywhere; however, I asked the old pilot if there was no creek
or harbour which I might put into and pursue my business with the Chinese
privately, and be in no danger of the enemy. He told me, if I would sail to
the southward about forty-two leagues, there was a little port called Quinchang,
where the fathers of the mission usually landed from Macao, on their progress
to teach the Christian religion to the Chinese, and where no European ships
ever put in; and if I thought to put in there, I might consider what farther
course to take when I was on shore. He confessed, he said, it was not a place
for merchants, except that at certain times they had a kind of a fair there,
when the merchants from Japan came thither to buy Chinese merchandise.
We all agreed to go back to this place. The name of the port, as he called.
it, I may perhaps spell wrong, for I do not particularly remember it, having

oglądal
---------
299
LIFE AND ADVENTURES of
lost this, together with the names of many other places set down in a little
pocket-book, which was spoiled by the water by an accident; but this I
remember, that the Chinese or Japanese merchants we corresponded with
called it by a different name from that which our Portuguese pilot gave it,
and pronounced it as above, Quinchang.
As we were unanimous in our resolution to go to this place, we weighed
the next day, having only gone twice on shore to get fresh water, on both
which occasions the people of the country were very civil to us, and brought
abundance of things to sell to us; provisions, plants, roots, tea, rice, and some
fowls, but nothing without money.
A p
We did not come to the other port for five days; but I was very thankful
when I set my foot on shore, resolving, and my partner too, that if it was
possible to dispose of ourselves and effects any other way, though not every
way to our satisfaction, we would never set foot on board that unhappy vessel
more; and indeed, I must acknowledge, that of all the circumstances of life
that ever I had any experience of, nothing makes mankind so completely
miserable as that of being in constant fear. Well does the Scripture say,
The fear of man brings a snare.”
Nor did it fail of its usual operations upon the fancy, by heightening every
danger; representing the English and Dutch captains to be men incapable of
hearing reason, or of distinguishing between honest men and rogues, or
between a story calculated for our own turn, made out of nothing, on purpose
to deceive, and a true genuine account of our whole voyage, progress, and
design; for we might many ways have convinced any reasonable creatures that
we were not pirates; the goods we had on board, the course we steered, our
frankly showing ourselves, and entering into such and such ports; and even
onr very manner, the force we had, the number of men, the few arms, the little
ammunition, short provisions; all these would have served to convince any ment
that we were no pirates. The opium and other goods we had on board would
make it appear the ship had been at Bengal. The Dutchmen, who, it was said,
had the names of all the men that were in the ship, might easily see that we
were a mixture of English, Portuguese, and Indians, and but two Dutchmen
on board. These, and many other particular circumstances, might have made.
it evident to the understanding of any commander whose hands we might fall
into, that we were no pirates. But fear worked another way, and threw us
iuto the vapours. We first supposed, as indeed everybody had related to us,
that the seamen on board the English and Dutch ships, but especially the
Dutch, were so enraged at the name of a pirate, and especially at our beating
off their boats and escaping, that they would not give themselves leave to
inquire whether we were pirates or no, but would execute us off hand, without
giving us any room for a defence. We reflected that there really was so much
apparent evidence before them, that they would scarce inquire after any more; as,
300
ROBINSON crusoe.
first, that the ship was certainly the same, and that some of the seamen among
them knew her, and had been on board of her; and, secondly, that when we
had intelligence at the river of Cambodia that they were coming down to
examine us, we fought their boats and fled; so that we made no doubt but
they were as fully satisfied of our being pirates as we were satisfied of
the contrary.
These were our apprehensions, and both my partner and I scarce slept a
night without dreaming of halters and gibbets; of fighting, and being taken;
of killing, and being killed. One night I was in such a fury in my dream,
fancying the Dutchmen had boarded us, and I was knocking one of their
seamen down, "that I struck my double fist against the side of the cabin I lay
in with such a force as wounded my hand grievously, broke my knuckles, and
cut and bruised the flesh, so that it awaked me out of my sleep.
Another apprehension I had was, the cruel usage we might meet with from
them if we fell into their hands. Then the story of Amboyna came into my
head, and how the Dutch might perhaps torture us, as they did our countrymen
there, and make some of our men, by extremity of torture, confess those crimes.
they never were guilty of, or own themselves and all of us to be pirates, and so
they would put us to death with a formal appearance of justice. These things
tormented me, and my partner too, night and day.
I cannot refrain taking notice here what reflections I now had upon the vast
variety of my particular circumstances; how hard I thought it was that I, who
had spent forty years in a life of continual difficulties, and was at last come, as
it were, to the haven which all men drive at, viz., to have rest and plenty,
should be a volunteer in new sorrows by my own unhappy choice; and that I,
who had escaped so many dangers in my youth, should now come to be hanged
in my old age, and in so remote a place, for a crime which I was not in the
least inclined to, much less guilty of.
After these thoughts, something of religion would come in, and I would be.
considering that this seemed to me to be a disposition of Providence, and that
I ought to look upon it and submit to it as such; that although I was innocent
as to man, I was far from being innocent as to my Maker. In its turn, natural
courage would take its place, and then I would be talking myself up to
vigorous resolutions; that I would not be taken to be barbarously used by a
parcel of merciless wretches in cold blood; that it were much better to have
fallen into the hands of the savages, though I was sure they would feast upon
me when they had taken me, than those who would perhaps glut their rage
upon me by inhuman tortures and barbarities. Whenever these thoughts
prevailed, I was sure to put myself into a kind of fever with the agitation of a
supposed fight; my blood would boil, and my eyes sparkle, as if I was engaged,
and I always resolved to take no quarter at their hands. The greater weight
the anxieties and perplexities of these things were to our thoughts while we
301
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
mg + c d vita vrta, dan gun
were at sea, the greater was our satisfaction when we saw ourselves on shore;
and my partner told me he dreamed that he had a very heavy load upon his
back, which he was to carry up a hill, and found that he was not able to stand
longer under it, but that the Portuguese pilot came and took it off his back,
and the hill disappeared, the ground before him appearing all smooth and plain.
And truly it was so; they were all like men who had a load taken off their
backs. For my part, I had a weight taken off from my heart that it was not
able any longer to bear; and, as I said above, we resolved to go no more to
sea in that ship. When we came on shore, the old pilot, who was now our
friend, got us a lodging and a warehouse for our goods. It was a little house,
with a larger house adjoining to it, all built with canes, and palisadoed round
with large canes, to keep out thieves, of which there were not a few in that
country; however, the magistrates allowed us a little guard, and we had a
soldier, with a kind of halberd or half-pike, who stood sentinel at our door; to
whom we allowed a pint of rice, and a little piece of money, about the value of
threepence per day, so that our goods were kept very safe.
The fair or mart, usually kept in this place, had been over some time;
however, we found that there were three or four junks in the river, and two
ships from Japan, with goods they had bought in China, and were not gone
away, having some Japanese merchants on shore.
The first thing our old Portuguese pilot did for us was, to get us acquainted
with three missionary Romish priests who were in the town, and who had been
there some time converting the people to Christianity. One of these was a
Frenchman, whom they called Father Simon, another was a Portuguese, and
the third a Genoese. Father Simon was courteous, easy in his manner, and
very agreeable company; the other two were more reserved, seemed rigid and
austere, and applied seriously to the work they came about, viz., to talk with,
and insinuate themselves among the inhabitants wherever they had opportunity.
Father Simon was appointed, by order of the chief of the mission, to go up
to Pekin, the royal seat of the Chinese emperor, and waited only for another
priest, who was ordered to come to him from Macao, to go along with him;
and we scarce ever met together but he was inviting me to go that journey,
telling me how he would show me all the glorious things of that mighty empire,
and, among the rest, the greatest city in the world; "a city," said he, "that
your London and our Paris put together cannot be equal to. This was the
city of Pekin, which, I confess, is very great, and infinitely full of people; but
as I looked on those things with different eyes from other men, so I shall give
my opinion of them in a few words, when I come in the course of my travels
to speak more particularly of them.
"
Dining with him one day, and being very merry together, I showed some
little inclination to go with him; and he pressed me and my partner very hard,
and with a great many persuasions, to consent. "Why, Father Simon," said
302
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
Sempre a dete aj v
my partner, "should you desire our company so much? You know we are
heretics, and you do not love us, nor cannot keep us company with any
pleasure.' "Oh!" said he, "you may be good Catholics in time; my business
here is to convert heathens, and who knows but I may convert you too?"-
"Very well, Father," said I, "so you will preach to us all the way?"-"I will
not be troublesome to you," said he; "our religion does not divest us of good
manners; besides, we are here like countrymen; and so we are, compared to
the place we are in; and if you are Huguenots, and I a Catholic, we may all
be Christians at last; at least, we are all gentlemen, and we may converse so,
without being uneasy to one another."
But to leave him a little, though he never left us, nor soliciting us to go
with him, we had something else before us at first, for we had all this while
our ship and our merchandise to dispose of, and we began to be very doubtful
what we should do, for we were now in a place of very little business; and
once I was about to venture to sail for the river of Kilam, and the city of
Nanquin, but Providence seemed now more visibly, as I thought, than ever,
to concern itself in our affairs; and I was encouraged, from this very time, to
think I should, one way or other, get out of this entangled circumstance, and
be brought home to my own country again, though I had not the least view of
the manner. The first thing that offered was, that our old Portuguese pilot
brought a Japan merchant to us, who inquired what goods we had; and, in
the first place, he bought all our opium, and gave us a very good price for it,
paying us in gold by weight, some in small pieces of their own coin, and some
in small wedges, of about ten or twelve ounces each. While we were dealing
with him for our opium, it came into my head that he might perhaps deal for
the ship too, and I ordered the interpreter to propose it to him. He shrunk
up his shoulders at it when it was first proposed to him; but in a few days
after he came to me, with one of the missionary priests for his interpreter, and
told me he had a proposal to make to me, which was this:—He had bought a
great quantity of goods of us, when he had no thoughts of proposals made to
him of buying the ship, and that therefore he had not money enough to pay
for the ship, but if I would let the same men who were in the ship navigate
her, he would hire the ship to go to Japan; and would send them thence to
the Philippine Islands with another loading, which he would pay the freight
of before they went from Japan.
""
But to bring this long turn of our affairs to a conclusion; the first thing we
had to do was, to consult with the captain of the ship and with his men, and
know if they were willing to go to Japan; and while I was doing this, the
young man whom my nephew had left with me as my companion for my
travels, came to me, and told me that he thought that voyage promised very
fair, and that there was a great prospect of advantage, and he would be very
glad if I undertook it; but that if I would not, and would give him leave, he

