The life and strange surprising adventures of Robinson Crusoe of York, mariner. As related by himself

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i

THE LIFE

i

AND

1

STRANGE SURPRISING ADVENTURES

OP

ROBINSON CRUSOE

Of York, Mariner.

AS RELATED BY HIMSELF.

\

BY

DANIEL DEFOE.

•f —

With upwards of One Hundred Illustrations.

LONDON:

CASSELL, PETTER, AND GALPIN,

LA BELLE SALVAGE YARD, LUDGATE HILL, E.G.

i

1

o

INTRODUCTION.

lik^r^^^5^-^s E FOE publisliecl " Robinson CrusoG " in 1719, under tho
following quaint title : '• The Life and Strange Surpris-
ing Ad^•entures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, jNIariner :
who lived eight-and-twenty years all alone in an unin-

of the great River Oroonoque ; having been cast on shore
by shipwreck, wherein all the men perished but himself
^T^K '^"^^^^ ^^^ account how he Avas at last strangely delivered by Pirates.
f j Written by himself."

'■\ Like "Paradise Lost," this romance, destined to so immediate and

)• lasting a popularity, is said to have been offered to " the whole circle
of the trade " before any publisher could be found willing to incur
the risk of producing it. William Taylor, of the Ship, in Paternoster Row,
finally agreed to purchase it, for, it is believed, a very moderate sum of
money. He is said to have realised £1,000 profit. Its success was so great
that four editions were printed in as many months. It appeared, In the first
instance, Avlth the foUowin.g preface :—

If ever tko storj? of any private raau's adventures iii the world were wortli making
public, and Were acceptable when published, tlie Editor cf tbis account tbinks tbi.3 will
be so.

The wonders of this man's life exceed all that (be thinks) is to bo found extant ; the
life of one man being scarce capable of a greater variety.

The Btory is told with modesty, with seriousness, and with a religious application of
events to the uses to which wise men always apj^ly them; viz., to the instruction of others,
by this example, and to justify and honour the wisdom of Providence in all the variety of
circumstances, let them happen how they will.

The Editor believes the thing to be a just history of fact; neither is there any
appearance of fiction in it : and however thinks, because all such things are disputed, that
the improvement of it, as well to the diversion as to the instruction of the reader, will be the
£ame ; and as such, he thinks, without farther compliment to tho world, he does them a
great service in the publication.

There is no truth in the story, so often repeated, that " Robinson Crusoe "
was the first tale published in a serial form. Tliat it did appear in a journal called

ix

118

INTRODUCTION*.

'• TliL' Oiii^iMal Lundoii I'ost, or Ileatlicotc's Intelligence," is a fact beyond
dispute. Wo liavo, however, carefully compared the tale as it there appears with,
the original edition. It is luanifcstly a pirated cojn'. Just so much of the work
is printed as contains the story, -with all the reflections omitted. Besides, the datJ
.of publication is subsequent, by a few months, to the time when we know th."
coniplete work appeared.

Th'} great success of the first jnrt iivlucL-d De Foe to write a second, whieli
Wa; published in August, 1710; Part I. having appeared in the jn'evious April.
A ma]) of the world accompanied it, to give a greater ai>pearancc of truth to th-^
talc, on whicli the travels of Crusoe were indicated, and its i)r()pcr jdace assigned
to the island.

In the following jircfacc to it the author laslios with deserved severity the
conduct of those who liad i^ublished i)irated and abridged editions of his work: —

Tho Biiccc^ tlio former part of this ^vork has mot with in tho world has yet beon no
other than is acknowlodgoil to bo duo to tho surprisiiij,' variety of tlio subject, and to tho
ngreoablo manner of tho perfoi-mancc.

All tho endeavours of envious pooplo to roproacli it with being a romance, to s?arch it
for errors in gcographj-, inconsistency in the relation, and contradictions in tho fact, have
proved abortive, and as impotent as malicious.

Tho just apidication of every incidout, tho religious and \isoful inferences drawn from
every part, are so many testimonies to tho good design of making it public, and must
legitimate all tho part that may bo called invention or parablo in the story.

Tho second part, if tho Editor's opinion may pass, is (contrary to tho usago of second
part«) every way as entertaining as tho first; contains as strange and surprising incidents,
and as great a variety of them ; nor is tho application loss serious or suitable ; and doubtless
will, to tho Hobnr as Avell as ingenious reader, bo 0V'?ry way as pmHtablo and diverting ; and
this makes tho abridging this work as scandulous a? it is knavish and ridiculous ; seeing, to
shorten tho book, that they inxy at^'^m to reduce tin value, they strip it of nil those re-
flections, as well religious as moral, which arc not only tho greatest beauties of tho work,
but aro calculated for tho infinite advantage of tho reader.

lly this, they leave tho work naked of its brightest ornamonts ; and yot they would
(ut tho Bamo timo they prgtcnd that the Author has .supplied tho story out of his in-
vention) take from it tho iinproviMiiiMit, which alone recommends that invention to wise and
good men.

Tho injury tlieso men do to tlio proprietors ot works is a practice all liouost nien
ubhor; and they beliovo they may challenge them to show tho difTorenco between that and
robbing on tho liighway or breaking open a house.

If they can't show any difr-riMico in tho crim--, thoy will find it hard to show why
there should be any dilFenMico in tlu' piniishm«'nt.

A few words on the .«;ouri'e whence the autliDr <l.'ri\ed the idea of his romance
will 1m« ai)[)r()priate in this idace. "We can hardly doubt that De Foe conceived
the idea of " Hnbinson C'rus.u^ " from the story ff Alexnud.-r Selkirk. This
man's adventures ha I been made ])ul)lic, and excited cjn^iderable attention, seven
years before the publication of '' Uobinsoii Crusoe." Wilson, the biographer of

X

INTRODUCTlOM.

De Foe, says, "His real luiinc was Scleraig, -wliicli lio changed to that of Selkirk,
■when ho went to sea. lie was born at Largo, in the county of Fife, in 1616,
and, after a common school education, Avas put to his fathers business, wliich
Avas that of a shoemaker. Being a spoiled child, he soon discovered a wayward-
ness of temper that gave much uneasiness to his parents : whilst an early pro-
pensity to the sea rendered liis employment irksome. At length an incident
occiirred that put him upon indulging his humour ; for, being brought uivier
church-censure for irregular conduct when he was eighteen years of age, rather
than submit, he suddenly left home, and was never heard of for six years. It
is supposed that he was with the buccaneers in the South Seas. In 1701 we iind
him again at Largo, but the same intractable person as ever, being engaged in
constant broils with his family. As the sea was his favourite element, he did not
continue long in Scotland, but, going to London, engaged with Captain Dampier
upon a cruising expedition to the South Seas. This was the voyage that rendered
his subsequent history so interesting to the lovers of romance.

'•' Being appointed sailing-master of the Cinque Ports galley, a companion
to the St. George, commanded by Dampier, he left England in the spring of
1703, and, after various adventures, both vessels reached the island of Juan
Fernandez in the following February. After staying some time to re-fit, they
sailed again in quest of booty ; but a violent quarrel arising between Selkirk and
his commander, Stradling, which settled into a rooted animosity, the former
resolved to take the first opportunity of leaving the vessel. This occurred at the
beginning of September, 1704, wdien her crazy state obliged Stradling to return
to Juan Fernandez for fresh repairs ; which being completed, Selkirk bid a final
adieu to his comrades at the end of the same month. Upon this island he lived
Ijy himself four years and four months, until he was released by Captain "Woodes
Rogers, in the month of February, 1709. He was then engaged as a mate on
board of Rogers' ship, the Duke, and accompanied him during the remainder of
the expedition, conducting himself much to the satisfaction of his employer. At
length, after a long and fatiguing cruise, Selkirk arrived in England, in the
month of October, 1711, with a booty of £800, after an absence of rather more
than eight j-ears." *

Like Crusoe, Selkirk could not settle to a quiet life on shore ; his rest-
less nature drove him again to sea ; and he is said to have died on board ship in
1723. On his first appearance in London he attracted a good deal of attention,
and Sir Ricliard Steele gave an account of his residence on the island, anfl his

' ^Vihou's '•' J)c roc," vol. iii., y- ^ 18.

INTRODUCTION.

feelings wliilc there, in a ])aper published in a juiu-iuil called ^* The English-
man."

Wo do not attach the slightest importance to a story dictated by the male-
volence of Dc Foe's political enemies, that Selkirk placed a manuscript, detailing
his adventures, in De Foe's hands for publication ; but that, instead of doing
justice to him, he applied the materials so obtained to his own use. The best
authorities have deliberately rejected this idle tale.

In so far as Selkirk passed a certain number of years on an uninhabited
island, he may be truly said to have furnished the idea of Crusoe ; but if wc are
compelled to admit that he is the central figure in the picture, the subordinate
figures, the grouping, and the scenery are altogether due to the genius of
De Foe. Herein he affords an exact parallel to Shakespeare, who derived the
j)lots of his immortal dramas, now from an Italian romance, now from passing
events.

"Whatever may liave been the origin of the tale, however virulent may have
been the attacks made against its author, as he himself says, by political enemies
and senseless critics, the judgment of the most enlightened men of all nations
has placed " Robinson Crusoe " upon a height which no sounds of animosity can
now reach. What pleasure has this wonderful tale given, and still gives, to all
readers ! Young and old, rich and poor, tind in its pages an unfiiling source of
pure delight.

It blends instruction wlili anuiscment in a way no other production of human
intellect has ever succeeded in doing. AYhile depicting a soUtary individual
struggling against misfortune, it indicates the justice and the mercy of Providence ;
and while inculcating the duty of self-help, asserts the complete depondencc of
man upon a higher jjower for all ho stands in need of

If wo consider novels in their relation to life, ' ' liobi nson Crusoe'' nmst win
the prizo for truthfulness and reality. How naturally the incidents occur !
There is no deference shown by the author to the exigencies of his story^ nor
to dramatic effect. The characters apj)ear as they do in real life — exercise some
inlluenco for good or evil on the principal figure in the tale — and then disappear,
to be seen no more. Take, i^ov instance, Xury. ^Vould not a novelist of less
power have brought him forward, over and over again, after he had once introduced
him as the faithful friend of the hero ? But Do Foe saw fit to do otherwise.
Xury is brought upon the stage ; assists the escape of the chief personage in the
dratna ; ami is seen no more. Is not this the way of real life ?

Nor doos the etVeet of ixjality stop here. So uutural are all the characters,

xii

INTRODUCTION.

tliat we seem to know them personallj — to be ourselves assisting at the scenes
recorded in it.

For these excellencies the learned and the good have nn.ifornily persisted in
singling out " Robinson Crusoe " for special commendation, To mention only
two — Rousseau held that it was the book a hoy should read first and read lono-est.
Dr. Johnson remarked, " "Was there ever anything written by mere man that was
wished longer by its readers, excepting 'Don Quixote,' ' Robinson Crusoe,' and
the ' Pilgrim's Progress ? ' "

In conclusion, we present to our readers the touching lines in wlaicli Cowper
supposes Alexander Selkirk to record his feelings : —

I fim monarch, of all I survey,

My right there is none to dispute ;
From the centre all round to the sea,

I am lord of the fowl and the brute.

0 Solitude ! where are the charms
That sages have seen in thy face ?

Better dwell in the midst of alarm.^,
Than reign in this horrible place.

1 am out of humanity's reach,

I must finish my journey alone,
Never hear the sweet music of speech —

I start at the sound of my own.
The beasts, that roam over the plain,

My form with indifference see ;
They are so unacquainted with man,

Their tameness is shocking- to me.

Society, friendship, and love,

Divinely bestow'd upon man,
Oh ! had I the wings of a dove,

How soon would I taste you again I
My sorrows I then might assuage

In the ways of religion and truth,
Might learn from the wisdom of age,

/Vnd be cheer'd by the sallies of yoiith.

Eeligion ! what treasure untold

Eesides in that heavenly word !
More precious than silver and gold.

Or all that this earth can afford.
But the sound of the church-going bell

These valleys and rocks never heard,
Never sigh'd at the sound of a knell,

Or smiled when a Sabbath appear'd.

Te winds, that have made me your sport,

Convey to this desolate shore
Some cordial, endearing report

Of a land I shall visit no more.

INTRODUCTION.

;My friends, do tliuy now and then scud
A wish or a thouglit after me ?

Oh 1 toll mo I yot havo a friend,
Though a fiiond I am never to see.

How fleet id a glance of the mind !

Compared with the speed of its flight,
Tlio tfmi>cst it.self lags behind,

And the swift-.wing'd arrows of light.
When I think of my own native land,

In a moment I scorn to bo there ;
r>ut, alas ! recollection at hand

Soon hiinies mo back to despair.

But the sea fowl is gone to her nest,

Tho beast is laid down in his lair ;
nOvcn hero is a season of rest,

And I to my cabin repair.
There's mercy in every place,

And mercy, encouraging thought !
Gives even affliction a grace.

And reconciles man to his lot.

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1X4

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
lea\dng off his trade, lived afterwards at
York ; from whence he had married my
mother, whose relations were named Robin-
son, a very good family in that country, and
from whom I was called Robinson Ivreutz-
naer ; but, by the usual corruption of Avords
in England, we are now called, nay, we call
ourselves, and write our name, Crusoe
and so my companions always called me.
I

w^t

CRUSOE AT HOME WITH HIS FATHER.

I liu.l two <'l»lt*r brotlieiN, one of wlioni was HeuttMiant-coloiu'l to :in English res^iineut
of f.H.t ill Khiinlei-s, foriiu'rly coinmantlt'il l>y tlu^ famous (!olon<>l Lockhart, niul was killtnl
at till' liattit' near Dnnkirk ai;ainst the Spaniarils, Wluit became of my second brother
I never knew, any more than my father or mother iliil know what was become of me.

IJeing tlie third son of the family, and not bred to any trade, my head began
to be tilled very early Avith rambling thoughts : my father, -who was very ancient,
had given me a competent shanj of learning, as far as housc-eilucation and a conntry
free-schiM.l generally goes, and designed me for the law; bnt I would be satisfied
with nothing but going to sea; and my incliuatiim to this le<l me so strongly
M'^ainst the will, nav, the commands, of my father, and against all the entreaties
and persuasions of my mother and other friends, that there seemed to be something
fatal in that propensiou of nature, tending directly to the life of misery which was to
befall me,

.My father, a wise and grave man, gave me serious and excellent counsel against
what he foresaw was my design. Ho called me one morning into his chamber, where
he was contincd by the gout, and expostulated very warmly with me upon this subject :
he asked me what reasons, more than a mere wandering inclination, I had for leaving
inv father's house and n\y native country, where I might be avcU introduced, and had a
|inispect of raising my fortune by ai)plication and industry, with a life of ease and
plea-sure. He told me it wa.s men of desperate fortunes on one hand, or of a^ipiring,'
superior fortunes on the other, who went abroad upon adventures, to rise by enterprise,
;md make themselves famous in undertakings of a nature out of the common road ;
that the.se things were all either too far above me or too far below me; that mine was
the Jiiiddle 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
iiappiness, not exposed to the miseries and hardship.s, the labour and sutferings of the
mechanic i)art of mankind, and not embarr.w.sed with the pride, luxury, ambition, and
i'livy of the upjjcr part of mankind. He told me, I might judge of the hapi)iness of
this state by this one thing, viz., that this was the state of life which all other jieople
envied; that kings have frequently lamented the miserable conseciuence of being. born
to great things, and wished they had been placed in the middle of-the two extremes,
between the mean and the gi'cat ; that the wi.se man gave his testimony to this, as the
just standard of true felicity, when he prayed to have m-ither poverty nor riches.

He bade me oltserve it, and I should ahvjiys Cud, that the culamitifs of life
were shared among the upper and lower part of mankind ; l)ut that the middle station
had the fewest disasters, and was not exjKxsed to so many vici.ssitudes as the higher or
lower part of mankind ; nay, they were not .subjecte«l to .so many distomper.s and
uueasine.s.s, cither of body ov mind, as tho.se were who, by viciims living, luxury, and
extravagances on one hand, or by hard labour, want of nece.ssarie.Sj and mean or
in.sulhcient diet on the other hand, bring distempers iipon themselves by the natural
consequences of their way of living ; that the middle .station of life was c;dculated for
all kind tif virtiies and all kind of enjoyments ; that peace and plenty were the hand-
mai«ls of a middle fortune ; that temperance, moderation, quietnes.s, liealth, .society, all
agreeal)le divei-sion.s, and all «lesirable iilea.sure.s, were the ble.s.sings attending the middle
station of life ; that this way men went silently and smoothly through the world, and
conifortably out of it, not embarni.s.sed with the laboui-s of the hatuls or of the head, not
hold to a life of slavery ft>r daily bread, nor hanus.sed with perplexed circumstances,
which rob tlit> .soul of peace, an«l the body of rest ; nor eiu-a<,'e<l with the pa.ssiou of

i^j-'m^-

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envy, or ii:e secret burning lust of ambition for great things ; but, in easy circiun-
stances, sliding gently tlirougli the workl, and sensibly tasting the sweets of liviiit:,
without the bitter ; feeling that they are hai)py, and learning by every day's exj)eriencf
to know it more sensibly.

After this he pressed me earnestly, and in the most affectionate manner, not to i>lay
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 tinder no necessity of
seeking my bread ; that he would do well for me, and endeavour to enter me fairly
into the station of life which he had just been recommending to me ; and that if I Avas
not very easy and happy in the world, it must be my mere fate or fault that must
hinder it ; and that he should have nothing to answer for, having thus discharged his
duty in warning me against measures which he knew would be to my hurt ; in a word,
that as he would do very kind things for me, if I would stay and settle at home as he
directed, so he would not have so much hand in my misfortunes as to give me any
encouragement to go away ; and to close all, he told me I had my elder brother for an
example, to whom he had used the same earnest persuasions to keep him from going
into the Low Country wars, but could net pi-evail, 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 my having leisure to repent, and none to assist me, he was
so moved that he broke off the discourse, and told me his heart was so full he could say
no more to me.

I was sincerely affected with this discourse, as indeed who could be otherwise ? and
I resolved not to think. of going abroad any more, but to settle at home according to my
father's desire. But, alas ! a few days Avore it all off ; and, in short, to prevent any of my
ffvther's further importunities, in a few weeks after I resolved to Tun quite away from
him. However, I did not act quite so hastily neither as the fii'st heat of my resolution
prompted, but I took my mother at a time when I thought her a little more pleasant
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; that I
was now eighteen years old, which was too late to go apprentice to a trade, or clerk to
an attorney ; that I was sure, if I did, I should never serve out my time, 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 ])romise, 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 to ii"
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 fother had used to me ;
and that, in short, if I would ruin myself, there was no help for me ; but I might

^X'^^

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"^T^

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CASSELL'S ROBINSON CRUSOE.

depend I should never have their consent to it ; that for her part, she would not liavo
;o much hand in my destniction ; and I should never have it to ^<ay that my mother
■was willing whon my father was not.

Though my mother refused to move it to my father, yet I hoard afterwards that she
reported all the discourse to him, and that ray father, after showing a great concern
at it, sai<l to her with a sigh : "That boy might l>c happy if he would stay at home ;
hut 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 almost a year after this that I broke loose, though, in the mean time,
I continued obstinately deaf to all proposals of settling to busine.'^s, and frequently
expostulated with my father and mother alx)ut their being so positively determined
against wliat they knew my inclinations jjrompted me to. But being one day at Hull,
whither I went casually, and without any purpose of making an t-lopement 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 seafaring man, that it .should cost me nothing for my pas.«age, I consulted neither
father nor mother any more, nor so much ns sent them word of it ; but leaving them
to hear of it as they might, without asking fiod's ble.><sing, or my father's, without any
consideration of circumstunces or consequences, and in an ill hour, God know.s, on the
1st of September, IGol, I went on board a ship bound for London. Never any young
ailvt'uturer's misfortunes, I believe, began sooner or continued longer than mine. 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 inexjircssibly 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 jtarents, my father's tears and my mother's entreaties, came
MOW fVe.sh into my mind ; an<l 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 Ood and my father.

All this while the storm increa.sed, and the .^ea went very high, though nothing like
what I have seen many times since ; no, nor what I paw a few days after; but it was
enough to affect me then, who was but a young sailor, aJid had never known anything
of the matter. I ex[iectcd every wave would have swallowed us up, and that cveiy
time the .ship fell down, as I thought it did, in the trough or hollow of the .sea, wo
.should never ri.se nuire : in this agony of mind I nuide numy vows and resolutions, that
if it woidd plea.sc fJod to spare my life in this one voyage, if ever I got once my foot
upon dry land again, I wotdd go directly home to my father, and never set it into a
ship again wliilc 1 livexl ; that I would take his advice, and never run myself into such
mi.series as these any more. Now I mw plainly the goodness of his observations about
the middle station of life, how ea.sy, how comfortable he had lived all his days and
never juid been cxjiosed to t««mpests at seji, or troubles on .shore ; and, in .short, 1
resolved that I wotdd, like a true repenting i)rodig:d, go home to my father.

These wise and sober thoughts continued all tlie wliile the storm lasted, and indeed
Kometiini' after ; b\it the next day the wind was abated, and the ."-ea calmer, and I began /]
to Ik? a little inured to it : however, I was very grave for all that day, King also .i
little sen-siek still ; ]»ut towards night the weather cleared up, the wind wius (pute ovir,
and a charming fine evening followe«l ; the sun went down perfei-tly clear, an.l lo^e so

4

the next morning ; and liaving little or no^ind, and a smooth sea, the sun shining upon
it, till' KJglit was, as I thouglit, the most delightful that ever I saw.

I hiii\ .slopt well in the night, and was now no more sea-sick, hut very cheerful,
looking with wonder njion the sea that was so rough and terrible the day before, and
lould be so calm ajid so ]>leasant in so little a time after. And now, lest my goo.l
resolutions should continue, my companion who had enticed me away comes to me.

"Well, r.ob," says he, clapping mo upon the shoulder, '-how do you do after it ? 1
w.irr.iut you were frighted, wer'n't you, la.st night, when it blew but a cajiful of
wind ? "

"A capful d'you call it ?" .sjiid I ; '"'twas a temble storm."

"A stonn, 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
sipiall of wiiul a.s that ; but you're but a fresh-water .sjiilor, liob. Come, let us make a
bowl iif ])unch, and we'll forget all that; d'ye see what charming wojither '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 wickednes.s I
di-owned all )ny rei»entance, all my reflections upon my past conduct, all my resolutions
for the future. In a word, as the sea was returned to its smoothness of surface and
settled calmness by the abatement of that storm, so tlie hurry of my thoughts being
over, my fears and ajjprehensions 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
1 made in my distress. I fouiul, indeed, some intervals of reflection ; aiul 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 apj)lying myself to drink-
ing and company, soon mastered the return of those lits, for so I called them ; and I
had, in five or six days, got 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 ca-ses generally it does, resolved to leave me
entirely without excuse ; for if I would not tiike this f(u* a deliverance, the next was to
be such a one as the wor.st and most hardened wretch among us would confess both
the danger and the mercy.

The sixtli day of our being at sea wo came into Yarmouth U )ads ; the wind liaviug
been eontriuy, 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 nnmy
shii)sfrom Newcastle came into the same Ro\ds, as the conunnu harliour where the ships
might wait for a wind for the River.

We had not, however, rid here so long, \mi we should h,ivt> tided it u]» the river,
but that the wind l»lew too fresh, and, after we had lain four or five days, blew v« ly
hard. However, the l\o;ids being reckoned as good as an harbour, the anchorage gooil.
and o\ir ground-taeklo very strong, «)ur men were unconcernetl, and ni>t in the least
ap|.reheiisive of danger, but spent the tinie in rest and mirth, after the manner of tlu'
s<a ; but the eighth day, in the morning, the wind increased, and we liad all hunU at
work to strik«' our top-ma.st,s, and nuike everything snug and close, that the .ship miglit
ride ns eiusy as ]iossible. J?y nooti the sea went very high intleed, and our shij) nxle
f(U-eea.stle in, shipped seveml sea-s and we thought once or twice our anchor had come
home ; upon which oui nnister <ird«'red out the shett-anehor, so that we rodi- with two
.iiichoi-s alu-ad, and the cables veered out to tlie b.-tter end.

i

CASSELUS ROBINSON CRUSOE.

r.y tliis time it blew a terrible storm indeed ; and now I began to ?ce terror and
zenient in the faces even of the seamen themselves. The master, though vigilant in

I he business of preserving 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 ! wo sliall
bo all lost ! we shall be all undone ! " and the like. During these lirst hurries I was
stajyid, 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 too, like the first ; but when the master himself came by

110, as I said just now, and said we should be all lost, I was dreadfully frighted. I got
u}) 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 tlu'ee or four minutes. When I could look
al)oiit, I could see nothing but distress round us ; two ships that rode near us, we found,
had cut their masts by the board, being deep laden ; and our men cried out, that a shij)
which rode about a mile ahead 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 spi'itsail out before the wind.

Towards ev^ening the inate and boatswain begged the master of our shii^ to let them
cut away the fore-mast, »vhich he was very unwilling to do ; but the boatswain protest-
ing to him that if he did not, the ship would founder, he consented ; and when they had
cut away the fore-mast, the main-mast stood so loose, and shook the ship so much, they
were obliged to cut that away also, and make a clear deck.

And one must judge what a condition I must be in at all this, who was but a youny
i-ailor, 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
!-:eamen themselves acknowledged they had never seen a worse. We had a good ship,
Init 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 hy founder, till I inquired. However, the storm was so violent,
that I sav/, what is not often seen, the master, the boatswain, and some others more
sensible than the rest, at their prayer's, 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^mej
and told me, that I, that was able to do nothing before, was as well able to pump as
;inother ; 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 bi'oken, or some di-eadful thing happened. In a word, I was so

Hnvrr^^'^"

THE STORM IN YARMOUTH ROADS.

)^

siiipriseil that I fell down in a swoon. As this wa.s a time wlu-u rvcrybotly liad liis own
lifi; to think «»f, nobody minded me, or wliat was hofomo of mo; but another man
stepix'tl u\> to the ]»uini», and tlinistinj^ mo aside witli his foot, U^t me lie, thinking,' I had
been dead ; and it was a great while before I canje to myself.

We worked on ; but the water inereasing in the hold, it was apparent that the .ship
would founder ; and though the storm begaa to abate a little, yet as it was not pas.sible
hlie coidd swim till we might run into any port, so the master continue*! firing guns for
help ; and n light ship, who had rid it out just ahead of u.«», ventured a boat out to help
us. It wa.s with the utmost hazard the bout came near us ; but it was impossible for us
to get on board, or for the boat t(j lio near the ship'.s .side, till at la.st the men rowing
very heartily, and venturing their lives to .save ours, our men cast them a rope over the
stem with a buoy to it, and then veered it out a great length, which they, after much
labour and hazard, took hohl of, and we hauled them close under our .stern, and got all
into their boat. It was to no purpo.se for them or us, after we were in the boat, to
tliink of reaching to their own shiji ; so all agreed to let her drive, and only to jiull her
ill towards .shore as much as we could; and our master promi.sed them, that if the boat
was staved iipou .shore, lie would make it good to their master : so jiartly rowing, and
jtartly 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 oiu* .ship till we .ssiw her
sink, and then I understood for the first time what was meant l)y a sliip foundering in
the sea. I must acknowledge T had hardly eyes to look uj) 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 .'^aid to go in, my heart wa.s, 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 hibouring at the oar to bring the
boat near the .shore, we could .see (when, our boat mounting the wave.", wc were able to
see the .shore) a great many peoi)lc running along the strand, to a.ssi.st \is when we
should come near ; but we made but slow way towards the shore ; nor wrre we able
to rraeh the shore till, being i)ast the lighthouse at Winterton, the .shore falls off to the
westward, towards ( "ronu-r, and .so the hind broke off a little the violence of the wind.
Here we got in, and, though not without much iliiliculty, got all safe on shore, and
walked afterwards on foot to Yarmouth, ■where, as unfortunate men, we were usi-d with
great Inunanity, as wi-11 l)y the magistrates of the town, win) assigned us got^l quarters,
iis by pailieular merchants and owners of .ship.s, ami had money given us^sutlicient to
carry tis either to London or back to Hull, as we thought tit.

J lad I now had the smst.' to have gone bark to Hull, and have gone lunne, I had
been ha]>py, and my father, an emblem tif our blcs-sL^l Saviour's par.dde, had even killed
the fatted calf for me ; for hearing the .ship I went away in wivs cast away in
ynrmouth Koads, it was a great while befouc he had any itssuranees that I was not
drowned.

But my ill fatr jmisIh'iI nii> on now with an obstiuai-y that nothing could resist ; aiid
though 1 luul .s«'veral times loud calls from my reu.son, and my more composed judgmen',
to go home, y«'t I had no pow«'r to do it. 1 know not what t«) call this, nor will I
urge that it is a secret oNcrnding decree that hurries us o)i to be the iu.>truments of
our own destruction, <v«'n though it be before u;*, and that we r\i.sh upon it with our
ryrs open. Certaiidy, nothing l)ut .some such decreed unavoidable nii-ery attemling,
and which it was impcxsiblo for me to escape, could have pushed lue forward against

V ft

CRUSOE VISITS LONDON.

the calm reasoniugs aud persuasions of my most retired thoughts, and against two
such visible obstructious jus I liad met with in my firafc 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, wliich 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 aj)peared his tone was altered;
and looking very mclaflcholy, and shaking his head, he asked me how I did, and
telling Lis father who I was, and how I had come tliis voyage only for a trial, in order
to go farther abi-oad : 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 fur a j)lain 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
railing, aud therefore my duty ; but as you made this v*yage for a trial, you see what
a taste Heaven has given you of what you are to e.xpect if you persist. Perhaps this
has all befallen us on your account, like Jonah in the ship of Tarshish. Pray," con-
tinues he, " what ai-e you ; and on M'hat account did yon go to sta ? " Upon that I

l)assion : " 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
jvounds." This indeed was, as I said, an excursion of his spirits, Avhich were yet
agitated by the sense of his loss, and was farther than he could have authority to go.
However, he aftenvards 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
Hi'aven against me. "Aud, young m.an," said ho, "depend upon it, if you do not go
back, wherever you go, you will meet with nothing but disasters and disappointments,
1/ till your father's words are fulfilled upon you."

We jtarted .soon after, for I made him little answer, and I s;iw him no more ; which
way he went I know not. As for me, having some money in my pocket, I travelled to
J^ondoji by laud; an<l there, as well as on the road, had many struggles with my.self
what coui-se 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 ottered to ray thoughts ;
and it immediately occurred to me how I .should be laughed at amoug the neighbours,
and should be ashamed to see, not my father aud mother only, but even cvenHjody else ;
froni whence I ha\c often .<iince observed, how incongruous and irrational the common
temper of mankind is, csjiecially of youth, to that reason which ought to guide them in
«uch cases, viz., that they are not ashamed to sin, and yet are ashamed to repent ; not
a-shamed of the action for which they ought justly to be esteemed fools, but are a.shamed
of the returning, which only can make them be esteemed wise nun.

In this state of life, however, I remained .some time, uncertain what measures to
take, and Avhat cour.se of life to lead. An irresistible reluctance continued to going
home ; and as 1 stayed awhile, the remembrance of the distress I had been in wore
ofl'; and as that abated, the little nuition 1 had in my desires to u returu woi-e off with
it, till ut last I quite laid aside the thoughts of it, and looked out for a voyage.

That v\i\ 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
imi>mssed tho.so conceits .so forcibly upon nu-, as to make me deaf to all good advice,
and to the entreaties aud ovt-n the commands of my father : 1 say, the same influence,
whatever it was, presented the most unfortunate of all enterprises tt> my view ; and I

lo

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

^ff&

mnm

Aveut on board a vessel bound to the coast of Africa ; or, as our bailors vulgarly c
it, a voyage to Guinea.*

It was my great misfortune that in all these adventures I did not ship myself as
sailor ; when, though I might indeed have worked a little harder than ordinary, j-et
the same time I should have learnt the duty and office of a foremast man, and in tiin
might have qualified myself for a mate or lieutenant, if not for a master. Bui as it
was always my fate to choose for the worst, 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 learnt to do any.

It was my lot first of all to fall into pretty good company in London, which does
not ahvays happen to such loose and misguided young fellows as I then was ; the devil
generally not omitting to lay some snai'e for them very early ; but it Avas 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 conversation, which was not at all disagreeable at that
time, hearing me say I had a mind to see the world, told me if I would go the voyage
Avith him, I should be at no expense ; I should be his messmate and his companion ;
and if I could cairy 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 embi-aced 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 caoried a small
adventure with me, which, by the disinterested honesty of my friend the captaui, I
increased vei-y considerably ; for I carried about £40 in such toys and trh^es as the
captain directed me to buy. This £40 I had mustered together by the assistance of
some of my relations whom I corresponded with, and who, I believe, got my father, or
at least my mother, to contribute so much as that to my fu-st adventure.

This was the only voyage which I majS say was successful in all my adventures, and
wliich I owe to the integrity and honesty of my friend the captain ; imder 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 under-
stand some things that wei-e 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 Ine 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 i*eturn, almost £300 ; and this filled me
with those aspiring thoughts which haA^e since so completed my ruin.

Yet even in this A-oyage I had my misfortunes too ; particularly, that I Avas con-
tinually sick, being throAvn into a A-iolent calenture by the excessiA'e heat of the climate;
our principal trading being upon the coast, from the latitude of fifteen degrees north,
eA^en to the line itself.

I AA^as now set up for a Guinea trader ; and my friend, to my great misfortune,
dying soon after his arrival, I res,olved to go the same voyage again, and I embarked in
the same vessel with one Avho AA'as 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 ncAv-gained Avealth, so that I had £200 left
Avhich I had lodged Avith my friend's AvidoAv, Avho Avas very just to me, yet I fell into

* Guinea.— A distr ict of that part of the West Coast of Africa where the land runs nearly due cast and
<\ west. The six countries into which it is divided are known to sailors under the names of Sierra Leone,

Grain Coast, Ivory Coast, Gold Coast, Slave Coast, and Benin.

II

If/J

■M

m

terrible iiii;;fortiities in this voyage ; iiiul the rir.st wius this, viz., our .ship nuiking hi r
cour.s«> towftrtls tlio Canary l.-slantls, or rather between tho.se lalamls and the African
shore, \va.s surpri.sed in the grey of the morning by a Moorish rover of S;dleo, who ga\ i>
chase to u.s with all the sail she could make. We crowded also as ranch canvas a^s our
yard.s M-ould spread, or our masts carry, to have got cleju' ; but finding the j)irate gained
upon us, and would certainly come up with us in a few hours, we prepared to tight ; our
.ship having twelve gun.s, and the rogue eighteen. About three in the afternoon he came
up with u.H, and bringing to, by mistake, just athwart our quarter, instead of athwart our
.sti'rn,iuslie intended, we l>rought eight of our guns to l)ear on that side, and poured in a
broadside upon hini, whi«h made him .sheer off again, after returning our tire, and pour-
ing in also his small .shot, from near two hundreij nu'U which he had on board. However,
wehaduota nnm 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
(juartwr, ho 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-
chest-s and such like, and cleared our deck of them twice. However, to cut short this
melancholy part of our story, our .sliip being disabled, and three of our men killc<l, ami
tight Wounded, wo were obliged to yield, and were carried all prisoners into Sallee, a
jiort belonging to the Mooi"s.

#;J&fc

The Uocige 1 had thtie -was not .so dieadtul a. at hiht 1 appieheiided , uoi A\ab
'ied up the country to the Emperor's court, as the rest of our rnen were, but
kept by the captain of the rsver as his proper prize, and made his slave,

y young and nimble, and fit for his business. At this surprising change of
my circumstances, from a merchant to a miserable slave, I was perfectly over-
whelmed ; 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 tliought was
now so elTcctually 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 Portu-
guese man-of-war ; and that then I should be set at liberty. But tliis hope of
i-ninc 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 ho came homo again from his cruise, he ordered me to lie in
the cabin to look after the ship.

l;OBINS0N CRUSOE.

Wen I meditated nothing but my escaiie, and what method I might take i
rfl.rt it; but founil no way that had the least probabflity in it; nothing present
to make tho supposition of it rational ; for I had nobody to communicate it to that wou
I'uiUrk with me; no fellow-slave, no Englishman, Irishman, or Scotsman there 1'
luy^olf ; m that for two yoars, though I often pleased myself with the imagination, y
I II. vrr hn<l the least encouraging prospect of putting it in practice.

After about two years, an otld circumstance presented itself, which ])ut the r-
thought of making some attempt for my liberty again in my head. My patron lying at
h«>mo longer than usual without fitting out his ship, which, as I heard, was for want of
money, ho u»e<l, constantly, once or twice a week, sometimes oftener, if the weather was
fair, to take the ship's pinnace, and go out into tho road a-fishing ; and as he always
took me and a young ^loresco with him to row the boat, we made him very mcriy, and
I prove(l very »lexterous in catching fish ; insomuch that sometimes he would send mo
with a >roor, one of his kinsmen, and the youth the Morosco, as they called him, to
catch a dish of fish for him.

It liappened one time, that going a-fishing with him in a calm morning, a fog rose
no thick, that though wo were not half a league from tho shore, we lost sight of it ; and
rowing we knew not whither f»r which way, we laboured all day, and all the next night ;
and when the morning came, we found we had pidled out to sea iustesul of pulling in for
tho shore ; and that we were at least two leagues from the land. However, we got
well in again, though with a great deal of labour, and some danger; for the wind
!x*gan to bh»w pretty fre«h in the morning ; but particularly we were all very hungry.

Hut «»ur patron, warned by this disaster, resolved to take more care of himself
for lh« future ; and having lying by liim the long-boat of our English ship which he
bad taken, he i*Holve<l he woidd not go a-fishing any more without a compass and
Bomo provision ; so he ordered tho carpenter of his ship, who also was an English
slave, to build a littlo state-room, or cabin, in the niiddlo of the long-boat^ like
that of ft Iwrgr, with a place to stand behind it to steer, and ha\d home the main-
hluM't ; and n»oni Iw-fori" for a hand or two to stand and work the sjxils. She sailetl
with what we call a shouhler-of-mutton Kill ; and tho boom Jibbed over the top of
the cabin, which lay very sntig and low, and had in it room for him to lie, with a
iilave or two, and a table to eat on, with some small lockers to put in some >)ottles
« f tM h liquor UM he thought fit to drink ; and ])articidarly his bread, rice, and coftee.

\\'»« went freijuvntly out with this b<»ut n-fishing ; and as I was most dexteit)U3
to cntoh fish for hin», he never went without nie. It happened that he had ap-
p<>int««l to go out in this Uuit, either for pleasure or for fish, with two or three
Moors of some ilistinction in that place, and for whom ho had provided oxti-aordi-
nurily, and liad therefore sent on Ixwird tho Ixwit over-night a larger store of pro.
visions tluin usuid ; and hii'l ortlered jno to get ready threo fusils* with powder
and shot, which were on lioard his ship, for that they designed some sport of fowling
as well ns fishing.

I "got all things ready as ho had directed ; and waited the next morning with
the b»iat, wnxhod clean, h«r nncientt ancl jiendatits out, and everything to jicconuno-
dute his Kuc.^ts ; when by-and-by my patron camo on board alone, and told mo his
guests had put off going, froni some business that fell out, and ordered mo, with
the man ami lw>y, us usual, to go out with the Ixmt aufl catch them some fidi. for

f'Htil, a Fmiih wonl, mmuiiiii; a li^'ht muskot or firelock.

+ AH.,fHl. the ol.l «,.r,l ■l„r;.-„.l f.. l.„ Kr«.nch fnsri.r:-. '

14

the man who >

CRUSOE MAKES HIS ESCAPE.

that his friends were to sup at his house ; he commaudad me too, that as soon as I had
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
1 I'ouud I was likely to have a litL 3 ship at my command; and my master being
gone, I prepared to furnish myself, u t for fishing business, but for a voyage ; though
I knew not, neither did I so much t.3 consider, whither I would steer ; for anywhere
to get out of that place was my desire.

My first contriv^ance was to make a pretence to speak to this Moor, to get some-
thing for our subsistence on board ; for I told him we mu.st not presume to eat of our
patron's bread. He said, that was true ; so he brought a large basket of rusk or biscuit
of their kind, and three jars with fresh Avater, 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 an hundredweight, with a parcel of twine
or thread, a hatchet, a saw, and a hammer, all of which were of great use to us after-
wards, 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 Moely 3
so I called to him : — " Moely," said I, " our patron's guns are all on board the boat ;
can you not get a little powder and shot 1 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 :" accordingly, he brought a great leather pouch,
which held about a pound and a half of powder, or rather more ; and another with
sliot, that had five or six i)ounds, with some bullets, and put all into the boat. At
the same time, I had found some powder of my master's in the great cabin, with which
I filled one of the large bottles in the case, which was almost emjity, 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 pf 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 sat us down to fish. The wind blew from the N.N.E., which,
was contraiy to my desire ; for had it blo\vn 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, 1 said to the Moor, " This will
not do ; our master will not be thus served ; we must stand farther oftV He, think-
ing no harm, agreed, and, being in the head of the boat, set the sails j and, as I had
the helm, I ran the boat out near a league farther, and then brought her to as if I
would fish ; when, giving the boy the helm, I stepped forward to where the Moor was,
and making as if I stooped for something behind him, I took him by surprise with my
arm under his waist, and tossed him clear overboard into the sea. He rose im-
mediately, for he swam like a cork, and called to me, begged to be taken in, telling me
he would go all over the world with me. He swam so strong after the boat, that he
woujd 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 jiresented 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, ''vou swim well enough to reach the shoi-e, and the sea is calm; make- tin

15

lu'st of ytfur way to shore, aiul I will «lo you ni> lianu ; l»ul it" you come near tlio
lioat, I'll slio<»t yoji through the liead, for I am resolved to have my liberty." So he
turned himself about, and swam for the shore, : nd I make no dou)»t but he reached it
V. itii rase, for he was an excellent swimmer.

1 could have been content to have taken thi.-> Moor with me, and have drowned the
I'oy, but there was no venturing to trust liim. When he was gone, I turned to tl:e
boy, whom they called Xury, and said to liim, " 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 faee, and spoke so innocently, that I could not mistrust him, a-i I
swore to be faithful to me, and go all over the world with me.

Whih' I wa.s in the view of the !Moor that was swimming, I stood out directly
to sea, with the l)oat rather stretching to windward, that they might think me gone
towards the Strait«'* mouth (as indeed any one tliat had been in their wits must
have beeu supjwsed to do) : for who would have supposed we were sailing on to tli.-
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 never once go on
shore but we slionid be devoured by savage beasts, oi" more merciless savages of
liiiiiiau kind I

l!ut as soon as it grew dtisk in tlie evening, T changed my oouinc, and steered
directly south and by e:ust, 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 sjiil that I ])elieve by the next day at three o'clock in the afternoon, when
I lirst made the land, I could not be less than one hundred and fifty miles south «'|'
Sallee : quite beyond the Knqteror of .Morocco's dominions, or iiid<>ed of any other kin.(
thereabouts, for we sjiw no peojde.

^■et such was the fright I had taken at the Mnois, and tlie dieailt'ul appi*ehensions
I had of falling into tln'ir hands, that I would not st<ip, or go on shore, or oome to an
anchor, the wind continuing fair, till I had sailed in that manner live days ; and then,
the wind shifting to the southward, T cimcluded 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, anil
came to an anchor in the mouth of a little rivei-, 1 knew not what nor where; neither
\vhat. latitude, what et»untry, what nation, or \\liat river. I neither .saw, \ior desire<l
to see any peoplr ; the ])rincipal thing I wanted was fiesh water. We came into
this cret'k in the e\ening, resolving t» swim on shore as soon as it was dark, and
di.sci.ver the country ; but as soon as it was q\iite ilark, we heard such dreadt'ul
noises of the barking, roaring, and howling of wild creatures, of we knew not what
l.ind.>*, that the poor Ixty was ready to die with feai-, and begged of me not to go
on shore till day. "Well, Xury," .said I, 'then I won't : but it maybe we nuiv
see men by day, who will be as bad to tis as those lion-." " Then we give them the
shoot gun," says Xin-y, laughing, '-make them run wey." Such Kngli.sh Xury spoke
i>v eon\ersing ann>ng us slaxe.s. However, I was glad to see the boy so eheerftil,
:ind I gave him a dram (out of our patron's ca.se of bottles) to cheer him tq». After
idl, .Xury's ailvice was good, and I took it : we tlropped our little anchor, and lay
still all night; I say still, for we slept m.ne ; for in two or three hours we saw
v.ist great creatures (we knew not what to c.ill them), »>f many .sorts, conie dowii t..
the se.i-shore, and run into the water, wallowiu" an<l washing themselves for the

~\.:^y=^'

pleasure of cooling themselves ; and they made such hideous howlings and yellings
that I never indeed heard the like,

Xury was dreadfully frighted, and indeed so was I too ; but we were both more
frighted wlien we heard one mighty creature 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," Xuiy ;
we can slip our cable, with the buoy to it, and go to sea ; they cannot follow us far."
I had no sooner said so, but I perceived the creatui'e, 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 Avhich he immediately turned
about, and swam towards the shore again.

But it is impossible to describe the horrid noises, and hideous cries and bowlings
that were raised, as well upon the edge of the shore as higher within the country, upon
the noise or report of a gun, a thing I have some reason to believe those creatures
had never heard before. This convinced me that there was no going on shore for us
in the night upon that coast ; and how to venture on shore in the day was another
cpiestion too ; for to have fallen into the hands of any of the savages, had been as bad
as to have fallen into the paws of lions and tigers ; at least we were equally appre-
hensive of the danger of it. J-

r^-

r

I HI-: VOYAGERS OBTAIN FRESH WATER.

i it iw it woiiUl, wo were obliged to go on shore somewhere or other for water,

. • ill I not a pint left in the boat ; when or wlicre to got it was the point. X\iry

i in would lot him go on shoro with one of the jai-s, ho would find if tjiere was any

w ater, and i>ring some to nio. I asked him why he would go ? why 1 should not go,

and ho Htav in the l>oat ? The boy answered with so much aftectiou, that made me lovr

t

hii

»n.r.

Hava he, "If wild mans come, they eat me, you go wey.'

W

Xur}'," said I, " we will both go, and if the wild mans come, we will kill thenif they
AhaU rat neither of us." So 1 gave Xury a piece of nisk-bread to cat, and a dram out
of our iMitron'H case of bottlej* which I mentioned before ; and we hauled the boat in as
near the Hhoro as we thought was proper, and waded on shore, carrying nothing but
our anna, and two jai-s for water.

I did not euro to go out of sight of the boat, fearing the coming of Cannes with
hrtVftges di)wn the river ; but the lx)y, seeing a low place about a mile up the country,
r.iniblfd to it, and by-aud-by I .s;iw him come running towards me. I thought he was
purs ie<l by ."lomo savage, or frighted with some wild beast, and I i-an forward towards
lilm to help him ; but when 1 came nearer to him, I .saw something hanging over his
.-*liouMei-s, which was a creature that he had .shot, like a hare, but different in colour,
and longer li-gs ; however, avo were very glad of it, and it was very good meat ; but tlio
great joy that i>oor Xury came with, was to tell me he had found good water, and seen
no wild mans.

liut we found afterwards that we need not take such j)ains for water, for a little
higher \\v the creek where wo were we found the water fresh when the tide was out,
which flows but a little way up ; so we filled our jars, and fwisted on the hare wo had
killeil, and prepared to go on our way, having seen no footsteps of any human creature
in that jKirt of the countr}'.

A.s 1 had been one voyage to this coast before, I knew very well that the islands of
tUo Umaries, ami the Cape do Verd Islands also, lay not far oft' from the coast. But as
J had no instruments to tiiko an olxservation to know what latitude we were in, and
•litl not exactly know, or at least not remember, what latitude they were in, I knew not
whore to look for them, or when to stand off to sea towards them ; otherwise I might
now oaHily have found some of these islands. But my hoi)o was, that if I stood along
this coast till I came to that part where the English traded, I .should find some of their
vejwols u|K)t» their usual design of tiade, that would relieve and take us in.

By the Iwst of my calculation, that jilace where I now was must bo that country
whieh, lying bi-tween the Kinperor of l\Ioroceo's dominions and the negroes, lies waste
and uninhabited, except \y wild beasts; tho negroes having abaiuhuied it, and gone
farther sotith, for fear of tho Mooi-s ; and tho Mooi-s not thinking it worth inhabiting,
by reason of its bari-enne.ss ; and indeed both .brsjiking it because of the prodiginus
nunilMM-s of ligei-s, lions, leopards, and other furious creatures which harbour there ; so
that tho Moors uso it for their hunting only, where they go like an army, two or three
thousand nien at a titne : and, indeed, for near a hundred miles together upon this
e.«vst, wo Haw nothing btit a waste uninhabited country by day, and heard nothing
'"!( howlingH and roarings of wild beasts by night.

Onoo or twice in tho day-time, I thought 1 siiw the Pico of TeneritVe, b. ing
iho high top of tho mountain Tenerifle in the (.'.maries ; ajul had a great mind
to venture out, in hopes of reaching thither ; Imt having tried twice, I was forced in
aijain by rontnxry winds, tho sea also going too high for my little vessel ; .so I resolved

pursue my first de.-sii;n, and kepp :i1.M!. i: li.r.-.

ROBINSON CRUSOE

I

S

Several times I was obliged to land for fresh water, after we had left this place ; and
once in ])articular, being early in the morning, we came to an anchor under a little point
of land, which was pretty high ; and the tide beginning to flow, we lay still to go
farther in. Xury, whose eyes were more about him than it see*ns mine Avere, 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 thkt hillock, fast asleep." I looked where
he pointed, and saw a dreadful monster indeed, for it was a tei'rible 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 OA-er him. "Xury," says I, "you shall go on shore and kill him." Xury looked
frighted, and said, " 3Ie kill ! he eat me at one mouth ; " one moiithful he meaiit.
However, T said no more to the boy, but bade him be still, and took our biggest gun,
which was almost musket-bore, and loaded it with a good charge of powdei", and Avith
two slugs, and laid it down ; then I loaded another gun with two bullets ; and the third
(for we had three pieces) I loaded^'ith five smaller bullets. I took the best aim I
could Avith the first piece to have shot him in the head, but he lay so, with his leg raised
a little above his nose, that the slugs hit his leg about the knee, and broke the bono.
He started up, growling at first, but finding his leg broke, fell doAvn again ; and then
got up upon three legs, and gaA^e the most hideous roar that ever I heard. I was a
little sui-prised that I had not hit. him on the head ; however, I took up the second
piece immediately, and though he began to moA'e off, fired again, and shot him iu
the head, and had the pleasure to see him drop ; and making but little noise, he lay
struggling for life. Then Xury took heart, and Avould have me let him go on shore.
" Well, go," ,said I ; so the boy jumped into the Avater, and taking the little gun iu
one hand, SAvam to shore Avith 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, Avliich
despatched him quite.

This Avas game indeed to ws, but this Avas no food ; and I AA^as very sorry to lose
three charges of powder and shot upon a creature that Avas good for nothing to us.
HowcA-ei', Xury said he Avould have some of him ; so he comes on board, and asked me
to give him the hatchet. " For Avhat, Xury 1 " 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 Avas a monstrous gi-eat one.

I bethought myself, however, that pei'haps the skin of him might, one Avay 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 Avith him ; but Xury was much the better Avorkman at it, for I
knew very ill how to do it. Indeed, it took us tip both the whole day, but at last Ave
got off the hide of him, and spreading it on the top of our cabin, the sun effectually
dried it in two days' time, and it aftei'Avards served me to lie Tipou.

After this stop, we made on to the soutliAvard continually for ten or tAveh-e days, living
very sparingly on our proA'isions, Avhich began to abate very much, and going no oftener
into the shore than Ave were obliged to for fresh water. ]\Iy design in this Avas, to make
the River Gambia or Senegal ; that is to say, anywhere about the Cape de Yerd, Avhere
I was in hopes to meet with some European ship ; and if I did not, I knew not Avhat
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, Avhicli sailed either to the coast of Guinea or to
Brazil, or to the East Indies, made this cape, or those islands ; and, in a AA'-ord, I put
the whole of my fortune upon this single point, either that I must meet Avith some
ship, or must perish.

19

M

ROIilNSOX CRUSOE.

A

When I liiid pui-sued this resolutiou about ten days longer, as I have said, I began
to .see that tlic land was inhabited ; and in two or three jtlaces, as -vve sailed by, we saw
l.r<)].le stand upon tlie shore to look at us ; we could also i)erceive they were (juite black,
!ind stark naked. I Mas once inclined to have gone on shore to them; but Xury was
my better coun.sellor, and said to me, " No go, no go." However, I hauled in ne;ircr
the shore that I might talk to them, and I found they ran Jiloug the shore by me a
good way : I ob.servcd they had no weajjons in their hands, except one, who had a long_
slender stick, which Xmy said was a lance, and that they could throw them a great
way with good aim : so I kei)t at a distance, but talked with them by signs as well as I
could ; and jtarticularly 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 .s;iil,
and lay by, and two of them ran up into the country, and in less than half an hour
came back, and brought with them tMo itieces of drv flesh and some corn, such as is the
l)rodi!ce of their country ; but we neither knew what the one or the other was : how-
ever, we were willing 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 ."iafe 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,

"\Vc made signs of thanks to them, for we had nothing to make them amends ; but
an oi>poi-tunity otlered that \c\y instant to oblige them wonderfully: for while we were
lying on 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 piu-
stiing the female, or whether they were in sj)ort or in rage, we could not tell, any more
lliau we could tell whether it was usual or strange : but I believe it was the latter ;
bcoaiiso, in the iirst place, those ravenous creatures seldom appear but in the night ;
ami, in (he second i)lace, we found the ])eople terribly frighted, especially the women.
'1 he man that had the lance or dart did not fly from them, but the rest did ; however,
;i.s the two creatures ran directly into the water, they did not offer to fall upon any of
the negroe.«, but ))lungcd themselves into the sea, and swam about, as if they had come
i'>r their diversion : at last one of them began to come nearer our boat than at first I
expceted ; but I lay ready for him, for I had loaded my gun with all possible expe-
dition, and bade Xury load both the otlier.s. As soon as he came fairly within my
i< iich, I fired, and .»-liot him directly in the head : immediately he .snik down into the
watir, but rose instantly, and plunged up and down, as if In- was struggling for life, and
so indeed he was: he immediately made to the sIku-c ; but between the wound, which
Mas his mortal hurt, and the strangling of the Mater, he died just before he reached the
shore.

It is inipo.ssil.lo ttt express the nstonishment of tlie.so poor creatures at the noi.-ic and
IJif! of my gun ; sonie of them wrvv ready even to die for fear, and fell down a\s dead
M i(li (ho very terror. ]htt mIu-u they saM- the eretiture dead, and sunk into the Mater, and
flat I made signs to them to come to the .shore, they took heart and came to the .shore, and
1m '^iiu to .search for the creature. I found him by his blood staining the Avatcr : and by
(Ik' Ik Ip of a rope, Mhieh 1 sluwg round him, and gavo the negroe.** to haul, tliey dragged
liiui on .shcire, and found tluit it Mas n most curious leopard, sjiotted, and fine to an
admirable degree; and the negroes held up (heir hands Midi admiration, to think what
it wjus 1 killed him Mith.

The other creature, frighted widi tl,,' (lash of lire and the noise of the gun, swam to
(he shore, and ran up direedy to tlio numutains from Mheure tli. > 'If

.=1

ig^ig^g^^gssssg^ssg^s^ggsgsgsgg^ssssssssssgss^^

OFF CAPF DI-: VERD.

at that distance know what it was. I found quickly the ncgi-oes were for eating the
flesh of this creature, so I was willing to have them take it as a favour from nie ;
which, when I made signs to them that they might take it, they were veiy thankful
for. Immediately they fell to work with him ; and though they had no knife, yet, with
a shuri)cncd piece of wood, they took oft* his skin as readily, and much more readily,
than WG would have done with a knife. They oftered me some of the flesh, which I
declined, making a^ if I would give it them ; but made signs for the skin, which
they gave me very freely, and brought me a great deal more of their pi'ovision, which,
though I did not imderstand, yet I accepted. l*laen I made signs to them for some
water, and held out one of my jars to them, turning its bottom \ipward, to show that it
was empty, and that I wanted to have it tilled. They called immediately to some of
their fiiends, and there came two women, and brought a great vessel made of earth,
and burnt, as I sujipose, in the sun ; this they set down for me, as before, and I sent
Xury on shore with my jars, and filled them all three. Tiie women were as stark
naked as the men.

1 was now furnished with roots and corn, such as it was, and water ; and leaving
my friendly negioes, I made forward for about eleven days more, without offering to
go }icar the shore, till I saw the land run out a great length into the sej\, at about the
di.stance of four or five leagues before me ; and the sea being very calm, I kept a large
ufling to make this point. At length, doubling the point at about two leagues from the
land, I saw i)lainly 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. Capo dc Verd Islands. However, they were at a great distuncc, and I could
not well tell what I had best do ; for if I should be takoi with a fresh gale of wind, I
might neither reach one or other.

In this dilemma, as I was very pensive, I stepped into the cabin, and sat me down, Xury
having the helm ; when, on a sudden, the boy cried (mt, "!Ma.ster, master, a ship with a
sail !" and the foolish boy was frighted oiit of his wits, thinking it must needs be some
of his master's ships sent to i)urHue us, when I knew we were gotten far enough out of their
rcacli. I jumped out of the cabin, and immediately saw, not only the ship, but that it
was a l'ortug\iese ship ; and, as I thought, waa bound to the coast of Guinea, for
negroes. But, when I observed the course she steered, I was soon convinced they were
bound some other way, aiul did not design to go any nearer the shore : upon which
I stretched out to the sea as much as I could, resolving to speak with them if j)o.s.sible.

With all the sail I could make, 1 found I should not be able to come in their way,
but that they would bo 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, sixw me by the help of
their i)erspective glasses, and that it was some European boat, which they supi>osed nuist
belong to some ship that was lost ; so they .shortened s;iil 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 fireil a gun, both which they saw ; for they told me they
saw the smoke, though they did not hear the gun. ITjwn these signals they very kindly
brought to, and lay by for me ; and in about three horn's' time I cann* up with thcin.

They asked me what I was, in rortugticse, and in Spanish, and in French, but I
understood none of them ; but at last a Scotch sailor, who was on board, called to me :
and I answered him, aiul told him I was an Englishman, that had made my escape
out of slavery from tlie ^Moors at Sal lee ; they then bade n>o come on board, and very
kindly took me in, and all my g<^o<l.s.

21

6l<

m

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

fmrt

It was an inexpi'essible joy to me, wliicli any one will believe, that I was thus
Jelivered, as I esteemed it, fi'om 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 as I would be glad to be saved myself;
and it may, one time or other, be my lot to be taken up in the same condition.
Besides," 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 these things will help you to buy
yo\U' subsistence there, and your passage home again."

As he was charitable in this proposal, so he Avas just in the performance to a tittle ;
for he ordered the seamen, that none should offer to touch anything I had : then he took
everything into his own possession, and gave me back an exact inventory of them, that
I might have them, even to my three earthen jars.

As to my boat, it was a very good one ; and that he saw, and told me he would buy
it of me for the ship's use ; and asked me what I would have for it. I told him, he
had been so generous to me in 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 his hand to pay me eighty pieces of eight for it at Brazil ; and when it came there, if
any one offered to give more, he would make it up. He offered me also sixty pieces of
eight more for my boy Xury, which I was loth to take ; not that I was unwillino- to
let the captain have him, but I was very loth to sell the poor boy's liberty, who had
assisted me so faithfully in procuring my own. However, when I let him know my
reason, he owned it to be just, and ofiered me this medium, that he would give the boy
an obligation to set him free in teii years, if he turned Christian : upon this, and Xury
^.1} ing he was willing to go to him, I let the captain have him,

AVe had a very good voyage to the Brazils, and I arrived in the Bay de Todos los
Rantos, or All Saints Bay, in about twenty-two days after. And now I was once more
delivered from the most misei'able of all conditions of life ; and v/hat to do next with
ri} self 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
bee\-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, but being recommended to the house of a good, honest
mail, like himself, who had an ingenio, as they call it (that is, a plantation and a sugar-
house), I lived with him some time, and acquainted myself, by that means, with the
manner of their 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 ; resolving, in the meantime, to find out some way to get my
money, which I had left in London, remitted to me. To this pux'pose, getting a kind of
letter of naturalisation, I purchased as much land that was uncured as my money would

Si,*-

CRUSOE BECOMES A PLANTER.

1

reach, and furmcJ a i>lau for niy plantation and settlement ; sucli a one a.s mighc l)e
suitaWe to the stock which I proposed to myself to receive from England.

I had a nciglibour, a P<n'tugiie.se, of Lisbon, but born of English ))arent.s, who.sc
name was Wells, and in much such circumstanced as I Avas. I call him neighbour,
Ijecause his plantation lay next to mine, and we went on very sociably together. 3[y
stock was but low, as well as his ; and we rather planted for food than anything else,
for about two yeare. However, we began to increa.se, 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 gi-ound ready for jdanting cane.s in the year to come ; but we both wanted
liolp; and now I found, more than before, I had done wrong in parting with my boy
Xury,

iJut, 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 emjdoyment quite remote to my genius
and directly contraiy to the life I delighted in, and for which I foi-sook my father's
house, and broke through all his good advice ; noy, I was coming into the very niiddh^
station, or iipj)er degree of low life, which my father advised me to befitre, and which, if
I resolved to go on with, I might as well have stayed at home, and never fatigueil
myself in the world, as I have 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 olf to
do it among strangers and .'■avages, 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 hail
nobody to convei-se 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 mau cast away upon
some desolate island, that had nobody there but himself. But how just lias 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, or 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 cariying on the plantation, before

my kind friend, the captain of the ship that took me up at sea, went back ; for the shij)

remained there, in providing her lading, and preparing for her voyage, near three

months ; when, telling him what little stock I had left behind me in London, he gave

nje this friendly and sincere advice : — " Seignor Inglese," says he (for so he alw.iys

■lied me), "if you will give me lettei's, and a jjrocuration hei*e in form to me, with orders

tlie person who has your money in Loudon, to send your eflVcta to Lisbon, to such

! ons as I shall direct, and in such goods as arc proper for this country, I will bring

I the produce of them, Ood willing, at my return ; but, since human aflairs are all

Miiject to changes and disixsters, I would have you give orders but for one hundroil

pounds sterling, which, you .say, is half your stock, and let the hazard be run for tlu>

first; so that, if it come .safe, you may order the rest the same way; and if it miscarry,

you may have the other half to have recourse to for your supply."

This was so wholesome advice, and looked so frieniUy, that I could not b\it bo
convinced it was the best course I could take ; so I accordingly prepared lettei-s to tho
gentlewoman with whom I had left my money, and a procumtion to the Portuguese
captain, as he desired.

-4

I wrote the English captain's widow a full account of all my adventures, my
slavery, escape, and how I had met with the Portuguese captain at sea, the humanity
of his behaviour, and what condition I Avas 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 vested this hundred pounds in English goods, such as the
captain had written foi-, sent them directly to him at Lisbon, and he brought them all
safe to me to the Bi'azils ; 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 Avliich wei-e of great use to me.

When this cai'go arrived, I thought my fortune made ; for I was surprised with the
joy of it ; and my good steward the captain, had laid out the five pounds, which
my friend had sent him 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.

Jl; for my goods being all English manufacture, such as clotli.
vt'iHs Uize, uii.l tilings imrticularly valuaMo ami desii-ablo in the country, I foun<l
iu.an.H to fv\l them at a very great advanUigc; so that I may say, I had more than
f.mr timcH tlio value of my fimt cargo, and Avas now infinitely beyond my poor neighbour
— I mean in the advancement of my plantation ; for the first thing I did, t bought in.
a negro slave, and an European servant also : I mean another besides that wliic
the captain brought mo from Lisbon.

Tut as nbu^pfl proBi>erity is oftentimes made the very means of our grcato>t
ndvcrsity, «4> wa« it with me. I went on the next year with great success in my plan-
tation : I raised lifly great i-olls of tobacco on my own ground, more than I hud dispo.^cd
of fi>r necessariiu antong my neighboui-s ; and these fifty roUa, being each of above a
hundred weight, were well cured, and laid by against the return of the fleet from
Linljon. And now incre:ising in biisincs-t and wealth, my head began to be full of
projects and undertakings beyond my reach ; such as are indeed often the niiu of the
be«t heiula in business. Had I continued in the station I was now in, I had i-oom for
all the happy things to have yet befallen me, for which my father- so earnestly recom-
mendetl a quiet, retired life, and which he had so sensibly described the middle
htation 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 reliectii.uH uinni myself, which in my future sorrows I should have leisure to
make, all thcHo miMeaX'riagea were procured by my apparent obstinate adhering to my
fixdish inclination of wandering abroad, and pursuing thai inclination, in contradiction
to the clearest virws c f doing myself good in a fair and plain pui-suit of tho.-e prospects
and Iho- 0 mensnrrH f.f life, which nature and Providence concun-ed to present me with,
1 Ut make my duty.

\h 1 liad onco dou«' thus in breaking away from my parents, so I could not be
C'-iit'iit now, but 1 nnihtgo and leave the happy view I liad of being a rich and thriving
nmn in my new plantation, only to pui-suo a nish and immodemto desire of rising faster
than the nature of the thing admitted; and thus I cast myself down again into tlie
de«*i)rjit gulf of human misery that ever man fell into, or perhajw cmild be consistent
with life, and n Htato of h»MiUh in the world.

To enmo thou by just degrees to iho jiarticulars of this part of my story: —

You may nuppo^ip, that having now lived almost four years in the Brazils, and beginning

to thrive and proxper very woll npon my pl!int4ition, I had not only learned the

Ungunge, hut liad coi;' "ee and friendship among my fellow-plantei-s, as

v-!I at rtuong the i Sulvadorc, which was our port; and that, \\\

I 'o among th.ni, 1 iiud iV.ipiently given them an account of my two voyag

f rf (I'uinca, the manner of trading with the negroes there, aiul how easy i

u|H>u the coaxt fi>r triJloM — .^ueli iis beads, ti>y.s knives, scissors, hatchets,

1 tlie like — not only gold-du>'t, (Juinea grains elephants' teeth, «fec., but

nigrttos, t' ■ i>f the Bnuils in great numbers.

They I ^ yn vi'ry attentively to my diseourses on these heads, but especially

to that part which n'iated to the buying negnies ; wliieh was a trade, at that time, net
only not far entered into, but, an far as it wa^ had been carried on by tho Assiento,
or jK-rmi-'winu of the King of Simin and rortur^al, and engrossed in the public stock ; so
that few ne_;r'>. i \V( re brought, an<l thosiM'xeivsivrlv dear.

I' I'^'i in company one day with some nuTchants and plantoi-s of my ac-

ig of those things verj- earnestly, three of them came to mo tlio next
:6

l^iS

V\^N

ROBINSOxX CRUSOE.

m^^^Wk^

morniu"-, and told me they had been musing very much upon what I liad discoursed
of with them the last night, and they came to make a secret proposal to me ; and, after
enjoining me secresy, they told me that they had a mind to fit out a ship to go to
Guinea; that they had all plantations as well as I, and were straitened for nothing so
much as servants ; that as it was a trade that could not be carried on, because they
could not publicly sell the negroes when they came home, so they desired to make but
one voyage, to bring the negroes on shore privately, and divide them among their own
plantations ; and, in a word, the question was, v/hether 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 jiroviding 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 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 begim,
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 foiled
of being worth three or four thousand pounds sterling, and that increasing t )o— for ino
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 re.:iist 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 v/ould go with all my heart, if they would
undertake to look after my plantation in my absence, and would dispose of )t as 1
should direct, if I miscarried. This the} all engaged to do, tind entered into writings,
or covenants, to do so ; and I made a fovinA \iL{, disposing of my plantation and eiiLvis
in case of my death, making the captain of the ship that had saved my life, as
before, my luiiversal heir, but obliging him to dispose of my effects as I had
directed in my will ; one-half of the produce being to himself, and the other to be -"^
shipped to England.

In short, I took all po^^sible caution to jn-eserve my eftects, and to keep up my
plantation. Had I used half as much prudence to have looked into my own intere&t,
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 xindertaking, 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 liad to ex-
pect particular misfortunes to myself.

But I was Inirried en, and obeyed blindly the dictates of my fancy rather than
my reason ; and, accordingly, the ship being fitted out, and the cargo finished,
and all things done as by agreement, by my partners in the voyage, I went on
board in an evil hour again, the 1st of September 1659, being the same day eight years
that I went from my father and mother at Hull, in order to act the rebel to tlieir
authority, and the foul to my own interest.

Our ship was about one liundred 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 oixr trade with the negroes,
such as beads, bits of glass, shells, and odd trifles, especially little looking-glasses,
knives, scissors, hatchets, and the like.

Tlie same day I went on board we set sail, standing away to the northward

27

\kf/

m
■

i

1^

\jpon our own coasts, witli design to stretch over for the African coast, "when tlicy came
into about ten or twelve degrees of nortlicrn latitude ; -which, it seems, was the manner
of their course in those days. Vie had very gootl weather, only excessively hot, all the
way npon our own coast, till wo camo to the height of C'ai>e St. Augustino; from
whence, keeping farther off at sea, wc lost sight of land, and steered as if we were
bound for the isle Fernando de Noronha, holding our coui-sc N.K by N., and leav-
ing those isles on the east. In this course we passed the line in about twelve days
time, and were, by our liust observation, in seven degrees twenty-two minute-;
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 into the n(jrth-ea.st ; from whence it blew in such a tenil»le manner, that fur
twelve days together we could do nothing but drive, and, scudding away before it,
let it carry us wherever fate ajid the fury of the winds directed ; and during these
twelve days, I need not say that I expected every day to be swallowed uj) ; nor
did any in the ship exj)cct to save their lives.

In this distress we had, besides the terror of the storm, one of our men died of
the calenture, and a man and a boy washed overboard. About the twelfth day,
the weather abating a little, the master made an observation as well Jis he could, and
found that he was in about eleven degrees of north latitude, but that he was twenty-two
dcgi'ees of longitude difference west from Cape St. Augustino ; so that he found he was
gotten upon the coast of Guiana, or the north jiart of JJrazil, beyond the viver Amazones,
towards that of the river (,)roonoque, commonly called the Great lliver ; and ncnv he began
to considt with me what coui-se he should take ; for the ship was leaky, and very much
disiil>led, and he was for going directly b.ick to the coast of Brazil.

I was jtositively 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 Garribbee Islands, and therefore resolved
to stand away for IJarbadoes ; which, by keeping oft' at sea, to avoid the in-dnift of tli^'
bay or gulf of ^Mexico, wc might easily ])erform, as wc hoped, in about fifteen days sjiil ;
whereas wo could not possibly make our voyage to the coast of Africa without sonic
assistance both to our ship and to our.selves.

AVith this design we changed our coui-se, and stcevcd away N.W. by "W., in order to
reach some of our I'lnglish islands, where I hoped for relief; but our voyage was other-
wise detennined ; for, being in the latitude of twelve degrees eighteen minutes, a
second storm came upon us, which eanicd us away with the siinie impetuosity westward,
and drove tis so out of the way of all Iminau commerce, that had all our lives been sjivcd
the sea, we were rather in daiiL,'cr of being devoured by savages, than evt-r
liiniiiii,' to our own country.

In this distn'ss, the wind still blowing very hard, on<> of our men early one
morning cried out, " Land ! " and we had no sooner run out of the eabin to look out, in
hopes of seeing whereabouts in the world wo were, than the ship struck upon a santl,
and in a moment^ her motion being .so stopped, the .'sea broke over her in such a
n>anner, that we expected wo shoidd all have perishetl immediately ; and wc were
even driven into our close (piarters, lo shelter us from the very foam and spray
of the s»'a.

t is not easy for any (juo who has not been in tlie like Condition to dcstril'c
or conceive the consternation of men in such circunistunei's. We knew noticing where
we wore, or upon what land it was Me were driven ; whether an island or the main,

THE CREW TAKE TO THE BOAT.

wliethcr iiiliabitcJ or not inhabited. As the rago of the wind was still great, though
rather less than at first, vro could not so much as hope to have the ship hold many
,' minutes -without brciiking in pieces, unless the winds, by a kind of minicle, should
turn imnu'diatfly about. In a word, we .s;it looking otic upon another, and expecting
deatli every muuient, and every man acting accordingly, as ]»rcparing for another M'orld ;
for there was little or nothing more for us to do in tliis; that which was our present
c jmfort, and all the comfort wo had, was that, contrary to our expectation, the ship tlid
not break yet, and that the master said the wind btgan to abate.

Now, though we thought tliat the wind did a little abate, yet the shi]) having thus
stnick upon the .sand, and sticking too fast for us to expect her getting off, we were in
a dreadful condition indeed, and had nothing to do but to think of saving our lives as
well as we could. Wo had a boat at our stern just before the storm, but she was first
st;ived by dashing against the ship's rudder, and in the next jdace she broke away, and
either sunk, or was driven off to soa ; so there was no hoj)e from her. "NVe had another
boat on board, but how to get her off into the sea was a doubtful thing ; however, there
was no room to debate, for we fancied the shij) would break in jiieces every minute, and
some told us she was actually broken already.

In this distress, the mate of our vessel lays hold of the boat, and with the help of
the rest of the men, they got her flung over the ship's side ; and getting all into her, let go,
and committed ourselves, being eleven in number, to God's mercy and the wild sea : for
though the storm was abated considerably, yet the sea went dreadfully high upon the
shore, and might be well called den ivild zee, as the Dutch call the sea in a storm.

And now our case was very dismal indeed; for Ave all s.i\v plainly, that the sea
went so high, that the boat could not escape, and that we should be inevitably drowned.
As to making s:iil, 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, Hke men going to
execution ; for we all knew that when the boat came near tlio shore, she wouUl
be dashed in a thousand i)iecc3 by the breach of the sea. However, we committed
our souls to (Jod in the most cai*nest manner ; and the wind driving us towarils the
shore, we hastened our destruction with our own hands, j)ulling as well as we could
towards land.

"NV'hat the shore was whether rock or sand, whether steep or slioal, we knew not ;
the only hope that could rationally givo us the least shadow of expccUvtiun, was, if we
niight ha]>p(!n into S(Mn<! bay or gulf, or the mouth of some river, where by great chance
we might hav»! run our boat in, or g«>L under the lee of the land, and perhaps made |
smooth water. Unt tln-ni was nothing of this ui)[)eared ; but as we made nearer and
neanr the shor«>, (lie land l(.(»ked more frightful than the sea.

After we had rowed, or rather driven, about a l(>:igue and an half, as w*- reckoned it,
a raging wave, inountain-like, eann> rolling jistern of us, aii<l plainly bade us exjwet the
cotip de fjnice. In a word, it took us with such a fury, that it ovei-set the boat at once ;
and He])arating us as well from the boat as from one another, gave us not time hardly
to s;iy, " 0 God !" for we were all swallowed ti]» in a moment.

Nothing can describe the confusion of tiiought which I felt, when I sank into the
water : for though 1 swam very well, yet I couM not deliver my.self froni tho waves so
as to draw brrath, till tiiat wave having driven me, or r.ither can-ied me, a vast Avay on '
towards (he .shore, and having spent itself, went back, and left me \iiw\\ the land alnio.st i
dry, but half dead with tho water I took in. I had so much presence of mind, as well
as Itrealh left, that seeiii;,' myseW nearer tho main land than I expecte.l, I got upon my i

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

1

feet, and endeavoured to make on towards the land as fast as I could, before another
wave should retiwn and take me up again ; but I soon found it was impossible to avoid
it ; for I saw the sea come after me as higli as a great hill, and as furious as an enemy,
which I had no means or strength to contend with : my business was to hold my
breath, and raise myself upon the water, if I could ; and so by swimming to preserve
my breathing, and pilot myself towards the shore if possible, my greatest concern now
being, that the wave, as it would carry me a great way towards the shore when it camo
on, might not carry me back again with it when it gave back towards the sea.

The wave that came upon me again buried me at once twenty or thirty feet deep
in its own body, and I could feel myself carried with a mighty force and swiftness
towards the shore a very great vray ; but I held my breath, and assisted myself to
swim still forward with all my might. I was ready to burst with holding my breath,
when as I felt myself rising u^i, so, to my immediate relief, I found my head and
hands shoot out above the surface of the water; and though it was not two seconds
of time that I could keep myself so, yet it relieved me greatl}', 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, farther towards the shore. But
neither would this deliver me from the fury of the £ca, which came pouring in after
me again; and t-\vice more I was lifted up by the waves and carried forwards as
before, the shore being very flat.

The last time of these two had well nigh been fatal to me ; for the sea having
hurried me along, as before, landed me, or rather dashed me, against a piece of a rock,
and that with such force, 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. Nov/, as the waves Avere not so
high as at first, being nearer land, I held my hold till the wave abated, and then fetched
diother run, which brought me so near the shore, that the next wave, though it went
er me, yet did not so swallow me up as to carry me away ; and the next run I took,
'■ got to the main land ; where, to my great comfort, I clambered up the clifts of the
':ore, and sat me down upon the grass, free from danger, and quite out of the reach of
the water.

I was now landed, and safe on shore, and began to look up and thank God that my
life vras saved, in a case wherein there was some minutes before scarce any room to
i . ::pe. 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 that 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.

4i

For suddeu joys, like griefs, confound at first.

T v,-j. !l:rd aljout on the shore, lifting up my hands, and my whole beinj

,1

V

-:h(

''\\

AFTER THE STORM

wrant iij) in a contemplation of my dclivci-ancc ; making a thous;ind ginLuic.i and
motions, which I cannot (Icsenbe ; rcJlecting upon all my comroUcs that were ilrowned,
and that there should not be one soid saved but myself; for, as for them, I never s;iw
thenj afterwards, or any sign of thcni, except three of their hat«, one cap, and two shoes
that were not fellows.

I cjuit my eyes to the stranded vessel, when, the breach and froth of the sea lieing so
big, I could hardly see it, it lay so far olf; and consitlercd, Lord ! how was it possible I
could get on shore ?

After I had solaced my mind with the comfortable part of my condition, I began to
look round me, to see what kind of jjlace I was in, and what wius next to be done : and
I soon found my comforts abate, and that, in a word, I had a dreadful deliverance : for
I was wet, had no clothes to shift mc, nor anything cither to eat or drink, to comfort
me ; neither did I sec any prospect before mo, but that of perishing with hunger, or
bjing devoured by wild l)cast« : and that which was particularly afllicting to me w;vs
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. 1 n
a wt)rd, I had nothing about mc 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 heiivy
heart, to consider what would be my lot if there were any ravenous beasts in that
co\intry, seeing at night they always come abroad for their prey.

All the remedy that offered to my thoughts, at that time, was to get up into a thick
bushv 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 aiiy fresh water
t) drink, which I did to my great joy ; and having drunk, and put a little tobacco in
my mouth to jn-event hunger, I went to the tree, and getting uj) into it, endeavoured to
l)lace myself so that if I should .sleep I might not fall. And having cut me a short
s'ick, like a truncheon, for my defence, I took up my lodging ; and being exces-
sively fatigued, I fell fast u.sleei), 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 dny, tlic weather clear, ami the storm abated, so that
the sea did not rage and swell as before ; but that which surprised mo most wai^ that
the ship was lifted olT in the night from the sand where she lay, by the swelling of the
tide, and wa-s driven up almost as far as the rock which I at first mentioned, where I
had been so bruised by the wave diushing mc against it. This being within about a
mile from the shore where I wai», and the .ship seeming to stand upright still, I wished
myself on board, that at lejist T might save some noccssjiry things for my use.

When 1 camo down from my apartment in the ttee, I looked about me again, and
the first thing I found wjus the boat, which lay, na the wind and sea liad to.sscd her up,
upon the land, about two miles on my right hand. 1 walked ivs far Jis I could \ipon the
shore to have got to her ; Init found a neck, or inlet, of water between mo and the boat
which was about half a mile broad ; .so I came back for the present, Wing moiv intent
upon getting at the .ship, where T 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 T
c )ul<l come within a (piarter of a mile of tho ship. And hero I found a fresh renewing
of my grief; for I saw evidently, that if we had kept on boanl, wo had l)oen all sjife:

32 J

c5A

that is to say, we had all got safe on shoie, and I had not been ^o miseiable

as to be left entiiely destitute of all comfoit and compam, as I now was.

This forced teais to my eyes again , but as there was little lehef 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 espied a small piece of rope, which I wondered I did not see at first,

^^^s&<^

Koi'.lNSON CRUSOE.

P'^F* J

■^ I

i

l»y the lijitj-rliaiiis so low, that with groat dilKcuIty I got lioKl of it, ami
tliat ropo got up into tlie forecastle of the ship. Here I found that tli.'
Iged, and had u great deal of water in lier hold; Imt that she lay so on tin-
of hard sand, or rather earth, that her .stern lay lifted up upon the bank,
ow, almost U> the water. ]?y this means all her quarter wa.s free, and all
that part was dry ; for you may be sure my first work was to .search, and to
i .spoiled and what wa.s free. And, tiiut, I found that all the shij/s provisions
were dry and untouched by the water, and being very well disposed to cat, I went to
the bread-room, and filled njy poekeLs with biscuit, and ate it as I went about* other
things, for I had no time to lo.so. I also found .some rum in the great cabin, of whicli
1 took a large dram, and which I had, indeed, need enough of to spirit me for what wa.s
before me. Now T wanted nothing but a boat, to furuish my.self with many tliiniis
which I foresaw would be very neees.siiry U> me.

It wa.s in vain to sit still and wish for what was not to be had ; and this extremily
roused my aj)plication. We liud several spare yards, and two or three large spar.s
t)f wood, and a .spare toj>-ma«fc or two in the ship: I resolved to fall to work with the>e,
and r lliuig as many of tln-m overboard as I could manage for their weight, tying every
one with a rope, that they might not drive away, ^^'hen this was done, I went down
tlie ship's side, and pidling them to me, I tied four of them together at both ends, as
well as 1 couhl, in the form of a raft, and laying two or three short [lieces of plank upon
them, eroissways, 1 found 1 could walk upon it very well, but that it was not able to
liear any great weight, the pieces being too light. .So I went to work, and with
tlie carpenter's .saw I cut a .spare toji-mast into three length.s, and adtled them to my
raft, with a great deal of labour and pain.s. But the hope of furni.shing my.self with
necessaries encouraged me to go Vjeyond what I sljould have been able to have done
upon another occasion.

My raft was now strong enough to l)ear any reasonable weight. My next care w;is
what to l(»ad it with, and Imw to ]ire.serve what I l.iid upon it from the surf of the sea :
but I was not long eon.sidering this. I first laid all the planks or boards upon it that I
could get, and having considered well what I most want««l, 1 first got threo of the
seamen's chests, which J ha<l broken open and emptied, and lowered them down upon
my raft; the first of these I filled with provisions — vi/., bread, rice, three Dutch chee-sci,
five pieces of dried goat's fie.sli (which we lived much upon), and a little remainder of
European corn, which had been laid by f<»r some fowls which we brought to sea with u?,
ijut the fowls were kilh-d. There had been some barley and wheat tt»gether ; but, to
my great disappointment, I found afterwards that the mis had eaten or spoiled it all.
As for liquors, I found .sev«>ral ca.ses of liottles belonging to our .skipper, in which were
some cordial waters ; and, in all, about five or six gallons of anack. These I stowed by
them.selvcs, tliere being no need to j)ut them into the chest, nor any room for them
While I was doing this, I found the tide began to flow, though very caluj ; and I ha i
the mortification to .see my coat, .shirt, ami waistcoat, which I had left on shoi
up«»n the saml, swim away. As for my breeches, which were «.nly linen, and open
kneed, I swam on board in them and my stockings. However, this put me U|M)n
rummaging for clothes, (.f which 1 found enough, l>ut to..k no more than I wanted for
present use, for I had other things mImcIi my eye was more ui»on ; a.s, fii-st, tools
to work with on shore : and it wius aft«r hmg seaiching that I f«»und out the
•.irpenters chot, whieh was indeed a very u.seful prize to me, and much more valuable
ip-la.ling ..|- -nid would hav«« been at that time. I got it down to my raft,
34

I

M

th

t.>

->*-tSCv..

r*^^'

^"^^

HE PAYS A VISIT TO THE WRECK.

knew ill general what

■whole as it was, .without losing time to look
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
]iowder-horns, 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 ;
bat with much search I found them, two of them dry and good, the third had taken
water. Those two I got to my raft, with the arms. And now I thought myself pretty
well freighted, and began to think how I should get to shore with them, having neither
sail, oar, nor rudder; and the least capful of wind would have overset all my navigation.

I had three encouragements : first, a smooth, calm sea ; secondly, the tide rising, and
setting in to the shore ; thirdly, what little -wind there was blew me towards the land.
And tlius, having found two or three broken oars belonging to the boat, and besides the
tools which Avere 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 indi-aft of the water, and consequently, I hoped to find some creek of
riA'er there, wliich 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 tlie land.
I found a strong cuiTent 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 liked to have sufiered a second shipwi-eck, which, if I had, I think
verily woiild have broken my heart ; for, knowing nothing of the coast, my raft ran
aground at one end of it upon a shoal, and not being aground at the other end, it
wanted but a little that all my cargo had slipped off towards 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 strengtli ;
neither durst I stir from the posture I Avas in ; but holding up the chests with all nay
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 oflT with the oar I had into the channel, and then driving
up liigher, I at length found myself in the mouth of a little river, with land on
both sides, aud a strong current or tide panning 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 sec some ship at sea, and therefore resolved to place myself as near the coast
as I could.

At length I spied a little cove on the right shore of the creek, to which, with great
pain and difficulty, I guided my raft, and at last got so near, that i-eaching ground with
my oar, I could thrust her directly in. But here I had like to have dipped all my
cargo into the sea again; for that shore lying pretty steep — that is x> say, sloping-
there Avas no place to land, but Avhere one end of my float, if it ran on shore, Avould lie
so liigh, and the other sink lower, as before, that it Avould endanger my cargo again.
All that I could do Avas to Avait till the tide was at the highest, keeping the i-aft B^ith
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 Avater Avould flow over ; and so it did. As soon as I
found Avater enough, for my raft drew about a foot of Avater, I thrust her upon that
flat piece of ground, and there fastened or moored her, by stickinjr my two broken oars

into the ground — one on

ide,

near one

end, and

my
the other side, near the

*>V/</^^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

other end ; and thus I lay till the water ebbed away, und left my i-aft and all my cargo
(•life on .shore.

^ly next work was to \'nrw the country, and seek a projier j)lace for my habitation,
and where to stow my good.s, to secure them from whatever might hai)pon. "Whore I
wa.s, I yet knew not ; whether on the continent or an island ; whether inhabited or
not inhabited ; whether in danger of wild beasts or not. There was a hiil not above a
mile from me, which rose up very stcej) and high, and which seemed to overtop some other
hill.s, which lay as in a ridge from it, northward. I took out one of the fowling piece?,
ami 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 liad with great labour and difficuUy got to the
top, I saw my liite, to my great affliction — viz., that I was in an island environed
every way with the sea : no land to bo seen except some rocks, which lay a great way
off, and two small islands, less than thi.s, which lay about three leagues to the west.

I found also tlmt the island I was in was bairen, and, as I saw good reason to
believe, uninhabited, except by wild V)oasts, of which, however, I s;iw none. Yet I s;iw
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 liad been fired there since the creation of the world. I had no sooner fired, but
from all the parts of the wood therfi aro.se an innumerable number of fowls of many
sorts, making a confused screaming and ciying, oveiy one according to his usual note,
but not one of them of any kind tlmt 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 tofjk mo up the rest of the 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 bea.st might devour me; though, as I afterwards found, there was
re.'illy no need for those feai's.

However, as well as I could, I barricaded myself ro\nid with the chestis and boards
tlmt I had brought on shore, and made a kind of hut for that night's lodging. As for
foud, I yet .saw not which way to supply myself, excei)t that I had .seen two or tin
cn'utures, like hares, run out of the wood where I shot the fowl.

r now began to consider that I might yet get a great many things out of the .sh
which would be u.seful to me, and j)articularly some of the rigging and .sjiils, and su.
other things as might come to land ; and I resolved to make another voyage on board
the vessel, if po.ssible. And ah I knew that the fir.st storm that blew must ncces.sarily
break her all in pieces, I resolved to set all other things iipart, till I got evcrjihing
out of the ship that 1 could get. Then I called a. council — that is to say, in my
thoughts-r-wlutlii<r I .should take liack the raft ; but this appeared impmcticable : .so I
resohed to go as before, when the tide was down ; and I diil so, only that I .stripp« d
before I went from my hut, having nothing on Imt a elucpu rod shirt, a pair of lint n
drawer.s, and a pair of pumps on my feet

I got on board the ship as before, and pnpare.l a second raft; and, having hail
oxi>erionce of the fir.st I neithir made this .so uuwiildy, nor loaded it so liard, but yet I
bioiight away several things very usefid to me; a.s, fii-st, in the carpenter's stores I
found two or three bags full of nails and .spikes, a gii»at screw-jack, a dozen or two ot
hatehets, and, above nil, that mo.st useful thing called a grindstone. All these I secured,

36

^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

■p ??*i?''^:5r

)

tMrrotlur witli Kcvenil tliinajs belongiy;,' to the giinncr, jirirticiihuly two or thrco iron
'i-nw.-i, Jiiid two barrels of musket bullets, seven muskets, ami another fowling pice. .
Ith Fome small i|uantity of powder more ; a large bag-full of small shot, and a great roll vt
liof t lead ; but this last was so heavy I could not hoist it up to get it over the ship's side.

Besides these things, I took all the men's clothes that I could Hiul, and a spare fore-
'|) 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 le.i.st my
))rovisions might be devoured on .shore ; but when I came Ijack, 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 tr>wards it, mn away a little distance, and then stood still. She sat veiy composed
and unconct-nied, and looked full in my face, as if .she had a mind to be anpiainted with
me. I presentod my gun to her, but, as she did not understand it, .she was jierfectly
uiironcerned at it, nor did .she offer to stir away ; ujion whirh I tos.sed her a bit of
biscuit, though, by the way, f wa.s not very free of it, for my .store was not great ; how-
ever, I spared her a l>it, I say, and she went to it, smelled at it, and ate it, and
looked (as jilcased) for more ; but 7 thanked her, and could spare no more : so .she
march f'd off.

Ifaviug got my .second ciigo on slion — though I was obliged to ojien the barrels of
jjiwdor, and bring therp by parcels, for they were too heavy, being large casks — I went
to work to make me a little tent, with the sail, and some poles which I cut for that
))urpo.se ; 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
fortifv it from any sudden attempt, either from man or beast.

When T had done thi.s, T blocked \ip the door of the tent with .some boards within,
and an empty chest .set up, on end without ; and spreading one of the beds upon the
ground, laying my two pi.stols just at my head, and my gun at length by me, I went to
b.'d ffir the first time, and slept very ipiletly all night. I was very weary and heavy ;
foi- the night before I had .slept little, and had laboured very hard all dav, as well to
to fetch tho«e things from the .ship, as to get them on .shore.

I had the liiggest magazine of all kinds now that ever was laid up, I bflicve, for on.
man ; but still T wns not satisfied, for while the nhip .sat u|iright in that j)osture, i
tlioip,»hl T ouglit to get evervthing otit of her that I could ; so every day, at low water,
I went on board, nncl bntught away pometliing or other ; but ]>arti<'ularly the third time
I Weill, I brought away as much of the rigging as T couhl, n« nlso all the small ropes
and rope twine T could get, with a ])iece of spare canvas, which was to meml the sails
upon occasion, and the barrel of wet gunjiowiler. In a word, 1 brought away all the
sails, first anil last; only that I w.as fain to cut them in jiieccs, and bring as much at a
time as I could, for they were no more useful to me for .sail.s, but as nu're canvas only.

Miit that which cttniforled me more still, was, that at last of all, after I had made fivi
t)r six sueh voyages nn these, and thought I had nothing more to expect from the ship
that was worth my meddling with -I way, alYer all this, f found a great hog.sluuul of
bread, three large runlett of mm, or spiiits, a box of lino nugar, and a bant;! of lin«
flour: this was surprising to nu\ because 1 h.ad given over expecting any niiuv provi.sion
exeejtt what wnn spoiled by the water. I soon einptietl the hogshead of the brea<l, anW
wrapped it up. parcel l>y panv-l, in j)icces of the .sjiils, which I cut out ; and, in n word. I
got all this safe (.n shore also, though at .s(>ver:il times.

Tin- next day f made another voyage, and new, having plundered the ship .,f \vli:ii

ROBINSON MAKES PROVISION FOR THE FUTURE.

l£

^vas portable and fit to Laud out, I began with the cable; cuttiug tlic great cable into
pieces such as 1 could move, I get two cable and a hawser on .shore, with all the iron-
work I could get ; aud having cut down the spritsail-yard, aud the mizen-yard, aud
everything I could to make a large raft, I loaded it with all those heavy goods and
came away; but my good luck began to leave me, for this raft was so unwieldy,
and so overladen, that after I was entered the little cove, where I had hauled the rest
of my goods, not being able to guide it so handily as I did the other, it overs.^t, and
threw me and all my cargo into the water ; as for myself, it was no great harm, for F
was near the shore ; but as to ray cargo, it was great iiart of it lost, especially tlic
iron, which I expected would have been of great use to me ; however, when the fuV-.
was 'out, I got most of the pieces of cable ashore, and some of the iron, though with infi-
nite labour; for I was fain to dip for it into the water, a work which fatigued me very
much. After this, I went every day on board, and brought away what I could get.

I had now been 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 haiids enuld Avell be sup-
posed capable of bringing ; though I verily believe, had the calm w.alhcr held, I should
have brought away the whole ship, piece by piece ; but preparing the twelfth time to go
on board, I found the wind began to rise : however, at low water I went on b.jard, 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
tlnee razors, and one pair of large scissors, with some ten or a dozen of good knives and
toiks ; in another I found about thirty-six pounds value in money— some European coin,
Mmie Brazil, some pieces of eight, some gold, and some silver.

I smiled to myself at the sight of this money. " Oh, 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 Ijlew a fresh
gale from tlie sliore. It presently occurred t<_) 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 Avhich lay
between tle'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; far
the wind rose very hastily, and before it was quite high water it blew a storm.

But I was gotten home to my little tent, where I lay, with all my wealth.about me
A eiy 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 dUigence, to get
e\ erything out of her that could be useful to me ; aud that, indeed, there was little left
lu 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
uhat might drive on shore from her wreck ; as, indeed, divers pieces of her afterwards
did ; but those things were of small use to nle.

My thoughts were now wholly employed about securing myself against either savages,
it any should appear, or wild beasts, if an/ were in the island ; and I had many thoughts

f^^^^

RULI.WSUX CRUSOE.

of the method how to do this, and what kind of dwelling to make — whether I shouM
make me a cave in the earth, or a tent upon the earth ; and, in short, I resolved upon
)x)th ; the manner and description of which it may not be impn)por to give an account of.^

I soon found the place I was in was nf)t fit for my settlement, particulai-ly bccau-;*'
it was upon a low moorish ground near the sea, and I believed would not be whole
; omo, and more particularly because there was no fresh water near it ; so I resolved to
fuKl a more healthy and more convenient spot of ground.

I consulted several things in my situation, which I found wouM l>e proper for me .
lust, health and fre.-ih water, I just now mentioned ; secondly, shelter from the heat of
tlie sun ; thirdly, security from ravenous creatures, whether man or beast ; fourthly, a
view to the sea, that if God .sent any ship in sight, I might not lose any advantage fur
my deliverance, of which I was not willing to banish my expectation yet.

In search of a jilace proper for this, I found a little plain on the side of a rising hill,
whose front towards this little j)lain was steep as a house side, so that nothing could
come down upon me from the top. On the side of the rock there wai a hollow phict^,
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 Hat of tlie green, just below this hollow place, I resolved to pitch my tent.
Tiiis 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 tlie .sea-side. It was on the N.N.W. side of the hill ; so that it
Win sheltered from the heat every day, till it came to the "NV. and l>y 8. sun, or there
abouts, which, in those countries, is near the .setting.

Before I set up my tent, I drew a half-circle before the hollow place, wliich to;>k 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 i»itched 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 row.%
upon one another, within the circle, between these two rows of stakes, up to the tjp.
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 wsis 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
t!ie piles in the woods, bring them to the place, and drive them into the e;irth.

The entrance into this place I made tO be, not by a door, bat by a short ladd n- t>
go over the top; which ladder, when 1 wjus in, I lifted over after me; and so I
w!is completely ' fenced in atid fortified, as I thought, fi*om all the world, and con-
sei[uently slept secure in the night, which otherwise I could not have done; though, a*
it appeared afterward.s, there wa.s no need of all this caution from the enemies that
1 apprehended danger from.

into this fence, or fortre.s-s, witli inlinite labour, I carried all my riches, all my
provisions, ammunition, and stores, of which you have the account above ; and I
made me :i large tent also, to j)reserve me from the rains, that in one part of the year
are very violfut there. I made it double — viz., one smaller tent within, and one larger
t««nt above it ; and covered the uppermost part of it with a large tarpaulin, wliieh I had
saved among tlu! flails.

i

And now I lay no more for awhile 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 i-epassed, 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 j 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 the tent, and making the cave, that a storm of rain falling from a thick,
dark cloud, a sutlden flash of lightning happened, and after that, a great clap of \
til under, as is naturally the effect of it. I was not so much surprised with the
lightning, as I was with the thought which darted into my mind as swift as the lightning
itself, "Oh, my powder !" My very heart sank within me when I thought that, at one . s^

41 M'

s-

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

)

blast, all my powder might be destroyed ; on which not my defence only, but tlie
providing me food, as I thought, entirely depended. I was nothing near so anxious
about my own danger ; though, had the powder took fire, I had never known who had
hurt me.

Such impression did this make upon me, that, after the storm was over, I laid aside
all my work, my building and fortifying, and applied myself to make bags and boxes
to separate my powder, aixd to keep it a little and a little in a parcel, in hopes,
that whatever might come, it might not all take fire at oucc ; and to keep it so apart,
that it should not be possible to make one p^rt fire another. I finished this work,
in about a fortnight ; and I think my powder, which in all was about one hundred and
forty pounds weight, was divided into no less than a hundred parcels. As to the barrel
that had been wet, I did not apprehend any danger from that ; so I i>laced 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 Avhere
I laid it.

In the interval of time while this was doing, I went out at least once every
day with my gun, as well to divert myself, as to see if I could kill anything fit for
food ; and, as near as I could, to acquaint myself with what the island produced.
The first time I went out, I jn-esently 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 most
dillicult 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 mo in the valleys, though they were upon the rocks, they would run away, as in a
ten-ible fright ; but if they Avere 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,
tlieir sight was so directed downward, that they did not readily see objects that were
aljove them ; so afterwards I took this method — I always climbed the rocks first, to
get above them, and then had frequently a fair mark.

The first shot I made among these creatures, I killed a she-goat, which had a little
kid by lier, which she gave suck to, which grieved me heartily ; for, when the old one
foil, 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 shoulder.^, the kid followed mo quite to
my enclosure ; ujion which, I laid down the dam, and took the kid in my arms, and
carried it over my l>ale, in hojies to liave bred it up tame ; b\it it would not cat ; so I
was forced to kill it and eat it myself. These two supplied mo with llesh a great
while, fur I cat sparingly, and saved my provision.s, my bread especially, as much as
I possibly could.

Having now fixed my liaKitatioii, I luund il absulutcly necessary to i)rovide a place
to njako 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 fidl account of in its place ; but 1

I mu.st now give some little account of myself, and of my thoughts about living, which, it
may well bo supposed, were not a few.

I had a di.smal prospect of my condition, for tus 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

I cotirse of the trade of mankind, I had great reason to consider it as a determination of

CRUSOE'S CALENDAR.

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 some-
times I would expostulate with myself why Providence should thus completely ruin its
creatures, and render them so absolutely miserable, so without help abandoned, and so
entirely depressed, that it could hardly be rational to be thankful for such a life.

But something always returned swift upon me to check these thoughts, and to
reprove me ; and particularly one day walking with my gun in my hand by the sea-
side, I was very pensive upon the subject of my present condition, when Reason, as it
were, put in expostulating with me the other way, thus : " Well, you are in a desolate
condition, it is true ; but, pray remember, where are the rest of you 1 Did not you come
eleven of you into the boat 1 Where are the ten ? Why were not they saved, and you
lost ? Why are you singled out ? Is it better to be here or there 1 " And then I
pointed to the sea. All evils are to be considered with the good that is in them and
with what worse attended them.

Then it occurred to me again, how well I was furnished for my subsistence, and
what would have been my case if it had not happened (which was a hundred thousand
to one) that the ship floated from the place where first she 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 any means to supply and procure them 1
" 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 1 with-
out clothes, bedding, a tent, or any manner of coverings?" and that now I had all these
to a sufiicient quantity, and was in a fair way to provide myself in such a manner as to
live without my gim, 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 then entertained any notion of my ammunition being destroyed
at one blast — I mean, my powder being blown up by lightning ; and this made the
thoughts of it surprising to me, when it lightened and thundered, as I observed just

And now, being to enter into a melancholy relation of a scene of silent life, sitch,
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-day from the working-days ; but to prevent this, I cut it with my
knife iipon a large post, in capital letters ; and making it into a great cross, I set it up
on the shore where I first landed, "vdz., " I came on shore here on the 30th of Sep-
tember, 1659."

Upon the sides of this square post I cut every day a notch with my knife, and every
seventh notch was as long again as the rest, and every first day of the month as long
^" ~-^ 43

^

<w^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

af'ain as that long one ; and thus I kept my calendar, or weekly, monthly, and yearly
reckoning of time.

In the next place, wo arc to observe, that among the many things which I brought
from the ship in the several voyages which, as al>ove mentioned, 1 made to it, I got
several things of less value, but not at all less useful to me, which I omitted setting
ilown before ; as, in particular, pens, ink, and paper ; several parcels in the captain's,
mate's, gunner's, and carpenter's keejiing ; 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 foi-get
that wo had in the ship a dog and two cats, of whose eminent history I must have occa-
sion to say something in its place, for I carried both the cats with me ; and as for the
dog, he jumped out of the ship of himself, and swam on shore to me the day after I
went on shore with my first cargo, and was a trusty sen'ant 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 he could not do. As I observed before, I found
pens, ink, and paper, and I hiisbanded 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 on heavily ; and it was near a whole
year before I had entirely finished my little pale, or surrounded habitation. Tlie
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 firet, but at last
bethought myself of one of the iron crows ; which, however, though I found it, yet made
driving those posts or jiilcs 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 t(>
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 th<? circumstances I was reduced
to ; and I drew up the stite of my affairs in -writing, not so much to leave them to any
that were to come after me, for I was like to have but few heii-s, as to deliver my
thoughts from daily poring upon them, and afflicting my mind : and as my rcjuson began
now to master my despondency, 1 began to comfort myself as well as I coulil, and to sot
the good against the evil, that I might have something to distinguish my case from woi-so.
and I stated it V(!ry impartially, like debtor and creditor, the comfort 1 enjoyed, against
the miseries I sufiercd, thus : —

KVII.

I ,11.1 I «>i upon a horril>lo, dcsolf^o Ulaiul ;
void of all hope of rocovery.

Rut I am alivo
jiany wns.
44

(;oon.

i\n<l not drowned, as .all my sliip's coin-

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

EVIL.

I am singled out and separated, as it wore,
from all the world, to bo miserable.

I am divided from mankind, a solitarj- ;
one banished from human society.
I have no clothes to cover me.

I am without any defence, or means to
resist any violence of man or beast.

I hare no soul to speak to or relieve inc.

GOOD.

But I am singled out, too, from all the ship's crew, to bo
spared from death ; and Ho that miraculously saved me
from death can deliver me from this condition.

But I am not starve<l, and perishing on a barren place,
affording no sustenance.

But I am in a hot climate, where if I had clothes, 1 could
hardly wear them.

But I am cast on an island where I see no wild beasts to
hurt mo, as I .saw on the coast of Africa ; and what if I had
been shipwrecked there ?