303
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
would go as a merchant, or as I pleased to order him; that if ever he
came to England, and I was there and alive, he would render me a faithful
account of his success, which should be as much mine as I pleased. I was
loath to part with him, but considering the prospect of advantage, and that he
was a young fellow as likely to do well in it as any I knew, I inclined to let
him go. My partner and I discoursed about it, and he made a most generous
offer: "You know it has been an unlucky ship," said he, "and we both resolve
not to go to sea in it again; if your steward (so he called my man) will venture
the voyage, I will leave my share of the vessel to him, and let him make the
best of it; and if we live to meet in England, and he meets with success
abroad, he shall account for one half of the profits of the ship's freight to us,
the other shall be his own.
""
If my partner, who was no way concerned with my young man, made him
such an offer, I could do no less than offer him the same; and all the ship's
company being willing to go with him. We made over half the ship to him
in property, and took a writing from him obliging him to account for the
other; and away he went to Japan. The Japan merchant proved a very
punctual, honest man to him; protected him at Japan, and got him a license
to come on shore; paid him his freight very punctually; sent him to the
Philippines, loaded with Japan and China wares, and a supercargo of their
own, who trafficking with the Spaniards, brought back European goods again,
and a great quantity of cloves and other spices; and there he was not only
paid his freight very well, but not being willing to sell the ship then, the
merchant furnished him goods on his own account; and with some money,
and some spices of his own which he brought with him, he went back to the
Manillas to the Spaniards, where he sold his cargo very well. Here, having
got a good acquaintance at Manilla, he got his ship made a free ship, and the
governor of Manilla hired him to go to Acapulco, in America, on the coast of
Mexico, and gave him a license to land there, and to travel to Mexico, and to
pass in any Spanish ship to Europe with all his men.
Being now to part with the ship and ship's company, it came before us to
consider what recompense we should give to the two men that gave us such
timely notice of the design against us in the river Cambodia. They had done
us a very considerable service, and deserved well at our hands, though, by the
way, they were a couple of rogues too; for, as they believed the story of our
being pirates, and that we had really run away with the ship, they came down.
to us, not only to betray the design that was formed against us, but to go to
sea with us as pirates; and one of them confessed afterwards that nothing
else but the hopes of going a-roguing brought him to do it; however, the
service they did us was not the less; and, therefore, as I had promised to be
grateful to them, I first ordered the money to be paid them which they said
was due to them on board their respective ships; over and above that, I
304
Pak, beggWNA SA
met zyn MRT S


ROBINSON CRUSOE.
gave each of them a small sum of money in gold, which contented them
very well.
We were now on shore in China. If I thought myself remote from my
own country at Bengal, where I had many ways to get home for my money,
what could I think of myself now, when I was got about a thousand leagues
farther off from home, and perfectly destitute of all prospect of return? All
we had for it was this, that in about four months' time there was to be another
fair at the place where we were, and then we might be able to purchase all
sorts of the manufactures of the country, and withal might find some Chinese
junks or vessels from Tonquin that would be sold, and would carry us and
our goods whither we pleased. This I liked very well, and resolved to wait;
besides, as our particular persons were not obnoxious, so if any English or
Dutch ships came thither, perhaps we might have an opportunity to load our
goods, and get passage to some other place in India nearer home. Upon
these hopes we resolved to continue here; but, to divert ourselves, we took
two or three journeys into the country. We went ten days' journey to the
city of Nanquin, a city well worth seeing indeed. They say it has a million.
of people in it; it is regularly built, the streets all exactly straight, and cross
one another in direct lines, which gives the figure of it great advantage.
I was now, as near as I can compute, in the heart of China, about thirty
degrees north of the line, for we were returned from Nanquin. I had a mind
to see the city of Pekin, which I had heard so much of, and Father Simon
importuned me daily to do it. At length his time of going away being set,
and the other missionary who was to go with him being arrived from Macao,
it was necessary that we should resolve cither to go or not; so I referred it
wholly to my partner, and left it to his choice, who at length resolved it in the
affirmative, and we prepared for our journey. We set out with very good
advantage, for we got leave to travel in the retinue of one of their mandarins,
a kind of viceroy or principal magistrate in the province where they reside,
and who take great state upon them, travelling with great attendance and
great homage from the people, who are sometimes greatly impoverished by
them, being obliged to furnish provisions for them and all their attendants
in their journeys. That which I particularly observed in our travelling with
his baggage, was this, that though we received sufficient provisions both for
ourselves and our horses from the country, as belonging to the mandarin, yet
we were obliged to pay for everything we had, after the market price of the
country, and the mandarin's steward collected it duly from us; so that our
travelling in the retinue of the mandarin, though it was a very great kindness
to us, was rather an advantage to him than a favour to us.
We were twenty-five days travelling to Pekin, through a country infinitely
populous, but badly cultivated; the husbandry, the economy, and the way of
living being very miserable. The pride of the people is infinitely great, and
305
Barakar ara
motor várny SaPAN Car St
POVEY TO
DJ M
A PORTO Paten
De La Pambamo pet BOOTH NAČ
By Tags
te team fi quđe vrag SNGEZABETAVIA, PAGEAN“ me regatan an de an T
Magar Jaggart, capata degementet masala ya maturatat,
Watson, Mang berdem k v
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
Wil
exceeded by nothing but their poverty. I travelled more pleasantly afterwards
in the deserts and vast wildernesses of Grand Tartary than here, and yet the
roads are well kept, and very convenient for travellers; but nothing was more
awkward to me than to see such a haughty, imperious, insolent people, in the
midst of the grossest simplicity and ignorance. My friend Father Simon and
I used to be very merry to see the beggarly pride of these people. For ex-
ample, coming by the house of a country gentleman, as Father Simon called him,
about ten leagues of the city of Nankin, we had first of all the honour to ride
with the master of the house about two miles. The state he rode in was a
perfect Don Quixotism, being a mixture of pomp and poverty. His habit was
very proper for a scaramouch, or merry-andrew, being a dirty calico, with
hanging sleeves, tassels, and cuts and slashes almost on every side; it covered a
taffety vest, as greasy as a butcher's, and which testified that his honour must
be a most exquisite sloven. His horse was but a poor, starved, hobbling
creature, and he had two slaves who followed him on foot to drive the poor
creature along. We travelled on gently, but this figure of a gentleman rode.
away before us; and as we stopped at a village about an hour to refresh us,
when we came by the country seat of this great man, we saw him in a little
place before his door, eating a repast. It was a kind of garden, but he was
easy to be seen; and we were given to understand that the more we looked at
him the better he would be pleased. He sat under a tree, something like the
palmetto, which effectually shaded him over the head, and on the south side;
but under the tree was placed a large umbrella, which made that part look
well enough. He sat lolling back in a great elbow-chair, being a heavy,
corpulent man, and had his meat brought him by two women slaves, one of
whom fed him with a spoon, and the other held the dish and scraped off what
he let fall upon his beard and taffety vest.
Leaving the poor wretch to please himself with our looking at him, as if we
admired his pomp, though we really pitied and contemned him, we pursued
our journey; only Father Simon had the curiosity to inform himself what
dainties the country justice had to feed on in all his state, and which was, a
mess of boiled rice, with a great piece of garlic in it, and a little bag filled with
green pepper, and another plant which they have there something like our
ginger, but smelling like musk, and tasting like mustard; all this was put
together, and a small piece of lean mutton boiled in it, and this was his
worship's repast.
As for our mandarin with whom we travelled, he was respected as a king,
surrounded always with his gentlemen, and attended in all his appearances
with such pomp, that I saw little of him but at a distance. But this I
observed, that there was not a horse in his retinue but that our carriers' pack-
horses in England seemed to me to look much better; though it was hard to
judge rightly, for they were so covered with equipage, mantles, trappings, etc.,
Pagja
dede alleged man pa star stapletong And mana ke manganya.
•
306

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
1
that we could scarce see anything but their feet and their heads as they
went along.
I was now light-hearted. All my trouble and perplexity being over, I had
no anxious thoughts about me, which made this journey the pleasanter to me;
nor had any ill accident attended me, only in fording a small river my horse
fell, and made me free of the country,-that is to say, threw me in. The place
was not deep, but it wetted me all over. I mention it because it spoiled my
pocket-book, wherein I set down the names of several people and places which
I had occasion to remember, and which not taking due care of, the leaves
rotted, and the words were never after to be read, to my great loss as to the
names of some of the places I touched at in this journey.
At length we arrived at Pekin. I had nobody with me but the youth whom
my nephew the captain had given me to attend as a servant, and who proved
very trusty and diligent. As for the Portuguese pilot, he being desirous to
see the court, we bore his charges for his company, and to use him as an
interpreter, for he understood the language of the country, and spoke good
French and a little English; and, indeed this old man was most useful to us
every where; for we had not been above a week at Pekin, when he came
laughing, "Ab, Seignior Inglese," said he, "I have something to tell will make
your heart glad."-"My heart glad," said I; "what can that be? I don't know
anything in this country can give me joy or grief to any great degree."—" Yes,
yes," said the old man, in broken English, "make you glad, me sorry.".
"Why," said I, "will it make you sorry?"-"Because," said he, "you have
brought me here twenty-five days' journey, and will leave me to go back alone;
and which way shall I get to my port afterwards without a ship, without a
horse, without pecune?"-so he called money, being his broken Latin, of
which he had abundance to make us merry with. In short, he told us there
was a great caravan of Muscovite and Polish merchants in the city, preparing
to set out on their journey by land to Muscovy, within four or five weeks, and
he was sure we would take the opportunity to go with them, and leave him to
go back alone.
te
I confess I was greatly surprised with this good news, and had scarce power.
to speak to him for some time; but at last I turned to him, "How do you
know this?" said I; "are you sure it is true?"-"Yes," said he;
Yes," said he; "I met this
morning in the street an old acquaintance of mine, an Armenian, who is among
them. He came last from Astracan, and was designing to go to Tonquin, where
I formerly knew him, but has altered his mind, and is now resolved to go with
the caravan to Moscow, and so down the river Wolga to Astracan. Well,
Seignior," said I, "do not be uneasy about being left to go back alone; if this
be a method for my return to England, it shall be your fault if you go back to
Macoa at all." We then went to consult together what was to be done; and I
asked my partner what he thought of the pilot's news, and whether it would
"
<<
307
St Mar
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
$
suit with his affairs?" He told me he would do just as I would; for he had
settled all his affairs so well at Bengal, and left his effects in such good hands,
that as we had made a good voyage here, if he could invest it in China silks,
wrought and raw, such as might be worth the carriage, he would be content
to go to England, and then make his voyage back to Bengal by the
Company's ships.
Having resolved upon this, we agreed that if our Portuguese pilot would go
with us, we would bear his charges to Moscow, or to England, if he pleased,
the service he had done us being really worth more than that; for he had not
only been a pilot to us at sea, but he had been like a broker for us on shore;
and his procuring for us the Japanese merchant was some hundreds of
pounds at the least in our pockets. So we consulted together about
it, and being willing to gratify him, and very willing also to have him
with us, we agreed to give him a quantity of coined gold, which, as I
compute it, came to about one hundred and seventy-five pounds sterling
between us, and to bear all his charges, both for himself and horse, except
only a horse to carry his goods. Having settled this between ourselves, we
called him to let him know what we had resolved. I told him what we had
resolved to give him here, which he might lay out as we would do our own;
and that as for his charges, if he would go with us we would set him safe on
shore (life and casualties excepted), either in Muscovy or England, which he
would, at our own charge, except only the carriage of his goods. He received
the proposal like a man transported, and told us he would go with us over
the whole world; and so we all prepared for our journey. However, as it was
with us, so it was with the other merchants; they had many things to do, and
instead of being ready in five weeks, it was fully four months before all things
were got together.
It was the beginning of February, our style, when we set out from Pekin.
My partner and the old pilot had gone back to the port where we had first
put in, to dispose of some goods which we had left there; and I, with a
Chinese merchant, went to Nanquin, where I bought ninety pieces of fine
damasks, with about two hundred pieces of other very fine silks of several
sorts, and had all these brought to Pekin against my partner's return; besides
this, we bought a very large quantity of raw silk, and other goods, our cargo
amounting, in these goods only, to about three thousand five hundred pounds
sterling; which, together with tea, and some fine calicoes, and three camels'
loads of nutmegs and cloves, loaded in all eighteen camels for our share, besides
those we rode upon; which, with two or three spare horses, and two horses
loaded with provisions, made us, in short, twenty-six camels and horses in our
retinue.
The company consisted of people of several nations; but there were above
sixty of them merchants or inhabitants of Moscow, though some of them
308
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
1.

were Livonians; and to our satisfaction, five of them were Scots, who appeared to
be men of great experience in great business. When we had travelled one
day's journey, the guides, who were five in number, called all the passengers,
except the servants, to a great council, as they called it. At this council,
every one deposited a certain quantity of money to a common stock, for the
necessary expense of buying forage on the way, and for satisfying the guides,
getting horses, and the like; and here they constituted the journey, viz., they
named captains and officers to draw us all up, and give the word of command,
in case of an attack, and give every one their turn of command; nor was this
forming us into order any more than what we found needful on the way.
The road all on this side of the country is very populous, and is full of
potters and earth-makers,—that is, people that temper the earth for the China
ware; and as I was coming along, our Portugal pilot, who had always some-
thing or other to say to make us merry, came sneering to me, and told me he
would show me the greatest rarity in all the country, and that I should have
this to say of China, after all the ill-humoured things that I had said of it,
that I had seen one thing which was not to be seen in all the world beside.
I was very importunate to know what it was; at last he told me it was a gentle-
man's house built with China ware. Well," said I, "are not the materials
of their buildings the product of their own country, and so it is all China ware,
is it not?"-" No, no," said he, "I mean it is a house all made of China ware,
such as you call it in England, or as it is called in our country, porcelain."-
<<.
<<
Well," said I, "such a thing may be; how big is it? Can we carry it in a box
upon a camel? If we can, we will buy it."-"Upon a camel?" said the old pilot,
holding up both his hands, "why, there is a family of thirty people lives in it."
I was then curious, indeed, to see it; and when I came to it, it was a
timber house, or a house built, as we call it in England, with lath and plaster;
but it was plastered with the earth that makes China ware. The outside,
which the sun shone hot upon, was glazed, and looked very well, perfectly
white, and painted with blue figures, as the large China ware in England is
painted, and hard, as if it had been burned. As to the inside, all the walls,
instead of wainscot, were lined with hardened and painted tiles, like the little
square tiles we call galley-tiles in England, all made of the finest China, and
the figures exceedingly fine indeed, with extraordinary variety of colours,
mixed with gold, many tiles making but one figure, but joined so artificially,
that it was very hard to see where the tiles met. The floors of the rooms
were of the same composition, and as hard as the earthern floors we have in
use in several parts of England; as hard as stone and smooth, but not burned
and painted, except some smaller rooms, like closets, which were all, as it were,
paved with the same tile; the ceiling and all the plastering work in the whole
house were of the same earth; and, after all, the roof was covered with tiles
of the same, but of a deep shining black. This was a China warehouse indeed,
309

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
and had I not been upon the journey, I could have stayed some days to see
and examine the particulars of it.
As this is one of the singularities of China, so they may be allowed to excel
in it; but I am very sure they excel in their accounts of it, for they told me
such incredible things of their performance in crockery-ware, that I care not
to relate, as knowing it could not be true. They told me, in particular, of one
workman that made a ship with all its tackle and masts and sails in earthen-
ware, big enough to carry fifty men. If they had told me he launched it, and
made a voyage to Japan in it, I might have said something to it indeed; but
as it was, I knew the whole of the story, which was, in short, asking pardon
for the word, that the fellow lied. This odd sight kept me two hours behind
the caravan, for which the leader of it for the day fined me about the value of
three shillings. I promised to be more orderly; and, indeed, I found after-
wards the orders made for keeping all together were absolutely necessary for
our common safety.
In two days more, we passed the great China wall, made for a fortification
against the Tartars; and a very great work it is, going over hills and moun-
tains in a needless track, where the rocks are impassable, and the precipices
such as no enemy could possibly enter or indeed climb up. They tell us its
length is near a thousand English miles; but that the country is five hundred
in a straight measured line, which the wall bounds, without measuring the
windings and turnings it takes; it is about four fathoms high, and as many
thick in some places.
I stood still an hour thereabouts, without trespassing our orders, to look at
it on every side near and far off, and the guide of our caravan, who had been
extolling it for the wonder of the world, was mighty eager to hear my opinion
of it. I told him it was a most excellent thing to keep out the Tartars; which
he happened not to understand as I meant it, and so took it for a compliment;
but the old pilot laughed. "Oh, Seignior Inglese," said he, "you speak in
colours."-"In colours!" said I; "what do you mean by that?""Why, you
speak what looks white this way and black that way. You tell him it is a
good wall to keep out Tartars; you tell me by that it is good for nothing but
to keep out Tartars. I understand you, Seignior Inglese, but Seignior Chinese
understood you his own way."-"Well," said I, "Seignior, do you think it
would stand out an army of our country people, with a good train of artillery;
or our engineers, with two companies of miners? Would not they batter it
down in ten days, or blow it up in the air, foundation and all, that there should
be no sign of it left?"- Ay, ay," said he, "I know that." The Chinese
wanted mightily to know what I said, and I gave him leave to tell him a few
days after, for we were then almost out of their country, and he was to leave
us a little after this; but when he knew what I said he was dumb all the
<<
rest of the way.

310
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
After we passed this mighty nothing, called a wall, something like the Picts'
wall, so famous in Northumberland, built by the Romans, we began to find the
country thinly inhabited, and the people confined to live in fortified towns and
cities, being subject to the inroads and depredations of the Tartars, who rob in
great armies, and therefore are not to be resisted by the naked inhabitants of
an open country. And here I began to find the necessity of keeping together
as we travelled, for we saw several troops of Tartars roving about; but when I
came to see them distinctly, I wondered that the Chinese empire could be
conquered by such contemptible fellows; keeping no order, and understanding
no discipline or manner of fight. Their horses are poor lean creatures, and fit
for nothing. Our leader for the day gave leave for about sixteen of us to go
a-hunting, as they called it, and what was this but hunting of sheep however,
it may be called hunting too, for the creatures are the wildest and swiftest of
foot that ever I saw of their kind; only they will not run a great way, and you
are sure of sport when you begin the chase, for they appear generally thirty or
forty in a flock, and, like true sheep, always keep together when they fly.
In pursuit of this odd sort of game it was our hap to meet with about forty
Tartars; whether they were hunting mutton as we were, or whether they looked
for another kind of prey, we knew not; but as soon as they saw us, one of them
blew a kind of horn very loud, but with a barbarous sound that I never heard
before, and, by the way, never care to hear again.
One of the Scots merchants of Moscow happened to be amongst us, and as
soon as he heard the horn, he told us we had nothing to do but to charge them
immediately, without loss of time; and drawing up in a line, he asked if we were
resolved. We told him we were ready to follow him; so he rode directly
towards them. They stood gazing at us like a mere crowd, nor showing the
face of any order at all; but as soon as they saw us advance, they let fly their
arrows, which, however, missed us very happily; they mistook not their aim,
but their distance, for their arrows all fell a little short of us, but with so true
an aim, that had we been about twenty yards nearer, we must have had several
men wounded, if not killed.
Immediately we halted, and though it was at a great distance, we fired, and
sent them leaden bullets for wooden arrows, following our shot full gallop, to
fall in among them sword in hand, for so our bold Scot that led us directed.
He was, indeed, but a merchant, but he behaved with such vigour and bravery
on this occasion, and yet with such cool courage too, that I never saw any man
in action fitter for command. As soon as we came up to them, we fired our
pistols in their faces, and then drew; but they fled in the greatest confusion
imaginable. The only stand any of them made was on our right, where three
of them stood, and, by signs, called the rest to come back to them, having a
kind of scimitar in their hands, and their bows hanging to their backs. Our
brave commander, without asking anybody to follow him, galloped up close to
311
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
them, and with his fusee knocked one of them off his horse, killed the second
with his pistol, and the third ran away; and thus ended our fight. We had
not a man killed or hurt; but as for the Tartars, there were about five of them
killed; how many were wounded we knew not.
We were all this while in the Chinese dominions, and therefore the Tartars.
were not so bold as afterwards; but in about five days we entered a great, wild
desert, which held us three days' and nights' march; and we were obliged to
carry our water with us in great leathern bottles, and to encamp all night, just
as I have heard they do in the desert of Arabia.
I asked our guides whose dominion this was in, and they told me this wast
a kind of border, that might be called no man's land, being a part of Great
Karakathy, or Grand Tartary; but, however, it was all reckoned as belonging
to China, but there was no care taken here to preserve it from the inroads of
thieves, and therefore it was reckoned the worst desert in the whole march,
though we were to go over some much larger.
We travelled nearly a month after this, the ways not being so good as at
first, though still in the dominions of the Emperor of China, but lay for the
most part in the villages, some of which were fortified, because of the
incursions of the Tartars. When we were come to one of these towns, I
wanted to buy a camel, of which there are plenty to be sold all the way upon
that road, and horses also, because, so many caravans coming that way, they
are often wanted. The person that I spoke to to get me a camel would have
gone and fetched one for me; but I, like a fool, must be officious, and go
myself along with him. The place was about two miles out of the village,
where they kept the camels and horses feeding, under a guard.
I walked it on foot, with my old pilot and a Chinese, being very desirous.
of a little variety. When we came to the place, it was a low marshy ground,
walled round with a stone wall, piled up dry, without mortar or earth, like a
park, with a little guard of Chinese soldiers at the door. Having bought a
camel, and agreed for the price, I came away, and the Chinese man that went
with me led the camel, when on a sudden up came five Tartars on horseback.
Two of them seized the fellow and took the camel from him, while the other
three stepped up to me, and my old pilot, seeing us, as it were, unarmed, for
I had no weapon about me but my sword, which could but ill defend me
against three horsemen. The first that came up stopped short upon my
drawing my sword, but a second, coming upon my left, gave me a blow on
the head, which I never felt till afterwards, and wondered, when I came to
myself, what was the matter, and where I was, for he laid me flat on the
ground; but my never-failing old pilot, the Portuguese, had a pistol in his
pocket, which I knew nothing of, nor the Tartars either. The old man, seeing
îne down, with a bold heart stepped up to the fellow that had struck me, and
laying hold of his arm with one hand, and pulling him down by main force a
312