But God wonderfully sent the ship in near enough to the
shore, that I have got out so many necessary things as wiil
either supply my wants or enable me to supply myself, even
OS long as I live.

Upon tlic -wholo, here was an undoubted testimony that there wa.s scai-ce any con-
dition in the world so miserable, but there wa.s 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 giving over looking
out to sea, to see if I could spy a ship ; I .say, giving over these things, I began to apply
myself to accommodate my way of living, and to make things as easy to me as I could.

I have already described my habitation, which was a tent under the side of a rock,
surrounded with a strong pale of posts and cables ; but I might now rather call it a
wall, for I raised a kind of wall up against it of turfs, about two feet tliick on the out-
side : and after some time (I think it was a year and a half) I raised raftoi-s from it,
leaning to the rock, and thatched or covered it with boughs of trees, and such things as I
could get to keep out the rain, which I found at some times of the year very violent.

I have already observed how I brought all my goods into this pale, and into the
cave which I had made behind me. But I mu.st observe, too, that at first this was a
confused heap of good.s, 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 worked 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
rpiito out, and made mo a door to come out on the outside of my pale or fortification.

This gave me not only cgre&s and regress, as it was a back way. to my tent and to
my storehouse, but gave mo room to stow my goods.

And now I began to apply myself to make such necos.sary things as I fomul 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
80 much pleasure without a table.

So I went to work ; and here I must needs ob.servo that as rci\son is the substance
and original of the mathematics, so by stilting and squaring everything by reason,
and by making the most rational judgment of things, every man may bo, in tinjc,
nuustcr of every mechanic art. I had never handled a tool in my life; and yet,
in time, by labour, application, and contrivance, I found, at last, that I wanted
nothing but I could have made 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

46

?__SJi-^fe<J

:>s^<s;

HE COMMENCES HIS JOURNAL.

and a liatcliet, which, perhaps, were never made that way before, and that with infinite
hibour. 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 brou"-ht
it to be as thin as a plank, and then dub it smooth with my adze. It is true, by thiss
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 and labour which it
took me up to make a plank or board : but my time or labour was little worth, and so
it was as well employed one way as another.

However, I made me a table and a chair, as I observed above, in the first place ;
and this I did out of the short pieces of boards that I brought on my raft from the
ship. But when I had wrought out some boards as above, I made large shelves, of the
breadth of a foot and an half, one over another, all along one side of my cave, to lay all
my tools, nails, and iron- work on ; and, in a word, to separate everything at large into
their places, that I might come easily at them : also 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 g.3neral magazine of all necessary things ; and I had everything
^ 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 when I began to keep a journal of every day's employment ; for,
indeed, at first, I was in too much huny, and not only an huriy 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. the 30th. — After I had got to shore, and had
escaped di-owning, instead of being thankful to God for my deliverance, having first
vomited, with the great quantity of salt water which was gotten into my stomach, and
recovering myself a little, I ran a'bout the shore wi'inging my hands and beating my
head and face, exclaiming at my misery, and crying out I was undone, undone ! tUI,
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 had got all I
could out of her, yet I could not forbear getting \ip 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 cliild, and thus increase my
misery by my folly.

But having gotten over these things in some measure, and having settled my house-
hold stuff and habitation, made me a table and a chair, and all as handsome about me
as I could, I began I say 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 at
last, having no more ink, I was forced to leave it off.

THE JOURNAL.

September 30, 1659. — I, poor miserable Robinson Crusoe, being shipwrecked, dui'ing
a dreadful stoi-m, in the offing, came on shore on this dismal, unfortunate island, which
I called " The Island of Despau- ;" 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 circumstances I was
brought to ; viz., I had neither food, house, clothes, weapon, nor place to fly to ; and, in
of any relief, saw nothing but death before me : either that I should be devoured

47

by wild beasts, murdered by savages, or starved to death for want of food. At the

HTiproach of night I slept in a tree, for fear of wild creatures ; but slept soundly, though
it rained all night.

October 1. — In the morning I saw, to my great surprise, the ship had floated with
the high tide, and was driven on shore again, much nearer the island ; which, as it was
some comfort, on one hand (for seeing her sit \ipright, and not broken to pieces, I hoped,
if the wind abated, I might get on board, and get some food and necessjiries out of her
for my relief), so, on the other hand, it renewed my grief at the loss of my comrades,
v,ho, 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
sjvved, we might perhaps have built \is a boat out of the ruins of the ship, to have
carried \is to some other part of tlie world. I spent great i)art of this day in perplexing
myself on these things; but, at length, seeing the ship almost dry, I went upon the s;ind
as near as I could, and then swam on board. This day also it continued raining, though
with no wind at all.

From the Ist o/ October to the 2Uh. — All tlie.se 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 i-ain also, in these days, though with some intervals of fair weather ;
but it seems this was the rainy sea.son.

Oct. 24. — I overset my raft, and all the goods I Imd got upon it ; but being in shoal
water, and the things being chiefly heavy, I recovered many of them when the tiile
was out.

Oct. 25. — It rained all night and all day, with some gusts of wind ; during which
time the ship broke in j)iece.s, the wind blowing a little harder than before, and was no
more to be seen, except the wreck of her, and that only at low water. I sjjcnt this day
in covering and securing the goods which I .saved, that the rain might not spoil them.

Oct. 2G. — 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 ])roper place, under a rook, and
marked out a semicircle for my encampment, which I resolved to strengthen with a
work, wall, or fortification, made of double piles, lined within with cables, and without
with turf

From the 2Gth to the 30th, I worked veiy hard in carrying all my goods to my now
habitation, though .some part of the time it rained exceeding 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 slie-goat, and her kid fitllowed me home,
which I afterwards killed also, because it would not feed.

jyuvember 1. — I set up my tent under a rock, and lay there for the first night ;
making it as largo as I could, with stakes driven in to swing my hammock ui)on.

Xov. 2. — I .set up all my chests aiul board.s, and the pieces of timber which made
my rafts, and with them formed a fence round me, a little within the place 1 had marked
out for my fortification.

Nov. 3. — I went out with my gun, and killed tvro fowls like ducks, which were very
good food. In the afternoon went to work to make mo a table.

Nov. 4. — This morning I began to order my times of work, of going out with my
gun, time of slcej), and time of divei-sion ; viz., every moruic^ I walked out with my
gun for two or three hour.s, if it did not niin ; then employed myself to work till about
•liven o'clock ; then ate what 1 liad to live on ; and from twelve to two I lay down

48

'^j6E\'MCiJ\jfP^ JJir fA^l^^^^-

sleep, tbie -weather being excessive hot ; and then, in the evening, to work again.
The working part of this day and the next were wholly employed in making this
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.

Nov. 5. — This day I 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 I killed,
I took off the skins and pi'cscrvcj them. Coming back by the sea-shore, I saw
many sorts of sea-fowls, which I did not understand ; but was surprised, and almost
frighted, with two or three seals, wliich, 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.

Nov. 7. — Now it began to be settled fair weather. The 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and
part of the 12th (for the 11th was Sunday according to my reckoning), I took
wholly up to make me a chair, and with much ado brought it to a tolerable shape,
but never to please me ; and even in the making I pulled it to pieces several times.

Note. — I soon neglected 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

49

'^

C^ <J^

^^^

Z^^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

dreadfully, for fear of my powder. T A^ soon as it was over, I resolved to separate my ^
stock of powder into as many little parcels as possible, that it might not be in danger.

Nov. 14, 15, IG. — These three days I spent in making little scjuare chests, or boxes, i
which mi"ht hold about a pound, or two pounds at most, of jwwder; and so, putting
the powder in, I stowed it in places as secure and remote fi-om one another as possible, j
Un one of these three days I killed a large bird that was good to eat, but I knew not ^
wl^ to call it.

Nov. 17. — This day I began to dig behind my tent into the rock, to make room for
my further conveniency.

Note. — Three things I wanted exceedingly for this work ; viz., a pickaxe, a shovel?
and a wheelbaiTow, 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 hea^7 ; but the next thing was a shovel,
or spade ; tliis was so absolutely necessary, that, indeed, I could do nothing effectually
without it ; but what kind of one to make I knew not.

jVi;i'. 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 hardness ; of this,
with great labour, and almost spoiling my axe, I cut a piece, and brought it home,
with difficulty enough, for it wa.s exceeding lieavy. The excessive hardness of the wood,
and havinf' 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 la.st 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 fa^hioni
or so long making.

I was still deficient, for I wanted a Ijasket, or a wheell)arrow. A basket I could
not make by any means, having no siich things as twigs that woidd bend to make
wicker- ware — at least, none yet found out ; and as to the wheelbarrow, I f:\ncied I could
make all but the wheel ; but that I liad no notion of; neither did I know how to go
about it ; besides, I had no possible way to make iron gudgeons for the spindle or
axis of the wheel to run in; so I gave it over, and so, for can-ying away the earth which
1 d ig out of the cave, I made me a thing like a hod, which the labourers carry mortar
in, wlren they serve the bricklayei-s. 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 day-s I mean always excepting my morning's
walk with my gtin, which I seldom failed, and very seldom failed also of bringing homo
something fit to eat.

Nov. 23. — My other work having stood still, because of my making these tools,
when they were finished I went on, aiul working cvciy day, as my strength and time
allowed, I spent eighteen days entirely in widening and deepening my cave, that it
might hold my goods comniodiously.

Note. — During all this time I worked to make this room, or cave, spacious enough
to accommodate me as a warehouse, or magazine, a kitchen, a dining-room, and a cellar.
As for a lodging, I kept to the tetit ; cxce])t that .sometimes, in the wet season of the
year, it rained so hard, that I could not keep myself diy, which caused me afterwards
to cover all my^laco within my pale with long jioles, in the form of raftei-s, leaning
against the rock, and load them with flags and largo leaves of trees, like a thateh.

December 10. — I began now to think mv cave or vault finished, when on a sudden

z _, ,, _ ^'

CRUSOE FURNISHING HIS HOUSE.

(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- diggei*. Upon this disaster I had a
great deal of work to do over again, for I had the loose earth to carry out ; and, which
was of more importance, I had the ceiling to prop up, so that I might be sure no more
would come down.

Dec. 1 1. — This day I went to work with it accordingly, and got two sliores or posts
pitched upright to the top, with two pieces of board across over each post ; this I
finished the next day, and setting more posts up with boards, in about a week more
I had the roof secured ; and the posts, standing in rows, served me for partitions to
part off my house.

Dec. 17.— From this day to the 20th I placed shelves, and knocked up nails on the
posts, to hang everything up that could be hung up ; and now I began to be in some
order within doors.

Dec. 20. — Now I carried everything into the cave, and began to furnish my house^
and set up some pieces of board like a dresser, to order my victuals upon ; but board
began to be very scarce with me : also I made me another table.

Dec. 2-i. — 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 yovmg goat, and lamed another so that I catched it, and led it
home in a string ; when I had it at home, I bound and splintered up its leg, which was
1 iroke.

KB. — I took such care of it that it lived, and the leg grew Avell and as strong as
ever ; but by nursing it so long it grew tame, and fed upon the little green at my
door, and would not go away. This was the first time that I entertained a thought of
breeding up some tame creatures, that I might have food when my poAvder and shot
were all spent.

• Dec. 28, 29, 30, 31.— Great heats, and no breeze, so that there was no stirring
abroad, except in the evening, for food ; this time I spent in putting all my things in
order within doors.

Jan. 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 was plenty of goats, though ex-
ceedingly shy, and hard to come at ; however, I resolved 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.

Jan. 3. — I began my fence, or wall ; which, being still jealous of my being attacked
by somebody, I resolved to make very thick and strong.

N.B. — This wall being described before, I purposely omit what was said in the
Journal ; it is sufiicient 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 rams hindering me many days, nay, sometimes
.'- - — ^ 51

-iBjS

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

weeks together ; but I thought I should never be perfectly secure till this wall wa^
finished ; and it is scarce 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 i-aised
up clo.se to it^ I persuaded my.self 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 roumls in the woods for game eveiy day, when the
rain i)ermittcd me, and made frequent discoveries in those walks of something or other
to my advantage; particularly I found a kind of wild jjigeons, which build, not as
wood i)igeons in a tree, but rather as liouso pigeons, in the holes of the rocks ; and taking
Kome young ones, I endeavoured to breed them up tame, and did so ; but when they
grew older they flew all away, which perhaps was at first for want of feeding them, for I
had nothing to give them ; however, I frequently foiind their nests, and got their young
ones, which were very good meat.

And now, in the managing my household affairs, I found myself wanting
ill many thing.s, which I thouglit at fii-st it was impossible for me to make ;
as, indeed, as to some of them it was : for instance, I could never make a cask
to bo hooped. I had a small runlet or two, as I observed before ; but I could
never arrive to the capacity of making one by them, though I spent many weeks about
it; I could neither put in the head.s, nor join the staves so true to one another as to
make them hold water ; so I gave that ahso over.

In the next place, I was at a great loss for candles; so that as soon as it
wa.s dark, which wa.s 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 happoned that, rummaging my things, I fi>und a little bn-
which, as I hinted before, had been filled with corn for the feeding of poultry — not fi>i-
this voyage, but before, as I sujipose, when the ship came from Lisbon. What little re-
mainder of corn had been in the bag was all devoured by the mts, and I saw nothing in
the bag but liusks and dust; and being willing to have the bag for some other use (I
tliink it was to put powder in, when I divided it for fear of the lightning, or some
such u.se), I shook the husks of corn out of it on one side of my fortification, under tlie
rock.

It was a little before the great rains just now mentioned that I throw this stulT
away, tukuig no notice of luiything, 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 .some-
thing green shooting upon the ground, which I fancied might be some plant I had not seen :
but I wius surprised, and perfectly astonished when, after a little longer time, I .'^aw
about ten or twelve cai-s come out, which were perfect green barley, of the same kind
as our Eurojican— nay, as our English barley.

It 13 impo.ssiblo to express the astonishment and confusion of my thoughts on this
occasion ; I had hitlierto acted upon no religious foundation at all ; indeed, I liad very
few notions ofrelii^ion in my he.vd, nor had entertained any sense of anything that had

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

befallen me, otherwise than as a chance, or, as we lightly say, what pleases Crod, without
so much as inquiring into the end of Providence in these things, or hLs order in
governing events in the world. But after I saw barley grow there in a climate which
I knew was not proper for com, and especially that I knew not how it came there, it
startled me strangely, and I began to suggest that Gotl had mimcidously caused tliis
gi-ain to grow without any help of seed sown, and that it was so directed purely for my
sustenance in that wild, misemblo place.

This touched my heart a little, and brought tears out of my eyes, and I began to
bless my.self that such a prodigy of Nature should happen upon ray accouni; and this
was the more strange to me, because 1 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,
beaiuse 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 but that there was more in the place, T went all over that part of the island where
I had been before, peering in every comer 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 had shaken the
bag of chickens' meat out in that place ; and the wonder began to cease ; and I must
confess, my religious thankfulness to God's providence began to abate too, upon tho
discovering that all this was nothing but what was common ; though I ouglrt to have
been as thankful for so strange and unforeseen providence, as if it hud been
miraculous ; for it was really the work of Providence as to me, that should order or
appoint that ten or twelve grains of corn sluould remain imspoiled, when the rats had
destroyed all the rest, as if it had been dropped from heaven ; as also that I should
throw it out into that particular place, where, it being in the shade 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 eai-s 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 sujiply me with bread. But it was
not till the fourth year that I would allow myself the least grain of this corn to cat, and
even then but sparingly, as I shall say afterwards, in its order; fori lost all tli;
sowed tlie first season, by not observing the proper time ; for I sowed it just befori'
diy season, so that it never came up at all, at least not as it would have done : of wl
in its place.

Besides this barley, there were, as above, twenty or thirty stiilks of rice, whii '
preserved with the same care, and whoso \ise was of the same kiml, or to the si
purpose, viz., to make mo bread, or rather food; for I found ways to cook it up with
baking, though I did that also after some time.

But to return to my Journal : —

I worked excessive hard these three ur four months, to get my wall done; it in.
the 1 Uh of April, I closed it up, contriving to go into it, not by a door, but over a
wall, by a ladder, that there might bo no sign on the outside of my habitation.

April IG. — I finished the ladder; so I went up the ladder to the top, and tluii
pulled it \t\t after me, and let it down on the inside : this was a complete enclosure to
mo ; for within I had room enough, and nothing could come at mo from without,
unless it could first mount my wall.

The very ne.\t day after this wall was finished, I had almost hail all my labour
overthrown at once, and myself killed. The case was thus :— As 1 was busy in the

S4 ' _./

'J

inside of it, behind my tent, just in the entrance into my cave, I was terribly frightened
with a most dreadful surprising thing indeed : for, all on a sudden, I found the earth
came tumbling 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 tip in the cave cracked in a frightful manner, I was
heartily scared ; but thought nothing of what really was the cause, only thinking that
the top of my cave was falling in, as some of it had done before : and for fear I should
be buried in it, I ran forwards 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 was no sooner stepped down upon the firm ground, than I plainly saw it
was a terrible earthquake ; for the ground I stood on shook three times at about eight
minutes' distance, with three such shocks as would have overturned the strongest
building that could be supposed to have stood upon the earth ; and a great piece of the
top of the 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
Avas put into a violent motion by it ; and I believe the shocks were stronger under the
water than on the island.

I was so amazed with the thing itself, having never felt the like, or dis-
coursed with any one that had, that I was like one dead or stupefied ; 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 stupefied condition
I Avas 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 get over my wall again, for fear of being
buried alive, but still sat upon the ground, greatly cast down and disconsolate, not
knowing what to do. All this while, I had not the least serious religious thought ;
nothing but the common " Lord, have mercy upon me ! " and when it was ovei-, that
went away too.

While I sat thus, I found the air overcast, and it grew 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 of wind : the sea was, all on, a sudden, covered 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 then in two hours more it was 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 earthquake itself was spent and ovei', 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 i-ain 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 woz'k, viz., to cut a hole through my new fortifi-
cations, like a sink, to let the water go out, which would else have drowned my
cave. After I had been in my cave 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 veiy much, I went to my little stoi-e, and took a small sup of
rum ; which, however, I did then and always veiy sparingly, knowing I could have no

'\ ROBINSON CRUSOE.

more when that was gone. It continued raining all that night, and great part of the
next diiy, no that I couKl not stir abroad ; but my mind being more composed, I
began to think of what I had beat to do ; concluding, that if the island waa subject
to these eartlupiakes, there would bo no living for me in a cave, but I must consider of
buildiug mo some little hut in an open place which I might surround with a wall, as
r hiul done here, and so make mj-self secure from wild beasts or men ; for I concluded
if I Htil>'ed where I was, I should certainly, one time or other, be buried alive.

With these thoughts, I resolved to move my tent from the place where it now
stood, which wivsjust under the hanging precipice of the hill; and which, if it shouhl
bo shaken again, would cerUinly fall upon my tent : and I spent the two next days,
Wing the lUth 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 apprehensions of lying abroad without any fence were almost equal to it :
but still, when I looked about, and siiw how everything was put in order, how pleasantly
concealed I wa.s, and how safe from danger, it made me loth to remove. In the mean-
time, it occurred to me that it would require a vast deal of time for me to do this, and
that I must bo contented to run the venture where I was, till I had formed a camp for
myself, and had secured it so as to remove to it. So with this resolution I composeil
myself for a time, and resolved that I would go to work with all speed to build me a
wall with piles and cables, I'c, in a circle, as before, and set my tent up in it, when it
wa« finished ; but that I would venture to stay whore I waa till it wa.s finished, and
tit to remove to. This was the 2l8t.

April 22. — The next morning I began to consider of means to put this resolve in
execution ; but I was at a great loss about my tools. I had three large axes, and
abundance of hatchets (for we cairied the hatchets for trathc 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 nt)t turn it and grind my tools too. This
cost mo an much thought as a statesman would have bestowed uj)on a grand point of
jM»liticH, or a judge upon the life and death of a man. At length, I contrived a wheel
with a string, U) turn it with my foot, that I might have both my hands at libei-ty.

Note. — I liad not seen any such thing in England, or at least not to take notice
how it was done, though since I have ob8er\-ed it was very common thei-e ; besides that,
my grindstone was very large and heavy. This machine cost me a full week's work to
bring it to perfection.

April 2jS, 29. — Those two whole days I took up in grinding my tools, my machine
for turning my grindstone performing very well.

April .'JO. — Having jKyrceived my bread had been low a great while, I now took a
Hurvoy of it, oud reduced myself to one biscuit-cako a day, which made my heart veiy
heavy.

May 1. — In the morning, looking towards the sea-side, the tide being low, I saw
something lio on tho shore bigger than ordinary, and it looked like a Ciisk ; when
I camo to it, I found a small bjirrel, and two or three pieces of tho wreck of the ship,
which were driven on shoi-o by tho lato liurrioane ; and looking towards the wreck
it.trlf, I thought it seemed to lie higher out of tho water than it used to do. I examinetl
the barrel which was driven on shore, and soon found it was a banel of gun|X)Wiler ;
but it had Uik.>n water, and tho powder waa caked as hard as a stone : however, I rollod
It farther on shore for the present, and went on xipon tho sands, as near as I covikl to
tho wreck of tho sliip, to look for more.

56

fpif^f nm^^^m^hs.

I

I

When T came down to the shii^, I found it stiangely lemovtd. The foieca.stl(^
•hich Liy before buried in sand, was heaved up at least six feet, and tlie stern,
whicli was broken to jiieces and parted from the rest by the force of the sea- soon
after I had left rummaging of her, was tossed, as it were, up, and cast on oiu3 side ;
and the sand was thrown so high on that side next the stern, that whereas there
was a great jDlace 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 surjnised with this at first, but soon concluded it must be done
by the earthquake; and as by this violence the ship was more broken 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 habitatiiiu^
and I busied myself mightily, that day especially, in searching whether I coulcl
make any way into the ship ; but I found nothing was to be expected of that kind,
for that all the inside of the ship was choked up with sand. However, 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.

Mai/ 3. — I began with my saw, luid 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

.1

ij-

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

it throu''h, I cleared away the sand as well as I could from the side which lav highest ;
biit the tide coming in, I was obliged to give over for that time.

}fat/ 4. — I went a-fiahing, but caught not one fish that I dui-st eat of, till I was
wear)' of my sport ; when, just going to leav^ 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 a.s I cai-ed to eat ; all which I dried in the sun, and ate them dry.

Mat/ 5. — Worked on the \s'reck; cut another beam asunder, and brought three great
fir planks* off from the deck-s, which I tied together, and made swim on shoi-e when
the tide of Hood came on.

Mai/ G. Worked on the wreck ; got several iron bolts out of her, and other pieces

of iron-work ; worked very hard, and came home very nmch tired, and had thoughts of
giving it over. «

Mat/ 7. — Went to the VTOck again, with an intent not to work, but found the
weight of the wreck had broken itself down, the beams being cut ; that seveml pieces of
the Hhip Keemed 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.

Mat/ 8. — Went to the wTcck, and carried an iron ci'ow to wrench up the deck
which lay now quite clear of the water or sand. I wrenched open two planks, and
brought them on shore also with the tide. I left the iron crow in the vrreck for next
day.

Mat/ 9. — Went to the wreck, and with the crow made way into the body of the
wreck, and felt sevei-al casks, and loosened them with the crow^but could not break
tliem up. I felt also a roll of English lead, and could stir it, but it was too heavy to
more.

M((i/ 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. — Went every day to the wreck; and got a great deal of
pieces of timber, and board.«t, or planks, and two or three hundredweight of iron.

Mat/ l~). — I can-ied 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.

Mat/ IG. — It had blown hard in the night, and the vTCck 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 me going to the wreck that day.

Mcuj 17. — I saw some pieces of the wreck blown on .shore, at a groat distance, near
two miles off mo, but resolvetl to see what thoy were, and found they were ])ieces of
the head, but too heavy for me to bring away.

3fai/ 24. — EvoiT day, to this day, I worked on the wreck ; and with hard labour I
loosened some things so much with the crow, that the fii-st flowing tide sevei-al casks
floated out, and tw(> of the seamen's chests : but the wind blowing from the shore
nothing came to land that day but pieces of timber, and a hoirshoad, which had some
Ura7Jl poi-k in it ; but the salt water and the sand had spoiled it. I continued this
work every day to the I5t]i of June, except the time necessary to get food, which I
always api>ointed, during this part of my employment, to be when the tide was up, that
I nji^ht bo ready when it was ebbed out ; and by this time I had gotten timber, and i>lank,
and ii-on-work enough to have built a gootl boat, if I had known how ; and also I got,
at several times, and in several pieces, near one himdredwcight of the sheet-lead.

Jime in. — Going down to the sea-side, I found a large tortoise, or turtle. Tliis was
the lii-jtt T had set», which, it seems, was onlv my misfortune, not any defect of the place

"58'

or the scai'city ; for bad I happened to be ou the other side of the island, I might have
had hundreds of them eveiy day, as I found aftei-vrards ; but perhaps had paid dear
enough for them.

Ju)ie 17 I spent iu cooking the turtle. I found in her threescore eggs; and her
flesh \ras to me, at that time, the most savoury and pleasant that ever 1 tasted in my life,
having had no flesh, but of goats and fowls, since I landed in this hon-ible place.

Ju7ie 18. — Eained all the day, and I stayed -within. I thought, at this time, the rain
felt cold, and I was something chilly, -vrhich I knew was not usual in that latitude.

June 19. — Very ill, and shivering, as if the weather had been cold.

Ji'.ne 20. — Xo rest all night ; violent pains in my head, and feverish.

Jum 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 firet time since the storm,
off of Hull, but scarce knew what I said or why ; my thoughts being all confased.

June 22. — A little better ; but under dreadful apprehensions of sickness.

June 23. — ^Yery bad again; cold and shivering, and then a violent headache.

June 24. — Much better.

Jujie 25. — ^An ague very violent : the fit held me seven houi-s ; cold fit, and hot
with faint sweats after it.

Jun^ 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.

Juiie 27. — The ague again so Aiolent that I Jay a-ljed all day, and neither ate nor
drank. I was ready to perish for thii-st ; but so weak I had no strength to stand up,
or to get myself any water to di-ink. Prayed to Gk>d 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 ofl', I fell asleep, and did not awake
till far in the night. When I awoke, I found myself much refi-eshed, but weak, and
exceeding thirsty ; however, as I had no water in my -whole habitation, I was forced to lie
till morning, and went to sleep again. In this second sleep, I had this terrible dream :
I thought that I was sitting on the gi-ound, on the outside of my waU, 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 tJie gi'ound : he was aU over as bright as
a flame, so that I could but just bear to look towards him : his countenance was most
inexpressibly dreadful, impossible for words to describe ; when he stepped upon the ground
with his feet, I thought the earth trembled, just as it had done before in the earthquake,
and all the air looked, to my apprehension, as if it had been filled with flashes of fii-e.
He was no sooner landed upon the earth, but he moved forwards towards me, -ndth 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 undei-stood was this : — " Seeing aU 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 kiU me.

Xo one that shall ever read this account will expect that I should be able to describe
the horrors of my soul at this terrible vi.sion. I mean, that even while it was a di-eam,
I even di-eamed of those horrors. Xor is it any more possible to describe the impression
that remained upon my mind wlien I awaked, and found it was but a dream.

/

^

ROBINSON CKUSOK.

I had, alas ! no divine knowledge What I had received by the good instruction of
my fnthor wa.s tlicn worn out by an unintcmipted series, for eight years, of seafaring
wickiMlnesM, and a constant conversation witli none but such as were, like myself, wicked
and pnifjino to the last degree. I do not remember that I had, in all that time, one
thought that 80 much as tended cither to looking upwards towards (lod, or inwards
towards a rellection uix)n my own ways ; but a certain stupidity of soul, without desire
of grtod, (H- conscience of evil, had entirely overwhelmed me ; and I was all that the m< st
hardened, unthinking, wicked creature among our common sailors can be sui)itosed to
bi'— not having the leaat sense, either of the fear of God in dangers, or of thankfulness
to (Io«l in deliverances.

In the relating what is already past of my story, this will be the more easily Ijclieved
when r shall add, that through all the variety of miseries that had to this day befallen
me, I never had so much as one thought of its being the hand of tJoil, or that it was a
just punishment for my sins — my rebellious behaviour against my father — or my
])reseiit sins, which were grejit — 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
Alriea, I never had so much as one thought of what would become of nie, or one wish
to CJod to direct mo whither I should go, or to keep me from the danger whieli
apparently surrounded n^c, as well from voiucious creatures as cruel savages ; but I
was merely thoughtless of (!o«l or a I'rovidence — I acted like a mere bmite, from the
prineiplfs of nature, and by the dictates of common sense only, and indeed hardly that.
WlifU I was delivered ami taken up at .sea by the Portugal cajjtain, Avell used, and dealt
j l^lly and honourably with, as well as charitably, 1 had not the lea,st thankfulness in
my thoughts. When, again, I w;is shipwrecked, ruined, and in danger of drowning on
this islund, I was as far fi-om remoi-se, or looking on it as a judgment. I only s;iid to
mysi'If 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 crow drowned, ami
myself spared, I was s»u-pri.sed with a kind of ecstacy, and some transports of soul, which, .rjCl<S
had the grice of Cod a.ssisted, might have come up to true thankfulness ; but it ended >i \
where it began, in a mere common llight of joy, or, as I may .siy, being glad I was ^"''^
alive, without the least rellection upon the distinguishing goodness of the Hand which li
pn.'.servi'd me, and hatl singled nu* out to b»» preserved when all the rest were destn»} (
or an in(|uiry why rrovid<nee had been thus merciful tome. Even just the .sai
conuunn M«»rt of ji>y which seamen generally have, after they have got safe a.shoi"e from
siiipAVfcck, all which they drown in tho ne.xt bowl of punch, and forget almost as su
as it is over ; and all the rest of my life was like it. Even when I w;vs afterwards, on il>
consideration, made sensible of my comliti«)n, how Tmm cast on this dreadful place, c
o| the reach of human kind, out of all hojio of relief, or prosj>ect of redemption, as .sn
as I .H41W a juobability of living, and that I should not st^irve and jierish for hung.r.
all tho Hcnse of my allliction wore olf; and I began to bo very ea.sy, applied mystll
to the wtuks proper for my ])reservation and supply, and Wiis far enough from being
Jilllii;te<l nt my condition, aa a judgment from Heaven, or as the hand of God against
uie : these were thoughts which very seldom entered into my head.

1 lie growing up of tho corn, as is hinteil in my journal, had, at first, some little
inlluence upon me, ami be;»an to atleet me with seriousness, us long lui I thought it had
.something nuraculous in it ; but as .soon lus ever that part of tho thought Wiis removrd,
all the injpres,sion which wa.s i-jii.sed from it wore ofFad.so, jus I have noted already. I)\tii
the earthiju.ike, though nothing coiild bo more terrible in its nature, or more imme-

^^^^^:

iliatcly directing to the invisible Power which alone directs such things, j'et no sooner
wiis tlio fii-bt fright over, but the impression it had made went ofT 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 hiul be«n in the most prosperous condition of life.
Tint now, when I began to be sick, and a leisurely view of the miseries of death came
to place itself before mo ; when my spirits began to »ink under the burden of a strong
di.stemper, and nature was exhausted with the violence of the fever, conscience, 'that
had -slept so long, began tu awoke, and I began to reproach myself with my past life, in
whieh I had so evidently, by uncommon wickedness, provoked the justice of God to lay
uie uiulcr uncommon strokes, and to deal with me in so vindictive a manner. These
rellections oppres.sed me from the second or third dixy of my distemper ; and in the
NJoU-nce, as well of the fever as of the dreadful reproaches of my con-science, extorted
some words from me like pi-aying to CJod, 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 convictions great upon my mind, and the hoiTor of
•lying in such a miserable condition I'ai.setl vapourS into my head with the mere appre-
hensions ; and in these hurries of my soul, I knew not what my tongue might express.
Dut it was rather exclamation, such a.s, " Lord, what a misenible creature am I ! If 1
should be sick, I shall certainly die for want of help, and what will become of me ? "
'J'licu, the tears bui-st out of my eyes, and I could say no more for a good Avliile. In this
interval, the gootl 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
stej), God would not bless me, and I would have leisure hereafter to reflect upon having
neglected his counsel, when there might bo none to as.sist mc in my recovery. "Now,"
saiil I jdoud, '"my dear father's words aro come to pass; God's justice has overtaken
mo, and I have ni>nc to help or hear me. I rejected the voice of Providence, which h;ul
ujcrcifidly put me iu a posture or station of life wherein I might have been happy aid
easy ; but I would neither see it myselti nor learn to know the blessing of it from my
pareuU*. I left them to mourn over my folly ; and now I am left to mourn un«ler the
consequences of it. I lefuscd their help and assistance, who would have lifted me into
the woikl, anl wouhl hive m vlo everything eixsy to mo ; and now I havo dilhculties
to struggle with too great for even nature it^self to support, and no assistance, no hel]),
no comfort, no advice." Then i cried out, "Lord, be my help, for I am iu great
distrcw." This w»w tlie lU-st pf-aycr, if 1 might call it so, that I had nude for many
ycam. But I return to my Joui'md : —

Jun« 26. — llioing been .somewhat refi-cshed with the sleep I had had, and the fit
being entirely oli; I got up ; and though the fright and terror of my dream was very
greats yot I con»«iilcrod that the fit of the ague would return again the next day, and
umv was my time to get sometliing to refix^sh and support myself when I .should bo ill :
and the fii-st thing I did, I filletl a large s«piaro casc-botllu with water, and set it ui)ou
my table, in re^ch of my bod; and to take off the chill or aguish disposition of tho
Wiiter, I put about a qiuirter of a pint of rum into it, and mixed them togetlier. Then
1 got mo a piece of tho goat's flesh, and broiled it on tho coals, but could eat very little.
I wjdkod about^ but waa very weak, and withal very sad and heavy-hearted in the
sense of n>y iniserable condition, dreading the return of my distemper tho next day.
At night, I made my supper of three of the turtle's eggs, which I ro:uste.l in tho ashes,
and eat, as wo call it, in tho .shell, ami this was tho first bit.of meat I had ever a.skod
God's blessing to, eviii, as I couKl remember, in my wliolo life.

A CURE FOR r.ODY AND IMIN

i

After I had eaten, I tried to walk, but found myself so weak, that I could hardl>
carry the gun, for I never went out without that; so I went out but a little way, an.]
sat down upon the ground, looking out upon the sea, which was just before me, and ver\-

calm and smooth. As I sat here, some thoughts such as these occurred to me : What

is the earth and sea, of which I have seen so much? Wlience is it produced? And
what am I, and all the other creatures, wild and tame, human and brutal ? Whence
are we ? Sui-e we are all made by some secret Powei', who formed the eai-tli and sea
the air and sky. And who is that? Then it followed most naturally, It is God that
has made it all. Well, but then, it came on strongly, if God has made all these thino-.s,
he guides and governs them all, and all things that concern them; for the Being 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 knowledo-e or
appointment.

And if nothing happens without his knowledge, he knows that I am here, and
am in this dreadful condition; and if nothing happens without his appointment, he
has appointed all this to befall me. ITothing occurred to my thoughts 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 befall me ; that I was brought to this
miserable circumstance by liis direction, he ha\-ing 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 1 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 thoit ask what thou hast done 1 Look back upon a dreadful misspent
life, and ask thyself, what thou hast not done ? Ask, why is it that thou wert not
long ago destroyed 1 Why wert thou not drowned in Yarmouth Eoads ? killed in the
fight, when the ship was taken by the Sallee man-of-war 1 devoured by the wild beasts
off the coast of Africa 1 or di-owned 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 up 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
apjn-ehensions 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, du-ected by Heaven, no doubt ; for in this chest I found a cure both for soul
and body. I opened the chest, and found what I looked for, viz., the tobacco ; and as the
few books I had saved lay there too, I took out one of the Bibles which I mentioned
before, and which to this time I had not found leisure, or so much as inclination, to look
into. I say, I took it out, and brought both that and the tobacco with me to the table.
What use to make of the tobacco I knew not, as to my distemper, or whether it was good
for it or no ; but I tried several experiments with it, as if I was resolved it should heal
one way or other. I first took a piece of leaf, and chewed it in my mouth, which, indeed,
at first, almost stupefied my brain, the tobacco being green and strong, and that I had
not been much used to it. 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 iipon a
pan of coals, and held my nose close over the smoke of it as long as I could bear it, as

63

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

well for the hout as the virtia- ot it, uu.l I held it ulinost to huH'ocatioij. In the interval of
this opemtion, I took up tho liible, and begnn to read; but my head was too much dis-
turl)«-«l with the tobacco to l)car reading, at least at that time ; only, having opened the
Ixjok casually, the words'first that occuiTe<l to me were thes»% " Call uium mc in the day
of troid)le, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." These words were very
iijit to my case, and nuide some imi>rey8iou upon n»y thoughts at the time of reading them,
though not so much as they did afterwards ; for, as for being dtUvered, the word had no
sound, as I may say, to mc ; tho thing was so remote, .so inii)ossible in my apprehension
of things, that I Wgan to say, as the children of Israel did when they were promised
flesh to eat, " Can Go<l sjiread a table in the wilderness ? " so I began to say, " Can CJod
him.self deliver me froui this place ? " And as it was not for many ycai-s that any liopes
ftplK'ared, this prevailed very often upon my thoughts ; but, liowever, the woi-ds made
a great impression upon me, and I mused upon them very often. It giew now late, and
tho tobacco had, as I .said, dozed my head so much that I inclined to sleep ; so T left
my lamp burning in the cave, le.st I .should want anything in tho night, and went to
lied. IJut iKjfore I lay down, I did what I never had done in all my iife ; I kneeled
d.)wn, anil i.i-aved to Clod to fulfil the promise to me, that if I called upon him in the
day of trouble, he w<(uld deliver me. After my broken and imi)erfect pmyer was over,
1 dmnk tho mm in which I had steejicd the tobacco, which was so strong and rank of
tho tolmcco, that indeeil 1 could .scarcely get it down; iniiuediately upon this I w'ent to
bi'd ; and I found presently it Hew up into my head violently ; but I fell into a sound
^lei'p, and wako<l no more till, by tho sun, it must neces.sjirily be near three o'clock in the
utternoon the next d.iy : nay, to this hour I am ]>artly of opinion that I slept all tho
next day and night, and till almo.st three the dny after ; for otherwise, I know not how
I should lose a day out of my reckoning in tho days of the week, as it appeared some
yeai-s after I had done; A»r if I had lost it by crossing and re-cro.ssing tho line, I should
have lost more than one day; but in my account it was lost, and I never knew
whieh way. Be that, howcvei*, one way or other, when I awaked I found myself
exeoodingly refreshed, and my .spirits lively and cheerful ; when I got uj) I was
.stronger than I was the dny before, and my stomach better, for I was hungry ; and, in
short, I had no fit the next «lay, but continued much altered for tho better. This was
tho 29th.

Tho .3(»th was my well day, of course, and I went abroad with my gun, but did not
caro to travel too far. I killed a sea-fowl or two, something like a brand goo.sc, anil
brought them home ; but was not very forward to cut them ; so I eat some more of
the turtle's eggs, which were very good. Tiiis evening I renewed the medicine, which
I had suppo.sed did nm good tho day before, viz., tho tobacco steeped in rum ; only I
ilid not take -.so much as bi'forc, nor did I chew any of the leaf, or hold my head over the
smoke; however, I was not so w«'ll tho next day, which was tho 1st of July, as
I hoped I should liave been ; for 1 had a little .spico of tho cold fit, but it was not
much.

Jidif 2. — I renewed the medicine all the three ways ; and dosed myself with it as
at first, and doubletl tho (piantity which I drank.

July .3. — I missed tho fit for goo«l and all, though I did not recover my full strength
for aome weeks atler. While I was thus gathering strength, my thoughts ran exceed-
ingly ujion this Scripture, " I will deliver theo ; " and the impossibility of my
<l.liver.ince l.-iy inmh upon my mind, in bar of my ever expecting it ; but as I was

srouraging myself with such thoughts, it occxirred to my mind that I jiored so much

})oii my deliverance from tlie main affliction, tliat 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 dis-
tressed condition that could be, and that was so frightful to me 1 and what notice had
I taken of it ? Had I done my part 1 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 1 This touched my heart very much ; and
immediately I kneeled down, and gave God thanks aloud for my recovery from my
sickness.

Jult/ i. — 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 mc repentance, when it happened providentially, the very day

65

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§

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1

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that, reading the Scripture, I came to these words : " He is exalted a Prince auj a
Saviour, to give repentance and to give remission. I threw down the book ; and
witli my heart as well as my hands lifted up to heaven, in a kind of ecstacy of joy,
I cried out aloud, " Jesus, thou Son of David ! Jesus, thou exalted Trince and Saviour !
give rae repentance ! " This was the first time I could V-y, ia the true sense of the
Avords, that I prayed in all my life; for now I prayed w*ith a sease 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 3 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 tlie place, yet tho island was certainly
a prison to me, and that in tho 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
kiad of guilt that bore down all my comfcn-t. As for my solitary life, it was nothing ;
I did not so much as pray to be delivered ii-om *', or think of it; it was all of no
consideration, in comparison of this. And I added 'his part here, to hint to whoever
shall read it, that whenever they come to a true sei. s of things, -^^hey will find deliver-
ance from sin a much greater blessing than deliverance from affliction.

r.ut, leaving this part, I return to my Journal : —

My condition begrvn 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, 1 had a great deal of
romfort within, which, till now, I knew nothing of; also, n y liealth and strength
i-oturncd, I bestirred myself to furnish myself with everything that T wanted, and make
iiiy way of living as regular as I could.

From tho 4th of Jxily to the 14th, I Avas chiefly employed in walking about with my
gun in my hand, a little and a little at a time, as a man that Avas gathering up his
.strength after a fit of sickness.: for it is hardly to be imagined how low I was, and to
what weakness I was reduced. The application Avhich I made u.se of AvaS perfectly ne#,
!ind perhaps what had never cured an ague before ; neither can I recommend it to any
c.no to practise, by this experiment : and though it did carry oft" the fit, yet it rather
contributed to weaken me ; for I had frequent convulsions in my nerves and limbs
i'.n- some time ; 1 learned from it also this, in particular, that being abroad in the niiuy
.reason Avas tho mo.st pernicious thing to my health that could be, especially in tho.se rains
Avhich came attended Avith storms and hurricanes of Avind ; for as the rain Avhich came
in a dry season Avas always most accompanied Avith such storms, so I found this rain
Avas much more dangerous than the rain which fell in September and October.

I had now been in this unhappy i.sland above ten months ; all pos,sibility of de-
liverance from this condition seemed to be entirely taken from me ; and I firmly believed
that no human shape luid ever set foot upon that place. Having nMAfcecured my
liaViitation, as I thought, fully to my mind, II la great desire to mak^On^re perfect
discovery of the island, and to sec Avhat other productions I might find, Avhich yet I
knew nothing of.

It Ava.s the ir)th of July that I began to take a more particular survey of tke
i.sland itsi>lf, I went up the creek lirst, Avhere, as I hinted, I brought my rafts onshore.
1 found, after 1 came about two miles up, that the tide did not Hoav any higher; and

66 _,!

A SURVEY OF THE ISLAND.

that it was no more than a little brook of running water, and very fresh and good : but
this being the dry season, there Avas hardly any water in some parts of it ; at least, "lot
enough to run in any stream, so as it could be perceived. On the banks of this biook,
I found many pleasant savannas of meadows, plain, smooth, and covered with grass ;
and on the rising parts of them, next to the higher grounds, where the water, as it might
be supposed, never overflowed, I found a great deal of tobacco, green, and growing to a
great and very strong stalk ; there were divers other plants, which I had no notion of
or understanding about, and 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, biit I could find none. I saw large plants of aloes, but did not then
understand them. I saw several sugar-canes, but wild, and for want of cultivation, im-
perfect. 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
of plants which I should discover ; biit 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
of the field ; at least, very little that might serve me to any pui'pose now in my distress.

The next day, the IGtli, I went vip the same way again; and after going something
further than I had gone the day before, I found the brook and savannas cease, and
the country became more woody ohan before. In this part I found dififerent 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 fluxes 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, Avhich I thought would be, as
indeed they were, as wholesome and as ngreeable to eat, when no grapes might 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 conti'ivance, 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, vv'ith 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 watei', 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 floui'ishing, 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 valley,
surveying it with a secret kind of pleasure, though mixed with other afflicting
thoughts, to think that this was all my own ; that I v/as 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 iaj^ritance as completely as any lord of a manor in England. I saw her
abundance o^jocoa trees, orange and lemon, and citron trees ; but all wild, au
few bearing any fruit, at least not then. However, the green limes that I gather.:
were not only pleasant to eat, -but very wholesome ; and I jnixed their juice afterwan [
with water, Avhich made it very wholesome, and very cool and refreshing. I found no
I had business enough to gather and carry home ; and I resolved to lay up a store, :
well of grapes as limes and lemons, to furnish myself for the wet season, which I km

m^

ROIilXSON CRUSOE.

'n order to do this, I gathered a great heap of grapes in one place,

jthtT place, and a great ]»arct'l (if limes and lemons in another place;

each with mo, 1 travelled homeward, and resolved to come a;,'ain,

sack, or what I could make to carry the rc^t home. Accordingly,

days in thin journey, I came home (s-i I must now call my tent an<l

jforc I got thither, tlic grapes were .spoiletl ; the richness of the fruit,

the juice, having broken them and brui.scd them, they were good fur

to tlie lime.s, tliey were good, hut I could bring but a few.
being the 19th, I went back, having made me two small bags to bring
; but I was ."urprisol when, coming to my hoap of gra[)es, which wore
len I gathered them, I found them all .spread abroad, trodden to pieces,
II nd th-agged 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 tliey were I knew not. However, as I found there was no laying them up on
hoiips, and no carrying tliem away in a sack, btit that one way they would be destroyed,
and the other way they would be cru.shed with their own weight, I took another course ;
for I gatliered a large quantity of the gr.ipos, 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 .'^tmd under.

When I came homo from this journey, I contempliitcd with great pleasure the fruit-
fulness of that valley, and the plca-sautness of the situation ; the .security from storm
on that side of the water, and the M-ood : 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 bi«gan to consider of removing my habitation, and to look out for a place equally
safe as whore now I was situate, if possible, in tliat i>loasant, fruitful part of the
island.

This thought ran long in my head, and I was exceeding fond of it for .some time,
the plea.santnc.ss 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 i)o.ssible that some-
thing might happen to n)y advantage ; and that the .same ill fate that brought me hither,
might bring .some other unhapjiy wretches to the .same place ; and though it was scax-co
proljablo that any such thing should ever happen, yet to enclose myself among the hill;;
aid woods in the centre of the island, was to anticipate my bondage, and to render
such an affair not only improbable, but impossible; autl that thoretbre I ought not by
any njcans to remove. However, I was .so enamoured with this place, that I spent much
•)f my time there for the whole remaining part of the month of July ; and though,
upon .second thoughts, I resolved as above not to remove, yet I built nio 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 sUiked, and fdled between with brubhwood ; and lierc I
! ly w.y secure, sometimes two or three nights together, always going over it with a
■ ddcr JUS before; so that I fancied now 1 had my country house and my .sea coast
'IIS.. ; ;nid this work took mc up to the beginning of August.
1 had but newly finished my fence, and began to enjoy my laboui*,^lvit the rains
.imo on, and nnulo mo stick close to my lirst habitation ; for thougli I had midc me a
I'.'ui 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 stiuius, nor :v cave behind me to retreat into when
the rains were extraordinary.

About the beginning of August, sa I said, I ha. I finished my bower, and began to

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ROBINSON CRUSOE.

enjoy myself. The 3rd of Atigiist, I found the grapes I hatl hung up were perfectly dried,
and indeed were excellent good raisins of the sun ; so I began to taku them down fioiii
the trees, and it wr^ very happy that I did so, for the mins which followed would have
HpuilcJ 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 i-ain ; and from hence, which was the
1 llh of August, it rained, more or less, every day till the middle of October, and
s .iiietimes 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, y-et I thought it was a quite
diHercnt 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.
Hut from these three cats I afterwards came to be so pestered with cats, that I was
Ibrced to kill them like vermin, or wild beasts, and to drive them from my house as
much a-s possible.

From the llth of August to the 2Gth, incessant i-ain, so that I could not stii-, and
was now very careful nut to be much Avet. In this confinement, I began to be
stniitened for food : but venturing out twice, I one day killed a goat; and the last day,
which was the 2Gth, 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 i»iece of the goat's
n«'.sh, or of the turtle, for my dinner, broiled (for, to my gi'eat misfortune, I had no
Mssil to boil or stew anything), and two or three of the turtle's eggs for sujiper.

During this confinement in my cover by the r.iin, I Morkcd daily two or three
hours at enlarging my cave, and by degi'ees 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
V all ; and so I came in ami out this way. But I was not 2>erfectJy ea.sy at lying so
open ; for, as I had managed myself before, I was in a jierfect iuclosure ; whereae
now, I thought, I lay exjjo.sed, ami yet I could not perceive that there was any living
thing to fear; the biggest creature that I had yet seen ui)on .the i^land being a
goat.

S'pt. 30. — I was now come to the unhappy anniversary of my landing. I cast up
the notchea on my jjost, and found 1 had been on ahoro three lunulrcd and hixty-fivc
' vs. I ke])t this day as u soK-mn fast, settmg it apart for religious exeix-ise, pros-
ling myself on the ground with the most serious humiliation, conic:4sing my sins to
'■'.d, acknowledging his righteous judgment upon me, and J'raying to him to havo
mercy on mo through Jesu.s Christ ; and having not tasti-i the least refreshnuut for
twilvo houi-s, even till the going down of tlie sun, I then a(o a biscuit-cake and a buneh
of gnipo.H, mid went to bed, fini.-iliijig tJie day ju I began it. 1 had all this time
i>bserved no Sabbath-day; f«)r as at lii-.st X had no sense of religion upon my mind,
I had, after some time, omitted to distinguisJi the weeks, by making a longer notch than
ordiiuuy for the Sabbath-day, an.l so did not really know what any of the days were ;
but now, having cjist up the days as above, I found I had been there a ycjir ; so I
divided It into weeks, and set aj.art every seventh day for ji Sabbath; though I found
at the end of my account I had lost a day or two in my reckoning. A little after this>
my ink began to fail me, and so I contented my.self to use it more sparingly, and to

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^ THE FIRST CROP OF CORN.

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i

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 moat dis-
couraging experiments that I made at all.

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 wei'e
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 his southern position, going from me.
Accordingly, I dug up a piece of ground as well as I could with my wooden spade, and
dividing it into two parts, I sowed my grain ; but as I was. sowing, it casually occurred
to my thoughts that I would not sow it all at first, because I did not know when was
the proper time for it, so I sowed about two-thirds of the seed, leaving about a handful
of each. It was a great comfort to me afterwards that I did so, for not one grain of
that I sowed this time came to anything : for the dry months following, the earth
liaAdng 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 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 xip 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
IMarch and April to water it, sprang up veiy pleasantly, and yielded a very good crop ;
l)iit having part of the seed left only, and not daring to sow all that I had got, 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 fhat I might expect two seed times and two harvests
every year. While this corn was growing I made a little discovery, which was of use to me
afterwards. As soon as the rains were over, and the weather began to settle, which
was about the month of November, I made a visit up the country to my bower,
where, though I had not been some months, 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 off 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 veiy well pleased, to see the young trees grow : and I pruned them,
and led them up to grow as much alike as I coiild ; and it is scarcely 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, sufiicient 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
■micircle round my wall (I mean that of my first dwelling), which I did ; and placing
'1:3 trees or stakes in a double row, at about eight yards distance from my first fence,
tliey 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 I'ainy seasons and the dry seasons, which
were generally thus : —

71

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KOHINSOX CRLSOi:.

Tlio lialf of Febniarj', the whole of March, and the lialf of April — rainy, the sun being
tlurn on or near the equinox.

The h:ilf of April, the whole of May, Juno, ami July, ami tin; half uf August — dry,
the sun heiug then to the north of the line.

The half of August, the whole of Septenihor, and tl»o half of October — rainy, the sun
)K;ing tlien cotno buck.

The half of October, the whole of November, December, and January, and the half
of tVbnuiry — dry, the sun being then to the sonth of thi- line.

The rainy seasons .sometimes lielil longer or shorter as the winds hjippcned 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
bj'fon-liaiid, that I might not be obliged to go out, and I s;vt within doors as much as
pos.sil>le during the wet months. In this time I found much employment, and very
suitabhi also to the time, for I found great occa-sion of many things which I had no
way to furnish myself with but by hard labour and constant application ; i)articularly, I
tried many ways to make myself a basket, but all the twigs I could get for the purpose
provetl .so brittle that they would do nothing. It proved of excellent advantage to me
now that wlien I was a boy I \ised 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
iM'ing, as boys usmilly are, very oHicious to help, and a great obsen'er of the manner
how they worked those things, and sometimes lent a hand, I had by this means so
full knowle<lgo of the methods of it, that I wanted nothing but the materials; when it
came into my mind that the twigs of that tree from whence I cut my stakes that grew
might jMissibly 1m; ius tough as thesidlow.s, willow.s, 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 twig.s, I found them to my purpose as much lUS I could
desire ; whereui)on I came the next time prepared with a hatchet to cut down a
•piantity, which I .soon found, for tliere wfks a great plenty of them. These I set up to
dry within my circle or hedges, and when they were lit fur \i.se, I carried them to my
cave; and here, during the next season, I emidoyed my.self in making, jw well as I
couhl, 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 hand.somely, yet I made them
sulliciently serviceable for my jnirpose ; and thus, afterwaixls, I took care never to be
without them ; and as my wicker-ware decayed, I made more, especially strong, deep
liiuskets to place my corn in, instead of sa-ks, when I .should cj:ue to have any
tpiantity of it.

] laving mastered this ditHculty, and employed a world of time about it, I bestirred
myself to .sc-i^ if po.ssibh>, how to supply two wants. 1 liad no vessel to hold anything
that was liipiid, except two ninlet.s, which were almost full lT rum, and some glass
botth's — some of the common size, ami othei-s which were case-bottles, square, for the
111 Iding of water, spirits, itc. I had not so much as a pot to boil anything in, except a
great kettle, which 1 .saved out of the ship, and which mus too big for such uses as I
de.'^ired it for — viz., to nuike bix)th, and stew a bit of meat by itself. Tho second thing I
fain would have liad was a tobacco-pipe, but it was impossible for me to make one ;
however, 1 found a contrivance for that, too, at hvst I employed myself in jdanting
my Hccmid row of stakes or jiiles, and ih this wicker-work all the summer or dry
senson, when another business took nic up more time than it could be imagined I could

I mentioned before that 1 lui.l a great mind to see tlie whole i.sland, and that I liad"^
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 mv
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 a continent I could not tell; but it lay very high, extending from the W. to the
W.S.W,, sx± a veiy great distance ; by my gue*s, it could not be less than fifteen or
twenty leagues off.

_ I could not tell what part of the world this might be, otherwise than that I knew
It must be part of America, and, as I concluded, by all my observations, must be near the
Spanish dominions, and perhaps was all inhabited by savages, where, if I should ha^-o
landed, I had been in a worse condition than I was now; and therefore T acquiesced in tho^.

\\

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

•lispositions of Providence, ^vlljph I began now to o\ni and to believe ordered everytliing
fir the best; I say I quieted my mind •with tliis, and left afflicting myself AvitU
fniitles-s wishes of being there.

Ueside.s, after sonic pause upon this afluir, I considered that if this land was the
Spanish coast, I should certainly, one time or -other, sec some vessel 2>ass or repairs
one way or other ; but if not, then it was the Havago coast between the Spanish
countiy antl the Brazils, which were indeed the worst of savages ; for they are canni-
bal?i, and fail not to murder and devour all the human bodies that fall into their hands.

With these considerations, I walked veiy 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 floweiu and grass, and full of very fine woods. I s;iw abundance
of juirrots, and fain would I Jiavo caught one, if 2)ossible, to have kept it to be tame,
and taught it to speak to mo. I did, after some painstaking, catch a young ])arrot, fur
I knocked it down with a stick, and having recovered it, I brought it home ; but it was
souio ycai-s before I could make him speak ; however, at last, I taught him to call nic
hy my name very familiarly. But the accident that followed, thougli it be a trifle, will
be very diverting in its place.

I Avits exceedingly diverted with this journey. I found in the low grounds hares
(is I thought thorn to be) and foxes ; but they differed greatly from all the other kinds
I had met with, nor could I satisfy myself to cat them, though I killed several. But I
luul 410 need to bo vcntumns, for I had no want of food, and of that which was very
g.Kxl, t<x), especially these three .sort.s, viz., goats, pigeons, and turtle, or tortoise, whicli,
added to my grajjcs, Lcadenhall ^larkct could not have furnished a table better than I,
in proportion to the company; and though my case was deploi-able enough, yet I had
gitat cause for thankfulness that I was not driven to any extremities lor food, but had
r.ither plenty, even to dainties.

I never travelled in this jrMirney above two miles outright in a day, or thereabouts ;
but I took so numy turns and returns to see what discoveries I could make, that I camo
Aveary enough to the place where I resolved to sit down for all night ; and then I either
reposed niyr.olf in a tree, or siirroundcd myself with a row of stakes sot upright in the
ground, cither from one treo to another, or so ns no wild creature could come at mo
without waking m(\ As soon as I camo to tho sea-shoro I was surprised to sec that I had
taken u]i my lot on tho worst side of the island, for here, indeed, tho shore wr.s
covered with innmnerablc turtles, whereas on tho other side I had found but three in
a year and a half. J fere was also an infinito number of fowls of many kinds, some of
which I had not seen before, and many of them very good meat, but such as I knew
not the names of, except those called penguins.

I co\dd have shot as many as I pleased, but wivs very sparing of my jjowder and
shot, and therefore h.id more mind to kill a she-goat, if I could, Avhich I could better
feed on ; and thoiigh there were many goats lioi*e, more than on tho other side of tho
inland, yet it was with much more diflionlty that I could como near them, the country
being Unt and oven, and they saw me much sooner than when T was on the hills.

I confess this .side of the country Avas nuuli i)leasanter than nunc ; but yet I h:ul
nut tho IcjLst inclination to remove, for as J Avas fixed in my .habitation it Wcamc
natunil to me, mid I seemed all the Avhile 1 Avas hero to be as it Avere upon a journey
and from home. HoAvevcr, I travelled along the shore of the sea toAvards the east, I
suppose about twelve miles, and then setting up a gi-eat pole upon the shore for a niark,
I conchuled T Avould go homo again, and that the next journey I took should be on the

^s^

oilier ,si(Io of tlie island cast from my dwelling, and so round till I came to my post
again, of wliicli in its place.

I took another way to come back than that I v/ent, thinking I could easily keep all
the island so much in my view^ that I could not miss finding my first dwelling hy
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 sec which was my way by anv
direction but that of the sun, nor even then, unless I knew very well the position of
the sun at that time of the day. It happened, to my further misfortune, that the
weather proved hazy for three or four days while I was in this valley, and not being able
to see the sun, I Avandered about very uncomfortably, and at last was obliged to find out
the sea-side, look for my post, and come back the same way I went : and then, by easy
journeys, I turned homeward, the weather l^eing exceeding hot, and my gun, ammu^
nition, hatchet, and other things, \evy 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 br^ed of tame goats, which might supply me when
my powder and shot should be sjient. I made a collar to this little creature, and
with a string, Avhich 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 inclosed
him and left liira, 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, v/ithout 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 myself after my long journey;
during which, most of the time was taken up in the weighty afiair of making a cage
for my Poll, who began now to be a mere domestic, and to be mighty well acquainted
with me. Then I began to think of the poor kid which I had pent 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 staiwed for Avant
of food. I went and cut boughs of trees, and branches of such shrubs as I could find,
and threw them over, and having fed it, I tied it as I did before, to lead it away; but
Avas so tame with being hungry, that I had no need to have tied it, for it followed me
.:e 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 wondei'ful mercies Avhicli my solitary condition was
attended with, and Avithout which it might have been infinitely more miserable. I gaVe
humble and hearty thanks that God had been pleased to discover to me that it was

75 — ,

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CRUSOE.

:l

i

ssible I might be more happy in this solitary condition than I should have been in
liberty of society, and in all the pleasures of the world: that He could fully make
111. to me the deficiencies of my solitary state, and the want of human society, by his
pnsence, and the communication of his grace to my soul; sui)])orting, comforting, and
ciicuumging me to depend upon hi.t providence here, and hope for his eternal i)rescnce
hereafter.

It wa-s now that I began sensibly to feel how much more happy the life I now led
was, with all its miserable circumstances, than the wicked, cui-sed, abominable life I led
all the past part of my days; and now liaving changed both my soitows and my joys ;
my very desires altered, my affections changed their gusts, and my delights were pcr-
feotlv new from what they were at fii-st coming, or, indeed, for the two years past.

Before, a.s I walked about, either on my hunting, or for viewing the country, the
anguish of my .soul at my condition woidd break out upon me on a sudden, and my very
heart would die within me, to think of the wood.s, the mountain.s, the deserts I was in,
and how I was a prisoner, locked up with the eternal bai-s and bolts of the ocean, in an
uniidiabited wilderness, without redemption. In the midst of the greatest composures
of my njind, this would break out upon me like a storm, and make me wring my
hands, and weep like a child: sometimes it would take me in the middle of my work,
and I would immediately sit down and sigh, and look upon the ground for an hour or
two together; and this was still woi-se to me, for if I could burst out into tears, or vent
mvsclf by words, it would go off, and the grief having exhausted itself would abate.

But now I began to exercise myself with new thoughts, I daily read the "Word of
God, and uj>plied all the comforts of it to my present state. One morning, being very
sad, I opened the Bible upon these words, " I will never leave thee, nor forsake
thee." Immediately it occurred that these words were to me ; why else should they
be directed in such a manner, just at the moment when I was mourning over my con-
diti<in, as one forsaken of God and man? "Well, then," s;iid I, "if God does not
forsake me, of what ill consequence can it bo, or what mattei-s it, though the world
should all forsjike me, seeing, on the other hand, if I had all the world, and should lose
the favour and blessing of God, there would bo no comparison in the loss ?"

From this moment I began to conclude in my mind that it was possible for mo to
bo moro happy in this foi*saken, solitary condition, than it was jirobable I should ever
liavo been in any other particular state in the world; and with this thought I was going
to give tlianks to God for bringing me to this place. I know not what it was, but
something shocked my mind at that thought, and I durst not speak the words. " How
canst thou become such a hypocrite," said I, even audibly, '* to pretend to be thankful
fur a comlition, which, however thou mayest endeavour to bu contented with, thuu
woiddst mther pmy heartily to bo delivered from ?" So I stopped there; but though I
could not say I thanke«l (iod for being there, yet I sincerely gave thanks to God for
o[K'nii»g my eyes, by whatever afflicting providences, to seo the former condition of my
Iifi', und to mourn for my wicketlne.s.><, and repent. I never opened the Bible, or shut
it, but my very soul within me ble.ssed G(»d for directing my friend in England, without
any order of mine, to pack it uj) among my good.s, and for as.sisting me afterwards to
save it out of the wreck of the ship.

Thu.««, and in tlii-» disposition of mind, I began my third year ; and though I have
not given the rea«ler the trouble of so particular an account of my works this year i\^
tho fn-st ; yet in general it may bo observed that I wivs very seldom idle, but having
regularly divided mv time according to several daily employments that wore before

7(^ ^

^^r-i^.

V^

KOIUNSOX CRUSOE.

iH« such ns, first, my duty to Gotl, nnd the reading the Scriptures, -wLicli I constantly
Ket'a]«rt some time fon,thrico every day ; secondly, the going abroad wiih my gun fur
f joJ, which gcnomlly took up three liours in every morning, when it did not rain ;
thirdly, tho ordering, ciuing, presening, and cooking what I hud killed or caught for
my supply : theso took up groat part of the day ; also, it is to bo considercil, that in the
middle of tixo day, when tho siui was in tho zenith, the violence of the lieat was too
great to btir out ; so that alx)ut four hours ia the evening was all the time I could bo
supposed to work in, with this exception, that sometimes I changed my hours of
hunting an<l working, ati.l went to work in the morning, and abroad with my gun in
tho afternoon.

To this short tiino allowed for labour, I de.sire maybe added the exceeding laborious-
nc.-!s of my work ; tho many hours wliich for want of tools, want of help, and want o{
skill, everything I did took up out of my time : for example, I was fidl two-and-
forty day.s iu making a bo.ird for a long shelf, which I wanted in my cave; whereas
two sawyers, with their tools an.l a saw-pit, would have cut six of theni out of the same
tree in half a day.

3Iy case was this : it was to be a largo tree which was to bo cut down, because my
board was to be a broad one. This tree I was three days a cutting down, and two
laore cutting oif the boughs, and reducing it to a log, or i)icce of timber. With inex-
pressible hacking and hewing, I reduced both the sides of it into chips till it began to
bj light enough to move ; then I turned if, and maile 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
brotudit tho plank to bo about three inches thick, and smooth on both sides. Any one
may judge tho labour of my hands in such a i)icce of work ; but labour and patience
carried me tlirough that, and many other things ; I only observe this in particular, to
hhow tho reast)n why so nnich of my time went away with so little work, viz., that what
might bo a littlo to be done with hel]) and tools, was a vast labour and recpiircd a pro-
digious time to do alone, and by hand. But notwithstanding this, with pationco and
l.ibour, I went through many things, and indeed everything that my circumstance; made
necessary to mo to do, as will ai)pear by what follows.

I was now in tho motiths of November and December, expecting my crop of barley
niid rico. Tho ground I had manured or dug up for them was not great ; for, as I
ok.ierved, my seed of each was not above tho quantity of half a peck, for I had lost one
whole crop by sowing in tho dry season : but now my crop promised very well, when on
n hudden I found I was in danger of losing it all again by enemies of several sorts,
which it was scarcely jjossildo to keep from it ; as, first, the goats, and wild creatures
which 1 c:dled hares, which, tasting tho sweetness of tho blade, liiy in it night and day,
as soon as it came up, and cat it so clo.so that it could get no time to shoot up into
stalk.

This I saw no remedy for, but by making an inclosuro about it with a hedge, whidi
I (lid with ft great deal of toil, and tho more, because it recpiired a great deal of speed ;
the creatures daily P])oiling my corn. However, as my aiiiblc land was but small, suited
to my crop, I got it totally well fenced in about three weeks' time; and shooting some
of tho creatures in tho day time, T avi my dog to guard it in tho night, tying him up to
a stake at tho gate, where he would stand and bark all night long ; so in a little timo
tlio enemies forsook tho place, and the corn grew very strong and well, and began to
riiwn apace.

I^ut as the beasts mine 1 mo before, while my corn w;vs in the blade, so the birds were

7S

^

HIS CORN EATEN BY BIRDS.

as likely to ruin me now, when it was in the ear ; for going along by the place to see
how it tlu-ove, 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 me. I had no sooner shot, but there rose
up a little cloud of fowls, which I had not seen at all, from among the corn itself.

This touched me sensibly, for I foresaw that in a few days they would devour all
my hopes ; that I should be starved, and never be able to raise a crop at all ; and what
CO 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 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 ba so ; for as I walked off, as if I was gone, I was no sooner out
of their sight, but they dropped 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 thais 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, viz., hanged them in chains, for a terror to othei's. It is impossible to imagine
almost that this should have had such an efiect 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 dovv^n, and all I could do was to
make one, as well as I could, out of one of the'broad-svv^ords, or cutlasses, which I saved
among the arms out of the ship. However, as my crop was but small, I had no
great difficulty to cut it down ; in short, I reaped it in my way, for I cut nothing off
but the ears, and carried it away in a great basket which I had made, and so rubbed it
out with my hands ; and at the end of all my harvesting, I found that out of my half-
peck of seed I had near two bushels of rice, and above two bushels and a half of barley ;
that is to say, by my guess, for I had no measure 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; arisd 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 suppl}'^, I resolved not to taste any of this
jrop; but to preserve it all for seed against the next season ; and, in the mean time, to
employ all my study and hours of working to accomplish this great work of providing
myself with corn and bread.

It might be truly said that now I worked for my bread. It is a little wonderful,
and what I believe few people have thought much upon, viz., the strange multitude of
little things necessary in the providing, producing, curing, dresjiing, making, and finish-
ing this one article of bread.

I, that was reduced to a mere state of natiu'e, found this to my daily discourage-

79

t^\

^i

%k^'^^'.

^^?^^^

ROniNSOX CRUSOE.

iiicut and was mude moi-c and more senMible of it every hour, even after I had got the
Jlrst Imtulful of seed-corn, wliich, as I have biiid, came up unexpectedly, and indeed
to a Hurpri:ja

Fir^t, I had no j>lough to turn up the earth; no spade or sliovel to dig it. Well,
iiis I cunfjuercd by making mo a wooden is]»ade, ns I observed before; but this did my
\v«>rk but in a wooden manner; and tliough it coat me a great many days to make it,
yet for want of iron, it not only wore out the sooner, but made my work the harder, and
made it be performed much woree. However, this I bore with too, and was content to
work it out with |)atience, and bear with the baducsi of the performance. When the
corn was Kown, I had no liarrow, but wa« forced to go over it myself, and di-ag a great
licavy bough of a tree over it, to scratch it, as it may bo called, rather than rake or har-
row it. When it was gi-owing, or grown, I have obsen-ed already how man}' things
I wanted to fence it, secure it, mow or reap it, cure and can-y it home, thrash, part it
from the chafT, and save it. Then I wanted a mill to grind it, sieves to dress it, yeast
and talt to make it into bread, and an oven to bake it in; and all these things I did
without, as shall be observed; and yet the corn was an inestimable comfort and
advantage to me too. Fut this, as I said, made everything laborious and tedious to
me; Init that there was no help for; neither was my time so much loss to me, because,
as I had divided it, a certain part of it was every day appointed to these works ; and
as I had resolved to use none of tlic corn for bread till I had a greater quantity by mo,
I had tlie next six months to apply myself wholly, by labour and invention, to furni.<h
myself with utensils proper fur the performing all the opcrati(jns necessary for making
the corn, when I had it, fit for my use.

Uut first I was to prepare moro land, f >r T had n )\v se:J eiuugh to sow ab^ve au
acre of ground. Before I did this, I had a week's work at least to make me a sp.ide,
which, when it wns done, was but a sorry one indeed, and very heavy, and rcipiired
double lal)uur to work with it. However, [ went through that, and sowed my sclhI in
two large flat pieces of ground, as near my liouso as I covdd find them to my mind, and
fenced them in with a good hedge, the stakes of which were all cut of that wood
which I had .set before, which I knew would grow; .so tliat, iu one year's time, I knew I
"uld liave a quick or living hedge, that would want but little repair. This work was
t Mi little as to take mc u]) less than three months, because great part of that tiui j
V. .IS of the wet season, when I could not go abroad. 'NVithin-door, that is when it raineJ,
iunl I Could not go oiit, I fotmd employment in the following occupations — 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 Icanit him to know his own name, and at last
t.i speak it out pretty loud, " Poll," which was the first word I ever heard spoken in the
isl.ind by any mouth but my own. Tins, therefore, was not my work, but an assistant to
my work; for now, as I .sjvid, I halagre.it employment ui)on my hands, as follows: v'u,
I had long .studied, by some means or other, to make my.self .some earthen vesseLs, whi:^'),
indeed, 1 wanted sorely, but knew not where to come at them. However, considering
the heat of the climate, T did not doubt but if I could find out any clay, I might
b<»teh up some such pot as might, being dried by the sun, be hard enough and strong
gh to bear handling, and to hold anything that wivs dry, and required to be 1je]»t
; and as this was necessary in preparing corn, meal, A'c., which was the thing I was
upon, I resolved to makfi some a.s largo as I could, and fit only to stand like jars, to hold
sliould l)e put into them.
It wonM link" thi' r.-adn- jiitv me, or rather laugh at nie. to {.11 how mnny awkward

80

ways I took to raise this paste ; what odd, luisshapeu, ugly ^
things T made ; how many of them fell in, and how many fell out— the 7^
clay not being stiff enough to bear its own weight ; how many cracked
by the over-\'iolent heat of the sun, being set out too hastily ; and how
many fell to 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 — 1 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 thes«; two pots being to stand always dry, I thought would
hold my dry corn, and perhaps the meal, when the corn was bruised.

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

Thoagh r miscarried so mucli in my design for large pots, yet I made several
Biiiidier tliinflfs with better success ; such as little round pots, flat dishes, pitchers,
aiui i)i|)kins, and anything my hand turned to ; and the heat of tlie sun baked them
strangfly ji.lrd.

Eut all this would riot answer my end, whicli was to get an earthen pot to hold
what wfts liquiil, and t>ear the fire; which none of these could do. It happened after
sonio time, making a pretty large fire for cooking my meat, when I went to put it out
aftet* I had done with it, I found a broken piece of one of my eai-thenware vessels in
the fire, burnt as hard U3 i stone, and red as a tile. I was agreeably surprised to see
it, ohd said to myself thai; ccftainly they miglit bo made to burn whoU', if they woidd
burn broken.

This set mo to study how to order my fire so as to make it burn mo some pots. I had
no iidtlon of a klhi, such as the potters burn in, or of glazing them with lead, thougli I
had some lead to do it with; but I phiced three large pipkins, and two or three pot.s, in
a pile, one upon another, and placed my firewood all round it, with a great heap of
embers under tlictti. I plied the fire with fresh fuel round the outside, and upon the
lop, till i saw the pots in the inside red-hot rpiite through, and observed that they did
not crack at all ; when I .saw them clear red, 1 let them stand in that heat about five
or MIX hours, till I foUnd one of them, though it did not crack, did melt or run; for the
8:ind which was mixed willi 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 tlio red colour, and watching them all night, that 1 might not let the fire
abate too fa.st, in the morning I had three very good (t will not say handsome) pipkins,
and two oUicfr earthen pots, as hard burnt as could bo desiirbd, arid one of them
perfectly glazed with the running of the sand.

After this experiment, t need not say that I wanted rib soft of ieartlienware for my
u^o ; but i must needs say as to the shapes of ilierii tlioy wore vbty indifferent, as any
one may suppose, when I had no way of making them but as the children make dirt
pics, 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
liad made an earthen pot that would bear the fire ; and I lunl hardly patience to stay
till they were col 1 before I set one on the fire again, with some water in it, to boll me
some meat, which it did admirably well ; and with a piece of a kid I m.ado some veiy
good broth, though I wanted oatmeal and .several other ingredients rcqiiisite to make it
as good as I would have had it.

My next concen; was to get mo a stone mortar to stamp or beat some corn in ; for
as to the mill, there was no thought of arriving to that perfection of art with one pair
of haiuls. To Hiipply this want I was at a great lo.ss; for, of all the tmdes in the world,
I was as perfectly un<iualified for a stone-cutter as for any whatever ;' neither had I
any tools to go about it with. I spent many a day to find out a great stone big enough
to cut hollow, and make fit for a mortar, ami couUl find none at all, except what was in
the solid rock, and which I had no way to dig or cut out ; nor iiuleed wore the rocks In
the island of hardness sufliciont, but were all of a sixiul}', crumbling stone, which would
neither bear the weight of a heavy pestle, nor would break the corn without filling it with
.sand. S >, after a great deal of time lost in searching for a stone, I gave it over, aiul resolved
to look out a great block of hard wood, which I found indeed miich easier ; and getting
one as big as I had strength to stir, T rounded it and formed it on the outside with my
axe and hatchet, and tlu-n, wiili flic Iwlnnf fire and infinite labour, made a hollow place

82 /

CRUSOE SUCCEEDS AS A BAKEl

in it, as the Indiaus iu Brazil make their cauoes. After this, I made a great heavy
pestle, or beater, of the -wood called the iron- wood ; and this I prepared and laid by
a^ain^t I had my next crop of corn, which I proposed to myself to grind, or rather
pound my corn or meal, to make my bread.

j\Iy next difficulty was to make a sieve, or sierce, 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, so much as but to think on, for to be sure I had
nothing like the necessary things to make it with ; I mean fine thin canvas, or stuff,
to sierce 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 i-ags ; I had goats'-
hair, but neither knew I how to weave 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,
but proper enough for the work ; and thus I made shift for some years : how I did after-
wards, I shall show in its place.

The baking part was the next thing to be considered, and how I should make bread
when I came to have corn ; for, first, I had no yeast ; as to that part, as there was no
suj)plying 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 expei'iment for that also, which Avas
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 w;anted to bake, I made a great fire upon
the hearth, which I had paved with some square tiles, of my own making and burning
also ; but I should not call them square.

When the fire-wood was burned 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 embei'S 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 ; indeed 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 wondei'ed 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 husbandly 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 mb 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 inci-ease 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 I now resolved to begin to use it freely ; for my bread had been quil c
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 rnorc
than I could consume in a year ; so I resolved to sow just the same quantity every year

kf>''

\\

ROBINSON CRL'SO

tlmt I xowod the last, in hopes that such a qtiautity would fully provide me "with
bread, itc.

All the while tlieso 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 was on shore there, fancying that, seeing the
main-land, and an inhabited country, I might find some way or other to convey myself
farther, and perhaps at last find some means of escape.

Hut all this while I made no allowance for the dangera of stich a condition, 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 into their power
I should run a hazard more than a thousand to one of being killed, and perhaps of
being eaten ; for I had lieard that the people of the Caribbean coasts were cannibals, or
men-caters, and I knew by the latitude that I could not be far off from that shore : that
suppose they were not caimibals, 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 oug^it to have considered Avell of, and I did cast up in my thoughts
afterwards, yet took up none of my apprehensions at first, and my head ran mightily
uj>on the thought of getting over to that shore.

Now, I wished for my boy Xury, and the long-boat with the shouldcr-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 iipon the shore a great way, in the storm, when we were first cast away.
She lay almost where she did at lii-st^ but not quite, and was turned, by the force of tho
waves and the winds, almost bottom upward, against the high ridge of beachy, rough sand,
but no water about lier as before. If I had had hands to liave refitted her, and to have
launched Jicrinto tho water, the boat Avould have done well enough, and I might have
gone back into tho Brazils with lier easily enough ; but I might have easily foreseen that
I could no more turn her and set her upright upon her bottom, than I could remove
tho island ; however, I went to tho wood, and cut lovers and rollers, and brought them
to tho boat, resolved to try what I could do; suggesting to myself, that if I could but
turn Ijor down, I might easily repair tho damage she had received, and she would be
a very good boat, and I might go to sea in her very easily.

I .spared no pains, indeed, iu this piece of fruitless toil, and spent, I think, three or
four weeks abmit it; at hu>t, finding it impossible to heavo it up with my little strength,
I fell to digging away the smd, to undermine it, and so to make it fall down, setting
pieces of wood to thrust and guide it right iu tho fall.

Uut when I had ilono thi.s, I wa.s unable to stir it u]y again, or to get under it, much
\os» to nunc it forward towards tho water; so I was forced to give it over; and yet,
though I gave over tho hopes of tho boat, my desire to venture over for the main in-
creased, rather than decreaseil, as the means for it secuK\l impossible.

This at length set me uj)on thinking whether it was not jwssible to make myself n
canoe, or i)eriagua, such as the natives of those climates make, oven without tools, or, as
I might say, without hands— viz., of the trunk of a great ti'cc. This 1 not only thought
possible, but c.a.sy, and j)leascd myself extremely with my thoughts of making it, and
with my having nnich more convenience for it than any of the Negi'ocs or Indians;
l>ut nnt at all eonnidenng tho )>articular ineonvenionces wliioh 1 lay under more than
the Indians did, \ iz., want of hands to move it into the water when it was mado<— a i

^')^:

L'-f-^>^\2^

, 1WT

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

y)4

tlifliciilty much Larder for me to snnnoiuit than all the cpwscquences of want of tools
could be to thoin. For what was it to me, thit when I had chosen a vast tree in the
wood, I miglit with great trouble cut it down, if after I migat be able with my tools to
liew and dub the outside into tlio i)roj»er sliape of a boat, and bum or cut out the insido
to make it hollow, so as to make a boat of it— if, after all this, I must leave it just
there where 1 found it, and was not able to launch it into the water ?

One would have thought I could not have ha4 the least reflection upon my mind of
my circumstances while I was making this boat, btit 1 shoidd have immediately thought
Uow I shotdd got It into the sea ; but my thoughts were so intent upon my voyage over
tjio 8ca in it, that I never onco considered how I should get it off the land : and it wns
rc-iUy, in its own uaturp, more easy for mo to guide it over forty-five miles of sea, than
;i'>out forty-five fut)iom3 of land, whore it lay, to set it afloat in the water.

I went to work uj^fi ^lis boat the most like a fool that ever man did, who had any
of hi} .senses aw^ke. J jdcascd myself with the design, without determining whether I
was ever able to undertake it; not but that the difficulty of launching my boat came
often into ray head; but I put a stop to my inquiries into it, by this foolish ar.3wcr
which I gave myself: " Let pie fir^t injike it; I warrant I shall find some way or other
to get it along when it is done."

This was a most i)rcpo3tcrous jnethod ; but the cagf^yncss of my fancy prevailed, and
to work I went, an^ |ellcd a cedar-tree. I fLuestion much whether Solomon ever had
8uch ft one for the buijding tl^o Temple at Jerusalem; it was five feet ten inches
diameter at the Jowcr j>ar|; next the stump, and four feet eleven inches diameter at the
end of twenty-t)vo feet ; after which it lessened for a while, and then parted into
branches. It yfixa not :wit|iout infinite labour that I felled this tree. I was twenty
i|ays hacking ;i ' ' * ' ' t the bottom; I was fourteen more getting the branches
and limbs an 1 ; he.id of it cut off, which I hacked and hewed through

ith my axe ani jKiiclict, .-iiul inexpressible labour; after this, it cost me a month to

;>o it and dub it to a proportion, ap4 to .something like the bottom of a boat, that it
mi ,Iit swim tipright as ip ought to do. It cost mo near three mouths more to clear the
iucidc, and work it out so as to pake an exact boat of it : this I did, indeed, without fire,

mere mallet au4 chisel, and by the dint of hard labour, till I had brougjit it ^o bo a

V' handmino periagua, and big enough to have carried si x-aud- twenty men, and
I. 'ig enough to have carried mo and all my cargo.

d crone through this work, I was extremely delighted with it. The boat
V. _;(!r than ever I saw a (j.-xnoo or neriagiia, that was matlc of one t;:,ce,

i .1 weaiy stroke it had cost, you may bo sure — for th>'ro j'Oiuaiucd

uuihiiig Lui. to gyt it ilfto tl»c wiiter; and liad I gotten it into the water, I make no
(pn'sti(»n but I .should have begun i]io maddest voyage, and the most unlikely to bo
perfi)rmed, that over was uudertaken.

But all my devices to got it into the water failed mo ; thouidi they cost fufinfto
Ivbourtoo. It lay about ojio hundred yards from the water, and jiot juorc ; but the
fit t iiic 'UveiilriHo Ma;, it was up hill towards Iho creek. Well, to take away this
" ' I to dig into the surface of tjio earth, and so make a declivity.

- luc a prodigious deal of pains (Imt >vho grudge piiins that have
' ' yiewi); but when this was worked through, and this dilliculty

'" 11 mvich at one, for I could uo more stir tho canoe th.an I could

liio Diiu r boat. Then X measured tho distance of ground, and resolved to cut a dock or

il, to bring tho water up to tho canoe, seeing J could not brir-' *' ' ■ * -

tlie water. Well, I began this work ; and when I began to enter into it, and calcula'.„
how deep it was to be dug, how broad, how the stuff was to bo thrown out, I found
tli:it, 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, though
Avith great reluctancy, I gave this attempt over also.

This grieved me heartily ; and now I saw, though too late, the folly of beginning a
v.-ork before we count the cost, and before v.^e judge rightly of our own strength to go
through with it.

In the middle of this work I finished my fourth year in this place, and kept my
anniversary with the same devotion, and with as much comfort as ever before ; for, by
a constant study and serious application of the Word of God, and by the assistance of
his grace, I gained a difiierent knowledge fi-om 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 : m a
Y.'ord, I had nothing indeed to do with it, nor was ever likely to have. So I thought it
looked, as we may perhaps look upon it hereafter viz., as a place I had lived in, bub
was come out of it ; and well might I say, as Father Abraliam to Dives, " Between
me and thee is a great gulf fixed."

In the first place, I was removed from all the wickedness of the world here ; I had
neither the lust of the flesh, the lusb of the eye, nor the pride of life. I had nothing
to covet, for I had all I was now capable of enjoying; I was lord of the whole
manor ; or, if I pleased, I might call myself king or emperor over the whole country
Avhich I had possession of. There were no rivals ; I had no competitor, none to dispute
sovereignty or command with me. I might have raised ship-loadings of corn, but I had
no use for it; so I let as little grow as I thought enough for my occasion. I had tor-
toises or turtles enough, but now and then one was as much as I could put to any use.
I had timber enough to have built a fleet of ships ; and I had grapes enough to have
made wine, or to have cured into raisins, to have loaded that fleet when it had been
built.

But all I could make use of was all that was valuable : I had enough to eat and to
supply my wants, and what was all the rest to me ? If I killed more flesh than I
coidd eat, the dog must eat it, or the vermin ; if I sowed more corn than I could eat, it
must be spoiled; the trees that I cut down were lying to rot on the ground; I could
make no more use of them than for fuel, and that I had no occasion for but to dresa my
food.

In a word, the nature and experience of things dictated to me, upon just reflection,
that all the good things of this world are no further good to us than they are for our
use; and that, whatever we may heap up indeed to give others, we enjoy as much as wc
can use, and no more. The most covetous, griping miser in the world would have
been cin*ed of the vice of covetousness, if he had been in my case ; for I possessed in-
finitely more than I knew what to do with. I had no room for desire, except it was
of things which I had not, and they were but trifles, though, indeed, of great use to me.
I had, as I hinted before, a parcel of money, as well gold as silver, about thirty-six
pounds sterling. Alas ! there the nasty, sorry, useless stuff lay ! I had no manner of
Ixisiuess for it ; and I often thought with myself that I would have given a handful of it
for a gross of tobacco-pipes ; or for a hand-mill to grind my corn ; nay, I would have
given it all for sixpenny-worth of turnio and carrot seed out of Euglan;!, or for a handful

^87 .1

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ROBIN.SON CRUSOK.

of pea* nntl beans, and a bottlo of ink. As it was, I had not the least advantage by it,
or benefit from it; but there it lay in a drawer, and grew mouldy with the dump of the
(Mve in the wet seasons; and if I had had the drawer full of diamonds, it had been tho
Kamo case, they had been of no manner of value to me, because of no iise.

I had now brought my state of life to be much easier in itself than it was at first,
and much easier to my mind, as well as to my body, I fx-equently Si\t 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 iipon tho bright side of my condition,
!ind less u[)on the dark side, and to consider what I enjoyed rather than what I wanted;
and tliis gave me sometimes such secret comforts, tluit I cannot express them ; and
which I take notice of here, to put those discontented people in mind of it, who cannot
enjoy comfortably what CJod has given them, because they see and covet something that
lie hsis not given them. All our discontents about what wo want appeared to me to
spring from tho want of thankfulness for what we have.

Another reflection was of great use to me, and doubtless would be so to any one that
should fall into such distress as mine was ; and this was, to compare ray present condition
with what I at first expected it would be ; nay, with what it would certainly have been,
if tho good providence of God had not wonderfully ordered the ship to be cast up nearer
to tho shore, where I not only could come at her, but could bring what I got out of
lii-r to tho shore, for my relief and comfort; without which, I had wanted for tools to
work, weapons for defence, and gimpowder and sliot for getting my food.

I spent whole hours, I may .say whole day.s, in representing to myself, in the most
lively coloui*s, how I jnust have acted if I had got nothing out of the ship. How I could
not have so much as got any food, except fish and turtles ; and that, as it was long
before I found any of them, I nmst have perished first ; that I should have lived, if I
had not perished, like a mere savage ; that if I had killed a goat or a fowl, by any con-
trivance, I had no way to flay or open it, or part tho flesh from tlio skin and the bowels,
or to cut it up ; but must gnaw it with my teeth, and pull it with my claws, like a beast.

Tlieso reflections made mo very sensible of the goodness of Providence to me, and
very thankful for my present condition, with all its hardships and misfortunes : and this
part also I cannot but recommend to tho reflection of those who arc apt, in their misery,
to say, " Is any aflliction like mine ?" Let them consider how much woi-so the cases of
Bome people are, and their case might have been, if Providence had tliought fit.

I had another reflection, which a.s.sisted mo also to comfort my mind with hopes ;
nud this was comparing my present situation with what I had deserved, and had there-
f.iro reason to expect from tho hand of Providence. I had livod a dreadful life, perfectly
destitute of tho knowledge and four of God. I had been well instructed by father and
mother ; neither had they been wanting to me, in their early endeavoura to infuse a
religious awo of Gotl into my mind, a .sense of my duty, and what tho nature and end
of my being required of me. But, ahw ! falling early into tho seafaring life, which, of
all lives, is tho most destitute of tho fear of (Jod, though his terror's aro always before
them ; 1 say, falling early into tho seafaring life, and into seafaring company, all that
little sense of religion which I had entertained was laughed out of me by my messmates ;
by a hardened despising of dangers, and tho views of death, which grow 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 of what was good, or tended towards it.

So void was I of everything that was good, or of the least sense of what I was, or was
to be, that, in tho [,'n'atest delivei-ances I enjoyed — such as my escape from Sallee ; my

S \, \ ~ I -^ ^"J V --fe \ ,i\

being taken np by the Portuguese master of the ship ; my being planted so well in the
Brazils ; my receiving the cargo from England, and the like — I never once had the
words, " Thank God ! " so much as on my mind, or in my mouth ; nor in the gi-eatesfc
distress had I so much thoughts as to pray to him, or so much as to say, " Lord, have
mercy upon me !" no, not to mention the name of God, unless it was to swear by, and
blaspheme it,

I had terrible reflections upon my mind for many months, as I have already observed,
on the 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 gi-eat hopes
that my repentance was accepted, and that God had yet mercies in store for me.

With these reflections, I worked my mind up, not only to resignation to the will of
God in the present disposition of my circumstances, but even to a sincere thankfulness
for my condition ; and that I, who was yet a living man, ought not to complain, seeing I
had not the due punishment of my sins. That I enjoyed so many mercies which I had
no reason to have expected in that place. That I ought never more to repine at my con-
dition, but to rejoice, and to give daily thanks for that daily bread, which nothing but a
crowd of wonders could have brought. That I ought to consider I had been fed even by
a miracle, even as great as that of feeding Elijah by ravens ; nay, by a long series of
miracles. And that I could hardly have named a place in the uninhabited part of the
world where I could have been cast more to my advantage ; a place where, as I had no
society, which was my affliction on one hand, so I found no ravenous beasts, no furious

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

vrolvcs or tigers, to threaten my life; no venomous creatures or poisonous, whicli I miglit
hnvo fctl on to my hurt ; no savages to murder and devour me. In a word, as my life M-as
a life of Korrow one way, so it was a life of mercy another ; and I wanted nothing to
make it a life of comfort, but to he able to make my sense of God's goodness to mo, and
oare over me in this condition, bo my daily consolation j and after I made a just im-
I)rovcmcnt of these things, I went away, and was no more sid. I had now been here
BO long, that many things which I brought on shore for my help were citlier quit« gone,
or veiT much wasted and near spent.

3Iy ink, as I observed, had been gone .some time, all Init a very little, which I eked
nut with water, a little and a little, till it was so palo, it scarce left any apponraiic • of
black npon the paper. As long as it lasted I made use of it to minute down the days of
tlio month on which any remarkable thing happened to me ; and first, by casting up
times pastj I remembered that there was a strange concurrence of days in the varioxis
providences which befell mo, and which, if I had been suiMjrstitiously inclined to observe
days <is fatal or fortunate, I might have had reason to have looked upon with a great
daal of curiosity.

First, I had observed, that the same day that I broke away from my father and my
fiitnd.^, and ran away to Hull, in oi-dcr to go to sea, the same day afterwards I was
taken by the Sallco man-of-war, and made a slave ; the atimo day of the year that I escaped
out of the wreck of that ship in Yarmouth Roads, that same day of the year afterwards
I made my escape from Salleo in a boat ; tlio same day of the year I was born on, viz.,
tlio 20th of September, the sanie day I had my life so miraculously saved twenty-.six
yoai-s after, when I was cast on shore in this ishuid ; so that my wicked life and solitary
life began both on a day.

Tlio ne.xt 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 List degree, allowing
myself but one cake of bread a day for above a year ; and yet I was quite without bread
f »r a year before I got any corn of my own ; and greiit reason I had to bo thankful
that I had any at all, the getting it being, as has been already observed, next to
miraculous.

My clothes, too, began to decay mightily ; as to linen, I had had none a good while,
except some chequered shii-ts which I found in the chest,sof the other seamen, and which I
carefully preserved ; because many times I could bear no other clothes on but a shirt ; and
it was a Aery great hul]) to me that I had, among all the men's clothes of the ship, almost
tliree dozen of sljirt-s. There were also several thick >vi\tch-coats of the seamen's which
were loft behind, but they were too hot to woi\r; and though it is true that the weather
v.as so violently hot that there was j n uecd of clothes, yet 1 could not go quite naked —
i.o, though I had been inclined to it, which I was not; nor could I abido the thoughts of
if, though I was all alone. One reason why I could not ^c naked was, I could not bear
the heat of tlio sun so well when quite naked as witli some clotlies on : nay, the very
heat frequently blistered my skin, whereas, witli a shirt on, the air itself made some
motion, and whistling under the .ihirt, wjis twotcld cooler than without it. No more
could I ever bring myself to go out in the heat n the sun without a : 10 or a hat ; the
heat of the smi, beating! with such violence Oi it docs in that place, would give me the
hoadacho presently, by darting so directly on my he;id, without a cap or hat on, so that
I could not bear it ; wheiras, if 1 j)ut on my hat^ it would presently go away.

l^pon those views, I began to consider about putting the lew rags I had, which I
called clothos, into some order ; I had worn o\it all the waistcoats I had, and my busi-

9^ _J|

CRUSOE'S UMBRELLA.

iics.s Avas now to try if I coiikl not make jackets out of tlie great wateli-coats wliicli I
liud by luo, 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. However, I made shift to
make two or three waistcoats, which I hoped would serve me a great while ; as for
breeches or drawers, I made but a very sorry shift indeed till afterwards.

I have mentioned that I saved the skins of all the creatures that I killed, I mean
four-footed ones, and I had them hung vip stretched out with sticks in the sun, by which
means some of them were so dry and hard that they were fit for little, but others, it seems,
were very useful. The first thing I made of these was a great cap for my head, with
the hair on the outside, to shoot off the rain ; and this I performed so well, that after, I
made me a suit of clothes wholly of those skins — that is to say, a waistcoat, and breeches
open at the knees, and both loose, for they Avere rather wanting to keep me cool than to
keep me warm. I must not omit to acknowledge that they were wretchedly made ; for
if I Avas a bad carpenter, I Avas a Avorse tailor. HoAvever, they were such as I made a
very good shift Avith, and Avhen I Avas abroad, if it happened to rain, the hair of the
Avalstcoat and cap being outermost, I Avas kept very dry.

After this, I spent a great deal of time and pains to make an umbrella. I Avas in-
deed in great Avant of one, and had a great mind to make one. I had seen them made in
the Brazils, Avhere they are very useful in the great heats which are there, and I felt the
heats every jot as great here, and greater too, being nearer the equinox ; besides, as I Avas
obliged to be much abroad, it was a most useful thing to me, as Avell for the rains as the
heats. I took a world of pains at it, and Avas a great Avhile before I could make any-
thing likely to hold ; nay, after I thought I had hit the Avay, I spoiled tAvo or three be-
fore I made one to my mind. But at last I made one that answered indifferently well ;
the main difficulty I found Avas to make it to let doAvn. I could make it spread, but if it
did not let down too, and draAv in, it Avould not be portable for me any Avay but just over
my head, Avhich Avould not do. HoAvever, at last, as I said, I made one to ansAVcr. I
covered it with skins, the hair upwards, so that'it cast off the rain like a pent-house, and
kept off the sun so effectually, that I could w^alk out in the hottest of the v/eather Avith
greater advantage than I could before in the coolest, and when I had no need of it, I
could close it, and carry it under my arm.

Thus I lived mighty comfortably, my mind being entirely composed by resigning
to the Avill of God, and throAviug myself Avholly upon the disposal of his proA-idence.
This made my life better than sociable, for Avheu I began to regret the Avant of conver-
sation, I would ask myself, Avhether thus conversing mutually Avith my own thoughts,
and (as I hope I may say) Avith even my Maker, by ejaculations and petitions, Avas not
better than the utmost enjoyment of human society in the Avorld I

I cannot say that, after this, for five years, any extraordinary thing happened to me,
but I lived on in the same course, in the same posture and place, just as before. The chief
thing I was employed in, besides my yearly labour of planting my barley and rice, and
curing my raisins — of both Avhicli I alAvayskept up just enough to haA'e sufficient stock of
the year's provision beforehand — I say, besides this yearly labour, and my daily labour of
going out Avith my gun, I had one labour, to make me a canoe, Avhich at last I finished ;
so that, by digging a canal to it of six feet wide and four feet deep, I brought it into the
creek, almost half a mile. As for the first, Avhich was so A^astly big, as I made it Avith-
out considering beforehandj as I ought to do, how I should be able to launch it, so, never
being able to bring it into the water, or bring the Avater to it, I Avas obliged to let it li3
where it Avas, as a memorandum to teach me to be Aviser the next time. Indeed, the next

hW

.x^}

-^^^-^ss^

KODINSON CRUSOE.

time, though I could not get a tree proper for it, and was in a place where I could not
get the water to it at any less di.st;vnce than, as I hare said, of near half a mile, yet, as
I saw it was practicable at last, I never gave it over ; and though I was near two years
about it, yet I never grudged my labour, in hopes of having a boat to go off to sea at
last. •

However, though my little pcriagxia was finished, yet the size of it was not at all
answerable to the design which I had in view when I made the fii-st ; I mean of ventur-
ing over to the terra Jirma, where it was above forty miles broad; accoi-dingly, the
sinallness of my boat assisted to put an end to that design, and now I thought no more
of it. As I had a boat, my next design was to make a tour round the island ; for as I
had Ijeen on the other side in one place, crossing, as I have already described it, over
the land, so the discoveries I made in that journey made mo very eager to see other
jKirts of the coast ; and now I had a boat, I thought of nothing but i>iiiling round the
ishiml.

I'^or this purpose, and that I might do everything with discretion and consideration, I
fitted up a little mast in my boat, and made a sail to it out of some of the i)ieces of the
sliip's sails which lay in store, and of Avhich I had a great store by mc. Having fitted
my iHiust and sail, and tried the boat, I found she would sail very well j then I raado
little lockers, or boxes, at each end of my boat, to put provisions, necessaries, ammunition,
itc, itito, U> bi; kept dry, cither from rain or the spray of the sea ; and a little, long,
linllow place I cut in the inside of the boat, where I could Liy my gun, making a flaj>
to hang down over it, to keep it dry.

I fixed my iimbrella also in a step at the stern, like a mast, to stand over my head,
and k<>('p the heat of the sun off of me, like an awning. And thus I every now and then
to.)k a little voyage upon the sea ; but never went far out, nor far from the little creek.
At la.st, being eager to view the circumference of my little kingdom, I resolved upon my
tour ; and accordingly I victualled my ship for the voyage, putting in two dozen of
loaves (cakes I shoidd rather call them) of barley bread, an earthen i»ot full of parched
I i«-e (.1 food I ate a great deal of), a little bottle of mm, half a goat, and powder with shot
tor killing more, and two largo watch-coats, of those which, as I mentioned before, I had
•saved otit of the .seamen's chests ; these I took, one to lie upon, and the other to cover
mr in the night.

II was the Gth of November, in tho sixth yt^r of my nign, or my captivity, which
you pIra.so, that J set out on this voyage, and I found it much longer than 1 expected ;
for though the island itself was not very large, yet when I came to tho east side of it, >
I tound a great ledge of rockn lie out al>out two leagues into the .soa, .some above water,
soiiH! under it ; and beyond that a shoal of .sand, lying dry half a league more, so that I
wa.H obliged to go ji great way out to .sea to doulJe that point.

^Vll(•ll I first discovered them, I was going to give over my cntt iprise, and come back
again, not knowing how fur it might oblige mo to go out to .^ea ; and, .ibove all, doubt-
ing how I should get l)ack again ; .so J camo to an anchor ; for I had made a kind of an
anchor with a piece of a broken gTapj.ling which 1 got out of the ship.

Having .secured my boat, I took my gun and went on shore, climbing up a hill, whioh
seemed to overlook that point where 1 sjiw the full extent of it, and resolved to venture.

III my viewing tho sea from that hill where I stood, I perceived a strong and, in-
doe»l, a most furiou.s current, which ran to the cast, and even came close to the point ;
and I took tho more notice of it, because I saw there might be .some danger, that when
I camo into it, 1 might bo carried out to sea by the strength of it, and not bo aWe to

J^r^y. -r^^

ZVJ6M iAnLS (DIO

IT ©IF HIS m^Em] ^^^^^-

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 of the island,
only that it set off at a farther distance, and I saw there was a strong eddy under the
shore ; so I had nothing to do but to get out of the first current, and I should presently be
in an eddy.

I lay here, however, two days, because the wind blowing pretty fresh at E.S.E., and
that being just contrary to the current, made a great breach of the sea upon the point ; so
that it was not safe for me too keep too close to the shore for the la-each, 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 I am a warning-piece to all rash and ignorant pilots ; for no sooner
was I come to the point, when I was not even my boat's length from the shore, bxit I found
myself in a gi'eat depth of water, and a current like the sluice of a mill. It carried any

93

r-.-:ssss::^sss5S:KS

i

SSSSS

53^-=^^^^^^^^

ROBINSON CRL'SOE.

boat aloug witli it with such violence tliat all I could do could not keep her so much as
ou the edge of it ; but I found it hurried me farther and farther out from the eddy, which
was on my left hand. There wa:i no wind stirring to help me, and all that I could do with
my paddles signified nothing. And now I began to give myself over for lost ; for as the
current was on both sidtj.s of the island, I knew in a few leagues' distance they must join
again, and then I was irrecoverable 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 fronx hunger. I had, indeed, found a tortoise on the shore, as
big almost as I could lift, and had tossed it into the boat ; and I had a great jar of fresh
water, that is to say, one of my earthen jiots ; but what was all this to being driven into
the vast ocean, where, to be sure, there was no shore, no mainland or islanil, for a
thousand leagues at least 1

And now I saw how easy it was for the providence of God to make the most
misemble condition tliut mankind could be in woi-se. Now I looked back nix>n my
tlesolate, solitary island as the most pleasant place in the world, and all the happiness
my heart could wish for was to be there again. I stretched out my hands to it, with
eager wishes. " O happy desert !" said I, " I shall never sec thee more. O misei-ablo
creature ! whither am I going V* Then I reproached myself with my unthankful tem-
IMjr, and how I had repined at my solitary condition; and now what would I give to
be on shore there again ! Thus, we never see the true state of our condition till it is
ited to tis by ila contraries, 7ior know how to value what we enjoy, but by the

iilusti

want of it. Jt ia .scarcely possiljlc to imagine the consternation I was now in, being
driven from n>y beloved island (for so it appeared to mo i-w to be) into the wide ocean,
ahnost two leagues, and in the utmost despair of ever i-ccovcring it again- However, I
workitl hard till, iudoud, ray strength w;\3 almost exhausted, and kept my boat as much
to the northward— that is, towards the side of the current which the eddy lay on — as
possibly I could ; when about noon, as the sim passed the meridian, I thought I felt a
little breeze of wind in my face, .si)ringing \ip from the S.S.K This cheered my heart a
little, and especially when, in about half an hour more, it blew a jn-etty small, gentle gale.
V>y this time, I had got at u frightful distance from the island; and had the least cloudy
or luizy weather intervened, I had been luidono another way, too ; for I had no compass
on l)oarJ, and should never have known how to have steered towards the island, if I
had but once lost sight of it. But the weather continuing clear, I applied myself to get
u[> niy mast again, and .spread my .sjvil, standing away to the north as much jus possible,
to get out of the current.

Just OS I had set my mast and siiil, and the boat began to stretch away, I saw even
by the clea»-ues3 of the water some alteration of the current was near ; for where the
current was so strong, the water was foul ; but perceiving the water clear, I found
the cun-ei>t abate ; and presently I found to the osist, at about half a mile, a breach
of the sea upon some rocks. These rocks I found caused the current to j^art again, and
as the main stress of it ran away moi-o southerly, leaving the roeks to the north-ciist, so
the other returned by the repulse of the rock, and made a strong eddy, which ran back
again to the north-west, with a very sharp stream.

They who know what it is to have a reprieve brought to them upon the ladder, or
to be rescued fix)ni thieves ju};t going to mtirder them, or who have been in such ex-
tremities, may guess what my present surprise of joy was, and how gladly I put my boat
into the stream of this eddy ; «nd the wind also freshening, hox^ gladly I spread my s;ul
* It, running elicerfully befoixj the wind, and with a strong tido or eddy under foot.

91

This eddy carried mc about a league iu my way back again, directly towards
tlic island, but about two leagues more towards the }ioi'tliward tbau the current lay
v.-hich carried me away at first ; so that Avhen I came near the island, I found myself
open to the northern shore of it, that is to say, the other end of Iho i.slaud, opposite to
that which I went out from.

When I liad made something more than a league of way by help of this current
or eddy, I found it was spent, and saved me no farther. However, I found that being
between two great cuiTents, viz., that on the south side, which had hurried me away, and
that on the north, which lay about two leagues on the other side ; I say, between these
two, in the wake of the island, I found the water at least still, and running no way ;
and having still a breeze of wind fair for me, I kept on steering directly for the island,
tliough not making such fresh way as I did before.

About four o'clock in the evening, being then v/ithin about a league of the island, I
found the point of the rocks which occasioned this disaster stretching out, as is described
before, to the southward, and casting off the current more southerly, had, of course,
made another eddy to the north ; and this I found very strong, but directly setting
the way my coiu-se lay, which was due west, but almost full north. However, having a
fresh gale, I stretched across this eddy, slanting north-west ; and in about an hour came
within about a mile of the shore, where, it being smooth water, I soon got to land.

When I was on sliore, I fell on my knees, and gave God thanks for my deliverance,
rcijolving to lay aside all thoughts of my deliverance by my boat ; and refreshing myself
with such things as I had, I brought my boat close to the shore, in a little cove that I
had spied under some trees, and laid me down to sleep, being quite spent Avith the labour
and fotigue of the voyage.

I was now at a great loss which way to get home with my boat ! I had run so
much hazard, and knew too much of the case, to think of attempting it by the way I
went out J and what might be at the other side (I mean the west side) I knew not, nor
had I any mind to run any more ventures. So I resolved on the next morning to make
my way westward along the shore, and to see if there was no creek where I might lay
lip my fi-igate in safety, so as to have her again, if I wantetl her. In about three miles,
or thereabouts, coasting the shore, I came to a very good inlet or bay, about a mile over,
which narrowed till it came to a very little rivulet or brook, wdiere I found a very
convenient harbour for my boat, and where she lay as if she had been in a little dock
made on pin-pose for her. Here I put in, and having stowed my boat very safe, I went
on shore to look about me, and see where I was.

I soon found I had but a little passed by the place where I had been before, when I
travelled on foot to that shore ; so, taking nothing out of my boat but my gun and
umbrella, for it was exceedingly hot, I began my march. The way was comfortable
enough after such a voyage as I had been upon, and I reached my old bower iu
the evening, where I found everything standing as I left it ; for I always kept it in
good order, being, as I said before, my country-house.

I got over the fence, and laid me down in the shade to rest my limbs, for I was very
weary, and fell asleep. But judge you, if you can, that read my story, what a surprise
I must have been in when I was awaked out of my sleep by a voice, calling me by
my name several times : " Robin, Eobin, Robin Crusoe ! poor Kobin Crusoe ! Where
are you, Robin Crusoe 1 Where are you 1 Where have you been ? "

I was so dead asleep at first, being fatigued with rowing, or paddling, as it is called,
the first part of the day, and walking the latter part, that I did not awake thoroughly :

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

m\

ice, and
\y came

ft:ul dozing Wtween sleoping and waking, lliouglit I dreamed that somebody spoke to me ;
buta-s the voice continued to repeat, " Robin Crusoe ! Robin Crusoe !" at last I began to
fiwuko nioro pcrfcctlv, and wius at first dreadfully frightened, and started up in the utmost
. .!istoniuti<in. IJut no sooner were my eyes open, but I saw my Toll sitting on the top
..f tli»! hed"«', and immediately knew that it was he that spoke to me ; for just in such
bemoaning language 1 had used to talk to him, and teach him ; and he had learned it
R.. perfectly, that he would sit upon my finger, and lay his bill close to my f:
trv, " Poor Robin Crusoe ! Where arc you ? Where have you l)een ? llu
you here?" and such things as I had taught him.

However, even though I knew it was the parrot, and that indeed it coidd be nobody
else, it was a good while before I could compose myself. First, I was amazed how the
. leaturo got thither; and then, how ho should just keep about the place, and nowhere
t-lso ; but as I was well sixtisfied it could be nobody but honest Poll, I got over it ; and
holding out my hand, and calling him by his name, " Poll," the sociable creature came to
JUL*, and .sat upon my thumb, as he used to do, and continued talking to me, " Poor
11 )bin Crusoe ? and how did I come here? and where had I been?" just as if ho had
bci'ii overjoyed to .see me again ; and so I carried him home along with me.

I had now had enough of rambling to sea for .some time, and had enough to do f.ir
many days, to .sit still, and rellect upon the danger I had been in. I avouUI have been
very glad to have had my boat again on my side of the island ; but I knew not how it
was practicable to get it about. As to the east side of the island, which I had gone
round, I knew well enough there was no venturing that way ; my very heart would
shrink, and my veiy blood run chill, but to think of it ; and as to the other side of the
inland, I did not know how it might be there. But supjiosing the cuiTcnt ran with the
same force against the shore at the east as it pa.ssed by it on the other, I might run
the same risk of being driven down the stream, and caiTied by the island, as I had
been Ijefore of being carried away from it. So with these thoughts I contented myself
to be without any boat, though it had been the product of so many months' labour to
make it, and of so many more to get it into the sea.

In this govcriunent of my temjjer, I remained near a year; lived a very .sedate,
n-tireil life, as you may well Kujjposc ; and my thoughts boing very much composed
as to my condition, and fully comforted in resigning myself to the dispositions of
Providence, I thought I lived really very hajipily in all things, except that of
.society.

I improved myself in this time in all the mechanic exercises which my necessities
put mo upon applying myself to ; and I believe I should, upon occasion, have made a
very good eaipenter, especially con.sidering how few tools I had.

Besides this, I arrived at an unexpected perfection in my earthenware, and contrived
well enough to make them with a wheel, which I found infinitely eivsier and better;
because I made things round and shaped, which before were filthy things indeed to look
on. But I think I was nc^ver more vain of my own i>erformance, or more joyful for
anything I found out, than for my being able to make a t()bacco-])ipe ; and though
it was a very ugly, clumsy thing when it was done, and only burnt 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 jupes in the
.ship, but I forgot them at first, not thinking that there was tobacco in the island ; and
afterwards, wlion I .searched the ship again, I could not come at ny pipes.

Tn my wiekerwaro also I improved much, and made abundance of necessary baskets,

M

mwmM M iHHl p^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

OH well as my invcutiou showed ine ; tbougU not very LaucLsome, yet they were suc'x as
were very handy and convenient for laying things up in, or fetcluug things home. Foi-
example, if I killed a goat abroad, I could hang it up ia a tree, flay it, and dress it, and
cut it in pieces, and bring it home in a basket : and the like by a turtle ; I could cut it
up, take out the eggs, and a piece or tvo of the flesh, which was enough forme, and bring
theai home in a basket, and leave the rest behind me. Also, large deep baskets were
my rccoivera for my com, which I alwnys rubbed out as soon as it was dry, and cured ;
and kept it in great baskets, instead of a granary.

I bemin now to i)crceivc my powder abated considerably ; and ^is was a want which
it was imiJOssiUe for me to supply, and I began seriously to consider what I must do
when I .should have no more powder ; that is to say, how I should do to kill any goats.
I had, as I observed in the third year of my being hero, kept a youug kid, and bred her
up tame ; I was in hopes of getting a he-kid : but I could not by any means bring
it to pass, till my kid gi»w an old goat ; and as I could never And in my heart to kill
her, she died at la-st of mere age.

But being now in the eleventh year of my residence, and, as I have said, my
ammunition growing low, I set myself to study some art to trap and snare the goats, to
s-c M-hcther I could not catch some of them alive ; and particularly, I wanted a she-
goat great with young. To this purpose, I made snares to hamper them ; and I
bjlievo they were more than once taken in them ; but my tackle was not good, for I
had no wire, and always found them broken, and my bait devoured. At length, I
resolved to try a i)itfall : so I dug aevcral largo pits in the earth, in places whei*o I had
observed the goati used to feed, and over those pits I placed hurdles, of my o\\-n making
t )o, with a great weight upon tJiem ; and several times I put ears of barley and dry
rice, without sotting 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
trapj in one nighty and going the next morning, I found thorn 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 (jld 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 tierce, I dui-st not
go into tin' pit to him ; that is to say, to go about to bring him away alive, which
wa« what I wanted. 1 could have killed him, but that was not my buiineis, nor would
it answer iny cud ; so I ovcu let him out, and he i^an away as if ho hud been frighted
outof his wits ; but I had forgot then what I learned afterwards, that hunger will tamo
a lion. Ill had let him st.iy there three or four days without food, and then havo
carried him some water to drink, and then a little com, he would have been as tamo as
one of the kids; for they are mighty sagacious, ti-actablo creatures, whore they are
well used.

However, for the present I let hinj go, knowing no better at that time : then I went
to the three kids, ami, taking them one by one, I tied them with strings together, and
with some dilUculty brought them all home.

It was a, good vhile before they would feed ; but throwing them some sweet corn, it
tempted them, and they began to bo tiune. And now I found that if I expected to
Bvipply myself with go.-xts' flesh, when I had no powder or shot left, breeding some up
tame was my only way; when, jierhaps, I miglit have them about my house like a flock
of shepp. lint, tlirn it o PUTcd to me that I must ]-^f'v <'"" * «inr> jVom <Ii-^ wi! 1, or else

98 J

HE MAINTAINS A FLOCK OF GOATS.

t^

ilicy would always run wild when tliey grew up ; and the only way for this was to hav3
some inclosed piece of ground, well fenced either with hedge or pale, to keep them up so
etTectually, that those within might not break out, or those without break in.

This was a great xuidertaking for one pair of hands ; yet as I saw there was an
absolute necessity for doing it, my first piece of work was to find out a proper piece of
o-round ; viz., where there was likely to be herbage for them to cat, water for them
to drink, and cover to keep them from the sun.

Those who understand such inclosures will think I had very little contrivance, when
I pitched uj)on a place very proper for all these, being a plain, open piece of meadow
land, or savanna (as our people call it in the western colonies), which had tAvo or three
little drills of fresh water in it, and at one end was veiy woody ; I say, they will smile
at my forecast, when I shall tell them I began by inclosing of this piece of ground in such
a manner, that my hedge or pale must have been at least two miles about. Nor was
the madness of it so great as to the compass, for if it was ton miles about, I was like to
have time enough to do it in ; but I did not consider that my goats would bo as wild
in so much compass as if they 'had had the whole island, and I should have so much
room to chase them in that I should ne\'er catch them.

My hedge was begun and carried on, I believe, about fifty yards, when this thought
occurred to me ; so I presently stopped short, and, for the first beginning, I resolved to
inclose a piece of about one hundred and fifty yards in length, and one hundred yards
in breadth, which, as it would maintain as many as I should have in any reasonable
time, so, as my flock increased, I could add more ground to my inclosure.

This was acting with some prudence, and I went to work with courage. I was
about three months hedging in the first piece ; and, till I had done it, I tethered the
three kids in the best part of it, and used them to feed as near me as possible, to make
them familiar ; and very often I would go and carry them some ears of barley, or a
handful of rice, and feed them out of my hand ; so that, after my inclosure was finished,
and I let them loose, they would follow me up and down, bleating after me for a hand-
ful of corn.

This answered my end, and in about a year and a half I had a flock of about twelve
goat3, kids and all ; and in two years more I had three-and-forty, besides several that I
took and killed for my food ; and after that, I inclosed five several pieces of ground to
feed them in, with little pens to drive them into, to take them as I wanted thoro, and
rjites out of one piece of ground into another.

But this was not all ; for now I not only had goats' flesh to feed ou w-heu I pleased,
ut milk too — a, thing which indeed in my beginning I did not so much as think of,
ad which, when ib came into my thoughts, was really an agreeable surprise ; for now
i set up my dairy, and had sometimes a gallon or two of milk in a day. And as
Natiu-e, who gives supplies of food to every creature, dictates even naturally how to
make use of it, so I, that never milked a cow, much less a goat, or saw butter or cheese
made, very readily and handily, though after a great many essays and miscarriages, made
me both butter and cheese at last, and never wanted it afterwards. How mercifully
can our Creator treat His creatures, even in those conditions in which they seemed
to be overwhelmed in destruction ! How can Ho sweeten the bitterest providences,
and give us cause to praise Him for dungeons and prisons ! What a table w^as here
spread for me in a wilderness, where I saw nothing at first but to perish for hunger !

It would have made a Stoic smile to have seen me and my little family sit down t
dinner. There was my majesty, the prince and lord of the whole inland; I hid tao

A

r-

lives of all my subjects at absolute command ; I could hang, draw, give life and liberty
and take it away, and no rebels among all my s\ibjects. Then to see how like a king I
dined too, all alone, attended by my servants ! Poll, as if he had been my favourite,
wa.s the oidy person jKTmitted to talk to me; my dog, who was now grown very old
and crazy, and had found no species to multiply his kind upon, s.-\t always at my right
hand ; and two cats, one on one side the tible, and one on the other, expecting now
and then a bit from my hand, as a mark of special favour.

But these were not the two cats which I brought on shore at first, for they were
both of Ihcni dead, and had been inten-ed near my habitation by my own hand ; but
one of them having multiplied by I know not what kind of creature, these were two
which I preserved tame j whereas the rest ran wild in the woods, and became
indeed troublesome to me at last ; for they would often come into my house, and plunder
nic too, till at last I was obliged to shoot them, and did kill a great many ; at length
they left me. With this attendance and in this plentiful manner I lived ; neither
could I Ije said to want anything but society; and of that, in some time after this, I
was likely to have too much.

I M-as something impatient, as I have observed, to have the use of my boat, though
very loth to run any more hazard ; and therefore sometimes I sat contriving ways to
get her about the island, and at other times I sat myself down contented enough with-
out her. But I had a strange uneasiness in my mind to go down to the point of the
island where, as I have said, in my last ramble, I went up the hill to see how the shore
lay, and how the current set, that I might see what I had to do : this inclination in-
creased upon me ever}' day, and at length I resolved to travel thither by land; and follow-
ing 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 frighted them, or raised a great deal of laughter : and as I
frcqtiently 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 goat's .skin, with a flap hanging down
behind, as well to keep the nnn from me as to shoot the rain off from running into my
k; nothing being so hurtful in these climates as the rain upon the flesh under
• clothea

I had a short jacket of goat's skin, the skirts coming down to about the middle of

thighs, and a pair of open-kneed breeches of the same ; the breeches were made of
llic .skin of an old he-goat, whose hair hung down such a length on either side, that, like
pantaloon.s, it reached to the middle of my legs. Stockings and shoes I had none, but
had nm<le me a pair of .somethings, I scarce knew what to call them, like buskins, to
Hap over my Icg.s, and lace on either side like spatterdashes, but of a most barbarous
shape, as indeed were all the rest of my clothes,

1 had on a broad U'lt of goat's skin dried, which I drew together with two thongs
of the .siime, instead of buckles ; and in a kind of a frog on cither side of this, instead of
a sword and dagger, hung a little s^iw aiul a hatchet, one on one side, one on the
other. I had another belt iu)t so broad, and fastened in the same manner, which hung
over my shoulder ; and at the end of it, uiuler my left arm, hung two pouches, both made
of goai'.s skin too, in one of which hung my j)owder, in the other my shot. At my
back I carried my basket^ on my shoidder my g\in, and over my head a gieat clum.sy,
"»'.^'» goat-.skin umbrella, but which, after all, was the most necessary thing I
had ab<.\it ino next to my gun. As for my face, the colour of it was really not po V

sV

^*^ *"

^ ^^ K^ l5:^^.___;j-::rT^^ r-^"^ -*7 C^ ^""^^r^^ r\

ROEINSON CRUSOE.

mulatto-like as one might expect from a man not at all careful of it, and livinf» within
nine or ten deg^rocs of the equinox. My beard I had once .suflered to gi-ow till it was
ahoajt a quarter of a yard long ; but as I had both scissors and i-azors snfiicient, I had
cut it pretty short, cxce])t wliat 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 Sallce,
for the l^[<iors did not wear such, though the Turks did ; of tlicse moustachios, or
whiskers, I will not say they were long enough to hang my hat upon them, but ^Iiey
were of a length and shape monstrous enough, and such as in England would have
passed for frightful.

But all this is by the bvc ; for, as to my figure, I had so few to obsei-v'C mo, that it
was of no manner of consequence, so I say no more to that part. In this kind of dress I
went my new journey, and was out five or six days. I tmvolled first along the sea-
shore, directly to the place where I first brought my boat to an anchor to get up upon
the rocks ; and having no boat now to take care of, I went over the laud a nearer way
to the s:imo height that I was upon before, wlien, looking forward to the point of the
rock wjiicli lay out, and which I was obliged to double with my boat, na I said abn', i-,
I was surpri.-?ed to sec the sea all smooth and quiet — no rippling, no motion, no currcn!,
any more there than in other i)laccs. I was at a strange loss to understand this,
and resolved to .spend some time in the obscn-ing 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
i>f ebb setting from the Avcst, and joining with the current of waters from some great
river on the .shore, must be the occasion of this current; and that according as the
wind blow more forcible from the west or from the north, this current came near, 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 tho current again as
before, only that it ran farther off, being near half a league from the shore, whoro.ns in
my ca.so it set close upon the shore, and hurried me in my canoe along with it, which
nt another time it would not liave done.

This observation convinced me that I had nothing to do but to observe the ebbing
and the flowing of the tide, and I might very easily bring my boat about tho island
again ; but whin I began to think about jjutting it in practice, I had such terror ujjon
my Hpirits at tho rcmembvanco of the danger I had been in, that I could not think of it
again M-ith any patience ; but, on tho contrary, I took up another resolution, which was
more saf.>, though moro laborious— and this was, that I would build, or rather make
me another periagua or canoo ; and so have one for one side of the i:5land, and one
for tho other.

You aro to undor.stand, that now I had, tn I may call it, two i>lantation3 in the
island ; one my little fortification or tent^ with the wall about it, under the roclc, a'. illi
tho cave behind me, Mhich by tliis time I had enlarged into several npiu-tments, or
caves, one within another. Ono of these, which was the driest and lorgc.st, and luid a
door out beyond my wall or fortifie.ition, that u to say, beyond where my wall joincl
to the rook, was nil filled up with the large earthen pots, of wliich I h.avo given .'^. i
account, and with fourteen or fifteen great basket^ which would hold live or six buslu I •
each, where I laid up my stores of provision, especially my corn, somo in tho cm\ c:x:
oft' .'thort from the straw, and the other rubbed out with my hand. "

As for my wall, made, as before, with long stakes or pile/;, thos^pild^ grew all liko
trciM, and were by tliia time grown so big, and .spread so very mueh, that tlicre Wiis not
tho leaat apixsarance, to any one's view, of any habitation behind thc;ii. ,

103

CRUSOE'S COUNTRY HOUSE AND PLANTATION.

Kcar this dwelling of mine, but a little farther within the land, and upon lower
ground, lay my two pieces of corn land, which I kept duly cultivated and sowed, and
which duly yielded me their harvest in its season ; and whenever I had occasion for
more corn, I had more land adjoining, as fit as that.

Besides this, I had my country seat, and I had now a tolerable plantation there
also ; for first, I had my little bov/er, as I called it, which I kept in repair — that is to
say, I kept the hedge, which circled it in, constantly fitted up to its usual height, the
ladder standing always in the inside ; I kept the trees, which at first were no more
than my stakes, but were now gro-wn very firm and tall, always so cut, that they might
spread and grow thick and wild, and raake the more agreeable shade, which they did
efiectually to my mind. In the middle of this I had my tent always standing, being a
piece of a sail sj)read over poles "set up for that purpose, and which never wanted
any repair or renewing ; and under this I had made me a squab or couch, v/ith the skins
of the creatures I had killed, and with other soft things, and a blanket laid on them,
such as belonged to our sea-bedding, which I had saved ; and a great watch-coat to cover
me ; and here, whenever I had occasion to be absent from my chief seat, I took up my
country habitation.

Adjoining to this, I had my inclosures for my cattle, that is to say, my goats ; and
as I had taken an inconceivable deal of pains to fence and inclose this ground, I vv^as 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 afterv/ards, when those stakes grew,
as they all did in the next rainy season, made the inclosure strong like a wall, indeed
stronger than any wall.

This will testify for me that I was not idle, and that I spared no pains to bring to
pass whatever appeared necessary for my comfortable support ; for I considered the
keeping up a breed of tame creatures th.us at my hand would be a living magazine
of flesh, milk, buttei-, and cheese for me as long as I lived in the place, if it were to bo
forty years ; and that keeping them in my reach depended entirely upon my perfecting
my inclosures to such a degree, that I might be sure of keeping them together ; which,
by this method,"indeed, I so effectually secured, that when these little stakes began
to grow, I had planted them so very thick, I was forced to pull some of them
up again.

In this place also I had my grapes grov/ing, which I principally depended on for my
winter store of raisins, and Avhich I never fiijled to preserve very carefully, as the best
and most agreeable dainty of my whole diet ; and, indeed, they were not agreeable only,
but physical, wholesome, nourishing, and i-efreshing to the last degree.

As this was also about half-v/ay between my other habitation and the place where .
had laid up my boat, I generally stayed and lay here in my way thither, for I used
frequently to visit my boat ; and I kept all things about, or belongiug 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.

It happened one day, about noon, going towards my boat, I was exceedingly surprised
Vv-ith the print of a man's naked foot on the shore, which was very plain to be seen on
the sand. I stood like one thunderstruck, or as if I had seen an apparition. I listen (

IDT

-^-^.

^:s:j>eS.S^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

I looked round mo, but I could hear nothing, nor see an}-thing ; I went up to a rising
"round, to look farther ; I went up the shore, and down the shore, but it was all one :
I could Hce no other impression but that one. I went to it again to see if there were
iiny more, and to observe if it might not be my fancy ; but there was no room for that,
lor there was exactly the print of a foot — toes, heel, and every part of a foot. How it
enrae thither I knew not, nor could in the least imagine. But after innumci-able
fluttering thoughts, like a man perfectly confused and out of myself, I came home to my
fortification, not feeling, as wo say, the ground I went on, but terrified to the last degree,
looking behind me at every two or three steps, mistaking every bush and tree, and
fancying eveiy stump at a distiinco to be a man. Nor is it possible to describe how
many vanous shapes my affrighted imagination represented things to me in ; how many
wiltl idciis were formed every niomont in my fancy, and what strange unaccountable
whinisoys came into my thoughts by the way.

When I came to my castle (for so I think I called it ever after this), I fled into it
like one pui-sued. ^^'hether I went over by the ladder, as first contrived, or went in at
the hole in the rock, which I called a door, I cannot remember ; for never frighted
hare fled to cover, or fo.K to earth, with more terror of mind than I to this retreat.

I had no sleep that night ; the farther I M'as from the occasion of my fright, the greater
my apprehensions were, which is something contrary to the nature of such things, and
••specially to the usual ])ractice of all creatures in fear ; but I wiis so embarrassed with
my own frightful ideas of the thing, that I formed nothing but dismal imaginations to
myself, even though I was now a great way off it. Sometimes I fancied it must be the
<l.>vil ; and reason joined in with me upon this supposition : for how should any other thing
ill human shape come into the place i Where was the vessel that brought them ? What
marks were there of any oth(;r footsteps ] And how was it possible a man should come
there ? But then to think that Satan should take human shape upon him in such a
place, where there coidd be no manner of occasion for it, but to leave the print of his
foot behind him, and that even for no i)urposc too, for he could not be sure I should
s,.(. it — this was an amazement the other way. I considered that the devil might have
fniuul out abundance of other ways to have terrified me than this of the single print of a
foot ; that aH I lived quite on the other side of the island, he would never have bi-en so
simple as to leave a mark in a place where it was ten thousand to one whether I should
ever see it or not, and in the sand too, which the first surge of the .sea, upon a high wind,
would have defaced entirely. All this seemed inconsistent with the thing itself, and
with all the notions we u.sually entertain of the subtlety of the devil.

Abundance of Huch things as these assisted to ai'guo me out of all apprehensions of
its being the devil ; and 1 jjresently concluded then, that it must be some more
dangerous creature ; viz., that it must be some of the .siwages of the mainland over
aLjainst me, who had wandered out to sea in their canoes, and cither driven by the
currents or by contrary winds, had made the island, and had been on shore, but were
gone away again to sea ; being as loth, perhaps, to have sUycd in this desolate island
ns I would have been to have had them.

While the.sc reflections were rolling upon my mind, I was very thankful in my thought,
that I was so happy as not to bo thereabouts at that time, or that they did not .see my
bout, by which tliey would have concluded that some inhabitants had been in the place,
and perhaps huvo searched farther for me. Then terrible thoughts racked my imagi-
nation about their having found my boat, and that there were people here ; and that,
if so, I should certainly Imve them come again in greater numbers, and ilevour me ;

104 ./

*>>

tint if it slioukl happen that they should not find me, yet they would find my
enclosure, destroy all my corn, and carry away all my flock of tame goats, and I
should perish at last for mere want.

Thus my fear banished all my religious hope ; all that former confidence
God, which was founded upon such wonderful experience as I had had of his
goodness, now vanished ; as if He that had fed me by miracle hitherto, could not
preserve by His power the provision which He had made for me by His goodness.
I reproached myself with my laziness, that would not sow any more corn one
year than would just serve me till the next season, as if no accident could inter-
):ene to prevent my enjoying the crop that was upon the ground ; and this I thought
so just a reproof, that I resolved for the futu-re to have two or three years'
coi-u beforehand, so tliat, whatever might come, I might not perish for want
of bread.

How strange a chequer- work of Providence is the life ot man ! and by what
secret differing springs are the affections hurried about, as differing circumstances
present ! To-day we love what to-morrow we hate ; to-day we seek what to-morrow

105

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ROBINSON CRUSOE.

1

wosliun ; to-day we desire what to-morrow we fear, nay, even tremble at tke apprehen-
sions of. Tliis wa.s exemplified in me at this time in the most lively manner imaginable ;
for r, whoso only allliction wa.s, that I seemed banished from human society, that 1
was alone, circumscribed by the boundless ocean, cut off from mankind, and condemnel
to what I call silent life ; that I was as one whom Heaven thought not worthy to bo
numbered among the living, or to appear amongst the rest of his creatures ; that to havo
seen one of my own species would have seemed to me a raising me from death to life,
and the greatest blessing that Heaven itself, next to the supreme blessing of salvation,
could bestow ; I say, that I should now tremble at the very appreheiLsious of seeing a
man, and was ready to sink into the ground at but tlie .-ihadow or silent appearance of a
man having set his foot on the island.

8uch is the uneveu 8t«ite of human life ; and it affonlcd me a great many curious
speculations aflcrward^, when I had a little recovered my first sinprise. I considered
that tliis was the station of life the infinitely wise and good pi'oviden o of God had
detormiiied for me ; that as I could not foresee what the end of Divine wisdom might
be in all this, so I was not to dispute His soveiviguty, v,ho, as I was His creature, liad
an undoubted right by creation to govern and dispose of me absolutely as He thought
(it ; and who, as I was a creature who had offended Him, had likewise a judicial right to
condemn me to what puuishmeut He thought fit ; and that it was my part to submit to
bear His indignation, because T had sinned against Him. I then reflected, tliat God, who
was not only righteous, but omnipotent, as He had thought fit thus to punish and afflict
me, so He was able to deliver me ; that if He did not think fit to do it, it was my
imquestioned duty to resign my.self absolutely and entirely to His will ; and, on the other
hand, it was my duty also to hoi)c in Him, pray to Him, and quietly to attend the dictates
and directions of His daily providence.

These thoughts took me up many hour.^, divys, nay, I may say weeks and months ; and
one particular effect of my cogitations on this occasion I cannot omit ; viz., one morning
early, Iving in my bed, and filled with thoughts about my danger from the ajipearance
of savages, I found it discomposed me very much ; upon which those words of the
S-ripture came into my thoughts: "Call upon mo in the day of trouble: I will
deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." Upon this, rising cheerfully out of bed, my
heart was not only comforted, but I was guided and encoui-agod to pniy earnestly to God
f..r deliveiimco : when I had done praying, I took up my Bible, and opening it to read,
the fii-st words that presented to me were, " ^\'ait on the Lord : be of good courage,
and Ho sliall strengthen thy heart : wait, I say, on the Lord." It is impossible to
express the comfort this gave me, and in return I thankfully laid down the bo.»k, and was
no more sad, at least, not on that occasion.

In the middle of these cogitations, apprehensions, anil rellection.s, it came into my
thou-'hts one day, that all this might bo a mere chimera of my own, and that this foot
mi"ht bo the print of my own foot, when I came on .shore from my boat : this cheered
mo wv a little, too, and T began to poi-suade 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
I well as I was going that way to the bo.it ? Again I considered also, that I could by no
moans tell for certain where I had trod, and where I had not; and that if, at hwt, this
was only the print t)f my own foot, I had jjliyed the part of those fools who try to make
ht )ric8 of spectres and apparitions, and then are themselves frighted at them more tliau
anybody else.
I Now T began to take courage, and to peep abroad again. *•"■ ' '" ' 1 " '' >:iir,\l out of

io6 <

ANOTHER VISIT TO THE SHORE.

li

my castle for tlii'cc days and uiglits, so tliat I began to starve for provision ; for I liad
little or nothing witliin 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.

Heartening myself, therefoi-e, with the belief that this vv-as nothing but the print
of one of my own feet, and so I might be truly said to start at my own shadow, I began to
go abroad again, and went to my country-house to milk my flock ; but to see with what
fear I went forward, how often I looked behind me, how I was ready, every now and
then, to lay down my basket, and run for my life, it would have made any one have
thought I was haunted with an evil conscience, or that I had been lately most terribly
frighted ; and so, indeed, I had. However, a3 I went down thus two or three days, and
liaving seen nothing, I' began to be a little bolder, and to think there was really nothing
in it but my own imagination ; but I could not persuade myself fully of this till I should
go down to the shore again, and see this print of a foot, and measure it by my own, and see
if there was any similitude or fitness, that I might be assured it was my own foot. Bat
when T came to the place — first, it appeared evidently to me, that when I laid up my
boat, I could not possibly be on shore anywhere thereabouts : secondly, when I came to
measure the mark with my own foot, I found my foot not so large by a great deal.
Both these things filled my head with new imaginations, and gave me the vapours again
to the highest degree, so that I shook with cold like one in an ague; and I wetit home
again, filled with the belief that some man or men had been on shore there ; or, in short,
that the island was inhabited, and I might bo surprised before I was aware ; and what
course to take for my security I knew not.

Oh, what ridiculous resolutions men take when possessed Avith fear ! It deprives
them of the use of those means which reason ofiers for their relief The first thing I
proposed to myself was, to throAv dov/n my enclosures, and turn all my tame cattle wild
into the woods, that the enemy might not find them, and then frequent the island in
prospect of the same or the like booty : then the simple thing of digging up my two corn-
fields, that they might not find such a grain there, and still be prompted to frequent the
island ; then to demolish my bower and tent, that they might not see any vestiges of
habitation, and be prompted to look farther, in order to find out the persons inhabiting.

These were the subjects of the first night's cogitations, after I was come home again
while the apprehensions which had so overrun my mind were fresh ujion me, and my
head was full of vapours as above. Thus, fear of danger is ten thousand times more
terrifying than danger itself, Avhen apparent to the eyes ; and Ave find the burden of
anxiety gi-eatei-, by much, than the evil which we are anxious about : but, which Avas
Avorse than all this, I had not that relief in this trouble, from the resignation I used to
practise, that I hoped to have. I looked, I thought, like Saul, Avho complained not
only that the Philistines Avere upon him, but that God had forsaken him ; for I did
not now take due AA-ays to compose my mind, by crying to God in my distress, and rest-
ing upon His providence, as I had done before, for my defence and deliverance ; Avhich
if I had done, I had at least been more cheerfully supported iinder this ncAV surprise,
and perhaps carried through it Avith more resolution.

This confusion of my thoughts kept me Avaking all night ; but in the morning I fell
a^sluep ; and having by the ami;sement of my mind been, as it Avere, tired, and my
spirits exhausted, I slept very soundlj', and aAVaked much better composed than I had
ever been before. And noAV I began to think sedately ; and, upon the utmost debate

107

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v\

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ROBINSON CRUSOE.

1

• 1^

with mvsclf, I concluded that this island (which was so exceeding pleasant, fruitful, and no
faitlicr from the main land than as I had seen) was not so entirely abandoned as I might
iuiagiue; that although there were no stated inhabitiints who lived on the spot, yet tluit
tlicrc might sometimes come boats off from the shore, who, either with design, or perhaj s
never but when they were driven by cross winds, might come to this jJacc ; that I h;ul
lived here fifteen years now, and had not met with the least shadow or figure of any
jn'oplc yet ; and that, if at any time they should be driven here, it was i)robable they
went away again as soon as ever they could, seeing they had never thought fit to fix hcic
uiM)n any occasion to this time ; that the most I could suggest any danger from was,
from any casual accidental landing of straggliitg people from the main, who, as it was
likely, if they were driven hither, were here ag:iinst their wills ; so they made no stay
here, but went ofl' again with all i)ossible speed, seldom stiiying ono night on shore,
lest they should not have the help of the tides and daylight back again ; and tliat,
therefore, I had nothing to do but to consider of some s;\fe retreat, in case I should
H'jc any savages land upon the sj>ut.

Now I began sorely to re]ient that I had dug my cave so large as to bring a duor
through again, which door, as I said, came out beyond where my fortification joined t.<
the rock. Upon maturely considering this, therefore, I resolved to draw mc a second
I'ortification, in the same manner of a semicii-cle, at a distance from my wall, just where
I had planted a double row of trees about twelve years before, of which I made mention :
these trees having been planted so thick before, there wanted but few piles to be driven
between them, that they shoidd be thicker and stronger, and my wall would be soon
finished. So that I had now a double wall ; and my outer wall was thickened with
pieces of timber, old cables, and everything I could think of to make it strong, having
in it .seven little holes, about as big as I might put my arm out at. In the inside of this,
I thickened my wall to about ten feet thick, continually bringing earth out of my
cave, and laying it at the foot of the wall, and walking upon it ; and through the seven
lioles I contrived to jdant the muskets, of which I took notice that I got seven ou
shore out of the .ship ; these, I say, I planted like my cannon, and fitted them into
frames, that held them like a carriage, that so I could fu-c all the seven guns in two
minutes time. Tliis wall I was many a wcjiry month in finishing, and yet never thought
myself sjifo till it was done.

When this was done. I stuck all the ground without my vail, for a great way every
way, as fidl with stakes or sticks of the osier- like wood, which I found so apt to grow,
as they could well stand ; insonnich that I believe I miglit .set in near twenty thousand I
of them, leaving a j.retty 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 yeuj-s' time, I had a thick grove; and in five or six ycai-s' time I had a
wool before my dwelling grown so monstmus thick and strong that it was indeed
perfectly in>pas.sablc : and no man, of what kind .soever, would ever imagine that there
wtus anytliing beyon<l it, much less a habitation. As for the way which I proposed t..
myB.-lf to go in and out (for I left lu) avenue), it wius by .setting two ladders, one to a
part of the rock which was low, and then broke in, and lefl room to phvcc another ladder
upon that ; so when the two ladders were taken down, no man living could come down
to me without mischiofing himself; and if thev had come down, they were still on
the outside of my outer wjdl.

ilms took all the measures human prudence could suggest for my own preservation ;
108

t^}i.

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

though

find it will be seen, nt length, that they -nrere not altogether tHthoitt jtlstl-easort
I foresaw nothing at that tlmo more than my mere fear euggosted to me.

AVhile this was doing, I was not altogether careless of my other affairs ; for I had a

^'leat concern upon mo for my littlo hcrd^of goats : they were not only a present supply

'o me upon every occasion, and began to be suincient for me, without the expense of

•wder and shot, but also abated the fatigue of my hunting after the wild ones ; and I

IS loth to lose the advantage of them, and to have them all to niii-sc up over again.

For this puqiose, after long consideration, I could think of but two ways to presetve

itMu : one was, to find another convenient i)lace to dig a coj^ under ground, and to

ivo them into it every night ; and the other was to enclose two or three little bits of

lul, remote from one another, and as much concealed as 1 could, where I might keep

about half a dozen young goats in each place ; so that if any disaster happened to the

Hock in genei-al, I might bo able to raUe them again with little trouble and time : and

tliis, though it would require a good deal of time and labour, I thought was the most

rational design.

Accordingly, I spent some time to find out the most retired parts of the island ; and
I i)itched upon one which was as private indeed as my heart could wish : it was a
little damp j)iece of ground, in the middle of the hollow and thick woods, where, as is
observed, I almost lost myself once before, endeavouring to come back thatway-from the
castem part of the island. Here I foiuul a clear piece of land, near three acres, so sur-
rounded with woods, that it was almost an enclosure by Nature ; at least, it did not want
near so much labour to make it so, as the other pieces of ground I had worked so hard at.
I immediately went to work with this piece of ground ; and, in less than a month's
time, I had so fenced it round that my flock, or herd, call it which you please, which
were not so wild now as at first they might be supposed to be, were well enough secured
in it. So, without any further delay, I removed ten she-goats, and two he-goals,
to this piece ; and, when they were there, I continued to perfect the fence, till I had
made it as secure as the other; which, however, I did at more leisure, and it took me
u[) more time by a great deal.

All this labour I was at tho expense of, purely from my, apprehensions on the
Recount of tho piint of a man'.s foot which 1 had seen ; for, as yet, I had never seen
any htiman creature come near tho island ; ami I had now lived two years under this
imcasiness, which, indeed, made my life nnich less comfortable than it was before, as
may well be im.agined by any who know what it is to live in the constant snare of thc.foar
"f man. And this I must obser\'e, Avith grief, too, that the discomjiosure of my mind I
had too great impres-sions also upon the religious part of my thoughts ; for the dread and
terror of falling into tho hands of savages and cannibals l.iy so uixm my spirits, that I
seldom found myself in a due temper for application to my Maker ; at least, not with the
sedate odmnesM and resignation of soul which t was wotit to do: I rather prayed to CJod
us under great aniiclion ami pn.\ssuro of mind, surrounded with danger, and in
expectation every night of being nun-deredand devoured before moniing ; and I must
testify, from my experience, that n temjior of peace, thankfulness, love, and afleclion, is
nuieh tho more prr)per frame for VJ^i^ver than that of terror and discomposure ; and that
under tho dread of mischief impending, a nmn is no more fit for a comforting pcrfonnance
of the «luly of ju-aying to CJod, than he is for repentance on a sick bed ; for these
discomposures alfect the mind, as tho others do tho body : and the discomposure of the
Uiind nnust mcossarily bo as grff.it n ilis;ibility as that of tho body, and much greater ;
prayim^ to (Jod being properly nn act of tho mind, not of the body.

1 ID

JiJ?'

.-X

But to go on : after I had thus secured one jmrt of my little llvmg stock, I went
about the whole island, searching for another private place to make such another deposit ;
v>-lien, Avanderiog 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 upoQ the sea, at a great distance. I had found
a perspective glass or two in one # the seamen's chests, which I saved out of our ship,
but I had it not about me ; and this was so remote that I. could not tell what to make
of it, though I looked at it till my eyes were not able to hold to look any longer :
whether it was a boat or not, I do not know; but as I descended from the liill I covild see
no more of it, so I g^e it over ; only I resolved to go no more out without a
perspective glass in my pocket.

When I was come down the hill to the end of the island, where, indeed, I had never
been before, I was presently convinced that the seeing the print of a man's foot was not
sucli a strange thing in the island as I imagined ; and but that it was a special providence
that I was cast upon the side of the island where the savages never came, I should easily
have known that nothing was more frequent than for the canoes from the main, when
they happened to be a little too far out at sea, to shoot over to that side of the island
for harbour : likewise, as they often met and fought in their canoes, the victors, having
taken any prisoners, would bring them over to this shore, where, according to their
ch-eadful customs, being all cannibals, they would kill and eat them ; of which hereafter.

When I was come down the hill to the shore, as I said above, being the S.W. point
of the island, I was perfectly confounded and amazed ; nor is it possible for me to express
the horror of my mind, at seeing the shore spread v/ith 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 fello^y-creatures.

I was so astonished with the sight of these things, that I entertained no notions of
any danger to myself from it for a long while : all my apprehensions were buried in the
thoughts of such a pitch of inhuman, hellish brutality, and the horror of the degeneracy
of human nature, which, though I had heard of often, yet I never had so near a view
of before ; in short, I turned away my face from the horrid spectacle ; my stomach grew
sick, and I was just at the point of fainting, when nature dischar-ged the disorder from
my stomach ; and having vomited with uncommon violence, I was a little i*elieved, 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.

When I came a little out of that part of the island, I stood still awhile, as amazed,
and then, recovering myself, I looked iipwith the utmost affection of my soul, and, with
a flood of tears in my eyes, gave God thanks, that had cast my first lot in a part of the
world where I was distinguished from such dreadful creatures as these ; and that though
I had esteemed my present condition very miserable, had yet given me so many comforts
in it that I had still more to gi^-e thanks for than to complain of : and thi.s, above all,
that I had, even in this miserable condition, been comforted with the knowledge of
Himself, and the hope of His blessing : which was a felicity more than sufficiently
equivalent to all the misery which I had suffered, or could suffer.

In this frame of thankfulness, I Avent home to my castle, and began to be much
easier now, as to the safety of my circumstances, than ever I was before : for I observed
that these wretches never came to this island in search of what they could get ; perhaps
not seeking, not wanting, or not expecting, anything here ; and having often, no doubt,
been iip in the covered, woody part of it, without finding anything to their purpose. I
. .- _ III

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

I

know I had been here now nlmost eighteen years, and never saw the least footsteps of
Iniiimn creature there before ; and I might be eigliteen yeai-s more as entirely concealed
;iM^ was now, if I did not discover myself to them, which I had no manner of occasion
t:> do • it being mv only business to keep myself entirely concealed where I was, unless
I found a bettor sort of creatures than cannibals to make myself known to. Yet I
cntertiiiiud such an abhoirence of the savage wretches that I have been .speaking of, and
of the wrotclietl inhuman custom of their devouring and eating one another up, that I
continued pensive and .siul, and kept close within my own circle for almost two yeai*s
after this : wlien I sjiy my own circle, I mean by it my three jJantation.s, viz., my Civstle,
mv country-.seat (wliich I called my bower), and my enclosure in the woods : nor did I
look aftfr this for any other use than as an enclosure for my goats ; for the aversion
which nature gave me to these helli.sh wretches was such, that I was as fearfid of seeing
them a-s of .seeing the devil liimself, nor did I so much as go to look after my boat in all
this time, but began rather to think of making me another; for I could not think of ever
making any more attempts to bring the other boat round the island to me, lest I .should
meet with .some of tho.se creatures at .sea ; in which ca.se, if I had Imppenod 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
liy the.se people, began to wear off my uneasiness about them ; and I began to live just
iu the same compo.sed manner as before, only with this difference, that I used more
caution, and kept my eyes more about me than I did before, lest I should happen to be
Keen by any of them ; and jiarticularly, I was more cautious in firing my gun, lest any
of them, being on the i.sland, .should happen to hear it ; and it was, therefore, a veiy good
providence to me that I had furni.shed myself with a tame breed of goats, and that 1 had
no need to hunt any more about the woods, or shoot at them ; and if I did catch any of
tliem after thi.s, it was l)y tra[>s and snares, as I had done before : so that for two years
after thi.s, I believe I never fired my gun once off, though I never went out without it ;
anci, which was more, as I had sjived three pistols out of the ship, I always carried them
nut with me, or at lea.st two of them, sticking them in my goat-skin btdt. I likewise
furbished up one of the great cutlas.scs that 1 had out of the ship, and made me a belt to
put 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 gi-oat broad-sword hanging at my side in a belt, but without a scabbard.

Things going on thus, as I have said, for .some time, I seemed, excepting these

0 lutions, to bo reduced to my former calm sedate way of living. All these things tended
to show me, more and more, how far u\y condition was from being misci-ablc, compared
to some others; nay, to many other particulars of life, which it might have pleased Cio.l
to have made my lot. It put me upon retlecting how little repining there would 1m
among mankind at any condition of life, if people would iiither compare their condition
with those that are worse, in order to be thankful, than be tUways comparing them
with those which are better, to a.ssist their munnurings and complainings.

As in my present condition there were not really many things which I wanted, so,
indeed, i thought that the flights I had been in about these savage wretches, and the
concern 1 had been in for my own preservation, had taken off the edge of my invention
for my own conveniences ; and I had dropped a good design, which I had once bent
my thoughts upon, and that was \fi try if I could not make .some of my barley into
uj.dt, and then try to brew my.self some beer. This was really a whimsical thought, and

1 reproved myself often for the simplicity of it : for I presently saw there would be the

I \2

^V want of several things necessaiy to the making my beer, that it ^■■'*- ''
AYOuld be impossible for me to supply ; as, first, casks to preserve it in, which
^j, Yj^ was a thing that, as I have observed already, I could never compass ; no, thougl
I spent not many days, but weeks, nay months, in attempting it, but to no
purpose. In the next place, I had no hops to make it keep, no yeast to make it
work, no copper or kettle to make it boil ; and yet had not all these thing-,
intervened — I mean the frights and terrors I was in about the savages — I
had undertaken it, and perhaps brought it to pass, too ; for I seldom gave any-
thing over without accomplishing it, when I once had it in my head enough to
begin it. But my invention now ran quite another way ; for, night and day, I
could think of nothing but how I might destroy some of these monsters in their

r

^S^^n

ROCIXSON CRUSOE.

I .ucl, bloody ciitei-tainmeut ; and, if possible, save the victim tlicy should bring hitlicr
t J destroy. It would take up a larger volume than this whole work is intended to be,
to set down all the contrivances I hatched, or rather brooded upon, in my thoughts, for
t!ie destroying these creatures, or at least frightening them so as to prevent their
coming hither any more: but all was abortive; nothing could bo possible to taka
clFect, unless I was to bo there to do it myself: and what could one man do among
tlicm, when perhaps there might be twenty or thirty of them together with their da;-ts,
1 r their bows and arrows, with which they could shoot as true to a mark as I could
with my gun ?

Sometimes I thought of digging a hole under the i)lacc where they made their fire,

and putting in five or six pounds of gunpowder, which, when they kindled their fire,

wuuld conseriuonlly take fire, and blow up all that was near it : but as, in the fii*st place,

I should bo unwilling to waste so much jjowder upon them, my store being now within

tlio quantity of one ban-el, so neither could I bo sure of its going off at any certuiu

time, when it might surprise them ; and, at best, that it would do little more than just

blow the fire about their cara and fright them, but not suflBcient to make them forsake

the place : so I laid it aside ; and then proposed that I would place myself in ambush

in Kome convenient place, with my three guns all double loaded, and in the middle of

their bloody ceremony let fly at them, when I should be sure to kill or wound perhaps

two or three at every shot ; and then falling in upon them with my three pistols and

inv sword, I made no doubt t)ut that, if there were twenty, I should kill them all. Tliis

fancy pleased my thoughts for some weeks, and I was so full of it, that I often dreamed

of it, and sometimes, that I was just going to let fly at them in my sleep. I went so

far with it in my imagination, that I employed myself several days to find out proper

jtlaces to piit my.stlf in ambuscade, as I said, to watch for them, and I went freouently

to the place itself, which was now grown more familiar to me ; but while my mind was

thus filled with thoughts of revenge and of a bloody putting twenty or thirty of them to

the sword, as I may call it, the hon-or I had at the place, and at the signals of the

\>arbarous wretches devouring one another, abetted my malice. "Well, at length I

found a jHace in the side of the hill, where I was satisfied I might securely wait till I

saw any of their boats coming ; and might then, even before they would be i-eady to

come on shore, convey myself unseen into some thickets of trees, in one of wliich

there was a hollow largo enough to conceal me entirely ; and there I might sit and

obscn'O all their blooily doings, and take my full aim at their heads, when they were

so close together as that it would bo next to impossible that I should miss my .shot, or

that I could fail wounding three or four of them at the first shot. In this i)lace, then,

I resolved to fix my design ; and accordingly, I prepared two mu>>kets and my

ordinary fowling-piece. The two mu-skets I loaded with a bmco of slugs each, and

four or five smaller bullets, about the size of jnstol bullets; and the fowling-piece I

loaded with near a handful of swan-shot of tho lai-gest size; I also loaded my piitoh

with alH)ut fotufcbullets each ; and in this posture, well provided with ammuuitiou for a

second and third charge, I prepared myself for my expedition.

I After I had thus laid tho Bchemo of my design, and in my imagination put it iu

practice, 1 continually made my tour every morning to tho top of the hill, which v. as

from my castlo, as I called it, about three miles, or more, to see if I could obs. r\ e any

boats upon tho sea, coming near tho island, or standing over towards it ; but I began

to tire of this hard duty, after I had for two or three months constantly kept my

I watch, but came always back without any discovery ; there having not, iu all that

>I4 ._

HE ABANDONS HIS DESIGN AGAINST THE SAVAGES

time, been the least appearance, not only on or near the shore, but on the whole ocean,
as far as my eyes or glass could reach every way.

As long as I kept my daily tour to the hill to look out, so long also I kept up the
\igour of my design, and my spirits seemed to be all the while in a suitable fram-e for so
outrageous an execution as the killing twenty or thirty naked savages, for an oifencc
which I had not at all entered into a discussion of in my thoughts, any farther than
my passions were at first fired by the horror I conceived at the unnatural custom of the
P'cople of that country ; who, it seems, had been suffered by Providence, in His wise dis-
position of the world, to have no other guide than that of their own abominable anl
vitiated passions ; and, consequently, were left, and pei-haps had been so for some ages,
to act such horrid things, and receive such dreadful customs, as nothing but nature,
entirely abandoned by Heaven, and actuated by some hellish degeneracy, could have
run them into. But now, when, as I have said, I began to be weary of the friiitless
excursion which I had made so long and so far every morning in vain, so my opinion of
the action itself began to alter ; and I began, with cooler and calmer thoughts, to consider
what I was going to engage in ; what authority or call I had to pretend to be judge
:md executioner upon these men as criminals, whom Heaven had thought fit, for so
many ages, to suffer, unpunished, to go on, -and to be, as it were, the executioners of
His judgments, one upon another ; how far these people were offenders against me, and
Avliat right I had to engage in the quarrel of that blood which they shed promiscuously
upon one another. I debated this very often with myself thus : — " How do I know Avhat
God himself judges in this particular case? It is certain these people do not commit
this as a crime ; it is not against their own consciences reproving, or their light
reproaching them ; they do not know it to be an offence, and then commit it in
defiance of Divine justice, as we do in almost all the sins we commit. They think it no
more a crime to kill a captive taken in war, than we do to kill an ox ; or to eat human
flesh, than we do to eat mutton."

When I considered this a little, it followed necessarily that I was certainly in the
Avrong in it ; that these people were not murderers, in the sense that I had before ^con-
demned them in my thoughts, anymore than those Christians wei'e murderers who often
put to death the prisoners taken in battle ; or more frequently, upon many occasions,
put whole troops of men to the sword, without giving quarter, though they threvvr
down their arms, and submitted. In the next place, it occurred to me, that albeit the
usage they gave one another was thus brutish and inhuman, yet it w^as really nothing to
me. These people had done me no injury; that if they attempted me, or I saw it
necessary, for my immediate preservation, to fall upon them, something might be said for
it : but that I was yet out of their power, and they really had no knowledge of me, and,
consequently no design upon me ; and, therefore, it could not be just for me to fall upon
them. That this would justify the conduct of the Spaniards in all their barbarities
practised in America, where they destroj^ed millions of these people ; who, however
they were idolaters and barbarians, and had several bloody and barbaAus rites in their
customs, such as sacrificing human bodies to their idols, were yet, as to the Spaniards,
very innocent people ; and that the rooting them out of the country is spoken of with
the utmost abhorrence and detestation by even the Spaniards tliemselves, at this time,
and by all other Chiflstian nations in Europe, as a mere butcheiy, a bloody and unnatural
piece of cruelty, unjustifiable either to God or man ; and such as for Avhich the very name
of a Spaniard is reckoned to be frightful and tenible to all people of humanity or of
Christian compassion ; as if the kingdom of Spain were particularly eminent for tho
,, 1 1?

\\

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

I)roduct of a race of men who were without principles of tenderness, or the common «
bowels of pity to tho miserable, which is reckoned to be a mark of a generous temper in J
the mind. W

These considerations really put me to a pause, and to a kind of a full stop ; and I began, S
by little and little, to bo off my design, and to conclude I had taken wrong measures ia W
my resolution to attack the savages ; and that it was not my business to meddle with 1
them, unless they first attacked me ; and this it was my business* if ])os.siblc, to prevent : 1
but that if I were discovered and attacked by them, then I knew my duty. On the other \
hand, I argued with myself that this really was tho way not to deliver myself, but ^
entirely to ruin and destroy myself; for, unless I was sure to kill every one that not i
only should bo on shore at that time, but that should ever <oiuo on shore afterwards, if A
but one of them escaped to tell their country-people what had hajipened, they would I
come over again by thousands to revenge the death of their fellows, and I should only I
bring uj)Ou myself a certain destruction, which, at jtresent, I had no manner of occasion [
for. Upon the whole, I concluded that I ought, neither in principle nor in policy, one pj
way or other, to concei-n myself in this affair ; that my business was, by all possible U
means, to conceal myself from them, and not to leave the least sign for them to guess cl
by that there were any living creatures upon the island — I mean of human shape. R
lleligion joined in with this prudential resolution ; and I was convinced now, many I
way.^, that I was perfectly out of my duty when I was laying all my bloody schemes for yf
the destniction of innocent creatures — I mean innocent as to me. As to the crimes ^l
they were guilty of towards one another, I had nothing to do witli them ; these were J
national jiuiiishments, to make a just retribution for national offences, and to bring ^
l>ublic judgment upon thoso who offend in a public manner, by such ways as best b|
l»leaso God. This appeared so clear to mo now, that nothing was a greater satis- I
faction to mo than that I had not been suffered to do a thing which I now saw .so J
much reason to believe would have been no less a sin than that of wilful murder, if I ^
had committed it ; and I gave most humble thank.s, on my knees, to God, that lie had -^
thus delivered me from blood-guiltiness ; beseeching Him to grant mo tho protection of ja
His pn.vidence, that I might not fiill into the hands of tho barbiuians, or that I might M
not lay my hands upon them, unless I had a moro clear call from Heaven to do it, in n
<lcfcnce o( my own life. W

In this disposition I continued for near a yc.ir after this ; and so fir was I from la
desiring an occasion for falling upon these wretches, that in nil that time I never once Ijm
went up tho hill to sec whether there were any of them in Bight, or to know whether wt
any of them had been on shore there or not^ that I might not bo tempted to renew any "3
of my contrivances against them, or bo provoked by any ndvuntago that might ^
present itself, to fall upon tlum : otdy this I did ; I went and removed my boat^ W
which I had on tho other side of tho island, and carried it down to tho cast end of K
tho whole island, where I ran it into a littlo cove, which I found under some high m
locks, and where I knew, by reason of tho currents, the savages dui-st not, at least B
would not, romo with their boats upon any account whatever. With my boat I carried fl
nway everything that I had l.ft there belonging to her, though not necessary for the M
b no going thither, viz., a mast and .sail which I had made for her, and a thing like an F*
anchnr, but which indeed couM not be called either anchor or grapnel; however, it was f)M
tho host I cou-ld muho of its kind : all these I removed, that there might not be tho M
I'Mst hliadow for discovery, or any appearance of any boat, ar of any habitation upon 'jl
t.ie island. Besidej this, 1 kept myself, as I said, more retired than ever, and seldom \^

RODINSON CRUSOK.

0,

went from my cell, except upon my constant employment, viz., to milk my slie-goat>!,
an.il manage my little flock in the wood, which, ns it was quite on the other part of the
island, was out of danger ; for cei'tain it is that these savage peo])le who somctiints
haunted this island, never came with any thoughts of finding anything here, and
consequently never wandered off from the coast, and I doubt not but thoy might have
been several times on shore after my apprehensions of them had made mc cautioufs,
as well as before. Indeed, I looked back with some horror upon the thoughts of what
my condition would have boon, if I had chopped upon them and been discovered
before that ; when, naked, and unarmed, except with one gun, and that loaded often
only with small shot, I walked everywhere, peeping and peering about the island to see
what I could get ; what a siirpriso shoidd I have been iu, if, when I discovered the
print of a man's foot, I had instead of that seen fifteen or twenty savages, and found
them pui-suing me, and by the swiftness of thdr nmning, no possibility of my
escaping them 1 The thoughts of this sometimes sunk my very soul within me, and
distressed my miml so much that I could not soon recover it, to think what I should
have done, and how J should not only have been unable to resist them, but even
should not have had presence of mind enough to do what I might have done ; much
less what now, after so much consideration and preparation, I might be able to do.
Indeed, after serious thinking of these things, I would bo very melancholy, and,
sometimes, it would last a great while ; but I resolved it all, at last, into thank-
fnlness to that Providence which had delivered me from so many unseen dangers, aufl
had kept me from those mischiefs which I could have no way been the agent in
delivering nn>elf from, because I had not the least notion of any such thing depend-
ing, or the least supposition of its being possible.

This renewed a contemplation which often had come into my thoughts in former
times, when fii-st I began to sec the merciful di^^positions of IJeaven, in the dangcra
we run through in this life ; how wonderfully we are delivered when wo know
nothing of it; how, when we are in a quandary (as we call it), a doubt or hesitation
whether to go this way or that way, a secret hint shall direct us this way; when wo,
intended to go that way : nay, when sense, our own inclination, and perhaps business,
has called us to go the other way, yet a strange impression upon the mind, from
we know not what springs, and by wo know not what power, shall overndo us to
go this way; and it shall afterwards appear that had we gone that way which we
should have gone, and even to our imagination ought to have gone, we should have
lei-n naincd and lust. Upon these, and many like reflections, I afterwards ma'lo
it a certain ndo with roe, that whenever J found those secret hints or pressings of
mind, to doing or not doing anything tliat presented, or going this May or tliat way,
1 never failed to obey the secret dictate; though I knew no other reason for it
than that such a pressure, or such a hipt, hung, upon my mind. I could give mai.y
examples of the suoccsa of this conduct in the course of my life, but more eenecialiy
in the latter part of my inhabiting this unhappy islamj ; bcsidea many occasions
^vllich it iii very likely J might have taken notice of, if I had seen wiiji the same
c; iM then that I see with now. But it is never too lato to be wise; and I cannot
but. advise all considering men, whoso lives are attended witli such extraordinary
iui idcnts as mine, or even though not so exti-aordino^y, not to slight such secret
intimations of I'rovidence, let them come from what invisible intelligence they will.
Ihat 1 fchall not discuss, and perha])S cannot account for; but certainly tiny aro
a proof of the converse of spirits, and a secret communication between thoso

n8

THE CAVE IN THE WOODS.

embodied and those unembodied, and such a proof as can never be withstood ; of
which I shall have occasion to give some very remarkable instances in the remainder
of my solitary residence in this dismal place.

I believe the reader of this will not think it strange if I confess that these
anxieties, these constant dangers I lived in, and the concern that was now upon me,
pnt 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 hands
than that of my food. I cared not to drive a nail, or chop a stick of wood now, for
fear the noise I should make should be heard ; much less would I fire a gun for the
same reason : and, above all, I was intolerably uneasy at making any fire, lest the
smoke, which is visible at a great distance in the day, should betray me. For this
reason, I removed that part of my business which required fire, such as burning of
pots and pipes, &c., into my new apartment in the woods ; where, after I had been
some time, I found to my unspeakable consolation, a mere natural cave in the earth,
which went in a vast way, and where, I dare say, no savage, had he been at the mouth
of it, would be so hardy as to venture in ; nor, indeed, would any man. else, but one
who, like me, wanted nothing so much as a safe I'etreat.

The mouth of this hollow was at the bottom of a great rock, where, by mere
accident (I would say, if I did not see abundant reason to ascribe all such things now
to Providence), I was cutting down some thick branches of trees to make charcoal ;
and before I go on I must observe the reason of my making this charcoal, which
was thus : — I was afraid of making a smoke about my habitation, as I said before ;
and yet I could not live there without baking my bread, cooking my meat, &c ; so
I conti'ived to burn some wood here, as I had seen done in England, under turf, till
it became chark or diy coal : and then putting the fire out, I preserved the coal to
carry home, and perform the other services for which fire was wanting, without danger
of smoke. But this is by the bye. While I was catting down some wood here, I
perceived that, behind a very thick branch of low brushwood or underwood, there was
a kind of hollow place : I was curious to look in it ; and getting with difficulty into
the mouth of it, I found it was pretty large, ihc'c is to say, sufficient for me to stand
upright in it, and perhaps another with me : but I must confess to you that I made
more haste out than I did in, when looking farther into the place, and which was
perfectly dark, I saw two broad shining eyes of some creature — whether devil or man
I knew not — which twinkled like two stars ; the dim light from the cave's mouth
shining directly in, and making the reflection. However, after some pause, I
recovered myself, and began to call myself a thousand fools, and to think that ho
, that was afraid to see the devil, was not fit to live twenty years in an island all
alone; and that I might well think there was nothing in this cave that was more
frightful than myself. Upon this, plucking up my courage, I took up a firebrand,
and in I rushed again, with the stick flaming in my hand : I had not gone three steps
in, before I was almost as much frightened as before; for I heard a very loud sigh,
like that of a man in some pain, and it was followed by a broken noise, as of words
half expressed, and then a deep sigh again. I stepped back, and was indeed struck

i. with such a surprise that it put me into a cold sweat, and if I had had a hat on my head,
I will not answer for it that my hair might not have lifted it off. But still plucking
up my spirits as well as I could, and encouraging myself a little with considering that
the power and presence of God was everywhere, and was able to protect me, I stepped
forward again, and by the light of the firebrand, holding it up a little over my head, I

119

^-%

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

enw 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 oven lie there ; for if ho had frightened me, so
ho would certainly fright any of the savages, if any one of them should Vb so hardy
OS to come in there while he had any life in him.

I was now recovered from my surprise, and began to look I'ound me, when I found
the cave was but very small, that in to say, it might be about twelve feet over, but in
no manner of shape, neither round nor square, no hands having ever been employed in
making it but those of mere Nature. I observed also that there was a place at the far-
ther side of it that went in farther, 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 caudles and a tinder-box, which I had made of the lock of one of the musket-', with
some wildiirc in the pan.

Acconlingly, the next day I came provided with six large candles of my own making
(for I made very good candles now of goats' tallow, but was hard set for candle-wick,
using sometimes rags or rope-yarn, and sometimes the dried rind of a weed like nettles) ;
and going into this low i)lace I was obliged to creep upon all-foui's, as I have said, nlnvDst
ten yards — which, by the way, I thought was a venture bold enough, considering that I
knew not how far it might go, nor what was beyond it. "When I had got through the
strait, I found the roof rose higher up, I believe near twenty feet ; but never was such
a glorious sight seen in the island, I dare say, as it was to look round the sides and roof
ul' this v»ult or cave ; the wall reflected a hundred thousand lights to mo from my two
candles. What it Wivs in the rock — whether diamonds, or any other precious stones, or
gold — wliich I rather supjjosed it to be — I knew not. The place I was in was a most
di'lightful 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 thei*e was no nauseous or venomous crea-
ture to bo seen, neither was there any damp or wet on the sides or roof; the only ditll-
culty 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 convonionco — so that I was really rejoiced at tho
discovery, and resolved, without any dulay, to bring some of those things which I was
most anxious about to this place; particularly, I resolved to bring hither my magjxzine
of powder, and all my 8j)are arms ; viz., two fowling-pieces — for I had three in all —
and three muskets — for of them I had eight in all; so I kept in my ca.stle only fivf,
which stood ready mounted like pieces of cannon on my oiitniost defence, and were
ready also to take out upon any expedition. Upon this occasion of removing my
amnnmition, I happened to open the barrel of powder which I took up out of the sea,
and which had been wet, and I found that the water had penetrated about three or four
inches into tho powder on every side, which caking and growing hard, had preserved
tho inside liko a kernel in the shell, so that I had near sixty pounds of very good powder
in the centre of the ca.sk; and this was a very agreeable discovery to me at that time; so
I carried all away thither, never keei)ing above two or three pounds of powder with me
in my castle, for fear of a surprise of any kind; I also earned thither all the lead I had
left for bullets.

T fancied myself now like one of the ancient giants who were s;iid to live in caves
and holes in tho rocks, where nono could come at them ; for I perauaded myself, while
I was here, that if five hundred savages were to hunt me, they could never find me out

120 IIMJIIHIJI._

y^k

i$MBmmm f§ml

^'^M

—or if tliey did, they would not venture to attack me here. The old goat whom I found
expiring died in the mouth of the cave the next day after I made this discovery ; and
I found it much easier to dig a great hole there, and throw him in and cover him with
earth, than to drag him out ; so I interred him there, to prevent offence to my nose.

I was now in the twenty- third year of residence in this island, and was so
naturalised to the place and the manner of living, that, could I but have enjoyed the
certainty that no savages Avould come to the place to disturb me, I could have been
content to have capitulated for spending the rest of my time there, even to the last

m^^^^^^c^m^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

moment, till I liad laid me down and died, like the old goat in tlie cave. I had also
anivcd to some little diversions and amusements, whieh made the time pass more
i)lea.santly with me a great deal than it did before : first, I had taught my Poll, as I noted
before, to speak ; and he did it so faniiliarly, and talked so articulately and plain, that it
was very pleasant to me, and he lived with mc no less than six aud-twcnty years. Hot*-
long ho might have lived afterwards I kno# not, though I know they have a notion iti
the Brazils that they live a hundred yeai-s. Terhnps sotnc of my Pols may be alive there
still, calling after poor Robinson Crusoe to this day : I wish no Englishman the ill-luck
to come there and hear them ; but if he did he wmiM certainly believe it was the devil.
My dog was a jdeasant and loving companion to ttie for no less than sixteen years of my
time, and then died of mere old age. As for my cats, they multiplied, as I have obscn-ed,
to that degree, that I was obliged to shoot sfeVei-al of theln at first, to keep them from
devouring me and all I had ; but, at length, when the old ones I brought with rtic were
gone, and after some time continually driving them from me, and letting them have lio
provision with me, they all i-au wild into the wood.^ cxcejit two or threiB favourites, whicli
T kept tame, and whose young, when they had any, I always drowned ; and the^e were
jiart of my family. iBesides these I always kept two or thl-ee hoiisehold kids about nie,
whom I taught to feed out of tny hatid ; and 1 had two morfe parh)ls, which talked
pretty well, and woilld all call " Robin Crusoe," but none like" my first; nor, indeed,
did I take the pains with any of them that I had done with him. I had also setti-al
tame sea-fowls, whose name 1 know not, that t caught upon the shore, and cut their
wings; and the little stakes which t had planted before my castle- wall being now gt•D^*^n
up to a good thick gt-ove, these fowls all lived among these low trees, and bred there,
which was very agreeable to too ; so that, as t Bald fkbove, 1 began to be very well
contented with the life I led, if I could have beeil secured from the dread of ttie savages.
But it was otherwise dil-ected; and it may hot be amiss for all peoplfe who shall meet
<vith my story to makfe this just observatioh fi-om it: viz., how freqdbntly, in the com-se
of our lives, the evil which in itself wo seek most to .shun, and which, when we nt-e fallen
into, is the most dreadful to lis, is oftentimes the very means of door of our deliverance,
by which alone wo can be raised again from the affliction we are fallcfa into. I could
give many examples of tills in the course of my unaccountable life, but in nothing;
was it more particularly remarkable than in the circumstances of my h\st years of
solitary residence in this island.

It was now the month bf December, as 1 said above, in my twenty-third year; and
ihi.s, btlllg the Sbutliern solstice (for winter I cannot call it), was the particular time ct
my harve.st, and x-cipiired me to bo jiretty much abroad in the fields, when, goin^
out pretty early in the morning, even before it wi\s thorough daylight, I was surprised
with seeing a light of some fire \ipon tho shore, at a distance from me of about two
miles towards the end of tho island whore I had observed .some savages had been, as
before, and not on tho other .^ide, but, to my great allliction, it was on my side of
tho island.

I was indeed terribly surprised at the sight, and stopped short within my grove, not
daring to go out. lest I might be surprised ; and yet 1 had no moro peace within, from
t'jo ajiprchensions I had that if these savages, in iiimbling 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 tho place, and would then never rest till they had
found mo out In this extremity I went back directly to my castle, pidled up the
ladder after me, having made all things without look as wild and natural as I coulil.

1-2 I

SAVAGES ARE DESCRIED.

Then I prepared myself within, putting myself in a posture of defence ; I loaded
all my cannon, as I called them — that is to say, my muskets, which wci'o mounted upon
my new fortification, and all my pistols, and resolved to defend myself to the lastgasp-r
not forgetting seriously to commend myselt to the Divine protection, and earnestly to
pray to God to deliver me out of the hands of the barbarians. And in this posture
I continued iibout two hours, and began to be impatient for intelligence abroad, for I had
no spies to send out. After sitting a while longer, 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, whei'e there was a flat place, as I observed before, and then pulling
the ladder after me, I set it up again, and mounted to the top of the hill, and pulling
out my perspective-glass, which I had taken on purpose, I laid me down flat on my
belly on the ground, and began to look for the place. I pi-esently found there
were no less than nine naked savages sitting round a small fire they had made, not to
warm them, for they had no need of that, the weather being extremely hot, but, as I
supposed, to dress some of their barbarous diet of human flesh which they had brought
with them, whether alive or dead I could not know.

They had two canoes with them, which they had hauled up upon the shore ; and as it
was then ebb of tide, they seemed to me to wait the return of the flood to go away
again. It is not easy to imagine what confusion this sight put me into, especially
seeing them come on my side of the island, and so near me, too ; but when I considered
their coming must be always with the current of the ebb, I began afterwards to be more
sedate in my mind, being satisfied that I might go abroad with safety all the time of tho
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 ca'.v
them all take boat and row (or paddle, as we call it) away. I should have observed,
that for an hour or niore before they went oflf they vfere dancing, and I could easily
discern their postures and gestui-es by my glass. I could not perceive, by my nicest
observation, but that they were stark naked, and had not the least covering upon them j
but whether they were men or women I coidd not distinguish.

As soon as I saw them shipped and gone, I took two guns -apon my shoulders, and
two pistols in my girdle, and my great sword by my side, without a scabbard, and vritli
all the speed I was able to make went away to the hill where I had discovered the first
appearance of all ; and as soon as I got thither, which was not in less than two hours
(for I could not go apace, being so loaded with arms as I was), I perceived there had
been three canoes more of savages at that place; and, looking out farthei', I saw
they were all at sea together, making "over for the main. This was a dreadful sight
to me, especially when, going down to the shore, I could see the marks of hon-or
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 bo whom or how
many soever. It seemed evident to me that the visits which they made thus to
this island were not very frequent, for it was above fifteen months before any more of
them came on shore there again — that is to say, I neither saw them nor any footsteps
or signals of them in all that time ; for as to the rainy seasons, then they are sure not
to come abroad, at least not so far : yet all this while I lived uncomfortably, by reason
of the constant apprehensions of their coming upon me by surprise — from wlicnc? I

W

^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

observe that the expectation of evil is more bitter tlian the sulToring, especially if there
is no room to shake off that expectation or those apprehensions.

During all this time I was in the murdering humour, and spent most of my hours,
wliich should have been better employed, in contriving how to circumvent and fall ui)on
tliem the very next time I should see them— especially if they should be diWded, as they
were the last time, into two parti&s ; nor did I consider at all that if I killed one party
— Hupiwsc ten or a dozen — I was still the next day, or week, or mouth, to kill another,
and so another, even ml infinitum, till I should be, at length, no less a murderer than they
were in being man-eatei-s — and perhaps much more so. I spent my days now in great
perplexity and anxiety of mind, expecting that I should one day or other fall into the
hands of these merciless creatures ; and if I did at any time venture abroad, it was not
without looking around me with the greatf;st care and caution imaginable. And now I
found, to my great comfort, how liajipy it was that I had provided a tame flock or herd
of goati ; for I durst not upon any account fire my gun, especially near that side of the
i.sland 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
ciiuoes with thorn iu a few days, and then I knew what to expect. However, I wore
out a year and three mouths more before I ever saw any more of the savages, and then I
found them again, as I shall soon observe. It is true they might have been there once
or twice, but cither they made no stay, or at least I did not hear them ; but, in the
month of May, as near as I could calculate, and in my four-and-twentieth year, I had a
very stmnge encounter with them ; of which in its place.

The perturbation of my mind, during this fifteen or sixteen months interval was
very great; I .slept unrpiictly, dreamed always frightful dreams, and often started out
of my sleep in tho night. In the day, great troubles overwhelmed my mind ; and in
the night, I dreamed often of killing the savages, and of the reasons why I might justify
tho doing of it. But to waive all this for a while. It was in the middle of May, on the
sixteenth day, I think, as well as my poor wooden calender would reckon, for I marked
«11 upon tho post still ; I .s.iy, it was on tho .sixteenth of May that it blew a very great
Htorm of wind all day, with a groat deal of lightning and thunder, and a very foul night
it was after it. I knew not what wjvs the i)articular occasion of it ; but as I was
reading in tho IJible, and Uiken up with very .serious thoughts about my present condi-*
tion, I was surprised with tho noise of a gun, as I thought, fired at .sea This was, to
1 «• sure, a .mirpri.se of u rpiito dilferent nature from any I had met with before ; for tho
iictinns this put into my thoughts were quite of another kind. I started up iu tho
greatest haste imaginable ; and, in a trice, clapped my ladder to tho middle jdaco of the
rock, and pulled it after me ; and, mounting it tho second time, got to tho top of tho
hill the very moment that a flash of fire bid mo listen for a second gun, which, accord-
nigly, in about half a nunuto, I heard ; and by the sound, knew that it was from that
part of the sea where I was driven out with the current in my boat. I immediately
considerwl that this must bo some .shij) in distro.s.s, and that they li.-xd some comrade,
<«r .sonje other ship in company, and fired these for signals of di.stres.=^, and to obUvin
help. I li;ul the inosenco of mind, at that minute, to think, that though I could not
h«lp them, it might be they might help me ; so I brought together all tho dry wood I
could get at hand, and, njaking a good hamlsomo pile, I set it on fire ujwn the hill.
Tho wood was dry, and blazeil freely ; and thougJi the wind blew very hard, yet it
burned fairly out, .so that I was certain, if there was any such thing as a ship, they must
m>e.l see it,-und no doubt they did ; for as soon as ever my fire bhucd u)i, I heard

i-M

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

■

X

another gun, and after that several others, all from the same quarter. I plied my firo
all night long, till daybreak ; and when it was broad day, and the air cleared iiji, I saw
8<niiflhing at a great distance at sea, full east of the island, whether a sail or a hull I
ci>uM not distinguish — no, not with my glass ; the distance was so great, and the
weather still something hazy also — at least, it was so out at sea.

I looked frequently at it all that day, and soon porceived that it did not n^OTe; so
I presently concluded that it was a ship at anchor; and being eager, you may ho sure,
to bo satisfied, I took my guu in my hand, and ran towards the south side of tho island,
to the rocks where I had formerly bccu canied away with the current ; and getting up
there, tho weather by this timo being perfectly clear, I qould plainly see, to my great
sorrow, tho wreck of a ship, cast away in the night upon those concealed rocks which I
found when I was out in my boat; and which rocks, as they checked the violence of
the stream, and made a kind of counter-stream, or eddy, were the occasion of my
recovering from the most desperate, hopeless condition that ever I had been in in all
my life. Thus, what is one man's safety is another man's destruction; for it seems
thoso 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.
and E.X.E. Had they seen the island, as I must necessarily suppose they did not, they
must, as I thought, have endeavoured to have saved themselves on shore by the help of
their boat ; but their Hring off" their guns for help, especially when they saw, as I imagined,
my fire, filled mo 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 higli, they might have been Civst away. Other times, I
imagined that tliey miglit havo lost their boat before, as might be the case many ways;
as particularly, by the breaking of the sea upon their ship, wl^ch many times obliged men
ti) stave, or take in jiieces, their boat, and sometimes to throw it overboard with their
own hands. Other times, I imagined they had somo other ship or ships in company,
who, upon the signals of distress they made, had taken them up, and carried them off.
Other times, I fancied they were all gone off to ecix ix), tluir boat," and being hurried
away by tho cun-ent that I had been formejly in, woi'O caiTiod out into the great ocean^
where there was nothing but misery and perishing; an4 that, perhaps, they might by
this time think of starving, and of being iu a condition to e^t one another.

As all these were bjit conjectures at best, so, in tho condition I was iu, I could do
no more than look on ujioutho miswy of tho poor won, and pity them; which had still
tliis gon«l effect upon my side, tliut it gave mo more and moie ctiusc to givo thanks to
(I(hI, who had ko happily and comfortiibly provided for me in my desolate condition ;
and tliat of two sliips' comiwinies, who were now ca^t away upon this part of the world,
not one life should bo sjiarod but mine. I loiirned here again to obacvve, that it is very
rare that tho Providence of God casta us into any comUtion of life so low, or any misery
so great, but wo nmy see something or other to be thankful fur, and may sec others in
worse circumHUince.s than our own. Such certainly was the ease i-f these men, of whom
I could not 80 much^jas see room to suppose any of them wore saved; nothing could
nuiko it nitional so much as to wish or expect that they did not all pciish there, except
tho possibility only of their being taken up by another ship iu company; and this was
but mere possibility indeeil, for I saw not tho least signal or appearance of auy such '
thnig. I cannot explain, by any possible energy of words, what a strange longing I
felt in my soul uiK>n this i'ight, breaking out sometimes thus : — " Oh, that there had beuii
but one or two, nny, or but one soul, suwcd out of this ship, to havo escaped to me, that .

126 j/^

ROBINSON RESOLVES TO VISIT THE WRECK.

I might but liave had one companion, one fellow-creature, to have spokeu to mo and to
have conversed with ! " In all the time of my solitary life, I never felt so earnest, so
strong a desire after the society of my fellow-creatures, or so deep a regret at the want
of it.

There are some secret moving springs in the affections, which, when they arc set
a-going by some object in view, or, though not in view, yet rendered present to the
mind by the power of imagination, that motion carries out the soul, by its impetuosity,
to such violent, eager embracings of the object, that the absence of it is in'sii^ortablc.
Such were these earnest wishings that but one man had been saved. I believe I
repeated the words, " Oh, 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 AVDuld press the palms of my hands, so that if I had had any soft thing in
my hand, I would have crushed it involuntarily ; and my teeth inwl^ head would
strike together, and set against one another so strong, that for some time I could not
part them again. Let the naturalists explain these things, and the reason and manner
of them. All I can say of them is, to describe the fact, which was even surprising to me,
when I found it, though I knew not from what it should proceed ; it was, doubtless, the
effect of ardent wishes, and of strong ideas formed in my mind, realising the comfort which
tite conversation of one of my fellow- Christians would have .been to me. But it was not
to be ; either 'their fate, or mine, or both, forbade it, for till the last year of my being on
this island, I never knew whether any were saved out of that ship or no ; and had
only the affliction, some days after, to see the corpse of a drowned boy come on shore at
the end of the island which was next the sliip wreck. 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 meno much as to guess what nation he was of He had nothing in
his pockets but two pieces of eight and,^ tobacco-pipe — the last was to me of ten times
more value than the first. ' ''■^

It was now calm, and I had a great mind to venture out in my boat to this wreck,
not doubting but I might find something on board that might be useful to me. But,
that did not altogether press me so much as the possibility that there might be yet some
living creature on board, whose life I might not only save, but might, by saving that
life, comfort my own to the last degree ; and this thought clung so to my heart that I
could not be quiet night or day, but I must venture out in my boat on board this
wreck; and committing the rest to God's providence, I thought the impression was so
strong upon my mind that it could not be resisted, that it must come from some
invisible direction, and that I should be wanting to myself if I did not go.

Under the power of this impression, I hastened back to my castle, prepai-ed every-
thing for my voyage, took a quantity of bread, a great pot for fresh water, a compass to
steer by, a bottle of rum (for I had still a great deal of that left), 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 full of rice, the umbrella to set up over
my head for a shade, another large pot full of fresh water, and about two dozen of small
loaves, or barley cakes, more than before, with a bottle of goat's-milk, and a cheese : all
which with great labour and sweat I brought to my boat ; and praying to God to direct
my voyage, I put out, and rowing or paddling the eanoe along the shore, came at last to
the utmost point of the island on the north-east side. And now I was to launch out
into the ocean, and either to venture or not to venture. I looked on the rapid currents

-Mm

s^>a&<^-

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

wliicli ran constantly on both sides of tlie island at a distance, and which were very
terrible to nic, from the remembrance of the hazaj-d I had been in before, and my heart
began to fail mc ; for I foresaw that if I was driven into either of those cuiTents, I
should be carried a great way out to sea, and perhaps out of my rcixch, or sight of the
i.sluud again ; and that then, as my boat was but small, if any little gale of wind should
rise, I should be inevitably lost.

These thoughts so oppressed my mind, that I began to give over my enterprise ; and
having hauled my boat into a little creek on the shore, I stepi^ed out, and siit down upon
a rising bit of giound, very jMjnsive 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. U^wn this,
presently it occuncd to mo, that I should go up to the highest piece of ground I could
find, and obseno, if I could, how the sets of the tide, or cun-cnts lay, when the flood
came in, that I might judge whether, if I was driven one way out, I might not expect
to bo driven another way home, Avith the same mpidity of the cuirents. This thought
was no sooner in my head than I cast my eye upon a little liill, whiph sufficiently over-
looked the sea both ways, and from whence I had a clear view of the currents, or sets of
the tide, and wliich 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 cuiTcnt 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 of the island in my return, and I should do well enough.

Encouraged with this observation, I resolved, the next moraing, to set out with
the first of the tide ; and reposing myself for the night in my canoe, under the gi-cat
watch-coat I mentioned, I launched out. I first made a little out to sea, full north,
till I began to feel the benefit of the cun-ent, which set eastward, and which carried me
at a groat rate ; and yet tlid not so hurry me as the cuiTont on the south side had done
before, so as to take from me all government of the boat ; but having a strong steerage
with my paddle, I went, at a great rate, directly for the wreck, and in less than two
liours I came up to it. It was a dismal sight to look at : the ship, which, by its buihling,
was Spanish, stuck fast, jammed in between two rocks : all the stern and quarter of 1ri
wore beaten to pieces by the sea ; and as her forecastle, which stuck in the i-ocks, had
run on with great violence, her mainmast and forema-st were brought by the board, that
is to sav, broken .short ofl' ; but her bowsjirit was sound, and the head and bow appeared
firm. When 1 came close to her, a dog appeared upon her, who, seeing me coming,
velpetl anil cried ; and, as soon as I called him, jumped into the sea to come to me : I
took him into the boat, but found him almost dead with hunger and thii-st. I gave him
a cake of my bread, and he ilevoured it like a ravenous wolf that had been starving a
fortnight in tho snow ; I then gave the poor creature some fresh water, with which, if I
would have lot him, ho would have burst himself. After this I went on board ; but the
first sight I met with was two men drowned in the cook-room, or forecastle of the ship,
with their arms fast about one another. I concluded, as is indeed j)robablc, that when
tho ship struck, it being in a storm, the sea broke so high, and .so continually over her,
that tho men were not able to boar it, and wore strangled with the constant i-ushing in
of the water, as much as if they ha<l been under water. Besides tho dog, there was
nothing left in tho ship that had life ; nor any goodii, that I could see, but what were
H|M)ilod by tho water. There wore some casks of licjuor, whether wine or brandy, I
know not, which lay lower in the hold, ami which, the water being ebbod out, I could
see ; but they wore too big to meddle with. I saw several chests, which I believe

belonged to some of tlie seamen; and I got two of l1 l u into the

it, without cximining "what was in them. Had tho stein of the ship been

xed, and the foiepait bioken off, I am persuaded I might ha^ e made a good

age ; for, by what I found in these two chests, I had room to suppose the ship

a great deil of wealth on board ; and, if I may guess from the course she

steered, she must hare been bound from Buenos Ayres, or the Rio de la Plata,

129

in tlio south part of ^lerica, beyond the Bi-azils to the Havannah, in theGiUfof
Mexico, and so perhaps t^Spain. She had, no doubt, a groat treasure in her, but of no
me, at that time, to anybody ; but Avhat became of the crew I then knew not.

'l found, besides these chcst^s, a little cask full of liquor, of about twenty gallons,
which I got' into my boat with much difliculty. There vero Ecvcral muskets in the
cabin, and a great powder-horn, with alx)ut four pounds of powder in it; as for tlio
muskets, 1 had no occasion for them, so I left them, but took the powder-horn. I took
a firc-shovel and tongs, which I wanted extremely ; as also two litUo brass kettles, a
copper ix)t to make chocolate, and a gridiron ; and with this cargo, and tlic dog, I came
away, the tide beginning to make homo again ; and the same evening, about an hour
within niglit, I reached the island again, wcaiy and fatigued to the last degree. I
rej>o»o«l that night in the boat; and in the morning I resolved to harbour what I had
got in my now wve, and not cany it homo to my castle. After refreshing myself, I got
all my cargo on shore, and began to examine the particulars. Tho cask of liquor I found
to bo a kind of rum, but not such as wo had at the Brazils ; and, in a word, not at all
good ; but when I came to open tho chests, I found several things of gioat use to me :
for example, I found in one a fine case of bottles, of an extraordinary kind, and filled
with cordial waters,41no and very good; the bottles held about three pints each, and
were tipped with silver. I found two pots of very good Buccades, or swootmeats, so
faatenod also on the top that the salt water had not hurt them ; and two more ^i the
same, which tho water had spoiled. I found somo very good shirts, which were very
welcome to mo ; and about a dozen and ahalf of white linen handkerchiefs and coloured
neckcloths ; tho former wore also very welcome, being excoodingly refreshing to wipe
my fttco in a hot day. Beaides this, when I came to tho till in tho chest, I found there
tl>reo great bags of jiiocos of eight, which held about eleven hundred pieces in all ; and
in ono of them, wrapped \ip in a pii})er, six doiibloons of gold, and some small bars or
wedges of gold ; I stippose they might all weigh near a pound. In the other chest were
Home clothes, but of little value ; but, by tho circumstances, it must have belonged to the ;
guiuier's mate ; though there was no powdor in it, except two jjounds of fine glazed
powder, in three smnll flasks, kept, I suppose, for charging their fowling-pieces on
occasion. ■Ui)on tho whole, I got voiy little by this voyage that was of any use to me ;
for as to the money, I had no manner of occasion for it ; it was to mo as the dirt under
my foot, and I would have given it all for three or four pair of English ..hoes and
stockings, which were things I greatly wanted, but had none on my feet for many yeai-s.
I had, in<le(>d, got two pair of shoes now, which I took off tho feet of tho two drowned
men whom 1 siiw iu tho wreck, and I found two pair more in one of tho chests, which
wore very welcome to mo ; but they wi>ro not like our English shoes, either for case or
sirvico, being rather what wo call pumps than shoes. I found in this seaman's chest
about lifty i)ieces of eight, in rials, but no gold : I suppose [this belonged to a poorer
nuin than tho other, which seemed to belong to somo ollieer. Well, however, I lugged
this money homo 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 great pity, as I said, that tho other part of
I this ship liad not como to my share ; for I aai satisfied I might have loaded my canoe
I several times over with money; which, if I had over escaped to England, would have
lain here gafo enough till I might have como again and fetched it.

Having now brought all my things on shore, and secured them, I went back to my
hnni, and roweil or jnulUed her along tho shore to hor old harbour, where I laid her
up, and mado tho best of my way to my old habitation, wUci-o I found everything safe

130 ^^

CRUSOE MEDITATES MEANS OF ESCAPE.

and quiet. I began now to repose myself, live after my old fashion, and take cave of
my family affiiirs; and for a while I lived easy enough, only that I was more vigilant
than I used to be, looked out oftenei', 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
Avas pretty well satisfied the savages never came, and where I could go without so
many precautions, and such a load of arms and ammunition as I always carried with
me if I went the other way. I lived in this condition near two years more ; but my
unlucky head, that was always to let me know it was born to make my body miseral:)lc,
was all these two years filled with projects and designs, how, if it were possible, I might
get away fi-om this island : for sometimes I was for making another voyage to the
M-reck, 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 have been, in all my circumstances, a memento
to those who are touched with the general plague of mankind, whence, for aught I
know, one-half of their miseries flow; I mean that of not being satisfied with the
station wherein God and Nature hath placed them : for, not to look back upon my
primitive condition, and the excellent advice of my father, the opposition to which
was, as I may call it, my original sin, my subsequent mistakes of the same kind had
been the means of my coming into this miserable condition 3 for had that Providence,
which so happily seated me at the Brazils as a planter, blessed me with confined
desires, and I could have been contented to have gone on gradually, I might have
been by this time, I mean in the time of my being in this island, one of the most
considerable planters in the Brazils : nay, I am persuaded, that by the improvements
I had made in that little time I lived there, and the increase I should probably have
made if I had remained, I might have been worth a hiuufred thousand moidores : and
what business had I to leave a settled fortune, a well-stocked plantation, improving
and increasing, to turn supercargo to Guinea to fetch negroes, when patience and time
would have so increased our stock at home, that we could have bought them at our
own door from those whose business it was to fetch them 1 and though it had cost us
something more, yet the difi'erence of that price was by no means worth saving at so
great a hazard. But as this is ordinarily the fate of young heads, so reflection upon the
folly of it is as commonly the exercise of more years, or of the dear-bought experience
of time : so it was with me now j and yet so deep had the mistake taken root m my
temper, that I could not satisfy myself in my station, but was continually poring
upon the means and possibility of my escape from this place : and that I may, with the
greater pleasure to the reader, bring on the remaining part of my story, it may not be
improper to give some account of my first conceptions on the subject of this foolish
scheme for my escape, and how, and upon what foundation I act{;d.

I am now to be supposed retired into my castle, after my late voyag-e 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 iu Marclij the four-aiid-twentieth year
of my first setting foot in this island of solitude. I was lying in my bed or hammock,
awake, very well in health, had no pain, no distemper, no tmeusincss of body, nor any
uneasiness of mind more than ordinary, but could by no means close my eyes, that 1 ,

131 ^-^^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

!
i

o as to sleep ; no, not a wink all night long, otherwiBe than as follows : — It is impossible
unci needless to set do^vn the innumerable crowd of thoughts that Avhirled through that
K«'cat thoroughfare of the brain — the memory, in this night's time : I ran over the
whole history of my life in miniature, or by abridgment, as I may call it, to my coming
to this island, and also of that part of my life since I came to this island. In my
reflections upon the state of my case since I came on nhore on this island, I was
comparing the happy posture of my aflfaii-s in the first years of my habitation here, with
the life of anxiety, fear, and care, which I had lived in ever since I had seen the print
• )f a foot in the sand ; not that I did not believe the savages had frequented the island
<ven all the while, and might have been several himdreds of them at times on sliorc
there ; but I had never known it, and was incapable of any apprehensions about it ;
my 8ati.sfiiction was perfect, though my danger was the same, and I was as happy in
not knowing my danger as if I had never really been exposed to it. This furni.shed
my thoughts with many veiy profitable reflections, and i)ai"ticularly this one : How
infinitely good that I'rovidence i.s, which has provided, in its government of mankind,
.such naiTow bounds to his sight and knowledge of things ; and though he walks in the
midst of HO many thousand dangers, the sight of which, if discovered to him, would
^tlistract his mind and sink his spirits, he is kept serene and calm, by having the events
of things hid from his eyes, and knowing nothing of the dangers which surround him.
After these thoughts had for some time entertained me, I came to reflect seriously
iipon the. real danger I had been in for so many yeai-s in this very island, and how I
had walked about in the greatest security, and with all possible tranquillity, even when
I erhaps nothing but the brow of a hill, a gi-eat tree, or the ca.sual approach of night,
liad been between me and the woi-st kind of destruction, viz., that of falling into the
hands of cannibals and .sivages, who would luvve 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 of a ])igeon or a curlew, I would unjustly slander myself, if I should say I
was not sincerely thankful to my great Preserver, to whose singular protection I
acknowledged, with great humility, all these unknown deliverances were due, and
without which I mu.st inevitably have fallen into their merciless hands.

When these thoughts were over, my head was for some time taken up iu considering
the nature of these wretched creatures, I mean the savage.*^, and how it came to pass in
the world, that the wise CJovcrnor of all things should give up any of his creatures to
•such inlnimanity, nay, to something .so much below even brutality itself, as to devour
its own kintl : but as this ended in some (at that time) fruitless speculations, it occurred I
to mo t© inquire, what part of the world these wretches lived in ? how far oft* the coast
was from whence they came? what they ventured over so far from home for? what
kind of boats they had? and why I might not onler myself and my business so, that
I might l)c as able to go over thither, as they were to come to mc.

I never bo much as troubled myself to consider what I fcluudd do with myself when
I went thither; what wouhl become of me if I fell into the hands ofthe.se savages; or
how I should escape them if they attacked me ; no, nor so much as how it was possible
for mo to reach the coa.st, and not bo attacked by some or other of them, without
any i.o.s.sibility of delivering myself: and if I should not fall into their hands, what
I should do fi)r provision, or whither I should bend my course : none of these thoughts, |

sjiy, HO much a.s came in my way ; but my mind was wholly bent ujwn the notion of
my imssuig over in my boat to the main land. I looked ujwn my present condition as
the most miserablo that coukl possibly be ; that I was not able to throw myself into t

132 ^./

niji:^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

"T r WW If*

anything but death, that could Lo called worse ; and if I reached the shore of the main,
I might iMjrhaps meet with relief, or I might coast along, as I did on the African shore,
till I came to some inhabited country, and where I might find some relief; and, after
all, i^erhaps I might fall in with some Christian ship that might take me in ; and if the
worst came to the worst, I could but die, which would i)ut an end to all these miseries
at once. Pray note, all this was the fruit of a disturbed iniud, an impatient temper,
made, as it were, desperate by the long continuance of my troubles, and the disappoint-
ments I had met with in the wreck I had been on board of, and where I had been so
near the obtaining what I so earnestly longed for, namely, somebody to speak to, and
t<j learn some knowledge of the place where I was, and of the probable means of my
deliverance. I say I was agitated wholly by these thoughts ; all my calm of mind, in
my resignation to Providence, and waiting the issue of the dispositions of Heaven, seemed
to bo suspended ; and I had, as it were, no power to turn my thoughts to anything but
the project of a voyage to the main, which came upon me with such force, and such an
inii»etuosity of desire, that it was not to be resisted.

When this had agitated my thoughts for two hoTirs or more, with such violence
that it net my very blood into a ferment, and my pulse beat as if I had been in a fever,
merely with the extraordinary fervour of my mind about it, Kature, as if I had been
fatigued and exhausted witli the very thoughts of it, threw me into a sound sleep. One
would have thought I should have dreamed of it, but I did not, nor of anything
relating to it : but I dreamed that as I was going out in the morning as usual, from
my cistle, I saw upon the shore two canoes and eleven savages, coming to land, and
that they brought with them another savage, whom they were going to kill, in order to
eat him ; when, on a sudden, the .savage that they were going to kill jumped away, and
ran for his life ; tlu-a 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 liim : that he kneeled down to me, seeming to pray me to assist
him ; upon which I .showed him my ladder, made him go up it, and carried him into my
cave, 'and he became my servant; and that as soon as I had got this man, I .said io
myself, "Now I may certainly venture to the main land, fin- this fellow will serve mo
as ft pilot, and will tell mo what to do, and whither to go for ]»rovision.s, and whither
not to go for fi'iir of being devoured ; what places to venture into, and what to escape."
I waked with this thought ; and was under such inexpres.siblo impressions of joy at the
prospect of my escape in my dream, that the dis;ii>pointments which T felt upon coming
to myself, and finding that it was no more than a dream, were eipially extravagant the
other way, and threw mo into a gotxl dejection of sjiirits.

Ul>on this, however, I made this conclusion ; that my only way to go about an attempt
for an escape was, if possible, to get a savago into my possession ; and, if possible,
it should bo ono of their jirisoners, whom they had condemned to bo eaten, and should
bring hither to kill. Ptut thoso thoughts still wore attended with this difllculty, that it
was impossible to olTcct this without attacking a whole caravan of them, and killing
them all; and this was not only a very desperate attomj)t, and might .miscarry, but,
j>n the other hand, I had greatly scrupled the lawfulness of it tb me ; and my heart
trembled at the thoughts of .shedding so much blo<itl, though it was for my deliverance.
I need not repeat tho arguments which occurred tome against tEisI, thfey being the same
mentioned before; but though T had other reasons to offer now — viz., that those men
wer»> »>n.>iiii'! i, my liff, and would devour mo if they could; that it was self-

»34 ^'

ANOTHER ARRIVAL OF CANNIBALS.

m^^

preservation, in the highest degree, to deliver myself from this death of a life, and was
acting in my own defence as much as if they were actually assaulting me, and the like;
I say, though these things argued for it, yet the thoughts of shedding human blood for
my deliverance were very terrible to me, and such as I could by no means reconcile
myself to for a great while. However, at last, after many secret disputes with myself,
and after great perplexities about it (for all these arguments, one way and another,
■struggled in my head a long time), the eager prevailing desire of deliverance at length
mastered all the rest ; and I resolved, if possible, to get one of these savages into my
hands, cost what it would. My next thing was to contrive how to do it, and this
indeed was very difficult to resolve on; but as I could pitch upon no probable means
for it, so I resolved to put myself upon the watch, to see them when they came on
shore, and leave the rest to the event ; taking such measures as the opportunity should
present, let be what would be.

With these resolutions in my thoughts, I set myself upon the scout as often as
possible, and indeed so often that I was heartily tired of it; for it was above a year and
a half that I waited; and for great part of that time went out to the west end, and to
the south-west corner of the island almost every day, to look for canoes but none
appeared. This was very discouraging, and began to trouble me much, though I
cannot say that it did in tlds case (as it had done some time before) wear off" the edf>'e
of my desire to the thing ; but the longer it seemed to be delayed, the more eager I
was for it : in a word, I was not at first so careful to shun the sight of these savages
and avoid being seen by them, as I was now eager to be upon them. Besides, I fancied
myself able to manage one, nay, two or three savages, if I had them, so as to make them
entirely slaves to me, to do whatever I should direct them, and to prevent their beino'
able at any time to do me any hurt. It was a great while that I pleased myself with
this affiiir; but nothing still presented; all my fancies and schemes came to nothing,
for no savages came near me for a great while.

About a year and a half after I entertained these notions (and by lono- musinc had
as it were, resolved them all into nothing, for want of an occasion to put them in execu-
tion), I was siu'prised one morning early 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 my sight. The number of them broke all my measiires; for seeing so many, and
knowing that they always came four or six, or sometimes more, in a boat, I could not
tell what to think of it, or how to take my measures, to attack twenty or thirty men
single-handed; so lay still in my castle, perplexed and discomforted. However, I put
myself into all the same postures for an attack that I had formerly provided, and was
just ready for action, if anything had presented. Having waited a good while, listening
to hear if they made any noise, at length, being very impatient, I set my guns at the
foot of my ladder, and clambered up to the top of the hill, by my two stages, as usual;
standing so, however, that my head did not appear above the hill, so that they could
not perceive me by any means. Here I observed, by the help of my perspective glass,
that they were no less than thirty in number ; that they had a fire kindled, and that
they had meat dressed. How they had cooked it, I knew not, or what it was ; but they
were all dancing, in I k\iow not how many barbarous gestures and figures, their own
way, round the fire.

AVhile I was thus looking on them, I perceived, by my perspective, two miserable
wretches dragged from the boats, where, it seems, they were laid by, and were now
brought out for the slaughter. I perceived one of them immediately foil; being

.35 ■ . ^

4

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

(^

knocked clown, I Huppose, with a club, or wooden swonl, for that was their way ; ami
two or three others were at work immediately, cutting him open for their cookery, while
tlio other victim was left standing by himself, till they should be ready for him. In
tliut very moment, this poor wretch, seeing himself a little at liberty, and unbound,
Nature insjured him with hopes of life and he started away from them, and ran with
iiicrediljle swiftness along the sands, directly towards mo ; I mean, towards that part of
the coast where my habit;ition was. I was dreadfully frightened, that I must acknowledge,
when I perceived him i-uu 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
jMiss, and that ho would certainly tjike shelter in my grove : but 1 could not depend, by
any means, ujwn my dream, tlutt the other Sixvages would not pursue him thither, and
find him there. However, I kept my station, and my spirits began to recover when I
found that there was not above threo men that followed him ; and still more was I
encouraged, when I found that ho outstripped them exceedingly in running, and gained
ground on them ; so that, if ho could but hold it for half an hour, I saw easily he
would fairly get away from them all.

Tiiero was between them and my castle, the creek, which I mentioned often in the
fii-st part of my story, whero I lauded my cargoes out of the ship ; and this I .saw
plainly he must necessarily swim over, or the poor wretch would be taken there ; but
when the savage escaping camo thither, he made nothing of it, though the tide was then
up ; but, plunging in, swam through in about thirty strokes, or thereabouts, landed, and
i-.iu with exceeding strengtli ami swiftncs.s. "When the threo pei-sons camo to the creek,
I found that two of them could swim, but the third could not, and that, standing on the
(.tiier side, he looked at the othci-s, but went no farther, and .soon after went softly back
again ; which, a.s it happened, was very well for him in the end. I observed that the
two who swam were yet more than twice as long swimming over the creek than the
I'. How was that lied from thorn. It camo very warmly upon my thoughts, and indeed
irresistibly, tliat now was tho time to get mo a servant, and perhaps a companion or
assistant ; and that I was j)lainly called by Providence to Sivve this poor creature's life,
l immediately ran down tho ladder with all possible expedition, fetched my two guns,
for they were lH)th at tho foot of tho ladder, as I observed before, and getting up again
with tho Hamo haste to tho top of the hill, I crossed towards tho sea; and having a
very short cut, and all down hill, clap'd myself in tho way between tho pui-suers and
tlie pui-suinl, hallooing aloud to him that fled, who, looking back, was at first perhaps as
much frightened at mean at them ; but I beckoned with my hand to him to come back ;
and, in tho mean time, I slowly advanced towards tho two that followed; then rushing
at once ;ipon tho foremost, I knocked him down with tho stock of my piece. I was
h)th to fire, because I would not have the rest hear ; though, at that distance, it would
not have boon easily hoard, and being out of sight of tho smoke, too, they would not
havo known what to make of it. Having knocked this follow down, the other who
pursued him stoi)pcd, as if he had been frightci^od, and I advanced towai-ds him : but
as I camo nearer, I perceived presently ho had a bow and arrow, and was fitting it to
shoot at me : so I was then obliged to shoot at him fii-st, which I did, and killed him
at the first shot. Tho poor savage who Hod, but had stopped, though he saw both his
enemies fiiUen and killed, as ho thought^ yet was so frightened with tho fire and noiso
of my piece that ho stood stock still, and neither camo forward nor went backward,
though ho seemed rather inclined still to (ly than to como on. I hallooed again to him,
and made .signs to come fonvard, whiih he civsilv undei-stood, and came a little way ;

136 ' Himfun ^

then stopped agim, and then a httlo faithci, and stopped
f^^^M/M again ; and I could then perceive that he stood trembling, as if lie
had been taken prisonei-, 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 acknowledg-
ment for saving his ife. 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 swear-
ing 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 per-
ceived the savage whom I had knocked down was not killed, but stunned with
the blow, and began to come to himself: so I pointed to him, and showed Iiim
the savage, that he was not dead ; upon this he spoke some words to me, and
tliough 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
'^■vvauow; 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
I hung naked in a belt by my side, which I did. He no
sooner had it, but he iims to his enemy, and at one blow

a

s^^~^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

ctit off liis head as cleverly, no executioner in Gei-many could have done it sooner
or better; which I thought very strange fur one who, I had reason to believe, never
saw a sword in his life liefore, except their own wooden sword.s: however, it seems, as I
leanied afterwards, tliey make their woodeii swords so shai-p, so heavy, and the woo<l is
so hard, that they will even cut oft lieads with them, ay, and arms, and that at one
blow too "NVlien ho had done this, he comes laughing to me in sign of triumph, and
brought me tlie sword again, and with abundance of gestures wliich I did not understand,
laid it down, with the head of the savage that lie liad killed just l)efore me. But that
which astonished him most, was to know how I killed the other Indian so far off; so
pointing to him, ho made signs to mo to let him go to liim j and I bade him go, as well
as I could. ^Vhcu ho came to him, ho stood like one amazed, looking at him, turning
him fii-st on ouo side, then on ttio other; looked at the wound tho bullet had made,
which it seems was just in his breast, where it had made a hole, and no great quantity
of blood had followed ; but he had bled inwardly, for ho was quite dead. He took up
his bow and arrows, and came back ; so I turnccl to go away, and beckoned hiu\ to
follow me, making signs to him that more might come after them.