<<
97229
W
107
There stood out upon the stump of an old tree an idol made of wood,
frightful as the devil."
iLE
}
1
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
little towards him, with the other shot him in the head, and laid him dead
upon the spot. He then immediately stepped up to him who had stopped us,
as I said, and before he could come forward again, made a blow at him with a
scimitar, which he always wore, but missing the man, struck his horse on the
side of the head, cut one of the ears off by the root, and a great slice down by
the side of his face. The poor beast, enraged with the wound, was no more to
be governed by his rider, though the fellow sat well enough too, but away he
flew, and carried him quite out of the pilot's reach.
In this interval, the poor Chinese came in who had lost the camel, but he
had no weapon. However, seeing the Tartar down, and his horse fallen upon
him, away he ran to him, and seizing upon an ugly ill-favoured weapon he
had by his side, something like a pole-axe, but not a pole-axe either, he wrenched
it from him, and made shift to knock his brains out with it. But my old man
had the third Tartar to deal with still; and seeing he did not fly, as he expected,
nor come on to fight him, as he apprehended, but stood stock still, the old
man stood still too, and fell to work with his tackle to charge his pistol again;
but as soon as the Tartar saw the pistol, away he scoured, and left my pilot,
my champion I called him afterwards, a complete victory.
By this time I was a little recovered: for I thought, when I first began to
wake, that I had been in a sweet sleep; but a few moments after, as sense re-
turned, I felt pain. I clapped my hand to my head, and took it away bloody;
then I felt my head ache; and then in a moment memory returned, and every-
thing was present to me again. I jumped upon my feet instantly, and got
hold of my sword, but no enemies were in view. I found a Tartar lying dead,
and his horse standing very quietly by him. The old man, seeing me on my
feet, came running to me, and embraced me with a great deal of joy, being
afraid before that I had been killed; and seeing me bloody, would see how I
was hurt, but it was not much, only what we call a broken head. We made
no great gain, however, by this victory, for we lost a camel and gained a horse;
but that which was remarkable, when we came back to the village, the man
demanded to be paid for the camel. I disputed it, and it was brought to a
hearing before the Chinese judge of the place. To give him his due, he acted
with a great deal of prudence and impartiality; and, having heard both sides,
he gravely asked the Chinese man that went with me to buy the camel, whose
servant he was? "I am no servant," said he, "but went with the stranger."-
"At whose request ?" said the justice." At the stranger's request," said he.
Why, then," said the justice, "you were the stranger's servant for the time;
and the camel being delivered to his servant, it was delivered to him, and
he must pay for it.' The thing was so clear that I paid willingly for
the camel, and sent for another; but, you may observe, I did not go to fetch
it myself.
((
The city of Naum is a frontier of the Chinese empire; they call it fortified,
U
313
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
and so it is, as fortifications go there; for this I will venture to affirm, that all
the Tartars in Karakathay, could not batter down the walls with their bows
and arrows; but to call it strong, if it were attacked with cannon, would be to
make those who understood it laugh at you.
We wanted, as I have said, above two days' journey of this city, when
messengers were sent express to every part of the road to tell all travellers
and caravans to halt till they had a guard sent for them, for that an unusual
body of Tartars, making ten thousand in all, had appeared in the way, about
thirty miles beyond the city. This was very bad news to travellers; however,
it was carefully done of the governor, and we were very glad to hear we should
have a guard. Accordingly, two days after, we had two hundred soldiers sent
us from a garrison of the Chinese, on our left, and three hundred more from
the city of Naum, and with these we advanced boldly.
CC
Our Chinese guard in the front who had talked so big the day before, began
to stagger; and the soldiers frequently looked behind them, which is a certain
sign in a soldier that he is just ready to run away. My old pilot was of my
mind, and being near me, called out, "Seignior Inglese," said he, "those fellows
must be encouraged, or they will ruin us all; for if the Tartars come on they
will never stand it.". 'I am of your mind," said I; "but what must be done?"
"Done!" said he, "let fifty of our men advance, and flank them on each
wing, and encourage them, and they will fight like brave fellows in brave
company, but without this, they will every man turn his back." Immediately
I rode up to our leader, and told him; he was exactly of our mind, and accord-
ingly fifty of us marched to the right wing, and fifty to the left, and the rest
made a line of rescue, and so we marched, leaving the last two hundred men
to make a body by themselves, and to guard the camels.
The Tartars came on, and an innumerable company they were; how many
we could not tell, but ten thousand, we thought, was the least; a party of
them came
first and viewed our posture, traversing the ground
in front of our line; and, as we found them within gunshot, our
leader ordered the two wings to advance swiftly, and give them a
salvo on each wing with their shot, which was done; and they went back, to
give an account of the reception they were like to meet with; and, indeed, that
salute cloyed their stomachs, for they immediately halted, stood awhile to con-
sider of it, and wheeling off to the left, they gave over their design, and said
no more to us for that time.
•
·
Two days after, we came to the city of Naun, or Naum. We thanked the
governor for his care of us, and collected to the value of a hundred crowns, or
thereabouts, which we gave to the soldiers sent to guard us; and here we rested
one day. After this, we passed several great rivers, and two dreadful deserts;
one of which we were sixteen days passing over, and on 13th April we came
to the frontiers of the Muscovite dominions. I think the first town or fortress,
314
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
whichever it may be called, that belonged to the Czar of Muscovy, was called
Arguna, being on the west side of the river Arguna.
I could not but discover an infinite satisfaction that I was so soon arrived in
a Christian country, or, at least, a country governed by Christians; for though
the Muscovites do, in my opinion, but just deserve the name of Christians, yet
such they pretend to be, and are very devout in their way. He smiled and
answered, "Do not rejoice too soon, countryman; these Muscovites are but an
odd sort of Christians; and but for the name of it, you may see very little
of the substance for some months farther of our journey."- 'Well," said
I, "but still it is better than Paganism and worshipping of devils."-"Why, I
will tell you," said he, "except the Russian soldiers in the garrisons, and a few
of the inhabitants of the cities upon the road, all the rest of this country, for a
thousand miles farther, is inhabited by the most ignorant of Pagans." And so,
indeed, we found it.
(C
We were now launched into the greatest piece of solid earth, if I understand
anything of the surface of the globe, that is to be found in any part of the
world. We had, at least, twelve thousand miles to the sea, eastward; two
thousand to the bottom of the Baltic sea, westward; and above three thousand,
if we left that sea, and went on west, to the British and French channels; we
had full five thousand miles to the Indian or Persian sea, south; and about
eight hundred to the Frozen sea, north.
As we entered into the Muscovite dominions a good while before we came
to any considerable towns, we had nothing to observe there but this: first, that all
the rivers run to the east. As I understood by the charts, which some in our
caravan had with them, it was plain all those rivers ran into the great river
Yamour or Gamour; which river, by the natural course of it, must run into the
East Sea, or Chinese Ocean. The story they tell us, that the mouth of this.
river is choked up with bulrushes of a montrous growth, viz., three feet about,
and twenty or thirty feet high, I must be allowed to say I believe nothing of
it; but, as its navigation is of no use, because there is no trade that way, the
Tartars, to whom it alone belongs, dealing in nothing but cattle, so nobody that
ever I heard of has been curious enough either to go down to the mouth of it
in boats, or come up from the mouth of it in ships, as far as I can find; but this
is certain, that this river running east, in the latitude of about 50 degrees,
carries a vast concourse of rivers along with it, and finds an ocean to empty
itself in that latitude; so we are sure of sea there.
We now advanced from the river Arguna by easy and moderate journeys, and
were very visibly obliged to the care the Czar of Muscovy has taken to have
cities and towns built in as many places as it is possible to place them, where
his soldiers keep garrison, something like the stationary soldiers placed by the
Romans in the remotest countries of their empire; some of which I had read
of were placed in Britain, for the security of commerce, and for the lodging
315
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
of travellers: and thus it was here; for wherever we came, though at these
towns and stations the garrisons and governors were Russians and professed
Christians, yet the inhabitants were mere Pagans, sacrificing to idols, and
worshipping the sun, moon, and stars, or all the host of heaven.
In a village near the last of these places I had the curiosity to go and see
their way of living. They had, I suppose, a great sacrifice that day, for there
stood out, upon an old stump of a tree, an idol made of wood, frightful as the
devil-at least as any thing we can think of to represent the devil can be made.
It had a head not resembling any creature that the world ever saw; ears as big
as goats' horns; eyes as big as a crown piece; a nose like a crooked ram's horn;
and a mouth extended four-cornered, like that of a lion, with horrible teeth, like a
hooked parrot's under bill. It was dressed up in the filthiest manner. Its upper
garment was of sheep-skins, with the wool outward; a great Tartar bonnet on
the head, with two horns growing through it. It was about eight feet high,
yet had no feet or legs, nor any other proportion of parts..
This scarecrow was set up at the outer side of the village, and when I came
near to it there were sixteen or seventeen creatures all lying flat upon the
ground round this formidable block of shapeless wood. I saw no motion among
them any more than if they had been all logs of wood, like the idol. At first
I really thought they had been so; but when I came a little nearer, they started
up upon their feet and raised a howling cry, as if it had been so many deep-
mouthed hounds, and walked away, as if they were displeased at our disturbing
them. A little way off from the idol, and at the door of a tent or hut, made
all of sheep-skins and cow-skins dried, stood three butchers, and in the middle
of the tent appeared three sheep killed, and one young bullock or steer. These,
it seems, were sacrifices to that senseless log of an idol; the three men were
priests belonging to it, and the seventeen prostrated wretches were the people
who brought the offering, and were making their prayers to that stock. I was
more moved at their stupidity and brutish worship of a hobgoblin than ever I
was at anything in my life. I rode up to the image, and my sword made a
stroke at the bonnet that was on its head, and cut it in two; and one of our men
that was with me took hold of the sheep-skin that covered it, and pulled at it,
when, behold a most hideous outcry and howling ran through the village, and
two or three hundred people came about my ears, so that I was glad to scour
for it, for we saw some had bows and arrows; but I resolved to visit them again.
•
Our caravan rested three nights at the town, which was about four miles
off, in order to provide some horses which they wanted, several of the horses
having been lamed and jaded with the badness of the way and long march
over the last desert; so we had some leisure here to put my design in execution.
I communicated it to the Scots merchant of Moscow, of whose courage I had
sufficient testimony. I told him what I had seen, and with what indignation
I had since thought that human nature could be so degenerate. I told him if
316
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
I could get but four or five men well armed to go with me, I was resolved to
go and destroy that vile, abominable idol, and let then see that it had no
power to help itself.
He laughed at me. "Your zeal may be good, but what do you propose to
yourself by it?"-"Propose!" said I; "to vindicate the honour of God, which
is insulted by this devil-worship."-"But how will it vindicate the honour of
God, while the people will not be able to know what you mean by it, unless
you could speak to them, and tell them so? and then they will fight you, and
beat you, too, I assure you; for they are desperate fellows, and that especially
in defence of their idolatry."—"Can we not," said I, "do it in the night, and
then leave them the reasons and the causes in writing in their own language?".
"Writing!" said he; "why, there is not a man in five nations of them that
knows anything of a letter, or how to read a word any way."-" Wretched
ignorance!" said I to him; "however, I have a great mind to do it; perhaps
nature may draw inferences from it to them, to let them see how brutish they
are to worship such horrid things."-"Look you, sir," said he, "if your zeal
prompts you to it so warmly, you must do it; but, in the next place, I would
have you to consider these wild nations of people are subjected by force to the
Czar of Muscovy's dominion; and if you do this, it is ten to one but they will
come by thousands to the governor of Nertsinskay and demand satisfaction;
and if he cannot give them satisfaction, it is ten to one but they revolt, and it
will occasion a new war with all the Tartars in the country."
This, I confess, put new thoughts into my head for awhile; but I harped
upon the same string still; and all that day I was uneasy to put my project into
execution. Towards the evening, the Scots merchant met me by accident in our
walk about the town, and desired to speak with me. "I believe,” said he, “I
have put you off your good design; I have been a little concerned about it since,
for I abhor idolatry as much as you can do."-" Truly," said I, "you have put
off a little the execution of it, but you have not put it out of my thoughts, and
I believe I shall do it before I quit this place, though I were to be delivered
up to them for satisfaction."—"No, no," said he; "God forbid they should
deliver you up to such a crew of monsters! they shall not do that either; that
would be murdering you indeed."-"Why," said I, "how would they use me?"
"Use you!" said he; "I'll tell you how they served a poor Russian who
affronted them in their worship just as you did, and whom they took prisoner,
after they had lamed him with an arrow that he could not run away; they took
him and stripped him stark naked, and set him upon the idol-monster, and stood
all round him, and shot as many arrows into him as would stick over his
whole body, and then they burned him and all the arrows sticking in him, as
a sacrifice to the idol.".
(C
And was this the same. idol?" said I.-"Yes," said