Upon this ho made signs to me that he should bury them with sand, that they might
not be seen by tho rest, if they followed ; and so I made signs to him again to do so.
He fell to work ; and in an instant ho had scraped a hole in the sand ^nih his hands, big
enough to bury the first in, and then dragged him into it, and covered him ; and tlid so by
tho other also ; I believe ho 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 tho i.sland ; so I did not let my dream come to pass in that part, that he came into
my gi'ovo for shelter. Here I gave him bread and a bxmch of raisins to eat, and a
draught of water, which I found ho was indeed in great distress for from his running ;
and liaving refreshed him, I made signs for him to go and lie down to sleep, showing
him a place Avhere I had laid some rico straw, and a blanket upon it, which I used to
sleep upon myself sometimes ; so tho poor crcatui'o lay dowji, and went to sleep.

Ife was a comely, handsome fellow, perfectly well made, with straight, strong limbs,
not too large, tall aud well shajied ; 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 ; aud yet ho had all tho sweetness aud softness of a
Kuroppun in his countenance, too, especially when ho smiled. His hair was long av. <
black, not curled like wool ; his forehead very high and largo ; and a great vivacity an i
sparkling sharpness in his eyes. Tho colour of his skin was not quite l)lack, but vei v
tawny ; and yet not an ugly, yellow, nauseous tawny, as tho Bnvz'lians aiul Virginians, an i
ottior natives of America are, but of a bright kin«l of a dun olive-colour, that had in i
something very agreeable, though not very ca.sy to describe. His faco was round an 1
pbnnp ; his nose small, not flat lilco the Negroes ; a very good mouth, thin lij^s, and his
iino teeth well set, and as white as ivory.

After ho luid slumbered, nither than slept, about half-an-hour, he awoke again, and
camo out of tho cave to mo ; for I had been milking my goats, which I had in tlu-
iuclosuro just by : when ho espied me, ho came running to me, laying himself down
again uj)on tho ground, with all tho possible signs of an humble, thankful dispositiur.
making u great many antic gestures to show it. At last he lays his head flat Ujwn tli
grotmd, close to my foot, and sets my other foot upon his head, as he had done before ;
and after thi.q, made all the signs to me of subjection, servitude, and submission
imagimible, to let mo know how he would serve nic so long as ho lived. I understooil

i:,S

^-V.SjV^.'^

-- -^sc^ecySS"'

CRUSOE AND HIS MAN FRIDAY

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, fii'st, I let him know
his name shonld bo Friday, which was the day I saved his life : I called him so for the
memory of the time. I likewise taught him to say Master, and then let him know that
was to be my name ; I likewise taught him to say Yes and No, and to know the meaning
of them. I gave him some milk in an earthen pot, and let him see me drink it before
him, and sop my bread' in it ; and gave him a cake of bread to do the like, which he
tpiickly 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
hefwas stark naked. As we went by the place where he had buried, the two men,
he pointed exactly to the place, and shoAved me the marks that he had made to find
them again, making signs to me that v/e should dig them up again and eat them. At
this I appeared very angry, expressed my abhorrence of it, made as if I would vomit at
the thoughts of it, and beckoned with my hand to him to come away, which he did
immediately, with great submission. I then led him up to the top of the hill, to see if
his enemies were gone, and pulling out my glass, I looked, and saw plainly the place
where they had been, but no appearance of them or their canoes ; so that it Avas plain
they were gone, and had left their two comrades behind them, without any search
after them.

But I was not content with this discoveiy ; 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 myseif ; and away we
marched to the place where these creatures had been — for I had a mind now to get
some fuller intelligence of them. When I came to the place, my very blood ran chill in
my veins, and my heart sunk within me, at the horror of the spectacle ; indeed, it was a
dreadful sight, at least it was so to me, though Friday made nothing of it. The place
was covered with human bones, the ground dyed with the blood, and great pieces of
flesh left here and there, half-eaten, mangled, and scorched ; and, in short, all the tokens
of the triumphant feast they had been making there, after a victory over their enemies.
I saAV 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 under-
stand that they brought over four prisoner* to feast upon ; that three of thSm were
eaten up, and that he, pointing to himself, was the fourth j that there had been a great
battle between them and their next king, of Avhose 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 the fight, in order to feast
upon them, as was done here by these wretches upon those they brought hither.

I caused Friday to gather all the skulls, bones, flesh, and whatever remained, and
lay them together on a heap, and make a great fire upon it, and burn them all to ashes.
I found Friday had still a hankering stomach after some of the flesh, and was still a
cannibal in his nature ; but I discovered so much abhorrence at the very thoughts of it,
and at tlie least appearance of it, that he durst not discover it — for I had, by some means,
let him know that I would kill him if he offered it.

When he had done this, we came back to our castle, and there 1 fell to work for my
man Friday ; and first of all, I gave him a pair of linen drawers, which I had out of the
poor gunner's chest I mentioned, which I found in the wreck, and Avliicli, v.Ith a little

^^^^-^^-^cf"'''^^^

V\

ROBINSON CRUOSi:.

alteration, fitted him very well ; and then I made him a jerkin of goat's skin, as well as
my skill would allow (for I was now grown a tolerjibly good tailor) ; and I gave him a
cap whicli I made of hare's skin, very convenient, and f;u?hionablc enough ; and thus he
wa.s clothed, for the present, tolerably well, and was mighty well jileased to see himself
ulinost as well clothed as his master. It is true, he went awkwardly in these clothes at
first ; wearing the drawers was verj- awkward to him, and the sleeves of the waistcor\t
galled his shoulders and the inside of his anus — but a little easing them where hi-
complained they hurt him, and using himself to them, at length he took to them very

Tiic next day, after I came home to my hutch with him, I began to consider
wlu-re 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 jdace between my two fortifications^
in the inside <if the last, and in the outside of the fii-st. As there was a door
or cntmneo there into my cave, I made a formal framed door-aise, and a door to it
of boards, and set it up in the passage, a little within the entrance ; and, causing the
door to open in the inside, I barred it up in the night, taking in my ladders, too ; so
that Friday could no way come at me in the inside of my iiniermost wall, without
making so much noise in getting over that it must needs awaken me ; for my first wall
had now a coiiqdete roof over it of long poles, covering all my tent, and leaning up to
the side of the hill ; which was again laid across with smaller sticks, instead of laths, and
then thatched over a great thickness with the rice-straw, which was strong, like reeds ;
and at the hole or jdaeo which was left to go in or out by the ladder, I had placed a
kind of trap-door, which, if it had been attempted on the outside, would not have
opened at all, l)ut wovdd have fallen down and made a great noise : as to weapons, I
totpk them all into my side every night. But I needed none of all this jirecaution ; for
never man had a more faithful, loving, sincere servant than Friday was to me ; without
passions, sullenness, or designs, perfectly obliged and engaged ; his very affections were
tied to me, like those of a child to a father ; and 1 dare say he would have sacrifice«i his
life for tlic s;iving mine, upnu any occasit^n whatsoever: the many testimonies he gave
uie of this ptit it out of doubt, and soon convinced mo that I neeiled no precautions
for my safety on his account

Tliis frequently gave me occasion to observe, and that with wonder, that however it
luul plujised liod in his providence, and in the government of the works of his hands, to
take from so great a part of the world of his creaturei* the best uses to which their
faculties and the jiowei-s of their sotils are adapted, yet that he has bestowed upon them
the same powers, the same re;uson, the same affections ; the same sentiments of kindness
and obligation ; the same passions and resentments of wrongs ; the Siune sense of
gnititude, sincerity, fidelity, and all the capa<aties of doing good and receiving gooil,
that ho luus given to us ; and that when he pleases to offer them occasions of exerting
these, they are as ready, nay, more ready, to apply thcnj to the right uses for which they
were bestowed than wo are. This made mo very melancholy sometimes, in reflecting,
as the several occasions ])re.scnted, how mean a use we m.ike of all these, even though
wo have tjje.so i>owei'8 eidightcned by the great lamp of in.struction, the Spirit of God,
and by the knowledge of his word added to our nndei-standing ; and why it has pleased
God to hide tho like saving knowledge from so many millions of souls, who, if I might
judge by this poor savage, would make a m\ich better use of it than we did. From
hence, I sometimes was led too far, to invade the sovereignty of Provideneo, and, as it
were, arraign the justice of so arbitrary a disposition of things, that should hide that

^^^e'.

tit ^ ^'.^^ -^^^^^^

T~^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

^

sight from some, and reveal it to others, and yet expect a like duty from both ; but 1
shut it up, and checked my thoughts with this conclusion : first, That wo ditl not kno .v
by wliat light and law these should bo condemned ; but that as God was necessarily,
and, by the nature of his being, in^iitely holy and just, so it could not be, but if these
creatures were all sontencec^ to absence from himself, it was on account of sinning
against that light, which, as tho Scripture says, was a law to themselves, and by such
rules as their consciences would acknowledge to be just, though the foundation was not
discovered to us ; and, secondly, That sfill, as we are all tho clay in tho hand of the
Potter, no vessel could say to Ilim, ""VV^iy ha-st thou formed me thus 1"

But to return to my new companion : I was gi-eatly delighted with him, and mado
it my business to teach him everything that was proper to make him useful, liandy, and
lielpful; but especially to make him speak, and understand me when J spo^c; and he
was the aptest scholar that ever was; and particularly was so mciTy, so constantTy
diligent, and 30 pleased when ho could but understand me, or make me understand
him, that it was very pleasant to me to talk to him. And now my life began to be so
easy that I began to say to myself, that could I but have been safe from more savages, I
cared not if I was never ^o remove from the place while I lived.

After I had been two or thx-eo days returned to my castle, I thought that, in order
to >)ring Friday off from his horrid way of feeding, and from tho relish of a cannibal's
stomach, I ought to let him tasto other flesh ; so I took him out with mo one morning
to tho woods. I went, indeed, intending to kill a kid out of my own flock, and bring it
homo 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 catchcd 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 tho kids. Tho i)oor creature, who had, at a distance, indeed, seen me ^iW
tho savage, Iiis enemy, but did not know nor could imagine how it wixs- done, was
sensibly surpri.sod ; trembled, and shook, and looked so amazed that I thought he would
have sunk down. If 0 did not .see tho kid I shot at, or perceive I had killed it, but
ripi)ed up his waistcoat, to feel whether ho was not wounded ; and, as I found presently,
tliought I M'as resolved to kill him : fur he came and kneeled down to me, and embracing
my knees, s;iid a great many things I did not understand ; but I could easily see tho
meaning was, to pray mo not to kill him.

I soon found a way to convince him that I would do him no harm ; and taking him
up by tho hand, laughed at him, and pointing to tho kid wliieh I had killed, beckoned
to him to run and fetch it, which ho did : am| while he was wondering, and looking to
see how the creature was killed, I loaded my gim again. r.y-and-by I saw a great
fowl, like a hawk, sitting upon a tree within shot ; so, to let Friday understand a littlo
what I would do, I called him to mo again, pointed at tho fowl, which was indeed a
parrot, though I thought it had been a hawk ; I say, pointing to tho parrot, and to my
gun, and to tho ground under the parrot, to let him see I would make it fiUl, I made
him understand that I would shoot and kill that bird ; accordingly, I fired, and bade
him look, and immediately ho saw tho parrot fall. lie stood like one frightened again,
notwithstanding all I had said to him ; and | foiiatf ^0 wa.s the moro amazed, because
lio did not see mo put anything into tho gun, but thought that there must \>o some
wonderful fund of death and ilestruction in that thing, able to kill inan, jjeasJflMrd,
or anything near or far ofl'; 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 liim, ho would
have worshipped mo and my gun. As for the gun itself, lie would not so much as

^

FRIDAY BECOMES USEFUL.

toucli it for several days after ; but he woiild sj^eak to it aud talk to it, as if it had
uuswered him, when he was by himself; which, as I afterwards learned of him, was to
desire it not to kill him. Well, after liis astonishment was a little over at this,
I pointed' to him to run and fetch the bird I had shot, which he did, but stayed some
time ; for the i^ai-rot, 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 mc ; and
as I had perceived liis ignorance about the gun before, I took this advantage to charge
the gun again, and to let him see me do it, that I might be ready for any other mark that
might present ; but nothing more offered at that time : so I brought home the kid, and
the same evening I took the skin off, and cut it out as well as I could ; and having a pot
fit for that purpose, I boiled or stewed some of the flesh, and made some very good
broth. After I had begun to eat some, I gave some to my man, who seemed very glad
of it, and liked it very well; but that which was strangest to him was to see me eat
salt with it. He made a sign to me that the salt was not good to eat ; and putting a
little into his own mouth, he seemed to nauseate it, and would spit and sputter at it,
washing his mouth with fresh water after it : on the othei' hand, I took some meat
into my mouth without salt, and I pretended to spit and sputter for want of salt, as
fast as he had done at the salt ; but it would not do ; he would never care for salt
with his meat, or in his broth ; at least, not for a great while, and then but a very little.

Having thus fed him with boiled meat and broth, I was resolved to feast him the
next day with roasting a piece of the kid : this I did by hanging it before the fire on a
string, as I had seen many people do in England, setting two poles up, one on each
side of the fire, and one across on the top, and tying the string to the cross stick, letting
the meat turn continually. This Friday admired very miich ; but when he came to
taste the flesh, he took so many ways to tell me how well he liked it, that I could not
but understand him : and at last he told me, as well as he could, he would never eat
man's flesh any more, which I was very glad to hear.

The next day I set him to work to beating some corn out, and sifting it in the
manner I used to do, as I observed before ; and he soon understood how to do it as well
as I, especially after he had seen what the meaning of it was, and. that it was to make
bread of; for after that, I let him see me make my bread, and bake it, too ; and
in a little time, Fi'iday was able to do all the work for me, as well as I could do it
myself.

I began now to consider, that, having two mouths to feed instead of one, I must
provide more ground for my harvest, and plant a larger quantity of corn than I used to I
do ; so I marked out a larger piece of land, and began the fence in the same manner as
before, in which Friday worked not only very willingly and very hard, but did it very
cheerfully : and I told him what it was for ; that it was for corn to make more bread,
because he was now with me, and that I might have enough for him and myself too.
He appeared very sensible of that part, and let me know that he thought I had much
more labour upon me on his account, than I had for myself; and that he would work
the harder for me, if I would tell him what to do.

This was the pleasantest year of all the life I led in this place, Friday began to
talk pretty well, and ixnderstand the names of almost everything I had occasion to call
for, and of every place I had to send him to, and talk.a great deal to me ; so that, in short
I began now to have some use for my tongue again, which, indeed, I had very little
occasion for before ; that is to say about speech. Besides the pleasure of talking to him,
I had a singular satisfaction in the fellow himself : his simple, unfeigned honesty appeared

143

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ROBIN SOx\ CRUSOE

to me more and more cren' day, and I began really to love the creature; and on hLs sido
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 hankering inclination to his own country
again ; and having taught him English so well that he could answer me almost any
question, I asked him whether the nation that he Ijelonged 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 discoui-se : —

.]fa3(cr. — You always fight the better ; how came you to be taken pri.soncr then,
Friday ?

Fi-'uhiij. — My nation beat much, for all that.

Miukr. — How beat ? If your nation beat them, how came you to be taken ?

Friday. — They more many than my nation, in the jdace where me was ; they t;iko
one, two, three, and me : my nation over-beat them in the yonder jdace, where me no
was ; tliere my nation take one, two, great thousand.

Master. — But why did not your .side recover you from the hands of your enemies
tiieu ]

Friday. — They run, one, two, three, and mo, and make me 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 ? Po
thev carry them away and oat them, as these did ?

Friday. — Yes, my nation eat mans too : eat all up.

Master. — "Where do they carry them ?

Friday. — (Jo to other place, where they think.

Muster.— Y)o they come hither?

Friday. — Yes, yes, they come hither ; come other else place.

Master. — Kavc you been here with tlioni \

Friday. — Yes, I been here (points to the N.^Y. sido of the islaml, which, it seoms
was their side.)

]{y this I understood that my man Friday had forniorly V).^en among the savages
who tised to come on shore on the farther part of the island, on the said man-eating
occasions that he was now brought for : and, some time after, when I took the courage
to carry him to that aide, being the same I formerly mentioned, he presently knew the
place, and told me he was there once, when they cat up twenty men, two women, ami
one child : lie could not tell twenty in English, but he numbered them, by laying so
many stones in a row, and ])ointing to mo to tell them over.

I have told this pa.s.sage, because it introduces what follows ; that after this discourse
I had with him, I a.sked him how far it was from our island to the shore, and wheth< r
tlio canoes were not often lost. Ho told mo there was no danger, no canoes ever l(»i ;
but that after a little way out to sea, there was a current and wind, always one way i i
till' morning, the other in the afternoon. This I undoi-stood to be no more than tli.
sets of the tide, as going out or coming in ; but 1 afterwards understood it was occ;i-
sioneil by the great draft and rotlux of the mighty river Oroonoko, in the mouth of
which river, as 1 thought afterwards, our island lay ; and that this land which I perceive*-!
to the W. an<l N.W. was the great island Trinidad, on the north point of the mouth
of the river. I asked Friday a thou.sand questions about the country, the inhabitants,
tho Bea, the coast, and what nations were near : he told me all he knew, with the
greatt>.st openness imaginable. I asked hinx the names of the several nations of his sort
of people, but could ^oi no other name than Caribs : from whence I easily undoi-stood

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tliafc these were the Caribbees, which our maps place on the part of America which
readies from the mouth of the river Oroonoko to Guiana, and onwards to St. Martha.
He told me, that up a great way beyond the moon (that was, beyond the setting of the
moon, which must be west from their country), there dwelt white-bearded men, like me,
and pointed to my great whiskers, which I mentioned before ; and that they had killed
much mans, that was his word : by all which I understood he meant the Spaniards,
whose cruelties in America had been spread over the whole country, and were remem-
bered by all the nations from father to son.

145

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ROBINSON CRUSOE.

(

1

I inquired if he coukl tell rao how I might come from this islaml, and get among
tho'o white men : ho told me, " Yes, yes, I might go in two canoe." I could not
unilt'i-stund what ho meant by two canoe, till at last, with great difficulty, I found he
meant it must be in a largo, gi-eat boat, as big as two canoes. This part of Friday's
dLscourso began to reli.sh with mo very well ; and from this time I entertained some
liopcs that, one time or other, I might find an opportunity to make my escape from
this place, and that this poor savago might be a mcftiui to liolp me to do it

Dm-iug the long time that Friday had now been with mo, and that he began to
speak to me, and understand mo, 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 undei-stand me at all, but thought I liad asked him who was his father :
but I took it by anothor liandle, and asked him who made the sea, the ground we
walked on, and the hilU and woods. He told mo, *• It was one Benamuckee, that lived
beyond all;** he could describe nothing of this great person, but that he was very old,
*' much older," ho said, *' tluin the soa or the land, than the moon or the stars." I asked
him then, if this old person liad mado all thing-s why did not all things worship him ?
lie looked very grave, and, with a perfect look of innoccuco, said, "All things s;\id O!
to him." I asked him if tlio peojde who die in his country went away anywhere. He
said, "Yes; they all wont to Benamuckee." Then I asked him whether those they eat
uj) went thither too. He said, " Yes."

From these things I bjgan to instruct him in the knowledge of the true God : I
told him that the great Maker of all things lived there, pointing up towards heaven ;
that he governed the world by the same power and provideuco by which he made it ;
that ho was omnipotent, and could do everything for ua, givo everything to us, take
everything from us ; and thus, by degrees, I openad hia eyes. He listened with great
attention, and received with pleasure the notion of Jesus Christ being sent to redeem
us, and of tho manner of making our prayers to God, and his being able to hoar us,
even into heaven. Ho told mo one day, that if our God could hear us, up beyond tho
sun, he must needs bo a greater God than tlieir Benamuckee, who lived but a little way
oir, and yet could not hoar till they went up to the great mountains whore ho dwelt k)
speak to him. I asked him if ever he went thither to speak to him. He said, '• No ;
they never wont that wore young men ; none went thither but tho old men," whom he
called thoir Oowokakee ; that ia, as I mado him explain it to me, their religious, or
clergy ; and that they went to sny 0 ! (so ho called saying prayers) and then came back
and tol(^ them what Benamuckee said. By this I observed, that there is priestcraft
even among tlio most blinded, ignorant pagans in tlio world ; and the policy of making
A secret of religion, in order to pi-eserve the veneration of tho people to tho clergy, is not
only to bo found in the Roman, but, perhaps among all religions in tho world, oven
among tho most brutish and barbarous sjxvages.

I endeavoured to clear up this fraud to my man Friday, and told him that tho pre-
tcnco of their old men going up to the numntains to say O ! to their god Benamuckee
was a cheat ; and their bringing word from thenco what he said was much more so ; that
if they met with any answer, or spoke with any one there, it must be with an evil .spirit ;
and then I entered into a long di.' coui-so with him about the devil, the original of him, his
rebellion against God, his enmity to man, the roixson of it, his setting himself uj^in the
dark parts of the world to be worshipped instead of God, and as God, and the many
stratagems ho made use of to delude mankind to their ruin; how he had a secret access

lo our p;\ssiiiiis an.] <u our nflVcl ion^, nnd to adapt hi^ simrcs tc^ onr iiiclinaf ions, so as

C:\^

l^

FRIDAY RECEIVES RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION.

to cause us even to bo our own tempters, and run upon our OAvn destruction by our
own choice.

I found it "Was not so easy to imprint riglit notions in liis mind about tlie devil as it
was about the being of a God : nature assisted all my arguments to evidence to him even
the necessity of a great First Cause — an oveiTuling, governing Power — a secret directing
Providence ; and of the equity and justice of paying homage to Him that made us, and
the like : but there appeai-cd nothing of this kind in the notion of an evil spirit ; of his
original, his beiiig, his nature ; and, aboA"e all, of his inclination to do evil, and to draw
us in to do so too : and the poor creature puzzled me once in such a manner, by a
([uestion merely natui'al and innocent, that I scarce knew what to say to him. I had
been talking a great deal to him of the power of God, His omnipotence. His aversion
to sin, His being a consuming fire to the workers of iniquity ; how, as He had made us
all, He could destroy us and all the world in a moment ; and he listened with great
seriousness to me all the while. After this, I had been telling him how the devil was
God's enemy in the hearts of men, and used all his malice and skill to defeat the good
designs of Providence, and to ruin the kingdom of Christ in the world, and the like.
'■' "Well," says Friday ; " but you say God is so strong, so great ; is he not much strong,
much might as the devil ? " " Yes, yes," says I, " Friday ; God is stronger than the
devil : God is above the devil, and therefore we pray to God to tread him down under
our feet, and to enable us to resist his temptations and quench his fiery darts." "But,"
says he again, " if God much strong, much might as the devil, why God no kill the
dcA-il, so make him no more do wicked 1 " I was strangely surprised at this question ;
and after all, though I was now an old man, yet I was but a young doctor, and ill quali-
fied for a casuist, or a solver of difliculties; and at first I could not tell what to say :
so I pretended not to hear him, and asked him what he said ; biit 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 he is to be cast into the
bottomless pit, to dwell with everlasting fire." This did not satisfy Friday ; but he
returns upon me, repeating my own words, " ^ Beserve at last! ' me no tmderstand : but
why not kill the devil now ; not kill great ago 1 " " 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 :
wo are preserved to repent and be pardoned." He muses awhile 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 by him to the last degree :
and it was a testimony to me, how the mere notions of nature, though they will guide
reasonable creatures to the knowledge of a God, and of a worship or homage due to the
supreme being of God, as the consequence of our nature, yefc nothing but Divine revelation
can form the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and of redem.ption purchased for us ; of a
Mediator of the new covenant, and of an Intercessor at t^^ie footstool of God's throne ; I
say, nothing but a revelation from heaven can form these in the soul ; and that, therefore,
the gospel of our Loi'd and Saviour Jesus Christ, I mean the Word of God, and the
Spirit of God, promised for the guide and sanctifier of His people, are the absolutely
necessary instructors of the souls of men in the saving knowledge of God, and the means
of salvation.

I therefore diverted the present discourse between me and my man, rising up hastily
qion some sudden occasion of going out ; then sending him for something a good
-ay off, I seriously prayed to God that he would enable mo to instruct savingly this

H7

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ROBINSON CRUSOE.

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jKKir fuivage ; assisting by His Spirit tlic lieart of the poor igiiomnt creature to receive
the liglit of the knowledge of God in Christ, reconciling liini to Himself, and wouUl
guide nio to speak so to him from the Word of God, that his conscience might be
convinced, his eyes opened, and his soul Siived. When he came again to me, I entered
into a long discom-so with him upon the subject of the redemption of man by the Saviour
of the world, and of the doctrine of the gospel preached from heaven — viz., of ropentauc<'
towards God, and faith in our blessed Lord Jesus. I then explained to him as well lus
I could ^^'hy our blesdetl Redeemer took not on Him the nature of angels, but the seed
of Abraham ; and how, for that reascm, the fallen angels had no share in the redemption ;
that lie came only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and the like.

I had, God knows, more sincerity than knowledge in all the methods I took for this
])Oor creature's instmction, 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 J either did not know, or had not fully considered
before, but which occurred naturally to my mind upon searching into them, for the
information of this poor savage ; and I had more affection in my inquiry after things
upon this occasion than ever I felt before : so that, whether this j)oor wild wretch was
tlie better for me or no, I had reiuson to be thankful that ever he came to me ; my grief
sat lighter upon me ; niy habitation grew comfortable to me beyond measure : and when
I reflected that in this solitary life which I had been conliued to, 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 to be made an instrument, under Providence, to save the life, and, for aught I
know, the soul of a j)oor savage, and bring him to the true knowledge of religion, and of
the Christian doctrine, that he might know Christ Jesus, to know whom is life eternal ;
I say, when I reflected iipon all these things, a secret joy ran through every i)art of
my soul, and I frequently rejoiced that ever 1 was brought to this place, which I had so
often thought the most dreadful of all afflictions that could possibly have befallen nie.

In this thankful frame I continued all the remainder of my time ; and the conver-
sation which employed the hours between Friday and me was such as made the three
years which we lived there together perfectly and completely happy, if any such thing
as complete happiness can be found in a sublunary stivte. This savage was now a good
Christian, a nnich better than I ; though I have reason to hoi)e, and bless God for it^
that we were crpially penitent, and comforted, restored i)enitents. We liad here the
Word of Gwl to read, and no farther off from His Spirit to instruct, than if wo had been
in England. I always applied myself, in reading the Scriptures, to let liim know, as i
W'ell us I could, the meaning of what I read ; and ho again, by his serious inquiries and
(piestionings, made me, as I said before, a much better scholar in the Scripture knowledge
than 1 should ever have been by \\\y own mere private reading. Another thing I
cannot refrain from observing hero also, from experience in this retired part of my life
— viz., how infinite and inexpressible a blessing it is that the knowledge of God, and of
the doctrine of salvation by t^iirist Jesus, is so plainly laiil down in the W^ord of God,
so ea.sy to be received and understood, that, as the bare reading the Scripture made me
capable of understanding enouj^^h of my duty to carry me directly on to the great work of
sincere repentance for my sins, and of laying hold of a Saviour for life and siUvation, to a
state«l reformation in practice, Jind obedience to all CJod's command.**, and this without any '
teacher or instructor, I mean human ; .so the same plain instruction sufficiently served j
to the enlightening this savago creature, and bringing him to be such a Christian as I
Lave known few equal to him in my life. >

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As to tlie disputes, wrangling, strife, and contention wliieli Lave liappened in the world
about reli"-ion, whether niceties iu doctrines, or schemes of church government, they were
all perfectly useless to us, and, for aiight I can yet see, they have been to the rest of the
world. We had the sure guide to heaven, viz., the Word of God j and we had, blessed be
God, comfortable views of the Spirit of God teaching and instructing us by His word,
leading us into all truth, and making us both willing and obedient to the instruction of
His word. And I canuot see the least u.se that the greatest knowledge of the disputed

149

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

poiutii of religion, which have made such confusions in the world, would hare been to
tiS if we could have obtained it ; but I must go on with the historical part of things,
and take cveiy part in its order.

After Fiiday and I became more iutimntcly acquainted, and that he could under-
stand almost all I .said to him, and speak llucntlr, though in broken English, to me, I
acquainted him with my own story, or at least so much of it as related to my coming
into this place ; how I had lived there, and how long : I let him into the mystei^, for
nch it was to him, of gimpowder and bllllet, and taught him how to shoot. I gave him
a knife, with which he was wonderfully deliglitcd ; and I mndo him a belt, with a frog
Jianging to it, such as in England we wear hangei-s in ; and in the frog, instead of a
hanger, I gave him a hatchet, which was not only iis good a wcflpou in some cases, but
much more useful \ipon many occasions.

I described to him the countries of Europe, particularly England, which I cnmc from ■
liMW we lived, how we woi-shipi)ed God, how we behaved to one another, and how wc
dull'.! in ships to all parts of the world. I gave him an account of the wi-eck which I
\fiu\ l)oen on boBtil of, and showed him, as near as I could, the place where she lay : biit
^h.• was idl beaten in pieces long before, and quite gone. I showed him the ruins of
cur Ijoat, which we lost when we escaped, and which I could not stir with my whole
suvngth then ; but was now -fallen almost all to pieces. Upon seeing this Inrnt^ Friday

st I nuLsing a great while, and said nothing. I asked him what it was he studied

ui.oii. At last, says he, "Me see such boat like come to place at my nation." I did
11'. t uiuleratand him a gootl while; but, at last., when I had examined further into it, I
undt'i-stood by him, that a boat, such as that had 1x?eti, came on shoi-c upon the coimtry
V litre he lived ; that is, as he explained it^ wos driven thither by stre.w of weather. I
j.nsently imagined that .some European ship mu.st have been cast away upon their coast,
and tho boat might get loose and drive ashore; but was so dull thai I never once
tli< night of men making their escape fkDm a wreck thither, much lees whence Ihoy might
cuu' : so I only inquii-ed after the description of the Wat.

Friday desciibed the boat to mc well enough ; but brought me better to understand
him when he added with some warmtli, " We save the white mans from dixiwn." Then
I presently asked if thei-e were any white mans, as ho called them, in the boat. *' Yes,"
he said ; " the boat fvdl of white man.^." I aslced him how many. He told ui)on his
iiiigers seventeen. 1 a.sked him tlicn whivt became of thcin. lie told mo, "They live,
they dwell at my nation."

This put new thoughts into my head ; for I presently imagined that the.'^e might bo i
the men belonging to the ship that was cast away in the sight of my island, as 1 now
called it ; and wlio, after tho alup was struck on the rock and they .saw her inevitably
lost, had sjived theiuselves in their boat, and were landed ujiou that wild shore among
the savages. Upon this I iiupiired of him nun-e critically what was become of them.
He assured mc they lived still there ; that they hail been there about four yeai-s ; that
the savages left them alone, and gave them victuals to live. I asked him how it
came to pass that they did not kill them and eat then^ Ke said, " No, they make brother
with them ;" that is, as I undei-stood him, a truce ; and then ho added, "They no cat
mans but when nuiko the war fight;" that is to sj\y, they never eat any men but such
;!-< come to (Iglut with them, and are taken in battle.

It was after this some considerable time, that beiirg ujion the top of the) hill, at (he
east side of the island, from whence, as I have 8i\id, I had, in a clear day, discovered the
main or emititiont r.f America, Friday, the weather being very .^erene, looks veiy

150

^

CRUSOE liXDULGES IN GROUNDLESS JEALOUSY,

eaniestly towards tlie main land, and, in a kind of surprise, Mis a-jumping and dancin'^,
and calls out to me, for I was at some distance from liim. I asked liirn what was the
matter. " Ob, joy ! " says he ; "oh, glad ! there see my country, there my nation ! " I
observed an extraordinary sense of pleasure appeared in his face, and his eyes sparkled,
and his countenance discovered a strange eagerness, as if ho had a mind to be in Lis
own country again. This observation of mine put a great many thoughts into me, which
made me, at first, not so easy about my new man Friday as I was before ; and I made
no doubt but that, if Friday could get back to his OAvn nation again, he would not only
forget all his religion, but all his obligation to me, and would be forward enough to o-lvc
his countrymen an account of me, and come back, perhaps, with a hundred or two of
them, and make a feast upon me, at which he might be as merry as he used to be with
those of his enemies, when they were taken in war. But I wronged the poor honest
creature very much, for which I was very sorry afterwards. However, as my jealousy
increased,' and held me some weeks, I was a little more circumspect, and not so fiimili ir
and kind to him as before : in which I was certainly in the wron<y too • the honest
grateful creature having no thought about it, but what consisted with the best jn-ia-
ciples both as a religious Christian, and as a grateful friend ; as appeared afterwards to
my full satisfaction.

While my jealousy of him lasted, you may be sure I was every day pumping him,
to see if he would discover any of the new thoughts which I suspected were in him •
but I found everything he said was so honest and so innocent, that I could find nothino-
to nourish my suspicion ; and, in spite of all my uneasiness, he made me at last entirely
his own again j nor did he in the least perceive that I was uneasy, and therefore I could
not suspect him of deceit.

One day, walking up the same hill, but the weather being hazy at sea, so that we
could not see the continent, I called to him, and said, "Friday, do not you wish yourself
in your own country, your own nation?" "Yes," he said, "I be much O glad to be
at my ovm nation." " What would you do there ? " s'aid I : " would you turn wild
again, eat men's flesh again, and be xi savage, as j-ou were before ? " He looked fiiU 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 ao-ain." " Whv
then," said I to him, " they will kill you." He looked grave at that, and then said,
'' ISTo* no-j they no kill me, they willing love learn." Ho 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 he could not swim so far. I told him, I would make a canoe for him. He told me
he would go, if I would go with him. " I go ! " says I ; « why they will eat me if I
come there." " No, no," says he, " me make them no eat you ; me make them mucli
love you." He meant, he would tell them how I had killed his enemies, and saved his
life, and so he would make them love me. Then he told me, as well as he could, how
kind they were to seventeen white men, or bearded men, as he called them, who came
on shore in distress.

From this time, I confess, I had a mind to venture over, and see if I could possibly
join with those bearded men, who, I made no doubt, were Spaniards or Portuguese ;
not doubting but, if I could, we might find some method to escape from thence, being
upon the continent, and a good company together, better than I could from an island
forty miles oflT the shore, alone, and without help. So, after some days, I took Friday
to work again, by way of discoiu'se, and told him I would give him a boat to^o back

III

*

w

RODIN Sun crl'soi:

to liis own nation ; and, accordingly, I CJ\rriudhim to my frigate, which lay on the other
siile of the island, and liuving cleared it of water (for I always kejjt it sunk in the water),
I hronght it out, showed it him, and we both went into it, I found he was a most
tlexterous fellow at managing it, and would make it go almost as swift and fast again
as I could. So when lie was in, I siiid to him, " Well, now, Fnday, shall we go to
your nation 1 " lie looked very dull at my saying so ; which it seems was because he
thought the boat too smaU* to go so far. I then told him I hud a bigger ; so the next
ilay 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 caro of it, and it had lain two or three and twenty year.s there, the sun had sjdit
and dritd it, that it was rotten. Fnday told me that .such a boat would do very well,
and would carry "much enough vittle, drink, bread;" — that was his way of talking.

rj)on tli(> whole, I was by this time so fixed upon my design of going over with him
to the continent, that I told him wo would go and make one a.s big as that, and lu>
.-lioidd go ht>me in it. IFe answered not one word, but looked very grave and .sad. 1
a>ked him what was the matter with him. He asked mc again, " Why you angry mad
with Friday ? — what me done ? " I a.sked him what he meant. I told him I was nut
angry with him at all. " No angry ! " .says he, repeating the words sevei^al times ; " why
send Friday home away to my nation ? " "Why," says I, " Friday, did not you say
you M-ished you were there/" ''Yes, yes," .says he, " wish we both there ; uo wish
Fritlay there, no master there." In a word, he would not think of going there without
me. '-I go th«-re, Friday '." .siiys I ; "what .shall I do there?" He turned very quick
ujion me at this, " You do great deal much g'^od," sjiys he ; " you teach wild mans lie
goml, .sober, tame mans ; you tt-ll them know Cu»d, pray God, and live new life,"
" Alas, Friday !" .say.s J, " thou knowest nob what thou .sayest ; I am but an ignorant
man myself." "Yes, ye.s," says he, "you teachee me good, you teachee them good."
"No, no, Friday," .says I, "you shall go without me; leave me here to live by myself,
as I did before." Ho looked eonfiised again at that word ; and running to one of tli.>
hatchets which he u.sed to wear, he takes it up hastily, and gives it to me. " What mu>t
I do with this/" says I to liini. "You take kill Friday,' .says he. " What must 1
kill you for /" .said I again, lie returns very quick — "What you send Friday away
for? Take kill Friday, no .send Friday away." This lie .spoke .so earnestly that I .■-aw
teai-s .stand in his eyes. In a word, I so i)lainly di.scovered the utmost alfeetiuu in him
to mo, and a iirra resolution in him, that I told him then, and often after, that I would
never stmd him away from me, if iu' was willing to stay \vith me.

Upon the whole, as I found by all his discourse a .settled aflection to me, and that
nothing could ]>art 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 peojile, and his hopes of my doing
them good ; a thing which, as 1 had no notion of myself, .so I had not the leiust thought
or intention, or desire of undertaking it. But still I lound a strong inclination to my
attenq»ting nn escape, fouiuled on tlio supposition gathered from the former discourse,
tliat there were seventeen bearded nu-n tlu're ; nntl therefore, without any more delay, I
went to work with Friday to find out a great tree proper to fell, aiul make a largo
poriagua, or canoe, to undertake the Voyage. •There were trees enough in the island to
h;vvo built a little lleet, not of i)eriagu!us or canoes, but even of good largo ves-sels ; but
the main thing I looked at Wiis, to get one so near tho water that we might launch it
when it wa.s made, to avoid tho mist^ike I committed at first. At huit, Friday pitched
upon a tree; for I found ho know nuu-h Ix'tter than 1 what kind of wood was fittest for

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

I

i t • nor can I tell, to thus day, what wood to call the tree we cut down, except that it
was very like the tree we call fustic, or between that and the Nicaragua wood, for it was
much of the sjimo colour and .smell. Friday was for burning the hollow or ca\'ity of
this tree out, to make it into a boat, but I showed him how rather to cut it with tools ;
which, afler I had showtd him how to use, he did very handily; and in about a month's
hard labour, we finished it and made it very handsome ; especially, when, with our axes,
which I showed him how to handle, we cut and hewed the outside into the tnie shape
of a boat. After this, however, it cost us near a fortnight's time to get her along, as it
were, inch by inch, upon gi-eat rollei-s into the water ; but when she wa.s in, she would
liave carried twenty men with great ca.sc.

When she was in the water, though .she was so big, it amazed me to see with what
dexterity and how swift my man Friday could manage her, turn her, and paddle her
along. So I a.sked him if wc would, and if we might venture over in her. " Yes," ho
paid ; " we venture over in her vcr}' well, though great blow wind." However, I had a
farther design that he knew nothing of, and that was to make a mast and a sail, and to
fit her with an anchor and cable. As to a mast, that was easy enough to get ; so I
pitched upon a straight young cedar-tree, which I found near the place, and which there
was great plenty of in the island, and I set Friday to work to cut it down, and gave
him directions how to .shape- and order it. But as to the sail, that was my particular
care. I knew I had old sails, or rather pieces of old sails, enough ; but as I had had
them now six-and-twenty years by me, and had not been very careful to preserve thorn,
not imagining that I should ever have this kind of use for them, I did not doubt but
they were all rotten ; and, indeed, most of them were so. However, I found two pieces^
which appeared jjretty good, and with these I went to work ; and with a gi'eat deal of
pains, and awkward, tedious stitching, you may be sure, for want of needle«, I at length
made a three-cornered ugly thing, like what we call in England a shoulder-of-mutton
sail, to go with a boom at bottom, and a little short sprit at the top, such as usually
our sliips' long-boats sail with, and such as I best knew how to manage, because it was
such a one as I used in the boat in which I made my escape from Barbary, as related
in the first part of my story.

I was near two months performing this last woi-k — viz., rigging and fitting my mast
and .sails ; for I fiui.shed them very complete, making a small stuy, and a sail or foresail
to it, to assist if we shouUl turn to windward ; and, which was more than all, I fixed a
rudder to the stern of her to steer with. And though I was but a bungling shipwright^
yet as I know the usofulnes-s, and even the necessity of such a thing, I applied myself
with .so much jmins to do it, that at last I brought it to p-oss ; though, considering tho
many dull contrivances 1 had for it that failed, I think it co.st me almost as much
liibour as making tho boat.

After all this was done, I had my man Friilay to teach as to what belonged to the
navigation of my boat ; for, though he knew very well how to paddle the canoe, he knew
untiling of what belonged to a .sail and a rudder ; and was the most amazed when he saw
mo work the boat to and again in the sea by tlio rudder, and how the sail gibbod, and
lillod this way or that way, as the courao wo sailed changed ; I .say, when he saw this,
he stood like one astonished and amazed. However, with a little use, I made all tlicse
things faniiliar to him, and he became an expert sailor, except that as to tlie compass I
cuvdd make him undei-stand very little of that. On tho other hand, as there was very
little cloudy weather, and seldom or never any fogs in those parts, there was the less
ocrnxion for the compass, seeing tho stars were always t'-» bo soon l»v night, and the shore

'51

r^^'it

*^.d'..

by day, except in tlie rainy seasons, and then nobody caved to stir abi'oad either by land
or sea.

I was now entered on the seven-and- twentieth year of my captivity in this place ;
though the three last years that I had this creature with me ought rather to be left out
of the account, my habitation being quite of another kind than in all the rest of my
time. I kej)t the anniversary of my landing here with the same thankfulness to God
for his mercies as at first : and if I had such cause of acknowledgment at first, I had
much more so now, having such additional testimonies of the care of Providence over
mc, and the great hopes I had of being efiectually and speedily delivered j for I had
an invincible impression upon my thoughts that my delivei'ance was at hand, and that
I should not be another year in this place. However, I went on with my husbandry ;
digging, planting, and fencing, as usual. I gathered and cured my grapes, and dil
every necessary thing as before.

The rainy season was, in the meantime upon me, when I kept more within doors
than at other times. I had stowed our new vessel as secure as we could, bringing her
up into the creek, where, as I said in the beginning, I landed my rafts from the ship ;
and hauling her up to the shore at high- water mark, I made my man Friday dig a little
dock, just big enough to hold her, and just deep enough to give her water enough to
float in ; and then, when the tide was out, we made a strong dam across the end of it,
to keep the water out ; and so she lay dry as to the tide from the sea : and to keep the
rain ofi^, 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 prepar'ing daily for the voyage. And the first thing I did
was to lay by a certain quantity of provisions, being the stores* for oitr voyage ; and
intended, in a week or a fortnight's time, to open the dock, and launch out our boat. I
was busy one morning upon something of this kind, when I called to Friday, and bid
him go to the sea-shore, and see if he could find a turtle or tortoise, a thing which wo
generally got once a vv^eek, for the sake of the eggs, as well as the flesh. Friday had not
been gone long when he came running back, and flew over my outer wall, or fence, like
one that felt not the ground, or the steps he set his feet on ; and before I had time to
speak to him, he cries out to me, "0 master! O master! O sorrow! 0 bad!"
'' What's the matter, Friday ? " said I. " Oh ! yonder, there," says he 5 " one, two, threo
Lanoes; one two, three !" By this way of speaking, I concluded there were six; but
on inquiry I found there were but three. "Well, Friday," says I, "do not bo
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 back 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 th&t they would eat me as well as him.
" But,'* said I, *' Friday, we must resolve to fight them. Can you fight, Friday 1 "
"Me .shoot," says he; "but thero come many great numbei'." "No matter for that,
said I, again ; " our guns will fright them that we do not kill." So I asked huu
whether, if I resolved to defend him, hewordd defend me, and stand by me, and do jus's
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 drunk it, I made him take the two

:-^=^^^&<^^^^.l!-

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

fowling-pieoca, which wc always earned, and load them with large swan-shot, as big
HH Hmall pistol-bullets. Then I took four muskets, and loaded them with two sluu^*,
and five small bullets each ; and my two pistols I loaded with a brace of bullets each.
r hung my great sword, as usual, naked by my side, and gave Friday his hatchet.
"W'lien I had thus prepared myself, I took my perspective-glass, and went uj) to the side
of the hill, to see what I could discover; and I found quickly by my gla-ss, that there
were oue-and-twenty savages, three prisonei-s, and three canoes ; and tliat their whole
busines.s seemed to be the triumphant banquet upon these three human bodies ; a
barbarous feast indeed, but nothing more than, as I had observed, was usual with
them. I obserA-ed also that they landed, not where they had done when Friday made
his csca])e, but nearer to my creek, where the shore was low, and where a thick wood
came close almost down to the sea. This, with the abhorrence of the inhuman eiTand these
wretches came about, filled me with such indignation that I canie down again to Friday,
and told him I Mas resolved to go down to them, and kill them all ; and asked him if
he would stand by mc. He had now got over his fright, and his spirits being a little
raised with the dram I had given him, he was veiy cheerful, and told mc, as before, he
would die when I bid die.

In this fit of fury I took fii-st and divided the arms which I had charged, as before,
between us ; I gave Friday one pistol to stick in his girdle, and three guns upon his
shoulder, and I took one pistol and the other three mysolf ; and in this jmsture we
marched out. I took a small bottle of nimjn my pocket, and gave Friday a large
bag with more powder and bullets; and as to orders,.! charged him to keep close
behind me, and not to stir, or shoot,' or do anything till 1 bid him, and in the mean-
time not to speak a wonL In this posture I fetched a compass to my right hand of
near a mile, as well to get over the creek as to get into the wood, so that I might come
within shot of them before I should bo discovered, Avhich 1 had seen by my ghiss it was
ca.sy to do.

AVhilc I M-as making this march, my former thoughts returning, I began to
abate my resolution — I do not mean that I cntei-tained any fear of their number,
for, as they were naked, unarmed wretches, it is certain I Avas superior to them — nay,
though I had been alone. 13ut it occurred to my thoughts, what call, what occasion,
much less what necessity, I was in to go and dip* my hands in blood, to attack people
who had neither done or intended mo any wrong? — who, as to me, were innocent, and
whoso barbarous customs were their own dis;xster, being in them a t<?ken, indeed, of God s
having left them, with the other nations of that jwu-t of the world, to such stupidity, and
to such inhuman courses, but did not call me to take upon me to be a judge of their
actions, much less an executioner of His justice — that whenever lie thought fit He
wouKl take the cause into His own hands, and by national vengeance punish them
for national crimes ; but that, in the meantime, it was none of my business — that it
was true Friday might justify it, because he was a declared enemy, and in a state of
war with those very i)articular peoj)le, and it was lawful for him to attack them ; but I
could not say tho .sjune with regard to myself. These things were so warndy pressed
upon my thoiights all the way as I went, that I resolved I would only go and place
myself near them that I might observe tlieir barbarous fca.st, and that I would act then
as (Jnd should direct ; and tliat ntiless something ofTered that was more a call to mc than
yet 1 knew of, I would not meddle with them.

\N ith this resnliition I entered tho wood, and, with all jxissilde wariness and silence,
I'liday following close at my heels, I marched till T came to the skirt of the wood on

156

III.' side which was next to them, only that one comer ot' the wood lay between me and
them. Uere I called softly to Friday, and showing him a great tree which was just ut
the conier of the wood, I bade him go to the tree, and bring me word if he could sec
there j)luiiily 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 theii' fire eating
the flesh of one of their jjrisoners, 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.
Ho told nic it was not one of their nation, but one of the bearded men whom he had
told mc of, that came to their country in the boat. I was filled with horror at the vei y
naming of the white bearded man ; and going to the ti-ee, I .sjiw plainly by my glas.-. a
white man, who lay upon the beach of the sea with his hands and his feet tied with
llag.o, or things like nishes, and that he was a Euroi)ean, 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 wa.s, 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 jjassion, though I was indeed enraged to the highest degree ; and going
back about twenty paces, I got behind some bushes, which held all the way till I came
to the other tree, and then came to a little rising ground, which gave me a full view of
them at the di-stance of about eighty yards.

I had now not a moment to lo.se, for nineteen of the dreadful wretches sat upon the
ground, idl close huddled togethei', and had just sent the other two to butcher the poor
Christian, and bring him perhaps limb by limb to their fire, and they were stooping
down to untie the band.s at his feet. 1 turned to Friday ; "Now, Friday," said I, "do
' ^ I bid thee." F'riday said he woidd. " Then, Friday," said I, «' do exactly as you see
ic do ; fail in nothing." So I set do\vn 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 siivages, 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, yon may bo sure, in a dreadful consternation ; and all of them that weio
not hurt jumped upon their feet, but did not immediately know which way to run, or
which way to look, for tliey knew not from whence their destruction came. Friday
kept his eyes close upon mo, that, as I had bid him, ho might observe what I did ; so, as
soon a.s the first shot was mado, I threw down the piece, and took up the fowling-piece,
and Friday did the like ; ho saw me cock and present; ho did the same again. " Are
you ready, Friday ? " said I. " Yes," says ho. " Let fly, then," said I, " in the name
of God !" and with that I ilred again among the ama/ed wretches, and so did Frid;iy;
and as our pieces wero now loadeil with what I call swan-shot, or small pistol-bullets,
wo found only tMD drop ; but so many wero wounded, fchat they ran about yelling and
screaming like mail creatures, all bloody, and most of them miserably wounded;
whereof three more fell quickly after, thougli not quite dead.

"Now, Friday," said I, laying down the discharged pieces, and t;\kiug up the
nuiskct which Wivs yet loaded, " follow me," which he did with a gi-eat deal of courage ;
n])on which I rushed out of tho wood and showed my.self, and Fiiday clKe at my foot.
Ah soon m I perceived they saw mo, I shouted as loud as I could, and bade Friday do
HO too, and running jis fast as I could, n 'hieh by the way was uofc very fiist, being loaded
with arms as I was, I made directly towards tho poor victim, who was. as I said, lying

158 " "^ "N

THE SPANIARD SAVED

ic

upon tlie beach or sliore, between tlie place where they sat and the sea. The two butchers
■who -were just going to -work with him had left him at the surprise of our first fire, and
fled in a terrible fright to the sea-side, and had jumped into a canoe, and three more of
the rest made the same way. I turned to Friday, and bade him step forwards and fire
at them ; he understood me immediately, and running about forty yards to be nearer
them, he shot at them ; and I thought he killed them all, for I saw them all fiiU of a
heap into the boat, though I saw two of them up again quickly ; however, he killed
two of them, and wounded the third so that he lay down in the bottom of the boat as if
he had been dead.

\Yliile my man Friday fired at tliem, I pulled out my knife and cut the flags that
bound the poor victim ; and loosing his hands and feet, I lifted him up, and asked him
in the Portuguese tongue, what he was. He answered, in Latin, Christianus ; but was
so weak and faint that he could scarce stand or speak. I took my bottle out of my
pocket, and gave it him, making signs that he should drink, which he did ; and I gave
him a piece of bread, which he ate. Then I asked him what countryman he was, and
he said Espagnole ; 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 fi»ht
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 anns 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 feax', and had no more power to attemj)t their
own escape, than their flesh had to resist our shot : and that was the case of those five
that Friday shot at in the boat ; for as three of them fell with the hurt they received,
so the other tAvo fell with the fright.

I kept my piece in my hand still without firing, being willing to keep my charge
ready, because I had given the Spaniard my pistol and sword ; so I called to Friday,
and bade him run up to the tree from whence we first fired, and fetch the arms which
lay there that had been discharged, which he did with great swiftness ; and then giving
him my musket, I sat down myself to load all the rest again, and bade them come to
me when they wanted. "While I was loading these pieces, there happened a fierce
engagement between the Spaniard and one of the savages, who made at him with one
of their great wooden swords, the same weapon that was to have killed him before, if I
had not prevented it. The Spaniard, who was as bold and brave as could be imagined,
though weak, had fought this Indian a good while, and had cut two great wounds on
his head ; but the savage being a stout lusty fellow, closing in with him, had thrown
him down, being faint, and was wringing my sword out of his hand ; when the
Spaniard, though undermost, wisely quitted the sword, drew the pistol ft-om his girdle,
shot the savage through the body, and killed him upon the spot, before I, who was
i-unning to help him, could come near him.

Friday being now left to his liberty, pursued the flying wretches, with no weapon
in his hand but his hatchet ; and with that he dispatched thofse three who, as I said
before, were Avounded at first, and fallen, and all the rest he could come up with : and
the Spaniard coming to me for a gun, I gave him one of the fowling-pieces, with whiclx
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

m

KOlilXSON CRUSOE.

tlicm, btit the otlier was too nimble for liim ; ami though ho was woumled, yet liatl
iilungeil liiinself into tlie sea, and swam with all his might ofF to those two who were
l.'ft in the canoe ; which three in the canoe, with one wounded, that we knew not
whether he died or no, were all that escajjed our hands, of one-and-twenty. The
account of the whole is as follows : — Three killed at our first shot from the tree ; two
killed at the next shot ; two killed by Friday in the boat ; two killed by Friday, of
those at first wounded ; one killed by Friday in the wood ; three killed by the
Spaniard ; four killed, being found dropped here and there, of the wounds, or killed by
Friday in his chase of thorn; four escaped in the bout, whereof one wounded, if not
dead — twenty-one in all.

Tho.se that were in the canoe worked hard to get out of gunshot, and though Friday
made two or three .shots at them, I did not find that ho hit any of them. Friday
would fain have had nie take one of their canoes, and pursue them ; and, indeed, I was
\ery anxious about their escape, lest, carrying the news home to their people, they
should come Imck perhaps with two or three hundred of the canoes, and devour us by
mere multitude ; so I consented to pursue them by sea, and running to one of their
canoes, T jumped in, and bade Fi-iday follow me; but when I was in the canoe,
1 was surprised to find another poor creature lie there, bound hand and foot, as the
Sj)aniard wa.s, 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 Wiis
tied so hard neck and heels, and had been tied so long, that he liad really little life
ill him.

I immediately cut the twisted flags or rushes, which they had bound him with, and
would have helped him up ; but ho could notstixnd or speak, but groaned most piteously,
believing, it seems, still, that he was only unbound in order to be killed. When Friday
came to liim, I bade him speak to him, and tell him of his deliverance ; and pulling out
my Ijottle, made him give the poor wretch a dram ; which, with the news of his being
delivered, revived him, and he sat up iu 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
I'liday kis.sed him, embraced him, hugged him, cried, laughed, hallooed, jumped about,
il.iuccd, sung ; then cried again, wrung his hands, beat his own face and head ; and then
sung and jum])ed about again like a distracted creature. It was a good while before I
could make him .speak to me, or tell me what was the matter; but when he came a
little to himself, he told mo that it was his father.

It is not easy for mo to ex])ress how it moved mo to see what ecst^xcy and filial
uflcction had M'orked in this poor .savage at the sight of his father, and of his being
delivered from death ; nor, indeed, can I ilescribi- half the extravagances of his aflbction
after this ; for ho went into the boat, and out of tlie boat, a great many times : when
he M-ent in to him, ho would sit down by him, open Ids breast, and hold his father's he:xd
close to his bosom lialf an hour together, to nourish it; then he took his arms and
ankles, which were numbed and stifl' with the binding, and chafed and rubbed them with
Ids 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 action put an end to our purauit of the canoe with the other savages, who were
now gotten almost out of sight ; and it was hippy fi>r us that wo did not, for it blew
so hard within two hours after, ami before thoy could bo got a quarter of their way, and
e<mtinued blowing so hard all night, and that from the north-west, which was against them,
tliat I could not suppose their boat could live, or that thoy ever reached their own coast.

i6o

But to return to Friday ; he was so busy about his father, that I could not find in
my heart to take him off for some time ; but after I thought he could leave him a little
I called him to me, and he came jumping and laughing, and pleased to the highest
extreme ; then I asked him if he had given his father any bread. He shook his head,
and said,'" None ; ugly dog eat all up self." I then gave him a cake of bread, out of a
little pouch I carried on purpose ; I also gave him a dram for himself; but he would not
taste it, but carried it to his father. I had in my pocket also two or three bunches of
raisins, 'so I gave him a handful of them for his father. He had no sooner given his
flither these raisins, but I saw him come out of the boat, and run away as if he had been be-
witched, for he was the swiftest fellow on his feet that ever I saw : I say, he ran at
such a rat3 that he was out of sight, as it were, in an instant ; and though I called, and

hallooed out too, after him, it was all one— away he went ; and in a quarter of an

i6i

hour I saw him comeback ngain, tliough not so fast as he wont ; and, as he came nearer,
I found his imce slacker, because he had something in his hand. When he came up to mo,
I foud he had boeu qiiito home for an earthen jug or pot, to bring liis father some
fresh water, and that he had got two lUM-c cakes or loaves of bread : the bread he gave
roe, but the water he carried to his fuflier ; however, as I was very thirsty too, I took
a little BUD of it. This water revived his father more than all the rum or spirits I had
given him, for he was just fainting with thirst.

When his father had drunk, I called to him to know if tiicr*- was any water left :
he said "Yes ;" and lljade him give to the poor Spaniard, who -was in as much want
of it as his father ; and 1 sent one of the cakes, that Friday brought, to theSi)aniard
too, who was indeed very weak, and was repoiiug himself upon a green i)lace under
the shade of a ti-eo ; and wliose limbs were also very stiff, and very much swelled with
the rude bondage he had boon tiod with. When I saw that ujjon Friday's comiug to
Jiini with the water, he sat up and drauk, and took the broad and began to eat, I went
to hini 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
liis foot : ho 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, ami bathe them with rum, as he had done his flither's.
ClR*^ I observed the poor affectionate creature, every two minutes, or.perhaps less, all the

while he was here, turned his head about, to see if his father was in the same place and
posture as lie left him sitting ; and at last he found he was not to be seen ; at which he
started up, and, without speaking a word, flew with that swiftness to him, that one could
scarce perceive his feet to touch the ground as he went : but when he came, ho only
found ho had laid himself down to ease his limbs, so Friday came back to me
presently; and I then spoke to the Spaniard to let Friday help him up, if ho could, and
1 ad him to the boat, and then he should carry him to our dwelling, where I would take
cure of him. But Friday, a lusty young fellow, took the Spaniard rpxite up tipon hjs
back, and caiTJcd him away to the boat, and set him dow-n softly upon the side or
gimnel of llio canoe, with his feet in the inside of it ; and then lifted l^ipi quite in, an.!
hot l»im closu to his father ; and presently stepping out again, launcl^ed tlie boat oli,
ond paddled it along the shore faster than 1 could walk, though the wind blew jnctt ,
liard too ; so ho brought them both safe into our creek, and leaving them in the boai
runs away to fetch the other canoe. As ho jiassed me I spoke to him, and asked hiin
whither he went. lie told me, "Go fetch more boat ;" BO away he went like the Avinl
f >r sure never man or horao ran like him ; and he had the other canoe in the ere* i-
almost as soon as I got to it by land ; so ho wafted me over, and then went to help om
now guests out of the boat, which he did ; but they wore neither of them ahlo to wall;
BO that poor I'liday know not what to do.

To roincdy 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-baiTow to lay them
on, and Friday and I carried them up both together upon it between lis.

But when wo got them to the outside of our wall, or fortification, we were at a
worse loss than before, for it was impossible to got them over, and I was resolved not to
brtuk it down ; so I sot to work again, and Friday and I, in about two hours' time,
made a very handsome tent, covered with old sails, and above that with bough? of trees,
being in the sp.-ico without our outward fence, and botwoon that and the grove of young

162

CRUSOE CONVERSES WITH HIS SUBJECTS.

wood wliicli I had planted ; aud here we made them two beds of such things as I had,
viz., of good rice-straw, Avith blankets laid upon it, to lie on, and another to cover them,
on each bed.

My island was now peopled, and I thought myself very rich in subjects j and it was
a merry reflectfon, which I frequently made, how like a king I looked; First of all, the
whole country was my own mere property, so that I had an undoubted right of dominion.
Secondly, my people were perfectly subjected : I was absolutely lord and lawgiver : they
all owed tlieir lives to me, and were ready to lay down their lives, if there had been
occasion for it, for me. It was remarkable, too, I had but three subjects, and they were
of three different religions : my man Friday was a Protestant, his father was a Pag:i'i
and a cannibal, and the Spaniard was a Papist. However, I allowed libex-ty of conscience
throughout my dominions : — But this is by the way.

As soon as I had secured my two weak rescued prisoners, and given them shelter,
and a place to rest them upon, I began to think of making some provision for them ;
and the first thing I did, I ordered Friday to take a yearling goat, betwixt a kid and a
goat, out of my particular flock, to be killed ; when I cut off the hinder quarter, and
chopping it into small pieces, I set Friday to work to boiling and stewing, and made
them a very good dish, I assure you, of flesh and broth, having put some barley and rice
also into the broth ; and as I cooked it without- doors, for I made no fire within my inner
wall, so I carried -it all into the new tent, and having set a table there for them, I sat
down, and ate my own dinner also with them, and, as well as I could, cheered them
and eucoui'aged them. Friday was my interpreter, especially to his father, and, indeed,
to the Spaniard too ; for the Spaniard spoke the language of the savages pretty Avell.

After we had dined, or rather supped, I ordered Friday to take one of the canoes
and go and fetch our muskets and other fire-arms, which, for want of time, we had lefb
upon the place of battle ; and, the next day, I ordered him to go and bury the dead
bodies of the savages, which lay open to the sun, and would presently bo oftensive.
I also ordered him to bury the horrid remains of their barbarous feast, which I could
not think of doing myself : nay, I could not bear to see them, if I went that way ; iV.
which he punctually perfonned, and defaced the very appearance of the savages be;
there ; so that when I went again, I could scarce know where it was, otherwise than i 'V
the corner of the wood pouiting to the place.

I then began to enter into a little conversation with my two new subjects ; and,
first, I set Friday to inquire of his father what he thought of the escape of the savages
in that canoe, and whether we might expect a return of them, with a power too great
for us to resist. His first opiiaon 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 drov/ned, or
di-iven south to those other shores, where they were as sui-e to be devoured as they were
tobe drowned if they were cast away; but, as to what they would do if they came safe
on shore, he said he knew not ; but it was his opinion, that tbiey were so dreadfully
frightened with the manner of their being attacked, the noise, and the fire, tliat he
believed they would tell the people they were all killed by thunder and lightning, not by
the hand of man ; and that the two which appeared, viz., Friday an^d I, were two heavenly
spirits, or furies, come down to destroy them, and not men with ■'ureapons. This he said
he knew, because he heard them all cxy out so, in their language, one to another ; for
it was impossible for them to conceive that a man could dart fire, and speak thunder, and
kill at a distance, without lifting up the hand, as was done now : and this old savage was
in the right 3 for, as I imderstood since, by other hands, the savages "-?""■' f.+^ompted to
^^-.^--^^ 163

m

k

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

f,'o over to the island afterwards ; tlifv were so terrified with the accounts given by tho^^c
four men (for it seems they did escape the sea), that they believed whoever went to that
lucliantod island would be destroyed with fire from the gods. This, however, I knew
not ; and therefore was under continual apprehensions for a good while, and kept always
upon my guard, I and all my army : for, as we were now four of us, I would have
ventured upon a hundred of them, fairly in the open field, at any time.

In a little time, however, no more canoes appearing, the fear of their coming M-ore
nfl' : and I began to take my former thoughts of a voyage to the main into consideration ;
being likewise assured, ])y Fnday'.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 stispendcrl
when I had a serious discourse with the Spaniard, and when T understood that there
were sixteen more of hid countrymen and Portuguese, who having been cast away and
made their escaj)e to that side, lived there at peace, indeed, with the savage--^, but were
very sore put to it fm- necessaries, and, indeed, for life. I :i.skc<lhim all the particulars
of their voyage, and found they Averc a Spanish ship, bound from the Rio de la Plata to
the Havanna, being directed to leave their loading there, which was chiefly hides and
silver, and to bring back what European goods they could meet with there ; that they
had five Portuguese seamen on board, whom they took out of another wreck ; that five
of their own men were drowned, when first the ship was lost, and that these escaped
through infinite danger and hazards, and arnved, almost starved, on the cannibal coast,
where they expected to have been devoured every moment. He told me they had some
arms with them, but they were perfectly useless, for that they had neither powder nor ball,
the washing of the sea having spoiled all their jwwder, luit 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
no design of nmking any escape. Jle .said they had many consultations about it ; but
that having neither vessel, nor tools to build one, nor provisions of any kind, their councils
always ended in teai-s and despair. I asked him how he thought they wotild receive a
jiropo.sal from me, which might tend towards an escajie ; and whether, if they were all
here, it might not be done. T told him with freedom, I feared mostly their treachery
and ill-ustige 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 n.s they did by the advantages they expected. I told him it
would he vr-ry hard that 1 should be the instrument of their deliverance, and that they
should afterwards nnikc me their prisoner in New Spain, where an Englishman was
certain to be made a sacrifice, what neccssitv, or what Occident soever brought him
thither; and that J 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. J.
added that, otherwi.se, I wa«< jirrsuaded, if they Avero all here, we might, with so many
hiiud.s, build a barque large enotigh to carry us all s>way, either to the Bmzil^south-
■ward, or to the i.shmds or Spanish coast northward ; b\it that if, in requital, they should,
when 1 had put weaiK)ns into their hands caiTy me by force among their own peoj>le, 1
might be ill used for iny kindness to them, and make my case woi-se than it was before.

He answered, with u 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 an^T man unkindly that .should contribute to their deliverance ; and
that.ifl pleased, he wonW go to them,-\Wth the old man, and discourse with iheni about
it and return .ncrain, nnd. I.rintr me their answer : that he would make conditions with

<<r-^^

nrs^

ROBLNSON CRUSOE

tliom upon their solemn oath, that they should be absolutely tinder my direction, fts their
commander nnd captain ; and they should swear upon the holy siicrameut 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 ho told me ho would fn-.st swear to mo himself, that he
•Nvould never stir from me as long as he lived, till I gave him orders ; and that he would
take my side to the lust drop of his blood, if there should happL-n the least breach of
faith among his countrymen. Ho told me they were all of them very civil, honest men,
and they were under the greatest distress imaginable, having neither weapons nor 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 tlieir relief,
they would live and die by me.

Upon these assurances, I resolved to venture to relieve them, if possible, and to send
ihc 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 nmch
l>nulenco 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 oft" 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 sec 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 husbandly, for my family, now it was increased to four ; but much less
would it be sufficient if his countrymen, who were, as he said, foui-teen, still alive, should
come over ; and, least of all, would it be sufficient to victual our vessel, if we should
build one, for a voyage to any of the Christian colonies of America ; so he told me he
thought it would be more advisable to lot 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 bo a temptation to them to disagree, or not to think themselves delivered,
otherwi.se than out of one difficulty into another. "You know," says he, "the children
of Israel, though they rcjcjiced at first for their being delivered out of Egypt, yet rebelled
oven against (Jod himself, that delivered them, when they came to want bread in the
wilderness."

His caution was .so .seasonable, and his advice so good, that 1 could not but bo very
well plea.sed with his proposal, as well as I was satisfied with his lldelity ; so we fell to
*''Sg'"g. 'ill four of u.H, ns well as the wooden tools wo were furni.shed with permitted ;
and in ahout a month's time, by the end of which it wtis .seed-time, we had got as much
land cured and trimmed up, as wo sowed two-and-twenty bushels of barley on, and
si.xteen jars of rice, which was, in .short, all the seed we had to sj)are ; indeed, wo 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 wo set our seed aside for sowing ; for it is
not to bo supi)o.sed it Is six months in the ground in that country.

Having now society enough, and our number being sufficient to put us out of fear of
the savuyes, if they had come, unless their number had been very groat, we went fively
all over tho isluud, whenever we found occa.sion ; and as wo had our escape or dclivcr-
anco upon our thought.s, it was impossible, ut least for me, to have tho means of it out
ol mine. For this purpose, I marked out sovei-al trees, which I thought fit fur our
>>., ^-zs.«^..^_ i66 MM ■■ _:

A CHARITABLE MISSION.

work, and I set Fi'iday and his father to cut them down ; and then I caused the Spaniard, Im
to wliom I imparted my thoughts on that affair, to ovei-see and direct their work. I 1
showed them witli what indefatigable pains I liad hewed a h\rge tree into single j^
jdanks, 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 cS
inches thick : Avhat prodigious labour it took up, any one may imagine. w

At the same time, I contrived to increase my little stock of tame goats as much as I |
could ) and for this purpose I made Friday and the Spaniard go out one day, and ]
myself with Fi'iday the next day (for we took ou.r turns), and by this means we got f^
about twenty young kids to breed up with the rest j 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 P|
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 exceeding nourishing. .

It was now harvest, and our crop in good order; it was not the most plentiful i
increase I had seen in the island, but, however, it was enough to answer our end; for, j
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- Spaniai'ds had been on shore t
with me ; or, if we had been ready for a voyage, it woiild very plentifully have
victualled our ship to have carried us to any part of the world, that is to say, of ^
America. When we had thus housed and secured our magazine of corn, we fell to work i
to make more wicker-work, viz., great baskets, in which we kept it ; and the Spaniard r
was very handy and dexterous at this part, and often blamed me that I did not make
some things for defence of this kind of work ; but I saw no need of it.

And now, having a full .supply of food for all the guests expected, I gave the '
Spaniard leave to go over the main, to see what he could do with those he had left ^
beliind him 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 I
kind as to send for them in order to their deliverance ; but that tbey would stand by
him and defend him against all such attempts, and wherever they went, would be
entirely under and subjected to his command ; and that this should be put in writing, J
and signed with theft' hands. How they were to have done this, when I knew they had i
neither pen nor ink — that, indeed, was a question which we never asked. Under these
instructions, the Spaniard and the old savage, the father of Friday, went away in one of
the canoes which they might be said to have come in, or rather were brought in, when '
they came as prisoners to be devoured by the savages. I gave each of them a musket, l
with a fire-lock on it, and about eight charges of powder and ball, charging them to
be very good husbands of both, and not to u.se either of them but upon urgent occasion.

This was a cheerful work, being the first measures used by me, in view of mv
deliverance, for now twenty-seven years and some days. I gave them provisions of
bread, and of dried gi'apes, 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 f\
go, agreeing with them about a signal they should hang out at their return, by which I n|
should know them again, when they came back, at a distance, before they came on \
shore. Thev went awav, v.'ith a fair gale, on the dav the moon was at full, bv my

167

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^s^

r^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

'f

account in the month of October; but as for an exact leckoniuf; of days ^ftev I had
oncf' h).st it, I could never recover it again ; nor had 1 kept even the numWr of years
.) punctually as to be sure I

was right ; thougli, as it proved, wlien I afterwards
( xamined my account, I fomul I had kei»t a true reckojiing of years.

It was uo less tlian eight days I had waited for them, when a strange and unforeseen
accident intervened, of which the like has not, jiorhaps, been hoard of in history. I was
last a«leep in my hutch one morning, when my man Friday came running in to me, and
f idled aloud, "Master, master, they are come, they are come:" I jumped up, and,
icardless 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 veiy thick wot>d ; I say,
ngardk'ss of danger, I went without my arms, which was not my custom to do : but I
was surprised, when, turning my eyes to the sea, I presently saw a boat at about a league
iuiil a half distance, standing in for the shore, with a shoulder-of-mutton sail, as they
rail it, and the wind bhfwing pretty fair to bring them in : also I obser\-cd, presently,
that they ditl not come from that side which the .shore lay on, but from the southern-
most end of the island. Upon this I called Friday in, and l)ade him lie close, for these
were not the people we looked for, and that we might not knoAv yet whether they were
! it-nds or enemies. In the next jdace, I went in to fetch my perspective-glass, to see
hat T coidd make of them ; and, having taken the ladder out, I climbed up to the top
of the hill, as I used to do when I Wivs apprehensive of anything, and to take my view
plainer, without being discovered. I had scarce set my foot upon the hill, when my eyo
plainly discovered a ship lying at an anchor, at about two leagiies and a half distance
from me, S.S.K., lait not above a league and a half from the shore. By my observation,
it appeared ]tlainly to be an English ship, and the boat ajipearcd to be an English long-
boat.

I cannot express the confusion I was in, though the joy of seeing a ship, and one
that I had reason to believe was manned by my own countrymen, and consequently
friends, was such as I cannot describe ; but yet I had some secret doubts hung about
me — I cannot tell from whence they cauae — bidding me keep upon my guard. In the
lii-st place, it occurred to me to consider what business an English ship could have in
that part of the world, since it was not the way to or from any part of the world where
the English had any traffic; and I knew there had been no storms to drive them in
there, in di.stre.ss ; and that if they were really English, it was most probable that they
were here upon no good design ; and that 1 had better continue as I was than fall into
till' hands of thieves and murderei-s.

i,ot no man despi.sc the secret hints and notices of danger which sometimes are given
him when he may think there is no possil>iUty of its being real. That such hint.s and
notices are given u.s, I believe few that have made any observations of things can deny ;
that they are certain discoveries of an invisible worUl, and a converae of .spirits, wo
cannot doiibt ; and if the tendency of them .seems to be to warn us of danger, why
should we not suppo.so they are from .some friendly agent (whether supreme, or inferior
and subordinate, is not the question), and that they are given for our good i

The present question abundantly confirms me in the justice of this reasoning; for
had I not been nuule catitious by this secret admonition, come it from whence it will, 1
had been undone inevitably, and in a far worse condition tlmu before, as you will se.'
l)re.scntly. 1 had not kept my.'-elf long in this jwstiire, till I saw the boat dmw near the
>hore, as if they looked for a creek to thrust in at, for the convenience of landing ; how-
.•er, as they did not come (juite far enough, thev did not see thr> littlo inlet where I

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

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formerly landed my raftn, but i-an their boat on shore upon the beach, at about Imlf a
mile from mo ; -which was very happy for mc j for otherwise they wouUl have lauded
just at my door, as I may say, and would boou have beaten mo out of my castle, and
perhaps have phuidorcd me of uU I had. When they were on shore, I was fully s;itisfied
tliey were Englishmen, at least mo.st of them j one or two I thought were Dutch, but it
did nob provo bo; thc-ro were in all eleven men, whereof three of them I found were
iniarmod, and, as I thought, bound ; and when the first f )ur or five of them were jumped
on .shore, Ihoy took those three out of the boat, as prisoners : one of the three I could
]»crccivo using the most passionate gestures of entreiity, affliction, and despair, even to a
kind of extravagance ; tlie other two, I could percuivo, lifted up their hand sometimes,
and api)eared concerned, indeed, but not to such a dogi-eo as the first. I was jjcrfectly
confomulcd at the sight, and know not what the meaning of it should be. Friday called
out to mo in English, as well as he could, '• O master ! you sec English mans eat jirisoni r
as well as savage mans." " AVhy, Friday," says I, " do you think they arc going to eat
them, then ?" — "Yes," says Friday, "they will cat them." — "No, no,-' .says T, "Friday ;
I am afraid they will murder them, indeed ; but you may bo sure they will not cat
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 naw omo of the villains lift up his arm with a great cutlass, as the
seamen call it, or sword, to strike one of the jtoor men ; and I expected to see him fall
every moment ; at which all the blood in my body seemed to run chill in my veins. I
wished heartily now for my Spaniard, and the savage that was gone with him, or that I
had any way to have come undiscovered within .shot of them, that I might have secured
the three men, for I saw no fire-arms they had among them j but it fell out to my
mind another way. After I had obsen'od the outrageous usage of the three men by
the insolent seamen, I observed the fellows nin scattering about the land, as if they
wanted to see the country. I observed also that the three other men had liberty to go
where they pleased ; but they sat down all three upon the ground, very pensive, and
looked like men in despair. This put mo in mind of the first time when I came on
shore, and began to look about mo j 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 boasts. As I know nothing, that night, of tho
sii)>ply I was to receive by tho providential drivhig of tho ship nearer the land by tho
sti.niis and tide, by which I have since been so long nourished and sui>ported ; so these
throo poor desolato men know nothing how certain of deliveniuco and supply they were,
how near it was to them, and how clTeetually and really they were in a condition of
.•afi'ty, at tho Bamo time the}- thought themselves lost, and their case desperate. So
liillo do wo see bofuro us in the world, and so much reason have we to depend cheerfully
npna the great Aluker of Iho world, that Ho does not lAivo His creatures so absolutely
(Kstiluto, but that, in tho worst circumstances, they have always .something to be
th:inkful for, and sometimes aro nearer their dclivoranco than they imagine; nay, arc
■ veil brought to their deliverance by tho means by which they seem to bo brought to
tiicir destruction.

It was just at tho top of high water wlien these people came on shore ; and while they i
rambled al)out to .see what kind of a ])lace they were in, they had carelessly stayed till tlio s
tiilo was spent^ and tlie water was ebbed considerably away, leaving their boat aground. '
They had left two men in the bo At, who, as I found afterwards, having drunk a little too >

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DELIVERANCE IN AN UNCOUTH FORAI.

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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 ifc, hallooed oub fijr the rest, who
were straggling about ; xx^on which they all soon came to the boat ; but ifc was past all
their strength to launch her, the boat being very heavy, and the shore on that side
being a soft oozy sand, almost like a quicksand. In this condition, like true seamen,
who are, perhaps, the least of all mankind given to forethought, they gave it over, and
away they strolled about the country again ; and I heard one of them say aloud to
another, calling them off from the boat, "Why, let her alone. Jack, can't you 1 she'll
float next tide ; " by which I was fully confirmed in the main inquiry of what country-
men 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 it would be dark, and I might be at
more liberty to see their motions, and to hear their discourse, if they had any. In the
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
^-cry fierce ; I had my formidable goat-skin coat on, with the great cap I have mentioned?
a naked sword, two pistols in my belt, and a gun upon each shoulder,

Ifc Avas my design, as I said above, not to have made any attempt till it was dark ;
btifc about two o'clock, being the heat of the day, I found, in short, they were all gone
straggling into the woods, and, as I thought, were all 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, as I thought;
out of sight of any of the rest. Upon this I resolved to discover myself to them, and
learn something of their condition j 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, gentle-
men ? " They started w^ at the noise, but were ten times more confounded when they
saw me, and the uncouth figure that I made. They made no answer at all, but I
thought I perceived them just going to fly from me, when I spoke to them in English :
" Gentlemen," said I, "do not be surprised at me : perhaps you may have a friend near,
when you did not expect it." "He*must be sent directly from heaven, then," said
one of them very gravely to me, and pulling oflf his hat at the same time ; " for our
condition is past the help of man." "All help is from heaven, sir," said I : "but
can yo\i 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."

The poor man, with tears running do^vn his face, and trembling, looked like one
astonished, returned, " Am I talking to God, or man 1 Is it a real man, or an angel ? "
— " Ee in no fear about that, sir," said I ; "if God had sent an angel to relieve you, ho
would have come better clothed, and armed after another manner than you see me in ; pray
lay aside yoiir fears ; I am a man, an Englishman, and disj)osed to assist you ; you sec I
have one servant only ; we have arms and ammunition ; tell ,ua freely, can we serve
you ? What is your case ? " " Our case, sir," said he, " is too long to tell you, while our
murdei-ers are so near us; but, in short, sir, I was commander of \h-"^ "h^';^ ; my men

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have mutinied ftgainst me ; they have been hardly prevailed on not to murder me, and,
at last, liave sot me on shore in this desolate place, with these two men with me — one
my mate, the other a passenger, where we expected to perish, believing the place to be
uninhabited, and know not yet what to think of it." " ^^^^ere 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 yo»i speak; if they have, they will certainly murder us all." "Have they
any lire arms ? " saiil I. He answered, " They had only two pieces, one of which they
kft in the boat" " Well then," .«5aid 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 a.skcd him which they were. He told me he could not at that distance distinguish them,
but he would obey my orders in anything I would direct. "Well," says I, "let us
retreat out of their view or hearing, lest they awake, and we will resolve further." So
they willingly went back with me, till the woods covered us from them.

" Look you, sir," said I ; " if I venture upon your deliverance, are you willing to
make two conditions with me ? " He anticipated my proposals by telling me that both he
and the ship, if f ecovercd, should be wholly directed and commanded by me in everything ;
and if the ship was not recovered, he would live and die with me in what pai-t of the
world soever I would send him ; and the two other men said the same. " Well," s;ud
I, " my conditions arc but two ; first, — that while you stay on 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 or may
be recovered, you will cany me and my man to England passage free."

He gave me all the assurance that the invention and faith of a man could devise that
he would comj)ly 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," sjiid I,
" here arc three muskets for you, with powder and ball ; tell me next what you think is
proper to be done." He showed all the testimony 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 w:\s to fire on them at once as they lay,
and if any were not killed at the first volley, and offered to submit, wo might save them,
and so put it wholly upon God's jn-ovidence to direct the shot. He Siiid, very modestly,
that he was loth to kill them, if he could help it ; but that those two wei-e incorrigible
villains, and had been the authors of all the mutiny in the ship, and if they escaped, we
slmuld be undone still, for they would go on board and bring the whole ship's company,
and destroy us all. " Well, then," says I, " necessity legitimates my advice, for it is the
• 'lily way to sjive our lives." However, seeing him still cautious of .shedding blood, I
told him they should go themselves, and manage as they found convenient.

In the middle of this discourse we hciird some of them awake, and soon after we saw
two of them on their feet. 1 asked him if either of them were the men who he had said
Wire 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 them-
selves. Now," .vnys I, " if the rest escape you, it is your fault." Animated with this, he
took the iiuiskft I hal given him in his hand, and a pistol in his lult, and his two cora-
r.ides with him, with each man a 2>iece in his hand; the two men who were with him going

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first made some noise, at which one of the seamen, who was awake, turned about,
and seeing them coming, cried out to the rest ; but it was too late then, for the
moment he cried out they fired — I mean the two men, the captain wisely reserving
his own piece. They had so well aimed their shot at the men they knew, that one
of them was killed on the spot, and the other very much wounded ; but not being
dead, he started up on his feet, and called eagerly for help to the other ; but the
captain, stepping to him, told him it was too late to cry for help, he should call
upon God to forgive his villany, and with that word knocked him down with the
stock of his musket, so that he never s2:)oke more : there were three more in the
company, and one of them was slightly wounded. By this time I was come ; anfl
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 wou.ld swear to be
faithful to him in recovering the ship, and afterwards in carrying her back to
.Jamaica, from whence they came. They gave him all the protestations of their
sincerity that could be desired ; and he was willing to believe them, and spare their
lives, which I was not against, only I obliged him to keep them bound hand and foot
while they were upon the island.

While this was doing, I sent Friday with the captain's mate to the boat, with
orders to secure her, and bring away the oars and sails, which they did ; and by-and-by
three straggling men, that were (happily for them) parted from the rest, came back
upon hearing the guns fired; and seeing the captain, who before was their prisoner, now
their conqueror, they submitted to be bound also ; and so our victory was complete.

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It now rcmaiiifid that tlie onptain and I should inquire into one another's ciivr,
wtfinces. I began first, nnd told him my whole histoiy, which he heard with an attcnt:
even to ainazcment, — and particularly at the wonderful manner of my being furnishc-.i
with provisions and ammunition ; and, indeed, as my story is a whole collection of
wonders, it affected him deeply. But when he reflected from thence upon himself, and
liow I seemed to have been preserved there on puqiose to save his life, the tears i-an
down his face, and he could not Bi»eak a word more. After this communication was at
an end, I earned l»im and his two men into my apai-tments, leading them in just where
I came out, viz., at the top of the house, where I refreshed him with such pi-ovision as
I had, and showed them all the contrivances I had made during my long, long inha-
biting that place.

All I .showe 1 tliem, all I said to them, was perfectly amazing ; but above all, the
captain admired my fortification, and how perfectly I had concealed my retreat with a
grove of trees, which, having been now planted near twenty year.s, and the trees growing
much faster than in England, was become a little wood, so thick that it was impa.'^sablc
in any part of it but at that one side where I had reserved my little winding ])assago
into it. I told him this was niy castle and my residence, but that I had a seat in the
countiy, as most princes have, whither I could retreat upon occasion, and I would show
him that too anotlier time ; but at present our business was to consider how to recover
the ship, lie agi'eed with me as to that, but told me he was pci-fectly 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 bo hardened in it now by desperation, and would carry it on, knowing that it
they were subdued they should 1)e brought to the gallows as soon as they came to England,
or to any of the English colonies, and that, therefore, there would lie no attacking them
with so small a number as wo were.

.1 mused for some time upon what he had said, and found it was a very rational con-
clusion, and that therefore something was to be resolved on very speedily, as well to draw
the men on board into some snare for their surj)risc, as to prevent their landing upon us,
an<l destroying us. Upon this, it i)resGntly occurred to me that in a little while the
Hliil)'s crow, wondering what was become of their comrades and of the boat, would
certainly come on .shore in their other boat to look f )r them, and that then, pcrhajis,
they might come armed, and bo too strong for us : this ho allowed to be rational. Upon
thi.H, I told him the fii-at thing wo had to do w:vs 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
fir iiselcss as not to be fit to swim. Accordingly wc went on board, took the arms which
were left on board out of her, and whatever else we found there, — which was a bottle
t>f brandy, and another of nun, a few biscuit-cakes, a horn of powder, and a great lump
of sugar in a jiiccc of canvas (the sugar was five or six i>r)nnds) ; all which was very
welcome to mc, especially the brandy and sugar, of which I had had none left for many
vrars.

When we had carried all these things on .shore (the oars, ma.st, sail, and rudder of the
lioiit were carried away before), avo knockcil n great hole in her bottom, that if 1 hoy had
conic Htrong enough to niaster us, yet they co\dd not c;UTy olF the boat. Indeed, it was
not much in my thoughts that wo could be able to recover the ship ; but my view wa^^,
that if they went away without the boat, f tliil not Uiuch question to make her again
fit to carry us to the Leeward Islands,. ami call upon our friends the Spatn'anls in my
way, for T had them still in my thoughts.

»74 ^

"While we were thus in-eparing our designs, and had first, by main strength, heaved
the boat upon the beach, so high that the tide would not lloafc her off at high- water
mark, and besides, had broken a hole in her bottom too big to be quickly stopped, and
wea-e sat down musing what we should do, we heard the ship fire a gun, and make a
waft with her ensign as a signal for the boat to come on board : but no boat stirred ;
and they fired several times, making other signals for the boat. At last, when all
their signals and firing proved fruitless, and they found the boat did not stir, we saw
them, l)y 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 fii-e-arms with them.

As the ship lay almost two leagues from the shore, we had a full view of them as
they came, and a plain sight even of their faces; because the tide having set them a
little to the east of the other boat, they rowed up under shore, to come to the same
place where the other had lauded, and where the boat lay ; by this means I say, we
had a full view of them, and the captain knew the persons and characters of all the men
in the boat, of whom, he said, there were three very honest fellows, who, he was sure,
were led into this conspiracy by the rest, being ovei-powered and frightened ; but that
as for the boatswain, who it seems was the chief officer among them, and all the rest,
they were as outrageous as any of the ship's crew, and were no doubt made desperate in
their new enterprise ; and terribly apprehensive he was that they would be too powerful
for us. I smiled at him, and told him that men in our circumstances were past the
operation of fear ; that seeing almost every condition that could be was better than that
which we were supposed to be in, we ought to expect that the consequence, whether
death or Ufe, would be sure to be a deliverance. I asked him what he thought of the
cu'cumstances 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 '?" says he. " AVhy,
said I, '-it is, that as you say there are three or four honest fellows among them, which
should be spared, had they been all of the wicked pai't of the crew, I should have thought
God's providence had singled them out to deliver them into your hands ; for depend iq)on
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 vigoi'ously to our business.

"We had, upon the fii'st appearance of the boats coming from the ship, considered
of separating our prisoners ; and had, indeed, secured them efiectually. 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 confijiement with i:)atience, and wei-e
very thankful that they had such good usage as to have provisions and a light left them :
for Friday gave them candles (such as we made om-selves) 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 free to trust them ; but the other two were taken into my

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pervice, upon the captain's recommendation, and upon their solemnly engaging to live
and die with ns ; .so with them and the three honest men ■\ve were seven men, well
nrmcd ; and I made no doubt ^ve should be able to deal well enough with the ten that
wfio coming, considering that the captain had said there were three or four honest nun
niiion" them also. As soon as they got to the jjlace where their otlMir boat lay, they ran
tlieir boat into the beach and came all on shore, hauling the boat up after them, which
I wa.s glad to see, for I was afraid they would rather luive left the boat at an anchor
.si.mo distance from the shore, -with Bome hands in. her, to guard her, and .'^o we .should
not be able to seize the boat. Being on shore, the first thing they did, they i-an all to
their other boat ; and it was easy to si-e they were under a great surprise to find her
Ktripi)cd, a<* alwre, of all that was in her, and a great hole in her bottom. After they
had mu-sed awhile uj)on 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
euough, yet durst give no answer to them. They were so astonished at the surprise
of this, that, as they told us afterwards, tliey resolved to go all on board again to their
.ship, and let them know that the men were all murdered, and the long-boat staved ;
accordingly, they immediately launched their boat again, and got all of them on board.

Tlie captain was terribly amazed, and even confounded, at this, believing they would
go on board the ship again, and set .sail, giving their comrades over for lost, and so he
should still lose the shij), which he was in hopes we .should have recovered ; but he was
quickly as much frightened the other way.

They lia<l not been long put off with the boat, when we perceived them all coming
on shore again ; but with this new measure in their conduct, whicli it seems they
consulted together u])on, 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 disajipoint-
ment 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 ])resent. The seven men came on .shore, and the
three who remained in the boat put her off to a good distiince from the shore, and came
to an a!ichor to wait for them ; .so that it was impossible for us to come at them in the
boat. Those that came on shore kej)t close together, marching towards the top of the little
hill under which my habitation lay ; and wo could see them i)lainly, 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 w ■
might come abroad. But when they wore come to the brow of the hill where tluv
could see a groat way into the valleys and woods, which lay towards the north-cast part,
and whore the island lay lowest, they shoutoil and hallooed till they were weary : and
not caring, it scem.s, to venture fiir from the shore, nor far from one another, they sat
down together, under a tree, to consider of it. Had they ^bought fit to have gone to .sleep
there, as the other party of them had done, they had done the job for us ; but they were
too full of apprehensions of danger to venture to go to sleep, though they could not tuU
what the danger was they had to fear.

The captain made a verv just proposal to me upon this con.sultatioa of theirs, viz.,
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that i)crhi4)S tlioy wouKl all firo a volley ag-ain, to euJeavour to mako their follows hear,
aii'l that we should all sally upou them just at the juucturo when their pieces were all
tli-.char"ecl, and they Avould certainly yield, and wo should have them without bloodshe 1.
I liked this proposal, provided it was done while we were near enough to como up t.
thoin before they could load their pieces again. But this event did not happen ; and wo
lay still a long time, very irresolute what course to take. At length, I told them there
would bo nothing done, in my opinion, till night ; and then if they did not retiu'n to
the boat, perhaps wo might find a way to get between them and the shore, and so might
use some stratagem with them in the boat to get them on shore. We waited a great
while, though very impatient for their removing ; and were very uneasy, when, after
Ion" 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
ijitended 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 sfearch, and were for going back again ; and the capUiin,
as soon us I told him my thoughts, was ready to sink at the apprehensions of it : but I
presently thought of a stratagem to fetch them back again, and which answered my end
to a tittle. I ordered Friday and the captain's mate to go over the little creek westward,
towards the jdace whei-o the savages came on shore when Friday was rescued, and so

(^ soon as thev came to a littk

jround, at about half a mile distance, I bade them

halloo out, as loud as they could, and wait till they found the seamen heard them ; that
as soon as ever they heard the seamen answer them, they should return it again ; and
then keeping out of sight, take a round, always answering when the others hallooed, to
draw them as far into the island, and among the woods, as possible, and then wheel
about again to me by such ways as I directed.

V. Thev were just going into the boat when Friday and the mate hallooed ; and they
presently heard them, and, answering, ran along the shore westward, towards the voice
they heard, when they were presently stopped by the crook, where, the water being \ip, they
could not get over, and called for the boat to come up and set them over ; as, indeed, I
expected. "When they had sot themselves over, I observed that the boat being gone uj> a
good way into tho creek, and, as it were, in a harbour within the land, they took one of
the throe men out of her, to go along with them, and left only two in the boat, having
fastened her to tho stump of a little tree on the alioro. This was what I wished for ;
and immediately leaving Friday and tho captain's mate to their business, I took the rest
with mc, and crossing tho creek out of their sight, we surprised tho two men before they
were aware ; one of them lying on tho .shore, ami tho other being in the boat. The fellow
on shore was between sleeping and waking, and going to start \ip ; tho 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 argumentjj to j^rsuade a
.'<ingle man to yield, when ho saw five men upon him, and his oomi-ado knocked down :
beside^, this was, it seems, one of tho three who were not so hearty in tho mutiny as tho rest
of tho crew ; and, therefore, was easily persuailed not only to yield, but afterwards to
join very sincerely with us. In tho moan time, Friday and the captain's mate so well
managed their busines.s with the rest, that they drew them, by hallooing and answering,
from ono hill to another, and from one wood to another, till they not only heartily tired
tliom, but left them whore they could not reach back to tho boat before it was dark;
and, indeed, they were heartily tired themselves also, by the time they came b;\ck to us.

178

THE iAIUTINEERS CAPITULATE

We Lad notliiug now to do but to watcli for tliem ia the dark, and to fall upon
them, so as to make sure work witli them. It was several hours after Friday came back
to me before they came back to their boat ; and we could hear the foremost of them,
long before they came quite up, calling to those behind to come along ; and could also
heir them answer, and complain how lame and tired they were, and not able to come any
faster : which was very welcome n-ews to u.s. At length they came up to the boat :
but it is impossible to express their confusion when they found the boat fast aground in
the creek, the tide ebbed out, and their two men gone. We could hear them call to one
another in a most lamentable manner, telling one another they were got into an
enchanted island; that either there were inhabitants in it, aiid they.sliould all be
murdered, or else there were devils and spirits in it, and they should be all carried away
and devoured. They hallooed again, and called their two comrades by their names a
great many times ; but no answer. After some time, we could see them, by the little
light there was, run about, wringing their hands like men in despair, and sometimes they
would go and sit down in the boat to rest themselves : then come ashore again, and
walk about again, and so the same thing over again. My men would fain have had me
give tliem leave to fall upon them at once in the dark ; but I was willing to take them
at some advantage, so to spare them, and kill as few of them as I could ; and especially
I was imwilling to hazard the killing any of our men, knowing the others were very avcII
armed. I resolved to wait, to see if they did not separate ; and therefore, to make sure
of them ; I drew my ambuscade nearer, and ordered Friday and the captain to creep
upon their hands and feet, as close to the ground as they could, that they might not be
. discovered, and get as near them as they could possibly, before they offered to fire.

They had not been long in that posture, when the boatswain, who was the principal
ringleader of the mutiny, and had now shown himself the most dejected and dispii-ited
of all the rest, came walking towards tliem, with, two more of the crew ; the captain was
so eager at having the principal rogue so much in his power, that he could hardly ha^c
patience to let him come so near as to be sui-e of him, for they only heard his tongue
before ; but when they ca-ne 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 tw-o 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 lieu.tenant-general ;
the captain and his two men, and the three prisoners of war whom we had trusted with
;i;ms. We came upon them, indeed, in the dark, so that tliey could not see our number ;
and I made the man they had left in the boat, who was now one of las, call them by
name, to try if I could bring them to a parley, and so perhaps reduce them to terms ;
which fell out just as we desired ; for, indeed, it was easy to think, as their condition
then was, they would be very willing to capitulate. So he calls out as loud as he could
to one of them, " Tom Smith ! Tom Smith !" Tom Smith answered immediately, "Who's
that ? Robinson ? " for it seems he knew the voice. The other ansv/ered, "Ay, ay ; for
God's sake, Tom Smith, throw do^^oi your arms and yield, or you are all dead men this

moment." — " Who must we yield to 1 Where are they 1 saj

s Smith asrain. " Hen

they are," says he ; "here's our captain and fifty men with him, have been hunting you
these two hours ; the boatswain is killed. Will Frye is wounded, and I am a prisoner ;
and if you do not yield, you are all lost."—" Will they give us quarter then 1 " says Tom
Smith, " and we will yield." — "Til go and ask, if you promise to yield," said Eobinson :
so he asked the captain ; and the captain himself then calls cut, " You, Smith, you

^^:-^

\

\

^r^^^-^^'s^

RODIXSOX CRUSOE.

know iny voice; if yoii lay down your arms immediately, and submit, you shall hav.
your lives, all but Will Atkins.'

Ujjon tlii.s, Will Atkin.s cried out, " For God's wiko, captain, give me quarter ;

what

have I flone ? Thoy have been all as bad as I : " which, by the way, was not tnie ; for,
it scem.s, this Will Atkins was the first man that laid hold of the captain, when they
fii-st mutinied, and used him barbarously, in tying his hand.s, and giving him injurious
language. However, the captain told him he must lay down his arms at discretion, and
trust to the governors mercy : by which he meant me, for they all called mo governor.
Jn a word, they all laid down their arms, and begged their lives ; and I .'<ent the man
that had parleyed with them, and two more, who bound them all ; and then my great
army of fifty men, which, with those throe, were in all but eight, came up and seized
upon them, an«l upon their boat; onl}' that I kept my.self and one more out of sight, for
ica.sons of state.

Our next work was to repair the boat, and think of .seizing the ship; and as for the
ca])tain, now he had leisure to parley with them, he expostulated with them upon the
villany f>f their practices with him, and upon the further wickedness of their design, and
how certiiinly it must bring them to misery and distress in the end, and perhaps to the
gallows. They all appeared very penitent, and begged hard for their lives. As for that, he
told them they were none of his prisoners, but the commander's of the i-sland ; that they
thought they had set him on shore in a l)arren, uninhabited island; but it had pleased God
so to direct them, that it was inhabited, and that the governor wa.s an Englishman ; that
ho might hang them all there, if he i)leased ; but as he had given thcni all quarter, he
suppo.sed he would .send them to England, to be dealt with there as justice required,
except Atkins, whom ho was commanded by the governor to advise to prepare for death,
for that he woidd be hanged in the morning.

Though this was all a fiction of his own, yet it had its desired ellect ; Atkins fell
upon lii^ knees, to l)eg the captain to intercede with the governor for his life ; and all
the rest begged of him, for God's sake, that they might not bo sent to England.

It now occurred to me, that the time of our deliverance was come, and that it would
bn a most easy thing to bring these fellows in to bo hearty in getting possession of t' ■
fillip ; so T retired in the dark from them, th.at they might not seo what kind of a gover
thoy h.id, and called the captain to me ; when I called, .as at a good distance, oncof the ni< m
was ordered to speak again, and say to the captain, " Captain, tho commander calls for
you;" and presently the captain rejilied, "Tell his E.xcellency, I am just comin "
This more perfectly amazed them, and they all believed that the commander was just '
with his fifty men. Upon tho capti\in coming to me, I told him my project for .seizing
tho ship, which he liked wonderfully well, and resolved to put it in execution next
morning. But, in onler to execute it with more art, and to be secure of succes.s, I told
him wo njust divitle the prisoners, and that he should go anil take Atkin.s, and two more
of tho worst of them, and .send them pinioneil to the cave where tho others lay. This
was committed to Friday an<l the two men who camo on .shore with tho captain. 'J'luy
conveyed them to the cave as to a pri.son : and it wa.s, indeed, a dismal place, especially
to men in their condition. Tho others I ordered to my bower, as I called it, of which [
have given a full description : and as it w.as fenced in, and they pinione<l, the place was
secure enough, cuisidering they were upf.n their behaviotn-.

lo these in tho morning 1 .sent tho captain, who was to enter into a parley with
them ; in u word, to try them, nn.l tell me whether he tlu.ught they might be trusted or
not to go on board and surprise the ship. He talked to them of the injury done him,

180

iwr

o ' '^ ^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

of the condition thor were broxight to, and that though the governor had given them
qnarter for their lives as to the present action, yet that if they were sent to England,
they would be all hangeil in chains ; but that if they wonld join in such an attempt
a-s to recoTtr the ship, he would have the governor's engagoment for their pardon.

Any one may guess how readily such a proposal would W accepted by men in their
condition ; they fell down on their knees to the captain, and promised, with the deepest
impi*c»tions, that they would b^ faithfii! t^ him to the last dn-ip, and that they should
owe their lives to him, and - i all over the world ; that they would o-v

him for r> fa»h«>r tA them ?. ■ \. '• Wc'l." savs the captain, *^l m-.ut

and • y oa say, arid see ' ' '» to bring him to consent to i ■

So i :.t of the temper "i a in, and that he verily l>c!icv

they wuuid be faitiifnL However, that we might be tctt secure, I told him he sli.wl l
go back again and choo?e out fire of them, and tell them that they nright sec that he
did not want men, that he would ttke 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 unfidthful in
the execution, the five hostages should be hanged in chains alive on the shore. This
looked severe, and convincetl them that the governor was in earnest ; however, they
had no way left them but to accept it ; and it was now the bnsiness of the prisoners,
as much as of the captain, to persuade the other five to do their duty.

Onr .T-.. ,rrr>, •^pas HOW thus Ordered for the expedition : first, the captain, his mate,
and ■ -^ond, then the two prisoners of the first gang, to whom, having their

char... ... .. ... UiC captain, I had given their liberty, and trusted them with arms ; thinl,

the other two whom I had kept till now in my bower pinioned, but, ujion 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 Ixxinl the ship ;
for as for me an 1 my man Friday, I did not think it w.ns proper for us to stir, ha^-ing
seven men left behind ; and it was cmploNTnent enough for us to keep them asunder,
and supply them with victuals. As to the five in the cave, I resolved to keep them
went in twice a day to them, to supply them with necessaries ; and T
I wo carry proviidons to a certain distance, where Friday was to take it.
Ikh I ihowcd myself to the two hostages, it was with the captain, who told thoni
V the person the governor ha.l onlercd to look after them ; and that it T-n- \]:<-
{j^vcmor's pleasure they should not stir anywhere butby my direction ; that if
they would be fetched into the castle, and be laid in irons : so that as we neve:
them to Fee mo as governor, I now apjx-arctl as another person, and ^poke of the
governor, the garrison, the castle, and the like, upon all occasions.

The captain now had no difilculty before him, but to furnisli his two boats, Ftop tl:
breach of one, and man them. He made his jKossenger caj^tain of one, \*-ith four oth. r
mm; and himstlf, his mate, and five more, went in the other; and they contri.
t^' ir business very well, for they came up to the ship about midnight. As soon as tl.
within call of the .'vhip, he made Piobin.'^n hail them, and tell them they had broii,
a mm and the boat, but that it was n long time before thoy had found them, ;
tlu; like ; holding tliem in a ch.nt till they came to the ship's side ; when the capt
and the mate entering first with their arms, immediately knocketl down the second n.:
and carixntcr with the bu^t-end of their muskets, being very faitlifully seconded
I. ir 1 .. :i : they secured all the re^t that were upon the main and -■■■• ■■■ ■ "

began to fasten the hatches, to keep them down that were below ; when the other boat
and their men, entering at the fore-chains, secured the forecastle of the ship, and the
scuttle which went down into the cook-room, making three men they found there
prisoners. When this was done, and all safe upon deck, the captain ordered the mate,
with three men, to break into the round-house, where the new rebel cap Lain lay, who,
Juiving taken the alarm, had got up, and with two men and a boy had got fire-arms in
their hands j and when the mate, with a crow, split open the door, the new captain and
liis men fii-ed boldly among them, and wounded the mate with a musket-ball, which
broke his arm, and wounded two more of the men, but killed nobody. The mate, calling
for help, rushed, however, into the round-house, wounded as he Avas, and, with his pistol,
shot the new captain thi'ough the head, the bullet entering at his mouth, cominr' out
again behind one of his ears, so that he never spoke a word more : upon which the rest
yielded, and the ship was taken effectually, without any more lives lost.

As soon as the ship was thus secured, the cajDtain ordered seven guns to be fired,
which was the signal agreed upon with me to give me notice of his success, which, you
may be sure, I was very glad to hear, having sat watching upon the shore for it till near
two o'clock in the morning. Having thus heard the signal plainly, I laid me down ;
and it having been a day of gi-eat fatigue to me, I slept very sound, till I was something
surprised with the noise of a gun ; and presently starting up, I heard a man calling me by
the name of " Governor ! Governor ! " and presently I knew the captain's voice ; when
climbing up to the top of the hill, there he stood, and, pointing to the ship, he embraced
nie in his arms. " My dear friend and deliverer," says he, " there's your ship ; for she is
all yours, and so are we, and all that belongs to her." I cast my eyes to the ship, and there
she rode, within little more than half a mile of the shore ; for they had^weighed hor
anchor as soon as they were masters of her, and, the weather being fair, had brouglit
her to an anchor just against the mouth of the little creek ; and, the tide being up,
the captain had brought the pinnace in near the place where I first landed my rafts,
so landed just at my door. I was at first ready to sink doAvn with the surprise ; for
I saw my deliverance, indeed, visibly ])\xt into my hands, all things easy, and a large ship
just ready to carry me away whither T pleased to go. At first, for some time, I was
not able to answer one word ; but as he had taken me in his arms, I held fast by
him, or I should have fallen to the ground. He perceived the surprise, and immediately
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 drunk it, I sat down upon the ground ; and though i t
brought me to myself, yet it was a good while before I could speak a word to him. All
this while the poor man was in as great an ecstacy as I, only not under any surprise as I
was; and he said a thousand kind and tender things to me, to compose and bring me to
myself; but such was the flood of joy in my breast, that it put all my spirits into con-
fusion : at last it broke into tears ; and, in a little while aftex-, I recovered my speech ;
then I took my turn, and embraced him as my deliverer, and we rejoiced together. I told
him I looked upon him as a man sent from heaven to deliver me, and that the whole trans-
action seemed to be a chain of wonders ; that such things as these vrei'e the testimonies
we had of a secret hand of Providence govex-ning 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 ixx thankfulness
to Heaven ; and what heart could forbear to bless Him, who had not only ixx a miracu-
lous manner provided for one in such a wilderness, and in such a desolate condition, but
froxn whom every delivei'ance must always be acknowledged to proceed ? v

J

Im

^. \^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

When we had talked a while, the captain told me he had brought me some little
refreshments such as the ship afforded, and such as tlie wretches that had been so long
Ilia masters had not jjluudered him of. Upon tliis, he called aloud to the boat, and
bade his men bring the things ashore that wei-e for the governor ; and, indeed, it wa-s a
i)resent as if I had been one that was not to bo carried away along with them,
but as if 1 had been to dwell upon the i-sland still, and they were to go without
me. First, he had In-ought me a ca.se of bottles full of excellent cordial watei-s, nix.
largo bottles of Madeira wiue (the bottles held two quarts each), two pounds of
excellent good tobacco, twelve good pieces of the shijj's beef, and six pieces of pork,
with a bag of peas, and about a luindredweight of biscuit j he also brought me
a box of sugar, a box of flour, a bag full of lemons, and two bottles of lime-juice,
and abundance of other things. But besides these, and what was a thou.sand times
more useful, he brought mo six now clean shirts, six very good neckcloths, two pair
nf gloves, one pair of shoes, a hat, and one pair of stockings, and a very good suit
of clothes of his own, which had been worn but very little : in a word, he clothed
mo from head to foot. It was a very kind and agreeable present, as any ono may
iinaf'ine, to one in my circumstances ; but never was anything in the world of that kiiul
.so uni)lea.sant, awkward, and uneasy as it wa.s to me to wear siich clothes at their fii-at
putting on.

After these ceremonies were past, and after all his good things were brought into
my little apartment, wo began to consult what was to be done with the j)risoners we
had ; for it was worth considering whether we might venture to take them away with
us or no, especially two of them, whom he knew to be incorrigible and refractory to the
last degree ; and the captain said he knew they were such rogues that there was no
obliging them, antl if he did carry them away, it must be in irons, as malefactoi-s, to be
delivered over to justice at the lir.st English colony he could come at ; and I found that
the capUiin himself whs very anxious about it. Upon this, I told him that, if he desired
it, 1 would midertuke 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, " 1 will send for them up, and talk with
thom for you." So I caused Friday and the two hostages, for they were now discharged,
their comrades having performed their pi'omise ; I say, I caused them to go to the cave,
and bring up the five njcn, pinioned a.s they were, to the bower, and keep them there
till I came. After some time, I camo thither dressed in my new habit ; and now I was
called govenjor again. Being all met, and the captain with mo, I caused the men to be
l)ioui,'lit before me, and 1 told them I had got a full account of their villanous behaviour
to tlie captain, and how they had run away with the ship, and were preparing to commit
further robberies, but that rrovidenco had ensnared them in their own ways, and that
they were fiiilen into the i>it which they had dug for otheix 1 let them know that by
my direction the ship had been seized ; that sho lay now in the road ; and they might
see by-aud l)yo that their new captain had received the reward of his villany, for that
they might aeo him hanging at the yard-arm ; that, as to them, I wanted to know what
they hud to aay why I should not execute them as jiirates, taken in the fact, as by my
commission they could not doubt but I had authority to do.

Ono 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
impltned 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 i)assagc

184

m CAPTAiW HUNG AT TtiS YARD-ARM.

""^^^^"J^ with the captaiu to go for Eiiglantl ; and as for the captain, ho

ihl not carry them to England, other than as prisoners in irons, to be tried
for mutiny, and running away with the ship ; the consequence of which, they
must needs know, would be the gallows ; so that I could not tell what was th'j
best for them, unless they had a mind to take their fate in the island. If they
desired that, I did not care, as I had liberty to leave it, I had some inclination to
give them their lives if they thought they could shift on shore. They seemed
very thankful for it, and said they would much rather venture to stay there
than be carried to England to be hanged. ^ So I left it on that issue.

However, the captain seemed to make some difficulty of it, as if he durst
not leave them there. Upon this I seemed a little angry with the captain, and
told him that they were my prisoners not his ; and, that seeing I had offered
them so much favour, I would be as good as my word ; and that if he did not
think fit to consent to it, I would set them at liberty, as I found them ; and if
ho did not like it, he might take them again if he could catch them. Upon
this, they appeared very thankful, and I accordingly set them at liberty, ami
bade them retire into the woods, to the place whence they came, and I w«uld

mw^..

1^

I ivc thorn some fire-arms, some ammiuiition, and some directions how they shoidd live
very wcU, if tlicy thought fit Upon this I prepared to go on board the ship ; but told
tho captain I would stay that night to prepare my things and desired him to go on
board in the moan time, and kcci) all right in tho ship, and send tho boat on shore
next day for me ; ordering him, in tho mean time, to cause the new captain, Avho was
killed, to bo hanged at tho yard-arm, that these men might see him.

"When the captain was gone, 1 sent for the. men up to mo in my apartment, and
entered seriously into discourse trith them of their circumstances. I told them I
thought thov had made a l-iglit choice ; but if tho captain had carried them away, tlioy
would certainly be hanged. I showed them the new cai»tain hanging at the yard-ariu
of the.ship, and told them they had nothing less to expect.

When they had all declared their willingness to stay, I told them I would lot
them into tho story of my living there, and \nii them into the way of making it easy to
them. Accordingly, T gave them the whole history of the place, and of my coming to
it ; showed thcni my fortifications, tho way I made my bread, planted my corn, cured
my grajjcs ; and, in a word, all that was neCessat-y to make them easy. I told them tho
story also of tho sixteen Spaniards, that were to be expected, for whom I left a letter,
:iiid made them i)romiso to treat them in coliimon with themselves.

I loft them my fire-ai-pis, 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, t gjlto them a description of the way I managed the goat^s,
and directions to milk and fatten them, and to make both butter and cheese. In ^ word, I
gave them every part of my story j and told them I .should prevail witli tliB'captain
to leave them two barrels of gunpowder more, and some garden-.seed.'*, -frhieh 1 toldlliem
1 would liavc been very glad of Also, I gave them the bag of peas which tho captain
liad brought me to eat, and bade them be sure to sow and increase them.

Having done all this, I left the next day, and went on board the ship. "We
]>ropared immediately to sail, but did not weigh that night. The next morning early,
two of tho five men camo swimming to the ship'.s side, and made tho most lamentable
complaint of the other throe, begged to be taken into the .ship for CioJ's sake, for tliey
.should 1)0 murdered, and begged tho captain to take them on board, though he hanged
llioin immediaftily. Upon thi-s, the captain i)rotcnded to have no power without mo ;
but after somodilHoulty, and after their solemn promises of anicndment, they were taken
on board, and were, .somo time afWr, soundly whipped and pickled ; after which they
proved very honest and rpiiet follows.

Somo limo after this, I went with tlie boat on shore, the tide being up, with tlio
things promised to the men ; to which tho captain, at my intercession, caused their
chests and clothes to bo added, which they took, and were very thankful for. I also
ciu-ouragod them, by telling them, that if it Lay in my way to send any vessel to take
tluni in, I woidd not forget them.

When I took leave of this island, T carried on board, for relique.<», the gi-eat goat-skin
r:ip 1 had made, my umbrella, and one of my parrots ; also I forgot not to take the money
1 foinii-rly mentioned, which had lain by me so long useless that it was grown rusty or
tarnished, and could hardly pass for .silver till it had been a little rubbed and handled,
and also tho money I found in the wreck of tho Spani.sh ship. And thus I left the island,
tho 10th of December, as I found by tho ship's account, in the year 1G8G, after I had
been upon it eight-and-twcnty yeai"s, two months, and nineteen days ; being delivered
ft'om (hi-i scoond r:)]iti\itv ll,.- v;,in,. ,1 )v of the month thnt I io-^f made my esnino in tho

HE RETURNS TO ENGLAND.

i lavco loiigo fl-om among the ]\f oors of Sallee. In this vessel, after a long voyage, I arri\e 1
in England the lltli of June, in tlie year 1GS7, having been thirty-five years absent.

"When I came to England, I -u-as a perfect stranger to all the world, as if I had
never been known there. Sly benefactor and fliithful steward, whom I had left my
money in trust with, was alive, but had had great misfortunes in the world ; was
become a widow the second time, and very low in the world. I made her easy as to
what she o-<v'ed me, assuring her I would give her no trouble ; but, on the contrary, in
; vatitude for her former care and faithfulness to me, I relieved her as my little stock
would afford ; wliich at that time would, indeed, allow me to do but little for her : but
I assured her I would never forget her former kindness to me ; nor did I forget her when
I had sufficient to help her, as shall be observed in its place. I went do^vn after-
wards into Yorkshire; but my father was dead, and my mother and all the ilunily
extinct, except that I found two sisters, and two of the children of one of my brothers ;
and as I had been long ago given over for dead, there had been no provision made for
viie ; so that in a word, I found nothing to relieve or assist me ; and that little money
i had would not do much for me as to settling in the world.

I met with one piece of gi-atitude, indeed, which I did not expect ; and this was, that
die master of the ship, whom I had so happily delivered, and by the same means saved
the ship and cargo, having given a very handsome account to the o-\vners, of the manner
how I had saved the lives of the men, and the skip, they invited me to meet them and
some other merchants concerned, and all together made me a very handsome compliment
upon the siibject, and a present of almost £200 sterling.

But after making several reflections upon the circumstances of my life, and hoAV
little way this would go towards settling me in the world, I resolved to go to Lisbon,
and see if I might not come by some information of the state of my plantation in tlio
Brazils, and of what w-as become of my partner, who, I had reason to suppose, had some
years now given me over for dead. With this view I took shipping for Lisbon, where I
arrived in April following j my man Friday accompanying mo very honestly in all these
ramblings, and proving a most faithful servant upon all occasions. Y/hen I came to
Lisbon, I foimd oxit, by inquiry, and to my particular satisfaction, my old friend, the
captain of the ship, who first took me up at sea off the shore of Africa. He was now
grown old, and had left the sea, having put his son, who was flxr from a young man,
into his ship, and who still used the Brazil trade. The old man did not know mc ;
and indeed, T hardly knew him. But I soon brought myself to his remembrance, when
I told him who I was.

After some passionate expressions of the old acquaintance between us, I inquired,
you may be sure, after my plantation and my partner. The old man told me he had not
been in the Brazils for about nine years ; but that ho could assure me, that when he
came away my partner was living j but the trustees, whom I had joined with him to
take cognisance of my part, were both dead ; that, however, he believed that I would have
a very g#od account of the improvement of the plantation ; for that, upon the general
belief of my being cast away and tbowned, my trustees had given in the account of the
produce of my part of the plantation to the prociu-ator-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 Mth ; but that, if I appeared, or any one for me, to claim the
inheritance, it would be restored ; only that the impro^-ement, or annual production,
being distributed to charitable uses, could not be restored ; but lie assured me that the

^

ROBINSON CRUSOE

Wl

)

.stewanl of the king's rovonuc from land?, and the providore, or steward of the monastery,
liiid taken great care all along that the incinnbent, that is to s;vy, my partner, gave every
yt;ir a faithful account of the produce, of which they had received duly my moiety. I
asked him if he knew to what height of improvement ho had brought the plantation, aid
whether he thought it might be worth looking after ; or whether, on my going thithei-,
I shouhl meet with any obstniction to ray i)Osscssing my just right in the moiety. lie
told me he could not tell exactly to what degi'ce the plantation was improved ; but this
he knew, that my partner was grown exceeding rich upon the enjoying but one-half <>!
it ; anil that, to the best of his remembrance, he had heard that the king's third of my part,
which was, it seems, granted away to some other monastery or religious house, amounted
to above two liundred moidores a year : that as to my being restored to a quiet possession
of it, there was no question to be made of that, my i)artner being alive to witness my
title, and my name being also enrolled in the register of the country ; also ho told mc
that the survivors of my two trustees were very fair, honest people, and very wealthy ;
and lie believo<l I would not only have their assistance for putting me in jwssessiou, but
would find a very considerable sum of money in their hands for my account^ being the
l)roduco of the farm while their fathers held the trust, and before it was given uji, as
above ; which, as he remembered, wivs for about twelve years.

I .showed myself a little concerned and uneasy at this account, and inquired of the
old captain how it came to i)ass that the trustees should thus dispose of my effects, when
he knew that I had made my will, and had made hiui, the Tortugueso captain, my
univer.-ial heir, itc.

He told mo that was true; but that as there was no proof of my being dead, ho
could not act as executoi", until some certain account should come of my death ; and that
besides, he was not willing to intermeddle with a thing .so remote ; that it w;is true he
had registered my will, and put in his claim ; and could he have given any account of
my being dead or alive, ho would have acted by procuration, and taken possession of the
iugenio (so they call the sugar-house), and have given his son, who was now at the
lirazils orders to do it. *' But," says the old man, " I have one piece of news to tell
you, which perhaps may not be so acceptable to you as the rest ; and that i.s, believing
you were lost, and all the world believing so also, your partner and trustees did oilX'v to
account with mc, in your name, for the first six or eight years' i)rofits, which I received.
There being at that time great disbursements for incre:u>ing the works, building an
ingenio, and buying .slaves, it «lid not amount to near no much as afterwards it produced :
however," .s;iys the old man, "I shall give you a true account of what I have received in
all, and how I have di.spo,sed of it."

After a few days' further conference with this ancient friend, ho brought me an
account of the first .six yeai-s' income of my plantation, signed by my partner and the
merchant-trustees, being always delivered in goods, viz., tobacco in roll, and sugar in
chest.s, besides rum, mohvs.sc.s, itc, which is the conseqiienco of a sugar-work; and 1
found by thi.i accovnit, that every year the income considerably increased ; but, i\s above,
the disbursements being large, the sum at fii-st was small ; however, the old man let me see
that he was debtor to mo four hundreil 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
.shipwrecketl coming homo to Lisbon, about eleven ycai-s after my leaWng the jtlace.
The good man then began to complain of his misfortunes, and how he h.id been obliged
to make use of my money to recover his losses, and biiy him a share in a new ship.
" However. ni\ old friend," says he, "yon shall not want a sui>ply in your necessity;

iS8

fi

and as soon as my sou returns, you .sluiU be fully «itLificcl.' Uj»ou this he pulls out un
old iM)ucl), luul gives nic one luiuclred and sixty Portugal nioidorcii iu gold ; and giving
mo the writings of his title to the ship, which his sou >vits gone to the Bi-azils in, of which
he was quarter-part owner, and his sou another, he puts them both in my hands for
security of the rest.

I was too much moved with the honesty and kindness of the poor niiui to be able
to liCixr this ; and remembering what he had done for me, how ho had taken me
lip at sea, and how generously he had used me on all occasions, and particularly how
sincere a friend he was now to me, J could hardly refrain wcei)iug at what he had
said to me; therefore, first, I asked him if his circumstances admitted him to spare so
much money at that time, and if it would not straiten him ? lie told me he could not
say but it might straiten him a little ; but, however, it was my money, aud I might
want it more than he.

Everything the good man said was full of affection, and I could hardly rclV.iin from
tears while he spoke ; in short, I took one hundred of the moidores, and called for a pen
and ink to give him a receipt for them ; then I returned him the rest, and told him it"
ever I had possession of the plantation I would return the other to him also (as, indeed,
I afterwards did); and that as to the bill of sale of his part in his son's ship, I would
not take it by any means ; but that if I wanted the money, 1 found he wivs honest enough
to pay me ; and if I did not, burcamo to rcceiNC what he gave me reason to exiJect, 1
would never have a penny more from liim.

When this was past, the old man began to ask 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 1 jilcased ; but that, if I did not, there M'ere wajs enough to
secure my right, and inmicdiately to ai)propriato the profits to my use : and as then-
were shijts in the river of Lisbon just ready to go away to Brazil, he made me enter
my name in a public register, with his aflidavit, affirming, upon oath, that 1 was alive,
and that I was tho same person who took up the land for the planting the said
plantation at first. Tliis being regularly attested by a notaiy, and a i)roeuratiou affixed,
he directed mo to send it, with a letter of his writing, to a merchant of his anpiainfaucr
ut the place; ami then proposed my staying with him till an account came of tlu
return.

Never was anything more honourable than the procecdiiigs upon this procuration ;
for in less than seven months I received a krgc i)acket from the survivors of my trastces
the na-rehants, for whoso account I went to sea, in which wcix* tiie following particiUar
letters and i)apers inclosed..

First, there ww the account-current of the produce of my iUrm or plantation, from
tho year when their father had balanced with my old Portugal captain, being for six
ycai-s ; the balance ajipeareil to be ono thousivnd one hundred and seventy-four moidores
in my favour.

Secondly, there Wjuh the account of four years more, while they kept the ellects in
tiieir hanils, belbro the government ehiimed the administration, as being the etlccta of a
person not to hu found, which they called civil death ; and tho balance of this, the value
t»f the i.lauUtion increasing, amounted to iiineteei#thousand four hundred and forty-.-iv
crus;uloe.s U-ing about threo thousand tW(j hundred and forty moidores.

riurvlly, there wjw the Trior of tin; Augiustines' account, who had ixceivcd the \n'o(iii
for ubo^ o fourteen years ; but not befng to account for what was di.si)osed of by tho
hos])it,'iI, veiy hnne.itly deelanjd ho had eight huniked and seventy-two moidores not

'90 ^^^^i-^r^^ _^

1^

NEWS FRO}, I

THE r>RAZILS.

distributed, wliich l:e acknowledged to my account : as to the king's part, that refunded
nothing.

Tliero was clzo a letter of my partner's, congratulating me very afTcctionatcly upon my
Ijcing alive, giving me an account how the estate was improved, and what it produced a
year; with the particulars of tho number of squares or acres that it contained, how
planted, how many slaves there were upon it : and making two-and-twenty crosses for
lilcssings, told me ho had said so many Ave Marias to thank the Blessed Vir<^in 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 hisfomily ;
and sent me, as a present, seven fine leopards' skins, which he had, it seems, received
from Africa, by some other ship that he had sent thither, and 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 suf^ar ei^-ht
hundred rolls of tobacco, and the rest of the whole account in gold.

I might well say now, indeed, that the latter end of Job was better than the be^'in-
ning. It is impossible to express the flutterings of my very heart when I looked over
tiiese letters, and especially when I found all my wealth about me ; for as the Brazil
ships come all in fleets, the same ships which brought my letters brou^-ht my o-oods :
and the effects were safe in the river before the letters came to my hand. In a
word, I turned pale, and grew sick ; and, had not the old man run and fetched me a
cordial, I believe the sudden surprise of joy had overset nature, and I had died upon
the spot : nay, after that, I eontimied 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 let blood ; after which I had relief, and grew well : but I verily believe, if
I had not been eased by the vent given in that manner to the spirits, I should have died.
I was now master, all on a sudden, of above fifty thousand pounds sterling in money,
and had an estate, as I might well call it, in the Brazils, of above a thousand pounds a
year, as sure as an estate of lands in England : and, in a word, I Wiis in a condition
which I scarce knew how to understand, or how to compose myself for the enjoyment
of 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 the beginning,
and honest to me at the end. I showed him all that was sent to me ; I told him that,
next to the providence of Heaven, which disposes 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 release or discharge from the four hundred and
seventy moidores, which he had acknowledged he owed me, in the fullest and firmest
manner possible. After which, I caused a procui-ation to be drawn, empowering him to
be the receiver of the annual profits of my plantation ; and appointing my partner to
account 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 hundi-ed moidores a year to him during his
life, out of the effects, and fifty moidores a year to his son after him, for his life : and
thus I requited my old man.

I had now to consider which way to steer my course next, and what to do with the
estate that Pro\ddence had thus put into my hands ; and indeed, I had more care upon
my head now than I had in my silent state of life in the island, where I Avanted nothing

191

f

ii^^gr

^iP^

RODIXSON CRUSOE.

but wlmt I liad, and lunl notliing but what I wanted ; wliereas I had now a great
charge upon me, and my business was how to secure it. I had not a cave now to hide
my money in, or a phico wliere it might lie without lock or key, till it grew mouldy
and tarnished before anybody would meddle with it ; on the contrary, I knew not where
to put it, or whom to trust with it. My old patron, the captain, indeed, was honest,
and that was the only refugo I Iiad. In the next place, my interest in the Bi-azils
seemed to summon mo thither; but now I could not tell how to think of going thither
till I had settled my affairs, and left my effects in some safe hands behind me. At first
I thought of my old friend the widow, who I knew was honest, and would be just to
me ; but then she was in years, and but poor, and, for aught I knew, might be in debt ;
so that, in a word, I had no way but to go back to England myself, and take my effects
with me.

It was .some months, however, before I resolved upon this ; and therefore, as I had
rewarded the old captain fully, and to his satisfaction, who had been my former bene-
factor, «o I began to think of my poor widow, whose husband had been my first bene-
factor, and she, while it was in her power, my faithful steward and instructor. So, the
first thing I did, I got a merchant in Lisbon to write to his correspondent in London,
not only to pay a bill, but to go find her out, and cany her, in money, a hundred pounds
from rae, and to talk with her, and comfort her in her poverty, by telling her she .should,
if T lived, have a further supply : at the same time, I sent my two sisters in the country
!i liundred pounds each, they being, though not in want, yet not in very good circum-
stances ; one having been married and left a widow ; and the other having a husband
not so kind to lier as ho should be. But, among all my relations or acquaintances, I
could not yet pitch u]»on one to whom I durst commit the gro.ss of my stock, that I
might go away to the Brazils, and leave things safe behind me ; and this greatly per-
plexed nie.

I had once a mind to have gone to the Jh-azils, and have settled my.self there, for I
was, as it were, naturalised to the place ; but I had some little scruple in my mind about
rfligion, which insensibly drew mo back, of which I shall say more presently. How-
ever, it was not religion that kept me from going there for the j^rc'sent ; and as I had
j made no scniplo of being openly of the religion of the country all the while I was
^ among them, so neither did I yet ; only that, now and then, having of late thought more
of it than formerly, when I ])egan to think of living and dying among thorn, I began
to regret my having ]trofessed my.self a Papist, and thought it niiglit not In- the best
religion to die with.

I'.ut, as 1 have said, this vrns not the main thing that kept me from going to the
I'.ra/.ils, l)ut that really I did not know with whom to leave my effects behind mo ; .<;o I
resolved at last to go to England with them, where, if I arrived, I concluded I .should
make .some ac(juaintance, or find some relations, that would be faithful to me ; and,
accordingly, 1 prejiared to go to England with all my wealth.

In order to j)repare things for my going liome, 1 first (the Brazil fleet being just
going away) resolved to give answei-s suitable to the just and faithful account of things
I had from thence ; and, first, to tlio Prior of St, Augustine, I wrote a letter full of
thanks for his just dealing.s, and tho offer of the eight hundred and seventy-two moi-
dores which were undisposed of, which I desired might bo given, five Inmdrcd to the
monaster}', and throe hundred and Hoventy-two to the poor, as the i)rior .should dinct ;
desiring tho good jiadre's pi-ayei-s for me, and th(> like. I wrote next a letter of tlianks
to my two trustees, with all the acknowle<lgment that so much .iustice and honesty

;-

vNi

--*^^^5S3fS^P^

-J^^^'^^'

KOniNSON CRUSOE.

calletl for : as for sending tliom any present, they were far above having any occasion
of it. lastly, I wrote to my partner, acknowledging his industry in the impro^^ng tlie
)lantation, and his integrity in increasing the stock of the works ; giving him instruc-
tions for his future government of my part, according to the powei-s I had left with my
old patron, to whom I desired him to send whatever became due to me, till he .should
hear from mo 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 infonnod mo ho had ; with two pieces of fine English broad cloth, the
best I could got in Li.sbon, five pieces of black baize, and .some Flandei-s lace of a goud
value.

Having thus settled my affairs, sold my cargo, and turned all my eftects into good
bills of exchange, my next difficulty was which way to go to England : I had been
accustomed enough to the sea, and yet I had a strange avei-sion to go to England by sea
at that time ; and though I could give no reason for it, yet the difficulty increased upon
ino 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 tnie I had been very unfortunate by sea, and that might be one of the reasons ;
])ut let no man slight the strong impulses of his own thoughts in cases of such moment :
two of the ships which I had singled out to go in — I moan, more particularly singled out
than any oflicr — having ]nit my things on boanl one of them, and in the other having
agreed with the captain; I say two of those ships miscarried j viz., one was taken by
the Algcrines, and the other wasci-st away on the Start, near Torbay, and all the people
drowned, except three ; .so that in cither of those vessels I ha».l been made misemblo, in
which most, it was hard to say.

Having been thus haras.sed in my thoughts, my old jtilot, to whom I communicated
cvcrj'thing, pressed mo earnestly not to go by sea, but either to go by land to the Groyne,
and cross over the Bay of Biscay to Rochelle, from whence it was but an ea.sy aiid siife
jouniey by land to Pai-i-s, and so to Calais and Dover ; or to go up to lyiadrid, and .'^o all
the way by laud through ^'rancc. In a woiil, I was .so prcpossessed against my going
by sea at all, except from Calais to Dover, that I rcaolvcil to tmvel all tho way by land ;
which, as I was not in haste, and did not value tho charge, was by nnich tho ploasanter
way : and to make it more so, my old captain brought an English gontlcn):\n, the son
of a merchant in Lisbon, who Avas willing to travel with mo; after which we picked
up two more English merchants also, and two young Portugueso gentlemen, tho last
going to Bans only ; so that in uU, there were six of us, and five servants ; the two
merchants and tho two Portuguese contenting themselves with one servant between
two, to save tho charge ; and as for mo, T got an English sailor to travel with mo as a
serv-ant, besides my man Friday, who was too much a stranger to be capable of supi)lying
the place of a servant upon tho rc^ad.

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 tho oldest man, as because I had two servants, and, indeed, was
tho origin of tho whole journey.

As I have troubled you with none of my sea journals, so I .shall trouble you now
with none of my land journals ; but some adventures that happened to tisin this tedious
and ilillicult journey I must not omit

Whou we came to ATa.hi,!. \ve being all of us strongei-s to Spain, wore willinir to

194

WE CHANGE OUR ROUTE

I

stay some time to see the court of Spain, and what was worth observing ; but, it being
the hxtter part of the summer, we hastened away, and set out from Madrid about the
middle of October ; but when we came to the edge of Navarre, we were aharmed, at
several towns on the way, with an account that so much snow was fallen on the French
side of the moxmtains, 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 j and to me, that had
been always used to a hot climate, and to countries where I could scarce bear any
clothes on, the cold was insufferable ; nor, indeed, was it more painful than it was
surprising, to come but ten days before out of Old Castile, where the weather was not
only warm, but very hot, and immediately to feel a Avind from the Pyrenean Mountains
so very keen, so severely cold, as to be intolerable, and to endanger benumbing and
perishing of our fingers and toes.

Poor Friday was really frightened when he saw the mountains all covered with snow,
and felt cold weather, which he had never seen or felt before in his life. To mend the
matter, after we came to Pampeluna, it continued snowing with so much violence, and
so long, that the people said winter was come before its time j and the roads, which were
difficult before, were now quite impassable ; in a word, the snow lay in some places
.too thick for us to travel, and being not hard frozen, as is the case in the northern
countries, there was no going without being in danger of being buried alive every stepr
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 many years) I proposed that we should go away to Font-
arabia, and there take shipping for Bordeaux, which was a very little voyage. But, while
I was considering this, there came in four French gentlemen, who, having been stopped
on the French side of the passes, as we were on the Spanish, had found out a guide, who,
traversing the country near the head of Lauguedoc, had brought them over the mountains
by such ways that they were not much incommoded with the snow ; for where they met
with snow in any quantity, they said it was frozen hard enough to bear them and their
horses. We sent for this guide, who told us he would undertake to carry us the same
way, with no hazard from the snow", provided we were armed sufficiently to protect our-
selves from wild beasts ; for, he said, in these great snows, it was frequent for some
wolves to show themselves at the foot of the mountains, being made ravenous for want
of food, the ground being covered with snow. We told him we were well enough
prepared for such creatures as they were, if he would insure us from a kind of two-legged
wolves, which, we are told, we were in most danger from, especially on the French side
of the mountains. He satisfied us that there was no danger of that kind in the way
that we were to go ; so we readily agreed to follow him, as did also twelve other gentle-
men, 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 tlie 15th of November ;
and, indeed, I was surprised, when, instead of going forward; he came directly back with
us on the same road that we came from Madrid, about twenty miles ; when, having
passed two rivers, and come into the plain country, we found ourselves m a warm
climate again, where the country was pleasant, and no snow to be seen ; but, on a
sudden, turning to his left, he approached the mountains another way ; and though it
is true the hills and precipices looked dreadful, yet he made so many tours, such
meanders, and led us by such winding vrays, that we insensibly passed the height of the

195

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

iiiountHius without being much encumbered with the snow ; and all on a sudden, he
nhowed u.s the i>leasant and fruitful provinces of Languedoc and Gascouy, all green and

v-;iy to pass still.

We were a little uneasy, however, when wc found it snowed one whole day and a
iii;3'ht so fast that wo could not travel ; but he bid us be easy ; we should soon be past
it all : wo found, indeed, that wo began to descend every day, and to come more north
than before ; and so, depending upon our guide, we went on.

It was about two hours before night, when, our guide behig .something before us, and
nut just in sight, out rushed three monstrous wolves, and after them a bear, from a
hollow way adjoining to a thick wood ; two of the wolves flew upon the guide, and, had
he been far bt-furo us, he would havo been devoured before we could have helped him ;
one of thenj fitstencd upon his horse, and the other attacked the man with such violence
that he had not time or jjresence 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 liallooed out
as loud as the other, " Oh, master 1 Oh, master !" Ijut like a bold fellow, rode directly up to
the man, and with his pistol shot the wolf that attacked him in the head.

It was happy for the poor man that it was my man Friday; for, having been used
to such creatures in his countiy, ho had no fear upon him, but went close up to him and
shot Jiim ; .vhereas, any other of us would havo fired at a farther distance, and have
perhaps either mi.s.sed the wolf, or endangered shooting the man.

But it wjxs enough to havo terrified a Iwlder man than I; and, indocil, it alarnud
all our company, when, with the noise of Friday's pistol, wo heard on both sides the most
dismal howling of wolves ; and the noise, redoul>led by tho echo of the mountain.s,
that it was to us as if there had been a i)rodigiou3 number of them ; and perhaps there
was not such a few as that wo had no cause of apprehension ; however, as Friday had
killed this wolf, tho 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
cnature had bit him twice, once in the arm, and the other time a little above his knee;
ho was just, as it were, tumbling down by the ilisorder of his horee, when Friday came
up and .shot tho wolf

It is ciisy to suppose that at tho noise of Friday's jtistol wo all na-ndrd our i>ace,and
ro<le up as fast as tho way, which was very dillicult, woidd give us leave, to .see what was
tlio matter. As soon as wo came clear of tho trees, which blinded us before, wo saw
plainly what liad been tho ca.se, and how Friday had disengaged tho poor guide, though
wo did not presently discern what kind of creature it was ho had killed.

But never was a fight man;iged .so hardily, and in such a surprising manner, as that
which fallowed between Friday and tho boar, which gave us all, though at first we woio
.surprised and afniid for him, the greatest diversion imaginable. As the boar is a heavy,
ilunisy ort^uro, and does not gallop as tho wolf does, which is swiR and light, so ho has
two particular qualities, which genemlly are tho rule of his actions ; first, as to men,
who aro not his proper prey (lie does not iisually attempt them, except they first attnok
hini, uulo.Ms ho bo cxceasively hungry, which it is probable might now be the case, the
ground being covered with snow), if you do not meddle with him, he will not meddle
With you ; but then you must take care to be very civil to him, and give him the road,
he IS a very nice g<.'ntleman ; }io will not go a step out of his way for a prince ; nay,

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RUlilNSuN CRUSOE.

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' if you are really afi-aid, your best Avay Ls to look another way and keep going on ; for
I sometimes if you stop, and stand still, and lock steadfastly at him, he takcd it for an
affi-out ; but if you throw or toss anything at him, and it hits him, though it were but a
bit of stick as big as yeur finger, he takeg it for an affront, and sets all other business
aside to pui-sae his revenge, and will have satisfaction in point of honoxir — that is his
iirst quality : the next is, that if he bo once affronted, he will never leave yoxi, night or
day, till he has Irnu his revenge, but follow at a good round i-ate till he overtakes you.

"My man Fritlay liaci delivered our guide, and when we came up to liim, he was
helping him off from his horse, for the man was both hurt and frightened, and indeed
the last more than the firat, when on a sudden we espied the bear come out of the
wootl, and a vast, monstrous o:ie it wa.s, the biggest by far that ever I saw. We
were all a little suq^rised wh< n we s;xw him ; but when Friday sjiw him, it was easy
to see joy and courage in the fVUow's countenance : " Oh, oh, oh ! " says Friday, three
times, pointing to him; "Oh, niastil:! you give me te leave, uie shakee to hand with
him ; me makee you good laugh."

I was surj)rised to see the fellow so pleased : " You fool," said I, " he will eat
you up." — "Eatee D'.e up! catcc m3 up!" says Fi'iday, twice over again; " me eatec
him up ; mo makeo you good laugh ; you all stay here, nic show you good laugh." So
down ho sits, and gets his boots oflf in a moment, and puts on a }iair of pumps (us we cull
the flat shoes they wear, and which he had in his pocket), givea my other servant his
hoi-se, and with his gun away he flow, swift like the wind.

The bear was walking softly cu, and offered to mudtUe with nobody, till Friday
coming pretty near, calls to him, as if the bear could undei-stand him, " Hark ye, hark
ye," Bays Friday, " me speakeo with you." We followed at a distance, for now being come
dov/n to the Qwcony side of the mountains, we were entered a vast, great forest, where
the country was plain and pretty open, though it had many trees in it scattered here
and there. Friday, who had, as we say, the heels of the bear, came up with him quickly,
and took up a great stone, and threw it at him, and hit him just on tho head, but did
him no more hai-m than if ho had thrown it against a wall ; but it answeretl Friday's
end, for the rogue was so void of fear that he tlid it purely to make the bear follow him,
and show us some laugh, as he called it. As soon as the bear felt tho stone, and saw
hiju, he turns about, and comes after him, taking very long strides, and shviflliug on at a
strange rate, so as woul(l have put a horse to a middling gallop ; away runs Friday, and
takes his course as if hi i-an towaixls us for heli> ; so we all resolved to fiiv at once upon
tho bear, and deliver my man ; though I was angry at him heartily for bringing the bear
back upon us, when Jie was going about liis own bitsiaess another way ; and especially I
was angry that h-; had turned tho bear upon us, and then run away ; and I calknl out,
" You dog ! " sj;id I, "is tliis your making us laugh 1 Come away, and take your horse, that
we may shoot tho creature." ITo hoiu'd mo> and cried out, " No shoot, no shoot ; stand
still, you get much laugh ; " and as the nimble creature ran two feet for the beast's
one, ho turned on a sudden on one side of us, and seeing a great oak-tree fit for his
pui-poso, ho beckoned us to follow; and doubling his pace, he got nimbly up the tree,
Uiyiug his gim down upon tho ground, at about five or six yards from the bottom of tho
tree, 'i'he boar soon came to the tree, and we followed at a distance ; tho first thing he
dill, he stopped at the gun, smelled at it^ but let it lie, and ui) he scrambles into the ti-ee,
climbing like a cat, though .so monstrous heavy. I was ani.-ued at the folly, as I thought
it, of my man, uud could not for my life see anything to laugh at yet, till seeing the bear
get up the tree, wo all rode near to him. i

1/

FRIDAY AFFORDS US SOME DIVERSION.

"Wlieu we came to the tree, there was Friday got out to the small end of a large linib
of the tree, and the bear got aboiit 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 S30 mc
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 biick j then, indeed, we did laugh heartily. But Friday had not done with him 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 bough ; and the bear, just as if he had
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 on the head, and
called to Frida,y to stand still, and we would shoot the bear ; but he cried out eax'nestly,
" Oh, pray ! oh, pray ! no shoot, me shoot by and then ; " he would have .said by-and-by.
However, to shorten the story, Friday danced so much, and the bear stood so ticklish, that
we had laughing enough indeed, but still could not imagine what the feilcw would do ; for
fir.st we thought he dej)ended tipon 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 qnickly :
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 Avith 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 VLY>, and stood still. " Well," said I to him, " Friday, what Avill you do now 1
Why don't jon shoot him ? " — " No shoot," says Friday, *• no yet ; me shoot now, me
no kill ; me stay, give yon one more laugh : " and, indeed, so he did, as yo\i will see
presently ; for when the bear saw his enemy gone, he came back from the bough
where he stood, bxit did it veiy cautioitsly, looking behind him every step, and coming
backward till he got into the body of the tree ; then, with the same hinder end fore-
most, he came down the tree, grasping it with his claws, and moving one foot at a
time, very leisurely. At this juncture, and just befoi-e he could set his hind feet
upon the ground, Friday stepped up close to him, clapped the muzzle of his piece into
his ear, and shot him dead as a stone. 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, biit shoot great much long
arrow." This was a good diver-sion to us ; but we were still in a wild place, and our
guide very much hint, 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 mo with so
much horror.

These things, and the approach of night, called xis off, or else, as Friday would have
I ad 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 tlie
mountains ; and the ravenous creatures, as we heard afterwards, were come down into

the forest and ])lain country, pressed by hunger, to seek for food, and had done a great
(leal of mischief in the villages, where they surprised the country people, killing a gi-eat
many of their sheep and horses, and some people too. "We had one dangerous i>lace to
pass, and our guide told us, if there were more wolves in the country we should find
thorn there ; and this was a small plain surrounded with woods on every side, and a long
narrow defile, or lane, which wo 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
whicli was not above two furlongs over, we saw five great wolves cross the road, full
speed, one after another, as if they had been in chase of some prey, and had it in view ;
they took no notice of us, and were gone out of sight in a few moments. UiK)n this,
our giiide, who, by the way, was but a faint-hearted fellow, bid us keep in a ready
])osture, for ho believed there were more wolves a-coming. We kept our arms ready
and our eyes about us ; but we saw no more wolves till we came through that wood,
which was near half a league, and entered the plain. As soon as we came into the plain,
we had occasion enough to look about us : the first object we met with was a dead
horse ; that is to say. a poor horse which the wolves had killed, and at least a dozen of
them at work, we could not say eating him, but picking his bones rather; for they had
eaten up all the flesh before. "We did not think fit to disturb them at their feast,
neither did they take much notice of us. Friday would have let fly at them, but I
would not sufler him by any means; for I found we were like to have more business
ujion our hands than we were aware of We had not gone half over the plain, when
we l>egan to hear the wolves howl in the wood on our left in a frightftd 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 regidarly as an army di-awn up by experienced ofReers.
I scarce knew in what manner to receive them, but found to draw oui-selvcs in a clo.-e
line was the only way; so we formed in a moment; but that wc might not have to >
mudi interval, I ordered that only every other man should fire, and that theothei-s, who
liail not fired, should stand ready to give them a second volley immediately, if they
continued to advance ujiou us ; and t'ken that those who had fired at first, should n«>t
jtrotend to load their fusees again, but stand ready, every one with a pistol, for we wer.'
all ui'ined with a fusee and a pair of pistols each man ; .so we were, by this method, able
to iiio six volley.i, half of us at a time : however, at present we had no necessity ; fur
u])ou firing the first volley, the enemy made a full stop, being terrified as well with the
noi.sc as with the fire. Pour of them being shot in the head, drojiped ; several others
were wounded, anil went bleeding olT, i\s w* could see by the snow. I fouml they
stopj.cd, 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
comi>any to halloo as loud as wo could ; and I found the notion not altogether mistaken ;
for ujion our shout tliey began to retire and turn about. 1 then ordeivd a second volh-y
to be firi'd in their n'ar, whioh put thenj 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, wo
kept going ; but wo had but little more than loaded our fusees, and jnit ourselves in
readiness, when wo heard a ten-ible uoi^e in the sjinu^ wocul on our left, only that it was
farther onward, the same way wo were to go.

The night was coming on, and the light b(>gan to bo dusky, which made it the worse on
id(> ; l>ut the noise incrensing, we could ejvsily perceive that it was lli.how lint,' and

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KuivlNSON CRUSOE.

yelling of tlioso liellish creiitures ; and, ou a sudden, we perceived two or three troojis
of wolves, one ou our left, ouo bcliind us, and one in our front, so that we seemed to be
Kurroundcd with them : however, as they did not fall upon us, we kejit our way forward,
JI.S fast aa wo could make our horses go, wliich, the way Leing very rough, was only a
"ond hard trot. In this nianner, 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 Inne or pass, w o saw a confused number of wolves standing
just at the entrance. On a sudden, at another opening of the wood, i\-e heard the noise
of a gun, and looking that way, out rushed a horse, with a saddle and a bridle on him,
flying like the wind, and sixteen or seventeen wolves after him full .speed Indeed,
the hoi-so had the advantage of them ; but as we supposed that he could not hold it :it
tluit rate, we doubted not but they would get up with him at last : and no question
but they did.

But here wo had a ipost horrible sight ; for, riding up to the entrance Avherc tho
horse came out, we found tho carcases of another hoi-so and of two men, devoured 1 ly
the ravenous creatures ; and one of tho men was no doubt the .same whom we lieavJ
fire tho gun, for there lay a gun just by him fired oft'; but as to the man, his head and
the upi)er part of his body were eaten up. This filled us with horror, and wo knew not
what coui-se to take ; but tho creatures resolved us soon, for they gathered about us
presently, in hopes ofjjrey ; and I verily believe there were three hundred of them. It
haj'pencd, very much to our advantage, that at the entrance into the wood, but a little
way from it, there lay some largo timber-trees, which had been cut down the summer
before, and I .supjjose lay there for carriage. I drew my little troop in among those
trees, and i)lacing oui'selves in .1 line l)ehind one long tree, I advised them all to alight,
and kcej)ing that tree before us for a breastwork, to stand in a triangle, or three front.s,
inclosing our horses in tho centre. We did so, and it was well wo did ; for never was
n more furious charge th.an the creatures made upon us in this place. They came on us
with a growling kind of a noise, and mounted tho piece of timber, whieli, as I said, v.as
our breastwork, as if they were only rushing upon their jn-oy ; and tliis fury of theirs, it
scenifi, was principally occasioned by their seeing our horses behind us, which was i'
prey they aimed at, I ordered our men to fire as before, every other mau ; autl t!
took their aim so sure that indeed they killed several of the wolves at tho fiiut volL
I if <hcro was a necessity to keep a continual firing, for they came on like devil.<j, tl'
il pushing on those before.

When we had fired a eccond volley of our fusils, we thought they stoi)pcd a li;
ond I hoped they would have gone ofl', but it was but a moment, for othci'scameforw,
again ; so wo fired two volleys of our pistols; and I believe in these four firings wo 1
killed sovontecn or eighteen of them, and lamed twice as many, yet they camo on ng;i
I was lotli to spend our last shot too hastily ; so I called my servant — not my man Friil:;y,
for ho was better employed, for, with tho greatest dexterity imaginable, ho had ehargeil
my fusdo and Ids own while wo were engaged — but, ju I .said, I called my other man,
and giving him n horn of powder, I bade him l.iy a train all along tho piece of timber,
and let it be a largo ti-ain. lie did so, and had but just time to get away, when tl»o
wolves came up to it, and some got iipmi it, when I, .^nap|)ing an uncharged pistol cbisi«
to tho powder, set it on fire; those that were upon tho timber were scorched with
and six or seven of them full, or rather jumped in among us with tho force and frighi
tho fii(> : wo dispatched these in an instant, and the rest vcre so frightened with tbi"
light, which the night — for it wn«? now very near dark — made more terrible, t!i;it they ,

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A HARD TUSSLE, AND VICTORY.

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 ; iipon this the wolves turned tail, and wc sallied immediately
upon near twenty lame 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 ilaylight we
had killed many more. The field of battle being thus cleareJ, we made forward again,
for we had still near a league to go. We heard the ravenous creatiires howl and yell in
the woods as we went several times, and sometimes we fancied we saw some of them ;
but the snow dazzling our eyes, we were not certain. So in about an ho-ar more we came
to the town where we were to lodge, which we found in a terrible fright, and all in
arms ; for, it seems, that the night before, the wolves and some bears had broke into the
village, and put them in such terror, that they were obliged to keep guard night and
day, but especially in the night, to preserve their cattle, and indeed their people.

The next morning our guide was so ill, and his limbs swelled so much with the
rankling of his two wounds, that he could go no fixrther ; so we were obliged to take a
new guide here, and go to Tou.louse, 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 Toulouse, they told us it was nothing but what v/as ordinary in the great forest at
the foot of the mountains, especially when the snow lay on the ground ; but they in-
quired much what kind of a guide we had got, who would venture to bring us that way
in such a severe season, and told us it was surprising we were not all devoured. When
we told them how we placed ourselves and the horses in the middle, they blamed us
exceedingly, and told us it was fifty to one but we had been all destroyed, for it was the
sight of the horses v^hicli 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 oavu, when men were on their baclcs,
as otherwise ; and, withal, they told us that at last, if we had stood all together, and
left our horses, they would have been so eager to have devoured them, that we might
have come off safe, especially having our firearms in. our hands, and being so many in
nuuiber. For my part, I was never so sensible of danger in my life ; for, seeing above
three hundred devils come roaring and open-mouthed to devour us, and having nothing
to shelter us or retreat to, I gave myself over for lost ; and, as it was, I believe I shall
never care to cross those mountains again j I think I would much rather go a thousand
leagues by sea, though I was sure to meet with a storm once a week.

I have nothing uncommon to take notice of in my passage through France — nothing
but wliat other travellers have given an account of with much more advantage than I
can. I travelled from Toulouse to Paris, and without any considerable stay came to
Calais, and landed safe at Dover the 14th of January, after having a sevei-e cold
season to travel in.

I was now come to the centre of my travels, and had in a little time all my ncAV
discovered estate safe about me, the bills of exchange which I brought with me havinj:';
been very currently paid.

jMy principal guide and pri^y counsellor was my good ancient v\ddovv^, who, in

-- --., 20- "

#«

'^"-^

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ROBINSON CRUSOE.

)

I

i

gratitude for the money I had sent her, thought no pains too much nor care too great to
emj)loy for me ; and I trusted lier so entirely with everytliing, that I was perfectly easy
as to the security of my effects ; and, indeed, I was very li;ij)py 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 Ih-azils, I wrote to my
old friend at Lisbon, who having offered it to the two merchants, the sunivors of my
tru.stQes, who lived in the Brazils, they accepted the offer, and remitted thii-ty- three
thousand pieces of eight to a correspondent of theirs at Lisbon to pay for it.

In return, I signed the instrument of sale in the form which they sent from Lisbon,
and sent it to my old man, who sent me the bills of exchange for thirty-two thousand
eight liundred i)ieces of eight for the estate, reserving the payment of one hundred
nioidores a year to him (the old man) during his life, and fifty moidores afterwards to
his son for his life, which I had ])romised them, and which the ])lantation 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 Pnjvidence's chequer-work, and of a variety which the world will
seldom be able to show the like of — beginning foolishly, but closing much more happily
tlian any part of it ever gave me leave so much as to hope for.

Any one would think that in this state of complicated good fortune I was past
running any more hazards ; and so, indeed, I had been, if other circumstances had
concurred ; but I was inured to a wandering life, had no family, nor many relations ; nor
liowever rich, had I contracted much acquaintance ; and though I had sold my estate in
tliij Drazils, yet I could not keep that country o\it of my head, and had a great mind to
bo 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 yeai-s .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 .scmiething
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 capti\iu of a ship ; and after five
years, finding him a sensible, bold, enterprising young fellow, I put him into a good
ship, and sent him to .sea; and this young fellow afterwards drew me in, as old as I was,
to farther adventures myself.

In the mean time, I in jtart settled myself here ; for, first of all, I married, and that
not rilher to my disadvantage or di.ssatisfactiou, and had three childtTU, two sons and
one daugliter ; 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 1(J9 I.

In this voyage I visited my new colony in the island; saw my successors the
Spani..rds ; had the whole story of their lives, and of the villains I left there ; how at
first they insulted tlio poor Spaniards ; liow they afterwards agreed, dis;igrced, united,
separato<l, and how at la.st the Spaniards were obliged to use violence with them ; how
they were subjected to the Spaniards ; how honestly tlie Spaniards used them ; — a
history, if it were entered into, as full of variety and wonderful accidents as my own
part — ixuticularly, 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 it^self — and
how five of then» made an attempt upon the mainland, and brought away eleven ni<n
and five women prisoners, by which, at my coming. I fovuid about twenty yoiuig children
on the island.

^n

t^>'^.^

,^JefSm

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 bx-auglit
from England with me — viz., a carpenter and a smith.

Besides this, I shared the lands into parts with them, reserved to myself the property
of the whole, but gave them such parts respectively as they agreed on ; and having
settled all things with them, and engaged them not to leave the place, I left them there.

From thence I touched at the Brazils, from whence I sent a bark, which I bought
there, with more people to the island ; and in it, besides other supplies, I sent seven
women, being such as I found proper for service, or for wives to such as would take them.
As to the Englishmen, I pi-omised them to send them some women from England, with
a good cargo of necessaries, if they would apply themselves to planting — which I after-
wards could not perform. The fellows proved very honest and diligent after they were
mastered, and had their properties set apart for them. I sent them, also, from the
Brazils, five cows, three of them being big with calf, some sheep, and some hogs, which
when I came again were considerably increased.

But all these things, with an account how three hundred Caribbces came and invaded

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tliiiii, and ruined their plantations, and how they fought with that whole number twice
ami were at first defeated, and one of them killed ; but, at last, a storm desti-oying their
enemies' canoes, they famished or destroyed almost all the rest, and renewed and
ncovercd the possession of their plantation, and still lived ui)0u the island — all theae
things, with some very sui'j)rising incidents in some new adventures of my own, for ten
ycai-s more, I shall gi%c a further account of in the Second Part of my history.

Pi

"t

PART II.

'HAT homely proverb, used on .so many occasions in England, viz., "Thnt
what is bred in the bone vriW 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 yeai-s' affliction, and a variety of unhappy circumstances, which
few men, if any, ever went through before, and after near seven yeai-s of peace and
enjoyment in the fiilncss of all things, grown old, and when, if ever, it might bo allowed
mc to have had experience of every state of niidcllu life, and to know which was most
adapted to make a man completely happy ; I say, after all this, any one would have
thought that the native jiropensity to i'aml)ling, which I gave an account of in my first
setting out in the world to have been so predominant in my thoughts, should be w.
out, the volatile ]iart be fully evacuated, or at least condensed, and I might, at sixty '
years of age, have been a little inclined to stay at home, and have done venturing
and fortune any more.

Nay, farther, the common motive of foreign adventures was taken away in me,
I had no fortune to im\ko ; T had iiothiog to seek : if I had gained ten thousand pour
I bad been no richer ; for I had alreaxly sufficient for me, and for those I had to leave
it to ; and what I had was visibly increasing ; for having no great family, I could lut
spend the income of what I had, unless I woidd set up for an expensive way of living,
such as a great family, servants, crpiiprvge, gaiety, and the like, which were things I had
no notion of, or inclination to ; ho that I had nothing, indeed, to do but to sit still, and
fully enjoy what I had got, and see it increase daily upon my hands. Yet all these
things had no effect tipon me, or at least not enough to resist the strong inclination I
had to go abroad again, which h ung about me like a chronical distcmpci*. In particular,
the desire of seeing my now plantation in the island, and the colony I left there, ran in
my hp:.d continually. I dref med of it jill night, and my imagination ran upon it all
day ; it wjus uppermost in all my tlujughts ; anil my fancy worked so steadily and sti-ongly
u[>nn it, that 1 talked of it in !ny sleci) ; in short, nothing could remove it out of my
imml : it even broke so violently into nJl my dis'coui-ses that it made my conversation
(insome, for 1 could talk of nothing else ; all my discourj^e ran into it, even to
iiajHrtinence ; and 1 saw it mybolf.

1 have often heard persons of gootl judgment say, that all the stir people make in

the world about ghosts and apparitions is owing to the strength of imagination, and

the powerful operation of fancy in their muuls ; that thci-o is no such thing as a spirit

ap|)caring, or a ghost walking; that people's poring aflcctionately upon tlie j.ast

thfir deceased friends, so realises it to them, that they are capable of

-o6

S^^^feguc^

PICTURES OF IMAGINATION. "^^^-t

Amcying, upon some cxtraordiuaiy circumstconces, that tliey see them, talk to them, and
are answered by them, when, in truth, there is nothing Lut shadow and vapour in the
thing, and they really know nothing of the matter.

For my part, I know not to this hour whether there are any such thin"-s as real
apparitions, spectres, or walking of people after they are dead ; or whether there is
anything in the stories they tell us of that kind more than the product of vapours, sick
minds, and wandering fancies; but this I, know, that my imagination worked up to
such a height, and brought me into suck excess of vapours, or what else I may call it,
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 ltd island •
nay, I fancied I talked with them, and looked at them steadily, though I Avas broad
awake, as at persons just before me ; and this I did till I often frightened myself with
the images my fancy represented to me. One tijne, in my sleep, I had the villany of the
three pirate sailors so lively related to me by the first Spaniard and Friday's father, that
it was surprising ; they told me how they barbarously attempted to murder all the
Spaniards, and that they set fire to the provisions they liad laid iip, 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 that it wasj or would be true •
also how I resented it, when the Spaniard complained to me ; and how I brouf^ht them
to justice, tried them, and ordered them all three to be hanged. What there was really
in this shall be seen in its place ; for kowever I came to form such things in my dream
and what secret converse of spirits injected it, yet there was, I say, much of it true. I
own that this dream had notliing in it literally and specifically tnie ; but the f^eneral
part was so true — the base, villanous behaviour of these three hardened rogues was
such, and had been so much worse than all I can describe, that the dream had too much
simihtude of the fact ; and as I would afterwards have punished them severely, so if I
had hanged them all, I had been much in the right, and even should have been justified
both by the laws of God and man. But to return to my story. In this kind of temper
I lived some years ; I had no enjoyment of my life, no pleasant hours, no agreeable
diversion, but what had something or otLer 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, powerful impulse of Providence upon, me, which had detennined 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 tiling was determined above, she would not be the only

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 Httle 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 some tears stood in her eyes.]
"Speak out, my dear," said I; "are you willing I should go?" "No," says she,
very afiectionately, " I am far from willing ; but if you are resolved to go," says she,
" nxther than I would be the only hindrance, I will go with you ; for though I think
it a most pi-eposterous thing for one of your years, and in your condition, yet, if it mxist
be," said she, again weeping, "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 otherwise dispose of me, that I may not obstruct it.''

207

Kf'

W

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

;

1

-kU

m

Tliis afTectionato behaviour of my wife's brought me a little out of the vapoui-s, and
I bogan to consider what I was doing ; I corrected my wandering fancy, and began to
argue with myself sedately what business I had, after threescore yeai-s, and after such a
life of tedious sufferings and disasters, and closed in bo happy and easy a manner — I say,
what business had I to rush into new hazards, and put myself upon adventures fit only
for youth and poverty to run into ?

"With those thoughts I considered my nejv engagement ; that I had a wife, one child
boin, and my wife then great with cliild of another ; that I had all the world could give
me, and had no need to seek hazard for gain ; that I was declining in years, and ought
to think rather of leaving what I had gained than of seeking to inci-ease it ; that as to
what my wife had said of its being an impulse from Heaven, and that it should be my
duty to go, I had no notion of that ; so, after many of these cogitations, I struggled
with the power of my imagination, reasoned myself out of it ; as I believe peoi)le may
alwavs do in like cases if they will ; and, in a word, I conquered it ; composed myself
with such arguments as occurred to my thoughts, and which my present condition
furnished me plentifully with ; and particularly, as the most effectual method, 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 to do, nor anything of moment immediately
before me. To this purpose, I bought a little farm in the county of Bedford, and
resolved to remove myself thither. I had a little convenient house upon it, and the
land about it, I found, was capable of great improvement ; and it was many ways
.suited to my inclination, which delighted in cultivating, managing, planting, and
improving of land ; and particularly, being an inland county, I wivs removed from
convei-sing among sailoi-s, and things relating to the remote i)ai-ts of the world.

In a word, I went down to my farm, settled my family, bought jdoughs, harrows,
a cart, wagon, horses, cows, and sheep, and, setting seriously to work, became in one
h df-year a mere country gentleman ; my thoughts wore entirely t:iken up in managing
my servants, cultivating the ground, enclosing, jdanting, itc. ; and I lived, as I thought,
the most agreeable life that nature wa.s capable of directing, or that a man always bred
to misfortunes wivs capable of reti-eating to.

I farmed upon my own land ; I had no rent to pay, was limited by no articles ; T
rouM pull up or cut down as I pleased ; what I jdanted was for myself, and what 1
improved was for my family ; and having thus left off the thoughts of wamlering, I had
not the least di.scomfort in any part of life as to this world. Now I thought indeed that
I enjoyed the middh> state of life, which my father .so earnestly recommended to mo,
and livfil a kind of heavenly life, .something like what is described by the poet, upon
tlie subject of a country life : —

" Frop fi iMu vioo^, froo from ciro,
Aire has no pain, and youth no snare."

Tut in the middle of all this felicity, one blow from unseen Providt nee unhinged me
at once ; and not only made a breach upon me inevitable and incui-able, but drove me,
bv its consequences, into a deep relapse of the wandering disposition, which, as I may
8.1V, b«'ing bora in my very blood, soon recovered its hold of me ; and, like the return-*
of a violent distemper, came on witli an irresistible force upon me. This blow was the
loss of n>y wife. It is not njy business hero to write an elegy upon my wile, give a
rharact.M- of her particular virtues, and make my court to the sex by the flattery of a
funeral sermon. She wa-s, in a few words, the stay of all my affairs, the centre of all my

^^

^T-^:"—

i.,, t,„ en»me that, by her praaeiico, redaced me to that happy compass I "«

:: ■ fr^ e ™re*a'vjaut a.'d v.i„ous project that ailed .y head; a.d did

"r ;» "Uide my rambling genius than a mother's tears, a fathers .astr«ct.ons, a

rend- counsel, or all my own reasoning po«rs conld do. I ^vas happy nr hstenu,.

toTi and iubling moved by her entreaties ; and t, the last degree desolate and d.s-

Inoated in the world by the loss of lier. imj

When she was gone, the world looked awkwardly round me. I was as much a ^i

stranlex- in it, in my thoughts, as I was in the Brazils, when I hrst went on shore there ; ! |^

C^Wr T: . uch alone except for the assistance of servants, as I was m my island. I Mg

i?i ^t^::^2:^t^^ nor what to do. I saw the world busy around |/^

' ^"^ one part labouring for bread, another part squandenng m ^^^^^ ^-^^^^

excesses, or empty pleasures, equally miserable, because ^^MS^I\

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

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
Bpent their strength in daily struggling for bread to maintain the vital strength they
laboured with j so living in a daily circulation of sorrow, living but to work, arid
workin" but to live, as if daily bread were the only end of wearisome life, and a weari-
some life thp only occasion of daily bread.

This put me in mind of the life I lived in my kingdom, the island ; where I suffered
no more com to grow, because I did not want it ; and bred no more goats, because I had
no more nse 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 IhingP, had I improved them a-s 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 something which certainly was th.;
reason and end of life, superior to all these things, and which was either to be possesst 1,
or at least hoped for, on this side the grave.

But my sage counsellor was gone ; I was like a ship without a pilot, that could only
run afore the wind. My thoughts ran all away again into the old affair ; my head was
(juite 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 mc, were nothing to me, had no relish, and were like music to one that has no
ear, or food to one that has no taste ; in a word, I resolved to leave off housekeeping, 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 uneasy as I was before ; I had no relish for
the phice, no cmploj-mcnt in it, nothing to do but to saunter about like an idle person,
of whom it may be said he is perfectly useless in God's creation, and it is not one
farthing's matter to the rest of his kind whether he be dead or alive. This also was
the thing which, of all circumstances of life, was the most my avex-sion, 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 commander of a ship,
was come home from a short voyage to Bilboa, being the fii-st he had made. He came to
me, and told mo that some merchants of his acquaintance had been proposing to him to
go a voyage for them to the East Indies, and to China, as private traders. "And now,
uncle," says he, "if you will go to sea with me, I will engage to land you upon your old
habitation in the i.slaud ; for avo are to touch at the Brazils."

Nothing can be a greater demonstnition of a future state, and of the existence of an
invisible world, than the concurrence of second causes Asith the ideas of things which
we form in our minds, perfectly reserved, and not communicated to any in the world.

3Iy nephew knew nothing how far my distemper of wandering was returned upon

me, and I knew notliing of what he had in his thoughts to say, when that very morning,

i before he came to me, I had, in a great deal of confusion of thought, and revolving every

I jiart of my circumstances in my mind, come to this resolution, that I would go to Lisbon,

' ;uid consult with my old sea-captain ; and if it was rational and practicable, I would go

niul sec the island again, and what Avas become of my people there. I had jileased

myself with the thoughts of peopling the place, and carrying inhabitants from hence,

) getting a patent for the possession, and I know not what ; when, in the middle of all

^-^^11:-=

I RESOLVE TO RE-VISIT MY ISLAND.

■"^s^^^s^

this, in comes my nephew, as I have said, with his project of carrying me thither in his
way to the East Indies.

I paiTsed awhile at his wordy, and looking steadily at him, " What devil," said I,
" sent you on this nnlucky errand ? " My nephew stared as if he had been frightened,
at first ; but perceiving that I was not much displeased with the proposal, he recovered
himself. "I hope it may not be an imlucky proposal, sir," says he 3 "I dare say you
would be pleased to see your new colony there, where you once reigned with more
felicity than most of your brother monai'chs in the world."

In a word, the scheme hit so exactly with my temper, that is to say, the prepossession
I was under, and of which I have said so much, that I told him, in a few wox'ds, 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," says he, "you don't want to be left
there again, I hope 1 " " Why," said I, " can you not take me up again on your return 1 "
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 both 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 the
ship, might, by the help of some carpenters, whom we agreed to carry with us, bo set up
again in the island, and finished fit to go to sea in a few days.

I was not long 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 yoxmg 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.

In order to do this, I made my will, and settled the estate I had in such a mamier
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 : all 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.

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, on 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.

First, I carried with me some servants, whom I 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 cany them forward , as they should appear willing ; particularly
I carried two carpenters, a smith, and a very handy, ingenious fellow, who was a cooper
by trade, and was 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-u::'^ ' also made

,-- — ■--■ ---^ 21 1 -, „

f-f

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

anything that was proper to make of earth or of wood ; in a word, wc called him out
Jack-of-all-tradcs. With these I 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 i)lantation ; and who proved a most necessary, handy fellow, as could be desired, in
many other businesses besides that of his trade ; for, as I obsen-ed formerly, necessity
arms us for all employments.

^ly cargo, us near as I can recollect, for I liave not kept account of the particular^,
consisted of a sufilcient quantity of linen, and some English thin stuff?, for clothing the
Spaniards that I expected to find there ; and enough of them as, by my calculation,
might comfortably sujjply them for seven years. If I remember right, the materials I
can-ied for clothing them, with gloves, hat<*, shoes, stockings, and all such things as thoy
could want for M'caring, amounted to above two hundred pounds, including some beds,
bedding, and household stuff, particularly kitchen iitcnsils, with pots, kettles, pewter^
bra.ss, ic, and near a hundred pounds more in iron-work, nails, tools of every kind
staples, hooks, hinges, and every nccessaiy thing I could think of.

I carried also a hundred spare arms, muskets, and fusees ; besides some jjistols, :v
considerable quantity of shot of all sizes, three or four tons of lead, and two ])ieccs 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 somepikes and halberts ; so that, in short, wc had a large magazine of all sorts of stores •.
and I made my nephew cairy two small quarter-deck giuis more than he wanted for his
8hi|», to leave behind if there was occasion ; that when wc came there, we might build a
fort, and man it against all sorts of enemies ;* and, indeed, I at first thought there would
be need enough for all, and much* more, if we hoped to maintain our possession of the
island ; as shall be seen in the course of the story.

I had not such bad luck in this voyage as I had boon used to meet with; and
therefore, shall have the less occasion to interrupt the I'oader, who, i)erhaps, may be
impatient to hear how matters went with my colony. Yet some odd accidents, cross
winds, and bad weather, happened on this first setting out, which made the voyage
longer than I expected it at first ; and I, who had never made but one voyage, my fii*st
voyage to CJuinoa, in which I might be said to come back again, as the voyage was at
first designed, 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 northwanl, and wc were obliged to put in at
Galway, in Ireland, where we lay wind-bound two-and-twcuty days j but we had thi.i
satisfaction with the disaster, that provisions were here exceeding cheap, and in the
utmost jilcnty ; no that while wo lay liore, 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 hud a good passage, to put on .shore in my i.-jhuid ; but we found
occasion to dispose otherwise of them. ' ' •■

We sft out on the tJth of February from Ireland, and had a voiy fair gale of wind for
some days. As I remember, it might be about the 2blh of Febnmry, in the evening
lute, when the mate, having the watcli, came into the round-house, and told us ho .saw a
(lash of fire, and heard a gini fired ; and while he was telling us of it, a boy came in, ami
told us the boatswain heard another. This made us all nin out upon the quarter-deck,
where, for awhile, wo heard nothing ; but in a few minutes we saw a very great light,
and found that there wa.s some very tenible fire at a distance. Immediately wo hail
recourse to ovn* reckonings, in M'hich we all agreed that there could he no land that way

2iz ^)i

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

in which the fire showed itself, no, not for five hundred leagues, foi* it appeared at W.N.W.
Upon this, we concluded it raitst 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 to-
wards it, and were presently satisfied we should discover it, because the farther we
sailed, the greater the light appeared ; though, the weather being haz}-, we could not
perceive anything but the light for a while. In about half an hour s sailing, the wind
being fair for iis, though not much of it, and the weatlier cleai-iug up a little, we could
plainly discern that it Avas a gi-eat ship on fire, in the middle of the sea.

I was most sensibly touched with this ilisaster, though not at all acquainted with
the pei*sons engaged in it : I presently recollected my former circumstances, and what
comlition 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 comjoany with them. Upon this, I immediately ordered that
five gims should be fired, one soon after another, that, if possible, wo 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 di-iving 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 afr ) and immediately, that is to say, in a few minutes, all the
fire was out, that is to say, the rest of the ship sunk. This was a terrible, and, indeed,
nn afflicting sight, for the sake of the poor men, who, I concluded, must be either all
destroyed in the ship, or be in the utmost distress in their boat, in the middle of the
ocean ; which, at present, as it was dark, I could not see. However, to direct them as
well as I could, I caused lights to be hung out in all pai'ts of the ship where we could,
and which we had lanterns for, and kept firing gims all the night long ; letting them
know by this that there was a ship not far off.

About eight o'clock in the morning, wc discovei-ed the slap's boats by the help of
our perspective glasses, and fbund there were two of them, both thronged with people,
and deep in the water. We perceived they rowed, the wind being against ihem ; that
they saw our ship, and did their utmost to make us see them.

Wo 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 s;iil, standing
directly to them. In little more than half an hour, we came up with them ; and, in a
word, took them all in, being no less than sixty-four men, women, and children ; for
there were a great many passengers.

Ui)on incpiiry, wo found it was a French merchant ship of tlu-ee hundred tons, home-
ward-bound from Quebec, in the river of Canada. The master gave ua a long account
of the disti-ess of his ship ; how the fire began in the stcorago, by the negligence of the
sterrsumn ; but, on his crying out for help, was, as everybody thought, entirely put out ;
but they soon found that some sparks of the first fire hail got into some jwrt of the
•ship 80 diflicult 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
liold, and mastered all the skill and all the appliojition they were able to exert.

They hud no more to do then but to get into their boats, which, to their gi.
comfort, wore pretty large ; being their long-boat, and a great shallop, besides a sui
skiff, which was of no groat service to them, other than to get some fresh water .i
provisions into her, after they had secured their lives from the fire. Tin y had, iudc

ml

214

small hope of their lives by getting into these boats, at that distance from any land ;
only, as they said, 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, for it blew an easy gale 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 contraiy winds,
the cajitain 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 shoi-e, 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 tliem 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 I'eady to despair,
the captain, with tears in his eyes, told me they were on a sudden sixrprised with the joy
of hearing a gun fire, and after that four moi^e : these 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 heai'ing 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, at least,
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 ecstacies, 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 sui-pi-ise 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 gx-eatest agonies of sorrow ; some stark raving and downright lunatic ; some ran
.about the ship stamping Avith their feet, others wringing their hands; some were
dancing, some singing, some laughing, moi-e crying, many quite dumb, not able to
speak a word ; others sick and vomiting ; several SAVooning and ready to faint ; and a
few were crossing themselves, and gi\dng God thanks.

I would not wrong them either ; there might be many that were thankful afterAvards ;
but the passion Avas too strong for them at first, and they Avere not able to master it ;
they Avere throAvn into ecstacies, and a kind of frenzy, and it Avas but a very fcAv that
Avere composed and serious in their joy.

Perhaps, also, the case may have some addition to it from the particular circum-
stance of the nation they belonged to ; I mean the French, whose temper is alloAved to
be more volatile, more passionate, and more sprightly, and their spirits more fluid than
of other nations. I am not philosopher enough to determine the cause ; but nothing I
had ever seen before came up to it. The ecstacies poor Friday, my trusty savage, AA^as in,
Avhen he found his father in the boat, came the nearest to it ; and the surprise of the

215

/\\ master and bis two companions, whom I delivered from the villains that set them on
shore in the island, came a little Avay towards it; but nothing was to compare to thi.«,
either that I saw in Friday, or anywhere else in my life.

It is further observable, that these extravagances did not show themselves in that
diffei'ent manner I have mentioned, in different persons only ; but all the variety would
appear, in a .shot't succession of moments, in one and the same person. A man that we
.saw this minute dumb, and, as it were, stupid and confounded, wo\Ud the next minut.'
be dancing and hallooing like an antic ; and the next moment be tearing his hair, or
jjulling hi.s clothes to pieces, and .stamping them under his feet like a madman ; in u
few moments after we would have liim all in tears, then sick, swooning, and, had n^t
immediate help been had, ho would in a few minutes ha\c been dead ; and thus it w;i.
not with one or two, or ten or twenty, but with the greatest part of them ; and, if 1
remember riglit, our surgeon was obliged to let blood of about thirty of them.

There were two j)riests among them : one an old man, and the other a young m^u ;
and that which was strangest was, the oldest man was the worst. As soon as he set hi-
foot on board our ship, and .saw himself safe, he dropped do-wn stone dead to all appear-
ance ; not the least sign of life could be perceived in him : our surgeon immediately
npi)lied 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 ami, having first chafed an 1
rubbed the part, .so as to wann it as much as possible. Upon this, the blood, which only
dropped at first, llowing 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, tookadnim
of cordial which the surgeon gave him, and had come to him.self. About a quarter of uu
hour after thi.s, they came limning 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 be^un to revolve the change of his circumstances in his mind, and again this put
him into an ecstacy of joy. His spirits whirled about faster than the vessels coxild
convey tliem, the blood grew hot and feverish ; and the man was a.s fit for Bedlam a-
liny creature that ever was in it. The surgeon would not bleed him again in that
condition, but gave him something to doze and put him to sleep ; whicli, after some time,
operated upon him, and he awoke next morning perfectly compo.sed and well.

The younger priest behaved with great command of his passions, and was really an
exanq>lo of a seriou.s, well-governed mind. At his first coming on board the shi]>, he
throw himself flat on his face, prostrating himself in thankfulness for his deliverance, in
which I unhappily and unseasonably disturbed him, really thinking ho had been in a
Hwoon ; but he spoke calmly, thanked mo, told nxo ho was giving God thanks for his
(hliverance, begged me to leave him a few moments, and that, next to his Maker, ho would
give me thanks also.

I was heartily sorry that I disturbed him, and not only hft him, but kei)t othoi-s
fiom interrupting him also. Ho continued in that posture about three minutes, or little
more, after I left hin), then came to mo, as ho had sj\id he would, and, with a great deal
of seriousness and aflection, but with tears in his eyes, thanked mo, that had, under Cod,
given him and .so many misei-ablo creatures their lives. I told him I had no need to t< 11
him to thank God for it, rather' than me, for 1 had seen that he had done that already :
but I added that it wa.4 nothing but what rea.son and Immanity dictated to all men, an i
that wc had as much reason as ho to give thimks to God, who had blessed us so far as t"
make us the instruments of his mercy to so many of his creatures.

2i6 -

'^ applied liimself to his coxmtiymen ; laLoured to compose them ; • ivTx |
2-)ersuaded, entreated, argiied, reasoned with, them, and did his
^ utmost to keep them within the exercise of their reason ; and with some he had
ly success, tliough otliers were for a time out of all government of themselves.
\ I cannot help committing this to writing, as perhaps it may be useful to those into

J whose hands it may fall, for guiding themselves in ihe extravagances of their passions ;
4 217

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^ik^^^

KOIJIXSON CRUSOE.

SJ^K

mmmy^

i^^^^kss^i

i

f.ir if (in excess of joy can carry men out to such a length beyond the reach of
tlitir reason, what will not tlie extravagances of anger, rage, and a provoked mind,
carry iis to 1 And, indeed, hero«I saw reason for keei^ing an exceeding watch over
our passions of every kind, as well those of joy and satisfaction, as those of sorrow and
anger.

We were somewhat disordered by these extravagances among our new guests, for the
fii-st 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, being fatigue<l and
frightened — thoy were quite another sort of people the next day.

Notliing of good manners, or civil acknowledgments for tlie kindness shown them,
was wanting ; the French, it is kno^m, are naturally apt enough to exceed that way.
The captain and one of the priests came to roe the next day, and desired to speak with
me and my nephew. The commander began to consult with us what should be done witli
them ; and, fiz-st, they told us wo had saved their liven, 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 ofTor 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
Fmnce. ]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 bo sot on shore in a strange country ; and if tlio Portuguese captain that took mo up
at sea had served me so, and taken all I had for my deliverance, I must have starvetl, or
have been as much a slave at the Bi-azils as I had been at Barl)ary, the mere being sold
to a ^lahomotan excei)tod ; and perhaps a Portuguese is not a much bitter master than
a Tmk, if not, in some cases, much worse.

I therefore told the French captain that we had taken them up in their distress, it
vrtiH tnie, 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 wlmt we believed they would have done for us, if we had been in
their ca.sc, and thoy in ours ; but that we took them up to save them, not to plunder
them ; and it would be a most barbai'ous 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
bo first to save them from death, and then kill them ourselves : sjwe thoni fron\ drowning,
and abandtm them to starving; and, therefore, I would not let the least thing bo taken
from them. As to sotting them on shore, I told them, indeed, that was an exceeding
dilliculty to us, for that the sliip was bound to the East Indies ; and though we were
driven out of our course to the westward a very great way, aud perhaps were directed by
Heaven on ]>urpose for their deliverance, yet it was impossible for us wilfully to oliango
our voyage ou their i>articular account ; nor could my nepliew, the captain, answer it to
the freighters, with whom lie was under charter to pui-sui' his voyage by way of Brazil ;
and all I knew wo could do for them was, to put oui-selves in the way of meeting with
other shii)3 homeward bounil from the West Indies, and get them a passage, if possible,
to Kngland or France.

The first part of the i)roj)osal was so generous aud kind, thoy could not but be vi-ry
thankful for it ; but they were in veiy great consternation, especially the pivssengei-s, at
the notion of being carried away to the East Indies ; they then entreated me, that as I k
was driven so fur to the westward before I met with them, I would, at lea.st, kcoi) on '
the .same coui-so to the Banks of Newfoundland, whore it was |.n.1.aMo I might meet .

218 ,/i

•^^^jss'

r%

WE LAND THE FRENCH PEOPLE.

with some ship or sloop that they might hire to cany them back to Canada, from 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, bu.t would be
ruining our whole voyage, by devouring all our pi'ovisions ; so I thought it no breach of
chartei'-party, but what an unforeseen accident made absolutely necessaiy to us, and in
which no one could say we were to blame ; for the laws of God and nature would have
forbid that we should refuse to take up two boats full of people in such a distressed
condition ; and the nature of the thing, as well respecting ourselves as the poor people,
obliged us to set them on shore somewhere or other for their deliverance. So I consented
that we would carry them to Newfoundland, if wind and weather would permit ; and if
not, that I w^ould 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 boxmd to Eiu'ope,
whereof two were French, from St. Christopher's ; but they had been so long beating up
against the wind that they durst not take in 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,
to shorten my story, we put all our French people on board a barque, Avhich they hired
at sea there, to put them on shore, and afterwards to carry them to France, if they could
get provisions to victual themselves with. When I say all the French went on shore, I
should remember, that 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 ; Avhich I readily agreed to, for I wonderfully liked the man, and had very
good reason, as will appear afterwards ; also four of the seamen entered themselves on
our ship, and proved very useful fellows.

Fi'om hence we directed our course for the West Indies, steering away S. and S. by
E. for about twenty days togethei-, 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
bo^vsprit ; and 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 ten'or 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 ovei', which had blown them quite out of their knowledge
to the westward, and in which they had lost their masts. They told us they expected to
have seen the Bahama Islands, but were then 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 main course, and a kind of square sail upon a jury-foremasfc,

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

■which they had set up, they could not lie near the wind, but were endeavouring to stand
riway for the Canaries.

But that which was worst of all, was, that they wore almost stan-ed for want of
l)rovisions, besides the fatigues they had undergone ; 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 ; some succades, or sweetmeats, they had at first,
but they were all devoured ; and they had seven casks of mm.

There was a youth, and liis 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 luin-icano 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 nece&sity themselves, had no compassion, wc may be sure, for the jwor
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 mo (the weather
being fair, and the wind abated) to go on 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 : " Xay,"
says he, " I believe they arc dead, for I have heard nothing of them for above two days :
and I was afraid to inquire after them," said he, " for I had nothing to relieve them
witli."

"\Vc immediately applied ourselves to give them what relief we could spare ; and,
indeed, I had so far overruled things with my ncjdiew, that I would have victualled
them, though we had gone away to Virginiii, or any other part of the coast of
America, to have sup])lied 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
liis boat ; but these j)oor 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 ho
declared ho had reserved nothing from the men, and went share and share alike with
them in every bit they ate.

I catitioned him to oat 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 Mirgeon mixed him something -with some bi-oth, which he said woidd
bo to liim both food and i)hysic ; 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 bo exceedingly hungry that they were
in a manner ravenous, and Imd no command of themselves ; and two of them ate with
HO much greediness, that they were in danger of their lives the next morning.

The sight of the.sc peojile's di-stress was very moving to me, and brought to mind
what I had a terrible i)rospcct of at my fii-st coming on shore in my island, where I hatl
nt'vcr tho lca.st mouthful of food, or any pix)Spect of procuring any ; besides the liourly
apprchcMisious I had of being made the food of other creatures. But all the while the
niato wa.s thus relating to me the miserable condition of tho ship's company, I coidd not
put out of my thought tho story lie had told mo of tho three jioor creatures in the
great cabin, viz., tho mother, her son, and the maid-seiwant^ whom he had heard nothing
of fur two or three days, and whom, ho seemed to confos.^ they had wholly neglected.

RUlilNSON CRUSOE.

their own extremities being so great : by which I undei-stood, that they had i-eally
given them no food at all, and that therefore they must be perished, and be all lying
dead, perhaps, on the floor or deck of the cabin.

As I therefore kept the mate, whom we then called captain, on board with his men,
to refresh them, so I also forgot not the standing crew that were left on board :
b\it ordered my oanti boat to go on board the ship, and, with my mat« and twelve men,
to carry them a sack of bread, and four or five pieces of Ijeef to boil. Our surgeon
cliarged the men to cause the meat to be boiled while they stayed, and to keep gixaixl
in the cook-room, to i)revent the men taking it to eat raw, or taking it out of the
])ot Ijefore 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 othci'wisc have killed themselves
with that very food that was given them on puipose to .save ikc'iv lives.

At the same time, I ordered the mate to go into the gi'eat cabin, and sec what con-
dition the poor passengers were in ; and if they were alive, to comfort them, and give
them what refi-eshmeut was proper : and the surgeon gave him a large pitcher, •with
•some of the prepared broth which ho had given the mate that wa.s on board, and ^-iiich
he did not question would re.'jtore them gradually.

I was not .satisfied Avith this : but, as I .said above, 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 cai)tain of the shiji, a.s we now called
him, with me, and went myself, a little after, in their boat.

I found the i)oor men on board almost in a tumult, to get the -s-ictuals exit of the
boiler before it was ready ; but the mate observed his ordei-s, and kept a good guard at
the cook-room door j and the man he placed there, after using all pos.sible pei-suasion
to have patience, kept them off by force : however, he caused some biscuit cakes to
be dij»j»ed in the pot, and softened with the liquor of the moat, which they called brewis.
and gave them cveiy one some, to stay their stomachs, and told them it was for tlu-ir
own .safety that lie was obliged to give them but little at a time. But it was all
III Aain ; and had I not come on board, and their own commandor and officcre ^"ith
mo, and with good words, and some threats also of giWng thom no more, I believe
they would have broken into the cook-room by force, and torn the meat out of the
furnace ; for words arc indeed of veiy small force to a hungiy belly : however, we
l)acificd them, and fed them gradually and cautiously for the fii-st, and the next time
gave them more, and at last filled their bellies, and the men did well enough.

But the misery of the i)Oor j)assenger3 in the cabin was of another nature, and
far beyond the rest ; for as, first, the ship's com])any had so little for themselves, it was
but too true that they had at first ke])t them verj' low, and at last totally nogleoted
them : so that for »ix or seven days it might bo said thoy had really no food at all, and
for several days before very little. The poor mother, who, an the men reported, was a
woman of sense and good breeding, had spared all she could so aft'octionately for liei*
Bon, that at lasb .she entirely sank under it; and when the mate of our ship wont in,
she sat ujion the floor or dock, with her back up against the sides, between two ohaii-s,
which were laahed fa.st, and her liead .sunk between hor shouldoi-s, like a cor])sc,
though not quite dead. 2SIy mate said all he could to revive and encourage lier, jind
with a «pooii j)ut some broth into her mouth. She oi)ened her lip.s, and Lfted up oim
hand, but could not speak : yet she understood what he said, and made signs to liiin,
intimating that it was too Into for her, but pointed to her child, h3 if *he would have
said thoy should take care of him. However, the mate, who was exceedingly moved at

r^r

yf-^.t^tSS^hlf'Z',

A FEARFUL SCENE,

the sight, endeavoured to get some of the broth into her mouth, and, as ho 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 iar gone ; yet he lay in a cabin bed, as one stretched out with hardly any life left
in him. He had a piece of an old glove in his mouth, having eaten up the rest 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 ; though by giving him,
some time after, but two or three spoonfuls extraordinary, ho was very sick, and
brought it up again.

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 the chair
and she gripped it so hard that we could not easily make her let it go ; her other ai-m
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, and yet she was alive too.

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 ynth 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, he had her upon his hands Btill ; for she waa little less than distracted for a con-
siderable 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 top-
mast 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 peas, 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 boai-d 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 with 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 Avidow, 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 remoi'seless, 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 j
him in, that is to say, starving in the world. He 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, for he could know nothing of my nephew) had saved his life, and ^

Vi/

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

lie wfts sxirc wouUl not hurt him ; findris for tho maid, ho was sure, if she came to hei-self,
she would be very thankful for it, let us carry them where wo would. Tho surgcou
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 liimself 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 jhip came to Bristol, but was, as is most
prob.ible, lost at sea ; being in so disabled a condition, and .so fiir from any land, that I
am of opinion the first stonn she met with afterwards, she might founder in the sea, for
she was leaky, and had damage in her hold, when wo 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, tho winds had been contrary. I shall trouble
nobody with the little incidentsofwind, weather, currents, itc, on the rest of our voyago ;
but to shorten my story, shall observe that I came to my old habitation, the island, on
the 10th of April, 1G95. 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 tho island I lived in, was really no continent, but a long island, or
rather a ridge of islands, reaching from ono to the other side of the extended mouth of
that great river; and that tho .savages who came to my island were not pi-operly
those which we call Curibcc.s, but islanders, and other barbarians of the same kind, who
inhabited nearer to our side than the rest.

In short, I visited several of those islands to no purpose ; some I found were in-
habited, and some were not ; on one of them I found some Spaniards, and thought they
had lived there ; but, sjjcaking with them, found they had a sloop lying in a small creek
hard by, and came thither to make salt, and to catch some pearl-mussels if they could ;
but that they belonginl to tho Lsle dc Trinidad, which lay farther north, in tho latitude
of 10 nnd 11 degrees.

Tims, coasting from one i.sland to another, sometimes with tho ship, sometimes with
tho 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 south side of my island, and
presently knew the very countenance of the jdace : so I brought tho ship safe to an
anchor, broadside with tho little crook where my old habitation wa.^.

As soon as I .saw tho place, I called for Friday, and asked him if he know where ho
was] He looked about a little, and, presently cla}ij)ing his hands, cried, "Oh, yos ; oh, there
— oh, yos; oli, there!" poijiting toour old habitation, and foil dancing and capering like a
ni:id fellow ; ami 1 hud mvich ado to koop him froni jumping into the sea, to swima-shore
to tho i)lace.

" Well, Friday," says I, " do you think wo shall find anybody here or no ? and do
you think wo shall see your father ]'* The fellow stood mute as a stock a good while ;
but, when I n.amcd his father, the poor affectionate creatui-e looked dojectod, and I could

-24

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ROniXSON CRUSOE

(lie tears run down his face very ])lcntif\illy. " Wliat is the matter, Fi-iday J " said

. ; " are you troubled because you may sec your father ? " " No, uo," says he, shaking

his licad, "no see hini more : no, never more see him again." "Why so," gaid I,

' I 'riday ? how do you know that ?" " Oh, no, oh, no," says Friday j " he long ago die, long

. ; ho mueh old man." " Well, well," says I, " Friday, you don't kuow j but shall we

any one else, then ? " The fellow, it seems, had better eyes than I, and ho points to
>_■ hill just above my old house ; and, though wc lay half a league oft; he cries out,
• Me see, mo see, yes, yes, mo see much mftn there, and there, and there!" I looked,
but I saw nobody— no, not with a pcrspective-glasa, which was, I suppose, because I
could nr.t hit the place ; for the fellow was right, as I found upon inquiry the next day ;
and thcro Avoro 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 nic ho saw people, T caused the English ancient to bo sproiid,
.uhI fired three guns, to give thcni notice we wei'o friends ; and in about half a quarter of
an hour after "vvo perceived a smoke arise from the side of the creek; so I immediately
ordered a boat out, taking Friday witli me ; and, hanging out a white flag, or a flag
of truce, I went directly on slpre, taking with mo 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 wa.s, on that acconnt, extremely desirous to go
with me. AVe had, besides, about sixteen men well anned, if wo had found any new
"uests there which we ^jd not know of; but avo had no need of weapons.

As we wont on shore upon the tide of flood, near high water, we j-owed directly
into the creek ; and the first man I fixed my eye upon was the Spaniard whose life I
ha<l saved, and whon^ I kncAV by his face perfectly well : as to his habit, I shall describe
it afterwards. I ordered nobody to go on shore at first but myself ; but there was no
keeping Friday in the boat, for thoaftcctionate creature had spied his father at a distance,
!v good way off" the Spaniards, where, indeed, I saw npthing of him ; and if they had not
].«t him go ashore, he would have jumped into the sea. lie was no sooner on shore, but
he flew away to his father, like an aiTOW put of a bow. It Ayould have made any man
shed tears, in spite of the firmest resolution, to have seen the fix-st ti-ausports of this
])onr fellow's joy when ho came to his father : how ho embraced him, kissecj Jiim, stroked
his face, took him up in his arms, sot him down upon a tree, and lay down by him ; then
stoo.l and looked at him, as any one would look at a stmngo picture, for a c^uartor of an
jidur together; then lay down on the ground, and stroked his legs, and kissed them, and
(lien got up again, and stared at him ; ono would have thought the fellow bewitched,
r.nt it Avoidd have made a d<»g laugh the next day to seo how his passion ran out another
way : in t]>e morning, he walked along the shore, and again Avith his father, several hours,
always leading him by the hand, as if ho had boon a lady ; and every now and then he
Avonld como to the boat to fetch something or other for him, either a lump of sugar, a
dnim, a biscuit cake, or something or other that Avas good. In the afternoon his frolics run
another way ; for then ho Avould set the old man dowji upon the ground, and dance about
him, and mako a thousand antic postures and gestures ; and all the while he did this
ho AA-ould be talking to him, and telling him ono story or another of his travels, and of Avhat
happened to him abroid, to divert him. In short, if the same filial alfection was to be
loiiinl in Christians to their parents, in our part of the Avorhl, one Avould bo tempted
to say there Avould hardly have been any need of the fifth commandment.

]5ut this is a digression : I return to my landing. It Avould be endless to take
notice of all the ceremonies and civilities that the Spaninv.ls ivn-iv. ,1 m,- with. Tl.r

226

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ALTERATIONS IN THE ISLAND.

first Spaniard, whom as I said, I knew very well, was lie whose life I had saved. He
came towards the boat, attended by one more, carrying a flag of truce also ; and he not
only did not know me at fii-st, but he had no thoughts, no notion, 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, and 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 seen 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 mc
possession of my own house again, and where I should see they had made but mean im-
provements; so I walked along with him; but, alas ! I could no more find the place again
than 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 accoxint 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 but have some satisfaction in my
good fortune, 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 se^me again ;
but nothing that ever befell him in his life, he said, was so surprising and afflicting to
him at first, 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 themselves much better
among the savages, only that their number was so small : " and," says he, " had they
been strong enough, we had been all long ago in purgatory ; " and with that he crossed
himself on the breast. " But, sii-," says he, " I hope you will not be displeased when I
shall 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 oxw 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, ungovernable villaius, and -were fit for any manner
of mischief.

While I was saying this, the man came whom he had scufc back, and with him
eleven more. In the dress they were in, it was impossible iio guess what nation they
were of ; but he made all clear both to them and to me. Fiii'st he turned to me, and
poiiiting 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, bvit i-eally as if they had been ambas^jadors or noblemen, and I a
monarch or gi-eat conqueror : their behaviour was, to tlxe last degree, obliging

and

^s.i>g^fe^>^^-^^^-J^^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

^fl^^H^^

i--)urtcoiis, and yet mixed with a manly, majestic gravity, which very well became thera ;
iind, in short, they luid so much more mannei-s than I, that I .scarce knew how to receive
their civilities, mucli leas how to return them in kind.

The history of their coming to, and conduct in, the island, after my going away, is so

\ cry remarkable, and has so many incidents, which the former part of my relation will

• !p to understand, and which will, in most of the particulars, refer to the account I

vc already given, that I cannot but commit them, with great delight, to the reading

■i those that come after mc.

I shall no longer trouble the story witli a rclutiou in the tirst person, which will put
nio to the expense of ten thousand " .said I'.s," and " .said he's," and " he told me's," and " I
i'>ld hiin'.»<," and the like ; Imt I .shall collect the facts historiaiUy, a,snear as I can gatlirr
tlicm out of my memory, from what they related to mc, and from what I met with in
my conversing with thom, and with the place.

In order to do this succinctly, and as intelligibly a.s I can, I must go back to the
f^ circumstances in which I left the island, and in Avhich the persons were of whom I am
to speak. And first, it is necessary to repeat that I had sent away Friday's father and
the Spaniard (the two who.se lives I had rescued from the .savage.^) 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 pi'esent ; and that, if possible, we might together find some way
for our deliverance afterwards.

Wlien I sent them away, 1 had no visiljle appearance of, or the least x'oom to hope
for, my own deliveiiinco, any more than I had twenty years before — much less had I
any foreknowledge of what afterwards happened, I mean, of an EnglLsh shij) coming on
shore there to fetch me off; and it could not be but a veiy great surprise to them, when
they came back, not only to find that I was gone, but to find three strangei-s left on the
Npot, })o.s.ses.sed of all that I had left behind me, Avhich would otherwise have been their
own.

The first thing, however, which I inquired into, that I might begin where I left off,
was of their own part ; a.id I desired the Spaniard would give mc a particular account
of his voyage back to his countrymen with the boat, when I sent him to fetch them over.
He told nie there was little variety in that part, for nothing remarkable happened to
thcin on the way, having had very calm weather, and a smooth sea. As for his country-
men, it could not be doubted, lio .said, but that tiiey wore overjoyed to see him (it seems
he was the pnncipal man among them, the cajjtain of tlie vessel they had been ship-
wrecked in having l><>en dead some time) : they were, he .said, the more .surprised to see
him, because they knew that ho was fallen into the hands of the .savages, who, they were
.sati.>sfied, would devour him, as they did all the rest of their prisoners ; that when he told
tliem the story of hi.s deliverance, and in what nuxnner he was furnished for carrying
tliem away, it was hke n dream to them, and their astoni.shment, he .said, was somewhat
Iiko that of Joseph's brethren, when ho told them who he wa-s, and the story of his
coiirt ; but when ho showed them the arms, the jwwder, the

exaltation in I'liaraoh';
ball.

ana provision.s, that he brought them for their journey oi

they

re.sloml to themselves, took u just .share of the joy of their deliverance, and immediately
prepared to come away with him.

i lu>n- first busine.s.s was t-oget canoes ; ami in this they were obliged not to .stick .so

much upon the honesty of it, but to trespa.ss upon their friendly savages, and to borrow

wo large ojiMoes, or i)eriaLrun3, on pretence of going out a fislnng, or for pleasure. In

s^?,w - -• ^ '"^-fe.

■^

^ »BiEWiEiiEiMEM

tl.ose tl.»yoamo away the next morning, ft 3eem. tWy wanted no time to get them-

vesveadj.; for they hac no baggage, neitl,er elotl^e., no., provisions, no,, an -tlnng"
the wo Id b„t what they had on then,, and a few roots to eat, of which tI,oy nsel to

make their bread. ''

They were in all three weeks absent; and in that ti,ne, „„h,ckily for them, I had the
oeoa.,„n offered for my escape, as I mentioned in the other pa./and tog"t offfrlm

22Q

\j3iui

:a^^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

;o isliind, leaving three of the most impudeut, hardened, ungovernable, disagi-eeable
. illuins behind me, that any man could desire to meot -with ; to the ix>or Spaniards'
gieat grief and disaj)pointment you may be sure.

The only just thing the rogues did was that when the Spaniards came asliorc, they '
ive my letter to them, and gave them provisions, and other relief, as I had ordered
liiem to do ; also they gave them the long paper of directions Avhich 1 had left with
tliem, containing the particular methods which I took for managing every part of my life
tliere ; the way I baked my bread, bred up tame goats, and planted my corn ; how 1
cured my grapes, made my pots, and, in a word, everything I did ; all this being wiitten
down, tliey gave to the Spaniards (two of whom 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 aflairs; but as for the
Englishmen, thoy did nothing but ramble about the island, shoot jiarrots, and catch
tortoises ; and when they came home at night, the Hjiauiards jirovidod their sn2)pci*s fur
thcni.

The Spaniards would have been satisfied with this, had the others but let them alone,
v.hich, Iwwever, 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 othei-3 cat. The
diliereuccs, nevertheless, were at first but trivial, and such as are not worth relating, but at
l.-ist it l^ukc out into open war : and it 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 fir> t relation of it came from the Spaniard.^
tliemsclvcs, whom I may call the accusei-s, yet when I came to examine the fellows, they
could not deny a word of it.

But before I come to the partieulai-sof this part, I must sujiply a defect in my former
relation ; and this was, I forgot to set down, among the rest, that just as we Were
weighing tlie 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 tliem by force,
and, making two of the most refractory fellows i)risoners, he laid them in irons : and as
they had been active in the 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
tlicre fur mutiny, and running away with tlie sliij). This, it seems, though tlio cai)tain
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 thi'y should come to some English port, and that then thoy should be all put
into gaol, and triid for their lives. 'J'ho mate got intelligence of this, and acquainted us
with it ; ijpon which it was desired that I, who still jMissed for a great nniu among them,
should go down with the n\ate, and s;itisfy the men, and tell them that thoy might be
UHsurcd, if thoy behaved well tho rest of the voyage, all they had done for the time jmst
.should be pardoned. So I went, and after j.assing my honour's word to them, they
upi)oared easy, and the more so when I caused the two men that were in irons to bo
released and forgiven.

liut this mutiny had brought lis to an anchor for that night ; tho wind also falling
calm next n.orning, we found that our two men who had been hud in irons had
btolen each of them a nuuskol, ;uid some other weapons (what powder or shot thoy had

230

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:ir

"^^'X

^x^

CONDUCT OF THE ENGLISH.

A\ e knew not), .iiul had taken the ship's pinnace, which was mot j'ot hauled up, and run
away with her to their companions in roguery on shore. As soon as we found this, I
onlei'cd tlic long-boat on shore with twelve men and the mate, and away they went to
vo.ck the rogues ; but they could neither find them nor any of the rest, for they all fled
into the woods when they saw the boat coming on shore. The mate was once resolved,
ill justice to their roguery, to have destroyed their plantations, burned all their house-
hold 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 mucli 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.

■yVhen the Spaniards came first on shore, the business began to go forward : tlie
Spaniards would have persuaded the three English brutes to have taken in their country-
men again, that, as they said, they might be all one family ; but they would not hear of
it : £0 the two poor fellows lived by themselves ; and finding nothing but industry and
application would make them live comfortably, 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 them two huts, one to lodge in, and 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 com
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, Avas
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, 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 were that 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 improvements, 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 some difiiculty too.

The fellow was in such a rage at the honest man's thrusting him away, that
returned upon him, with a pole he had in his hand, and had not the man avoided the
blow ver\' ' ' ,' I ■ ^-^ ::in into the hut, ho had ended his days at r. i ■

\iiS

KUDIXSON CRUSOE.

f^

seeing tlio clanger they wore both in, ran in after him, and immediately they came both
f.ut with their muskets, and the man that was first struck at with the pole knocked the
Allow down that began the quarrel, with the stock of his musket, and that before the
other two could come to help him ; and then, seeing the rest come at them, they stood
together, and presenting the other ends of their pieces to them, bade them stand off.

The othei-s had fire-arms with them too ; but one of the two honest men, bolder than
liis comrade, and made desperate by his danger, told them, if they oflered 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 arm.s, but seeing him so resolute, it brought them to a
parley, and they con.sented to take their wounded man with them and be gone ; and,
indeed, it .seems the fellow was wounded .sufficiently with the blow. However, they weri-
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
i.othing but revenge, and cveiy day gave them some intimation that they did so.

But not to crowd this part with an account of the lesser part of their 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 a desperation, that they resolved to
fight them all three, the fii-st time they had a fair opportunity. In order to do
this, they res<jlved to go to the ca.stle, as 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
moniiug before day, and came to the i)laco, 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 Si)aniards of the barbarous usage they had met witli
from their three countrymen, and how they had ruined their plantation, and destrovnl
their corn that they had laboured so hard to bring forward, and killed the milch-goat
and their three kid.s, which was all they had provided for their sustenance ; and that if
he and his friend.s, meaning the Spaniards, did not assist them again, they should l)e
starved. When the Spaniards came homo at night, and they were all at suppei', one of
them took the freedom to reprove the tlu'oe Englishmen, though in very gentle and
mannerly terms, and a.sked them how they could be so cruel, they being harmless,
inoffensive fellows; that they were putting themselves in a way to subsist by theii
labour, and that it had cost them a great deal of pains to bring things to such pcrfecti.-n
IS they were then in.

One of the Englishmen returned very briskly, "What had they to do there ? that
ilit'V came on shore without leave ; and that they shouhl not plant or build ui)on the
island ; it was none of their ground." " Why," .says the Spaniard, very calmly, "Seignior
lngle.se, they must not starve." The Knglishman rejtlied, like a rough-hewn tarpauling,
'•They might starve ; they should not jHaut nor build in that place." " But what must
Iht-y do then, .seignior ? " .^aid the Spaniard. Another of the brutes returned, " Do ? tlu y
.shuiild be .servants, and work for them." " But how can you expect that of them ? "
Htys the Spaniard ; " they are not bought with your money ; you have no right to make
them sei-vant.s." The Englishman answereil, "The island was theire; the governor had
._^ivfMi it to them, and no man had anvthing to do there but themselves ;" aud with that

w

t^pE nun fmiMinmr 1

.swore by his Maker that they would go and burn all their new huts ; they should build
none upon their land. " Why, seignior," says the Spaniard, " by the same rule, we must
be your servants too." "Ay," says the bold dog, " and so you shall, too, before we have
done with you ; " mixing two or three oaths in the proper intervals of his speech. The
Spaniard only smiled at that, and made him no answer. However, this little discourse
had heated th^m ; and starting up, one says 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 wan-ant you ; they shall plant no colony in our dominions."