در
he, "the very same.' 'Well," said I, "I will tell you a story." So I related
the story of our men at Madagascar, and how they burned and sacked the
J
((
317
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
Sa Pa sem mala na se made a morna en cada m
A to them p
village there, and killed man, woman, and child, for their murdering one of our
men, just as it is related before, and added that I thought we ought to do so to
this village.
***
start to mak
He listened very attentively to the story; but when I talked of doing so to
that village, he said, "You mistake very much; it was not this village; it was
almost a hundred miles from this place? but it was the same idol, for they
carry him about in procession all over the country."-"Well," said I, "then
that idol ought to be punished for it; and it shall," said I, "if I live this night out."
Finding me resolute, he told me I should not go alone; he would go with
me, but he would go first and bring a stout fellow, one of his countrymen, to
go also with us. He brought me his comrade, a Scotsman, whom he called Cap-
tain Richardson. I gave him a full account of what I had seen, and also what
I intended; and he told me readily he would go with me if it cost him his life.
So we agreed to go, only we three. I had, indeed, proposed it to my partner,
but he declined it. He said he was ready to assist me to the utmost, and upon
all occasions, for my defence, but this was an adventure quite out of his way;
so we resolved upon our work, we three and my man-servant, and to put it
in execution that night about midnight. However, upon second thoughts, we
were willing to delay it till the next night, because the caravan being to set
forward in the morning, we supposed the governor could not pretend to give
them any satisfaction upon us when we were out of his power. The Scots
merchant, as steady in his resolution for the enterprise as bold in executing,
brought me a Tartar's robe of sheep-skins, and a bonnet, with a bow and
arrows, and had provided the same for himself and his countrymen, that the
people, if they saw us, should not determine who we were. All the first night
we spent in mixing up some combustible matter with aqua vitæ, gunpowder,
and such other materials, as we could get; and having a good quantity of tar
in a little pot, about an hour after night we set out upon our expedition. We
came to the place about eleven at night, and found that the people had not the
least jealousy of danger attending their idol. The night was cloudy, yet the
moon gave us light enough to see that the idol stood just in the same posture
and place that it did before. The people seemed to be all at their rest; only
that in the great hut, or tent, as we called it, where we saw the three priests
whom we mistook for butchers, we saw a light, and going up close to the door,
we heard people talking. We concluded, therefore, that if we set wildfire to
the idol, these men would come out immediately, and run up to the place to
rescue it from the destruction that we intended for it. Once we thought of
carrying it away, and setting fire to it at a distance, but when we came to
handle it, we found it too bulky for our carriage. The second Scots-
man was for setting fire to the tent or hut, and knocking the creatures
that were there on the head when they came out, but I could not join with
that; I was against killing them, if it were possible to avoid it. 'Well, then,"
((
318
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
A
THE
K VA King ka ngjit s
said the Scots merchant, "I will tell you what we will do; we will try to make
them prisoners, tie their hands, and make them stand and see their idol
destroyed."
The first thing we did, we knocked at the door, when one of the priests
coming to it, we immediately seized upon him, stopped his mouth, and tied
his hands behind him, and led him to the idol, where we gagged him, that he
might not make a noise. Two of us then waited at the door, expecting that
another would come out to see what the matter was; but we waited so long
till the third man came back to us, and then nobody coming out, we knocked
again gently, and immediately out came two more, and we served them just
in the same manner, but were obliged to go all with them, and lay them down
by the idol some distance from one another. When going back, we found two
more were come out to the door, and a third stood behind them within the
door. We seized the two, and immediately tied them, when the third stepping
back and crying out, my Scots merchant went in after them, and taking out a
composition we had made that would only sinoke and stink, he set fire to it,
and threw it in among them. By that time, the other Scotsman and my man
taking charge of the two men already bound, and tied together also by the arm,
led them away to the idol, and left them there to see if their idol would relieve
them, making haste back to us.
When the furze we had thrown in had filled the hut with so much smoke
that they were almost suffocated, we then threw in a small leather bag of
another kind, which flamed like a candle, and following it in, we found there
were but four people, who, as we supposed, had been about some of their
diabolical sacrifices.
•
In a word, we took them, bound them as we had done the others, and all
without any noise. I should have said we brought them out of the house
first; for indeed we were not able to bear the smoke any more than they were.
When we had done this, we carried them altogether to the idol. When we
came there, we fell to work with him; and first we daubed him all over, and
his robes also, with tar, and such other stuff as we had, which was tallow
mixed with brimstone; then we stopped his eyes, and ears, and mouth full-of
gunpowder; we then rapped up a great piece of wildfire in his bonnet; and
then sticking all the combustibles we had brought with us upon him, we
looked about us to see if we could find anything else to help to burn him;
when my Scotsman remembered that by the tent where the men were there
lay a heap of dry forage, away he and the other Scotsman ran and fetched
their arms full of that. When we had done this, we took all our prisoners,
and brought them, having untied their feet and ungagged their mouths, and
made them stand up, and set them before their monstrous idol, and then set
fire to the whole.
We stayed by it a quarter of an hour, or thereabouts, till the powder in the
319
Para Varang-baran
da maalum dev
tag i T
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
eyes, and mouth, and ears, of the idol blew up, and, as we could perceive, had
split and deformed the shape of it; and, in a word, till we saw it burned into
a mere log of wood. After the feat was performed, we appeared in the morn-
ing among our fellow-travellers, exceedingly busy in getting ready for our
journey, nor could any man suggest that we had been anywhere but in our
beds, as travellers might be supposed to be, to fit themselves for the fatigues
of the day's journey.
But the affair did not end so. The next day came a great number of the
country people to the town gates, and in a most outrageous manner demanded
satisfaction of the Russian governor for insulting their priests, and burning
their great Cham Chi-Thaungu. The people of Nertsinskay were at first in a
great consternation, for they said the Tartars were already no less than thirty
thousand strong. The Russian governor sent out messengers to appease them,
and gave them all the good words imaginable, assuring them that he knew
nothing of it, and that there had not a soul in his garrison been abroad, so that
it could not be from anybody there. They returned haughtily, that all the
country reverenced the great Cham Chi-Thaungu, who dwelt in the sun, and
no mortal would have dared to offer violence to his image but some Christian
miscreant.
The governor, still patient, and unwilling to make a breach, or to have any
cause of war alleged to be given by him-the Czar having strictly charged him
to treat the conquered country with gentleness and civility-gave them still all
the good words he could. At last he told them there was a caravan gone towards
Russia that morning, and perhaps it was some of them who had done them
this injury; and that if they would be satisfied with that, he would send after
them to inquire into it. This seemed to appease them a little; and accordingly
the governor sent after us, and gave us a particular account how the thing was,
intimating withal, that if any in our caravan had done it, they should make
their escape; but that whether we had done it or no, we should make all the
haste forward that was possible. But upon the second day's march from
Plothus, by the clouds of dust behind us at a great distance, some of our people
began to be sensible we were pursued. We had entered a desert, and had
passed by a great lake called Schaks Oser, when we perceived a very great body of
horse appear on the other side of the lake, to the north, we travelling west.
We observed they went away west, as we did, but had supposed we would have
taken the other side of the lake, whereas we very happily took the south side,
and in two days more they disappeared again.
The third day they had either found their mistake, or had intelligence of us,
and came pouring in upon us towards the dusk of the evening. Nobody knew
but ourselves what we were pursued for; but as it was usual for the Mogul
Tartars to go about in troops in that desert, so the caravans always fortify
themselves every night against them, as against armies of robbers.
320