Ul)on this, they went all trooping away, with every man a gun, a pistol, and a

> sword, and muttered some insolent things among themselves, of what they would do to

the Spaniards too, when opportunity ofiered ; 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 Englishmen's part.

Whither they went, or how they bestowed their time that evening, the Spaniards
said they did not know ; biit 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 ovex'slept themselves. The case was this : they had resolved to stay till
midnight, and so to take the two poor men when they were asleep, and as they

233

'^:5 — ^T;?

RODINSON CRUSOi:.

acknowledged afterwards, intended to set fire to their liuts -while they were in Ihc
and either bum them there, or murder them as they came out. As malice seldu;..
sleeps very sound, it was very strange they shoiild 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 veiy luckily for
them all, that tliey were uji and gone abroad before the bloody-minded rogues came to
their huts.

"When they came there, and fonu4 the men gone, Atkins, wl^Oj it seems, was the
furwardest man, called out to his comrade, " Ha, Jack, liere's the nest, but the birds arc
llowu." They mused awhile, to think -vyhat shoidd be the occasion of their being gone
abroad so .'•oon, 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 revengetl
of the Spaniards. As soon as they had made this bloody bargain, tluy fell to woi'k with
the poor men's habitation ; thoy di4 not set fire, indeed, to anything, but they pulhd
down both their houses, and pulled tbcm so limb from limb that they left not the least
stick standing, or scarce any sigii on the ground where they stood ; they tore all thtir
little collected household stufl'in pieces, and threw everything about in such a nuunier,
that the poor men afterwards found some of their things a mile off their habitation.
When they had done this, tliey pulled up all the yoijng trees which the poor men had
planted ; pulled up an inclosui'c they had made to secure their cattle and their corn ;
a:id, in a word, sacked and i)hindercd everything as completely as a horde of Tartars
wotdd have done.

The two men were, at this juncture, gone to find them out, and had resolved to
fight them wherever they had been, though they Avero 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, to give them their due.

But Providence took more care to keep them asunder than they thom.««elvos could do
to meet ; for, as if they had dogged one another, when the three were gone thither, the
two were here ; and afterwards, when the two went back to find them, the three -were
come to the old habitation again : we shall see their difTcront conduct ju-escntly. AVhen
the three came back like furious creatures, flushed with the rage which the work they
had been about had ]iut them into, they came up to the Spaniards, and told them what
they had done, by way of scofl'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
ui)on his head, and giving it a twirl about, fleering in his face, s;iys to him, "And you.
Seignior Jack Spaniard, shall have the same sauce, if you do not mend your manners."
Tlie Spaniard, who, though a quiet, civil man, was as bmve a man as could be, and,
withal, a strong, well-made man, looked at him for a good while, and then, having n">
wea})ou in his liand, 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 in.solent 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 hisear, and he bleil
pretty much. The blood made the Spaniard believe he was more hurt than ho really
was, and that put him into some heat, for before ho acted all in a perfect calm; but now,
re-iolving to go through with his work, he stooped, and took the fellow's musket whom j
lie had knocked down, and was just going to shoot the man who had fired at him, when
the re^t of the Spaniards, lieing in the cave, came out, and calling to him not to shoot,
''"'^' •■""■■■' '■' -ecured the other two, and took their arms from them.

.■■'• t-"N;

^ -v^.^

TIIK ENGLISH. MEN DIoAR.MED.

'-x-f*^

Wheu tliey were tluis clisai'med, 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 coiild 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 mischiefwith them to their
own countrymen, 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 planta-
tion 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 should certainly
be hanged. However, this was far from cooling them, but away they went, raging and
swearing like furies of hell. 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 planta-
tion, and finding it all demolished and destroyed, as above, it will easily be supposed
they liad 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. But the Spaniards interposed
here too, and told them, that as they had disarmed 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 tliem, other than in
your own defence," The two Englishmen yielded to this very awkwardly, and with
great reluctance ; but the Spaniards protested that they did it only to keep them from
Ijloodshed, 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 consent, 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, having chiefly lived on turtles' eggs all that while, came back to
the grove ; and finding my Sjianiard, who, as I have said, was the governor, 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
< >nsulting the two Englishmen and the rest ; but, however, they would go to them and
iliscourse about it, and they should know in half an hour. It may be guessed that they
wore very hard put to it ; for, it seems, as they were to wait this half hour for an ansv,^er,

m

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ROBINSON* CRUSOE.

tljcy l>cggc(l they would send them out some bread in the mean time, which they did,
sending, at the same time, a large piece of goat's flesh, and a boiled parrot, which they
ate very heartily, for they were hungr}' enough.

After half an hour's consultation, they were called in, and a long debate ensued, thoir
two c<»untr}-men charging them with the niin of all their labour, and a design to murder
thi-m ; all which they owned before, and therefore could not deny now. Upon the
wliolo, 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
obligcil the three to go and rebuild their fellows' two huts, one to be of the samean<l the
other of larger dimensions than they were before ; to fence their ground again where
tliry had pulled up their fences, plant trees in the room of those pulled up, dig up the
land iigiiin 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
Ix^ 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 them
:ili the while, they grew very orderly, and the whole society began to live pleasantly and
ngiociibly together again ; only that these three fellows could never be persuaded to work
— I mean for themselves — except now and then a little, just as they pleased ; however,
the Spaniards told them plainly, that if they would but live .sociably and friendly toge-
ther, and study the good of tlie whole plantation, they would be content to work for them,
an<l let them walk about and be as idle as they jjleased ; and thus, having lived pretty
Wfll together for a month or two, the Spaniards gave them arms again, and gave them
libei-ty to go abroad with them as before.

It was not above a Aveek 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 happcjned presently ujion this, which endangered the safety of them all ; and
they were obliged to lay by all private resentments, and look to the preseiwation of their
1 i ves.

It haj)penod one night that the Spanish governor, as I call him — that is to s.ay, the
Sj)aniiird whose life I had .saved — who was now the captain, or leader, or governor of
the rest, found himself veiy uneasy in the night, and could by no means get any sleep :
lie was perfectly well in body, as he told me the story, only found his thoughts tumul-
tuous ; his mind ran upon men fighting and killing one another; but he was broad awake,
and could not by any means get any sleeji ; in short he lay a great while, but, growing
mon; and more uneasy, ho resolved to rise. As they lay, bfing so many of them, on
goat-skins laid thick upon such couches and pads as they made fur themselves, and not
in hamniocks and shij)-bods as I did, who was but one, .so they had little to do, when they
were willing to ri.se, but to get upon their feet, and perhaps jnit on a coat, such as it was,
and their j>umi)s, and they were ready for going any way that their thoughts guided
them. Being thus got up, lie looked out ; but, being dark, he could see little or nothing ;
and, besides, the trees which I had planted, ivs in my former account is described, and
which wore now grown tall, intercepted his sight, so that he could only look \ip, and see
that it was a clear sUirlight night, and, hearing no noi.se, he returned and laid him doMu
again ; but it was all one : he could not sleep, nor could hecomiHi.se himself to anything
like rest ; but his thoughts were to the last degree uneasy, and he knew not for what.

Having made some noise with rising and walking al)out, going out and coming in,
nnotlior of them waked, and, calling, lusked who it was that was tip. The governor told

miM^^

?i^.^^/r^^^-

(y' him how it had been witli him. "Say you so 1 " says 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. " AVhere are the
Englishmen ? "— " They are all in their huts," says he, « safe enough." It seems
the°Spaniards had kept possession of the main apartment, and had made a pla(
for the three Englishmen, who, since their last mutiny, were always quartered
by themselves, and could not come at the rest. "Well," says the Spaniard,
"there is something in it, I am persuaded, from my own experience. I am
satisfied our spirits embodied have a converse with, and receive intelligence
from, the spirits unembodied, and inhabiting the invisible world ; and this
fnendly notice is given for our advantage,

237

if we knew how to make use of it.

.^'^-'^

RODINSON CRUSOE.

I*

1

:1

Como,"sny3 ho, "lot 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 convince you of the justice of
my proj)osiiig it."

In a word, they went out, to go up to the top of tho hill, where I used to go ; but
they being strong, and a good comj)any, not alone, as I was, used none of my cautions,
to go up by the ladder, and pulling it up after them, to go up a second stage to the top,
but were going round through the grove, unconcerned and unwary, when they were
surprised with scerng 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 tho island, it was my
constiiYjt care to prevent them making the least discoveiy of there being any inhabitant
upon tho place ; and when by any occasion they came to know it, they felt it sO effectu-
ally that they that 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 hvst encounter, who jumped into the boat ; of whom, I
mentioned, I was afrAid tliey should go home and bring more help. Whether ft ^\ .is
the consequence of the escape of those men that so great a number camie now
together, or whether they came ignomntly, and by accident, on their usual bloody errand,
the Spaniards could not, it seems, understand; but, wOiatevcr it was, it had been their
bu.sincss either to have concealed themselves, or not to have seen them at all, much loss
to have let the savages have seen that there were any inhabitants in the i)lace ; or to have
fallen upon them so efTectually as that not a man of thtin .should have escaped, which
could only liiive been by getting in l)i'tween them and their boats : but this presence of
mind was wanting to them, which was the ruin of their tranquillity for a great while.

We rtced not doubt but that the governor and the man with him, surprised with this
«ight, ran back immediately and raised their fellow.s, giving them an account of tho
imminent danger they were all in, and they again as readily took the alarm ; but it was
impns'dble to persuade them to stay close within "NVhcre they were, bitt they mitst all nui
Out to see how things stood.

While it was dark, indeed, they were well enough, and they had opportunity enough,
for sottio hours, to view them l)y the light of three fires they had mixd'e 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 partie.s, and were on shore in seveml places.

Tho Spaniards were in no small consternation at this sight ; and, a.^ they found that
tho fellows r:ui straggling all over tho shore, they niado no doubt but, fii-st or huit, some
of them would chop iu upon their habitation, or upon .some other place where they would
see tho token of inhabitant ; and they were in great perplexity alo for fear of their flock
of goats, which wouUl have been little less than starving them, if they should have been
destroyed ; .so the first thing they resolved ujton Wiis to ilispatch three men away before
it was li^dlt, two Spaniards and one Knglishnian, to drive all the goats away to tho great
valley where tho cavo was, and, if need were, to drive them into the very cave itself.
C?ould they have seen the salvages all together in one body, and at a distance from their
canoes, they resolved, if there had been a hundred of them, to have att^icked them ; but
that could not be obtained, for they were .some of them two miles off from the others :
and, as it appeared afterwards, weiv of two dilleront nati(Uis.

After having mu.sed a great while on tho coui-so they should take, and boating their
In-ains ni considering their pre.sent circumstances, they resolved, at last, while it was still

"^^^^M^^'r.^

A FIGHT BETWEEN THE SAVAGES,

dark, to send the old savage, Friday's fother, out as a spy, to learn, if possible, something
concerning them— as what they came for, ^^dlat 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 imdiscovered ; that he found they were two parties, and of two
several nations, who had war with one another, and had had a great battle in their own
country ; and that both sides having had 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 be seen ; he told them their safety consisted in it, and that they had nothino' to
do but lie still, and the savages would kill one another to their hands, and then the rest
would go away ; and it was so to a tittle. But it was impossible to prevail, especially
upon the Englishmen ; theh' curiosity was so importunate upon their j)rudentials, that
they must run out and see the battle • however, they \ised 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 secui-ely see them manage the fight, and, as
they thought, not be seen by them ; but it seems 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 one of those
that fled should run into the grove before their dwelling for shelter, and thereby involun-
tarily discover the place ; and that, by consequence, the pursuers would do the like
in search of them. Upon this, they resolved that they would stand armed within the
Avail, 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 j three of the routed army fled for life, and crossing the
creek, ran directly into' the place, not in the least knowing wliither they went, but i
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 suflfer 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 conquered people fled to their canoes, and got oflf to sea ; the victors retired, made
no pursuit, or very little, but drawing themselves into a body together, gave two great
screamiiii- -i^ • ■ -' liich they su2:)posed was by way of triumph — and so the fight ended

RULliNbuN CKUSUK.

iiml tliu same diiv, al)Out three o'clock in the afternoon, tluy also niarchod to tliuir
c;ui.>es. An.l thus the Spiuiiards had the island again free to themsolvos, their fright
was over, and they saw no savages for several years after.

After they were all gone, the Spaniards came out of thiir den, and viewing the field
of battle, they found about two-and-thirty men dead ou the spot ; some were killed with
great long arrows, somo of which were found sticking in their bodies ; but most of them
were killed with great woo<len swords, sixteen or seventeen of which they found in the
field of battle, and as many ])ows, 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 mashed to pieces, as we may say,
or, as wc call it in Knglisli, their brains knocked out, and several their arms and logs
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 l)y their enemy till they have
killi'd liiiii, or they carry all the wounded men that are not quite dead away with them.

This dilivcrance tamed our Englishmen for a great while ; the sight had filled them
with h.jrror, and the consequences appeared terrible to the la.st degree, especially upon
supi)osing that some time or other they should fall into the hands of those creatures, who
would not only kill them as enemies, but kill thein for food, as we kill our cattle ; and
they professed to mo that the thoughts of being eaten w\> like beef and mutton, thougli
it was supposed it was not to bo till they were dead, hud something in it so horrible
that it nauseated their very stomachs, made them sick when they thought of it, and
filled their minds with such unusual terror, that they were not themselves for some weeks
after. This, as I said, tamed even the three English brutes I have been speaking of;
ami for a gieat while after they were tractable, and went about the common business of
the whole society well enough — planted, sowed, reapeil, and began to be all naturalised
to the country. ]]ut some time after this they fell into such simple measures agtun, as
brought them into a great deal of trouble.

They had taken three prisoners, aa 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 diil not take their measures with them as I did
by my man Friday, vi/., to begin with them upon the principle of having s;ived their
lives, and then instruct them in the rational principles of life, much less of religion —
civilising and reducing them by kind usage and aflectionato arguments ; but as they
gave them their food every day, so they gave them their Avork too, and kept them fully
ciiiployed in dnidgery enough ; but they failed in this by it, that they never had them
to assist them and fight for them a-s 1 had my man Friday, who was as ti-ue to me as the
Very flesh upon my bones.

Hut to come to the family i>art. Hiing all now good friends, for common danger, as
I .'<uid above, had elfectually reconciled them, they began to consider their genei^al cir-
cumstances ; and the fii-st thing that came under considemtiou was whether, seeing the
mivages particularly haunted that side of the island, and that there were more remote
and retired parts of it equally ada])ted to their way of living, and manife.-<tly to their
uilvimtage, they .should not rather move their habitation, and plant in some more proper
plaie for their .sjifety, and especially for the .security of their cattle and corn.

Upon this, after long debate, it wa.s concluded that they would not remove their
habitation ; because that, some time or other, they thought they might heiir from tlu-ir
governor again, meaning me ; luid if I .should .send any one to seek them, I .shouKl !..•
sure to direct them to that side, where, if they .should find the place d'>inoIi«]i.>d. tlu-y

2^^^-*^

'--^=^-m5^^mimi

'V70vt1c1 conclude the savages Iiad 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 too, and I'esolved only to remove part of
I heir cattle thither, and plant part of their corn there; and so if one part was
(l<-.tioyed, the other might be saved. And one part of 2:)rudence they used,
which it was very well they did, that they never trusted those three savages,
wliich they had taken prisoners, with knowing anything of the plantation they
liad 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 reti'eat ; and thither they
carried also the two barrels of powder, wliich I had sent them at my coming
away. But, howcvei", they resolved not to change their habitation ; yet they
agreed, that as I had carefully covered it first with a wall or fortification,

241

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ROBINSON CRUSOh:.

mil then •with a gmvc of trees, so seeing tlicir safety consisted entirely in their
hting concealed, of which they were now fully convinced, they set to work to co-\ er
and conceal the jdace yet more effectually than before. For this purpose, as 1
planted trees, or rather thrust in stakes, which in time all grew up to be trees, for
Honie 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 leaving anyplace to land,
(ir any ^\"\\ that there had been any landing thereabouts : these stakes also being of a
wood veiy forward to grow, as I have noted formeily, they took care to have them
generally much larger and tixller than those which I had planted ; and as thoy 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 giown as
thick as a man's thigh, and among them they placed so many other short ones, and fo
thick, that, in a word, it stood like a palisado a quarter of a mile thick, and it was next
to imj)o.s.'iiblo 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.

But this was not all ; for 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
themselves, to come out but l»y the ladder i)laced up to the side of the hill, and then
lil'tcd \ip, 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 well 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 doubtless the direction of Providence to sot it to work ;
and if wo li-stened carefully to the voice of it, I am persuaded we might jirevent mnny
of the disasters which our lives are now, by our own negligence, subjected to.

I return to the stor}'. 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,
V liieh put them into a great consternation ; for, some of the Spaniards being out early
M- morning on the west side, or rather end, of the island (which was that end where I
never went, for fear of being discovered), they were surprised with seeing above twenty
canoes of Indians just 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 ne.xt, going out only at night to make their observation ; but they had the good luck
to bo mistaken, for wherever the savages went, they did not land that time on the islaml,
but pursued some other design.

And now they had another broil with the three Englishmen; one of whom, a most
turbulent fellow, being in a rago at one of the three slaves, whom I mentioned they had
taken, because the fellow had not done .something right which he bid him do, and seemeil
u little untractablo in his showing him, drew a hatchet out of a frog-belt, in which ho
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 hiiu give the fellow a barbarous cut with tho
liatiliot, which ho aimed at his head, but struck into his shoulder, so that ho thought
lit! had cut tho jmor creature's arm off, ran to him, and entreating him not to murder tho
I' v.r man. placed himself between him and tho .savage, to ])revent the mischief. Tho
f.llow, being enraged tho more at this, struck at tho Spaniard with his hatchet, and

THE SPANIARDS AND ENGLISH.

,'ore lie would serve liim as lie intended to serve tlie savage ; wliicli the Spaniard per-
ceiving, avoided the blow, andwitli a sliovel Avliich lie liad 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
nnd 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 were so very 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 Avhat hurt they did to any man ; so that, in short, it was not safe to live Avith
them.

The Spaniard who was governor told them, in so many Avords, that if they had been
of his OAvn country, he would have hanged them ; for all laws and all governors Avere to
preserve society, and those avIio Avere dangerous to the society ought to be expelled out
of it •, but as they Avere Englishm.en, and that it Avas to the generous kindness of an
Englishman that they all owed their preservation and deliv*erance, he would use them
Avith all possible lenity, and Avould leave them to the judgment of the other t-no
Englishmen, Avho were their countrymen.

One of the tAvo honest Englishmen stood up, and said they desired it might not
be left to them — " For," says he, "I am sure AVe ought to sentence them to the galloAvs , "
and Avith that he gives an account hoAV Will Atkins, one of tlie three, had proposed to
have all the fiA-e Englishmen join together, and murder all the Spaniards Avhen they
Avere in their sleep.

When the Spanish governor heard this, he calls to Will Atkins, " How, Seignioi
Atkins, would you murder us all 1 What have you to say to that 1 " The hardened
Aillain Avas so far from denying it, that he said it Avas true, and sAvorethey would do it
still before they had done Avith them. " Well, but Seignior Atkins," says the Spaniaid,
" what have we done to you that you Avill kill us 1 And what Avould you get by killing
us 1 And what must Ave do to prevent your killing us 1 Must Ave kill you, or you kill
us 1 Why will you put us to the necessity of this. Seignior Atkins 1 " says the Spaniaid,
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 Avithal had no Aveapon near
him, it Avas thought that he Avould have attempted to kill the Spaniard in the middle of
all the company. This hair-brain carriage obliged them to consider seriously Avhat Ava^
to be done ; the two Englishmen, and the Spaniard Avho sav^ed the poor savage, Avere of
the opinion that they should hang one of the three, for an example to the rest, and that
particularly it should be he that had tAvice attempted to commit murder with his
hatchet ; and indeed, there Avas some reason to believe that he had done it, for the pooi
savage was in such a miserable condition Avith the Avound he had received, that it Avas
thought he could not live. But the governor Spaniard still said no ; it Avas an English-
man that had saved all their lives, and he Avould never consent to put an Englishman
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 shoukl
pardon him.

This AVas so positively insisted on by the governor Spaniard, that there avrs no gain-

w

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oi.iN.-.uN ckusol:.

,f>^»t»*

I ^

siiying it ; ami as merciful counsels arc most apt to prevail, -where they arc so earnestly
|.rp.s.se(l, so they all came into it ; but then jt was to be considered what should be done
to keep tlieni from doing the mischief thoy designed ; for all agreed, governor and all,
that meaii.s were to be used for preserving the society from danger. After a long
debate, it was agrccil, first, that they should be disarmed, and not permitted to have
either g\in, powder, shot, sword, or any weapon ; and should be turned out of the society,
an<l left to live when; they would, and how they could, by themselves ; but that none of
the rest, cither Spaniards or English, should convei-sc 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 i)lace where the rest dwelt ; and if they oflercd to commit any disorder, so as to
spoil, bum, kill, or destroy any of the com, plantings, buildings, fences, or cattle
belonging to the society, they should die without mercy, and they would shoot them
wherever they could find them.

The governor, a man of great liunianity, musing upon the sentence, considcrctl a
little upon it; and turning to the two honest Englishmen, said, "Hold; you must
rtflcct that it will be long ere they can raise corn and cattle of their own, and they
must not stiirve ; wc 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
tliry should have six milch-goats, 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 Ihey would swear solemnly that
they would not hurt or injure any of the Spaniards with them, or of their fellow-
Englishmen

TIius thoy 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 ga^•o the
I governor an account where they had pitched their tents fii»l marked themselves out a
habitation and plantation, and it was a very convenient place indeed, on the remotest
part of the island, N,E., much about the place where I providentially landed iu my first
voyage, when I was driven out to sea, the Lord knows whither, in my foolish attempt
to sail round the island.

Here they built themselves two handsome hut.s, and contrived them in a manner like
my first habitation, being eh>se under the side of a hill, having some trees growing
already on three sides of it, so that by planting others it would bo very easily covert d
from the sight, unless narrowly searched for. They desired some dried goat skins, lor
beds ami covering, which weie given them ; and upon gi^ing their words that tlicv
would not disturb the rest, or injiire any of their plantations, they gave thom hatchets,
and what other tools they could spare ; some ])ea.s, barley, and rice, for sowing, and, in
••I wonl, anything tliey wanted, except arms and ammunition.

riiey livcil in this .separate condition about six month.s, and had got in their fir.sl
harvest, though the (juantity was but small, the jiarcel of land they had planted being
but httlo ; fur, indeed, having all their plantation to form, they had a great deal of
^^ork \\\mn their hands; and when they came to make boards and pots, and such
tliing.M, they wore rpnte out of their element, and could make nothing of it ; and when

M

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%f

ROniXSON CRUSOE.

the rainy season camo on, for want of a cave in tlie earth, they tould 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 tliem, Mhich they veiy readily did ; and
in four days -worked a great hole in the side of the hiJl for them, big enough to secure
their com and other things from the rain : but it waa a ])Oor place, at best, compared
to mine, and especially as mine was then, for the Sjjaniards had greatly enlarged 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 hud very near been the niin of the wliole colony. The three new asso-
ciates begun, it seems, to bo weary of the laborious life they led, and that without hojic
of bettering their circumstances : and a wliim took them tliat they would make a
voyage to the continent, from whence the savages came, and would try if they could
seize xipon .some jirisonei-s among the natives there, and bring them home, so as to
make them do the laborious jiart of the work for them.

The jiroject was not so i»reposterou.s, if they had gone no further. But they did
nothing, and i)roposcd nothing, but had either mischief in the design or miscbicf 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 Di\-ine justice 1 It was certainly an apparent vengeance
on their crime of mutiny and ])iracy that brought them to the state they were in ; and
they showed not the least remorse for the crime, but added new Tillanies to it, such as
the piece of monstrous cnielty of wounding a ]ioor slave because lie did not, or i>erhap8
could not, understand to do what he was directed, and to wound him in such a manner
as made him a cripple all his life, and in a place where no surgeon or medicine could be
had for his cure ; and, what was still worse, the murderous intent, or, to do justice to
the crime, the intentional murder, for such to be sure it wixs, as was aftenvards the
formed design they all laid, to murder the Spaniards in cold blood, and in their .sleep.

But I leave observing, and retuni to the story. The three fellows came down to the
Spaniards one morning, and iti vciy humble terms desired to be admitted to speak with
them. The Spuniards very readily heard what they had to say, which was this : —
That they wore tired of living in the manner they did, and that they were not handy
enough to make the ncces.saries they wanted, and that having no helji, they found they
slioidd be starved ; but if the S])uniards would give thorn leave to take one of the
canoes which they camo over in, and give them arms and ammunition in-o])ortioned to
their defence, they would go over to the main and seek their fortunes, and so delivei-
them from the trouble of supplying them with any other provisions.

The Spaniards were glad enough to get rid of them, but very honestly reju-csonted
to them the certain destruction they were ninning into ; told them they had suffered
such hardships xipon that very spot, that they could, without any Bj)irit of i.rophecy,
tell them they would bo starved or murdered, and bade them consider of it.

Thu men replied, audaciously, they .should be starved if they stayed here, \W they
could not work, and would not work, and they could but be starved abroad ; and if
they were inurdered, tlicro was an end of them ; and, in short, insisted imiiortunntoly
»lH.u tli(<ir (lomuiul, declaring they would g<i, whether they gave then\ any wms or no. i

I lie Spaniards told them, with great kindness, that if tluy were resolved to go, they
should not go like naked men, and be in no condition to defend themselve««; and that,
though they could ill simro thoir firo-arm-s having not enough for themseh'es, vet thoy A
^^ 246 ^ ^fi

THE ENGLISHMEN'S VOYAGE.

Avoiikl let tliem have two muskets, a pistol, and a cutlass, aud each man a liatcliet,
wliicli they thought was sufficient for them. In a word, they accepted the offer ; and
having baked bread enough to serve them a month, and given them as much goats' 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.

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 ; bu.t 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 sewed or laced together ;
and away they went merrily enough. The Spaniards called after them, " Bon veyajo 1 "
and no man ever thought of seeing them any more.

The Spaniards were often sajdng to one another, and to the tv/o honest Englishmen
who remained behind, how quietly and comfortably they lived, now these thi*ee 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 j^lanting work, sees three strange men coming
towards him at a distance, with guns upon their shoulders.

Away runs 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 Spaniard, 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 1 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 thi-ee Englishmen, and, standing without
the wood, which was new planted, hallooed to them. They presently knew their
A-oices, and so all the wonder ceased. But now the admiration was turned upon
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 something less ; but finding the
people alarmed at their coming, and prepared 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 ; that 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.

They continued here 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
e.\t men : but as for themselves, they said, they never ate men r- - • - - 'pf r ^

Y^^rt=-

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^--i£i-

RODINSON CRUSOE.

Riich 113 tlioy took ill tlio wars ; un<l iIkmi, tliey owned, thoy nuule a great feast, and ate
thi'ir prisoners.

The Englislimen inquired -vvlien they had liad a ft-ast of tliat kind ; and they tohl
tln-ni about two moons ago, pointing to the moon and to two fingers ; and that their
great king liad two hundred prisoners now, which ho had taken in Lis war, and they
were feeding them to make them (at for the next feast The Englishmen .seemed miglity
desirous of seeing those i)risoncrs; but the others mistaking them, thought they were
desirous to liave some of thorn to cany away for their own eating. So they beckoned
to them, jjointing to the setting of the .sun, and then to tlio rising ; wliich was to signify
that the next morning at sun-rising they wouUl 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-i)ort town to victmil a .ship.

As bnitish and barbarous as these fellows were at home, their stomachs turned at this
si.'ht, and they did not know what to do. To refuse the prisoner would have been the
hi'diest aflTront to the savage gentry that could bo offered them ; and what to do M-ith
them they knew not. However, after some debate they resolved to accept of them ;
and, in return, they gave tlie savages that brought them one of their hatchets, an old
key, a knife, and six or seven of their bullets ; which, though they did not understvn.l
their use, they seemed particularly pleased with ; and then tying the poor creatures'
hands behind them, they dragged the prisonei-s into the boat for our men.

The Englishmen were obliged to come away as soon as they had them, or else they
that gave thom this noble present would certainly have expected that they should have
gono to work with them, have killed two or three of them the next morning, and,
l)eriiaps, 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 cither side, they
iindei-stood not one word they could say, thoy put off with their boat, and came back
towards the first island ; where, when they arrived, they set eight of their prisoners at
liVx-rty, there being too many of them for their occasion.

In their voyage they endeavoured to have .some communication with their prisoners ;
but it was impossible to make them understand anything. Nothing they could .<;ay to
them, or give 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 thoy had just felt the knife at their throats ; for they immediately con-
cluded they were unbound on purpose to bo killed. If they gave them anything to cat,
it was the same thing ; they then concluded it was for fear they should sink in ficsh, and
80 not bo fat enough to kill. If they looked at one of them more particularly, the party
presently concluded it was to see whether ho or she was fattest, and fittest to kill first ;
nay, after they had brought them cpiito over, and began to use them kindly, and treat
thom well, still they expected every day to make a dinner or suj.per f.>r lluir new
masters.

Wiion the three wanderers had given this unaccounti\ble history or journal of tlieir
voyage, the Spaniard asked th«m 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
\ip to bog some victuals for them, they (the Spaniards) and the other two Engli.shmon,
that is to i^ay, tho whole colony, resolved to go all down to the place and sec them ; and
did so, and Friday's father with them.

When thoy came into tho hut, there thoy sat, all bound ; f»r when thoy had bn uglit

-is

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f

^h(

-A>

ROBINSON CRUSOE

m on shore, Ihcy bound tlieir handa, that they might not take the boat and uiako
I ii'ir escape ; there, I say, tliey sat, all of them stark naked. First, there were three
men lustv, comely fellow.^, well-shaped, sti-aight and fair limbs, about thii-ty 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
Kixteen or seventeen. The women were well-favoured, agreeable pei-sons, both in shape
and features, only tawny ; and two of them, had they been perfectly white, would liavo
i)a.s.scd for very handsome women, even in London itself, having pleasant, agreeable
countenances, and of a very modest behaviour ; especially when they camo aftorwardn
to be clothed and dressed, as they called it, though that dress was very indifferent, it
must be confesiscd.

The sight, you may be sure, was something uncouth to our Spaniards, who were, to
crivo them a just character, men of the best behaviour, of the most calm, sedate tempoi-s,
1 perfect good humour, that ever I met with ; and, in particular, of the most modesty;
I >:iy, the sight was very uncouth, to see three naked men and five naked women, all
together bound, and in the most miserable circumstances that human nature could bo
supposed to be, viz., to bo expecting every moment to bo dragged out, and have their
' lins knocked out, and then to be eaten up like a calf that is killed for a damty.

The first thing they did was to cause the old Indian, Friday's father, to go in, and
see, first, if he knew any of them, and then if he understood any of their speech. Aa
soon as the old man came in, he looked .seriously at them, but knew none of them ;
nuither 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
thenx that tlio men into whose hands they were fallen were Christians ; that they
abhon-ed eating men or women ; and that they might be sure they would not lie killetl
As soon as they were a.ssured of this, they discovered such a joy, and by such awkward
gestures, several ways, as is hard to describe ; for it seems they were of several nationa

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 bi-ought them
away, to save their lives ; at which they all fell a dancing ; and presently one fell to
taking up thi.s, and another that, anything that lay next, to carry on their shoulders, to
intimate they were willing to work.

The governor, who found that the having women nraong them would presently bo
attended with some inconvenience, and might occasion some strife, and jiorhups blood,
asked the three men what they intended to do with those women, and how they
inti-nded to use them, whether as servants or as wives ? One of the Englishmen
answered, very boldly and readily, that they woidd use them as both ; to which the
governor said, " I am not going to restrain you from it — you are your own masters aa
to that ; but this I think is Init just, for avoiding disorders and quarrels among you,
and I desire it 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 *y"U stay here, the woman any of you lakes .shall bo
njuintaiiied by the man lliut takes her, and should be his wife — I mean," says he,
'• while ho continues here, and that none else .shall have anything to do with her."
All this appealed so just, that every one agreed to it without any difficulty.

'J'lien the Englishmen a.sked 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,

250

THE CHOICE OF WIVES.

!|y

and tlie others did not like women that vrerc 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. On the other hand, to be short, the five Englishmen
took them every one a Avife — that is to say, a temporary wife ; and so they set up a new
form of living ; for the Spaniards and Friday's father 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 as 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 enough to prevent quarrelling among
themselves, for they set the five women by themselves in one of their hitts, and they
Avent all into the other hut, and drew lots among them Avho should choose first.

He that drew to choose fii'st 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, Avhich made
mirth enough among the rest ; and even the Spaniai'ds laughed at it ; but the fellow
considered better than any of them, that it was application and business they were to
expect assistance in, as much as in anything else j and she proved the best Avife of all
the parcel.

When the poor Avomen saAV themselves set in a roAV thus, and fetched out one by
one, the terrors of their condition returned upon them again, and they firmly believed
they Avere noAV going to be devoured. Accordingly, Avhen 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 Avith such agonies and affection as Avould haA'e grieved the
hardest heart in the Avorld ; 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,
A^•ho immediately let them know that the five men, Avho Avere to fetch ther^i out one by
one, had chosen them for their Avives.

When they had done, and the fright the Avomen AVere in Avas a little over, the men
AA-ent to Avork, and the Spaniards came and helped them ; and in a fcAV hours they had
]3uilt them every one a neAV hut or tent for their lodging apart ; for those they had
already were croAvded Avith their tools, household stuff", and provisions. The three
Avicked ones had pitched farthest off, and the tAvo honest ones nearer, but both on the
north shore of the island, so that they continued separated as before ; and thus my
island Avas peopled in three places, and, as T might say, three toAvns Avere begun to be
built.

And here it is very well worth observing that, as it often happens in the Avorld (Avhat
thtt wise ends of God's providence are, in such a disposition of things, I cannot say), the
two honest felloAvs had the two worst Avives ; and the three reprobates, that AA-ere scarce
Avorth 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 Avere moi^t
AAdlling, quiet, passive, and subjected creatures, rather like slaves than wiA^es ; but my
meaning is, they Avere not alike capable, ingenious, or industrious, or alike cleanly an 1

I

leat.

R(Ji;l.\.SON CRL'.S(jE

Si

Another observation I must niak<', to the honour of a diligent application on one
hand, ami to the disgivice of a .slothful, negligent, idle temper on the other, that when T
came to the })lace, and viewed the several improvements, jtlantings, 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 tlicy
■wanted, and the reason wa.«<, because, according to my rule, nature dictated that it was
to no ]»uri>oso to sow more coni than 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
lli-st view.

The two men bad innumoi-able young trees planted about tlicir huts, so that, when
you came to the place nothing was to be seen but a wood ; and though tliey had twice
had their plantation demolished, once by their own countrymen, and once by the enemy,
as shall be shown in its place, yet they had restored all again, and everything was
thriving and flourishing about them : they had grapes planted in order, and 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
innnmerablo stakes and poles of wood which, as I said, grew so readily, made the grove,
imjtassable, except in some j»laces, where they climbed up to get over the outside part,
and then went on by ways of their own le;',viiig.

As to the three reprobates, as I justly cull them, though tlioy were much civilised by
their settlement compared to what they were before, and wore not so quarrelsome,
having not the .same ojiportunity, yet one of the certain companions of a profligate
mind ne\er left them, and that was their idleness. It is true, they planted corn, and
made fences ; but Solomon's words were never better veriGed than in tliem — " 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 sec it in .some places for weeds, the
hedge had several gaps in it, where the wild goats liad got in and eaten up the c "ii ;
})erhaps liere and there a dead b.i.sh was crammed in, to stop them out for the prcojnt,
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 imlustry and success
upon all they did ; there Wivs not a weed to bo seen in all their corn, or a gap in any of
tjieir hedges ; and they, on the other hand, verified Solomon's words in another jflaco,
that " the diligent hand maketh rich ; " for everything grew and thrived, and they hal
plenty within and without; they had more tame cattle than the other.i, more utensils
and necessaries within dooi-s, and yet more pleasure and diversion too.

It is true., the wives of the three were very handy and cleanly within dooi*s ; ami
having learned the JCnglLsh ways of dressing and cooking from one of the other English-
men, who, as I said, was a cook's niate on board the ship, they dressed their husband's
victuals very nicely and well ; whereas the others coidd not bo brought to understan I
it ; but then the husband, who, as I say, had been cook's mate, did it Iiim.self. But ai
for the husbands of the three wives, they loitered about, fetched turtles' egg.s, and cauglit
ri.shnnd birds; in a word, anything but labour; and tliey fared accordingly. The diligent
lived Will and comfortably, an<l the .slothful hanl and beggarly ; and so, I beli.«vc,
K.nerally speaking, it is all over the world.

il

^^■^^-n

p>.

^feu^^ 0/ ^KE^/Mq; ^mk^K^^m

^

^ But I now come to a scene different from all that had hajjpened before, either
to them or to me ; and the origin of the story was this : — Early one morning, there
came on shore five or six canoes of Indians or savtiges— call them which yoii please — • ,
and there is no room to doubt they came upon the old errand of feeding upon their v
slaves ; but that part was now so familiar 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 j^et, 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 give notice to
all the three plantations to keep Avithin doors, and not show themselves, 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 these measures,
and made it known among the savages that there were inhabitants there ;

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

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 then\
had the curiosity to go to the ])lace where they had been, to see what tliey had been
doing. Here, to tlieir great surprise, they found thi'ee savages left behind, and lying
fast asleep upon the ground. It was supposed they had cither been so gorged with
their iuhniuan feast, that, like beasts, they were fallen asleep when the others went, or
they had wandered into the woods, and did not come back in time to be taken in.

The Spaniards wore greatly surprised at this sight, and perfectly at a loss what t.i
do. The Spanish governor, as it happened, was with them, and his advice was asked,
but he profe.Sfied he knew not what to do. As for slaves, they had enough already; and
n.4 to killing them, there were none of them inclined to do that : the Spaniaitl governor
told ine, they could not think of shedding innocent blood ; for as to them, the i)oor
creatures liad done them no wrong, invaded none of their property, and they thoii^nt
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 iji 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, so very
good-humoured, and so courteous, as these Spaniards : and as to cnielty, they had
nothing of it iu their very nature : no inhumanity, no barbarity, no outrageous ]>assions ;
and yet nil of them men of great courage and spirit. Their temper and calmness had
appeared in their bearing the insufferable usage of the three Englishmen ; and their
justice and humanity api)eared now in the case of the savages, as above. After some
consulUition, they resolved upon this : that they would lie .still a while longer, till, it*
l»o3sible, thcie three men inight be gone. But then the governor Si>aniard recollected that
the three .savages had no boat ; and if they were left to roam about the island, they
would certainly discover that there were inhabitants in it ; and so they should bo
undone tliat way. Upon this, they went bock again, and there lay the fellows last
nsleop still, so they resolve<l to awaken them, and take them prisonei-s ; and they did so.
The poor fellows were strangely friglitened when they were seized upon and bound ; and
alraid, like the women, that they should be murdered and eaten : for it .seems, thoso
j)eoplo think all the world do as they do, eating men's llesh ; but they were soon made
easy a.s to that, and away tlioy carried them.

It was very happy for them that they did not carry them homo to their c:istle— I
mean, to my palace luider the hill ; Imt they carried them first to the bower, where was
the chief of their country work, such as keeping the goats, the i)lanting the corn, Jco. ;
and afterwards th(>y carried them to the habitation of the two Englishmen.

Hero they were .set to work, though it wivs not much thoy had for them to do ; and
whether it was by ncgligenco in guarding thorn, or that they thought the fellows could
not i.und themselves, I know not, but one of them ran away, and, taking to the woods,
they could never hear of him any more.

They had good reivson to believe he got home again sonu after iu .some other boats
or eanoes of savages who aune on shore three or four weeks afterward.s, and who,
carrying on their revels a.s usual, went oil" in two days' time. This thought terrilied them
exeeedingly ; for they concluded, and that not without good cau.se indeed, that if this
fellow eaino home safe among his comi-ades, ho would certainly give them an account
that there wero i)eople in the i.sland, and also how few and weak they were ; for this
84»vngo, as obscrvoil bufore^ Jimd never been told, and it was very happy he had not, ho.v
le, vv whei(^ tliey lived ; nor had he ever seen or heard the fiic of any of
-34 ^«^^^^ ^^

manv th

THE

their guns, much less had they shown him tiny of their other retired phiccs ; such as the
cave iu the valley, or the new retreat Avhich the two Englishmen had made, and the like.
The fii'st 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 sun-rise, at a convenient place, about a mile from
the habitation of the two Englishmen, where this escaped man had been kept. As the
Spaniard governor said, had they been all there, the damage would not have been so
much, for not a man of them would have escaped ; but the case differed now,
very much, for two men to fifty was too much odds. 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. Now, 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, it seems, proved very faithful to them) to lead them,
with their two wives, and whatever they could carry away with them, to their retired
places in the woods, which I have spoken of above, and there to bind the two fellows
hand and foot, till they heard further.

In the next place, seeing the savages were all come on shore, and that they had bent
their course directly that way, they opened the fences where the milch cows were kept,
and drove them all out j leaving their goats to straggle in the woods whither they pleased
that the savages might think they were all bred wild ; but the rogue who came with
them v,^as 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 they had of the three who came with the women, and 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, aiid retreated towards the place in the wood where their wives were sent ; keeping'
at a distance, yet so that they might see, if possible, which way the savages took.

They had not gone .ar, but that from a rising ground they could see the little army
of 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 mortifica-
tion ; for they had a very great loss, to them irretrievable, at least for some time.
:'liey kept their station for a while, till they found the savages, like wild beasts, spread
'icmselves all over the place, rummaging every way, and every place they could think
t", in search of prey ; and in particular for the people, of whom now it plainly appeared
oy had intelligence.
The two Englishmen seeing this, thinking themselves not secure where they stood,

:ause it was likely some of the wild people might come that way, and they might come

lO many together, thought it proper to make another retreat about half a mile
/iirther; believing, as it afterwards happened, 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, and
where an old trunk of a tree stood, which was hollow and vastly large ; and in this tree
they both took their standing, resolving to see there what might offer. They had not stood
there long before two of the savages appeared running directly that way, as if they
alreiidy had notice where they stood, and were coming up to attack them; and a little

w#<3

way fartlun- tlioy cspieil tliieo more coming after tliem, ami five more beyond them, :il
cumin" the same way ; besides which, they si\w seven or eight more at a di:itance, runniii;
another wav ; f'>r, in a word, thi-y ran every way, like sportsmen beating f(n' tliei

-^— ^

K0L5INS0X CRUSOE.

.■#

The ])oor men were now in great i>eri)lexity whether they shoukl stand and keep
their ])0.sture, or fly; bnt, after a very sliort debate with tliemselvefs they consider^],
that if the savages ranged the country thus before lielp came, they might perliaps find
out tlieir retreat in the woods, and then all would be lost ; so they resolved to stand thiin
there, and if they were too many to deal with, then they would get up to the top of the
tree, from whence they doubted not to defend themselves, fire excepted, as long as their
aniniunition laated, though all the siivages that were landed, which was near fifty, were
to attack them.

Having resolved upon this, they next considered whether they should fire at the first
two, or wait fijr the three, and so take the middle i)arty, by which the two and the five
that followed would be .separated ; at length they resolved to let the fii-st two pass by,
uidess they should spy them in the tree, and come to attack them. The first two
savages confirmed them also in this i-esolution, by turning a little from them towards
another part of the wood ; but the three, and the five after them, came forward directly
to the tree, as if they had known the Engli-shmen were there. Seeing them come so
sti-aight towards them, they resolved to take them in a line as they came ; and a:^ they
resolved to fire but one at a time, ]ierhaps the first shot might hit them all three ; for
which i)urposo the man who was to fire put three or four small bullets into his piece ;
and having a fair loop-hole, as it were, from a broken hole in the tree, he took a sure
aim, without being seen, waiting till they were within about thirty yards of the tree, so
that ho could not miss.

^^'hilc they were thus waiting, and the savages came on, they jdainly saw that one
of the three was the runaway .savage that had escaped from them ; and they both knew
him distinctly, and resolved that, if possible, he should not esciipe, though they should
both fire : so the other stood ready with his i)iece, that if he did not droji at the fir.st
slK»t, he should be sure to have a second. I3ut 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, being shot in the head ; the
second, which was the runaway Indian, was shot through the body and fell, but wa.snot
quite dead ; and the third had a little scratch in the shoulder, j)erhap3 by the same ball
that went through the body of the second ; and being dreadfully frightened, though not
so 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 bigger than
it really wa.s, the cclioes nxttling from one side to another, and the fowls rising from all
p.irt.H, screaming, and every .sort making a diflerent noi.sc, according to their kind ; jn.--t
as it was when I fired the first gun that ])crhaps M-as ever shot ofl' in the island

However, all being silent again, and they not knowing what the matter was, cainr
on unconcerned, till they came to the place where their companions lay in a condition
nuserablo enough : and here the jioor ignorant creatures, not sensible that they were
within reach of the same mischief, stood altogether over the wounded man, talking, and,
as m.-iy bo supposed, inquiring of him how he came to bo liurt : and who, it is very
rational to believe, told them, that a flash of fire first, and immediately after that
thunder from their gods, had killed those two and wounded him : this, I .s-\v, is rational;
^ _ 256

> . ^'^;^" THE. ENGLISHMEN BIND THE S^M»E TD A TRIIE. ^gr^'irc,:

for nothing is more certain than that, as they sa,w no man near them, so they had never
heard a gun in all their lives, nor so much as heard of a gun ; neither knew they
anything of killing and wounding at a distance with fire and bullets : if they had, one
might reasonably believe they would not have stood so unconcerned to view the fate of
their fellows, without some apprehensions of their own.

Our two men, though, as they confessed to me, it grieved them to be obliged to kill
so many poor creatures, who, at the same time, had no notion of their danger ; yet,
having them all thus in their power, and the first having to load his piece again, 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
even to death, though not hiu't, 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, which was a wrong step ; and they were
under some surprise when they came to the place, and found no less than four of them
alive, ani 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
savjige, 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

257

:, ^K=

33

;:^--%j:..^'

o

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

iindcrstaml. However, they made signs to him to sit down at the foot of a tree hard by
and one of the Englislimcn, with a piece of rope twine, which he had by gi-eat chance
in Ills pocket, tied liis two liands behind him, and there they left liim; and with what
speed they couUl made after the other two, wliich were gone before, fearing they, or any
of tlieni, shouhl find their way to tlie covered phice in the woods, where their wives
and tljc few goods they liad left lay. Tliey came once in sight of the two men, but it
was at a great distance ; however, they had tlio sjxtisfaction to see them cross over a
valley towards the sea, quite the conti-ary way from that which led to their retreat,
which they were afmid of; and bcsng satisfied with that, they went back to the tree
where they left their prisoner, who, as they supposed, was delivered by his comrades, for
he was gone, and the two |)icces of roiio-yarn, with which they had bound him, lay just
at the foot of the tree.

Thev were now in as gl*eat crinc<3i-n as before, not knowing what course to t;ike, or
how near the eiicnjy might be, or in what niimber ; so they resolved to go away to the
place where their wives were, to see if all was well there, and to make them easy, who
were in fright enough to be sure ; for though the savages were their own countrymen,
vet they were most terribly afi'aid of them, and perhaps the more for the knowledge
they had of them.

"NVhen they came there, they found the savages had been in the wood, and very near
that i)lace, but had not found it ; for it was indeed inaccessible, from the trees standing
so thick, uidoss the persons seeking it had been directed by those that knew it, which
these were not ; they found, thercfoi-o, everything very safe, only the women in a terrible
fri'^ht. "While they were here, they had the comfort to haA'e seven of the Spaniards
come to their assistance ; the other ten, with their sen-ants, and old Friday (I mean
Friday's futher), were gone in a body to tlefend their bower, and the corn and cattle
that were kept there, in case the savages should hav6 roved over to that side of the
countiy ; but they did not spread so far. "With the seven Spaniards came one of the
three savages, who, as I .said, 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 M'ay, 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, (is they had done the two others who were left when the third ran away.

The prisonei*s now began to be a burden to them ; and they were so afraid of their
escaping, that they M'ere once resolving to kill them all, believing they were under an
absolute necessity to do so for their ovni preservation. .However, the S])aniard governor
wouhl not consent to it, but ordered, for the present, that tliey should be sent out of
the way, to my old cave in the valley, and bo kept there, with two Spaniards to guard
thoni, and give them food for their subsistence, which was done; and they were bound
there hand and foot for that night.

When the Spaniards came, the two Englishmen were so encouraged, that they coidd
not satisfy themselves to stjxy any longer thci-o ; but taking five of the Spaniards and
themselves, with four muskets anu i pistol among them, and two stout quarter-staves,
away they went in quest of the siivages. And fii-st they came to the tree where
the men lay that had been killed ; but it wa-s easy to see that some more of the
savages had been there, for they had attempted to carry their dead men away, and had
driyged two of them a good way, but had given it over. From thence they advanced
!■• the first rising ground, where they had stood and seen their camp destroyed, and
wliei-.< they had the mortification still to see some of the smoke ; but neither could they

RETURN OF THE SAVAGES.

here ?ec any of tlie savages. They then resolved, though with all possible caution, to
go forward towards their ruined plantation ; but, a little before tliey came thither,
coining in sight of the sea-shore, they saw plainly the savages all embarking again in
their canoes, in order to be gone. They seemed sorry, at first, that there was no way
to come at them, to give them a parting blow ; but, upon the whole, they wjere very
Avell satisfied to be rid of them.

The poor Englishmen being now twice ruined, and all their improvements destroyed
the rest all 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 incli-
nation to do any good, yet 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 help and assistance,
and did, very friendly, work for several days to restore their habitations, and make neces-
saries for them. And thus in a little time they were set upon their legs again.

About two days after this they had the fai-ther satisfaction of seeing three of the
savages' cauocs come driving 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 5vent off.

However, as some might miscarry, so, on the other hand, enough of them escaped
to inform the rest, as well of what they had done as of what had happened to them, and
to whet them on to another enterprise of the same nature, which they, it seems, resohed
to attempt, with sufficient force to carry all before them ; for except what the first man
had told them of inhabitants, they could say little of it of their own knowledge, for
they never saw one man ; and the fellow being killed that had affirmed it, they had no
other witness to confirm it to them.

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 by 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, in short, it put all our people into the utmost
j consternation.

As they came on shore in the evening, and at the easternmost side of the island, our
men had that night to consult and consider what to do ; and, in the first place, knowing
that their being entirely concealed was their only safety before, and would be much
more so now, while the number of their enemies would be so great, they therefore
resolved, first of all, to take down the huts which were built for the two Englishmen,
; 1 drive away their goats to the old cave; because they supposed the savages would
: directly thither, as soon as it was day, to play the old game over again, though they
a not now land within two leagues of it. In the next place, they drove away all the
uucks of goats they had at the old boAver, as I called it, which belonged to the
Spaniards ; and, in short, left as little appearance of inhabitants anywhere as was
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 hap-
pened : these new invaders, leaving their canoes at tho east eiid of the island, came
ranging along the shore, directly towards. tlie |Dlace, to the number of two hundred and
■fty, as near as our men could judge. Our army was but small, indeed ; but, that which
as worse, they had not arms for all their number naither. The whole account, it
-ms, stood thus : first, as to men, seventeen Spaniards^ five Ei

259

nld Friday

w?^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

>r Friday's father), tlie tliree slaves taken with the women, who proved very fciithful,
Hiid three other slaves, who lived with the Spaniards. To ai'ui these, they had eleven
muskets, five pistols, three fowliug-i)ieces, five muskets or fowling-pieces, which were
taken l)y mc from the mutinous seamen whom I reduced, two swords, and three old
hulbfits.

To their slaves they did not give either musket or fusee ; but they had each a
halbert, or a long start", like a quurter-stan", 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
i)f th(! women could not be j)revailed upon, but they would come into the fights, 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, whom I described so often, commanded tlie whole; and
Will Atkins, who, though a dreadful fellow for wickedness, was a most daring, bold
fellow, conimanded under him. The savages came forward like lions ; and our men,
wliioh was the worst of their fate, had no advantage in their situation ; only that "Will
Atkins, who now jn'oved a most useful fellow, with six men, wa.s 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
oretrcat 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.

^Vhen the savages came on, they ran straggling about every way in hciips, out of
all manner of order, and Will Atkins lot about fifty of them jiass by him ; then seeing
the rest come in a very thick throng, he orders three of his men to fire, having loaded
their muskets with six or seven bullets apiece, about as big as large pistol bullets. How
many they killed or wounded they knew not, but the consternation and surprise was
inexpressible among the savages ; they were frightened to the last degree to hciir such
a dreadful noise, and sec their men killed, and others hurt, but sec nobody that did it ;
when, in the middle of their fright, Will Atkins and his other three let fly again among
tiic thickest of them ; and in less than a minute, the first three being loaded again,
gave them a third volley.

Had Will Atkins ami his men retired immediately, as soon as tlu-y had fired, as
they were ordered to do, or had the rest of the body been at hand, to have poured in
their shot continually, the savages had been cficctually I'outed ; for the terror that was
among them came principally from this, that they were killed by the gods with thunder
and lightning, and eoidd sec iK.body that hurt them ; but Will Atkin.s, staying to load
again, discovered the cheat : somu of the .savages who were at a distance sj)ying them,
came upon them behind ; and though Atkins and his men fired at them also two or
tliree times, and killed above twenty, retiring as fast as tlu-y could, yet they wounded
Atkins himself, and killed one of his fellow Kngli.shmen with their arrow.s, lus they did
afterwards one Spaniard, and (me of the Indian slaves who came with the women.
This slave was a most gaUant fellow, and fought most d»'sperately, killing five of tliem
with his own hand, having no weaptm but one of the armed staves and a hatchet

Our men bring thus hard laid at, Atkins wounded, and two other men killed,
retreated to a rising ground in the wood ; and the Spaniards, after firing thi-ee volleys
upon them, retreated also ; for their number was so great, and they were so desperate,
that though above fifty of theni were killed, ami metre than as many wounded, yet they
came ..u in the (eel), of on.- men, fearless of dan-'er. and .shot their arrows like a cloud ;

O-^

.0

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

-- -\|

aiul it was observed that tlicir -woundecl men, who were not quite di.sablcl, were |jiail
outrjigcoiis hy their woiuidj", and fouglit like madmen.

"WMien our men retreated, they left the Spaniard and Englishman that -svcre killed
behind them ; and the savages, when they came up to them, killed

•retched manner, breaking their

ney came up

and heads, -with their clubs and woodt

t^words, like true savages; but finding our men -were gone, they did not seem to imrsue
tlicm, but drew themselves up in a ring, Avhich is, it seems, their custom, and shouts d
twice, in token of their victory; after which, they liad the moitiCcation to see sever.. 1
of their wounded men fall, dying with the mere loss of blood.

The i^pauiard governor having drawn hi.s little body up together upon a rising
ground, Atkins, thoiigli he was wounded, would have had them march and charge again
altogether at once: but the Spaniard replied — "Seignior Atkins, yon see how their
wounded men fight ; let them alone till morning ; all the wounded men will be still"
and sore with their woinid.M, and faint with the loss of blood ; and so wc .shall ha^-e t\u-
fewer to engage." This advice was good : but "Will Atkins replied mcn-ily, " That is
true, seignior, and so shall I too ; and that is the reason I would go on while I am
wai-m." "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 iu great disorder
about their dead and wounded men, and a great noise and huny among them where
they lay, tliey 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 oppor-
tunity to do : for one of the Englishmen in whose quarter it was where the fight began,
led them round between the woods and the sea-side westwai-d, 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 ui)on tlfwn, and did dreadful execution upon them ; in half
a minute more, eight others fired after tlicm, pouring in their small shot in such a
rpiantity, that abundance were killed and wounded ; and all this while they were not
able to sec who hurt them, or which way to fly.

The Spaniai-ds charged again with the iitmost expedition, and then diviJid tlic:;.
.selves into three bodies, and resolved to fall in among them all together. They had iu
each body eight persons, that is to .say, twenty-two men, and the two women, who, by
the way, fought desperately. Tliey divided the fire-arms equally iu each l>arty, a.s well as
the halberds and staves. They would have had the women kej[)t ^ack, but tliey .s:vid tlu-y
wrro resolved to die with their hu.sband.s. Having thus formed their little army, th<
marched out from among the trees, and came up to the teeth of the enemy, shoutii
and hallooing as loud as they could ; the savages stood all together, but were in tl
utmo.st confusion, hearing the noise of our men shouting from three quartci-s together :
they would have fought if they had seen us ; for as soon an we came near enough to b •
seen, some arrows were .shot, an<l poor old Fiiday was wounded, though not dan-
gerously ; but our juen gave them no time, but^ nmniug up to them, fired among the
three ways, and then fell in with the butt-ends of their muskets, their swords, anne ;
stuvef, and hatchet.^, and laid about them so well, that^ in a wonl, tlicy .set up a disni;
K-reaming and howling, flying to .«ave their lives which way soever they CQuld.

Vwv men were tired with the execution, and killed or mortally woi^iii^Jcd in the t v,
fights about t>no hundred and eighty of them ; the rest, being frightened out of thci:
wit-s scoured through the woods and over the hills, Mith all the speed fear and nimlle

262

FLIGHT OF THE SAVAGES.

feet could help tliem to ; aiul as we did not trouble ourselves much to pursue thcni,
ihcy got all together to the sea-side where they landed, and where their canoes lav.
Lut their disaster was not at an end yet ; for it blew a terrible storm of wind that
oA-euing from the sea, so that it was impossible for them to go off; nay, the storm con-
tinuing all night, when the tide came up, their canoes were most of them driven by the
surge of the sea sohigh upon the shore that it required infinite toil to get them off;
and some of them were even dashed to pieces against the beach, or against one another.
Our men, though glad of their victory, yet 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 neces-
sarily led them over the place where the fight had been, and where they found several
of the poor creatures not quite dead, and yet past recovering life ; a sight disagreeable
enough to generous minds, for a truly great man, though obliged by the law of battle to
destroy his enemy, takes no delight in his misery. 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
favages' army lay, where there appeared about a hundred still ; their posture was gene-
rally sitting upon the ground, with their knees up towards their mouth, and the head
jiut between the two hands, leaning down upon the knees.

When our men came within two musket-shots of them, the Spaniard 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 dispirited and discouraged, and so he might manage
accordingly. This stratagem took : for as soon as the savages heard the first gun, and
faw the flash of the second, they started up upon their feet 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 did not understand, and 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 a^ would qtiite desolate the island, and starve them.
Will Atkins, therefore, 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 and live there desperate, and so they should have them to
hunt like wild beasts, be afraid to stir out about their business, and have their plan-
tations coAtinually rifled, all their tame goats destroyed, and, in short, 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 the necessity of it
i-o plainly that they all came into it ; so they went to work immediately witli 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 Ixirn ; hoAvever, the fire

263

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

liiinipJ the upper part that it soon matlc them luifit for swiiumiiig iix tho sea as boa'. .
When tlie Indians saw what they were about, some of them came running out of th'
woods, and coming as near as they could to our men, kneeled down and cried, "Oa, Oa,
Wammokoa!" and some otlier woi'ds of their language, which none of tho othei-s under-
stood anything of; })ut as they made jatiful gestures and strange noises, it was easy to
understand they bogged to have their boats spared, and tliat they would be gone, and
never come there again. But our men were now satisfied that they had no way to preserve
tliemselvea, or to save their colony, but effectually to prevent any of these people from
ever going home again, depending upon this, that if even .so much as one of them got
l>ack into tlioir country to toll tho story, tho colony was undone; so that, letting them know
tliat they sliould not have any mercy, tlioy fell to work M'ith their canoes, and destroyctl
overv one that tho stomi had not destroyed before; at the sight of which tlio savages
raised a hideous cry in the woods, which our pooj>le heard plain enough, after whicli
they mn alxiut tlic island like distracted men, so that, in a word, our men did not really
know what at first to do with them. Nor did the Spaniards, with all their prudenc.-,
ctnsiilor that while they made those people thus desperate, they ought to have kept a
good giiard at the same time upon their i)lantations ; for though it is true, they had
driven away their cattle, and the Indians did not find out their main reti-eat — I moan
my old castle at the hill, nor the cave in the valley — yet they found out my plantation
at the bower, and pulled it all to pieces, and all the fences and planting about it ; trod
all the corn under foot, tore up the vines and grapes, being just then almost ripe, and
did our men an inestimable damage, though to themselves not one farthing's wortli
of service.

Though our men were able to light 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 singl.'.
f »r fear of being surrounded with their numbers. Tho best wa.s, they had no weapon-- :
for tlu)Ugh they had bows, they had no arrows left, nor any nxuterials to make any :
iH)r had they any edge-tool or weapon among them.

The extremity and distress they were reduced to was great, and indeed deplorabU' .
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 desti"oyed, and tluh
harvest spoiled, and what to do, or which way to turn themselves, they knew not. Tlu'
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 tho jthuitation of. the three Englishmen,
Will Atkins and his comrades, who were now reduced to two ; one of them beini,'
killed by an arrow, which struck him on the side of his head, just under the temples, s.)
that he never .spoke more; and it was very remarkable that this was the same barbarous
follow that cut the poor savage slave with his hatchet, and who afterwards intended to
have m»n'dore<l the Spaniard.s.

I looked upon their case to have boon worse nt this time than mine was at any
lime, after I first discovered tho grains of barley and rice, and got into the manner of
planting and raising my corn, and my tame cattle ; for now they had, as I may .say, a
hundred wolves upon the i.sland, which wouUl devour everything they could come at,
yet could be hardly come at themselves.

When they .sjiw what their circumstances were, the first thing they concluded wa-.
that U>ey would, if po.ssiblo, drive them up to the farther i)art of the island, southwest,
that if any more savages came on shore they might n'>t find one another; then, th n

KOniXSOX CRUSOK.

they woiilil <bii!y 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 bi-ing
them to anything, they would give them corn, and teach them how to plant, and live
uj>on their daily labour.

In order to do this, they so fallowed them, and so terrified them with their gun.^, that
in a ft w davs, if any of them fired a gun at an Indian, if he did not hit liim, yet he
would fall down for fear ; and so dreadfully frightenetl they were that they kept out ot
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 wood> or hollow places so much
that it rcflnced them to the utmost misery for want of food ; and many were aftenvards
found de«d in the wood-s without any hurt, al).>olutely starved to death.

When our men found this it made their hearts relent, and jnty moved them, espe-
ciallv the Spaniard goveniov, who wa.s 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 tar as to be able to act as interpreter,
and go among them and see if they might be brought to some conditions that might
be dejiended 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-
Ptarvcd, one of them was at last surprised and made a prisonei-. He was sidlen at first,
and would neither cat nor drink ; but finding himself kindly useil, and victuals given
to him, and no violence offered him, he at last grew tractable, and came to hiuiself.
They brought old Friday to him, who talked often with him, and told him how kind
the others woidd bo 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 con.e beyond it to injur© or prejudice othei-s ; and
that they should liavo corn given them to jilant and make it giow for their bread, and
Rome bread given them for their present subsistence : and old Friday bade the follow
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 i>roposal at the first ofi*er, and begged to have some foo<l 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 thi^ee Indian
slaves carried them a large quantity of bread, some rice boile<l \ip to cakes and dried
in the sun, and throe live goats ; and they were ordered to go to the side o:f a hill,
where they sat down, ate their ]>i(»visions very thankfully, and wei"0 the mast faithful
fellows to their words that could bo thought of; for, except when they came to beg
victuals and directions, they never came out of their boiuvls ; and thei"e they lived when
I came to the island, and I went to see them.

They had taught them both to jdant corn, make brcail, breed tame gaits, and milk
tliem : they wanted nothing but wives, and they soon would have been a nation. They
were confined to n neck of land, sunomnleil with high rocks behind them, and lying
]ilain towards the sea before them, on the south-cast corner of the i.sland. They had
land enough, and it was very good and fruitful ; about a milo and a half broad, and
three or four miles in length.

Our men taught them to make wooden spades, such as I made for my.«e]f, and gave
among them twelve hatchets and three or four knives ; and there they lived, the most
8u\'jeclcd, innocent cro.itures that ever were heard of.

a66 _j

After this, the colony enjoyed a perfect tranquillity, with respect to the savages, till
1 came to re- visit them, whicli was about two years after ; not but that, now and then,
some canoes of savages came on shore for their triumphal, iinnatural feasts ; but as
they were of several nations, and perhaps had never heard of those that came before, or
the reason of it, they did not make any search or inquiry after their countrymen ; and
if they had, it would have been very hard to have found them out.

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 Indians or savages were wonderfully
civilised by them, and they frequently went among them ; but forbid, on pain of death,
any 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 abun-
dance of most ingenious things in wicker-work, particularly of all sorts of baskets, sieves,
bird-cages, cupboards, &c. ; 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 Avay round ; which was a very extraordinary piece of ingenuity, and looked
very odd, but was an exceeding 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 it by my steps ; the walls were as close
worked as a basket, in panels or squares of thirty-two in number, and very strong,
standing about seven feet high ; in the middle was another not above 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 sti'ong 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 too, 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,
staples, 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-v/oi'k for him.
The outer circuit was covered as a lean-to, all round this inner apartment, and 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 walk 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, a:

267

IQil

ROBIN SUN CRUSOE.

.1

divide J into six aixutraeuts, so that he had she rooms on a floor, and out of everyone i>f
tlie.sc there was a door ; first into the entry, or 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 eiiual parts, which served not only for a retreat, but to
store up any necessaries which the family had occasion for. These six spaces not Uiking
up the whole circimxferencc, 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 aide was a wicker i>ar-
tition, 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 rcsi)ccti\ e chambers of the inner circle ; and four large warehouses, or barns, or
what you please to call then), which wont through one another, two on cither hand of
tlie passage, that led through the outer door to the inner tent.

Such a jiiece of basket-work, I believe, was never seen in the world, nor a housti or
tent so neatly contrived, much less so built. In this great bee-hive lived the three
families, that is to say, Will Atkins anU his companion j ^ic third wa.s killed, but his
Mife remained with three children, for she was, it seems, In^ with child when he died :
and the other two were not at all backward to give the widow her full share of every-
thing, I mean as to their coni, milk, grapes, ic, and when they killed a kid, or found a
turtle on the shore ; so that they ^'1 \i\&\ well enough ; though, it was true, they were
nut >i) inilustrious as the other two, as has been observed already.

One thing, however, cannot bo omitted, viz., that lus for religion, 1 do not know that
there was anything of that kind among them ; they often, indeed, put one another in
njind 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 LJod themselves, so
they M'erc utterly iucapable of entering into any discourse with their wives about a Clod,
or to talk anytliing to them concerning religion.

The utmost of all the improvement whicli I can say the wives had made from thorn
was, tiiat they had taught tlieni to speak English pretty well ; and most of their
children, who were near twenty in all, were taught to sjunik English too, from their lir.st
It'arning to speak, though thoy at first spoke it in a very broken manner, like their
mother.-'. There was none of thes^e children above six yeai-sold when I came thithei-, for
it was not much above seven years since they had fetched these five savage ladies over ;
but thoy lunl all been pretty fruitful, for thoy had all children, more or less : I think the
cook's nuite's wife wjis big of her sixth child ; and the mothers were all a good .sort of
well-governed, (juiet, laborious women, modest and decent, helj)ful to one another, mighty
ob.servant and subject to their masters (I cannot call thorn husbaiuls), and wanted nothing
but to be well instructed in the Christian religion, and to bo legally jiuirriod ; both which
wiTo happily brought about afterwards by my nioan.s, or at loa.-5t in oinhsoijuencc of my
coming among them.

Having thus given an account ()f the colony in general, and pretty much of my rnn-
agate English, I must say something of the Spaniard.^, who were the main body of the
tamily, and in who.so story there are some incidents also remarkal)lo enough.

1 had a groat many discoiu-ses with them about their ciivumstiinccs when thoy wore
among the wivagc'^. Tli.-y told mo readily that th(>y had no instances to give of thoir

^63 ' _A

|\ api)lication or ingenmty in that cotintry ; that they were a poor, miserable, dejecteci
handful of peojile ; that if means had been put into their hands, they had yet 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 con-
'>inced 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 oftered, 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

269

IWT^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

aflliction than proposed a remedy ; and upon this he repeated a Spanish i)roverb, whiLu,
though I ciiijnot repeat in just the same words that he spoke it in, yet I remember I
made it into an English proverb of my own, thus : —

'•In trouble to be troubled,
Is to have your trouble doubled."

He ran on llien in remai-k^ ujioii nil the little improvements I hnd made in uiy
.s<.lit«de ; 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 morL-
liappy than th< ii-s was, e^ en now when they were all together. He told me it Wivs remark-
able that Englishmen liad a greater presence of mind in their distress th:ui any peojile
that ever he met with ; that their unhappy nation and the PortugTK'se were the worst
men in the world to struggle with misfortunes ; for that their first stej) in dungei-s, after
the common e!Toi-ts were over, was to despair, lie clown under it, and die, without ro\isin^^'
their thoughts up to projier remedies for e-scnpe,

T told him their case and mine differed exceedingly ; that they wei*c cast upon the
shore without necessaries, Avithout supply of food, or ju'esent s^istenance till they could
]>rovidc for it : that, it was tiiie, I had this disadvantage and discomfort, that I was alone ;
but then the supjJy 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 haTc applied himself as J had done. " .Seignior," says the Spaniard, "had we
poor 8i«niai'ds l»ecn in your case, we shoiJd never have got half tliosc things out of the
ship, as you did : i«y,' .says he, "we should never have found means to have got a rafc
to cany them, or to have got the raft on shore widiout boat or sail ; aiid how much less
Bhould we have done if Any of us had been alone !" ^Vell, I desired him to abate his com-
l>linu'nts, and go on with the histcny of their coniing an shore, whore they landed. He told
me they iinhappily landed .at a place wliei'c tliere were pcqile without provisions : whereas,
had they had the common sense to jnit off to sea agann, and gone to another island a little
farther, they had found jjrovisions, though without people; there being an island that way,
as they had been told, whe7-c there were provisions, though no peoplo ; that is to say, that
the S[MiTiiards of Trinidad had frequently been there, and had filled the island with goats
and hogs at several times, where they had bred in siicih multitticlcs. And where turtle and
sea-fowls wore in such plenty, that they could have been in bo want of flesh, though they
lijid foiuid no bread ; whereas, hero, they were only .sustained with a few roots and herbs,
Avhich they understood not, and which had no substivnee in them, and which the in-
habitants gave them sparingly enough ; jiiulthoy could treat them no better, ludess they
would turn cannibals, and eat men's iktih, which was the great dainty of their country.

They gave me an account how mai\)' ways they strove to civilise the .salvages they
were with, and to teach them ration*! customs in the ordinary way of living, but in
vain ; and how they retorted it upon them, jvs unjust, that they, who came there for
assistance ami suj)])ort, should attem])t to set up for instructoi-s of those that gave them
food ; intimating, it .seems, that none .shoidd .st-t uj* for the instructoi-s of others but
those who could live without them.

They gave mc dismal accounts of the extremities they were driven to ; how sonic-
tinies they were many days Mithout aaiy food at all, -the island they were upon being
inhabited by a .sort of siiviiges that lived more iudoleut, and for that i-eason were less
supplied with the necessaries of life tluiu they had reason to believe othcra were in the
.same ))art of the world : and vet th<-v fotuKl that these sava-'es were le.ss ravenous and

'I' ^'d'%\^^.

voracious tliau those avIio had better supplies of food. Also ilw.y luhkd, th \ coukl nut
but see witli wliat deuioustrations of wisdom and goodness the governing pio\idcnce of
God directs the events of things in this world : which, they said, appeared in their cii-
eunistances ; for if, pressed by the hardships they were under, and the barionnos-, of the
country where they were, they had searched after a better to live in, tliov hxl tluMi been
out of the way of the relief that happened to them by my means.

They then gave me au account how the savages whom they liv^ed among expected
tliem 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 go out with their landlords to their wars j 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 the}' 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 pvit into the muzzles of their muskets : but that, for all this, they were
sometimes surrounded with multitudes, and in great danger from tlieir arrows, till at
last they found the way to make themselves large targets of wood, which they covered
with 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 after-
wards heard ho was taken prisoner, they were under the greatest grief imaginable, and
vrould willingly have all ventured their lives to have rescued him.

They told me that when they were so knocked down, the rest of their company
rescued them, and stood over them fighting till they were come to themselves, all but
him who they thought had been dead ; and then they made their way with their halberds
and pieces, standing close 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 soitow, because it was with the loss of their friend, whom the other party, finding
alive, carried off, with some others, as I gave an account before.

They described, most afiectioaately, how they were surprised with joy at the return
of their friend and companion in misery, who they thought had been devoured by wild
beasts of the v/orst kind — wild men ; and yet, how more and more they were surprised
with the account he gave them of his errand, and that there was a Christian in any place
near, much more one that was able, and had humanity enough, to contribute 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

ress it by words; for their excessive joy naturally driving them to ruubecominc,'

271

expr(

w

^ ^l^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

cxtiava'nvnccs, they had no way to describe them, but by telling me they bordered upon
hniiicv, having no way to give vent to their passions suitable to the sense that was upon
tliem ; 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 discoiu'se extremely afTectedme, and called to my mind Friday's
ecst;\cv when he met his father,' and the poor people's ecstacy when I took them up at
sea after their ship wa? on fire ; the joy of the mate of the ship when he found himself
delivered in the jilace where ho expected to perish ; and my own joy, when, after tweuty-
oi'dit years' captivity, I found a good ship ready to carry me to my own country. All
these thincjs made me more sensible of the relation of these poor men, and more affected
with it.

Jlaviii" thus given a view of the state of things as I f.Mmd them, I must relate tiic
lieads 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 t)iem o(T, if they were twice as many as before ;
so they had no concern about that. Then I entered into a serious discoui-se with the
S])aniaril, wIkmu 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 ofT some and leave othei-s, 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 kind for them ; that I had
been at a great charge to supply them with all things necessary, as well for their conve-
nience as their defence ; and that I had such and such particular persons with me, as well
to increase and recruit their number, as by the particular necessary employments which
they were bred to, being artificers, to assist them in those things in whii-li 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 liad brought, I asked them, one by one, if they had entirely forgot and
l)uried their first animosities that had been among them, and would .shake hands with
one another, and engage in a strict friend.ship and union of interest, tliat so there might
lie no more misunderstandings and jealousies.

Will Atkins, with abundance of frankness and good humour, said they had met with
allliction enough to make them all solder, 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 any-
thing against the Spaniard.s, 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 wo\dd 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.-ihip and union with tlnMU, and would do anything that lay in his power to
convince them of it ; and as for going to England, he cared not if he did not go thith^-r
these twenty year.s.

The Spaniards .said they had, indeed, at first disjxrmed and excluded Will Atkins and
his two coiintrymen for their ill conduct, as they had let me know, aiid they appealed to
me for the necessity they were under todo so ; but that Will Atkins had behaved himself
so bravely in tlie great fight they had with the .savages, and on sever.al occasions since,
and had showed himself so faithful to and concerned for, the geneml interest of them
all, that they had forgotten all that wga passed, and thought he merited as much to be
trusted M'ith anus and siipplied with neces.saries as any of them ; and they had testlfie,!

27:

tlieif satisfaction iu Iiim by committing tlie command to liim next to the governor
himself; and as they had entire confidence in him and all his countrymen, so tliev
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 ; and, in particular, I
gave them ten bottles of French clai-et, and ten bottles of English beer ; thiirgs 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 m.eat 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

vm 273

^-^-^

.Vv

KOlilNSOX: CRUSOE.

fiuunlity c f tlic goods that were for wearing; that is to say, equal when luacio up. As, lir.st,
I ilistributed linen sufficient to make every one of them four shirts, and, at the Spaniard's
rcquesf, afterwards made them up six ; these were exceeding comfortable to them,
h ivinf been what they had long since forgot the use of, or what it was to wear them.
I alloUed the thin English stuffs, which I mentioned before, to make ever)- one a light
coat like a frock, which I judged fittest for the heat of the seaaon, cool and loose; and
ordered that whenever they decayed, tlicy should make more, as they thought lit ; the
like for pumps, shoos, stockings, hats, Arc.

I cannot oxp'/t--;.-; what pleasure, what satisfaction, sat upon the coimtenances of all
those poor men, when they saw tlio care I had taken of them, and how well I had
firnislicd them. They told me I was a father to them ; and that having such a corres-
1 onduut as I was in so remote a part of the world, it would make them forget that they
were left in a desolate i)hico ; and thoy all voluntarily engaged to me not to leave the
place without my consent.

Then I presented to them the people I had broiiglit with me, particularly the tailor,
thesmitli, and the two carpenters, all of them most necessary peojilc ; but, above all, my
general artificer, than whom they could not name anything that vas more useful to
(hem; and the tailor, to show his concern for them, went to work immediately, and,
with nn* leave, made them every one a shirt, the first thing he did ; and, what was still
more, he tau<'ht the women not only how to sew and stitch, and use the needle, but
made them assist to make the .shii-ts for their husbands, and for all the rest.

As to the carpenters, 1 scai'cc net-d mention how useful they were ; for they took to
pit ces 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 fu-st, I carried the cai'penters to see "Will Atkins'
basket-house, as I called it ; and they both owned they never s;\w an instance
of such natural ingenuity before, nor anything so regular and so 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," says ho, "that man has no need of us ; you need do
nulhing 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 wo had no harrows or plough ; and to every separate i)lace a
jiickaxo, a crow, a broad axe, and a saw ; always appointing, that as often as any were
1 rolceii f)r worn out, they should be supplied, without grudging, out of the genei-al .<<toros
that ] left behind. Nail.s, staples, hinges, hammers, chisels, knives, .sci.ssor.s, and all
sorts of iron-work, they had without reserve, as they required ; for no man would take
more than ho wanted, and l.o must be a fool that would waste or spoil them on any
account whatever ; and for the use of the smith I left two tons of unwrought iron
for a supply.

My magazine of powder and anus wliioh I brought lliom was such, oven to profusion,
that they could not but rejoice at them ; for now they could march, as I used to do, with
a nnisket upon each shoulder, if ther«» was occasion ; and were able to fight a thousand
savages, if they had but some little advantages of situatit)n, which also they could not
miss, if they had ocoasiou.

I carried on .shore with me the young man whoso mother was starved to death, and
the maid also ; she was a sober, well educated, religious young woman, and behaved so
inolVen.-ivcly that every one gave her a good word; she had, indeed, an unhai)py life
with us, there being no wuimui in the ship but herself, but she bore it with patience.

274

ADDITIONS 'TO THE COMMUx\ITY.

Aftei' a Avliile, seeing things so -well ordered, and in .so fine a way of thriving upon my
island, and considering that they liad 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 j and they had a little plot of ground allotted to them,
where they had three tents or houses set up, surrounded with a basket-work, pallisadued
like Atkins', 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,
and no more — viz., the Spaniards, Avith old Friday and the first servants, at my old
habitation \inder the hill, which was, in a word, 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, tliough perfectly concealed, yet full at large. JSTever 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
mi^ht have ranged the island for a month, and, if they had not known there was such a
thing, and looked on purpose for it, they vrould 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 fii'st could discover the place, except the only two narrow
entrances where they went in and out could be found, Avhich was not very easy ; one of
them was close down at the water's edge, on the side of the creek, and it was affccrward.-i
al)ovc two hundred yards to the place : and the other was up a ladder at tv/ice, as I have
already described it; and they had also a large wood, thickly planted, on the top of the
hill, con'iaining above an acre, which grew apace, and concealed the place from all dis-
covery there, with onlj^ one narrow place between tv.-o trees, not easily to be discovered,
to enter on that side.

The only colony was that of Will Atkins, where there Avere four families of English-
men, I mean those I had left there, with their v.'ives and children ; three savages that
Avere slaves, the Avidow and the children of the Englishman that Avas killed, the young
man and the maid, and, by the Avay, Ave made a Avife of her before Ave went aAA'ay. There
"were also the tAvo carpenters and the tailor, Avhom I bi'ought Avith me for them : also
the smith, Avho Avas a A^eiy necessary man to them, especially as a gunsmith, to take care
of their arms ; and my other man, Avhom I called Jack- of- all-trades, Avho Avas in himself
as good almost as twenty men ; for he Avas not only a very ingenious felloAV, but a A'eiy
merry fcUoAv, and before I Avent away Ave married him to the honest maid that came
Avith the youth in the ship I mentioned before.

And noAV I speak of marrying, it brings mc naturall}' to say something of the French
ecclesiastic that I had brought with me out of the ship's crcAV Avhom I took up at sea.
It is true this man Avas a Eoman, and perhaps it may give offence to some hereafter
if I leave anything extraordinary upon record of a man Avhom, before I begin, I must (to
set him out in just colours) represent in terms v'ery much to his dIsadA-autagc, in t.ic
account of Protestants ; as, first, that he Avas a Pajjist ; secondly, a Popish p.riest ; and
thirdly, a French Popish priest. But justice demands of me to give him a due charac-
ter ; and I must say, he AA'as a grave, sober, pious, and most religious person ; exact m
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, notwith-
standing his profession 1 though it may be my opinnon, perhaps, as Avell as the opuiion

otliers Avho shall read this, that he Avas mistaken. ;,

275

( The liist liour tliiit I l)Ogau to converse with liim after lie liad agreetl t
go witli iiic to th«' Eivst Indies, T found reason to deliglit exceedingly in his con-
versation ; and ho first began with me about religion in the most obliging manner
imaginable. "Sir," says ho, "you have not only niuler CJod (and at that he
crossed his breast) saved my life, but you have admitted me to go this voyage in
your ship, and, by yojir obliging civility, have taken mo into your family, gi\ ing
me an opportunity of free conversation. Now, sir, you sec by my habit what my
profession i.s, and I guess by your nation what yours i« ; I may think it is my
duly, and doubtless it is so, to use my utmost endeavours, on all occa-sion.s, to
bring all the souls I can to the knowledge of the truth, and to embi-aco the
Catholic doctrine ; but as I am here under your permis.sion, and in your family,
I am bodud injustice to your kindness, as well as in decency and good manners,
to be Mini.. I- your govonunent ; .'Uid tlierefon' I sliall not, without vour leave.

P^

■■-6

enter into any debate on the points of religion in -which we may not agree, farther
tlian yon shall give me leave."

I told him his carriage was so modest that I conld not bnt acknowledge it ; that it
was true we were such people as they called heretics, bvxt that he Avas 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 fiiult, not ours.

He replied that he thought all our conversation might be easily separated from
dis])utes ; 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 Avas 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 iipon all occasions. In this manner we con-
versed ; and as he was of the most obliging, gentlemanlike 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 extraordinary
I'vents 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 Mar-
tinico, he went on board, in order to sail to the Madeiras ; but the master of the Portu-
guese ship, being but an indifferent mariner, had been out of his reckoning, and they
drove to Fyal ; where, however, he happened to find a very good market for his cargo,
M-iiich 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 fiu-ther ; so
the next voyage he shipped himself for France, in the ship that was burned when we
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 A^oyages, all, as I may call it, in one
Aoyage, besides Avhat I shall have occasion to mention farther of him.

But I shall not make digression into other men's stories, Avhich have no relation to
my OAvn ; I return to Avhat concerns our affairs in the island. He came to me one
morning (for he lodged among us all the Avhile Ave Avere upon the island), and it hap-

lkiilB..^..T

r

pcnecl to be just wlicn I was going to visit tlic Euglislnneu's colony, at the liirthcst part
of the island ; I say, he came to mc, and told nic, with a very grave countenance, tha.
he had for two or three days desired an opportunity of some discourse with mc, which
lie hoped would not be displeasing to me, because he thought it might in some measure
correspond witli my general design, v,hich was, the prosperity of my new colony, and
jjerhajts miglit jiut it, at least more than he yet thought it Avas, in the Avay of God'-s
blessing.

I looked a little surprised at tlic last part of his discourse, and turning a little short,
'• J low, 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 jileascd, sir," said he, Avith a world of modesty,
and yet great readiness, " to have lieard me, you would have found no room to have bee.i
tlispleased, much less to think so hard of me, that I should suggest that you have n
had wonderful assistances and deliverances; and I hope, on your behalf, that you a
in the way of God's blessing, and your design is exceeding good, and will prosper : bii:
sir, though it were more hO than is even possible to you, yet there may be some amouj,
you that arc not Cfpially 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
tlio crime, were the objects of Divine vengeance, arid bore the weight of that piinish-

I was sensibly touched with his discourse, and told him his inference was so just,
and the wIkjIc 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 ; and, in the
mean time, 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 mo,
and we might discourse of it by the way. He told mc he would the more willingly
wait on mc thither, because there partly the thing was acted which he desired to spe^ik
to mo about ; so we walked on, and I pressed him to be free and i)laiu with me in what
he had to s;iy.

"Why, then, sir," says he, '"be jileased to give mo leave to lay down a lew projKJsi-
tion.H, as the foundation of what I have to say, that we may not diller in the geneiid
principles, though we may be of some difiering oiiinions in the iiraetice of i)articulars.
1^'irst, sir, though wo dillir in some of the doctrinal articles of religion (and it is very
\inhappy it is so, especially in the case before us, as I shall show afterwards), yet there
are some general ])rinei])les in which we both agree — that there is a God ; and that this
God having given us some stated general rules fur our service and obcdicnco, we ought
nut willingly and knowingly t<j olVend him, either by neglecting to do what ho has
comnumded, or by doing what he has expressly forbidden. Aiul let our diHercjit
religions be what they will, this general i»rinciple is readily owned by us all, that the
blessing of God does not urdinainlv follow jiresumptuous siiniing against his command;
and every good tJhristinT^'Mill l)e alVeelionately concerned to prevent any that are
under his cure living in a total neglect of (iod and his commands. It is not your men
being I'rotestants, whatever my ojiinion may be of such, that discharges me from being
eoMcerncd for their souls, and from' endeavouring, if it lies before me, t^lwiNthey should
li\>siu as little distance from enmity \vith their Maker as j.o.ssible, esj'uvially i\ou give'
mc leave to meddle ho far iu your eireuit.'' V

1 could not yet imagine what he aimed at, and told him 1 granted iUl he had said,

,278

SOME DEFECTS IX COVERNMENT.

and tlianked liim that lie would so far concern liimsclf for u?;, and begged lie Avonld
explain the particulars of what he had observed, that like Joshua, to take his own
parable, I might put away the accursed thing from us.

" Why, then, sir," says he, " I Avill 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 sec
removed. And, sir, I promise myself that you will fully agree with me in them all, as
soon as I name them ; especially, because I shall convince you, that every one of them
may, with great ease, and very much to your satisfaction, be remedied. First, sir," savs
he, "you have here four Englishmen, Vv'lio have fetched women from among the savages,
and have taken them as their v/ives, 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 adulter)'. To this, sir, I know yoxi -will object that there was no clergymen or priest
of any kind, or any profession, to perform the ceremony; nor any pen and ink, or paper,
to wi'ite down a contract of marriage, and have it signed between them. And I knov^
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 con-
sent, and keep separately to them ; which, by the way, is nothing of a marriage, no agree-
ment T\-ith the women as wives, but only an agi'eement among themselves to keep them
from quarrelling. But, sir, the essence of the sacranjenfc 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
vrhile 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. Kow, sir," says he, "these men may, when they please, or when
occasion presents, abandon these women, disown their children, leaA^e 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 unlawftil liberty 1 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,
under your absolute government and dominion, are allowed by you to live in open
adultery ? "

I confess 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 agi'jeed to be bound by, though it had
been but breaking a stick between them, engaging 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," says he, " a.sking 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 ; liut,

279

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

I beseech you, flatter not yourself tliat you are not, therefore, under an obligation to do

\our utmost now to put an end to it. How can you think but that, let the time past

lie on who/h it will, all the guilt for the future, will lie entirely ujiou you ? because it is

•tiiinly in your power now to put an end to it, and in nobody's power but youi-s."

I was so dull still 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
tK^'ether any longer; and I said to him I could not do that by any means, for that
would jmt tlu! whole island into confusion. }Ie seemed surprised that I should so far
mistake him. " Xo, sir," says he, " 1 do not mean that you should now separate them,
but legally and enVctually marry them ; and as, sir, my way of manying them may not
be easy to reconcile them to, though it will bo effectual, even by your own laws, so your
way may be as well before Clod, and as valid among men. I mean by a written con-
ti-.ict, signed by both man and woman, and by all the witnesses present, which all the
laws of f^urope would decree to be valid."

I was amazed to .see so much true piety, and so much sincerity of zeal, besides the
unusual imi)ai-tiality in his discourse as to his own party or church, and such true
warmth for preserving the peoi)le, that he had no knowledge of or relation to ; I say,
for preserving them from transgressing the laws of God, the like of which I had, indeed,
not met with anywhere. But recollecting what he had said of manying them by a
written contmct, which I knew he woidd stand to, I returned it back \ipon him, and
told him I gi-anted all that ho had said to be just, and on his part very kind ; that I
woidd discourse with the men upon the point now, when I came to them ; anil I knew
no reason M-hy 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 M'ere mar-
ried by one of our own clergymen. What was afterwards done in this matter, I shall
8])eak of by itself.

I then jiressed him to tell me what was the second complaint which he had to make,
acknowledging that I was very much his debtor for the fu-st, and thanked him heartily
for it. lie told me he would use the same freedom and i>lainness in the second, and
hoped I would take it as well; and this was, that notwith.standing these English subjects
of mine, ns he called them, luul lived with these women almo.st seven years, had tuught
them to sjjcak English and even to read it, and that they were, as he perceived, women
of tolerable understanding, aiul cajiable 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 Cu)d, or a worship, or in what manner God wivs to bo served, or that their own
iilolatry, and woi-shipping they knew not whom, -Wivs false and absurd. This, ho .said,
was an unaccountable neglect, and what Goil wouhl certainly call them to account for,
and i)erhaps at last take the work out of their hands. He sjjoke this very aflectionately
and warmly. '"I am persuaded," s;iys he, "had those men lived in the sjivuge country
whence their wives came, the sjivages would have taken more \r.nnA to have brought
them to bo idolatoi-s, 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 ho, " though I do not acknowledge your religion, or you mine, yet we wouKl be glad
to .see the devil's .servants, and the subjects of his kingdom, t;\ught to know the general
principles of the Christian religion ; that thoy might, at least, hoar of God ami a
llodeomer, and of the I'csurrection, and of a future state — thingi which we all believe ;
tliat thoy might, at least, be so much nearer coming into the bosom of the tiuo chuix-li
thm thoy ar.- now. iw tlio public profession of idolatry and dcvil-woi*ship."

2 So

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

I could hold no longer : I took him in my arms, and embraced him with an excess
of passion. " How far," said I to liim, " have I been from nndei-standing the most
e.sseiitial part of a Christian, viz., to love the interest of tlio Christian church, and the
food of other men's souls ! I scarce have known what belongs to the being a Christian."
"Oh, sir! do not say so," replied he; " this thing is not your fault." " No," said I :
"but why did I never lay it to heart as well as you ?" "It is not too lato yet," said
he ; " bo not too forward to condemn yourself." " But what can be done now?" said I ;
'■you .sec I am going away." "Will you give me leave to talk with these poor men
about it ?" "Yes, with all my heart," said I ; '-'and will oblige them to give heed to
what you sjiy too." " As to that," said he, " we must leave them to the mercy of Christ ;
but it is your business to assist them, encourage them, and instruct them ; and if you
give mo leave, and God his blessing, I do not doubt but the poor ignorant souls .shall be
l)rou"ht homo to the great circle of Christianity, if not into the particular fai::i we :ill
embrace, and that even while you stay here." Upon this, I said, "I shall not only give
you leave, but give you a thousjind thanks fur it." "What followed I shall mention in
its place.

I now pressed him for the third article in which we were to blame. ""Why, really,''
sixys he, "it is of the same nature. And I will proceed, asking your leave, with the
.>-ame j»lainne3S as before. It is about your poor savages, who are, as I may say, your
conquered subject.^. It is a maxim, sir, that is, or ought to be, received among all
Cliristians, of what church or i)retended church soever, that the Christian knowledge
ought to be propagated by all possible means, and on all possible occasions. It is on
this principle that oxxr Cliurch sends missionaries into Pei-sia, India, and China ; and
that our clergy, even of the superior sort, willingly engage in the most hazardous
voyages, and the most dangerous residence among murderers and Imrbarians, to teach
them the knowledge of the true Clod, and to bring them over to embrace the Christian
faillt Now, sir, you have such an opportunity hero to have six or seven and tliiity
poor savages brought over from a state of idolatry to the knowledge of God, tlirir
Maker and Iledeemer, that I wonder how you c:in jiass such an occasion of doing goo.l
which is really worth the expense of a man's whole life."

I wa3 now struck dumb indeed, and had not one Avord to say. I had here the .spirit
of true Ciiristian xcal for God and religion before me, let his particular principles be of
what kind soever. As for mo, 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, and pooi)le whom, had wc not had any work for them to do, we wouhl
have used as such, or would have been glad to have tnvnspoited them to any other part
of the Morld j for our business was to get rid of them, and wo would all have been
!-atis(ied if they had been sent to any country, so they had never seen their own. T was
eoiifoiuided at his disoour.se, and knew not what answer to make him.

IIo looked earnestly at me, seeing mo in some di.sorder — "Sir," .says he, " I shall be
very sorry if what I have said gives you any oflence." "No, no," said I, "I am ollended
with nobody but myself; but L am perfectly 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," sivid I, "what circmnstanccs I am in ; I am bound to the
Kast Indies in a ship freighted by merchants, and to whom it woiild bo an insuflerablo
piece of injustice to detain their ship hero, the men lying all this while at victuals and
wages on the ownei-s' account. It is true, I agreed to be allowed twelve days hero, and
if 1 stay more, I must jmy thre- pounds sterling ;)'•>• dloni demurrage: nor can I

t^ttHBMiiiMi..^... i"[ ir^iiiii ninnriii i ^]i

staj- upon demurrage above eight days more, and I have been here thirteen ah-eady ; 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 condition that I was left in here at first, and
from which I have been so wonderfully 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 3'ou do not rather offer yourself to undertake it than press me to do it 1"

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 heai-tily thank God and you, sir," said ho,
" for giving me so evident a call to so blessed a work ; and if you think yourself dis-
charged 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, disap]Dointed 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 v^^hile he spoke this to me : his eyes
sparkled like fire, his lace glowed, and his colour came and went, as if he had been
falling into fits ; in a word, 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 liim ; for I Avas
really 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 even of any profession
whatsoever. But after I had considered it awhile, I asked him seriously if he was m
earnest, and that he would venture, on the single consideration of an attempt to convert
those poor people, to be locked up in an implanted 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 nie, and asked me what I called a venture. " Pray, sir,
said he, "Avhat do you think I consented to go in your ship to the East Indies for 1
j " Kay," 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 gonvert these thirty-seven men to the
faith of Jesus Christ, it is not worth my time, though I should never be fetched off the
ibland 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 1 Yes, sir," says he, " I would
give Christ and the blessed Virgin thanks all my days if I could be made the happy
instrument of saving the souls of those poor men, though I v/ere never to get my
foot off this island, 'or see my native country any more. But since you vv^ill honour me
^^ ith putting me into this work, for which I will pray for you all the days of my life, I
have one humble petition to you besides." " What is that ? " said I. " Why," rays he,
" 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 sensibly touched at his requesting Friday, because I could not think of parting
with him, and that for many reasons : he had been the companion of my travels ; he
v.-as 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 me, 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 Avould never, while
, - ^^-^ 2S3

^Nl ^ '^-'cv^ py^'-"* '^^''^*"6 <'1'^"» lioiii'Ni" lliiil lii^ I'M iiiii.st

\]}^ licictio, iiiul would be (liimned ; niul this might iii tho end ruin the poor iVUow
^ principUss, and so turn l>im back again to liis Hrst idohitrv. However, a
euddt'ii thought relieved, mo in this strait, and it was this : I told him T
could not say that I was willing to part with Friday on any account whatever,
Ihnugh a work that to him was of moro value tlian his lite ought to V)e to
lilt" of much moro valuo than the keeping or parting with a servant. But, [v
>n tho other hand, I was persuaded that Friday would by no means agree <^ '
o )uir( witii me ; and I could not foree him to it without his consent^ without ^C[,\^
t injustieo ; because 1 had promised I would never sen<l liiiu away, in

to p:
man

-H

s.^:^s^M'

THE ENXLISHMEN AND THEIR WIVES.

he liad promised and engaged to me that he woukl never leave me, unless I sent him
away.

He seemed -s-ery much concerned at it, for he had no rational access to these poor
people, seeing he did not understand one word of their Lmguage, nor they one of his.
To remo^•c 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.

I come back now to the first })art of his objections. When we came to the English-
men, I sent for them all together, and after some account given them of what I had
done for them, viz., what necessary things I had provided for them, and how they were
distributed, which they were very sensible of, and very thankful for, I began to tidk to
them of the scandalous life they led, and 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
lirsb asked them if they were married men or bachelors. They soon explained their
condition to me, and showed that two of them were widowers, and the other three were
single men, or bachelors. I asked them with what conscience they could take these
women, and call them their wives, and have so many childi-en by them, and not be
lawfully married to them.

They all gave me the answer I expected, viz., that there was nobody to nuu-ry
them ; that they agreed before the governor to keep them as their wives, and to main-
tain them and own them as their wives ; and they thought, as things stood with, them,
they wei-e as legally married as if they had been married by a parson, and with all the
formalities in the world.

I told them that no doubt they were married in the sight of God, and were 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 j and that their wives, being
l)oor 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 shoiild be for the women and
children without them ; and that, unless they would give me some assurances that they
Avould marry the Avomen, I could not think it was convenient they should continue
together as man and wife ; for that it was both scandalous to men and offensive to God,
who they could not think would bless them if they went on thus.

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 pos-
sibly do; and they would not part with them on any account ; and Will Atkins, for
his own particular, added, that if any man would take lijm away, and offer to carry him
home to England, and make him captain of the besf; man-of-war in the navy, ho
would not go with him if he might not carry his wife and children with him ; and
if there was a clergyman in the ship, he would be luarried to her now with all his
heart.

This was just as 1. would have it. The priest was not with me at that moment, but
was not far off: so to try him farther, I told him I liad a clergyman with me, and, if he
was sincere, I would have him mai'ried next raoriaingv, and bade him consider of it, and

28;

1

^1

iJ>^&-<^

T^^-^

Z^^**'

]i(Jl;l.\SOX CRUSUK.

tiilk with the rest. lie siiid, as for liimsdf, he need not consuler of it at all, for he v
very ready to do it, and wius glad I liad a minister with nie, and he believed tlicy woiil
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 them. He never
much as asked mo whether lie was a Papist or Protestant, which wa.^, indeed, what '
was afraid of; so wo })arted : I went back to my clergyman, and AVill Atkins went ;
to talk with his companions. I desired the French gentleman not to say an}-thing ;
them till the business was thoroughly ripe ; and I told Lini what answer the men hi
given me.

Before I went from their quarter they all came to me, and told lac ilay had bc«ii
considering what I had said ; that they were glad to hear I had a clergyman in my
company, and they were very willing to give me the .satisHxction I desired, and to bo
formally mairied as soon as I jdeased ; for they were far from desiring to pari witli
their wives, and that they meant nothing but what was ver}' 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 maniage law ; and that it was not
oidy to i)revent any scandal, but also to oblige them that they should not forsiikc them,
whatever might happen.

The women were easily made sensIMo of the moaning of tlio thing, and wore very
wi-Il 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
I)riest, after the manner of France, yet having a black vest something like a cassock,
with a sash round it, he did not look very unlike a minister; and as for his language, I
was his inter])reter. But the seriousness of his behavioiir to them, and the scruples ho
made of marrying the women, because they were not baptised and i>rofosscd Christians
gave them an exceeding reverence for his jierson ; and there was no need, after that, to
iiupiire whether he was a clergyman or not. Indeed, I was afraid his scniples would
have been carried so far as that ho would not have married them at all ; nay, notwith-
slanding all I was able to say to him, he resisted me, though modestly, yet very steadily,
and at liust refused absolutely to marry them, \uiless ho 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 with a good will, perceiving the sincerity of his design.

"Wlien ho came to them, he let them know that I had acquainted him with their
ciiTumstances, and with the present design ; that he was very willing to perform that
part of his function, and many them, as T had desired ; but that before ho could do it
ho must take tho liberty to talk with them. He told them that in the sight of nil
iiidifrerent men, and in the sense of tho laws of society, they had lived all this while in
open fornication ; and that it was true that nothing but the consenting to many, or
eflectually separating them from ouo another, could noAV put an end to it ; but there
was a dilliculty in it too, with resi)ect to tho laws of Christian matrimony, which ho
Wits not fully 8atis(icd about, tliat of marrying one that is a profasscd Christian to a
savage, an idolater, nnd a heathen— one that is not baptised ; and yet that ho did not
SCO that thero was tiino left to endeavour to persuade tho women to bo baptised, or to
profes.s tho name of Christ, whom they had, ho doubted, hoard nothing of, and without
which they could not bo baptised. Jlo 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

tp:aciiin(;.s of the priest.

rot ; but that unless they would promise him to use their endeavours with thoir wives
to jiorsuado them to become Christians, and would, as well as they could, instruct tlunu
ill the knowledge and belief of God that made them, and to worship Jesus Gluist that
redeemed them, he could not marry them ; for he would liave no hand in joining
Christians with savages, nor was it consistent with the principles of the Christian
religion, and was, indeed, expressly forbidden in God's hiw.

They heard all this very attentivel}', and I delivered it very faithfully to them fronr
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," says Will Atkins, " how should we teach thom religion 1
Why, we know nothing ourselves; and besides, sir," said he, "should vv'e talk to them
of God and Jesus Christ, and heaven and hell, it would make them laugli 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 she is in the
wrong ; that there is a God, and a religion better than her own ; that her gods are
idols ; that they 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
])unishes the bad; and that we are to be judged by him at last for all we do here 1
You are not so ignorant, but even Nature itself will teach you that 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, v/hen
she will tell me immediately it cannot be true V " Not true !" said I ; " v/hat do you
mean by that ] " " Why, sir," said he, " she will tell me it cannot be true that this G od
I shall tell her of can be just, or can i^unish 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 always acting so contrary to what I must tell her is good, and to Avhat 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 Avas 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, i-epentance ; for none teach repentance
like true penitents. Ho wants nothing but to repent, and then he will be so much the
better qualified 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 mei-ciful
Being, and, with infinite goodness and long-suffering, forbears to punish those that oftend;
waiting to be gracious, and willing not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should
return and live ; that oftentimes he suffers wicked men to go a long time, and even
reserves damnation to the general day of retribution ; that it is a clear evidence of God
and of a future state, that righteous men receive not their rewai'd, or wicked men their
punishment, till they come into another world ; and this will lead him to teach hi3 v/ifc

liolU N.SOX. CRUSOK.

the doctrine of the resurrection and of the last judgment Let him but i-epent himself,
h«' will be an r xcellent i>reachcr of repcntunce to his wife."

1 repented fill this to Atkin?, who looked very serious all the while, and who, we
could easily perceive, was more than ordinarily affected with it ; when being eager,
and hardly suftering me to make an end — "I know all this, master," says he, "and a
"rent deal more ; but I have not the imptidence to talk thus to my wife, when God and
my conscience know, and my wife will be an \uideniable e\-idence against me, that I
have lived as if I had never heard of a God or future state, or anything about it ; a«d
to ti\\k of mv repenting, alas ! (and with that he fetched a deep sigh, and I could see
tliat the teai-s stood in his eyes) 'tis i>i\ni all that with me." '« Past it, Atkins ? " said T :
" what dost thou mean by that ?" " I know well enough what I mean," sjiys he ; '• 1
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
eall him .so for, be his opinion what it will, ho liad certainly a most singular aflectiou
for the good of other men's souls, and it would be hard to think he had not the like for
],is own I .sav, this affectionate man could not refrain from teai-s ; but, recovering him-
self, .Slid to me, "Ask him but one question. Is he ea.sy 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 pa-ssion, "How could r.ny man be ea.sy in a condition that
must certainlv end in eternal destruction ? that he was far from being easy ; but that,
on the contrary, he believed it would one time or other niin him." "AVhatdoyou
mean by that?" .said I. "Why," he said, "he believed he should one t'.nio or other
cut his throat, to i)ut an end to the terror of it."