ROBINSON crusoe.
But we had a most advantageous camp; for we lay between two woods, with
a little rivulet running just before our front, so that we could not be surrounded
or attacked any way but in our front or rear. We took care to make our front
as strong as we could, by placing our packs, with our camels and horses, all in
a line, on the inside of the river, and felling some trees in our rear.
In this posture we encamped for the night; but the enemy was upon us
before we had finished. They sent three messengers to us, to demand the
men to be delivered to them that had abused their priests, and burned their
god Cham Chi-Thaungu with fire, that they might burn them with fire. Our
men looked very blank at this message, and began to stare at one another to
see who looked with the most guilt in their faces; but nobody was the word-
nobody did it. The leader of the caravan sent word he was well assured that
it was not done by any of our camp; that we were peaceful merchants,
travelling on our business; that we had done no harm to them or to any one else.
They were not satisfied with this for an answer, and a great crowd of them
came running down in the morning, by break of day, to our camp; but seeing
us in such an unaccountable situation, they durst come no farther than the
brook in our front, where they stood, and showed us such a number that
indeed terrified us very much. Here they stood and looked at us awhile, and
then setting up a great howl, they let fly a crowd of arrows among us; but we
were well enough fortified for that, and I do not remember that one of us
was hurt.
Tag me all mat
Some time after this we saw them move a little to our right, and expected
them on the rear, when a cunning fellow, a Cossack of Jarawena, in the pay
of the Muscovites, calling to the leader of the caravan, said to him, "I'll go
send all these people away to Siheilka." This was a city four or five days'
journey at least to the right, and rather behind us. So he takes his bow and
arrows, and getting on horseback, he rides away from our rear directly, as it
were back to Nertsinskay; after this, he takes a great circuit about, and comes
directly on the army of the Tartars, as if he had been sent express to tell them
a long story that the people who had burned the Cham Chi-Thaungu were
gone to Siheilka, with a caravan of miscreants, as he called them, that is to
say, Christians.
As this fellow was himself a Tartar, and spoke their language perfectly, he
counterfeited so well that they all believed him, and away they drove in a
violent hurry to Siheilka, which was five days' journey to the north; and in
less than three hours they were entirely out of our sight, and we never heard
any more of them, nor whether they went to Siheilka or no. So we passed
safely to Jarawena, where there was a garrison of Muscovites, and there we
rested five days.
Paret meget help me, můj sa
From this city we had a frightful desert, which held us twenty-three days'
march. After we had passed through it, we came into a country pretty well
321
Ne glede na mtaa pembendy nadada pada madde kunt
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
M
inhabited. We found towns and castles, settled by the Czar of Muscovy, with
garrisons of stationary soldiers, to protect the caravans, and defend the country
against the Tartars, who would otherwise make it very dangerous travelling;
and Czarish Majesty has given such strict orders for the well guarding the
caravans and merchants, that, if there are any Tartars heard of in the country,
detachments of the garrison are always sent to see the travellers safe from
station to station. And thus the governor of Adinskoy offered us a guard of
fifty men, to the next station, if we thought there was any danger. I thought
before this, that as we came nearer to Europe, we should find the country
better inhabited, and the people more civilized; but I found myself mistaken.
If the Tartars had their Cham Chi-Thaungu for a whole village or country,
these had idols in every hut and every cave: besides, they worship the stars,
the sun, the water, the snow, and, in a word, everything they do not understand,
and they understand but very little. I met with nothing peculiar myself in
all this country, which I reckon was, from the desert I spoke of last, at least
four hundred miles, half of it being another desert, which took us up twelve
days' severe travelling, without house or tree; and we were obliged again to
carry our own provision, as well water as bread. After we were out of this
desert, and had travelled two days, we came to Janezay, a Muscovite city or
station on the great river Janezay.
From this river to the great river Oby, we crossed a wild, uncultivated
country, barren of people and good management; otherwise it is in itself a
most pleasant, fruitful, and agreeable country. What inhabitants we found
in it are all pagans, except such as are sent among them from Russia: for this
is the country-I mean on both sides the river Oby-whither the Muscovite
criminals that are not put to death are banished, and whence it is next to
impossible they should ever get away.
I have nothing material to say of my particular affairs till I came to Tobolski,
the capital city of Siberia, where I continued some time on the following
account.
We had now been almost seven months on our journey, and winter began
to come on apace; whereupon my partner and I called a council about our
particular affairs, in which we found it proper, as we were bound for England,
to consider how to dispose of ourselves. They told us of sledges and reindeer
to carry us over the snow in the winter time; and, indeed, they have such
things that it would be incredible to relate the particulars of, by which means
the Russians travel more in winter than they can in summer, as in these sledges
they are able to run night and day.
But I had no occasion to urge a winter journey of this kind. My route lay
two ways; either I must go on as the caravan went, till I came to Jaroslaw,
and then go off west for Narva, and the Gulf of Finland, and so on to Dantzic,
where I might possibly sell my China cargo to good advantage; or I must

322
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
CAP
leave the caravan at a little town on the Dwina, whence I had but six days by
water to Archangel, and thence might be sure of shipping either to England,
Holland, or Hamburgh.
Now to go any of these journeys in the winter would have been preposterous;
for as to Dantzic, the Baltic would have been frozen up, and I could not get
passage, and to go by land in those countries was far less safe than among the
Mogul Tartars; likewise, to go to Archangel in October, all the ships would
be gone, and even the merchants who dwell there in summer retire south to
Moscow in the winter, so that I could have nothing but extremity of cold to
encounter, with a scarcity of provisions, and must lie in an empty town
all the winter; so that, upon the whole, I thought it much my better way to
let the caravan go, and make provision to winter where I was, at Tobolski, in
Siberia, in the latitude of about sixty degrees, where I was sure of three things
to wear out a cold winter with, viz., plenty of provisions, such as the country
afforded, a warm house, with fuel enough, and excellent company.
I was now in quite a different climate from my beloved island, where I
never felt cold, except when I had my ague. Now I had three good vests,
with large robes or gowns over them, to hang down to the feet, and button
close to the wrists; and all these lined with furs, to make them sufficiently
warm.
As to a warm house, I must confess I greatly disliked our way in England
of making fires in every room in the house in open chimneys which, when the
fire went out, always kept the air in the room cold as the climate; but taking
an apartment in a good house in the town, I ordered a chimney to be built
like a furnace, in the centre of six separate rooms, like a stove. The funnel
to carry the smoke went up one way, the door to come at the fire went in
another, and all the rooms were kept equally warm, but no fire seen; just as
they heat the bagnios in England. By this means, we had always the same
climate in all the rooms, and an equal heat was preserved
The most wonderful thing of all was, that it should be possible to meet
with good company here, in a country so barbarous as that of the most
northerly parts of Europe, near the Frozen Ocean, within but a very few degrees
of Nova Zembla. But this being the country where the state criminals of
Muscovy are all banished, the city was full of noblemen, gentlemen, soldiers,
and courtiers of Muscovy. Here was the famous Prince Galitzin, the old
General Robostiski, and several other persons of note, and some ladies. By
means of my Scotch merchant, whom I parted with here, I made an acquain-
tance with several of these gentlemen; and from these, in the long winter
nights in which I stayed here, I received several very agreeable visits.
2
It was talking one night with Prince one of the banished ministers of
state belonging to the Czar of Muscovy, that the discourse of my particular
case began. He had been telling me abundance of fine things of the greatness,
1
323
Life and ADVENTURES of
the magnificence, the dominions, and the absolute power of the Emperor of the
Russians. I interrupted him, and told him I was a greater and more power-
ful prince than even the Czar of Muscovy was, though my dominions were
not so large, nor my people so many. The Russian grandee looked a little
surprised, and, fixing his eyes steadily upon me, began to wonder what I
meant. First I told him I had absolute disposal of the lives and fortunes of
all my subjects; that, notwithstanding my absolute power, I had not one
person disaffected to my government or to my person in all my dominions.
He shook his head at that, and said, there, indeed, I outdid the Czar of
Muscovy. I told him that all the lands in my kingdom were my own, and all
my subjects were not only my tenants, but tenants at will; that they would
fight for me to the last drop; and that never tyrant was ever so universally
beloved, and yet so horribly feared, by his subjects.
After amusing him with these riddles in government for awhile, I told him
the story of my living in the island, and how I managed myself and the
people that were under me. They were exceedingly taken with the story,
especially the prince, who told me, with a sigh, that the true greatness of life
was to be masters of ourselves; that he would not have exchanged such a state
of life as mine to be Czar of Muscovy; and that he found more felicity in the
retirement there than ever he found in the highest authority he enjoyed in the
court of the Czar. When he came first hither, he said he used to tear the hair
from his head, and the clothes from his back, as others had done before him;
but a little time and consideration had made him look into himself, as well as
round him, to things without; that he found the mind of man, if it was but
once brought to reflect upon the state of universal life, and how little this
world was concerned in its true felicity, was perfectly capable of making a
felicity for itself, fully satisfying to itself, and suitable to its own best ends and
desires, with but very little assistance from the world.
He spoke with so much warmth in his temper, and so much earnestness and
motion of his spirits, that it was evident it was the true sense of his soul. I
told him I once thought myself a kind of monarch in my old station, of which
I had given him an account; but that I thought he was not only a monarch,
but a great conqueror, for he that had got a victory over his own exorbitant
desires, and the absolute dominion over himself, is certainly greater than he
that conquers a city.
I have not room to give a full account of the most agreeable conversation I
had with this truly great man; in all which he showed that his mind was so
inspired with a superior knowledge of things, so supported by religion, as well
as by a vast share of wisdom, that his contempt of the world was really as
inuch as he had expressed, and that he was always the same to the last, as will
appear in the story I am going to tell.
I had been here eight months, and a dark, dreadful winter I thought it; the
324