The clergyman .shook his head, with great concern in his face, when I told him all
this • but turning quick to me upon it, .say.s, " If that be his case, we may a.ssure him it
is not too late ; Christ will give him repentance. But pray," says he, " explain this to
him ; that as no man is saved but by Christ, and the merit of his pa.ssion procuring
l^ivine mercy for him, how can it be too late for any man to receive mercy ? Does he
tliink ho is able to sin beyond the power or reach of Divine mercy ? Pi-ay tell him
there may be a time when provoked mercy will no longer strive, and when God may
refupe to hear, biit that it is never too late for men to a.sk mercy ; and we, that are
Christ's servant.s, 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 rrpent."

I lold Atkins all this, and ho heard me with great earnestness ; but it seemed as if
Ik' turned off the discourse to the rest, for ho said to me, he would go and have some
talk with his wife ; so ho went out awhile, and we talked to the rest. I perceived they
were all stupidly ignorant as to mattei-s of religion, as mucli as I was when I went
i:\mbling away from my father ; and yet there were none of them backward to hear
what had been said : and all of them seriou.sly promised that they would talk with (heir
w ives about it, and do their endt^avours to persuade thena to turn Christian.s.

The clergyman smiled uj)on 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,"
says he, "can go no farther than to exhort and instnict ; and when men comply, submit
to the reproof, and promi.se what we ask, 'tis all we can do ; 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 ho is the only sincere convert among them ;
1 will not despair of the rest; but that man is apparently stnick with the sense of his
past life, atul I doubt not. when he comes to tdk of religion to his wife, he will talk

2S8

^r-^s-H:

^s.^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

liiiuself effectually into it : for iittempting to teacli olhci-s is sometimes the best way
uf teiicliiiig ourselves. I know a man who, having nothing but a summary notion of
rcli'ion himself, and being wicked and profligate to the last degree in his life, made a
thorough reformation in himself by labouring to convert a Jew, If that poor Atkins
byins but once to talk seriously of Jesus Christ to his wife, my life for it he talks him-
Kolf into a thorough convert, makes himself a ]ienitent ; and who knows what may
follow?"

Upon this discourse, however, and their promising, as above, to endeavour to per-
.vnalo their wives to embrace CIn-istianity, he manied the other two couple ; but Will
Atkins find 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,
fcir, let us walk out of your labyrinth here, and look; I daresay we shall find this poor
man somewhere or other talking seriously to l»is wife, and teaching her already some-
tl.ing of religion." T began to be of the same mind ; so we went out together, and I
carried him a M-ay which 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 shown 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 eai-th, then out to
the sea, then to himself, then to her, to the woods, to the trees. "Now," says the
c^.crgyman, " you see my words are made good, the nian preaches to her ; mark him
now, he is telling her that our God has made him and her, and the heavenfi, the eai-lh,
the sea, the wood-", the trees, <kc." " I believe he is," said I. 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, lie
did not continue kneeling half a minute, but comes and .sits do\\ni again by his wife, an. I
t dks to hor again ; we perceived then the woman very attentive, but whether .sho said
anything to him we could not tell. Wjiile the poor fellow was upon his knees I could
see the tears run plentifully 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 heiir
anything that passed between them. Well, however, we could come no nearer for fear if
(!isturl)ing them ; .so we resolved to see an end of this piece of still convei*si\tion, and it
spoke loud enough to us without the help of voice. He sat down again, as I have said,
dose by her, and talked again earnestly to her, and two or three times we could f-o'
him embrace her mo.st passionately; another time we saw him take out his handkcr-
cliicf and wipe her eyes, and tlien kiss her again with a kind of transport very \nnisual ;
and after .'several of these things, wo saw him on a sudden jump up again, and lend her
liis hand to lielp her up, when innnediately leading her by the hand a step or two, thoy
both kneeled down together, and continued so about two minutes.

I^fy friend could bear it no longer, but cries out aloud, "St. Paul ! St Paul I behoM,
he i.raycth ! " I was afraid Atkins wo\dd hear him, therefore I entreated him to witl.-
hnld himself awhile, that -wo might sec an end of the .scene, which to mc, I must conff^s
was the most affecting that ever I .saw in my life. Well, he strove with himself f r
awhile, but wa.s in such raptures, to think that the poor heathen woman M-as becom<' a
C'liri.Htian, that ho was not able to contain himself; he wejit several times, then throw-
ing up his hands and crossing his breast, said over several things ejaculatory, and by the

290

THE PRIEST'S CHARITY.

way of giving God thanks for so miraculous a testimony of the success of our cucleavours ;
some he spoke softly, and I could not well hear othei'S ;. some in Latin, some in French ;
then two or thi-ee times the tears would interrupt him, that he could not speak at all ;
but I begged that he v/ould contain himself, and let us more nai'i'owly 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
vvith what he said, by her frequently lifting up her hands, laying her hand to her breast,
and such other postux-es as express the greatest seriousness and attention ; this continued
about half 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 that 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
tv'o may in time, by instruction and example, work upon some of the others ? " " Some
of them 1 " said he, turning quick upon me ; "ay, upon all of them ; depend upon it, it
those two savages — for he has been but little better as you relate it — should embrace
Jesus Christ, they will never leave till they work upon all the rest ; for true religion
is naturally communicative, and he that is once made a Christian will never leave
a Pagan behind him, if he can help it." I owned it was a most Christian principle
to think so, and a testimony of true zeal, as well as a generous heart, in him. "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, Avhile these people are, in your account, out of the pale of the Catholic
Church, without which you believe there is no salvation 1 so that you esteem these but
heretics, as efiectually lost as the Pagans them-selves."

To this he answered with abundance of candour, thus : " Sir, I am a Catholic of tlu;
Roman Church, and a priest of the order of St. Benedict, and I embrace all the principles
of the Poman faith ; but yet, if you will believe me, and that I do not speak iu com-
pliment to you, or iu respect to my circumstances and your civilities ; I say, nevertheless,
I do not look upon you, who call yourselves i-eformed, 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 iu 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 i-estored to it than those who 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 iu
his own time ; and if God shall influence this poor maii to convert and iustrufet the

ROIilNSOX CRUSOE.

ignoi-ant savage, liis wife, I can never believe tliat lie shall be cast away jiimself. A
have I not reason, then, to rejoice, the nearer any are brought to the knowletlge of
Clirist, though tliey may not be brought quite home into the bosom of the Catholic
Church jiLst at the time when I may desii-c it, leaving it to the goodness of Chnst to
perfect his work iu his own time, and in his own way ? Certainly, I would rejoice if all
tlic savage-H in America were brought, like this poor woman, to jjray 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 illumin ito
them with a beam of hi.s 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
opj»rcsscd by the jiower of his reasoning ; and it jiresently occuiTcd to my thoughts, that
if .such a temper was universal, we might be all Catholic Clu-istians, whatever church or
l)articular profession we joined in ; that a s]iirit of charity would soon work us all up
into right principles ; and as ho thought that the like charity would make us all Catholici,
so I told him 1 believed, had all the members of his church the like modei-ation, they
would soon all be Protestants. And there we left that part ; for we never disputed at all.

However, I talked to him another way, and taking him by the hand, '= 3Iy friend,"
says I, *•' I wish all the clergy of the Romish Church were blessed with such moderation,
and had an e.^ual .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 Avould put you into
the Inquisition." "It may be so," said he ; " I know not wliat they would do iii Spain
or Italy ; but 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."

Well, as "Will Atkins and his wife were gone, our business there was over, so we
went back our own way ; and when wc came back, we found them waiting to bo called
in : observing this, I asked my clergyman if wc should discover to him that wo had .seen
him under the bush or not ; and it was his opinion we should not, but that wo .shoidd
tilk 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 : —

" Will Atlcin-^," said I, " prythec what education had yuu ? What was your father ? "

I^' 'I- — A better man than ever I .shall be ; sir, my father was a clergyman.

/•'• C. — What education did he give you \

ir. A. — He would have taught me well, sir, but I despised all education, instruction,
or correction, like a beast as I was.

/.'. ^.'.— It is tnic, Solomon .says, "He that despises reproof is brutish."

ir. .1— Ay, sir, I was bruti.sh indeed, for I mmdered my father : for God's s;iko,
^ir, talk no more about that ; sir, I murdered my poor father.

■/?• f. — Ha ! a murderer !

Hero the priest started (for I interpreted every word he spuko) and looked pale : it
seems he beli.;vcd that Will hiul really killed his father.

n. C.— No, no, sir; I do not understand him .so : Will Atkius, explain yourself ; you
did not kill your father, did you, with your own hands ?

ir. y|.— No, sir, I did not cut lii.s throat : but I cut the thread of all his comforts,
an.l shortened his days ; I broke his Jieart by the most ungrateful, unnatural rettn-n for
tho most tender and anectionato treatment that ever father gave, or child couM receive.

^ /,', C'.— Well, I did not ask you about your father to e.xtort tliis confession : I
God give y..u repentance for it, and forgive that and all vour other sins : but

pray
askel you

becaitse I see that tliough you have not much learning, yet you are not so ignorant

as some are in things that are good ; that you have known more of religion, a great

deal, than you have practised. u ^ „ „

W A -Though you, sir, do not extort the confession that I make about my

father,' conscience'^loes; and whenever we come to look back upon our '-- +1-

, , ^ sins ac^ainst our indulgent parents are certainly the first to touch us ; ^

'^j^, they make lie deepest, and the weight they leave will lie heaviest

mind, of all the sins we can commit.

291

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^N\

.UiilNSON CRUSOK.

^^^

1

A*. ('. — Voii talk too feelingly and sensibly forme, Atkins; I cannot bear it.
ir. ,1. — Yon bear it, master ! I dure say you know nothing of it.

It. C. — Ye.", Atkin.s; every shore, every hill, nay, I may say every tree in this island,
is «itiie.«s to the anguish of my soul for my ingratitude to, and bad usage of, a "ood
tender father ; a father much like yours, l)y your description : and I murdered my
!;ithcr as well a.s you. Will Atkins ; but I think, for all that, my repentance is short ot
y urs too, by a great deal.

I would have said more, if I could have restrained my passion. s ; but I thought this
poor man's repentance was so much sincercr than mine, that I wa.s going to leave off
the discourse and retire ; for I wa.s surprised with what he had said, and thought that
instead of my going about to teach and instruct him, the man was made a teacher
iui(l in.'tructor to me in a most surprising and unexpected manner.

I laid all this before the young clergyman, who was greatly affected with it, and s;iid
in iim, " Di<l I not .say, sir, that when this man was converted he would preach to us all ?
I t<ll 3'ou, sir, if this one man be made a true penitent, here will be no need of me ; he
uill make Christians of all in the island." — But having a little composed myself, I
renewed my discourse with Will Atkins. " Eut Will," said I, "how comes the sense of
tills matter to touch you just now ? "

"'^- -■'. — Sir, you have set me about a work that has struck a dart through my very
s«)ul : I have been talking about God and religion to my wife, in order, a.s you directed
mo, to make a Christian of her, and she has j)rcaclied such a sermon to mc as I j^hall
never forget while I live.

Ji. C. — No, no, it is not your wife has preached to you ; but when you were moving
religious arguments to her, conscience has flung them back ujion you.

^^- A. — Ay, sir, with .such force as is not to be resisted.

-''*• ^'- — I'ray. ^\'ill, let \\h know what pa.ssed between you and your wife ; for I kuciw
.•^omething of it already.

ir. A .—Sir, it is impo.ssiblc to give you a full account of it ; I am too full to hold it,
iuid yet have no tongue to express it ; but let her have .said what she will, though I
cannot give you an account of it, this I can tell you, that I have resolved to amend and
lefonn my life.

/•'. C.—Bnt tell us some of it ; how did you begin. Will ? for this has been an cxti-n-
f rdijiary case, that is certain. She has preached a sermon, indeed, if she has wrought
this upon you.

n . A — >\Tiy, I iirst told her the naturo of our laws about mariiage, and what the >'
reasons wore that men and women were obliged to enter into such compacts as it was
ntilhor in the power of one nor other to break ; that otherwi.-e, order and justice couhl
not bo maintained, and men would nin from their wive.«!, and abandon their children,
nnx confusedly with one another, and neither families bo kej)t entire nor inheritances
bo settled by legal descent.

Jf. C. — You talk like a civilian, Will. Could you make her undci-stand what you
nionnt by inheritance and fatnilivs ? They know no .such things among the .savages, but
mj'rry nnyhow, without regard to relation, consanguinity, or family ; brother and sister,
as I have been told, even the father and the daiighter, and the son and the mother.
A. — 1 believe, sir, you arc misinformed, and my wife a.'j-nres mo of tlic contrary, f
and that they abhor it; ]'erhap.s, for any farther relations, thry iHky not be po exact as |
we are ; but .^ho tells mo never in the near relationship you speak of.

/.'. ('.— AVdl, Avhat did hlie sjiy to whai you told her? >

ir

1

1,

v>^S

WILL ATKINS AND HIS WIFE.

ir. A. — She said slio likccl it very well, as it was much better than in her country.

It. C. — But did you tell her what marriage was?

W. A. — i^ /, ay, there began all our dialogue. I asked her if bIig would bo married
to me OTir ,voy. She asked me what way that was. I told her marriage was ai>i)ointod
by God ; fvud liere we had a strange talk together, indeed, as ever man and wife hid,
l\.elle-,c.

IT. C. — This dialogue between Will Atkins and his wife I took down in writing, jnsfc
afti--) lie had told it me, which was as follows.

)\l/e. — Appointed by your God ! Why, have you a God in your country 1

Vr. A , — Yes, my dear, God is in every countr3%

ir.'A — No your God in my country ; my country have the great old Bcnamnclroo
God.

If. A. — Child, 1 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 de earth ; no makee my conntr\-.

Will Atkins laughed a little at her expression of God not making her country.

Wife. — No laugh ; why laugh- me 1 This nothing to laugh.

He was justly reproved by his wife, for she was more serious than he at first.

TI^. A. — That's true, indeed ; I will not laiigh any more, my dear.

Wi/c. — AVliy, you say you God makee all 1

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.

Wije. — 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 tlic
V orld myself.

Wife. — What, have you a great God in your country, you no knovr him ? No .-ay
Gh ! to him ? No do good thing for him 1 That no possible.

IF. A. — It is true, though, for all that ; we live as if there was no God in herivon,
f I that he had no power on earth.

Wi/e. — But why God let you do so ? Why he no makee you good live ?

W. A. — It is all our own fault.

Wi/e. — But you say me he is great, much great, have much great power, can makeo
liill when he will, why he no makee kill when yon no serve him ? No say Oh ! to liim,
no be good mans.

Vf. A. — That is true, he might strike me dead; and I ought to expect it, fori
Lave been a wicked wretch, that is true; but God is merciful, and does not deal with
lis as we deserve.

W!/e. — But then you do not tell God thankee for that too ?

W. A. — No, indeed, I have riot tlianked God for his mercy, any more than I liave
foared God for his power.

Wi/e. — Then you God no God ; me no think believe he be such one, great much
power strong : no makee kill you, though you make him much angry.

W. A. — What! will my wicked life hinder you from believing in God? What a
dreadful creature am I ! and what a sad truth is it, that the horrid lives of Christians
hinder the conversion of heathens !

Wi/e. — How me thii&: you have great much God up there [she points up to heaven],
and yet no do well, no do good thing ? Can he tell ? Sui'c he no tell v.liat you do ?

295

H^

KuiilNSON CRUSOE.

ir. A.—YcH, yes, lie knows and sees fill things ; lie hears lis speak, sees wlnt wc <\'\
knows what we think, though we do not sju-ak.

ir;/-t.._What ! he no hear you curse, swear, speak de great damn?

]\\ J. — Yes, yes, he hears it all.

ir//-^ _AVh(.re bo then the much great power strong ?

]\\ J. lie Is merciful, that is all we can say for it ; and thi.s proves him to bo the

tnie God ; he is God, and not man, and therefore we are not consumed.

Here Will Atkins told us ho was struck with horror, to think how he could tell his
wife so clearly that God 8?es, and hears, and knows the .secret thoughts of the heart, an I
all that we do, and yet that he had dared to do all the vih things he had done.
I)';/;-._^[eiciful : What you call that ?

ir. yl.— He is our father and maker, and ho jiities an<l .spares us.
in/f, — So then he never makee kill, never angry when you do wicked ; then he no
good himself, or nogieit able.

II', J. Yes, ve.H, mv dear, he is inlinitely good and infinitely great, and able to

j)uni.sh too ; and sometimes, to .show his justice and vengeance, he lets fly his anger to
distroy sinners and make examples ; many are cut off in their sin.s.

]\'i/P, But no makeo kill you yet ; then he tell yon, may be, that he no makee you

kill : so you makee de bargain with him, you do bad tiling, he no be angry at you when
he be angry at other mans.

W. A. — No, indeed, my .sins are all presumption.^ upon his goodness ; and he would
1)0 infinitely just if he destroyed me, as he has done other men.

ir//;.. — Well, and yet no kill, no makee you dead ; what you say to him for th it ?
Y..I1 no tell him thankee fur all that too ?

II'. J. — 1 am an unthankful, ungrateful dog, that is true.
11'//;.. — ^Vl,y he no makee you much good better ? you .'^ay he makeo you.
]\\ J. — He made me as he made all the world; it is I have deformed myself, and
abused his goodnes-t, and made my.self an abominable wretch.

Wi/r. — I wi.sh you makee God know me. I no makoe him angry — I no do bad,
wicked thing.

Here Will Atkins .said his heart sunk within him, to hear a jioor untaught creature
ilesiro 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 liis own carriage would make most
irrational to her to believe ; nay, that already she had told him that she could not believe
in C!nd, because he, that wa.s so wicked, was not destroyed.

ir. J. — ]My dear, you mean, you wi.sh I could teach you to know God, not God to
know you ; for he knows you already, and every thought in your heart.

Wife. — Why, then, lie know what I .'^ay to you now : he know ine Avish to know him.
ITuw shall me know who makee me ?

ir. ,-|. — roor creature ! he must teach thee : I cannot teach thee. I will pniytohim
to teach thee to know him, ami forgive me, that am unworthy to teach thee.

The poor fellow was in such an agony at her desiring him to make her kivDw GoJ,
and her wi.shing to know him, that ho said ho fell d«nvn on his knee.s before her, and
prayed to God to enlighten her mind with the .saving knowledge of Je.su3 Christ, and to
pardon hi.s sin.s, and accept of his being the unworthy instrument of instructing In-r
in the principles of religion : after which he sat down by her again, and their
dialogiio went on. Tjiis was the time when we .sam- him kneel down, and hold up his
liands,

296

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^-^-

)

I

\\

Wi/K-. What you put Jowa tlie kueo for \ "What you hold up tlie hand lor \ "What

\ .,1 say ? Who you speak to ? What is all that ?

)!'. J. My clear, I bow my knees iu token of my suhini.-ssion to him that made me

I : aid Oh ! to him, as you call if, and as your old men do to their idol Benarauckee ; tliat
i ., I prayed to him.

^y^,Je. — What say you Oh \ to hiui for ?

]Y. A. — T prayed to liini to open youi" eyes and your umlorstandiug, that yon in:iy
l.-.iow him, and be accepted by him.

]ri/;.._Can he do that too ?

ir. A. — Ye.-t, he can : ho can do all things.

W'tff. — But now ho hear what you .say ?

ir. A. — Yes, ho has bid ns pray to him, and promised to hear us.

]\"ife. — Bid you pi-ay ? "When ho bid you ? I low lio bill you ? What you hear \'.\\\
,' peak ?

jr. A. — No, wo do not hear him speak ; but ho has revealed himself many ".
to us.

Here he was at a great lo^-s to make her understand that God has revealed hiinsili' to
us by his \^,"'onl, and what his Word was; but at last he told it her thus : —

"W. .1. — God has spoken to some good men in foi-mcr days, even from heaven, by plain
words ; and God has insjiired good men by his Spirit \ and they have written all his laws
down iu n book.

117/1'. — ^lo no understand that ; where is book ?

ir. A. — Alas ! my poor creature, I have not this book ; but [ hope I ^liall one tiuie
or other get it"for you, and help you to read it.

Here he embraced her with great atTection, but with inexpressible grief that he hal
not ft Bible.

\V[t'i\ — But how you makee me know that God teachee them to write that b(n 1: ?

W, A. — By the same nilo that we know him to be God.

irZ/i'. — What rule ? What way you know him ?

Jr. A. — Because he teaches and commands nothing but what is g'>o.l, ri;^diteous, and
holy, and tends to make \i3 pei-fectly good, as well as perfectly happy ; and because ho
forbids, and commands us to avoid, nil that is wicked, that is evil in itself, or evil in it -
(onscqucncc.

)IV/*i'. — That me would uudcr.staud, tliat me fain sec; if ho t.iKhuc all good tliiii-,
makee all good thing, he give all thing, he hear me when I say Oh ! to him, as you do '
now; lie makco me good, if I wish to be good ; he spare me, no makee kill me, win
n) be good : all this you say ho do, yet he be great God: mo take, think, believe him to
1 e great God : me say C)h ! to him with you, my dear.

Hero the i)oor luan could forbear no longer, but raisei.l her up, made her kneel by
Iiim, and ho jnaycd to God aloud to instruct her in tlio knowledge of liimself, by his Sj>irit ;
and that by some gooil i>rovidenee, if possible, she niight, some time or other, come to
have a Bible, that she might read the AVord of God, and be taught by it to know him.
This was tho time that we saw him lift her up by the llaud, and s;\w him kneel down
by her, as above.

They had .several other discourses, it seems, afler this, too long to be set down hero ;
and particularly, she made him promise that, since he confessed his own life h.nd been a
wicked, abominable course of provocations against God, that he would reform it, and not
niakc God an^ry any more, lest he sho\dd make him dead, as she called it, an 1 tlion fhc

298

BAPTISM OF ATKINS' WIFE.

Avould be left alone, and uevev bo tauglit to know this God better ; and lest he should b j
miserable, as ho had told her wicked men would be, after death.

This was a strange account, and very affecting to lis both, but particularly to the yoiuig
clergyman ; he was, indeed, wondei'fully surprised with it, but under the greatest afflic-
tion imaginable that he could not talk to her, that lie could not speak English, to make
her understand him ; and as she spoke but very broken English, he could not understand
her ; however, he turned himself to me, and told me that he believed that there must bo
more to do with this woman than to marry her. I did not understand him at first ; but
at length he explained himself^ viz., that she oiight to be baptized. I agreed with him
in that part readily, and Vv'ished it to be done presently. "T^o, no ; bold, sir," said he ;
" though I would have her be baptized, by all means, for I must observe that Will Atkin^',
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 salvation of sinners ; of the nature of faith in him, and redemption by hiai ;
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 immedintel,-
into tears, and told us he had said something to her of all those things, but that he vras
himself so wicked a creatiu'e, and his own conscience so reproached him -svith his horrid,
ungodly life, that lie trembled at the apprehensions 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, he said, that her mind was so disposed to
receive due impressions of all those things, and that if I would but discourse with hcj-,
she would make it appear to my satisfaction that my la'bour would not be lost upon hei'.

Accordingly, 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 v.'as

never preached by a Popish j)riest in these latter ages of the world ; and, as I told hiui,

I thought he had all the zeal, all the. knowledge, all the sincerity of a Christian, without

the error of a Eoman Catholic ; and that I took him to be such a clergyman as the Komaa

bishops were before the church of Rome assumed spiritual sovereignty over the con-

I sciences of men. 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 she did

the first notions of a God, but with joy and faith; with an affection, and a sui-prisiug

. degree of understanding, scarce to be imagined, much less to be expressed ; and, at her

own request, she was baptised.

When he was preparing to baptise her I entreated him that he vv'ould perform that
' :Uce with some caution, that the man might not perceive he v.-as of the Roman Church,
ii' possible, because of other ill consequences which might attend a diflerence among us
in that very religion which we were instructing the other in. He told me that as ho
had no consecrated chapel, nor proper things for the office, I should see he would do it
in a manner that I should not know by it that he was a Roman Catholic myself, if I h;i 1
not known it before; and so he did; for saying only some words over to himself in Latii),
which I could not understand, he poured a whole dishful of water upon the woman's
head, pronouncing in French, very loud, "Mary (which was the name her hu.sband
desired me to give her, for I was her godfather), I baptise thee in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; " so that none could know anything by it wliafc
religion he was of. He gave the benediction afterwards in Latin, but either Will Atkins
did not know but it was French, or else did not take notice of it at ^1'"+ t'"^'\

^'M'^^"

m^

{:ff

As soon as this wiis over, we iiuirried them ; and after the mamagc Wiis over, he
turned to Will Atkins, and in a very afTectionatc manner exhorted him, not only to per-
severe in that good disposition he was in, but to support the convictions that were upon
liim by a resolution to reform his life ; told liim it wius in vain to say he repented if lio
dill not foi-sakc his crimes : rejjresentcd to him how God had honoured him with being
the instrument of bringing his wife to the knowledge of the Christian religion, and that
lie should be careful he should not dishonour tlie gi-aco of God ; and that if he did, ho
would see the heathen a better Christian th.an himself; the savage converted, and the
instrument cast away. He said a great many good tilings to them both ; and then,
recommending them to God's goodness, gave them the benediction again, I repc iting
everything to them in English ; and thus ended the ceremony. I think it was the most
pleasant and agreeable day to me that ever I pa.ssed in my whole life.

But my clergyman had not done yet : his thoughts hung continually upon the ct)u-
version of the thirty-seven sixvages, and fain he Avoidd have stayed upon the island to
have undertaken it ; but T convinced him, first, that his imdertaking was imjiracticuble
in itself; and, secondly, that i)crhaps I would put it into a way of being done in his
absence to his satisfaction.

Having thus brought the all'airs of the island to a narrow eompa,ss, I was prepaiing
to g(; on board the ship, when the young man I had taken oiit of the famished ship's
(■omi)any came to jne, and told mc he iniderstood 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 T went, between two Christians, which he ho2)cd woxdd
not bo disagreealilc to m(\

1 knew this must be the young woman v.ho was his mother's servant, for there was
no other Christian woman on the island : so I began to persuade him not to do anything
of that kind rashly, or because he found himself in this solitary circumstitnce. I repre-
sented to him that he had some considerable substance in the world, and good friends,
as T understood by himself, and the mai.l also ; that the maid w;vs not only poor, and a
servant, but was unccjual to him, she being six or seven and twenty years old, and ho not
above seventeen or eighteen; that he might very probably, with my assistance, make a
remove from this wilderne.'^s, and come into his own country again ; and that then it would
bo a thousand to one but ho would repent his choice, and the dislike of that circumstance
might be disadvantjigeous to both. I was going to say more, but he interrupted me,
smiling, and told me, with a great deal of modesty, that I mistook in my gucs.ses ; that
lie had nijlhing of that kind in his thoughts; and ho was very glad to hear that I had
an intent of putting them in a way to see thoir own country again ; and nothing .should
have made him thiidc of staying there, but that the voyage I was gt)ing was .so exceeding
long iui.l haziu-dou.s, and would carry him rpiitc out of the reach of all his friends; that .
he had nothing to desire of mo, 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 neces.s;iries, an»l ho would
live here like a planter, waiting the good time when, if ever I returned to Enghuid, I
woidd redeem him ; and hoped 1 wouhl not bo unmindful of him when I came to
I'-iigland : that he would give mo son)e letters to his friends in London, to let them know
liow good T h;id Imm 11 to him, and iu what j.arb of the world, and what circumstiinccs I
had left him in: and he jn-omised nu? that whenever I redeemed him, the plantation, and
all the improv.Mnents ho had made upon it, let the value be what it would, .should be
wholly mine.

His di-!eourse w;

very jirettily deliv ered,

and was the mon

:^ CitlJBOE ^m^.^AT^i^H^^ A-^lfel-R ■ I

yl-;^;;^^^'^ agreeable to me, because lie told me positively
(k|-> was uot for himself. I gave liim all possible assurances that if I
I'^'Ti^ /UW ' ^'^^'^"^ *° ^°^^^° ^^^^ ^° England, I Avould deliver his letters, and do
M p^r' ^"^^ business effectually; and that he might depend I should nev
p\!,| forget the circumstances I had left him in ; but still I was impatiem

Ur';^-^ know who was the person to be married ; upon which he told me it Avas
>) Jack-of- all-trades and his maid Susan. I was most agreeably surprised
he named the match ; for, indeed, I thought it very suitable. The charac

v^\

when
ter
of that man I have given already ; and as for the maid, she was a very

Ai^

i£&^

ex

XxUa^

ROBINSON

CRUSOE.

honest, nicxlest, sober, and religious young woman ; Lad a very good share of sense, -was
rigi-eoable enough in lier i)crson, spoke vei'V hands Jiuely and to tlic purpose, always with
tlccency and goo;l manners, and was neither too backward to speak when rcquij>ite,
nor impertinently forward when it was not her business ; very handy and housewifely,
.'uid an excellent manager ; fit, indeed, to have been governess to the whole island ; and
.she knew very well how to behave in every respect.

The match being proposed in this maimer, we married them the .<aine day ; and as
I was father at the alti'.r, and gave her away, so I gave her a portion ; for I appointed
licr and her husband a handsome large space of gi-ouud for their plantation ; and, indcctl,
t!ii;j match, and the j)ropOial the young gentleman made to give him a small jiroperty in
the island, put me upon i)arcelling it out amongst tliem, that they might not quarrc 1
afterwards about tlieir situation.

This sharing out the land to them I left to Will Atkin-^, who was now grown a sol.
grave, managing fellow, perfectly reformed, exceedingly pious and religious ; and, a-i far
as I may bo allowed to speak positively in such a ease, I verily believe ho was a true
penitent. Ho 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 t-
be drawn up and signed and sealed, setting out the bounds and situation of every man
plantation, and testifying that I gave them thereby severally a right to the whole p"
session and inheritance of the respective lilantations nr farms, with their impi'ovonien'
to them and their heirs, reserving all the rest of the island as my own property, and
certain rent for every particular plantation after eleven ycar.^, if I, or any one from ni'
or in my name, came to demand it, producing an attested copy of the same writing.

As to the government and laws among them, I told them I was not cair.ible <
giving them better rules than they were able to give themselves; only I made theiu
promise me to live in love and good neighbourhood with one another ; and so I prepared
to leave them.

One thing I must not omit, .and that is, that being now settled in a kind of common-
wejdth among themselves, and having much business in hand, it was odd to have sovt :;
and thirty Indians live in a nook of the island independent, and, indeed, nncmploye«i :
for, excepting the providing themselves food, which they had difficulty enough to d .
sometimes they had no manner of business or property to manage. I jn-oposed, thor.
fore, to the governoi* Spaniard, that he should go to them with Friday's father, ai; '.
l)roposo to thcni to remove, and either plant fn- them-elves, or be taken into thcW
several families as servantfl, to be maintained for tlieir labour, but without being abso-
lute slaves ; for I would not ])eriait them to make thorn slaves by force, by any means ;
because they had their lil)erty given them l>y capitulation, as it were nrticlca of sur-
render, which they ought not to break.

They most willingly embraced the proposal, and came all very elieorfully along with
him : .so wo allotted them lancl and jdantations, which three or four accepted of, but all
the rest chose to be cmi)loyed as .servants in the .several f imilies we had settled ; and
thus my colony avtis in a maimer settled as follows : — The Spaniards possessed my
oiiginal habitation, which was the capiUd city, and extended their plantations all along
the side of the brijok, which mado tlic crock that I have so often described, as far as
my buwei- ; and as they increased their eidture, it went always etvstward. The English
l4vcd in the north-cast part, where Will -Vtkins and his comrades began, and came on
.southward and south-we.st, towjirds the l>ack i)art of the Spaniards; and every planta-
tion had a -nab addition of land to take in, if they found occa.«ion, so that they need

.^^"a»^

.^^^^^

THE PRESENT OF A BIBLE.

I ^D

K

not jostle one auotlier for want of room. All the east end of the island was left unin-
liubitecl, that if any of the savages should come on shore there only for their nsual
custoniary barbarities, they might come and go; if thej disturbed nobod)-, nobody
would disturb them ; and no doubt but they -were often .-ushox-e, and went away again,
for I never heard that the planters were ever attacked or <iisturbcd any more.

It now came into my thoughts that I had hinted to my friend the clergyman that
the work of converting the savages might perhaps be set on foot in his absence to his
satisfaction, and I told him that now I thought that it was put in a fair way; for th
savage.?, being thus diA-ided among the Christians, if thejr Avould but every one of them
do their part with those which came under their haud^j, I Iiopod it miglit have a veiy
good effect.

He agreed })resently in that, if they did their part. "But how," says he, " shall a\c
obtain that of them ? " I told him we would call them all together, and leave it m
charge with them, or go to them, one by one, which he thought best ; so we divided u
-—he to speak to the Spaniards, who were all Papists, and I to speak to the Enp'lish
who were all Protestants ; and Y,^e recommended it earnestly to them, and made them
promise that they would never make any distinction of Papist or Protestant m
their exhorting the savages to turn Christians, but teach them the general knov/led e hi
of the true God, and of their Saviour Jesus Christ ; and they likev/ise promised us tint
they would never have any differences or disputes one with anqther about i-elio-ion.

When I came to Will Atkins's house (I may call it so, for such a house, or such a
})iece of basket- v.'ork, I believe was not standing in the world again), there I found th-^
young woman I have mentioned above and Will Atkins's wife were become intimates
and this prudent, religious young woman had perfected the work Y/ill Atkins had be'^'-un
and though it was not above four days after what I have related, yet the new-baplised
savage woman was made sii.ch a Christian as I have seldom heard of iu all my o;\servx
tion 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 le^e with them, Iliad not left them a Bible, in Avhich I showed |/j
myself less considering for them than my good friend the widow was for me v/hen 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 evei
she imagined, for they were reserved for tlie comfort and instruction of those tlsat made
mu.ch better use of them than I had done.

I took o-ne of the Bibles in my pocket, and when I came to Will Atkins's tent, oi
house, and found the young woman and Atkins's baptised wife had been discoursing of
religion together — for Will Atkins told it me with a great deal of joy — I asked if they
Avere 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," -say.s 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 hither from heaven ; she is
enough to convert a whole island of savages." The young woman blushed, and rose up
to go away, but I desired her to sit still ; I told her she had a good Avork upon hei
hands, and I hoped God would bless her in it.

We talked a little, and I did not perceive that they had any book among them,
though I did not ask ; but I put my hand into my pocket, and pulled out my Bible
'■ Here," said I to Atkins, " I have brought you an assistant that perhaps you had not ^

303 ^ -., \i

I

>N ^ .

KOlilXSON CRUSOE.

Tm: r

hofore." The man was so confuunded, that he was not able to speak for some time ; bu .
rocovcviiig hiiiisi'ir, ho tnkes ib with botli liis Ijands, und turning to his wife, " Here,
iiiv dear," says lio, "did I not t«'ll yon our God, though he lives above, could hear what
wo have wiid ? Here's the Ixiok I prayed for when you and I kneeled down under i\\i
Ir.ish ; now fJod has lieard u.-, and sent it," "When he had said so, the man fell \\\{.^
such tmnsports of passionato joy, that between the joy of having it, and giving (Jul
tlianks for it, the tears ran down his face like a child that was crying.

The woman wiis surprised, :ind was like to have run into a mistake that none of u^
were aware of, for she firmly believed God had sent the book upon her husband's
petition. It is true that i»rovidentialIy it was so, and might be taken .so in a con-
seqtient sense ; but I believe it would have been no difficult matter at that tiiu-
to haivo i)ci-suaded the poor woman to have believed that an express messenger ca:u •
from Heaven on purpose to bring that individual book ; but it was too serious a matt.;-
t) sullVr any delusion to take place, so I turned to the young woman, and told her we
«lid not desire to imj^oso \ii)on the now convert in her first and more ignomnt under-
standing of things, and begged her to explain to her that God maybe very properly sai<l
t ) answer our petitions, when, in the course of his providence, such things are in a p:u -
tioular manner brought to pass as wo petitioned for : but we did not expect returns from
Heaven in a mimculons and particular manner, and it is a mercy that it is not so.

This the young woman did afterwards efTectually, so that there was, I assure you, n )
prif'stcraft used here ; and I should have thought it one of the n\ost unjustifiable frau'N
i:i the world to have had it so. But the surprise of joy npon Will Atkins is really nd
t ) be cxpn'ssed ; and there we may be sure was no delusion. Sure no man was over
m )re thankful in the world for anything of its kind than he was for the Bible; nor, I
believe, never any man was glad of a Bible from a better principle ; and though he had
l)3cn a most profligate creature, headstrong, furious, and despemtely wicked, yet this man
i< a standing rule to us all fir the well in-ifcructing children, viz., that parents should nevii-
give over to teach and instruct, nor ever despair of the success of their endeavours, lot
the children be ever so refractory, or, to appearance, insensibj^to instruction; for, it ev.'i
Goil, in his providence, touches the conscience of such, the force of their educatici
returns xipon them, and the early instruction of parents is not lost, though it may hav •
been many years laid asleep, but some time or other they may find the benefit of it
Thus it was with this poor man : however ignorant he was of religion and C'hristiau
knowledge, he foujul he had some to do with now more ignorant than himself, and that
the least part of the instruction of his good father that now ca.ne to hi.-; mind was of u-e
to him.

Among the rest, it occurred to him, ho said, how his father used to insist so much on
the inexpressible value of the Bible, and the prinlego and blessing of it to nation^
fimilies, and persons; but ho never entertained the le.xst notion of the worth of it till
now, when being to talk to heathens, savages, ami barbarians, he wanted the help of tii .«
written oracle for his assistance.

Tlie yovuig woman was glad of it al.so for the present occasion, though she had one
ami so hail the youth, on board our .shij), among their goods, which wcro not yet brought
on shore. And now, having sjxid 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
riMuarkabh'.

I have related to what extremity the jioor young woman was reduced, — how h. r
mi-lrc >s was starved to death, and died on board that unhappy ship we met at sea, an.l

m

f^^^-^--^5srf

a^

^^S

-^i"^*-.^^

WHAT IT IS TO STARVE.

^'-^

Iiow the sliip's company were reduced to the last extremity. The gentlewoman, and liei-
son, and this maid, were first hardly used as to provisions, and at last totally neglected
and starved — that is to say, brought to the last extremity of hunger. One 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 distinctly thus : —

" First, sir," said she, " we had for some days fared exceeding 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, 1 found myself,
towards evening, first empty and sick at the stomach, and nearer night much inclined to
yawning and sleeji. 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 sti-ange 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 })rovisions, — 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 famine. The last glass of wine we had I dx'ank, 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 dis-
agreeable fumes from the stomach into the head; and I lay, as they told me, stupid and
senseless, as one drunk, for some time. The third day, in the moi'ning, 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 lunacy or 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 ; and as the blood came from me, I came to myself, and the violence of
the flame or 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 liad nothing in ray stomach to
bring up.

" After I had bled some time 1 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 like the colic, but a gnawing, eager pain for food ; and towai-ds night
it went off with a kind of earnest wishing or longing for food, something like, as I suppose,
the longing of a woman with child. 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 the bed,
praying most heartily that it would please God to take me away ; and composing my
mind in hopes uf it I slumbered awhile, and then waking, thought myself dying, being light

305

m

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

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 wliilo my mistress lay by me, just, as I thought, expiring, but bore it vntli
much more patience tlian T, — 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 oat it ; and I believe it saved
liis life.

"Towards the moniing I slept again ; and when I awoke I fell into a violent passion
of crying, and after tliat had a second fit of violent hunger. I got \ip 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 Hesh with as much relish and as unconcerned as
ever I did oat the Hesh 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 bh-d
at my nose the day before : I ran to it, and swallowed it with such haste, and sucli a
greedy appetite, as if I Avondered that nobod}' had taken it before, and afraid it should
bo taken from me now. After it was down, tliough the thoughts of it filled me witli
lun-ror, yet it checked the fit of hunger, and I took another dmught of water, and wa.s
composed and refreshed for some hours after. This was the fourth day ; and thus I kept
up till towards niglit, when, within the compass of three hours, I had all the sevoi-al
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 i*aveno\is again,
and so every quarter of an hour, and my strength wasted exceedingly ; at night I lay mo
down, liaving no comfort but in the hope that I should die before moniing.

"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 surprised by the cries and
lamentations of my young mastei-, 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,
tliough she was able to give very little signs of life.

" I had then .such convulsions in my stomach, for want of some sustenance, as I cannot
(k'scribo ; 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 hoard the seamen above cry
out, * A .vail ! a sail ! ' and halloo and jump about as if they were distracted.

"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 thoy told us afterwards, — they
tliought we had been dead. It Avas this dreadful condition wo were in when you were
sent to save our lives ; and how you found us «ir, 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, 1
confes-s, I never met with, and was exceeding entertaining to mo. I am the mther apt
to believe it to be a true account, because the youth gave mo an account of a good j>art
i'f it; though I must own, 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 : but the ix)or maid,
though her constitution being sti-onger than that of her mistros.s, who was in yeai-s, and
a weakly woman too, .she might struggle harder with it ; I sjiy, the j)oor maid might bo
supposed to feel the extremity something sooner than her mistrcis, who might be allowed

to keep the la^st bit something longer than she parted with any to relieve the maid. Xo
question, as the case is here related, if our sliip, or some other, had not so providentially
met them, a few days more Avould 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 hundi'ed leagues from any land, or any possibility of
relief, other than in the miraculous manner it happened : but this i.s by the way I
return to my disposition of things among the people.

And, first, it is to be observed here, that for many reasons I did not think fit to let
them know anything of the sloop I had fi-amed, 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
light disgust, have separated, and gone away from one another ; or perhaps have turned
I pirates, and so made the island a den of thieves, instead of a plantation of sober and
I religious people, as I intended it ; nor did I leave the two pieces of brass cannon that I
had on board, or the two quai*ter-deck guns that my nephew took extraordinary, for
the same reason : I thought it was enoiigh to qualify them for a defensive war against
any that shoidd 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 gims, for their service another way, as I shall
o!>serve in its jJace.

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
iiland till I came to remove them, I promised to send them farther relief fi'om the Brazils,
if I could possibly find an opportunity; and partictilarly 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 arrived
a: the bay of All Saints in the Brazils in about twenty-two days, meeting nothing
remarkable in our jiassage but this : that about three days after we had sailed, being
becalmed, and the cuiTent setting strong to the E.N.E., ninning, as it were, into a bay,
or gidf on the laud side, we were driven something out of our course, and once or twice
our men cried out, " Land to the eastward 1 " 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 calm, we saw the sea, as it were, covered towards the land vvith something
very black ; not being able to discover what it was, till after some time, our chief mate,
going up the mainshrouds 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 hini a
little hastily. " Nay, sir," says he, " don't be angiy, for 'tis an army, and a fleet too ;
for 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 ha\-ing 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 devoui-ed. 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 biing
the ship to an anchor as soon as we came so near as to know that we must engage them.

?07

-•i,^

v^

!

r^AUEV.ia T(i THE ESUM0.1

The weather contiiniLcl taliii, ami tliey came on ajiacc towards us ; so I gave
ortlci-s 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 tlicy should get their boats out, and
fasten them, one close hy the head, and the other by tho 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 jiut out any fire these sivvagcs 'might
' nileavour to fix to the outside of the ship.

In this posture wc lay by for them, and in a little while thoy 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 wo reckoned
about a hundred and twenty-six ; some of them had sixteen or seventeen men in
them, and some more, and tho Idast six or seven.

When they came nearer to us, tliey seemed to be struck with wonder and
astouishnKnt, as at a sight which doubtless they had never seen before ; nor couhl
they at first, as wo afterwards understood, know what to make of us ; they came
boldly up, however, veiy 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, witliout our designing it ; for five or
six of the largo canoes canio so near our 1« ng-boat, that our men beckt)netl with
their hands to keep them back, which they undei*stood very well, and went back ;
but at their retreat about fifty arrow.s came on board »is from those boats, and one
ot our men in the long-boat was very much wounded. However, I called to them
not to lilt. l,y any means; l)ut we haivded down some deal Inurds into the boat,

30S

C^-i^^^^^j!^^^^_

ROBINSON CRUSOr:

m^

and the cai'peuter preaeutly set up ii kiud 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 uj) in a body astern of ns, and so near
that we could easily discern what they were, though we could not tell their design ; and
I cjwily found they were some of my old friends, the same sort of savages that I had been
used to engage witli ; 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
. tamo so near that they could hear us speak ; upon this I ordered all my men to keep
i-lose, 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 langiiage, to know what they meant ; which accordingly he did. Whetlu r
they understood him or not, that I knew not ; but a-s soon a.s he had called to them, >ix
of them, who were in the foremost or nighest boat to us, turned theii* canoes from u-.
and stooping down, showed us their naked backs ; whether this was a defiance or chal-
lenge we knew not, or whether it was done in mere contempt, or as a signal to the rest :
but immediately Friday cried out they Avere going to shoot, and, unhappily for him, poor
ft'llow, they let ily about three hundred of their arrows, and, to my inexpressible grief,
killed poor Friday, no other man being in their sight. The poor fellow wtts shot with
no less than three arrow.s, and about three more fell very near him ; such unlucky
marksmen they were !

I was so cnmged at the loss of my old trusty servant and companion, that I imme-
diately ordered five guns to be loaded with small shot, and fpur with great, and gavr
them such a broadside as they had never heard in their lives before, to be sure. 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, a,s we had reason to believe, by
one shot only.

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 pa.s3 for the greatest contempt
among us might bo Understood so by them or not ; therefoi-e, in return, I had only
resolved to have fired four or five guns at them with ))owder only, which I knew would
frighten them .sufficiently : but when they .shot at us directly with all the fury they were
capable of, and especially as they had killed my poor Friday, whom I so entirely loved
and valued, and who, indeed, so well deserve J it, I thought my.self not only justiliablo
before God and man, but would have been very glad if I could have overset every canoe
there, and drowned every one of thein.

T can neither tell how many wo killed nor how many wo wounded at this broadside,
l>ut sure such a fright and hurry never were seen among sucii a inultitnde ; there were
thirteen or fourteen of their canoes split and overset in all, and the men all set o-swim-
niing : tho rest, frightened out of their wits, scoured away as hat 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 lui hour after they were all gone.

Tho small shot from our cannon must needs kill and wound a great many ; but, in
short, wo never knew how it went with them, for tliey fled .so fast that, in tla-eo hour-
or thereabouts, we could not see above three or fom- straggling canoes, nor did wo ever
seo the rest any more ; for a breeze of wind springing up the same evening, we weigh. -d.
and .set sail for the Brazils.

^^^■ had a jnisoner, indicd, Imt the (.-reature wax s,) sullen that he woul 1

-r1.^ ._

FAREWELL TO FRIDAY.

noifchei' oat nor speak, and we all fauciecl lie would ,star\'e liimself to death : but I took
a way to cure liim ; for I made them take him and turn him into the long-hoat, and
make him believe they would to.ss him into the sea again, and so leave him Avhere 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 ;
however, at last, they took him in agaiu, and then he began to be more tractable : nor
did I ever design they should drown him.

We were now under sail again, but I was the most disconsolate creature alive for
want of my man Friday, and would have been ^^eryglad to have gone back to the island,
to have taken one of the rest froni thence for my occasion, but it could not be : so we
went on. We had one prisonei-, as I have said, and 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. Afterwards, we inquired what country he came fromi
but could make nothing 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 ; nor could we pei'ceive that they had any occasion either for
teeth, tongue, lips, or palate, but formed their words just as a hunting-horn forms a tune
with an open throat. He told us, however, some time 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 wei'e five nation (we
could not make him undei'stand the plural s), and that they all joined to go 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 woixls where we use one ;
and they place the accent upon them, as makee, takee, and the like ; nay, T 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

I 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 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,
Avhen we made Cape St. Augustine, and in three days came to an anchor off the bay of
All Saints, the old place of my deliverance, 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 mer-
chant-tnistees ; not the fame of my wonderful preservation in the island, could obtain me
that favour ; but my partner, remembering t'liat I had given five hundred moidores to
the Prior of the Monastery of the Augustines, and two hundred and seventy-two to the
poor, went to the monastery, and obliged the prior that then was to go to the governor,
and get leave for me personally, with the captain and one more, besides eight seamen, to
come on shriro, and no more ; and this upon condition, absolutely capitulated for, that

311

jE^J>e^£>^-:.

7m^x^.

KOlilNSON CRUSOE.

1

we slioulil not offer to land any goo^ls out of the sliip, or to cany any pei*son away -with-
ont licence. They were so strict with lis, a.s to landing any goods, that it was with
(xtremi! dinicidly tliat I got on shore three bales of English goods, such as fine broad-
cloths, Btuffs, 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; and though he knew not that I had the least design of giving him anything, he
sont me on board a present of fresh provisions, wine, and sweetmeats, worth above thirty
moidores, including some tobacco, and three or four fine medals of gold : but I was even
with him in my present, which, as I have said, 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, whictx
I harl brought with me from England, as I have said, for the use of my colony, in ordr
to send the refreshments I intended to my plantation.

Accordingly, he got hands, and finished the sloop in a very few days, for she was
already framed; and I gave the master of her such instructions that he could not miss
tlie place ; nor did he, as I had an account from my partner afterwards. 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, ui)on my letter to the gover-
nor .S2)ani:;rd, to allot him a sufficient cpiantity of land foi* 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 ga\'e him the savage whom we had
taken prisoner of war, to be his slave, and ordered the goNcrnor 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 nie there was a certain very
honest fellow, a Bmzil jdanter of his acrpiaintance, who had fallen into the displea.sure
of the church. "I know not what the matter is with him," says he, "but, on my
conscience, I think ho is a heretic in his heart, and he has been obliged to conceal him-
self for fear of the Inquisition;" that he would be very glad of such an oi)j)ortunity to
make his escape, with his wife and two daughters; and if I would let them go to my
island, and allot them a jdantation, 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," adds he, " though I hate
his principles, yet I would not have hiiu fall into their hands, for he will be a«:suredly
l)urned alive if he does."

1 ■Manted tliii ])resently, and joined my Englishman with thcni ; and we concealed
the man, and his wife and daughters, on board our ship, till the sloop put out bo go to
sea ; and then, having put all their goods on board some time before, we jmt them on
board the sUK)p after she was got out of the bay.

( )ur seaman was mightily jileased 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 wa.s worth all the rest,
sonic materials for planting siigar-cane.s, 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 ihem by the
Nloop three milch cows and iWo calves, about twenty-two hogs among them, three .sows
I'll,' with pig, two mares, and a stone-horse. For my .Spaniards, according to myjiromise,
1 engaged three Portugal women to go, and recommcndcil it to them to marry them

3' 2 ^J

M

^^^lMSti'^r*M^Mm^^tSII^9S^~''

\t

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

and use tliem kindly. I could li.nvo procured more Avomen, but 1 remembei-ed that tlie
poor prosecuted man had two daughters, and that there were but five of the Bpaulaitla
that wanted — the rest had wives of their own, though in another countiy.

All this cargo arrived safe, and, as you may easily suppose, was very Welcome to my
oM inhabitantf?, who Avero now, with this addition, between sixtyand seventy people, besides
littlo cliildi'fn, of which there were a great many. I found letters at London from them
all, by way of Lisbon, v licii 1 camo back to England, of which I shall also take sumo
notice immediately.

I havo now done with the island, and all manner of discourse about it : and whoevet*
reads the rest of my memorandums would do well to turn his thoughts entirely from It,
and e.xpect to road of the follies of an oil man, not warned b} his own harm', much less
by those of other men, to beware ; not cooled by almost forty years' miseries and dis-
appointments ; not satisQed Avi'v prosperity beyond expectation, nor made cautious by
afflictions and distress bevond imitation.

I had no more business to go to the East Indies than a man at fvdl liberty has to go
to the turnkey at Newgate and desire him to lock him up among the prisoners there, and
stirve 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, atul
for my people j taken a patent from the Government here to have secured my property
in subjection only to that of England ; had I carried over cannon and ammunition,
servants and j^ople to plant, and taken possession of the place, fortified and Rtrengthened
it in the name of England, and increased it with people, as I might easily have done ;
had I then Bcttled myself there, and sent the ship back laden with good rice, as I might
also havo done in si.x months' time, and ordered my friends to liave fitted her out again
for our supijly, — had I done this, and stayed there myself, I had at least acted like a
man of common sense : but I wasposscssodof a wandering spirit, and scorned all advan-
Ingcs : 1 i»lcased myself with being the jiatron of the people I placed thei-e, and doing foi'
them in a kind of haughty, majestic way, like an old patriarchal monarch, pi'ovldlng for
t'lem as if I had been father of the whole fiimily, as well as of the plantation : but 1 never
BO much as pretended to plant in the name of any government or nation, or to ackuow-
Icd'^e any prince, or to call my people subjects to any one nation more than another ; nay,*
1 never so much as gave the ])laco 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 1 had in*
lluonco over them as a father and benefactor, had no authority or power to act or com-
mand one way or other, farther than voluntary consent moved them to comply ; yet
even this, had 1 stayed there, would havo done well enough : but as 1 liimbled fron\ them
and camo there no more, the last lettei-s I had from any of them Avere 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 Avas written, that they went
I on but poorly j were discontent Avilh their long stay there ; tlmti Will Atkins Avas dead j
that five of the Hpaniards were come away ; and though they had not been niuch molested
by the savages, yet they had had some skirmishes Avith them j and that they begged of
I him to Avrlto to me to think of the promise I had made to fetch them away, that they
j niight see their country again before they died.

' Hut 1 Avas gone a Avildgoose chase indeed ! and they that will have ftny nior« of mo

nuist bo content to folloAV mo into a new variety of follies, hardships, a»ul Avlld adventtU'cs,

wherein the justice of Providence may bo duly observed; aiul Ave may pee how ea?ily

I Heaven can gorge us with oui' own desires, lUakc the strongest of oui' wishes be out'

i 3U ^'

VOYAGE TO THE EAST INDIES.

affliction, and punish us most severely with those very things wliich we think it would be
our utmost happiness to be allowed in. Whether I had business or no business, away I
went : it is no time now to enlarge upon the reason or absurdity of my own conduct
but to come to the history, — I w'as embarked for the voyage, and the voyage I went.

I sitall only add a word or two concerning my honest Popish clergyman ; for lot
tlieir opinions of us, and all other heretics in general, as they call us, be as uncharitable
as it iiiay, I verily believe this mati was very sincere, and wished the good of all men :
yet I believe he was upon the reserve in many of his expressions, to prevent giving
nie offence ; for I sceft'ce heard him once call on the Blessed Virgin, or mention St. Jago,
or liis 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 ; and I am firmly of opinion,
if the rest of the Popish missionaries were like him, they would strive to visit even the
poor Tartars and Laplanders, where they have nothing to give them, as well as covet
to flock to India, Persia, China, &c., the most v.-ealthy of the heathen countries ; for if
they expected to bring no gains to their church by it, it may well be admired hoAV
they came to admit the Chinese Confucius into the calendar of the Christian saints.

A ship being ready to sail fpr Lisbon, my ])ious prjest asked me leave to go thither ;
being still, as he observed, bound never to finisli any voyage he began. How hap2)y 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 J gone -vvitli him, I had uevei' had so many things to bo thankful
ior, and the reader had never heard of the second part of the travels and adventures of
Pvobiuson Crusoe; so I must here leave exclaiming at myself, and go on with my
A oyage. From the Brgzils, we made directly over the Atlantic Sea to the Cape of Good
Hope, and had a tolerably good voyage, our eoui'se generally siouth-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 befall 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 was 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. Tins
was none of my business, neither did I meddle with it ; my nephew, the captain, and
the supercargo, adjusting all those things between theui 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, indeed, 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 apprehensions of them ;
but they went their own way, and we heard no more of them.

I shall not pester the reader with a tedious description of places, journals of our
A oyages, variations of the compass, latitudes, trade-winds, &c. ; it is enough to name
the ports and places which we touched at, and what occurred to us upon our passage
from one to another. We touched first at the island of Madagascar, where, though
the people are fierce and treacherous, and very well armed with lances ^p.d bows,
whicli they use with inconceivable dexterity, yet we fared veiy well with them awhde ;
they treated us very civilly ; and for some trifles which we gave them, such as knives,
scissors, &c., they brought us eleven good fat bullocks, of a middling size, which we took
in, partly for fresh provisions for our present spending, and the rest to salt for the
.ship's use.

AVe were obliged to stay here some time after wo had. furnished ourrelvcs with

31S

^^,

^- ' ^^- l.rovisions; ami I, uho wa.s lil^ayH^' ^' ■^■^- '"'/^*i^

too curious to look into ovcy nook of tho world whorov;^ I caJT^^T

...lan<I that wo wont on shore ono evening ; and the people, who by the wa^• Vll

X' toi r:,,::';,?;.:^ r "•""• "'-' ^•°" "■■° ■■""° -- ^"•"" *'"*!.-

y-, tiriJlf ',r'"'r,T'"'''' ""■ ""^ ''"'^»' °"^ -" "•« »!■»- between

50„ BO 11,0.0 you ™„t u„t e.„Ty you,- ,vo»,k.,.s ,vith you : aa<l if thoy como i„lo

316

ROIJINSON CRUSOE.

■ tliat space, they stick up their javelins and lances all at the fii-st poles, and come
on unarmed ; biif if any violence is oflcred them, and the tnico thereby broken, away
they run to the poles, and lay hold of their weapons, and the tmice is at an end.

It happened one evening, when we went on shore, that a greater number of their
peojdc came down than usual, but all veiy friendly and civil ; and they brought several
kinds of provisions, for which we satis6ed them with such toys as we had ; the women
also brought us niilic and roots, and several things very acceptable to us, and 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 from the lantl,
with two men in her to take cure of her, I made one of them come on shore ; and
getting .some boughs of trees to cover us also 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 ia
the boat.

About two o'clock in the morning, we heard one of our men make a terrible nois«
on the shore, calling out for God's sake to bring the boat in, and come and help t)>cm,
for they were all like to be murdered ; at the same time, X heard the fire of five
muskets, which was the number of guns they had, and that three times over; for, it
seems, the natives here were not .so easily friglitcncd with guns as the savages were in
America, where I had to do with them. All this while I knew not wh*t was the
matter, but rousing immediately from .sleep with the noise, I caused the boat to be
thrust in, and resolved, with three fusees we had on board, to land and assist our men.

We got t'.ic boat .soon to the shore, but our men were in too much haste ; for being
come to the shore, they plunged into the Y'ater, toget to the boat with all theexpeditiou
they could, being pursued by between three and four hundred men, Onr men were
but nine in all, and only five of them had fusees with them ; the re^t had pistols and
6word.'<, indeed, but they were of small use to them.

"We took up .seven of our men, and with dilViculty enough too, three of them being
very ill wounded; and that which was still worse was, that while we stood in the b'v<t
to take our men in, we were in as much danger as they were in on shore ; for t!-
jioured tlieir arrows in upon us so thick that we were glad to barricade the side of
boat up with the benches, and two or three loose board.'^, which, to our great satisfacti
we had by mere accident in the boat. And yet, had it been daylight, ttj^ey «»v
seems, such exact marksmen, that if they could have seen but the least i)art of any
us, they would have been sure of us. We had, by the light of the moon, a little sigiit
of them, as they stood pelting us from the .shore with darts and arrows ; and lui\ing got
ready our fire-arms, we gave them a volley, that we could hear, by the cries t)f some (;f
thoni, had wounded several ; however, they stood thus in battle array on the Bho»e till
break of day, wliich wo supposed was that they niight .see the betjt^r to take their aim
at UM.

In this condition v/e lay, and could not tell how to weigh our ^chor, or f^et up our
^ail, because we niuiit needs stand up in the boat, and they were as sure to hit fas CkS we
were to hit a biixl in a tree with suiall shot. We made signals of distress to |1m» '-"Pf
and, though .she rode n league oil', yet my ne[)hew, the captain, Kcariug our firing, find <
by gla.sses perceiving the posture Me lay in, and that we llred towards tlio shore, pielty i
well understood us ; and weighing anchor with all sjteed, he stood as near tlie slu>re as '
he durst with the ship, and then sent another boiit, wiili ton Ufttids in hor, to assist us; i

li8

THE ISLAND OF MADAGASCAR.

but -vve called to them not to come too near, telling tliem what condition we were in ;
however, they stood in near to xis, and one of the men taking the end 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 us, 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 ; we all the while lying close behind the barricado we had made.

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 sliot,
which made a tei-rible havoc among them.

"When we were got on board, and out of danger, we had time to examine into tlic
occasion of this fray ; and, indeed, our supercargo, who had been often in those part,^,
put me upon it ; for he said he was sure the inhabitants would not have touched us
after wo, had made a truce, if we had not done something to provoke them to it. At
length, 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 bi'ought some roots or
herbs ; and while the old woman (whether she was mother to the young woman or no
tliey could not tell) was selling us the milk, one of our men offered some rudeness to
the wench that v\'as 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 j the old woman went away without her, and, as
we may suppose, made an outcry among the people she came from ; who, upon notice,
i-aised 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 p>aid dear enough for his
black mistress, for we could not hear what became of him for a great while. We lay
u]>on the shore two days after, though the v/ind presented, and made signals for
him, and made our boat sail up shore and down shore several leagues, but in vain ;
so we were obliged to give him. over j and if he alone had suffered for it, the loss
had been less.

1 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 the action that I
had a great mind to leax-n, 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
shotild 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 on the evening before. I landed here, because my design, as I
have said, was chiefly to see if they had quitted the field, and if they had left any marks
behind them of the mischief we had done them ; and I thought, if we could surprise
one or two of them, perhaps we might get our man again by way of exchange.

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 anybody stir
v.'licn we landed ; and we marched tip, one body at a <" " : " ■ o:^er, to the

3^9 . _ _ .-

^ -^>

ROBINSON CRL.SOl..

f

place ; but at first could sec nothing, it heing very dark ; till by-and-by our boatswain,
who letl the first jiarty, stumbled and fell over a dead body. This nmde them luilt
awhile; for knowing by the cireuiustiinces that they were at the i)lace where the
Imlians 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 le.«.s than an hour, Avhen we could
<':isily discern tlic havoc we had made among theni. We told thirty-two bodies upon «
the ground, whereof two were not quite dead; some had an arm and .sonie a leg .shot /
<.n", and one his head ; those that were wounded, Ave supposed, they liad carried away. It

When we had made, as I thought, a full discovery of all Ave coidd come to the jfj
knowledge of, I resolved on going on board ; but the boatswain and his party sent me
Avord that they Avere resolved to make a visit to the Jndi:\n town, Avhere the.se dog.s,
as they called them, dwelt, and asked me to go along Avith 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 might find Tom Jefi'ry there ; that Avas the man's name Ave
IKUI lost.

Had they sent to ask my leave to go, 1 knew Avell enough what answer to have
given them ; for I should have commanded them insUintly on board, knowing it was
not a hazard fit for us to run, Avho had a shi]) and ship-loading in our charge, ami
a voyage to make Avhich depended very much upon the lives of the men ; but as
they sent mc word they Avere resolved to go, and only asked me and my com])any to go
along Avith them, I positively refu.sed it, and rose up, for I Avas sitting on the ground,
in order to go to the boat. One or two of the men began to importune mc to go ; and
%\ hen I refused, began to grumble, and say they were not under my command, and they
would go. " Come, Jack," says one of the men, " Avill you go Avith me? I'll go for
one." Jack .said ho Avould,— and then another, — and, in a Avord, they all left mo l)ut
one, Avhom I persuaded to stay, and a boy left in the boat. So the s\ipercargo anil I,
Avith the third man, Avent back to the boat, Avhere Ave told them avo Avould stay for
them, and take care to take in as many of them as should be left ; for I told them it
Avas a mad thing they Avere going about, and supposed most of them Avould have the
f.ite of Tom JeilVy.

Tiiey told nu', like seamen, they would warrant it they would come oil" again, and
they Avould take care, itc. ; .so away they Avent. I entreated them to consider the ship
and the A'oynge, that their lives Avere not their own, and that they Avere entnisted with
the voyage, in .'iome measure ; that if they miscarried, the ship might be lost for Avant
of their help, and that they could not ansAver for it to God or man. Biit I might as
well have talked to the mainma.st of the ship; they Avere mad upon their journey :
only they gave me good Avord.s, and begged I Avould not be angry ; that they did not
I .ubt Ijut they Avould be back again in about an hour at farthest ; for the Indian town,
■iiiy said, Avas not above half a mile off, though they foiuul it aboA-e two niiles before
1 y got to it.

Well, they all went away, and though the attempt was despemte, and such as none
but madmen Avould have gone about, yet, to give them their due, they Avent about it as
Avarily as boldly ; they Avere gallantly armed, for they had every man a fusee or musket,
a bayonet, and a jiistol ; some of them had broad cutlasses, some of tliem had hangei-s,
and the boatswain and two more had poleaxes; besides all which, they had among them
thirteen hand grenadocs ; bolder fellows, and better provided, never went about any
wicked Avork in the Avorld.

When they Avent out, their chief design was plunder, and they Avore in mighty

3:0

hopes of fiudmg qoU tUeio , Imt a ciicnmstance A^lucli u-m > ^^<^^
f tliem were aware of set them on fue with le^e^ge, and made dcMis of ^^^|

AVheu they came to the few Indian houses which they thought had been
the town, which was not above half a mile off, they were under a great dis-
ai.pointment, for there were not above twelve or thirteen houses; and where
the to^vn was, or how big, they knew not. They consulted, therefore, what ta
do and were some time before they could resolve ; for if they fell upon these,

ROBINSON CRUSUi:.

'■gc-^^j.^-^

M

1

^y must cut all their throats ; and it was ten to one but some of thera might escape,

Ijting in the night, though the moon was up ; and if one escnjicd, he would i-un and
i.iiac all the town, no they should have a whole army upon them : again, on the othep
hand, if thoy went away and left those untouched, for the people were all aslce]!, they
aid not tell which Avay to look for the town : however, the last was the best advice,
■ they resolved to leave them, and look for the town as well as they couhl. They went
oil a little way, and found a cow tied to a tree; tliis, they presently concluded, would
be a good guido to tlicm ; foi*, they said, the cow cei-tainly belonged to the town before
them, or the town behind them, and if they imtied her, they should sec which way she
went : if she went back, they had nothing to say to her ; but if she Avent forward, they
would follow her : so they cut the cord, which was made of twisted flags, and the cow
went on before them, directly to the town ; which, as they reported, consisted of above
two lnmdred houses or huts, and in some of these they found several families living
together.

Hero they foiind all in silence, as profoundly secure as sleep could make thera : and,
fii-st, they called another council, to consider what they had to do; and, in a word,
they resolved to divide themselves into three bodies, and so set thi-cc houses on fire in
three parts of the town ; and as the men came out, to seize them and bind them (if any
resisted, they need not be asked what to do then), and so to search the rest of the
houses for plunder. But they resolved to march silently first through the town, and sec
v'hat dimensions it was of, and if they might venture upon it or no.

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 littlo
before the rest, called out aloud to them, and told them that they had found Tom
JoOVy : thoy all ran up to the jjlace, where they had found the poor fellow hanging up
naked by one arm, and his throat cut. There was an Indian house just by the tree,
wl^Pfe they found sixteen or seventeen of the principal Indians, who had been
concerned in the fray with us before, and two or three of them wounded with our
.shot ; an<l our men found they were awake, and talking one to another in that house,
but U»ew not their number.

The eight of their poor mangled comrade .«;o enraged them, as before, that they swore
to one anotlier thoy would bo revenged, and tj^at 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 rago and fury they were in. Their first care
was to get something that would ."^oon take fire ; but, after a little search, they found
that woidd l>o to no jmrposc ; for most of the houses were low, and thatched with flags
and rushes, of which the country is full ; so they ]>rc.sently made some wildfire, as wo
cull it, by wetting a littlo powder in the palm of their hands, and in a quarter of an
hour they set tho town on firo in four or five places, and particularly that house
where tho Indians were not gone to bed.

As soon as the firo began to blaze, the poor frightened creatures began to rush out
to save their lives, but met with their fiite in the attempt ; and c.«;pecially at tho
door, where they drove them br.c'c, tho boatswain himself killing one or two with liis
poluaxc. Tho house being large, and many in it, ho did not care to go in, but called
for a hand grcnado, and throw it among them, which at fii*st frightened thera,
but, when it bur.st, made sucli havoc among them that they cried out in n hideous
manner. In .short, most of the Indians who wero in tho open part of the house were
killed or hurt with the grcnado, except two or three more who pressed to the door,
3=2 ^/

.::^te

ki^

BURNING THE NATIVES' HOUSES.

g^

wliicli tlic Ijoatswain aiul two move kept, with their bayonets on the muzzles of their
pieces, and dispatched all that came iii their way; but there Avag another apartment iu
the lioiise, wliere the jjvince or king, or -whatever he was, and several others, -were ; and
these ff^re kept iu till the house, which was by this time all iu a light flame, fell
in upon them, and they were smothered together.

All this while they fired not a giui, because they would not waken the jjeople faster
than they could master them ; but the fire began to waken them fast enough, and our
fellows were glad to keep a little together iu bodies ; for the fire grew so raging, all the
houses being made of light combustible stuff, that they could hardly bear the street
between them ; and their business was to follow the fire, for the surer execution.
As fast as the fire either forced the people out of those houses which were burning, or
frightened them out of othei's, our people were ready at their doors to knock them
on the head, still calling and hallooing one to another to remember Tom Jeffry.

While this was doing, I must confess 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 Avhat 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 ; a thousand thoughts oppressed
his mind conceraiug me and the supercargo, what would become of us } and at last,
though he could ill spare any more men, yet not knowing what exigence we might be
iu, he takes another boat, and with thirteen men and himself comes ashore to me.

He ^^'as surprised to see me and the supercargo in the boat with no more than two
men ; and though he was glad that we v/ere well, yet he was i:a the same 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 woi-ld to restrain their
curiosity to know what had happened, or their concern for the safety of the men : iu a
word, the captain told me he would go and help his men, let v/hat Avould cqihe.
I argued wath him, as I did before with the men, the safety of the Jip, the dangier of
the voyage, the interest of the owners and merchants, «fec., and told him I and the two
men would go, and only see if we could at a distance learn what w^as likely to be the
event, and come back and tell him. It was in 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 lo.st for want of
help ; he liad rather lose the ship, the voyage, and his life, and all ; and away
he v/ent.

I Avas no more able to stay behind now than 1 was to per.suade tliem not to go ;
so, iu .short, the captain ordered two men to row back the pinnace, and fetch twelve
men more, leaving the long-boat at an anchor j 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 the whole ship's company consisted of sixty-five men,
whereof two were lost in the late quarrel which brought this mischief on.

Being uov/ on the march, you may be sure we felt little of the ground we trod on ;
and being guided by the fire, w^e 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 Jjeople were itow quite of another nature, and filled us with horror. I must
confess 1 was never at the .sacking a city, or at the taking a town by storm. 1
had heard of Oliver Cromwell taking Drogheda, in Ireland, and killing man, woman,
and child; and I had read of Count Tilly sacking the city of Magdebourg, and

l¥

i

47W1

r^c

KOBIXSOX CRUSOE.

^l

rutting 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 wa<5
upon our minds at hearing it. However, we went on, and at length came to the
IfAvn, though there was no entering the streets of it for the fire. The fii-st o^ect wo
mot with was the ruins of a hut or house, or rather the ashes of it, for the house was
ronsimicd ; and just before it, plainly now to be seen by the light of the fire, lay four
Turn .ind three women killed, and, as we thought, one or two more lay in the
heap among the fire ; in short, there wei-e such instances of rage, altogether barbarous,
and of a fury something beyond what was human, that we thought it impossible
our men could be guilty of it ; or, if they were the authoi-s of it, we thought they
f>\ight to be every one of them jnit to the worst of deaths. But this was not all : we
saw the fire increased forward, and the cry went on just as the fire went on ; so that
we were in the utmost conAision. We advanced a little way farther, and behold, to our
jistonishment, three naked women, and crying in a most dreadful manner, came flyinc;
as if they had wings, and after them sixteen or seventeen men, natives, in tlio
line terror and consternation, with three of our English butchers in the reai', who,
wlien they could not overtake them, fired in among them, and one that was killeil by
their .shot fell down in our sight. AVhen the rest saw \is, believing us to be their
enemies, and that we would murder them as well as those that pursued them, they set
u)) a most dreadfid shriek, especially the women ; and two ot them fell down, as
if already dead, with the fright.

My veiy ao\d shrunk within me, and my blood ran chill in my veins, when 1 saw
♦ his ; and T believe, had the three English .sailors that pur.sued them come on, I had
made our men kill them all ; however, we took .some means to let the poor flying
< rcatures know that we would not hurt them ; and immediately they came up to us,
and kneeling down, with their hands lifted up, made piteous lamentation to us to save
them, which we let them know we would ; whereupon they crc\)t together in a huddK-
close behind us, as for protection. I left my nion 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 j)osses.sed them, and what they intended to do, and to command them off:
assnring them that if they stayed till daylight they would have a hundred thousand
men about their ears : T s.iy I left them, and went among those flying people, taking
only two of (»ur 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
lire ; others their hands burned ; one of the women had fallen down in the fire, and
wa.s very nuich burned before she could get out again ; and two or three of the men
had cuts in their backs and thigh.s, from our men ]>ursuing ; 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 under-
stand one word they .said ; though, by sign.s, I perceived some of them knew not what
was the occasion themselves. I was .so terrified in my thoughts at this outi-ageous
attempt, that I could not stay there, but went back to n)y own men, atul resolved to go
into the middle of the town, through the fire, or whatever might he in the way, and put
an end to it, cost what it wo\dd ; 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
lour of our men, with tlie boatswain at their head, roving over heaps of bodies they li.i»l
killed, nil covei-ed with blood and dust, as if they wanted more people to massacre,
when our men hallooed to them as loud -is thev coild halloo ; and with much

MASSACRE ON THE ISLAND.

I

ado one of tlicin made them hear, so that they know who wc were, and came nj)
to ns.

As soon as the boatswain saw ns, he set up a halloo like a shout of triumph, for
having, as he thought, more help come ; and, without waiting to liear me, " Captain,"
says 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 1 I won't have one creature touched more, upon pain of
death : I charge you, upon your life, to stop your hands, and stand still here, or you arc
a dead man this minute." "Why, sir," says he, "do you 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 Avas 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 m\ich to do to
restrain them as I should have liad with the others; nay, my nephew himself fell iu
Avith 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 Avith the murder of the poor man, and that
they ought to be used like murderers. Upon these words, aAvay ran eight of my men,
with the boatsAvain and his creAV, to complete their bloody Avork ; and I, seeing it quite
out of my power to restrain them, came aAA'ay pensive and sad ; for I could not bear the
sight, much less the horrible noise and cries of the poor wretches that fell into their
hands.

I got nobody to come back Avith me but the supercargo and two men, and with
these Avalked back to the boat. It Avas a very great piece of folly in me, 1 confess, to
Acnture back as it Avere alone ; for as it began now to be almost day, and the alarm had
run over the country, there stood about forty men armed Avith lances and boAvs, at the little
place Avhere the tAvelve 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 to the sea-
side, it Avas broad day : immediately I took the pinnace and Avent on board, and sent
her back to assist the men in what might happen.

I observed, about the time that I came to the boat-side, that the fire Avas pretty Avell
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, as I understood afterAvards,
Avas our men falling upon the men Avho, as I said, stood at the fcAV houses on the Avay,
of Avhoni they killed sixteen or seventeen, and set all the houses on fire, but did not
meddle Avith the Avomen or children.

By the time the men got to the shore again Avith the pinnace, our men began to
appear; they came dropping in, not in tAvo bodies as they Avent, but straggling here
and there in such a manner, that a small force of resolute men might have cut them all
oft'. But the di-ead of them was upon the Avhole country ; and the men Avere surprised,
and so frightened, that I believe a hundred of them Avould have fled at the sight of but

325

five of our men ; nor in all this teiriblo action was there a man that made any consider-
able defence ; they were so surprised between the terror of the fire and tlic sudden attack
of our men in the dark, that they knew not wliich way to turn themselves ; for if they
l!ed one way, they were met by one party; if back again, by another : so that they were
everywhere knocked down ; nor did any of our men receive the least hurt, except one
that sprained his foot, and another that had one of his hands burned.

I was very angry with my nephew, the captain, and indeed with all the men, in
my mind, but with him in particular, as well for his acting so out of his duty as com-
mander of the shiji, and having the charge of the voyage upon hiin, as in his prompting,
rather than cooling, the rage of his blind men, in so bloody and cruel an cnterpi-ise. My
nephew answered me very respectfully, but told mo that when ho saw the body of the
poor seaman whom they had murdered in so cruel and barbarous a manner, he was not
master of himself, neither could he govern his passion : he owned he should not
have done so, .is 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 heai'd 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
Jeffiy, aa he was quite dead (for his throat was so cut that his head was half oil), it would
do him no service to bring him away ; so they only took him down from the tree where
he wa.s hanging by one hand.

However just our men thought this action, I wan against them in it, and I always
after that time told them God woidd 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 Jeffry, yet JefTry was the aggressor, had broken the truce, and had violated a young
woman of theirs, who came down to them innocently, and on the f^iith of the public
cajjitulation.

Tiio boatswain defended this quarrel when we were afterwards on board. He said
it was true that wo .seemed to break the truce, but really had not; and that the war was
l"'gun the night before by the natives themselves, who had shot at us and killed one of

■ ur men without any just provocation; .so that as we were in a capacity to fight
^'icm now, wo might also be in a capacity to do ourselves justice ujion them in an

■ Ktrxordinary manner; that though the poor man had taken a little liberty with the
•ncli, he ought not to have been murdered, and that in .such a villanous manner; and

'i.it thoy did nothing but what was just, and what the laws of God allowed to be done

• nundercrs.

Oue would tliink this should have been «'nough to have warned us agains. going on

• ore amongst heathens and barbarians ; but it is impossible to make mankind wise
lit at th(!ir own expiMiso ; and their experience seems to be always of most use to them
lien it is dearest bought.

We were now bound to the Gulf of Persia, and from thence to the coast of Coro-
mundel, only to touch at Sumt ; but the chief of the supercargo's design lay at the Bay
of Bengal ; where, if he missed his busine-^s outward-bound, he was to go uj) to Ciiina,
and return to the coast as he cjimo homo.

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-,

326

■^^^-^r,.?/^''

r^^r-^^^-jea^S*^^

A THREATENED MUTINY.

u

and either all killed or carried away into slavery ; the rest of the boat's crew were nr !
;:blc to rescue them, and had but jnst time to get off their boat. i. 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 forther in roy censures than I could show any
warrant for in Sci'ipture ; and referred to Luke xiii. 4, Avhero our Saviour intimates
that those men on whom the 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 Avere now lost were of those who Avent on shore to the massacre of
jSIadagascar — ?o 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 con-
tinually upon the stage; that I made unjust reflections upon it, and had used the
men very ill on that account, and himself in particular ; that as I was but a passenger,
and had no command in the ship, or concern in the voyage, they were not obliged to
bear it ; that they did not know but I might have some ill design in my head, and
perhaps to call them to an account for it when they came to England; and that,
therefore, unless I Avould resolve to have done with it, and also not to concern mvself
any farther with him, or any of his affairs, he would leave the ship ; for he did not
think it safe to sail with me among them.

I heard him patiently enough till he had done, and then told him that I confessed
I had all along oi:)230sed 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 ; that
as to having no command in the ship, that was true ; nor did I exercise any authority,
only took the liberty of speaking my mind in things which publicly concerned us all ;
and what concern I had in the voyage was none of his business ; that I was a considerable
owner in the ship. In that clairn, 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 ovei'. We were at this time in the road at Bengal ; and
being willing to see the place, I went on shore with the su})ercargo, 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 ; and I asked the man, who bade him
deliver that lu^ssage to me. He told me the coxswain. I said no more to the fellow,
bi;t bade him let them know he had delivered his message, and that I had given him
no answer to it.

J immediately went and found out the supercargo, and told him the story, adding,
■what I presently foresaw, that there woul4 Ije a mr^tiny 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 s^poken to him on
shore, the matter was effected op. 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
tp speak with the captain ; and therp the boatswain, making a long hai-angue, and
repeating all he had said to me, told the captain jn a few words, that as I was now gone
peaceably on shore, they wei'e loth to use any violence with me, which, if I had not

&

it till he bad spoken to me about
show them the uureasonableness aud

gone on .shore, they would otherwise have done, to oblige mo to have gone. They
therefore thought fit to tell him, that as they shipped themselves to serve in the ship
under his command, they wonld perform it well and faithfully ; but if I would not quit
the ship, or the captain oblige me to quit it, they would all leave the ship, and sail no
farther with him ; and at that Avord all, he turned his face towards the mainmast,
Avhich was, it seems, the signal agreed on between them, at which, the seamen, being
got together there, cried out, " One and cdl ! one and all ! "

IMy nephew, the captain, was a man of spirit and of great presence of mind ;
aud though ho Avas surprised, you may be sure, at the thing, yet he told them
calmly that he Avould consider of the matter ; but that he could do nothing in

it. He u.sed some arguments Avith them, to
injustice of the thing ; but it Avas all in A'ain ;
they SAvoie, and shook hands round before his face, that they Avould all go on shore,
unless he Avould engage to them not to suffer me to come any more on board the ship.

This Avas a hard article upon him, Avho kncAV his obligation to me, and did not
know hoAv I might take it ; so he began to talk smartly to them ; told them that I
Avas a A-ery considerable owner of the ship, and that, in justice, he could not put me
out of my own house ; that this Avas next door to serving me as the famous pirate
Kidd had done, Avho made a mutiny in the ship, set the captain on shore on an
uninhabited island, and ran aAvay Avith the ship ; that let them go into Avdiat ship they
Avould, if ever they came to England again, it Avould cost them very dear ; that the
•ship was mine, and that he coidd not put me out of it ; and that he Avould rather
lose the ship, and the A^oyage too, than disoblige me so much ; so they might do as
they pleased. HoAvever, he Avould go on shore and talk Avith me, and invited the
boatsAA^ain to go Avith him, and perhaps they might accommodate the matter Avith me.
But they all rejected the proposal, and said they Avould have nothing to do Avith me
any more ; and if I came on board, they would all go a.shore. " "Well," said the
captain, " if you are all of this mind, let me go on shore and talk Avith him." So
away he came to me Avith this account, a little after the message had been brouo-ht
to me from the coxswain. t

I Avas veiy glad to see my nephcAv, I must confess ; for I was not Avithout
apprehensions that they Avould confine him by violence, set sail, and run away Avith
the .shij) ; and then I had been stripped naked in a remote countxy, havino' nothing
to help myself; in short, I had been in a Avorse ca.se than Avhen I Avas alone in the
island. But they had not come to that length, it seems, to my satisfaction; aud
Avhen my nephcAv told me Avhat they had said to him, aud how they had .SAvorn and
shook hands, that they Avould, one and all, leave the ship, if I Avas suffered to come on
board, I told him he should not be concerned at it at all, for I Avould stay on shore. I
only desired he Avould take care and send me all my necessary things on shore, ami
leave me a sufiicient ,si;m of money, and I Avould find my Avay to England as avcH as I
could.

This Avas a heavy piece of ncAvs to my nephew, but there Avas no Avay to help it
but to comply ; so, in short, 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 AA'as over in a few hours, the men returned to their duty,
and I began to consider what course I should steer.

I was noAv alone in the most remote part of the Avorld, as I think I may call it, for
I Avas near three thousand leagues by sea farther off from England than I avm-, at my

^■^

r.ODIXSON CRUSOE.

island; only, it U tnie, I might travel here by land over the Great Mogul's conntiy to V,"^
Surat, niiglit go from thence to Bassora hy sea, np the Gulf of Pci-sia, and take the way if

l.y sea again to Italy, nnd 80 overland into France ; and this put together, wight at yiji
least be a full diameter of the globe or more. ^J

I had another way before me, which was to wait for some English ships, which were Vj
comiiK' to Bengal from Achin, on the Iiiland of Sumatra, and get i)a.ssage on board them
for Eu'dand. But as I came hither without any concern with the East India Company,
so it would be dirticult to go from hence without their licence, unless with grout
favour of the captains of the ships, or the company's Aictora ; and to both I was an
litter stmnger.

Here I had the mortification to see the ship set sail without me ; a treatment I
think a man in my circumstances scarcely ever met with, oxcejjt from pirates r\uniiug
away with a shij), and setting those that would not agree with their villany on shore.
Indeed, this was next door to it both ways; however, my nephew left me two sei*A-ants,
or rather, one companion and one servant ; the first was clerk to the pui-ser, whom he
engaged to go with me, and the other was his own sen-ant. I took me also a good
lodging in the house of an Englishwoman, where .several merchants lodged, .some
French, two Italians, or rather Jews, and one Englishman. Here I was handsomely
enough entertained ; and that I might not be said to run rashly upon anything, I
stayed here above nine months, considering what course to tiike, and how to manage
myself. I had .some English goods with me of value, and a considerable sum of
money ; my nephew furnishing mo with a thousand pieces-of-eight, and a letter of
credit for more, if I had occasion, that I might not be straitened, whatever might
happen.

I quickly disposed of my goods to advantage ; and, as I originally intended, I
bought here some very good diamonds, which, of all other things, were the most proper
{<n- me in my present circumstances, because I could always carry my whole estate
aliout me.

After a long stay here, and many proposals made for my return to England, but
none falling out to my mind, the English mei'chant who lodged with me, and whom 1
had contracted an intimate acquaintance with, came to me one morning: "Country-
man," says he, " I have a ]n'oject to communicate to you, which, as it suits with my
thoughts, may, for aught I know, suit with yours also, when you shall have thoroughlv
considered it. Here we are posted, you hy accident, and 1 by my own choice, in a \>.
of the worM very remote from our own country ; but it is in a coimtry where, by i; ,
M'ho understand trade and business, a great deal of jnoney is to bo got. If you will
put one thousand pounds to my one thousand i)0und.s, we will hire a .ship here, the fii"st
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 woild is in motion,
rolling round and round; all the creatures of GoJ, 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 bo of that number ?"

I liked this propo.sal ^ery Avell ; and the more so because it seemed to be expressed
wilh so much goodwill, and in so friendly a manner. I will not say but that I might,
by my loose, unhinged circumstances, bo the fitter to embrace a proposal for tiiido, or
indeed, anything else; otherwise, trade was none of my element. However, I might
perhaps say with some truth, that if trade was not my clement, rambling was; and no

3>o i

A NEW VOYAGE.

proposal for seeing any part of the world which I had never seen before could possibly
come amiss to mo.

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 Ave 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 these we found we could do well enougli,
having Indian seamen, such as they were, to make up.

There are so many travellers who have written a history of their voyages and
travels this way, that it would be very little diversion to anybody to give a long account
of the places we went to, and the people who inhabit there ; these things I leave to
others, 'and refer the reader to those journals and travels of Englishmen, of whicli
many I find are published, and more promised every day ; it is enough for me to tell
you that we made this voyage to Achin, in the island of Sumatra, and from 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. In a word, we went up to Suskan, made a very great voyage,
were eight months out, and returned to Bengal ; and I was very well satisfied with my
adventure. I observe that our people in England often admire how officers, whicli 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 timej but it is no wonder, or at least we shall see so much farther into it,
when wc consider the innumerable ports and places where they have a free commerce,
that it will be none ; and much less it will be so 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 have stayed here, and sought no farther
for making any fortune ; but what was all this to a man upwards of threescore, 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 tliink it is with great
justice I now call it restless desire, for it Avas so. When I was at home, I Avas restless
to go abroad ; and when I was abroad, I Avas restless to be at home. I say, Avhat Avas
this gain to me 1 I Avas rich enough already, nor had I any uneasy desires about
getting more money ; and therefore the profit of the voyage to me Avas of no great force
for the promj^ting me forAvard. to farther xmdertakings : hence, I thought that by thi^>
voyage I had made no progress at all, because I was come back, as I might call it, to
the place from Avhence I came, as to a home : whereas, my eye, like that Avhich Solomon
si)eaks of, Avas never satisfied with seeing. I Avas come into a part of the Avorld Avhich
I Avas never in before, and that part, in particular, Avhich I had heard much of, and wa.
resolved to see as much of it as I could : and then I thought I might say I had seen all
the Avorld that Avas Avorth seeing.

But my felloAV-traA-eller and I had different notions : I do not name this to insist on
my OA\ai, for I acknoAvledge his Avere the most just, and the more suited to the end of a
merchant's life : Avho, Avhen he is abroad upon adventures, is Avise to stick to that, as
the best thing for him, Avhich he is likely to get the most money by. My ncAV friend

> /~

H

^"^^

ROBINSON CRUSOi;.

I

kci)t himself to the nature of the thing, and would have been content to have gone like
a carricr'-s horse, always to the same inn, backward and fonvard, provided he could, as
he called it, find his account in it. On the other hand, mine was the motion of a mad,
i-.irabling boy, that never cares to see a thing twice over. But this was not all : I had
a kind of impatience upon me to be nearer home, and yet the most unsettled resolution
imaginable which way to go. In the interval of these con.sultations, my friend, who
was always ui)on 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 thei-eabouts ;
]»lacos, indeed, where the Dutch trade, but islands belonging j)artly to the Spaniards ;
though we went not so far, but to .some other, where tliey have not the whole power, as
they have at Latavia, Ceylon, <fec.

We were not long in preparing for this voyage ; the chief dilliculty was in bringing
me to come into it; however, at la.'it, nothing else offering, and finding that really
stirring about and trading, the profit being so great, and, as I may say, certain, had
more pleasure in it, and had more satisfaction to my mind, than sitting .still, which, to
1110 especially, was the unhappiest part of life, I resolved on this voyage too, whjch
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
n .Kort of agreeable insult upon my indolent temper, "is not this better than walking
about hero, like a man with nothing to do, and spending our time in staring at the
iionsen.se and iguoi*ancc of the pagans 1 " " Why, truly," says I, " my friend, I think it
')<, and I begin to be a convert to the princijiles of merchandising ; but I must tell you,"
.--aid I, "by the way, you do not know what I am doing; for if I once conquer my
Itackwardne.ss, and embark heartily, as old as I am, I shall hai-ass you up and down the
world till I tire you ; for I shall pursue it so eagerly I shall never lot 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 coastci-, not an European trader, of about two hundred
tons burden ; th«! 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, it scem.s, got
money enough, or being willing, for other reasons, to go for Europe, ho gave jiublic
notice he would .sell liis .ship. This came to my eai-s before my new ])artner hoard of
it, and 1 had a great mind to buy it ; so I went to him and I told him of it lie
ronsidored awhile, for he was no rash man neither ; but musing some time, he replied,
" She is a little too big ; but, however, we will have her." Accordingly, we bought the
.ship, and agreeing with the master, wo paid for her, and took i>ossession. When we
had done .so, we resolved to engage the men, if we could, to join with those wo had, for
tlio ])ui-suing 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 inciuired much about them, and at length were told that they were all gone together
by laiul to Agra, the great city of (he ISIogul's residence, and from thence to travel to
Siirat^ and go by the .sea, to the (Julf of J\'r.«iiii.

Nothing had so much troubled me a good while, as that I should miss the oppor- i
iiity t>f going with them ; for .such a laml^le T thought, and in such company as would .
th have guarded and diverted me, would have suited mightily with my great design ; 1
>oth seen the world, and gone homeward too : but I was much .
333 ./

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l^etLci sltl-^flL(l I few (1 n s afttr, when I came to know what sort
ot fello\\s the} a\cic, foi, lu shoit, theii' history was, that this man they
c ilh d captain was the gunnn onh, not the commander; that they had been a
ti uUng \0}age, in which they hid been attacked on shore by some of the IMalays,
who had killed the captain and thi'ce of his men ; and that, after the captain Avas
killed, these men, eleven in number, had resolved to run away with the ship,
Avhich they did, and brought her to Bengal, leaving the mate and five men more
on shore.

Well, let them get the ship how they would, we came honestly by her, as we
thought, though we did not, I confess, examine into things so exactly as we ought ;^
for we never inquired anything of the seamen, who would certainly have faltered
in their account, contradicted one another, and perhaps contradicted themselves

33j

.^'

^^S^S

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

:.

f.omchow or otlicr wc slioiild have hail reason to have suspected them ; but tho n
showed us a bill of sale for the ship, to one Emanuel Clostci-shoven, or some such na;
for I suppose it ■was all a foi-gery, and called himself by that name, and we could i
contradict him ; and withal, having no suspicion of the thing, we went through v.
our bargain.

^Vo picked up .some more English .sailors here after this, and some Dutch ; and now
i-jsolvcd on a second voyage to the .south-east for cloves, ttc. ; that is to s;iy, among the
riiilippine and ^lolucca isles; and, in shoi-t, not to fill uj) this part of my story with
trifles, when what is to come is so remaikable, I spent, from first to litst, six yeai-s in
t'lis country, trailing from ])ort to port, backward and forward, and with very good
succea*, and was now tlio last year with my new partner, going in the ship above nu-u-
llonod, on a voyage to China, but designing first to go to Siam, to buy rice.

In this voyage, Ijcing by contrary winds obliged to beat up and down a great while
in the Straits of Malacca, and among the islands, v>-e were no sooner got clear of those
difficult soa-s than we found our ship had .sprung a leak, and we were not able, by all
our industry, to find out where it was. This forced us to make some jmrt ; and my
jiartncr, who know the counti-y better than I did, directed the capUun to jiut into the
liver of (Jambodia ; for I had made the English mate, one ^Fr. Thompson, captain, not
being willing to take the charge of the .ship upon myself This river lies on the north
^idc of the great bay or gulf v,-hich goes up to Siam. While we were here, and going
often on .shore for refreshment, there comes to me one day an Englishman, and he was,
it .seems, a gunner's mate on board an English East India shi]), which i-ode in the .same
river, at or near the city of Cambodia. "What brought him liither, we knew not ; but
he comeb to me, and speaking English, "Sir," says he, "you are a .sti-anger to me, and I
to you ; but I have something to tell you that very nearly concerns you.''

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 your.self, what moves
you to tell it to me ? " "I am moved," says 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," says
I, "but that my ship is leaky, and I cannot find it out; but 1 intend to lay her aground
to-morrow, to see if I can find it." '• iUit, sir," says lie, " leaky or not leaky, find it or
not find it, 30U will bo wiser than to lay your .ship on shoi'o to-morrow, when you liear
what I havo to siiy to you. Do you know, sir," said ho, ''the town of Cambodia lies
about fiffeen le;igues uj* 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 / " " Wliy,
sn-, .said he, "is it fur a man tliat 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 ? 1 sui)pose you do not think you are a match for them ?" I wivs amused
very much at his di.scourse, but not amazed at it, for I could not conceive what he
meant; an<l I turned .short ui)on him, and said : "Sir, I wish you would explain your-
«L-lf; 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 pliMsod, and pausing awhile, but smiling, "Well, sir,"
says ho, "if you think yourself secure, yim must take your chance ; I am soiTy your
fato .should blind you against good advice ; but assure yourselt', if you do not put to sea
immediately, you will the very next tide be attacked by five long-boats full of men, and
poriiaps, if you arc taken, you will bo hanged for a i)irate, and the particulars bo
examined afterwards. . I thought, sir," added he, " I .should have met with a better

331

^.%.

A THREATENED DANGER.

U '•<

r

reception tliun this for doing yon a, piece of service of such importance." " I can nc\'er
be ungrateful," said I, "for any service, or to anyniau that offers me any kindness; but
it is i)ast my comprehension what they should have such a design upon me for ; hov,--
,evcr, 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
}nen 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 1 Can you give me no further light into it ? "
" I can tell you but part of the story, sir," says he ; " but I have a Dutch seaman
here with me, and I believe I could persuade him to tell you the rest, though there is
f-c.irce time for it. The short of the story is this — the t\v»t part of which I suppose
_^ ou know well enough —that you were with this ship at Sumatra ; that there your
cai)tain Avas murdered by the Malays, with three of his men ; and that you, or some of
tliose that Avere ou 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 very little ceremony ; for you know merchant ships show but little law
to pirates, if they get them into their power." " Now you speak plain English," said I,
■ and I thank you ; and though I know nothing that wg have done like wliat you talk
for I am sure we came honestly and fairly by the ship, yet seeing such a
w ork is doing, as you say, and that you seem to mean honestly, I will be upon my
guard." " Nay, sii-," says he, " do not talk of being upon your guard ; the best defence
i-, to be out of the danger. If you have any regard for your life, and the lives of all
\ ' -ur men, put to sea without ftiil at high water ; and as you have a whole tide before
..1, you will be gone too far out before they can come down ; for they will come away
at high Avater, and as they have twenty miles to come, you Avill get near two hours of
them by the difference of the tide, not reckoning the length of the way ; besides, as they
are only boats, and not ships, they Avill not venture to follow you far out to sea",
o^pecialIy if it blows." "Well," said I, "you have been veiy kind in this : Avhat shall
I do for you to make you amends ?" "Sir," says he, "you may not be A\alling to make
me any amends, because you may not be convinced of the truth of it. I Avill make an

offer to you : I have nineteen mouths' pay due to me on boai'd the ship , which I

came out of England in ; and the Dutchman that is with me has seven months' pay due
to him. If you Avill make good our pay to us, we will go along with you ; if you find
nothing more in it, wo will desire no more ; but if we do convince you that Ave have
Lived your lives, and the ship, and the lives of all the men in her, we Avill leave the rest
;o you."

I consented to this readily, and Avent immediately on board, and the tAVO men with
)ne. As soon as I came to the ship's side, my partner, Avho Avas on board, came out on
the quarter-deck, and called to aue, with a great deal of joy, " Oh, ho ! Oh, ho ! we have
stopped the leak — Ave have stopped the leak !" " Say you so ? " ^aid I ; "thank God !
but weigh anchor, then, immediately." " Weigh ! " says he ; '■' what do you mean hf
that ] What is the matter 1 " " Ask no questions," said J ; " but all hands to Avork,
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 Avas
not quite doA\ai, yet a little land-breeze blowing, Ave stood out to sea. Then I called
him into the cabin, and told him the story ; and Ave called in the men, and they told us
the rest of ib ; but as it took up a great deal of time, before we had done, a seanuiu
comes to the cabin door, and called out to us that the captain bade him tell us we Avere
chased. " Chased ! " says I j " by Avhat ? " " By five sloops, or boats," says the fellow,

33S

w;!

-i

" full of men." " Very well," said I, " then it is apparent there is somuthing in it." In
the next place, I ordered all our men to be called up, and told them that there was a
design to seize the ship, and to take us for jHrates, 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. Then I asked the captain what way he thought best for us to
manage a fight with them ; for resist them I was resolved we would, and that to the
last drop. He said readily, that the way was to keep them off with our great shot as
long as we could, and then to fire at them with our small arms, to keep them from
boarding us : but when neither of these would do any longer, we would retire to our
close quarters; perhaps they had not materials to break open our bulk-heads, or f^et in
upon us.

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 fif'ht :
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 these boats (which by our glasses we could see were English) had outsailed the
rest, were near two leagues ahead 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. Not^vithstanding this, they came on till they were near enouo'h to
call to them with a speaking-trumpet which we had on board ; so we called to them,
and bade them keep ofi" 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 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 limning all to the head of
the boat, to keep her from sinking ; so she lay by, and had enough of it ; but seeino- 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, being forwarder than the other two,
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 ofi'ered a truce, to pai-ley 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 : 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 Avas almost
s^jlit to pieces ; in particular, her rudder and a piece of her stern wei-e shot quite away ;
so they handed her sail immediately, and were in great disorder. But, to complete
their misfortune, our gunner let fly two guns at them again ; where he hit theiu
we could not tell, but we found the boat was sinking, and some of tlin men jibvady in
. - ^^^a^ 337 ^r^

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

I

the water : upon this, I immediately manned out our pinnace, wliicli we had kept close
].y our side, with orders to pick up some of tho men, if they could, and save them from
drowning, and immediately to come on board ship with them, because we saw the re:it
f the boats began to como up. Our men in the pinnace followed their orders, and took
. three men, one of whom was just drowning, and it was a good whUe before we could
"cover him. As soon as they were on board, wc crowded all the saU we could make,
:id stood farther out to sea ; and wo found that when the other three boats came up
. the first two, they gave over their chase.
Being thus delivered from a danger wliich, though I knew not the reason of it, yet
seemed t^I) bo much gi-eater than I apprehended, I resolved that we should change our
coui-sc, and not let any one know whither wc were going : so we stood out to se;x east-
ward, quite out of the course of all European ships, whether they were bound to China
or any wliero else, within the commerce of the European nations.

When we were at sea wo began to consult with the two seamen, and inquire
what tho 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, as we said, was no more than a
thief that had°run away with her. Then ho told us that the captain, whose name too
he mentioned, though I do not remember it now, was treacherously murdered by the
natives on the coast of Malacca, 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 particiilar, 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; that he durst not como to that part of the shore where
the boat was, but made shift in tho night to take the water farther off, and swim-
ming a gi-cat while ; at last the ship's boat took him up.

He then told us that ho went to Batavia, where two of tho seamen belonging to the
ship had an-ived, having deserted the rest in their travels, and gave an account that tho
fellow who had run away with the ship sold her at Bengal to a set of pii-ates, who wore
gone a-cniising in her, and that they hud already taken an English ship and two
Dutch ships very richly laden.

This latter i)art wo found to concern us directly, though wc knew it to be false ;
vet, as my partner said, very justly, if we had fallen into their hands, and they liad
had such a prepossession against us beforehand, it had been in vain for us to have
defended oui-selves, or to hope for any good quarter at their hands ; and especially,
con.siilering that our accusers had been our judges, and that we could have expected
nothing' from them but what rage would have dictated, and an ungoverned passion
have executed ; and therefore it was his opinion wo should go directly back to Bengal,
from whence wo came, without i)utting in at any port whatever ; because there wo
could give a good account of oui-selves, could prove where we were when the ship put
in, of whom wo bought her, and tho like ; and, what was more than all the rest, if
wo were i)ut \\\xm the necessity of bringing it before the proper judges, wo should
be sure to have some justice, and not be hanged first, and judged afterwards.
1 I was some time of my partner's opinion 3 but after a littlo more serious thinking,
I told him I thought it was a very gnat hazi\rd for us to attcmi>t returning to Bengal,
lor that wc were on the wrong side of tho Straits of IMalacca, and that if the alarm
was given, wo should be sure to bo waylaid on every side, as well by the Dutcli at
Batnvia as the English elsewhere : that if wo should bo taken as it were running
nwav, wo should even condemn ourselves, and there would want no more c-vidcnce to

338 _,.

ti>;

^te

^^=3'

THE BAY OF TONOUIN.

destroy ti.s. I also asked tlic English sailor's opinion, who said lie 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 wc immediately resolved to go aWay to the coast of Tonquin,
and so on to the coast of China ; and, pursuing the first design as to trade, find some
way or other to dispose of the ship, and come back in some of the vessels of the country,
such as we could get. This was approved of as the best method for our security ; and
accordingly we steered away N.N.E., keeping above fifty leagues oflp from the usual
course to the eastward. 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 npon 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 all my past life ; for whatever ill circumstances I had been in, I was never
pursued for a thief before ; nor had I ever done anything that merited the name of
dishonest or fraudulent, much less thievish ; I had chiefly been my own enemy, or, as
I may rightly say, I had been nobody's enemy but my own ; but now I was embarrassed
lu the worst condition imaginable ; for though I was perfectly innocent, I was in no
condition to make that innocence appear; and if I had been taken, it had been
under a supposed guilt of the worst kind — at least, a crime esteemed so among the
people I had to do with. This made me very anxious to make an escape, though
which way to do it I knew not, or what port or place we should go to. My partner
seeing me thus dejected, though he was the most 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 after-
wards to go to Macao, a town once in possession of the Portuguese, and where still a
great many European families resided, and particularly the missionary priests usually
went thither in order to their going forward to China.