Par godukt og i tyre
Malta Vallig, the mytiga pang mga

14
12lll
(c
My young lord had a faithful Siberian servant who was perfectly acquainted
with the country, and led us by private roads."
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
cold so intense that I could not so much as look abroad without being wrapped
in furs, and a mask of fur before my face, with only a hole for breath, and
two for sight. The little daylight we had was, as we reckoned, for three
months not above five hours a day, and six at most; only that the snow lying
on the ground continually, and the weather being clear, it was never quite
dark. Our horses were kept, or rather starved, under ground; and as for our
servants, whom we hired here to look after ourselves and horses, we had, every
now and then, their fingers and toes to thaw and take care of, lest they
should mortify and fall off.
It is true within doors we were warm, the houses being close, the walls thick,
the lights small, and the glass all double. Our food was chiefly the flesh of deer,
dried and cured in the season; bread good enough, but baked as biscuits;
dried fish of several sorts, and some flesh of mutton, and of buffaloes, which is
pretty good meat. All the stores of provisions for the winter are laid up in
the summer, and well cured; our drink was water, mixed with aqua-vitæ
instead of brandy; and for a treat, mead instead of wine, which, however, they
have very good. We had a good stock of tea, with which we treated our
friends, and we lived very cheerfully and well, all things considered.
It was now March; the days grown considerably longer, and the weather at
least tolerable, so the other travellers began to prepare sledges to carry them
over the snow, and to get things ready to be going; but my measures being fixed
for Archangel, I made no motion, knowing very well that the ships from the
south do not set out for that part of the world till May or June, and that if I was
there by the beginning of August, it would be as soon as any ships would be
ready to go away.
In the month of May I began to pack up, and, as I was doing this, it oc-
curred to me that, seeing all these people were banished by the Czar of Mus-
covy to Siberia, and yet, when they came there, were left at liberty to go
whither they would, why they did not then go away to any part of the world,
wherever they thought fit; and I began to examine what should hinder them
from making such an attempt. But my wonder was over when I entered upon
that subject with the person I have mentioned, who answered me thus: "Con-
sider, first, sir," said he, "the place where we are; and, secondly, the condition
we are in; especially the generality of the people who are banished hither. We
are surrounded with stronger things than bars or bolts; on the north side, an
unnavigable ocean, where ship never sailed, and boat never swam; every other
way we have above a thousand miles to pass through the Czar's own dominions,
and by ways utterly impassable, except by the roads made by the government,
and through the towns garrisoned by his troops; so that we could neither pass
undiscovered by the road, nor subsist any other way."
I was silenced at once, and found that they were in a prison as secure as if
they had been locked up in the castle at Moscow; however, it came into my
325
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
thoughts that I might certainly be made an instrument to procure the escape
of this excellent person; and that, whatever hazard I ran, I would try if I
could carry him off. I took an occasion, one evening, to tell him my thoughts.
I represented to him that it was very easy for me to carry him away, there
being no guard over him in the country; and as I was not going to Moscow,
but to Archangel, and that I went in the retinue of a caravan, by which I was
not obliged to lie in the stationary towns in the desert, but could encamp every
night where I would, we might easily pass uninterrupted to Archangel, where
I would immediately secure him on board an English ship, and carry him safely
along with me. And as to his subsistence, it should be my care till he could
better supply himself.
He heard me very attentively, and looked earnestly on me all the while I
spoke; nay, I could see in his very face that what I said put his spirits into an
exceeding ferment. His colour frequently changed, his eyes looked red, and
his heart fluttered, till it might be even perceived in his countenance; nor could
he immediately answer me when I had done, and, as it were, hesitated what he
would say to it; but after he had paused a little, he embraced me, and said,
How unhappy are we, unguarded creatures as we are, that even our greatest
acts of friendship are made snares unto us, and we are made tempters of one
another? My dear friend," said he, "your offer is so sincere, has such kind-
ness in it, is so disinterested in itself, and is so calculated for my advantage,
that I must have very little knowledge of the world if I did not both wonder
at it, and acknowledge the obligation I have upon me to you for it. But did
you believe I was sincere in what I have often said to you of my contempt of
the world? Did you believe I spoke my very soul to you, and that I had
really obtained that degree of felicity here that had placed me above all that
the world could give me? Did you believe me, my friend, to be an honest man;
or did you believe me to be a boasting hypocrite?" Here he stopped, as if he
would hear what I would say; but, indeed, I perceived that he stopped because
his spirits were in motion, and his great heart was full of struggles.
He had now recovered himself. "How do you know, sir," said he, warmly,
"but that instead of a summons from Heaven, it inay be a feint of another in-
strument, representing in alluring colours to me the show of felicity as a
deliverance, which may in itself be my snare, and tend directly to my ruin?
Here I ani, free from the temptation of returning to my former miserable great-
ness; there I am not sure but that all the seeds of pride, ambition, avarice, and
luxury, which I know remain in nature, may revive, and take root, and, in a
word, again overwhelm me; and then the happy prisoner, whom you see now
master of his soul's liberty, shall be the miserable slave of his own senses, in the
full enjoyment of all personal liberty."
If I was surprised before, I was quite dumb now, and stood silent, looking
at him, and indeed, admiring what I saw. The struggle in his soul was so
((
326
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
great that, though the weather was extremely cold, it put him into a most
violent sweat, and I found he wanted to give vent to his mind; so I said a
word or two, that I would leave him to consider of it, and wait on him again,
and then I withdrew.
About two hours after, I heard somebody at or near the door of my room,
and I was going to open the door, but he had opened it and come in. "My dear
friend," said he, "you had almost overset me, but I am recovered. Do not take
it ill that I do not close with your offer. I assure you it is not for want of
sense of the kindness of it in you; but I hope I have got the victory over my-
self."-" My lord," said I, "I hope you are fully satisfied that you do not resist
the call of Heaven." Sir," said he, "if it had been from Heaven, the same
power would have influenced me to have accepted it; but I hope and am fully
satisfied that it is from Heaven that I decline it, and I have infinite satisfac-
tion in the parting, that you shall leave me an honest man still, though not a
free man."
((
I had nothing to do but to acquiesce, and make professions to him of my
having no end in it but a sincere desire to serve him. The next morning I sent
my servant to his lordship with a small present of tea, and two pieces of China
damask, and four little wedges of Japan gold, which did not all weigh above six
ounces or thereabouts, but were far short of the value of his sables, which, when
I came to England, I found worth near two hundred pounds. He accepted
the tea, and one piece of the damask, and one of the pieces of gold which
had a fine stamp upon it, of the Japan coinage, and he sent word by my
servant that he desired to speak with me.
When I came to him, he told me I knew what had passed between us, and
hoped I would not move him any more in that affair; but that, since I had
made such a generous offer to him, he asked me if I had kindness enough to
offer the same to another person, in whom he had a great share of concern. I
told him that I could not say I inclined to do so much for any but myself, for
whom I had a particular value, and should have been glad to have been the
instrument of his deliverance; however, if he would please to name the person.
to me, I would give him my answer. He told me it was his only son, who
though I had not seen him, yet was in the same condition with himself, and
above two hundred miles from him, on the other side of the Oby; but that if I
consented, he would send for him.
I made no hesitation, but told him I would show my respect to him by my
concern for his son. He sent the next day for his son, and in about twenty
days he came back with the messenger, bringing six or seven horses, loaded
with very rich furs. His servants brought the horses into the town, but left
the young lord at a distance till night, when he came incognito into our apart-
ment; his father presented him to me, and we concerted the manner of our
travelling, and everything proper for the journey.
Malaga kadar bagkak
327
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
Kabata
I had bought a considerable quantity of sables, black fox-skins, fine ermines,
and such other furs as are very rich in that city, in exchange for some of the
goods I had brought from China; in particular, for the cloves and nutmegs, of
which I sold the greatest part here, and the rest afterwards at Archangel, for
a much better price than I could have got at London; and my partner, who
was sensible of the profit, and whose business, more particularly than mine,
was merchandise, was mightily pleased with our stay.
It was the beginning of June when I left this remote place; a city, I believe,
little heard of in the world; and indeed, it is so far out of the road of commerce,
that I know not how it should be talked of. We were now reduced to a very
small caravan, having only thirty-two horses and camels in all, and all of them
passed for mine, though my new guest was the proprietor of eleven of them;
it was most natural also that I should take more servants with me than I had
before; and the young lord passed for my steward; what great man I passed
for myself, I know not, neither did it concern me to inquire.
My young lord had a faithful Siberian servant, who was perfectly acquainted.
with the country, and led us by private roads, so that we avoided coming into
the principal town and cities upon the great road, because the Muscovite gar-
risons which are kept there are very curious and strict in their observations
upon travellers, and searching lest any of the banished persons of note should
make their escape that way into Muscovy; but, by this means, as we are kept
out of the cities, so our whole journey was a desert, and we were obliged to
encamp and lie in our tents, when we might have had very good accommoda-
tion in the cities on the way: this the young lord was so sensible of, that he
would not allow us to lie abroad when we came to several cities on the way.
but lay abroad himself, with his servant, in the woods, and met us always at
the appointed places.
We had just entered Europe, having passed the river Kama, which in these
parts is the boundary between Europe and Asia, and the first city on the
European side was called Soloy Kamskoi, which is as much as to say, the
great city on the river Kama; and here we thought to see some evident altera-
tion in the people, but we were mistaken; for as we had a vast desert to pass,
which is near seven hundred miles long in some places, but not above two
hundred miles over where we passed it, so till we came past that horrible
place, we found very little difference between that country and the Mogul
Tartary.
In passing this forest, I thought, indeed, we must have been plundered and
robbed, and perhaps murdered, by a troop of thieves. Of what country they
were, I am yet at a loss to know, but they were all on horseback, carried bows
and arrows, and were at first about forty-five in number; they came so near to
us as to be within two musket-shots, and, asking no questions, surrounded us
with their horses, and looked very earnestly upon us twice. At length they
↓
328
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
placed themselves just in our way, upon which we drew up in a little line,
before our camels, being not above sixteen men in all; and, being drawn
up thus, we halted, and sent out the Siberian servant, who attended his lord, to
see who they were. The man came nearer them with a flag of truce, and called
to them; but though he spoke several of their languages, or dialects of langu-
ages rather, he could not understand a word they said; however, after some
signs to him not to come near them at his peril, the fellow came back no wiser
than he went; only that by their dress he believed them to be some Tartars of
Kilmuck, or of the Circassian hordes. About an hour after they again made a
motion to attack us, and rode round our little wood to see where they might
break in; but finding us ready to face them, they went off again, so we resolved
not to stir that night.
This was small comfort to us; however, we had no remedy. There was, on
our left hand, at about a quarter of a mile distant, a little grove, and very near
the road. I immediately resolved we should advance to those trees, and fortify
ourselves as well as we could there, for first, I considered that the trees would
in a great measure cover us from their arrows; and in the next place, they
could not come to charge us in a body. It was indeed my old Portuguese
pilot who proposed it, and who had this excellency attending him, namely,
that he was always readiest, and most apt to direct and encourage us in cases
of the most danger. We advanced with what speed we could, and gained that
little wood; the Tartars, or thieves, for we knew not what to call them, keep-
ing their stand, and not attempting to hinder us. When we came thither, we
found to our great satisfaction that it was a swampy, springy piece of ground,
and on the one side, a very great spring of water, which running out in a little
rill or brook, was a little farther joined by another of the like bigness, and
was, in short, the head or source of a considerable river, called afterwards the
Wirtska; the trees which grew about this spring were not in all above two
hundred, but were very large, and stood pretty thick; so that as soon as we
got in, we saw ourselves perfectly safe from the enemy, unless they alighted
and attacked us on foot.
While we stayed here waiting the motion of the enemy some hours, without
perceiving that they made any movement, our Portuguese, with some help, cut
several arms of trees half off, and laid them hanging across from one tree to
another, and in a manner fenced us in. About two hours before night, they
came down directly upon us; and though we had not perceived it, we
found they had been joined by some more, so that they were near four-score
horse; whereof, however, we fancied some were women. They came on till
they were within half-shot of our little wood, when we fired one musket without
ball, and called to them in the Russian tongue to know what they wanted, and
bade them keep off. Our old pilot was our captain, as well as our engineer, and
desired us not to fire upon them till they came within pistol-shot, that we
329
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF
might be sure to kill, and that when we did fire we should be sure to
take good aim; we bade him give the word of command, which he delayed
so long, that there were some of them within two pikes' length of us when
we let fly.
We aimed so truly, that we killed fourteen of them, and wounded several
others, as also several of their horses; for we had all of us loaded our pieces
with two or three bullets at least. They were terribly surprised with our fire,
and retreated immediately about one hundred rods from us; in which time we
loaded our pieces again, and seeing them keep that distance, we sallied out,
and caught four or five of their horses, whose riders we supposed were killed;
and coming up to the dead, we judged they were Tartars, but knew not
from what country, or how they came to make an excursion of such an
unusual length.
About an hour after they made a motion to attack us again, and rode round
our little wood, to see where else they might break in; but finding us always
ready to face them, they went off again, and we resolved not to stir from the
place for that night.
We slept little, but spent the most part of the night in strengthening our
situation, and barricading the entrances into the wood, and keeping a strict
watch. We waited for daylight, and when it came, it gave us a very unwelcome.
discovery, for the enemy, who we thought were discouraged with the reception
they met with, were now greatly increased, and had set up eleven or twelve
huts or tents, as if they were resolved to besiege us. We were indeed surprised
at this discovery, and now, I confess, I gave myself over for lost, and all that I
had; the loss of my effects did not lie so near me, as the thoughts of falling
into the hands of such barbarians, at the latter end of my journey, after
so many difficulties and hazards as I had gone through, and even in sight
of our port, where we expected safety and deliverance. As for my partner,
he was raging: he declared, that to lose his goods would be his ruin, and
that he would rather die than be starved; and he was for fighting to the
last drop.
The young lord, a gallant youth, was for fighting to the last; and my old
pilot was of opinion that we were able to resist them all in the situation we
were then in; and thus we spent the day in debates of what we should do;
but towards evening we found that the number of our enemies still increased,
and we did not know but by the morning they might still be a greater number;
so I began to inquire of those people we had brought from Tobolski, if there
were no private ways by which we might avoid them in the night, and perhaps
retreat to some town, or get help to guard us over the desert. The Siberian,
who was servant to the young lord, told us if we designed to avoid them, and
not fight, he would engage to carry us off in the night, to a way that went
north, towards the river Petrou, by which he made no question but we might
330
Calgary and make a prompteme
P
- a v Ma
Ja seda m
Moda, M
A
ROBINSON CRUSOE.
get away, and the Tartars never discover it; but he said his lord had told him
he would not retreat, but would rather choose to fight. I told him he mistook
his lord, for that he was too wise a man to love fighting for the sake of it; and
that, if he thought possible for us to escape in the night, we had nothing to do
but to attempt it. He answered, If his lordship gave him the order, he
would lose his life if he did not perform it; we soon brought his lord to
give that order, though privately, and we immediately prepared for putting
it in practice.
And first, as soon as it begun to be dark, we kindled a fire in our little camp,
which we kept burning, and prepared so as to make it burn all night, that the
Tartars might conclude we were still there; but as soon as it was dark, and
we could see the stars, having all our horses and camels ready loaded, we
followed our new guide, who I soon found steered himself by the pole, or north
star, all the country being level for a long way.
After we had travelled two hours very hard, the moon began to rise, so that it
was rather lighter than he wished it to be; but by six o'clock the next morning
we had got above thirty miles, having almost spoiled our horses. Here we
found a Russian village, named Kermazinskoy, where we rested, and heard
nothing of the Kalmuck Tartars that day. About two hours before night, we
set out again, and travelled till eight the next morning. About seven o'clock,
we passed a little river, called Kirtza, and came to a large town inhabited by
Russians, called Ozmoys; there we heard that several troops of Kalmucks had
been abroad upon the desert, but that we were now completely out of danger
of them, which was to our great satisfaction, you may be sure. Here we were
obliged to get some fresh horses, and having need enough of rest, we stayed
five days; and my partner and I agreed to give the honest Siberian, who
brought us thither, the value of ten pistoles, for his conducting us.
In five days more we came to Veuslima, upon the river Wirtzogda. We
were there, very happily, near the end of our travels by land, that river being
navigable, in seven days' passage to Archangel. From hence, we came to
Lawrenskoy, the 3rd of July; and providing ourselves with two luggage boats,
and a barge for our own convenience, we embarked the 7th, and arrived all
safe at Archangel the 18th; having been a year, five months, and three days
on the journey, including our stay of eight months at Tobolski. We were
obliged to stay at this place six weeks for the arrival of the ships, and must have
tarried longer had not a Hamburgher come in above a month sooner than any of
the English ships; when, after some consideration, that the city of Hamburgh
might happen to be as good a market for our goods as London, we took freight
with him; and having put our goods on board, it was natural for me to put my
steward on board to take care of them; by which means, my young lord had a
sufficient opportunity to conceal himself, never coming on shore again all the
time we stayed there; and this he did that he might not be seen in the city,
331

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE.
where some of the Moscow merchants would certainly have seen and dis-
covered him.
We then set sail from Archangel the 20th of August, the same year; and
after no bad voyage, arrived safe in the Elbe the 13th of September. Here
my partner and I found a very good sale for our goods, and, dividing the
produce, my share amounted to £3,475 17s 3d, notwithstanding so many
losses we had sustained, and charges we had been at; only remembering that
I had included in this about six hundred pounds worth of diamonds which I
had purchased at Bengal.
Here the young lord took his leave of us, and went up the Elbe, to go to
the court of Vienna, where he resolved to seek protection, and where he could
correspond with those of his father's friends who were left alive. He did not
part without testimonies of gratitude for the service I had done him, and for
my kindness to the prince, his father.
To conclude, having stayed near four months in Hamburgh, I came thence
by land to the Hague, where I embarked in the packet, and arrived in London.
the 10th of January, 1705, having been absent from England ten years and
nine months.
And here, resolving to harrass myself no more, I am preparing for a longer
journey than all these, having lived seventy-two years, a life of infinite variety,
and learned sufficiently to know the value of retirement, and the blessing of
ending our days in peace.

GLASGOW: PRINTED BY ARCHD, K. MURRAY AND CO.
332

22.
/
ܬܘ ܐܢܝܘܢ ܠܚܕ ܐ

A
$
.....
A
Ma