Hither, then, we resolved to go; and accordingly, though after a tedious and
irregular course, and very much straitened for provisions, we came within sight oi the
coast xevy early in the morning ; and upon reflection on the past circumstances vre
were in, and the danger if we had not escaped, we resolved to put into a small river,
which, however, had depth enough of water for us, and to see if we could, either over-
land or by the ship's pinnace, come to know what ships were in any port thereabouts.
This happy step was, indeed, 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 colour spread out, but which we
believed to be a Dutchman, passed by at about two leagues' distance, steering for the
coa-st of China, and in the afternoon went by two English ships steering the same
course ; and thus we thought we saw ourselves beset with en emies both one way and
the other. Tlie \Aaco wc were in was wild and barbarous — the people thieves, even by
occupation or profession ; and though, it is true, we had not muich to seek of them, and,
except getting a few provisions, cared not how little we had to do with them, yet ifc wa
with much difliculty that we kept ourselves from being insulted 1)}
, -^ -^ 3.39

■ral ways.

^T^-m

We -were in a small river of this country, within a few leagues of its utmost limits
iK.rthwnnl ; and by our boat wo coasted north-east, to the point of land which opens
the great Bay of Tonquin ; and it was in this beating up along the shore that we
.liscovcrod we were surroundcil with enemies. The jieople we were among were the
i.u.st barbarous of all the inhabitants of the coast, having no correspondence with any
•her nation, and dealing only in fish and oil, and such gross commodities ; and it may
o particularly seen that they are the most barbarous of any of the inhabitants. Among
other customs, they have this one— that if any vessel has the misfortune to be ship-
wrecked upon their coast, they presently make the men all prisoners or slaves; and it was
not I'.ng before wo found a piece of their kindness this way, on the occasion following.

1 have observed above, that our .ship spnmg a leak at se.a, and that we could not
find it out; and it happened that, as I have .said, it was stop]ied unexpectedly, in
the happy minute of our being to be seized by the Dutch and English ships near the Bay
of .Siam ; yet, as we did not find the ship so perfectly tight and sound as we desired, we
^ resolved while wo were at this place to lay her on .shore, and take out what heavy
things wc had on board, and clean her bottom, if possible, to find out where the
leaks were. Accordingly, liaving lightened the ship, and brought all our guns and
other movables 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 wc find out a proper place for it.

The inhabitants, who had never been acquainted with such a sight, came wondering
down the shore to look at us; and seeing the .ship lie down on one side in such a
niaiin< r, and heeling in towards the shore, and not seeing our men, who were at work
on hor 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 ui 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
plundcrivl the ship, and if they foutul us there, to have cairied \13 away for slaves
to their king, or whatever they call him, for we knew nothing of their govcmoi'.

"When they came up to the ship, and began to row ro\uid 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 g:xzing at us, and
we, who were a little .suiin-iscd, could not imagine what their design was ; but being
willing to bo sure, 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 bo occasion ; and it wius no more than need — for in less than
a quarter of an hour's consultation, they agreed, it seems, that the shij) 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, l»y
that motion, that we were endeavouring to .save some of our goods: upon thi.**, they
took it for granted we all belonged to them, and awuy they came directly upon our mtMi,
as if it had been in a line of battle.

Our men, seeing so many of them, began to be frightened, for we lay but in an ill
l)03ture to fight, and cried out to us to know what they should do. 1 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 to row round and como on boiu-d ; ami 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 couhl do as

l\ -■-■•■

L

^ were ordered before the Cochin Chinese were upon them ; and two ot their

m: died h. his tads ; .nd, in the .neantime, a Dutchman who stood -xt took «l

h musket, and with the butt-end of it so laid about him, that he knocked down Eve

tlX who attempted to entev the boat. But this was doing httle — ;—

341

1

Pi

-^^

ROBINSOX CRUSOE.

rliicli clcscrvccl oitr laughter, gave

oui" raon

a conipli.

the following accident,
rictory.^

Our carpenter being prepared to grave the outside of the ship, as well as to pay tl
Beams where he had caulked her to stop the leaks, had got two kettles just let dov. :
into the boat, one filled with boiling })itch, and the other with resin, tallow, and oil, a-
such stuff as the shipwrights use for that work; and the man that attended ti
carpenter had a great iron ladle in his hand, with which he supplied the men that wci
at work with the hot stuff. Two of the enemy's men entered the boat just where thU
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 thoy
roared out like bulls, and, enraged with the fire, leaped both into the sea. Tlie
carpenter .saw it, and cried out, "Well done, V^ack ! give them some more of it : " and
stepping forward himself, takes one of the mops, and dipping it in the pitch-pot, he and
his man threw it among them so i)lcntifu]ly that, in .short, of all the men in the throe
boats, there was not one that escaped being scalded and burned with it, in a most
fiightful, pitiful manner, and made .such a howling and ciying that I never heard a
worse noise : for it is worth observing that, though pain nntur.ally makes all people cry
out, yet eveiy nation has a particular way of exclamation, and make a noise as different
one from another as their speech. I cannot give the noise these creatures made a better
name than howling, nor a name more proper to the tone of it ; for I never heard
.anything more like the noise of tlic wolves which, ag 1 have said, I heard howl in the
forest on the frontiers of Langitedoc.

I was never better i)leased with a victory in my life; not only as it was a perfect
surprise to me, and that our danger was itriiriinent before, but .a.s we got this victory
without any bloodshed, except of that man the fellow killed with his naked hands, and
which I was very much concerned at ; for I was f=nck of killing such poor .savage
wretches, even thougli it was in ray own defence, knowing they came on ei'rands wliicli
tliey thought just, and knew no better ; and that though it may be a just thing, because
nece.ss.ary (for there is no nccess.ary wickedness in nature), yet I thought it was ft sad
life, when we must bo always obliged to be killing our fellow-creatures to preserve onr-
.selves ; .and, indeed, I tliink so still ; and I would even now'suffer a great deal, rather
than I would take away the life even of the worst person injuring me ; and I believe
nil considering people, wJio know the value of life, would bo of my opinion, if they
entered seriously into the consideration of it.

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 groat ilexterity brought the ship almost
to rights, and having got the guns into their jjlacos again, the gunner called to me ip
bid our boat get out of the way, for he would let fly among them. I called back again
to him, and bid him not ofler to fire, for the carpenter would da the work without him;
but bid him heat another pitch-kettle, which our cook, who was on bo!\rd, took care of.
Tito enemy was .so tei-rified with what they had met with in their first attack, tha
they would not come on again ; and some of them who were firthest off, .seeing the .shi
.swim, as it were, upright, began, as wo suppose, to see their mistake, and gave over I':
cntorpri.se, finding it was not a.s they expected. Thus we got clear of this merry fight :
ami having got .some rice, and .some roots and bread, with about yixteen hogs, on boavl.
two days before, we resolved to stay here no longer, but go forward, whatever came <
it ; f(ir we made no doubt but wo .shoidd be .surrounded tho next day with rogu.
enough, iicrhaps more than our pitch-kcttlc would dispose of for us. Wc tlioivfoi,' •

343

AN OLD PORTUGUESE PILOT.

:ill our things on bq^r^l the same eveuiug, and the next morning were ready to sail : in
Ihc meantime, lying at anchor at some distance from the shore, we were not so much
concerned, boiug now in a fighting posture, as well as in a sailing iDosture, 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. Wo would have gone into the
Bay of Tonqiiin, for we wanted to inform ourselves of what was to be known concerning'
the Dutch ships that had been there ; but we durst not stand in there, because we
had seen several shi])s go in, as we supposed, but a little before; so wo kept on N.E.,
towards the island of Formosa, as much afraid of being seen by a Dutch or Eno^Ii.'sh
merchant ship, as a Dutch or English merchant ship in the Mediterranean is of an
Algerine man-of-war.

Y/hen 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 20 minutes, by which means we made the island of Formosa directly, v/here 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 v/illingly, and dealt
ve^y fairly and punctually with us in all their agreements and bargains ; v,'hich is what
Ave did not find among other people, and may be mving 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 pbserved, viz., that the Christian religion always civilises the
people and reforms their manners, where it is received, whether it works saving eSects
upon them or no.

From thence we sailed still north, keeping the coast of China at an equal dis-
tance, till we knew we were beyond all the ports of China where our Eui'opean ships
usually come j 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 couie to the latitude of 30 degrees, we resolved to put into the first
trading po).'t we should come at ; and standing in for the shore, a boat came off two
leagues to lis with an old Portuguese pilot on board, who, knowing \is to be a
European ship, came to offer his service, which, indeed, we were glad of, and took him
on board j upon which, v/ithout asking us whither we would go, he dismissed tlie 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
vre v/ould, 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 Gfcina, 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
Avould sell our cai'go and piu-chase China wares, calicoes, raw silks, tea, wrought silks,
itc. j and so would return by the same course we came. He told us our best port
vv^ould have been to put in at IMacao, where we could not have failed of a market for
our opium to our satisfaction, and might for our money have purchased all sorts of
China goods as cheap as we could at ISTanquin.

Not beii^g able to put the old man out of his talk, of which he was very opinionated
or 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 fi.ve leagi-r'-' r,f ■'i '- eanal.

"^^^

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 the help of sluices and gates,
and goes up to the city of Pekin, being in length near two hundred and seventy leagues.''

"Well," said I, "Seignior Portuguese, but that is not our business now; the groat
(|uestion is, if you can carry us up to the city of Nanquin, from whence we can travel
to Pekin afterwards 1" He said he could do so very well, and tluit there was a great
])utch ship gone up that way just before. This gave me a litth; 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
1)0 our destruction, for we were in no condition to fight them ; all the ships they trade
with into those })arts being of great burden, and of much greater force than we were.

The old man found me a little confused, and under some C(jncern when he named a
Dutch ship, and said to me, "Sir, you need be imder no apprehensions of the Dutch ;
J sui)pose they are not now at war with your nation 1 " " No," said I, " that's 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," says he, " you are no pirates ; what need you fear 1
They will not meddle with peaceable merchants, sure."

If I had any blood in my body that did not fly up into my face at that word, it was
hindered by some stop in the vessels appointed by natux'e to circulate it, for it put me
into the greatest disorder and confusion imaginable ; nor was it possible for me to
conceal it so, but the old man easily perceived it. »

" Sir," says 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 u])on it, I'll do you all the service
1 can." "Why," seignior," said I, "it is true I am a litle unsettled in my resolution,
at this time, whither to go in particular ; and I am something more so for what jou
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 xevy
ifll^\ weakly manned." " Oh, sir," says 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 ; but you may be assured she is gone to
the southward ; nor was she a ship of any great force, or fit for the work. 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 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 ditl murder him, and perhaps they i)rocured
them to do it." " Why, then," said I, " they deserve death as much as if they had done
it themselves." "Nay," says the old man, "they do deserve it ; and they will certainly
have it, if they light upon any English or Dutcli 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 1 " "Why, that's true," says 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 i-an away with her ; and
'] jjll some English and Dutch traders being in the river, they were within a little of taking
7/ liim ; nay," said he, " if the foremost boats had been well .seconded by the rest, they had
-^^1 certainly tiken him ; but he, finding only two boats within reach of him, tacked about,

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

and firtd at those Ufo, nncl disabled them before the othci-s came up, and then standing
oil to sen, the others vcro not able to follow, and so he got away ; but they have all
fo exact a' description of the ship, that they will be sure to know her ; and wherever
they find her, they liave vowed to give no quarter cither to the cai)tain or seamen, but
to hang them' all up at the yard-arm." " What ! " said I, " will they execute them, right
or wrong ? hang them fii-st, and judge them afterwards 1 " " Oh, sir," says the old pilot,
" there is no need to make a formal business of it with such rogues as those ; let them
tic them back to back, and set them a diving— 'tis no more than they riglitly deserve."
I knew I hatl my old man fast on board, and that he could do no harm, so that I
turned short upon him. '-"SVcU, now, seignior," said I, "this is the very reason why I
would have you cany us up to Nanquin, and not put back to Macao, or to any other
l^art 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,
in-solent fellows, that n either know what belongs to justice, nor how to behave them-
selves as the laws of God and nature direct ; but being proud of their oflBces, and not
\UKlerstanding their power, they would act the murderers to punish robbere; would take
upon them to insult men falsely accused, and determine them guilty without due
inquiry ; and perhaps I may live to bring some of them to account for it, when they
may be taught how justice is to be executed, and that no man ought to be treated
as a criminal till some evidence may bo had of the crime, and that he is the man."

With this I told bin* that this v,-as 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
bchavetl. I told him all the story of our buying the ship, and how the Dutchmen
served us.' ' I told him the nasons I had to believe the story of killing the master by
the ]Malayans was true as also tho running away with tlic sliip ; but it Avas all a
fiction of their own to suggest that tho men had turned pirates, and they ought to ha\-e
been sure it was so before they ventured to attack us by surprise, and oblige us to resist
them; adding that they would have the blood of those men whom wc killed there in
just defence to answer for.

Tho old man was amazed at this relation, and told us we were very much in the
ri'dit to go away to the north ; and that, if he might advise us, it should be to sell the
ship in China, which we might veiy well do, and buy or build another in the country.
" And," said he, " though you will not get so good a ship, yet you may get one able
enough to cany you and all your goods back again to Bengal, or anywhere else." 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^ lie replied I should meet with customci-s
enough for the ship at Nanquin, and that a Chinese junk would sen'C me very well to
go back again ; and that ho would procure me people both to buy one and sell the
other. "Well, but, seignior," .said I, ."as you say they know tho ship so well, I
may, perhaps, if I follow your measures, be instrumental to bring some honest, innocent
nun into a terrible broil, and pcihaps to be murdered in cold blood ; for wherever they
iiud the ship they will prove tho guilt upon tho men, by proving this was the shij) ; and

o iinioccnt men may probably bo overpowered and murdered." "Why," says the old
niiui, " I'll find out a way to prevent that also ; for as I know all those commandei-s
>nu speak of very well, and shall see them all as they pass by, I will bo sure to set
I horn to rights in tho thing, and let them know that they had been so much in the
wrong ; that though the people who were on board at first might run away with the

hip, yet it was not true that they had turned pirates; and that, in i«irticidar, these

v6

4

'III:

were not tUc men that first went off with the ship, but innocently bought her for their
trade ; and I am persuaded tlie.y will so fiir believe me as at least to act more cautiously
for the time to come."

While these things were passing between us, by way of discourse, 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 ISTanqTiin ; where, by the Avay, I came by accident to
understand that two Dutch ships were gone the length before me, and that I should
certainly fall into their hands. I consulted my partner again 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 was not in such perplexity neither, but I asked tlie 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 Quincliang, where
the Cithers of the mission usually landed from Macao, on their progress to teach the
Chiistian religion to the Chinese, and where no European ships ever put in ; and if I
thouglit 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 some
certain times they had a kind of a fair there, when the merchants from Japan came over
thither to buy Chinese merchandises.

We all agreed to go back to this place ; the name of the port, as he called it, I may
perhaps spell -sn'ong, for I do not particularly remember it, having 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, which I shall relate in its order ; 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 whei'e we were, to get fresh water ; on both vv'hieh
occasions the people of the country were very civil to us, and brought abundance of
things to sell to us ; I mea-n of provisions, plants, roots, tea, rice, and some fowls ; but
nothing without money.

We did not come to the other port (the wind being contrary) for five days ; but it
v,-as very much to our satisfaction ; and I was joyful, and I may say thankful, when
set my foot on shore, resolving, and my partner too, that if it was possible to dispose
ourselves and effects any other way, though not every way to our satisfaction, we wouh
never set one foot on board that unhappy vessel inore ; and indeed, I must acknowledge
that of all the circumstances of life that ever I had any experience of, nothing make
mankind so completely miserable as that of being in constant fear. Well does th
Scripture say, " The fear of man briugeth a snare : " it is a life of death, and the miu
is so entii-ely oppressed by it, that it is capable of no relief, and all the vigour of Natur
wluch usually supports men under other afflictions, and is present with them in th
greatest exigencies, fails them here.

Nor did it Ml of its usual operations upon the fancy, by Iieightening every danger
representing the English and Dutch captains to be men incapable of hearing reason, c
of distinguisliing between honest men and rogues ; or between a story calculated for on
own turn, made out of nothing, on purpose to deceive, and a true genuine account (
our whole voyage, progress, and design ; for we might many ways have convinced
j-eaeonable creature that we were not pirates ; the goods we had on board, the cour
we steered, our frankly showing ourselves, and entering into such and such ports ; ai

of

iny

IF-AKFUL APPREHENSIONS

dm

even our very manner, tlio force we liad, the number of men, the few arms, the littUj
ammunition, short provisions ; all these would have served to convince any men that we
were no pirates. The opium and other goods we had on board would make it api)ear
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
jiiirticular circumstances, might have made it evident to the understanding of any
cximmander, whose hands we might fall into, that we were no pirates. But fear, that
blind, useless jjassion, worked another way, and threw us into the vapours ; it b(--
wildered our understandings, and set the imagination at work to form a tlimisiii'l
terrible things that perhaps might never hai)pen. We first supposed, as indeed e\ i^i y-
body 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 o-.ir
beating off their boats and escaping, that they would not give themselves leave t.)
inquire whether we were pirates or no, but would execute us off hand, without givin;.;-
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 moi-e ; as, first, that the
ship was certainly the same, and that some of the seamen among them knew her, and
had been on board her ; and, secondly, that when we had intelligence at the river of
Cambodia that they werc 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 wc
were satisfied of the conti-ary ; and, as I often said, I know not but I should have
been apt to have taken those circumstances for evidence, if the tables were turned, and
my case was theirs ; and have made no scruple of cutting all the crew to pieces, without
believing, or perhaps considering, what they might have to offer in their defence.

But let that be how it will, these were our apprehensions ; and both my partner
and I scarce slept a night without dreaming of halters and yard-arms, that is to say,
gibbets ; of fighting, and being taken ; of killing, and being killed ; and one night I
was in such a fury in my dream, fiuicying 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; and that they might be tempted to do this for the gain of. our
ship and cargo, which was worth four or five thousand pounds altogether.

These things tormented me, and my partner too, jiight and day ; nor did we consider
that the captains of ships had no authority to act thus ; and if we had surrendered
l)risoners to them, they could not answer the destroying us, or tortimng us, but would
be accountable for it when they came to their country ; this, I say, gave me no satis-
faction ; for if they were to act thus with lis, what advantage would it be to us that they
.should be called to an account for it ? or if we were first to be murdered, what satis-
faction would it be to us to have them punished when they came home ?

I cannot refrain taking notice here what reflections I now had upon the vast variety
of my particular circumstances ; how hard I thought it Avas that I, who had spent forty .\^

349 ^^l U

IJIXSON CRUSOE.

^

years in a life of continual cliQiciiltics, and was at last come, as it were, to the port oi-
h;ivcn -Nvliich all men drive at, viz., to have rest and plenty, should be a volunteer in
new KOiTows by my own unhappy choice ; and that I, who had escaped so many dangers
in my youth, shouhl 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 v/ould be con-
sidering that this seemed to mc to be a disposition of immediate Pi*o\'idencc, and
I ought to look iipon it and submit to it as such ; that although I was innocent as to
men, I was far from being innocent as to my Maker ; and I ought to look in and
examine what other crimes in my life were most obvious to mc, and for which Pro-
vidence might justly inflict this punishment as a I'ctribntion ; and that I ought to
submit to this just as I would to a shipwreck, if it had pleased God to have brought
such a disaster Ui)on mc.

In its turn, natural courage would sometimes take its place, and then I would bo
talking myself up to vigorous resolutions; that I would not be taken to be barbarously
iiscd by a jiarcel of merciless wretches in cold blood ; that it wci'e much better to have
fallen into the hands of the savages, though I was sure they would feast upon me when
thoy had taken me, than those who would perhaps glut their rage upon mc by inhuman
tortures and barbarities ; that in the case of the savages, I always resolved to die
fighting to the last gasp, and why should I not do so now, seeing it was much more
dreadful, to me at least, to think of falling into these men's hands, than ever it was to
think of being eaten by men ? for the savages, give them their due, would not eat a man
till he was killed and dead, but these men had many arts beyond the cruelty of
death. Whenever these thoughts jjrevailed, I was sure to put myself into a kind of
fever with the agitation of a supposed fight ; my blood woiUd boil, and my eyes sparkli^,
as if I was engaged, and I always resolved to take no rpiarter at their hands ; but even,
nt last, if I could resist no longer, I would blow up the ship and all that was in her, and
leave them but little booty to boast of.

The greater weight the anxieties and poridcxitics of these things %vcre to our thoughts
while we 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 can\c and took it off his back, and the hill dis^ippearcd, 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
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. Wlien wc came on shore, the old pilot, who was now
otir friend, got us a lodging and a warehouse for our goods, which, by the way, wj\3 much
the .same j it was a littlo house, or hut, with a larger house ailjoining to it, all built with
canes, and palisadocd round witli large canes, to keep out pilfering thieves, of which, it
seems, there were not a few in that country : however, the magistrates allowed us a littlo
guard, and we had a soldier with a Icind of halberd, or half-piko, who stood sentinel at
our door ; to whom wc allowed a pint of rice, and a little jiieco of money, about the
^•alue of threei)cnce, jjcr day, so that our goods were kept very safe.

The fair, or mart, \jsually kept at this place, had been over some time : however, wo
found that there were three or four junks in the river, and two Japanners, I mean ships
from Japan, with goods which they had bought in China, and were not gone away,
having some Japanese merchants on .shore.

T

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J-
t

(')'

r,^

1.1

The iu-sfc tiling our old Portuguese pilot did for u.j wa':!, to get u-, acquainted v/ith
tliree missionary Ptomisli priests who were in the town, and who had been there some
time converting the people to Christianity ; but we thought they made but poor work
of it, and made them but sorry Christians Avhen they had done : however, that was
r.one of our business. One of these Avas a Frenchman, whom they called Father Simon ;
another was a Portuguese ; and the third a Grenoose ; but 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 liad
oj)portunity. We often ate and drank with those men ; and though, I must confess,
the conversion, as they call it, of the Chinese to Christianity is so far from the true
conversion required to bring heathen people to the ftiith of Christ, that it seems to
Amount to little more than letting them know the name of Christ, and say some prayers
to the Virgin Mary and her Son, in a tongue which they understand not, and to cross
themselves and the like ; yet it must be confessed that the religionists, whom we call
missionaries, have a firm belief that these people will be saved, and that they are the
instruments of it; and on this account, they undergo not only the fatigue of the voyage,
and the hazards of living in such places, but oftentimes death itself, and the most violent
tortures, for the sake of this work.

But to return to my story : — This French priest. Father Simon, was appointed, it
seems, by order of the chief of the mission, to go up to Pekin, the royal seat of tho
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 em^pire, 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 v/ith different eyes from those of other men, so I shall give my opinion
of them in a few v/ords, when I come in tho course of my travels to speak more par-
ticularly of them.

But first, I come to my friar or missionary. Dining with him one day, and being
xevy merry together, I showed some little inclination to go with him ; and he pressed
me and my partner very hard, and v/ith a great many persuasions, to consent. " Whv,
Father Simon," says my partner, " should you desire our company so much ? you know
v.^o are heretics, and you do not love us, nor cannot keep us company with any pleasure."
*• Oh," says he, "you may perhaps be good Catholics in time ; my business here is to
convert heathens, and who knows but I may convert you too 1 " " Very well, Father,"
said I, "so you will preach to us all the way?" "I Avill not be troublesome to you,"
says 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 ai'e in ; and if you are Huguenots,
and I a datholic, we may all be Christians at last ; at least we are all gentlemen, and
v/c may converse so, without being uneasy to one another." I liked this part of his
discourse very v/ell, and it began to put me in mind of my priest that I had left in the
Brazils ; but this Father Simon did not come up to his character by a great deal ; for
though Father Simon had no appearance of a criminal levity in him, yet he had not
that fund of Christian zeal, strict piety, and sincere affection to religion, that my other
good ecclesiastic had.

But to leave him a little, although he never left us, nor soliciting us to go with

351 i

f

:i^^5M?i^^^^.li;^-^

^-^^^^^^^^^ir

him ; we had boiuething eLe before us at first, for we had ail this while our bhip
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 ProA'idence
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 o\\ti country
again, though I had not the least view ot the manner. • Providence, I say, began
here to* clear up our way a little ; and the first thing that oflTei-ed 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 small pieces of their own coin,
x.^^^feL-g'?^ ^^^ some in small wedges, of about ten or twelve ounces

r^i

■A\\\\\

RODIXSON CRUSOE.

w-

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f

•ach. While wo wcro dealing with him for our ojiium, it came into my head tha-
i:o might perhaps deal for the ship, too, and I ordered the interpreter to propose
it to him; ho shrunk up his shoulders at it, when it was first proposed to him ;
'ut in a few days after ho came to me, with oao of the missionary priests for his
:itcri)retcr, and told me ho had a proposal to make to me, which was this : ho 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 to pay for the ship ;
; at if I would let the same men who were in the ship navigate her, he would hire the
■lip to go to Japan ; and woitld send them from thence to the rhilipi)inc Islands with
another loading, which he would pay the freight of before they went from Japan ; and
that at their retui-n ho woidd buy the ship. I began to listen to his proposal, and so
(•.i"cr did my head still run upon rambling, that I could not but begin to entertain a
notion of going myself with him, and .so to .set sail from the Philippine Islands away to
the South Seas ; accordingly, I asked the Japanese merchant if ho would not hire us
to the Philippine Islands and discharge us there. He said no, he could not do that, for
then ho could not have the return of his cargo ; but he would discharge us in Japan,
at the ship's return. "Well, still I was for taking him at that proposal, and going
myself; but my partner, wiser than myself, persuaded mo from it, representing the
dangers as well of the seas as of the Japanese, who arc a false, cruel, and treacherous
people ; likewise those of the Spaniards at the Philippines, more fiilse, cruel, and
treacherous than they.

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 shi]>, 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
ho thought that voyage promised very fair, and that there -was a great prospect of
advantage, and he would bo very glad if I undertook it ; but that if I would not, and
would give him leave, ho 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 mo a faithful
account of his success, which should bo as much mine as I pleased. I was really loth
to part with him ; but considering the prospect of advantage, which really was consider-
able, and that ho was a young fellow as likely to do well in it as any I knew, I inclined
to let him go; but I told him I would consult my pai-tner, and give him an answer the
next day. My partner and I discoursed about it, and my partner made a most
generous offer: "You know it has been an unlucky ship," .said he, "and wo 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 wo live to meet in England, and he meets with success abroad, ho 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, wo made over half the ship to him in property, and took
a writing fron\ him, obliging him to account for tho other, and away ho went to Jaimn.
Tlio Japan merchant proved a very punctual, honest man to him ; protected liim at
Japan, and got him a license to como on shore, which the Europeans in general luivc
not lately obtained ; paid liim liis freight very punctually ; sent him to the Philippines,
loaded with Japan and China wares, and a supercargo of their own, who, ti-aflicking
with the Spaniards, brought back European goods again, and a great quantity of cloves

35+

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and other spices; and there he was not only paid his freight very well, and at a very
good price, 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 ho
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 ]\Ianilla, 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 licence to land here, and to travel to Mexico,
and to pass in any Spanish ship to Europe with all his men. He made the voyage to
Acapulco very happily, and there he sold his ship ; and having there also obtained
allowance to travel by land to Porto Bello, he found means, somehow or other, to get to
Jamaica with all his treasure ; and about eight yeai-s after came to England, exceeding
rich ; of which I shall take notice in its place ; in the meantime I return to our par-
ticular affairs.

Being now to part with the ship and ship's compaiiy, it came before us, of course, to
consider what recompense we should give to tlie two men that gave us such timely
notice of the design against us in the river Cambodia. The truth was, they had done
us a very considerable service, and deserved vrell 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 j over and above that,
I gave each of them a small sum of money in gold, which contented them very well j
then I made the Englishman gunner in the ship, the gunner being now made second
mate and purser; the Dutchman I made boatswain; so they were both very w^
pleased, and proved very serviceable, being both able seamen, and very stout fellows.

"We were now on shore in China : if I thought myself banished, and remote from
my own country at Bengal, where I had many waj's 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 manner of prospect of return 1 All we had for it
was this, that in about four months' time there was to be another fair at the place v/here
we were, and then we might be able to purchase all sorts of the manufactures of the
country, and Avithal might possibly find some Chinese junks or vessels from Tonquin
that would be to be sold, and would carry us and our goods whither wo 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, Ave resolved to continue here ; but, to divert oui'selves, Ave took two
or thi-ee journeys into the country. First, Ave Avent ten days' journey to the city of
Nauquin, a city Avell Avortli 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 line::;,
Avhich gives the figure of it great advantage. But Avhen I come to compare the miser-
able people of these countries Avith ours, their fabrics, their manner of liA'ing, their
government, their religion, their wealth, and their glory, as some call it, I must confess
that I scai-cely think it AA'orth my while to mention them here. It is very observable
that Ave Avonder at the grandeur, the riches, the pomp, the ceremoii; " ■ .ernment
„.. _^ 355

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the manufactures, the commerce, and conduct of these people; not that it is to bi
wondered at, or, in Ved, in tlic least to be regarded, but because, having a true notion ot

the barbarity of those countries, the rudeness and the ignorance that prevail there, we do
not expect to find any such thing so far off. Otherwise, what are their buildings to the
palaces and royal buildings of Europe ? What their ti-ade to the universal commerce of

England, Hollaml, France, and Spain ? "NVIiat are their cities to ours for wealth,
strength, gaiety of apparel, rich furniture, and infinite variety ? What are their ports,
supplied with a few junks and barks, to our navigation, our merchant fleets, our large
an<l i)owerful navies ? Our city of London lias more trade than half their mighty
empire ; one English, Dutch, or French man-of-war of eighty guns, would be able to
fi,'Iit almost all the shipping belonging to China; but the greatness of their wealth,
their trade, the power of their government, and the strength of their armies, may be a
little surprising to us, because, as I have said, considering them as a barbarous nation of
Pagans, little better than savages, we did not expect such things among them ; and this,
imlecd, is the advantage with which all their greatness and power is represented to us;
otherwise, it is in itself nothing at all ; for what I have said of their ships may be said
f)f their armies and troops ; all the forces of their empire, though they were to bring
two millions of men into the field together, woujd be able to do nothing but ruin the
country, and stjirve themselves, if they were to besiege a strong iow~n in Flanders,
i>r to light a disciplined army; one good line of German cuirassiers, or of French
• avalry, might withstand all the horso of China ; a million of their foot would not
stand before one embattled body of our infantry, posted so as not to be surrounded,
though they were not to bo one to twenty in number ; nay, I do not boast if 1
.•■ay that thirty thousand German or English foot, and ton thousand horse, well
managed, could defeat all the forces of China. And so of our fortified towns, and
of the art of our engineers in assaulting and defending towns; there is not a
fortified town in China could hold out one month against the batteries and attacks
of an European army ; and, at the same time, all the armies of China could never
take sufh a town as Dunkirk, provided it was not starved ; no, not in a ten years'
t'iege. They had fire-arms, it is true, but they are awkward and uncertain in their
going ofi'; and their powder luus but little strength. Their armies are badly disciplined,
and want skill to attack, or temper to retreat; and therefore, I must confess, it seemed
i^trange to me, when I came home, and heard our people say such fine things of
the power, glory, magnificence, and trade of the Chinese; because, as far as I sj\w,
they a]ipeared to be a contemptible herd or crowd of ignorant, sordid .slaves, sub-
jected to a government (jualilicd only to rule such a people ; and were not its
distance inconceivably great from INIuscovy, and the Muscovite empire in a manner
as rud>, impotent, and ill governed as they, the Czar of ^Muscovy might with ease
drive them all out of their country, and conquer them in one campaign ; and had
the CViir (who is now a growing prince) fa'leu this way, instead of attacking the
warlike Swedes, and equally improved him.scU" in the art of war, as they sjty he has
don<^, ami if none of the powers of Europe had envied or interrupted him, he might
by this time have been Emperor of Cliina, instead of being beaten by the King of
Sweden at Narva, when the latter wa.s not one to six in nuuil»er. As their strength
and their gnwideur, so their navigation, commerce, and husbandry, are very imperfect,

)iupared to the same things in Europe; also, in their knowledge, their leariung, and in
ir skill in the .science-^, they are either very awkward or defective, though they
have globes or .spheres, and a smattering of the mathematics, and think they know more

ihei

TRAVELLING IN CHINA

Ihfiu all the world besides ; but they know little of the motions of the heavenly bodies ;
and so grossly and absurdly ignorant are their common people, that when the sun is
eclipsed, they think a great dragon has assaulted it, and is going to run away with it ;
and they fall a clattering with all the drums and kettles in the country, to fright the
monster away, just as we do to hive a swarm of bees.

As this is the only excursion of the kind which I have made in all tlie accounts T
have given of my travels, so I shall make no more such ; it is none of my business, nor
any part of my design ; but to give an account of my own adventures through a life ^f
inimitable Avanderings, and a long variety of changes, which, perhaps, few that come
after me will have heard the like of; I shall therefore say very little of all the mighty
places, desert countries, and numerous people, I have yet to pass through, more than
relates to my own story, and which my concern among them make necessary.

I was now, as near as I can compute, in the heart of China, about thirty degrees
north of the line, for we Avere returned from Nanquin. I had, indeed, 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 either to go, or not ; so I refen-ed it wholly to my partner, and left it wholly
t(i his choice, who at length resolved it in the affirmative, and we pve})ared for our
i<nirney. "We set out with very good advantage, as to finding the Avay ; for we got
leave to ti-avcl in the retinue of one of their mandarins, a kind of viceroy or princijtal
magistrate in the ^^I'ovince 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 Avith 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
Ave Avere obliged to pay for everything Ave had, after the market price of the country,
and the mandarin's steward collected it duly from us ; so that otu- travelling in the
retinue of the mandarin, though it Avas a very great kindness to us, was not such a
mighty favour in him, but was a great advantage to him, considering there Avere above
thirty other people travelled in the same manner besides us, under the protection of
his retinue ; for the country furnished all the provisions for nothing to him, and yet ho
took our money for them.

We Avere tAventy-five days travelling to Pekin, through a country infinitely populous,
Ijut I think badly cultivated ; the husbandry, the economy, and the Avay of living miser-
able, though they boast so much of the industry of the i)eople ; I say miserable, if
compared Avith our own, but not so to these poor Avretches, Avho knoAV no other.
The pride of the people is infinitely great, and exceeded by nothing but their poverty,
in some ])arts, which adds to that Avhich T call tiieir misery ; and I must needs think
the nati^"e savages of America Ywq much more happy than the poorer sort of these,
because as they have nothing, so they desire nothing ; Avhereas, these are proud and
insolent, and in the main are in many parts mere beggars and drudges; their ostentation
is inexpressible ; and, if they can, they love to keep multitudes of servants or slaA^es,
Avhich is to the last degree ridiculous, as Avell as the contempt of all the Avorld but
themselves.

I must confess I travelled more pleasantly afterwards in the deserts and A'ast Avllder-
nesses of Grand Tartary than here, and yet the roads here are AA^ell i)avrd ami avcII kept,

>

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II

KOBIXSON CRUSOE.

It

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i^

andVery convenient for travellers; but nothing was more awku'ard to^me than to see
such a haughty, imperious, insolent people, in the midst of the grossest simplicity and
ignorance ; and my friend Father Simon and I used to be very merry upon these
occasions, to see the beggarly pride of these people. For example, coming by the house
of a country gentleman, as Father Simon called him, about ten le;xgucs olF the city of
Nanquin, wc had first of all the honour to ride with the master of the house about two
miles ; the state ho 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, ta.s.sel3, and cuts and slashes almost on eveiy 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, stan'cd, hobbling creature, and ho
]>ad two .slaves followed him on foot to drive the ])Oor creature along ; he had a whip
iu hi.s liand, and he belaboured the beast as fast about the liead as his slaves did about
the tail ; and thus lie rode by lis, with about ten or twelve servants, going from the
city to his country seat about half a league before us. 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 gi'eat man, we saw him
i:i a little place before his door, eating a repast. It was a kind of gai-den, but he was
c.isy to be seen ; and we were given to understand that the more we looked at him the
better he would be jtleascd. He sat under a tree, something like the palmetto, which
efiectually shaded him over the head, and on the south side ; but imder the tree was
jilaced a large umbrella, which made that part look well enough. He sat lolling back
in a great clljow-chair, being a heavy, corpulent man, and had his meat brought him by
two women .slaves. He had two more, one of whom fed the squire with a sjioon, and the
other held the dish with one hand, and scraped off what he let fall upon his woi-ship's
beard and tafit'ty vest.

Thus leaving the poor wretch to please himself with our looking at him, as if wo
admired his pomp, though we really pitied and contemned him, we pursued our journey;
only Father Simon had the curiosity to .stay to inform himself Avhat dainties the countiy
justice had to feed on in all his state, which he had the honour to taste of, and which
was, I think, a mess of boiled rice, with a great i)iece of garlic in it, and a little b:ig
filled with green popper, and another plant which they ha^•c there, something like our
ginger, but smelling like musk, and tasting like mustard ; all this wa.s i)ut together, and a
small i)iecc of loan mutton boiled iu it, and this was his worshi[)'s repast. Four or five
servants more attended at a distance, who we supposed were to cat of the same after
their master.

As for our ninndarin with whom wo travelled, ho was respected as a king, sur-
rounded always with his gentlemen, and attended in all his appearances with such pomp,
that I saw little of him but at a distance, liut this I observed, that there wjis not a
horse in his retinue but that our carriers' packhorscs in England .seemed to me to look
much better; though it was hard to judge rightly, for they were so covered with
Oiulpage, mantlo.H, trappings, JL'c, that we could .scarce see anything but their feet and
tliolr heads as thoy went along.

I was now light hearted, nn.l all my trouble and perplexity that I have given .on
iic-oount of being over, I had no anxious thoughts about mo, which made this journey
the pleasantcr to me ; nor had I any ill accident attended mo, only in passing or fording
a small river, my hor.so fell, and made mo free of the country, as they call it— that is to
Kiy, threw mo in. Tho iilacc was not deep, but it Avcttcd mo all over. I mention it

353

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a

because it spoiled my pocket-book, wlierein I had set do^\^l the names of several people
and places wliicli I had occasiou 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 mc but the youth whom my
nephew the captain had given me to attend me as a servant, and who proved very trusty
and diligent; and my partner had nobody with him but one servant, who was a kins-
man. As for the Portuguese pilot, he being desirous to see the court, wo bore his
charges for his company, and to use him as an interpreter, for ho understood the
language of the country, and spoke good French and a little English ; and indeed
this old man was a most useful implement to us everyAvhere ; for°we had not been
above a week at Pekin, when he came laughing. " Ah, Seignior Inglese," says he, " I
have something to tell will make your heart glad." « My heart glad," slys I ; « what
can that be ? I don't know anything in this country can either give me joy'or grief
to any great degree." " Yes, yes," says the old man in brokea English, " make you
glad, me sorry." "Why, said I, "will ifc 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 pecime ? "—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 :\ruscovite and Polish merchants in the city, preparing to set out on their joui-ney
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 behind to go back alone.

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," says 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 Yv^olga to Astracan." "Well, Seignior," says 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 Macao 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 suit with his affairs ? He told me he would do just as I would • for
he had settled all his afiairs 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, wrou^^ht
and raw, such as might be worth the carriage, he would be content to go to Enrdand
and then make his voyage back to Bengal by the Company's ships.

Ha\-ing 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 ; nor, indeed, were
we to be esteemed over-generous in that either, if we had not rewarded him farther, 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 Japan merchant was some hundreds of pounds in our pockets. So v^e consulted
together about it, and being willing to gratify him, which was but doing him justice,
and very willing also to have him with us besides, for he was a most necessary man on
all occasions, we agreed to give him a quantity of coined gold, which, as I compute it,
c?.me ^-^ "i<— ■*- A,.r. ]i-.ndred and seventy-five pounds sterling, be Lvrccu v -^ \ii bear all

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DEPARTURE FROM TEKIX.

his charges, both for liimself and lior.se, except only a horse to cany his goods. Havinj
settled this between ourselves, ^ve called him to let him know what we had resolved. I
told him he had complained of our being willing to let him go back alone, and I was
now about to tell him we were I'esolved he should not go back at all ; that as wo had
resolved to go to Europe with the caravan, we resolved also he should go with us ; and
that we called him to know his mind. He shook his head and said it was a long
journey, and that he had no pecune to carry him tliither, or to subsist himself when he
came there. We told him we believed it was so, and therefore we had resolved to do
something for him that should let him see how sensible we were of the service he had
done us, and also how agreeable he was to us j and then 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 Avitli 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 four months and
some days 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 express 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 mercliant
Avhom I had some knowledge of at ISTanquin, and who came to Pekin on his own affairs,
went to ISTanquin, where I bought ninety pieces of fine damasks, with about two hundred
pieces of other very fine silks of several sorts^ some mixed with gold, and had all these
brought to Pekin against my partner's return ; besides this, we bought a very large
quantity of raw silk, and some 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 ; v/hich, 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 was very great, and, as far as I can remember, made between three
and four hundred horse, and upwards of one hundred and twenty men, very well armed,
and provided for all events ; for as the Eastern caravans are subject to be attacked by
the Arabs, so are these by the Tartars ; but they are uot altogether so dangerous as the
Arabs, nor so barbai'ous when they prevail.

The company consisted of people of several nations ; but there were about sixty of
tliem merchants or inhabitants of 3Ioscow, though of them some were Livonians ; and
to our particular satisfaction, five of them were Scots, who appeared also to be men of
great experience in business, and of very good substance.

When we had travelled one day's journey, the guides, who were five in number,
called all the gentlemen and merchants — tliat is to say, 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, where it was not otherwise to he had, and for satisfying the guides, getting
Jiorses, and the like ; and here they constitiited the journey, as they call it, viz., they
named captains and officers to draw lis 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, as shall be observed.

361

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ROBINSON CRUSOK.

The road all on this side of the countiy is very populous, and is full of potters and
caj-tli- makers— that is to Fay, i)eoi)lo that temi>cr the earth for the China ware ; and as
I was coming along, our Poi-tugal j.ilot, who had always something or other to say to
make us merry, came sneering to me, and told me he would show me the greatest rarity
ill all the country, and that I should have this to say of China, after all the ill-humoured
thiiv's that I had said of it, that I had seen one thing which was not to be seen in all
tlie world beside. I was very importunate to know what it was; at last ho told mc it
Nvas a gentleman's house built with China ware, " Well," says I, " are not the materials
v( their buildings the product of their own country ? and so it is all China ware, is it
not 1 " " No, no," says 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," says I, " such
a thin^' may be. How big is it ? Can we carry it in a box upon a camel ? If wo cai ,
wc will buy it." "Upon a camel!" says the old pilot, holding up both his hands ;
" why, there is a famiJy of thirty people lives in it."

I was then ctirious, indeed, to see it; but when I came to it, it was nothing but
this : it was a timber house, or a house built, as we call it in England, with lath and
i.lastcr ; but all this plastering was really China ware — that is to say, 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 fif^ires exceedingly fine indeed, with extraordinary variety of coloui-s, mixed
with gold, many tiles making but one figure, but joined so artificially, the mortar being
made of the same earth, 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 earthen flooi-s wo have in
use in several parts of England ; as hard as stone, and smooth, but not burned and
i)ainted, 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 w;\s covered with tiles of the same, but of a deep
shinin" black. This was a China warehouse indeed, truly and literally to be called so,
and hud I not been upon the journey, I could have stayed some days to see and examine
the particulars of it. They told n\e there were fountains and fish-ponds in the garden,
all paved on the bottom and sides with the same ; and fine statues setup in rows on the
walks, entirely formed of the porcelain earth, and burned whole.

As this is one of the singularities of China, .so they may bo 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, for such it is, that I care not to relate, as

knowin" it coidd not be tnie. They told me, in particular, of one workman that made

a ship, with all its tackle, and masts, and .sails in earthenware, big enough to carry fifty

men. If they had told me ho launched it, and made a voyage to Japan in it, I might

have said somcthinf^ to it ind^^rd ; but as it was, I knew the whole of the story, which

was, in short, asking pardon for the word, that tln" fellow lied ; so I smiled, and slid

nothing to it.

I This odd sight kept me two horns behind the caravan, for which the leader of it for

I the day fined me about the value of three shilling-s, and told me if it had been tlnvo

days' journey without the wall, tw it was three days within, he mu.st have fined me four

I tii'.K's ns nui<h, and undo me ask pardon the next council day. I promised to be m>'.o

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.

f

P ''

orderly ; and, indeed, I found iiftcrwards the orders made for keeping all together wi ;
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 mountains in a needless
track, where the rocks are impassable, and the precipices such as no enemy could
possibly enter, or indeed climb up, or where, if they did, no wall could hinder them.
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 or thereabouts without trespassing our orders (for so long the
caravan was in passing the gate), to look at it on every side, near and far off, I mean
what was within my view ; 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 lum 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," says he, "you speak in colours." " In colours !" said I ; "what do you mean
by that ? " " Why, you .speak what looks white this w-ay, and black that Avay— gay one
way, and dull -another. You tell him it is a good wall to keep out Tartars ; you tell mc
by that it is good for nothing but to keep out Tartars. I understand you, Seignior
Inglese, I uuflerstand you ; but Seignior Chinese understood you his own way."
"AVell," says 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 1
Would not they batter it down in ten days, that an army might enter in battalia ? or
bbw it up in the air, foundation and all, that there .should be no sign of it left 1 ''
'•' Aj^, ay," says 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 time after this ; but when he knew what I fcaid,
he was dumb all the rest of the way, and we heard no more of his fine story of the
Chinese power and greatness while he stayed.

After Ave passed this mighty nothing, called a wall, something like the Picts' Avail,
so famous in Northumberland, built by the Eomans, we began to find the country thinly
inliabited, and the people rather confined to live in fortified towns or cities, as being
subject to the inroads and depredations of the Tartars, Avho rob in great armies, and
therefore are not to l)e resisted by the naked inhabitants of an open country. And here
I began to find the necessity of keeping together in a caravan as Ave travelled, for a\ c
saAV seA^eral troops of Tartars roving about ; but Avhen I came to see them distnictly, I
Avondered more that the Chinese Empire could be conquered by sucli contemptible
fellows ; for they are a mere horde of Avild felloAvs, keeping no order, and understanding
no discipline or manner of fight. Their horses arc poor lean creatures, taught nothing,
and fit for nothing ; and this Ave found the first day Ave saAV them, Avhicli Avas after Ave
entered the Avilder part of the country. Our leader for the day gave leave for about
sixteen of us to go a-hunting as they call it ; and whr t Avas this but hunting of sheep !
HoAA-ever, it may be called hunting, too, for the creatures are the Avildest and swiftest ot
foot that ever I saw of their kind ; only they will not rixu a great Avay, 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 AA'hen they fly.

In pursuit of this odd sort of game, it Avas our hap to meet Avith about forty Tartars

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wl.Jthcr they were hunting mutton, as ^vo were, or whether
,7 lluT h-koa for another kind of prey, we know not ; but as soon a« they
Iw ^.sfone of them blew a kind of horn very loud, but with a barbarous sound
that I ha.l never heard before, and, by the way, never caro to hear aga.n A^ e
all supposed this wa-s to eall their friends about them, and so it wa.s ; foi
less than ten minutes, a troop of forty or fifty more appeared, at about a nuk
aistanco ; but our work was over first, as it happened. , i , ,,.,n is

()„o of the Scots merehants of Moscow happened to be amongst us, and as so.-n as
ho hoard the hon, he told us that we had nothing to do but to charge them umnc-
dialc.lv, without loss of time ; and drawing us up in a line, he asked ,f wc were resol .
AVo told hin^ wc were rca.ly to follow him ; so he rode directly towards them.

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stood gazing at ii« like a mere crowd, drawn up in no order, nor showing the face of any
order at all ; but as soon as tliey saw ns advance, they let fly tlieir arrows, which, how-
ever, missed ns, very liappily : it seems they mistook not their aim, but their distance ;
f -r their aiTows all fell a little short of us, but with so true an aim, that had we been
about twenty yards nearer, wc must Iiave had several men wounded, if not killed.

Immediately wc halted, and though it was at a great distance, wo fired, and sent
tliem leaden bullets for wooden arrows, following our shot full-gallop, to fall in among
them sword in liand — for so our bold Scot that led us directed. He was, indeed, but a
merchant, but ho behaved with such vigour and bravery on this occasion, and yet with
such co(d courage too, that I never saw any man in action fitter fur command. As soon
as wc came up to them, wo fired our pistols in their faces, and then drew ; but they fled
ill the greatest confusion imaginable. The only stand any of them made was on our
riglit, where three of them stood, and, by signs, called the I'est to come back to them,
having a kind of .scimitar in their hand.s, and their bows hanging to their backs. Our
brave commander, without asking anybody to follow him, gallops up close to them, and
with his ftisec knocks one of them off" his horse, killed the second vrith. his pistol, and the
third ran away ; and thus ended our fight ; but wc had this misfortune attending it,
that all our mutton we had in chase got away. We had not a man killed or liurt ; but
as for the Tartars, there were about five of them killed ; how many were wounded wc
Icnew not ; b\it this we knew, that the other party were so frightened with the noise of
iiMv guns, that they made oil', and never made any attempt upon us.

Wc were all this whilo in the Chinese dominions, and therefore the Tartai-s were not
so l)old as uftenvards ; but in about five days wo entered a vast, great, wild desert^
which held us three days and nights' march ; and wo were obliged to carry our water
Mith us, in great leathciii 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 was a kind of
border, that might be called no man's laud, being a part of Or eat Karakathy, or Grand
Tartary ; that, however, it was all reckoned as belonging to China, but that there was no
care taken licrc to preserve it from the inroads of thieves, and therefore it was reckoned
the woi-st desert in the whole march, though we were to go over some much larger.

In jiassing this wilderness, which was at'first very frightful to me, we saw, two or
three times, little parties of the Tartai-s, but they seemed to bo upon their own affair.s
and to have no design upon us ; and so, like the man who met the devil, if they had
nothing to say to us, wc had nothing to say to them : we let them go. Once, however,
a i»arty of tliem came so near as to stand and gaze at us : whether it was to consider
if they shtudd attack us or not, wc know not ; but when we had passed at some distance
l>y them, wc made a rear-guard of forty men, and .stood ready f >r them, letting the
c.iravan pass half a mile or thenabouts befoi'o us ; but after a while they marched ofl';
only we found they .saluted us with five arrows at their parting, which •wounded a hor.se
.-^o that it di.sabled him, and wo loft him the next day, poor ci'entuiv, in gi-eat need of a
good farrier : they might shoot more aiTows, which might fall short of its ; but we
saw no more arrows or Tartai-s that time.

We tnivellcd near a month after this, the ways not being so good as at firat, thoxigh

till in tho dominions of tho Emperor of Chiiui, but lay for tho most part in the villages,

.M)aio of which were fortified, becau.se of the incursions of the Tartars. When we were

come to one of thcso towns (it was about two days and a halfs jouniey before we came

t> the city of Xuuiu), 1 wanted to buy a camel, of which there arc i>lenty to be sold all

^

ATTACKED BY TARTARS.

llic Nviij upon that road, and liorses also, .sucli as tliey are, because, so many cara\'auH
coming that way, they are often wanted. The person that I spoke to to get mc a caraol
would liave 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, it
seems, 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 i)lace, it was a low marshy ground, walled round witli
a stone wall, piled \ip diy, without mortar or earth among it, 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
came up 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 Avero,
unarmed, for I had no weapon about me but my sword, which could but ill defend mo
against three horsemen. The first that came up stopped short upon my drawing my
sword, for they are arrarit cowards ; 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,
v/hat was the matter, and where I was, for he laid me flat on the ground ; but my
never-failing old pilot, the Portuguese (so Providence, imlooked for, directs deliverances
from dangers which to us are unforeseen), had a pistol in his pocket, which I knev/
nothing of, nor the Tartars either ; if they had, I suppose they would not have attacked
us ; but cowards are always boldest when there is no danger. The old man seeing me
down, with a bold heart stepped tip to the fellow that had struck me, and laying hold of
his arm Avith one hand, and pulling him down by main force a 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 bis horse in the side of his head, cut one of the eai's off by the root, and a great
slice down by the side of his face. The poor beast, enraged with the wound, Avas 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 ; and at some distance, rising upon
his hind legs, threw down the Tartar, and fell upon him.

In this interval, the poor Chinese came in Avho had lost the camel, but he had no
weapon ; however, seeing the Tartar down, and his horse fallen npon him, away he
runs to him, and seizing upon an ugly ill-favoured weapon he had by his side, some-
thing like a poleaxe, but not a poleaxe neither, lie wrenched it from him, and made
shift to knock his Tartarian 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
v/ith his tackle to charge his pistol again ; but, as soon as the Tai'tar saw the pistol,
away he scoured, and left my pilot, my champion I called him afterwaitls, a complete
A'ictor}-.

By this time I Avas a little recoA'ered ; for I thought, Avhen I first began to Avake,
that I had been in a sweet sleep ; but, as I said above, I wondei'ed where I Avas, Iioaa^
T came ujwn the ground, and Avhat was the matter ; but a feAv moments after, as sense
I'eturned, I felt pain, though I did not know Avhere ; so 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 everything was present to me again. I jumped upon my feet instantly,
and got hold of niA'- sword, but no enemies Avere in vioAV ; I found n T.irhir Ivino- d" ;.l.

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jinrl his liurse standing very quietly by him ; and, looking farther, I saw my champion
and deliverer, who had been to see what the Chinese had done, coming back with his
lianger in his liand. The old man, seeing me on my feet, came running t<j 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 liead ; neither did I afterwards find any great inconvenience from the blow,
f..r it was well agaiji in two or three days.

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, be acted with a great deal
(.f 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," says he, " but went with the stranger." " At whose request V .says the justice.
"At the stranger's request," says he. "Why, then," says the justice, "you were the
stranger's servant for the time ; and the camel being delivered to his sen-ant, it was
delivered to him, and he must pay for it."

I confess the thing was so clear, that I had not a word to say ; but, admiring to see
such just rea.soning upon the consequence, and an accurate stating of the case, I paid
willingly for the camel, and sent for another; but, you may ob.ser\e, I did not go to
lotch it.myself any more, for I had had enough of that.

The city of Naum is a frontier of the Chinese Empire; they call it fortified, and so
it is, as fortifications go there ; for this I will venture to affirm, that all the Tartars in
Karakathay, which, I believe, are some millions, 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 understand 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 nil travellci-s 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 ; howevei-, it was carefully done of tho
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 ; the three hundred soldiers from Naum marched in our front, the two hundrotl
in our rear, and our men on each side of our camels, with our baggage, and the whole
cnravan in the centre ; in this order, and well prepared for battle, we thought oui-selves
a match for the whole ten thousand Mogul Tartars, if they had appeared ; but the next
day, when they did appear, it was quite another thing.

It was early in tho morning, when marching from a well-situated little town, called
Changu, wo had a river to pa.ss, which we were obliged to ferry ; and, had the Tartars
had any intelligence, then had been tho time to have attacked us, when the caravan
being over, tho rear-guard was behind ; but they did not appear there. About thrte
hours aftir, when we were entered upon a desert of about fifteen or sixteen miles over,
bfliold, by a cloud of dust they raised, we si\w au cnoiiiy was at hand : and thoy were at
liiind, indeed, for thoy came on upon tho spur.

Tho Chinese, om- guard in the front, who had talked so big the day before, began to
stagger; and the soldiei-s frequently looked behind them, which is a certain sign in a
36S ^^.,

Boldior that lie is just ready to run away. My old pilot was of my mind ; and being
near inc, called out : " Seignior Inglesc," says he, " those fell<)ws must be encouraged, or
they will ruin us all ; for if tUo Taiiws come on, they will never stand it." '• I am of
vour mind," says I; "but what must be done?" "Done!" says he, "let fifty of our
mf'U advance, and flank them on each wing, and encourage them, and they will fight
like bravo fellows in bravo comi>auy ; but without this, they will every man turn his
back." Immediately, I rode up to oar leader, and told him, who was exactly of our
mind ; and accoi-dingly fifty of us marched to the right wing, and fifty to the left, and
the rest made a lino of rescue ; and so we marched, leaving the last two hundred men
to make a body by themselves, and to guard the camels ; only that, if need were, they
should send a hundred men to assist the Jast fifty.

In a word, the Tartars came on, and an innumerable company they wore ; how
many wo could not tell, but ten thousand, wo thought, was the least; a party of them
came on fii-st, and viewed our posture, traversing the ground in the front of our
iiiio' and, as we found them within gunshot, our leader ordered tho two wings to
advance swiftly, and give them a salvo on each Aving with their .shot, Avhicli was done j
and they went oft', I suppo.se back, to give an account of tho reception they wore
like to meet with ; and, indeed, that salute cloyed their stomachs, for they immediately
halted, stood awhile to consider it, and wheeling off to the left, they gave over their
(Icsi'^n, and said no more to lis for that time ; which was very agi-eeablo to our cir-
cumstances, which were but very iiidificrent for a battle with such a number. *

Two days after, wo camo to tho city of Naun, or Naum : we tlianked the governor
for his care of us, and collected to tho value of a hundred crowns, or thereabouts,
which wo gave to the soldiers sent to guard us ; and here wc rested one day. This
is a garrison indeed, and there were nine hundred soldiers kept here ; but tho reason
of it was, that formerly the Mu.scovite frontiers lay nearer to them than they now do,
tho Mu.scovitcs having abandoned that part of tho country, which lies from this city
west for about two hundred miles, as desolate and unfit for use ; and more especially
bciiif' so voiy remote, and so difficult to scud troops thither for its defence ; for wo \\ero
yet above two thousand miles from Muscovy, properly so called.

After thi.s, we passed several great rivers, and two dreadful deserts; ono of which
wo were sixteen days passing over, and which, as I said, was to bo called no man's
land ; and, on tho 1 3th of April, we camo to tho frontiers of tho ]\Iuscovite domi-
niona. I think tho first town or fortres-s, whichever it may be called, that belonged
to the Cz;ir of I^Iuscovy, was called Arguna, being on tho west side of tho river Arguua.

I could not but discover an infinite satisfaction that I was so soon an-ived in, as
r called it, a Christian countiy, or, at least, in a country governed by Christians ; for
though tho jMuscovitcs do, in my opinion, but just deserve tho name of Christians, yet
such they i>retend to be, and are very devout in their way. It would certainly
occur to any man who travels the world as I have done, and who had any power of
reflection, what a blessing it is to b(> brought into tho world where tho namo of Cod
and a Iledoemer is known, adored, and worshipped ; and not where tho people, given
up by Heaven to .strong delusions, worship the devil, and pro.strato them.-^elvcs to
stocks and stones ; worship monsters, cli'ments, horrid-.shaped animals, and statues or
images of monsters. Not a town or city wc jia.ssed through but had their pagodas,
tlii'ir idols, and their temples, and ignorant people worshipping even tho works of their
own hands. Now wo camo where, at least, a face of tho Christian worship appeared ;
when> (lio knee was bowed to Jesus; and whether ignorantly or not, yet the Chri.sti;iii

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religion was owned, and the name of the true God was called upon and adored ; and
it made my sovd rejoice to see it. I saluted the brave Scots merchant I mentioned
above with my first acknowledgment of this ; and taking him by the hand, I said to
him, " Blessed be God, we are once again among Christians." 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," says I, "but still it is better than
paganism and Avor.^iipping of devils." " Why, I will tell you," says he, " except the
Eussi^i soldiers in the garrison, and a few of the inhabitants of the cities upon the
road, all the rest of this country, for above a thousand miles farther, is inhabited by
the worst and most ignorant of pagans." And so, indeed, we found it.

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 j two thousand to the
bottom of the Baltic Sea, westward ; and above three thousand, if we left that sea,
and Avent 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. May, if some people may be believed, there might be no sea north-east
till we came round the Pole, and consequently into the north-west, and so had a conti-
nent of land into America, the Lord knows where ; though I could give some reasons
why I believe that to be a mistake.

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 mon-
strous growth— viz., three feet about, and twenty or thirty feet high— I must be allowed
to say, I believe nothing of it j 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 fiir as I can find ; but this is
certain, that this river running east, in the latitude of about oO degrees, carries a vast
concourseofriversalong withit, and finds an ocean to empty itself in that latitude ;
so we are sure of sea there.

Some leagues to the north of this river, there are several considerable rivers, whose
streams run as due north as the Yamour runs east, and these are all found to jom
their waters with the great river Tartarus, named so from the northernmost nations of
the Mogid Tartars; who, as the Chinese say, were the first Tartars in the world ; and
who, as our geographers allege, are the Gog and Magog mentioned in sacred history.
These rivers running all northward, as well as all the other rivers! am yet to .speak
of, make it evident that the Northern Ocean bounds the lands also on that .side ; so
that it does not seem rational in the least to think that the land can extend itself to
join with America on that side, or that there is not a communication between the
Northern and Eastern Ocean ; but of this I shall say no more ; it was my observation
at that time, and therefore I take notice of it in this place.

We nov/ advanced from the river Arguna by easy and moderate journeys, and were
very visH-ly obliged to the care the Czar of Muscovy has taken to 1. ''''■ and towns

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ROBINSON CRUSOE

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built in as many places as it is possible to place them, where liis soldiers keej) garrisrn
fiomcthing like the stationary soldiers placed by the Romans in the remotest countries
of their empire ; some of which I had I'cad of were placed in Britain, for the security
of commerce, and for the lodging of travellers ; and thus it was here ; for wherever we
r.iinf^ though at tlicse towns and sUttions the garrisons and governors were Russians
and jtrofcssed Christians, yet the inhabitants were mere pagans ; sacrificing to idols,
and wor.shijjping the sun, moon, and stars, or all the host of heaven ; and not only so,
ut were, of all the heathens and pagans that ever I met with, the most barbarous,
• xcept only that they did not cat men's flesh, as our savages of America did.

Some instances of this we m.'t with in the country b.'twean Arguna, where we enter
I lie Muscovite dominions, and a city of Tartars and Russians together, called Nortzi-
oii.sky, in which is a continued desert or forest, which cost us twenty days to travel
nvcr. In a village near the last of these places, I had the curiosity to go and see
thfir way of living, which is most brutish and insufferable. They had, I supjiose, a
i,'ro;it .'sacrifice that day ; for there stood out, upon an old stump of a tree, an idol made
<d' Avood, frightful as the devil ; at least, as anything Ave can think of to represent the
ilivil can be made ; it had a head not resembling any crcaturj that the world ever saw ;
cars as big as goats' horns, and as high ; eyes as big as a crown piece ; a nose like a
c rooked ram's horn, and a mouth extended four-cornered, like that of a lion, with hor-
rible teeth, hooked like a parrot's under bill : it was dressed up in the fiUliiest manner
that you could suppose; 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
tight feet high, yet had no feet or legs, nor any other proportion of jKirts.

This scarecrow was set up at the outer side of the village ; and when I came near
to it, there were si.xteon or seventeen creatures — whether men or women I could not
tell, for they made no distinction by their habits — all lying flat upon the ground round
this formidiibJo block of shapeless wood ; I .saw no motion among them, any juore thin
if they had been all logs of wood, like the idol, and at iirsfc I really thought they ha I
Ix'on so ; but when I c.vmij a little ujarcr, they started up upon their fv-et, and raised a
howling cry, as if it had boon so many djop-mouthc I hounds, and walked away, as it"
they M-ere displeased at our disturbing them. A little w;iy off from the idol, and at the
dfior of a tent or hut, made all of sheep-skins and cow-skins driel, stood tluvo laitcheri
1 thought they were such when T caino iioaror to them, for I found they had long
Knives in theii- hands ; and in th<' mi. Idle of tlie tent ajjpeared three .sheep killed, and
one young bidlock, or steer. Tiicse, it .seems, were .sacrifices to that senscles log of an
idol ; the three men were piicsts belonging to it, and the .seventeen prostrated wretches
Were tin; jteoplo who brought the oflering, and were making their prayers to that .stock.

I confess r wsvs more moved at their stupidity and brutish worship of a hobgoblin
than ever I was at anything in my life, — to seeOod's most glorious and best creature, to
whom he had granted so many advantages, even by creation, above the rest of the
Works of his hand.s, vested with a reasonable soul, and that soul adorned with faculties
and c;ipacities adapted both to honour his ^Maker and to be honoured by him, sunk and
degenerated to a degree .so very stupid as to i)rostnvte it-sclf to a frightful nothing, a
mere imaginary object dre.s.sed up by them.selves and made terrible to themselves by
their own contrivance, adorned only with clouts and rags, — and that this should bo the
elleet of mere ignorance, wrought tip into hellish devotion by the devil himself, who,
envy nig his Maker the homage and adonition of his creatures, had deluded them into
sueli sordid and brutish things as one would think would shock Nature itself!

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RKFLECTIONS ON IDOLATRY.

But what signified all the astonishment and reflection of thoughts ? And thus it
Ava>, and I saw it before my eyes, and there was no room to wonder at it, or think
it impossible; all my admiration turned to rage, and T rode u]) to the image or
monster — call it what yon will — and with my sword made a stroke at the bonnet
that was on its head, and cut it iu 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 villugt^, and two or three hundred people
came about my ears, so that I Avas glad to scour for it, for we saw some had some bows
and arrows ; but I resolved from that moment to visit them again.

Our caravan rested three nights at the town, Avhich was about four miles off, in
order to provide some horses Avhich they "wanted, several of the hoi'scs having been
lamed and jaded with the badness of the Avay aii<l long march over the last desert ;
so w^e had some leisure here to put my design in execution. I communicated it
to the Scots merchant of Mo.scow, of whose courage I had sufficient testimou}- ; I
told him what I had seen, and with what indignation I had since thought thnb
human nature could be so degenerate ; I told him if I could get but four or fi\o
men well armed to go with me, I was resolved to go and destroy that vile^ ab<jnii-
nable idol, and let them see that it had no power to help itseltl, and consequently
could not be an olgcct of worship, or to be prayed to, much less help them that ofTerei
sacrifices to it.

lie laughed at me ; says he, " Your zeal may be good, but what do you propose
to j-ourself by it?" "Propose!" said I, "to vindicate the honour of God, whicli is
insulted by this devil-worship." " But how will it A'indicatc the honour of God,"'
said he, "while the people will not be able to know what you mean by it, unless
you could speak to them, and tell them so I 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 Lmguage ? " "AVriting!" said he;
" why, there is not a man in five nations of them that knows anything of a letter, or how
to read a Avord any way." " AVrctched 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 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 thou-
sands to the governor of Nertsinskay and demand satisfaction; and if he cannot gi\e
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 in 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 lune put you off your
good design. I have been a little concei-ned 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 pvit 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 thcui 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

I

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

use mo?" "Use you I" said ho ; "I'll toll yon how they served a poor Russian who
affronted them in their worship just as you did, and whom they took jn-isoner, after
they had lamed him with an aiTOw that lie could not nin away. They took him and
stri])pcd him stark naked, and set him upon the top of 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."
" And was this the same idol ? " said I. " Yes," said he, " the very same." " "Well,"
said I, " I will tell you a stoiy." So I related the story of our men at Madagascar, and
how they burned and sacked the village there, and killed man, woman, and child, for
their murdering one of our men, just as it is related before ; and I added that I thought
we ought to do so to this village.

I To listened -N-eiy attentively to the story ; but when I talked of doing so to that
village, said he, " You mistake very much ; it was not this -v-illage — it was almost a
hundred miles from this place ; but it was the same idol, for they carry hiui about in
jirocession all over the countiy." "Well," said T, "then that idol ought to be punished
for it ; and it shall," said I, " if I live this night out."

In a word, finding mc resolute, he liked the design, and told me I should not go
alone, but he would go with me, but he would go first and bring a stout fellow, one of
his countrymen, to go ab:o with ns ; "and one," said he, "as famous for his zeal as you
can desire any one to be against such devilish things a.s these." In a word, he brought me
his comrade, a Scotsman, whom he called Captain Richardson ; and I gave him a full
account of what I had seen, and also what I intended ; and he told mc readily he would
go with mc if it cost him his life. So we agreed to go — only we three. I had, indeed,
l)roposed it to my partner, but he declined it. He said he was ready to assist mc to
the utmost, and upon all occasion.s, for my defence ; but this was an adventure quite
out of liis way ; so, I say, wo resolved upon our work, only we three and my man-
}>orvant, and to i)ut ifc in execution that night about midnight, with all the secrocy
imaginable.

However, upon second thoughts, we were willing to delay it till the next night,
because the caravan being to set forwai-d in the morning, we supposed the governor
could nut pretend to give them any satisfaction upon xis when we were out of his power.
Tiio Scots merchant, as steady in his resolution for the enterprise as bold in executing,
brought mc a Tartar' .s robe or gown of sheep-skins, and a bonnet, with a bow and
airows, and had provided the same for himself and his countrymen, that the peoplo, if
llii'v saw us, .shoidd not determine who wo were.

All the first night we spent in mixing up .some combustible matter, with aqua vit«»,
gunpowder, and such other materials as we could get ; and having a good quantity of
t ir in a little po(., about an hour after night we set out upon our expedition.

Wo came to tho place about eleven o'clock at night, and f.)und that the people had
not the least jeal.usy of danger attending their idol. Tiie night was cloudy ; yet the
moon gave us Wisht enough to see that the idol stood just in the same posture and place
that it did befori'. Tho jjcoplo seemed to bo all at their rest ; only tliat in the great
Init or tent, as wo called it, where we .saw tho three priests, whom we mistook for
butchei-s, we saw a light, and going up close to the door, we heard people talking as if
tliere were fivo or six of them ; wo concluded, therefore, that if we .set wildfire to the
idol, these men would conic out immediately, and rini up to tho jilacc to rescue it from
the dcstructi<m that wo iuteiuled fur it ; and what we intended to do with them we
know not Once we thought of carrying it away, and setting fire to it at a distance;

374-

THE TARTAR IDOL DESTROYED.

Pl

but when we came to liandle it, wc found it too bulky for our carriage ; so wo wei-e at
a loss again. The second Scotsman 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,"
says 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."

As it happened; we had twine or pack-thread enough about us, which we used to tie
our firelocks together with ; so we resolved to attack these people first, and with
as little noise as we could. The first thing we did we knocked at the door, Avhen 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, tied his feet also together, and left him on the ground.

Two of VIS 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 j ust 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, wo
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 ciying out, my Scots merchant went in after them, and taking out a composition wc
had made that would only smoke 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 lefb
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, and, as
we supposed, had been about some of their diabolical sacrifices. They appeared, in
short, frightened to death, at least so as to sit trembling and stupid, and not able to
speak either for the smoke.

In a word, we took them, bound them as we had done the other, and all without
any noise. I should have said we brought them out of the house or hut first j for
indeed we were not able to bear the smoke any more than they were. When we had
done this, we carried them all together 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 ; then we wrapped up a great piece of wildfire in his
bonnet ; and then sticking all the combustibles we had brought with us upon him, wc
looked about us to see if we could find anything else to help to burn him ; when my
Scotsman remembered that by the tent or hut, where the men were, there lay a heap of
dry forage, whether straw or rushes I do not remember ; away he and the other Scots-
man ran and fetched their arms full of that. Wlien 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 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 block or log

'•i

c)f wood , and setting

diy foiage to it, ^^o found ifc ^\ould be soon cjuite con-

bumed ^ bOT\e began to tlimk of going aua} , but tlie Scotsman

sA_d, " Xo, we must not go, for these poor deluded a\ retches amII all tliiow

themselves into the fire, and burn themselves with the idol." So we resolved to

stay till the forage was burned down too, and then came away and left them.

After the feat was performed, we ap2:)eared in the morning among our fellow-
ti-avellers, 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 sup-
posed to be, to fit themselves for the fatigues of the day's journey.

But the affkir 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 Kussian governor for the insulting their priests, and burning their great Cham Chi-
Thaungu. The people of Xertzinskay 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 messengei-s to appease them, and gave them all the good words pos-
sible ; 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 ; but if they could

377 /^J

know who did it, they should be exemplarily punished. They returned haughtily,
11 the country reverenced the great Cham Chi-Thnungu, who dwelt in the sun, and
mortal would have dared to offer violence to his image hut some Christian mhicreaut ;
id tliey therefore resolved to denounce war against him and all the Russians, who,
i.-y s.iid, were mificrcanta and Chiistians.
The goVL-mor, still patient, and unwilling to make a breach, or to have any cause of
1- iillo<'ed to be given by him, the Czar having strictly charged him to treat the
i.iucred country with gentleness and civility, gave them still all the good words he
■lid. At last he told them there was a caravan gone towai-ds Russia that morning,
and i)erhaps it was some of them who had done them this injuiy ; and that if they
woiUd bo satisfied with that, ho woiUd send after them to inquire into it. This seemed
to aj)pease them a little ; and accordingly the governor sent .• " cr us, and gave us a
particular account how the thing was ; intimating withal, that if any in our caravan had
d(jae it, thev should make theii" escape ; but that whether we had done it or no, we
Mould make all the haste forward that was possible ; and that, in the meantime, he
-uld keep them in play as long as he could.
This was verv friendly in the governor ; however, when it came to the caravan,
there was nobody knew anything of the matter ; and as for us that were guilty, we were
least of all suspected. However, the captain of the caravan for the time, took the hint
that the governor gave us, and we travelled two days and two nights without any con-
siderable stop, and then we lay at a village called Plothus ; nor did we make any long
stop here, but hastened on towards Jarawena, another of the Czar of Muscovy's colonies,
and where we expected we (should be safe. But upon the seco); 1 day's march from
Plothus, by the clouds of dust behind us at a great distance, some of our i«iople began
to bo sensible we were pursued. We had entered a great desert, and had passed by a
<'reat lake called Schaks Oser, when we perceived a very great body of liorse 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 that side of the lake, whereas
wo very happily took the south side ; and in two days more they disappeared again : fur
they, believing wo wore .still before them, pushed on till they came to the river Udda, a
verv great river when it passes farther north, but when we came to it we found it narrow
and fordalilo.

The third day they had either found their mistake or had intelligence of us, and
.amc pouring in upon us towards the dusk of the evening. We had, to our great satis-
r.iction, just pitched upon a place for our camp, which was very convenient for the night ;
lor as wo were upon a desert, though Imt at the beginning of it, that was above five
hundred miles over, wo had no towns to lodgo at, and, indeed, expected none but the
city Jarawena, which we had yet two days' march to ; the de.sert, however, had some
fow woods in it on this side, and little rivers, which ran all into the great river Udda ;
it was in a narrow strait, between little but very thick woods, that wc pitched our little
camp for that night, expecting to be attacked before morning.

Nobody knew V)ut oui-selvcs what we wore pursued f )r : 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 arnuos of robbci-s ; and it was, therefore,
no new thing to be pursued.

But wc liad this night, of all the nights of our ti-avels, a most advantageous camp ;
i'..r we lay between two woods, with a little rivulet running just before our front, so that
v,o coidd not be surrounded, or attacked any way bn< ". ->ni- ir..:: oi- n

378

We took

fc^V

,>^:^e.--

PURSUED BY THE TARTARS.

care also to make our front as strong ass vie 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.

J n this posture we encamped for the night ; but the enemy Avas upon us before a\-.'
had finished. They did not come on us like thieves, as wc expected, but sent three
messengers to us, to demand the men to be delivered to them that had abused their
priests, and buraed their god Cham Chi-Thaungu with fire, that they might burn them
with fire ; and upon this, they said,' they would go away, and do us no further harm ;
otherwise they would destroy us all. Our men looked very bluuk at this message, and
|M1a began to stare at one another to see who looked with the most guilt in their faces ; but
m m i^obody 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 merchant!^-,
travelling on our business ; that we had done no harm to them or to any one else ; and
that, therefore, they must look farther for their enemies who had injured them, for wo
were not the people ; so he desired them not to disturb us, for if they did we should
defend ourselves.

They were far from being satisfied with this for an answer ; and a great crowd of
them came running doAvn in the morning, Ijy 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 ; for those that spoke least of them spoke of ten thousand. 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, for we sheltered under our Ijag-
gage, and I do not remember that one of us was hurt.

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 Muscovite.^,
calling to the leader of the caravan, said to him, " I'll go send all these people away to
Sibeilka." 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 Nertzinskay ; 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 Sibeilka, with a caravan of miscreants, as he called them — that
is- to say,. Christians : and' that they had resolved to burn the god Schal-Isar, belonging
to the Tongueses.

As this fellow was himself a mere Tartar, and perfectly spoke their language, he
counterfeited so well that they all believed him, and away they drove in a most violent
hurry to Sibeilka, which, it seems, 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 Sibeilka' or no. So we passed away safely on to Jarawena,
where there was a garrison of jMuscovites, and there we rested five days ; the caravan
being: exceedingly fatigued with tiie last day's hard march, and with want of rest in the
night.

From this city we had a frightful desert, wliich held us twenty-three days' march
"We furnished ourselves with some tents here, for the better accommodating ourselves in
the night ; and the leader of the caravan procured sixteen carnages or wagons of the
country, for carrying our water or provisions ; and these carriages were our defence
eveiy night round our little camp : so that had the Tartars appeared, unless they ha-t
been veiy numerous indeed, they would not have been able to hurt us.

379

W
W

■^

^-

THE TON(;ui:si-: nation.

We may well be supposed to have wanted rest again after this long journey ; for in
this desert we neither saw house nor tree, and scarce a bush ; though we saw abundance
of the sable hunters, who are all Tartars of the Mogul Tartary, of Avhich this country
is a part ; and they frequently attack small caravans, but we saw no numbers of them
together.

After Ave had passed this desert, we came into a country pretty well inhabited ; that
is to say, 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?
Avlio would otherwise make it very dangerous travelling ; and his 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,
whom I had an opportunity to make a visit to by means of the Scots merchant, Avho
Avas acquainted Avith him, offered us a guard of fifty men, if we thought there Avas any
danger, to the next station.

I thought, long before this, that as Ave carne nearer to Europe Ave should find the
country better inhabited, and the people more civilised ; but I found myself mistaken in
both ; for we had yet the nation of the Tongiieses to pass through, Avhere we saAV the
same tokens of paganism and barbarity as before ; only, as they Avere conquered by the
^luscoAdtes, they Avere not so dangerous ; but for mdeness of manners and idolatry, no
people in the Avorld ever went beyond them ; they are clothed all in skins of beasts, and
their houses are built of the same ; you knoAV not a man from a Avoman, neither by the
ruggedness of their countenances nor their clothes ; and in the Avinter, Avhen the ground
is covered Avith suoaa-, they Ua-c underground in vaults, Avhich have cavities going from
one to another.

If the Tartars had their Cham Chi-Thaungu for a whole village or country, these
had idols in eA^ery hut and cA'ery cave : besides, they Avorship the stars, the sun, the Avatcr,
the snow^ and, in a Avord, everything they do not rtnderstand, and they nnderstand but
very little ; so that every element, e\'ery nncommon thing, sets them sacrificing. I met
Avith nothing peculiar myself in all this country, which I reckon Avas, from the desert I
spoke of last, at least four hundred miles, half of it being another desert, Avhich took us
up tAvelve days' severe traA^elling, Avithout house or tree ; and Ave Avere obliged again to
carry our own provisions, as Avell Avater as bread. After Ave Avere out of this desert, and
had travelled two days, Ave came to Janezay, a Muscovite 'city, or station, on the great
river Janezay, AA'hich, they told us there, parted Europe from Asia.

Here I obserA-ed ignorance and paganism still prevailed, except in the Muscovite
garrisons. All the country betAveen the riA^er Oby and the river Janezay is as entu-ely
pagan, and the people as barbarous, as the remotest of the Tartars ; nay, as any
nation, for aught I know, in Asia or America. I also found, Avhich I obserA-ed to the
Muscovite governors Avhom I had an opportunity to converse with, that the poor
pagans are not much Aviser, or nearer Christianity, for being under the Muscovite
gOA^ernment, Avhich they acknoAvledged Avas true enough ; but that, as they said, Avas
none of their business ; that if the Czar expected to convert his Siberian, Tonguese, or
Tartar subjects, it should be done by sending clergymen among them, not soldiers ;
and they added, with more sincerity than I expected, that they found it Avas not
so much the concern of their monarch to make the people Chri.stians as it AA'as to
make them subjects.

From this river to the great river Oby, Ave crossed a Avild, uncultivated country,

i

^

ROBINSON CRUSOl

:€W^

barren of people aad goocl management ; otherwise it is in itself a mast pleasant, fi-uitful,
rMid agreeable eountiy. Wliat inhabitants we found in it ai-e all pagiins, except
such as are sent among them from Russia ; for this i.s the country — I mean on
Ijotli sides the river Oby — whither the Muscovite criminals that arc not put to
death are banished, and from whence it is next to impossible they should ever get away.
I have nothing material to say of my jiarticular affaii-s till I came to Tobolsk i,
the capital city of Siberia, where I continued some time on the follo\ving account

We had now been almost seven months on our journey, and winter began to
c.ii.ie on apace; whereupon my pai'tner aud I called a council about our particular
avail's, in which we found it proper, as we were bo\ind for England, and not for
Moscow, to consider how to dispose of ourselves. They told us of sledges and
reindeer to cany us over the snow in tiie winter time; and, indeed, they have such
things tliat it would be incredible to relate the particulars of, by which means the
livisaians travel more in winter than they can in summer, as in these sledges they
are able to run night and day ; the snow, being frozen, is one universal covering to
Nature, by which the hills, vales, rivers, and lakes are all smooth and hard as a
stone, and they run upon the surface, without any I'^gard to what is imderneatli.

But 1 had no occasion to urge a winter journey of this kind : I was bound to
England, not to Moscow, and my route lay two ways : either I must go on as the
caravan went, till I came to Jaroslaw, aud 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 leave the caravan at a little town on the Dwina, from whence
T had but six days by water to Archangel, and from thence might be sure of
sliil)ping cither 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
pa.s8age ; and to go by land in those countries wjis far less safe than among the
Mogid Tartars ; likewise, to go to Ai'changel in October, all the ships woulf|^ gone
from thence, and even the merchants who dwell there in .summer retire soutli to
Moscow in the winter, when the ships are gone ; so that I could have nothing but
extremity of eold to encounter, with a scarcity of jirovisions, and must lie in an
enipty town all tlie winter ; so that, upon the whole, I thought it much my better
Avay to lot the camvan go, and make provision to >\'inter where I was, at Tobolsk!,
in Siberia, in the latitude of about sixty degrees, where I was sure of three things i
to wear out a cold winter with — viz., plenty of provisions, such as the country !
afforded, a wann hou.se, with fuel enough, and excellent company.

I wjis now in quite a different climate from my beloved island, where I never
felt cold, except when I had my ague ; on the contraiy, I had much to do to bear
any clothe;; on my back, and never made any lire but without dooi-s, which wa-s
neccsaaiy for dressing my food, itc. Now I had three good vests, with large robes
or gownis o\er them, to hang down to the foet^ and button close to the wrists ;
and all those 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 lires in every room in the house in open chimney.s, which, when the fh-o
\v;is out, always kept the air in the room cold as the climate ; but taking an A
il'irtment in a good hou.so in the town, I ordereil a chimney to be built like a J
lunmce, in the centre of six seveml rooms, like a stove ; the funnel to carry tho '
sni.ik.) went up one way, lh.» door to come at the fire went in another, and all Hi' v'

-. >^' -• • i

,"pwf

I

J>>^'

WINTER IX TOBOLSK!

M

rooms were kept eqxxally warm, but no fire seeii,. 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 ; and how cold soever it was without, it was always warm
witliin ; and yet we saw no fii-e nor were ever inconmioded with smoke.

The most wonderful thing of all Avas, 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 s*^ate criminals of Muscovy, as I observed
before, are all banished, this city was full of noblemen, gentlemen, soldiers, and
courtiers of Muscovy. Here was the famous Prince Galitzin, the old General
Kobostiski, and several other pei-sons of note, and some ladies. By means of my
Scots merchant, Avhom, nevertheless, I parted with here, I made an acquaintance
with several of these gentlemen ; and from these, in the long winter nights in which
I stayed here, I received several very agreeable visits.

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
Ijegau. He had been telling me abundance of fijie things of the greatness, 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 powerful prince than
ever the Czar of Muscovy was, though my dominions were not so large, or my people
so many. The Russian grancjee looked a little surprised, and, fixing his eyes steadily
upon me, began to wonder v/hat I meant. I told him his wonder would cease
v^-hon I Lad explained myself First, I told him I had absolute disposal of the
lives and fortunes of all my subjects ; that notwithstanding my absolute power, I
Lad not one person disaffected to my government, or to my person, in all my
doPAinions. 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
rny subjects Avere not only my tenants, but tenants at will; that they would all
fight for me to the last drop ; and that never tyrant, for such I acknowled-^ed
myself to be, was ever so universally beloved, and yet so hori'ibly feared, by Lis
subjects.

After amusing liini with these riddles in government for a while, I opened the
case, and told him the story at large of my living in the island ; and how I
managed both myself and the people that were under me, just as I have since
minuted it down. They were exceedingly taken with the story, and especially the
prince, who told me, Avith a sigh, that the true greatness of life Avas to be masters
of ourselves; that he Avould not have exchanged such a state of life as mine to be
Czar of MuscoAry ; and that he found more felicity in the retirement he seemed to
be banished to there than ever he found in the highest authority he enjoyed in
the com't of his master the Czar ; that the height of human wisdom was to bring
our tempers down to our cii'cumstances, and to make a calm Avithin, imder the
Aveight of the gi-eatest storms Avithout. When he came fii'st 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 considei-ation had made him look into himself, as
Avell as round him, to things Avithout : that he found the mind of man, if it Avas
but once brought to reflect ujion the state of vmivei'sal life, and how little thi<
world was concerned in its true felicity, Avas perfectly capable of making a felicii
for itself, fully satisfAang to itself, and suitable to its own ^>"-^ '■'>■'• "'^'^ desir^

ROBINSON CRUSOE

with l)ut very little assistance from the world. The fiir to Lreathe in, food to sustain
life, clothes for warmth, and liberty for exercise, in order to health, comi)leted, in
his oi)iuion, all that the world could do for lis ; and though the greatness, the
authority, the riches:, and the pleasures which some enjoyed in the world, had much
in them that was agreeable to us, yet all those things chiefly gratified the coarsest
of our ufTections, such as our ambition, our particular pride, avarice, vanity, and
sensuality; all which, being the mere product of the woi-st part of man, were
iu themselves crimes, and had in them the seeds of all mannei* of crimes ; but
neither were related to, nor concerned with, any of those virtues that constituted
us wise men, nur of those graces that distinguished us as Christians : that being
now dej)rived of all the fancied felicity which be enjoyed in the full exercise of
all those vice?;, ho said he wiu; at leisure to look upon the dai-lc side of them,
where ho found all manner of deformity ; and was now convinced that virtue
only makes a man truly wise, nch, and great, and preserves him in the way
to a superior happiness in a future state ; and in this, he said, they Avcre more
happy in their banishment than all their enemies Averc, who had the full posse^ainn
of all the wealth and power they had left behind them. "Nor, sir," says he, "do
I brin" my mind to this politically, from the neceasity of my circumstances, which
some call miserable; but, if I know arything of myself, I would not now go back,
though the Czar my master should call me, and reinstate me in all my former
grandeur ; I say, I would no more go back to it than 1 believe my soul, when it
shall be delivered from this ])rison of the body, and has had a taste of the glorious
state bevond life, would come Iwck to the gaol of flesh and blood it is now enclosed
ill, and leave heaven, to d^al in the dirt and crime of human aflairs."

He spoke this with so much warmth in his temper, so much eai'nostuess and mo:io:i
(if his spirits, that it was evident it was the true sen.se of his soul ; there was no room
to doubt his sincerity. I told him I once thought myself a kind of monarch iu 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 ho that had got a victory over his own exorbitant
di3siros, and the absolute dominion over himself, ho whoso rca.son entirely governs hii
will, is certainly greater than he that conquers a city. " Dut, my lord," s.\id I, '-^jhall 1
take tho liberty to ask you a question?" "With all my heart," says ho. "If the
d')orof your liberty was opened," said I, "would you not take hold ofit^ to deliver your-
s-'lf from this exile 1 " " Hold," said ho ; " your question is subtle, and requires some
^;|*^iou3, just distinctions to give it a sincere answer; and I will give it you from tho
bottom of my heart. Nothing that I knoAV of in the world would move me to deliver
myself from this state of banishment, excejit those two: fir.st, tho cnjovKient of my
nlations ; and, secondly, a little warmer climate ; but I protest to you, that to go back
to the pomp of the court, tho glory, tho power, tho hurry of a minister of state ; the
wealth, tho gaiety, ami tho jdeasures of a courtier ; if my master should send mo
word this moment that ho restores mo to all ho banished me from, I pi-otest, if I know
myself at all, T would not leave this wilderne.s-s, theso deserts, and these frozen lakes,
fur tho pidaca at Moscow." " But, my lord," said I, " perhaps you not only are banished
from tho pleasures of the court, and from tho power, authority, and wealth you enjoy«*d
!• •fore, but you may bo absent, too, from some of tiio conveniences of life : your estate,
j) I'.ians, confiscated, and your eflects plundered ; and the supplies left you hero may
not be suitable to the ordinary demands of life." " Ay," .'lays he, "that is as you siip-
[lOHo me to bo a lord, or a prince, &c. ; so, indeed, I am ; but you are now to consider

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ROlilNSON CRUSOE.

jno only as a man, a human creature, not at all distinguished from another; and so I
can suffer no want, unlcp-s I should bo visited with sickness and distempers. However,
to put the question out of di:^pntc, you sec our way of life : we are, in this place, five
persons of rank ; wo live perfectly retired, as suited to a .state of banlsliment ; we have
flomethin" rescued from the shipwreck of our fortunes, which keeps us from the mere
necessity of hunting f^r our food ; but the poor soldiers, who are here without that help,
live iu as much i)lenty as we, who go in the woods and catch .sables and foxes ; the
Lvbourof a month will maintain them a year ; and as the way of living is not expensive,
so it Is not hard to get sufficient for ourselves. So that objection is out of doors."

I have not room to give a full account of the most agreeable conversation I had
AviLh this truly great man ; in all which lie showed that Ids mind was so in->pired with
a superior knowledge of tiling.^, so supported by religion, as well as by a vast share of
v.i^dom, that his contempt of the world was really as much as he had expressed, and
that he was always the same to the last, as will appear iu the story I am going to
toll.

I had been here eight months, and a dark, dreadful winter I thought it ; the cold
BO intense that I could not so much as look abroad without being wrapped ia furs,
and a mask of fur beforo my fiicc, or rather a hood, with only a hole for breath, and
two for sight : the little daylight v.-o had wa.s, as we reckoned, for three mouths not
above five hours a day, and six at most ; only that the snow lying on the ground con-
tinually, and the weather being clear, it was never quite dark. Our horses were kept,
or rather starved, under gi-ouud ; 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 wann, the hou.scs ocing 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-vitre instead of brandy j and for a treat, mead instead
of wine, which, however, they ha^-e very good. The hunters, who venture abroad all
weather-s, frequently brought us in fine venison, and sometimes bear's flesh, but we did
not much care for the last: "NVc had a good stock of te;i, with which wo treated our
friends, and we lived very cheerfully and Avell, all things considered.

It was now ilarch, the days grown considerably longei", 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 beiug fixed, as I have '.said,
for Archangel, and not for Muscovy or the Baltic, I made no luotlou ; knowing very well
that the ships from the south do not set out for that part of the world till Slay or Juno ;
and that if I was there by the beginning of August, it would be as soon as any ships
would bo ready to go away ; and therefore I made no haste to be gone, as others did : in a
word, I .saw a groat many people, nay, all the travellers, go away before we. It seems
every year they go froni thence to Sluscovy for ti-ade, to cany furs, and buy necessaries,
which they bring back with thorn to furnish their shops : also others M'cnt on the same
enand to Archangel ; but then they all being to come back again above eight hundred
miles, wont out beforo me.

In the month of Mixy I began to make all ready to pack up ; and, as I was doing
this, it occurred to nic that, seeing all these pcoiilo were banished by the Czar of JIus-

1
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THE RUSSIAN EXILE.

W:

covy to Siberia, and yet, when tlicy came tliero, 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, v/ho answered me thus: " Consider, 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 tlie Czar's own
dominions, and by ways utterly impassable, except by the roads made by the Govern-
ment, and through the tovrns garrisoned by his troops ; so that we could neither pass
undiscovered by the road, nor subsist any other way ; so that it is in vain to attempt it."
I was silenced, indeed, at once, and found that they were in a prison every jot ns
secure as if they had been locked up in the castle at Moscow : hovfever, it came into
my 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 certainly try if I could
carry him off. Upon this, 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 Avent 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 v/here I would, we might
easily pass uninterrupted to Archaugel, where I Avould immediately secure him on
board an English ship, and carry him safe along with me ; and as to his subsistence and
other particulars, it should be liiy care till he could better supply himself.

He heard me very attentively, and Iboked 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 coiantenance ; nor could he immediately ansv,^er 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 kindness in it, is so disinterested in itself, and is so calculated for my advantage, that I
musthaveverylittleknowledgeof 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 yoii of my contempt of the world 1 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 I was sincei'e when I told you
I would not go back, if I was recalled even to be all that I once was in the court, witli the
favour of the Czar my master ? Did you believe me, my friend, to be an honest man 1
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 soon after perceived that he stopped because his
spirits were in motion, his great heart was full of struggles, aud he could not go on, I
was, I confess, astonished at the thing as well as at the man, and I used some argu-
ments with him to urge him to set himself free ; that he ought to look upon this
as a door opened by Heaven for his deliverance, and a summons by Providence, who
has the care and disposition of all events, to do himself good, and to render himself
useful in the world.

387

Ho ]i;iil liy this time recovered Iiiinsclf. " llow do you know, sir," suys lie,
warmly, '' l)ut that, instead of a summons from Heaven, it nuiy be a feint of arctlier
instrument; representing in alluring coloui-s to nic the show of felicity as a deliver-
ance, which may in itself be my snare, and tend directly to my ruin ? Here, I am
free from the temptation of returning to my former misci-able greatness ; there,
1 am not sure but that all the seed;^ of pride, ambition, avarice, and luxury, which
J know remain in nature, may revive, and take root, and, in a word, again overwhelm
iiif ; and then the happy prisoner, whom you sec now master of his soul's liberty,
.-hall be the miHcrablc slave of his own senses, in the full enjoyment of all pci-sonal
lil)erty. Dear sir, let me remain in this blessed confinement., banished from the
(limes of life, nither than purchase a show of freedom at the exjiense of the liberty of
my reason, and at the future happiness which I now have in my view, but shall then,
fear, cpuckly lose sight of; for I am but flesh ; a man, a mere man; hav(
passions and aflections as likely to possess and overthrow me as any man.
^\V , Oh, bo not my friend and tempter both together ! "

THE RUSSIAN'S REQUEST

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 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 to my own apart-
ment.

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," says 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 ; and I came to make the most sincei-e acknowledgment of it to you ; but I hope I
have got the victory over myself." "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
satisfaction 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. He embraced me very passionately, and
assured me he was sensible of that, and should always acknowledge it ; and with that
he oflered me a very fine present of sables, — too much, indeed, for me to accept
from a man in his circumstances, and I Avould have avoided them, but he would not be
refused.

The next moiming I sent my servant tt> his lordship with a small present of tea,
and two pieces of China damask, and fonr 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 i^iece of the damask, and one of the pieces of gold, which had a fine stamp
upon it, of the Japan coinage, which I found he took for the rarity of it, bub
would not take any more : and he sent word by my sei^vant 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 made such a generous
olicr to him, he asked me if I had kindness enough to offer the same to another person
that he would name to me, 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 himself, for whom I had a particular
value, and should have been glad to have been the instrument of his deliverance ; how-
ever, if he would please to name the person to me, I would give him my answer. Ho
told me it was his only son ; who, though I had not seen him, yet was in the same condi-
tion 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 do it. I made some ceremony in letting him
understand that it was wholly on his account ; and that, seeing I could not prevail on
him, I would show my respect to him by my concern for his son ; but these things are
too tedious to repeat here. He sent the next day for his son ; and in about twenty days
liC came back with the messenger, bringing six or seven horses, loaded with very rich
fius, Avhich, in the whole, amounted to a very great value. His servants brought the
horses into the town, but left the young lord at a distance till night, when he came

3S9

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ROBINSON CRUSOE.

; incognito into our apartment, and his father presented him to mc ; and, in short, we
! concerted the manner of our travelling, and everything proper for the journey.

I had lx)ught a consideraV)lc quantity of sables, black fox skins, line ermines, and
such other furs as arc very rich in that city, in exchange for some of the goods J liad
1 brought from China ; in particular, for the clovea and nutmeg.'?, of which I sold the
greatest part here, and the rc:st aftcr^vards at Archangel, for a much better price than I
could have got at Loudon ; and my partnei", who was sensible of the profit, and whose
business, more particularly than mine, was merchandise, was mightily pleased with our
stay, on account of the traffic we made here.

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 much talked of. Wo 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 proprietor of eleven of them ; it was most nafrui'al, 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
mo to inquire, "\Vo had here the worst and the largest desert to pass over that we met
with in our whole journey ; I call it the worst becaiisc the way was very deep in some
j)lacea, and very uneven in others ; the best we had to say for it was, that we thought
we had no troops of Tartars or robbers to fear, and that they never came on this side
the river Oby, or at least veiy seldom ; but we found it otherwise.

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 princip;\l
towns and cities upon the great road, such as Turaen, Soloy Kamskoi, and several
others ; because the Muscovite garrisons which are kept there are very curious and
."-trict in their observation upon travellers, and searching lest any of the banished persons
of note should make their escape that way into ;Musco\y ; but, by this means, as wo
were kept out of the cities, so our whole journey Avas a desert, and we were obliged to
encamp and lie in our tents, when we might have had very good accomniodation 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 lis always at the ai)pointed places.

Wo had just entered Europe, having passed the river Kama, which in these parts is
the boundary between Europe iind 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 ;
inuX here wo thought to see some evident alteration in the people ; but wo were mis-
taken ; for as wo had a vast desert to pass, which is near seven hundred miles long in some
places, l)ut not above two hundred miles over where we passed it, so till we came i)ast
that horrible place, wo found very little difTerencc between that country and the ^logul
Tarlary ; tlio people are mostly pagans, and little better than the savages of America ;
their hoiuscs and towns full of idols, and their way of living wholly barbarous, except in
t!io cities, and the villages near them, where they are Christians, as they call them-
selves, of the Greek Church, but have their religion mingled with so many relics of
Buperstition that it is scai'cc to be known in some places from mere sorcery and witch-
craft.

In passing this forest, I thought, indeed, wc must (after all our dangers were, to our
imngmation, escaped) liavo been plundorod and robbed, and perhaps murdered, by a
troop of thieves ; of what countty they wore, I am yet at a loss to know ; but they ,

ROBBERS IN THE WOOD.

m

were all on horseback, cai-riecl bows and arrows, and were at first; about forty-five in
number; tlicy came so near to us as to be within two musket-shots, and, asking no
questions, surrounded us with their horses, and looked very cai'nestly upon us twice ; at
length, they placed themselves just in our Avay ; upon which we drew np in a little line,
before our camels, being not above sixteen men in all ; and, being drawn up thus, wo
halted, and sent out the Siberian servant, who attended his lord, to see who they were ;
his master was the more willing to let him go because ho was not a little apprehensive
tliat thoy were a Siberian troop sent out after him. The man came up nearer them
with a flag of truce, and called to them ; but though he spoke several of their languages,
or dialects of languages 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 said, he believed them to be some
Tartars of Kalmuck, or of the Circassian hordes, and that there must be more of them
\Tpon the great desert, though he never heard that any of them Avere seen so far north
befure.

About an hour after, they again made a motion to attack us, and rode round our
little wood to see where they might binaak in ; but finding iis ahvays ready to face them,
tliey Avcnt off again ; and v/e 'resolved not to stir for that night.

This was small comfort to us ; however, we had no remedy ; there was, on ou.r left
hand, at about a quarter of a mile distance, a little grove, and very near the road j I
immediately resolved v*^e should advance to those trees, and fortify ourselves as Vv'cll as
wc could there ; for, first, I considered that the trees would in a great measure cover us
from their arrovfs ; and, in the next place, they could not come to charge ns in a body ;
it was, indeed, my old Portuguese pilot who proposed it, and who had this excellency
attending him, that he was always readiest and most apt to direct and encourage us in
cases of the most danger. We advanced immediately, with what speed we could, and
gained that little wood ; the Tartars, or thieves, for we knew not what to call them,
keeping their stand, and not attempting to hinder ns. When we came thither, we
found, to our great satisfaction, that it was a swampy piece of ground, and on the one
side a very great spring of water, which, running out in a little brook, was a little
farther joined by another of the like size ; and was, in short, the source of a considerable
river, called afterwards the Wirtska ; the trees which grew about this sj)ring were not
above two hundred, but very large, and stood pi-etty thick, so that as soon as we got in,
Avo saw ourselves perfectly safe from the enemy unless they attacked us on foot.

While we stayed here Avaitiug the motion of the enemy some hours, v/ithout
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
tliat they were near fourscore horse ; whereof, however, we fancied some were Avomen.
They came on till they were Avithin lialf-shot of our little Avood, Avhen Ave fired one
musket Avithout ball, and called to them in the Russian tongue, to knoAV Avhat they
Avanted, and bade them keep off; but they came on Avith a double fury up to the Avood
side, not imagining AA-e A\'ere so barricaded that they coitUI not easily break in. Our old
pilot AA'as our captain, as Avell as our engineer, and desired us not to fire upon them till
they came Avithin pistol-shot, that Ave might be sui-e to kill, and that Avhen aa'c did fire
Ave shoidd be sure to take good aim ; Ave bade him give the Avord of command, Avhich he
delayed so long, that they Avere some of them within tAVO pikes' 1; n i ;: T ; , Avlien avc

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ROBINSON CRUSOE.

Lil

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let fly. "We aimed .so tnie that we killed foui-teen of them, and wounded sevei-al others, \l
as also several of thcii* hoi-ses ; for wc had all of us loaded our pieces AWth two or three
bullets at least.

They were terribly surprised with our fire, and retreated immediately about one

indred rods from us ; in which time we loaded our pieces again, and seeing them keej)

iiat distance, wo sallied out, and caught four or five of their horses, whose riders we

ipposcd were killed; and coming up to the dead, we judged they were Tartai-s, but

laiew not how they came to make an excursion .such an unusual length.

We .slept little, you may be sure, but spent the most part of -the night in sti-engtheiiing
our situation, and barricading the entrances into the wood, and keeping a strict watch.
Wo waited fur daylight, and when it came, it gave us a very unwelcome discovery
indeed ; for the enemy, who we tliought were discouraged with the reception they
met with, were now greatly incrca-scd, and had set up eleven or twelve huts or tents, as
if they were resolved to besiege us j and this little camp they had pitched upon the
open plain, about three-quarters of a mile from us. "\Vc were indeed surprised at this
discovery ; and now, I confess, I gave myself over for lost, and all that I had ; the loss
<.f my cflects did not lie so near me, though very considerable, as the thoughts of fixUing
into the hands of such barbarians, at the latter end of my journey, after so many diffi-
culties and hazards as I had gone through, and even in sight of our port, where we
expected .safety and deliverance. As to my partner, he was raging, and 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, Avas for fighting to the last also ; and my old pilot
w.is of opinion that we were able to resist them all in the situation we were then in ;
and thus wo s])ent the day in debates of what we should do : but towards evening we
found that the number of our enemies still increased, and wc did not know but by the
morning they might still be a greater number ; so I began to inquire of those peoiilo we
had brought from Tobolski, if there were no private ways by which we might avoid
tliom in the night, and perhaps retreat to some town, or get help to guard us over the
<lesort. 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 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 light. I told him ho mistook his lord ; for that
he was too wise a man to love fighting for the .sake of it ; that I knew his lord was
brave enough, by Avhat he had showed already ; but that his lord knew better than to
desire seventeen or eighteen men to fight five hundred, unless an unavoidable necessity
forced them to it ; and that if he thought it possible for us to escape in the night, we
had nothing else to do but to attempt it. He answered, if his lordidiip gave him .such
ordei-s, ho would lose his life if he did not perform it ; we soon brought his lord to give
thiit order, though jtrivately, and we immediately prepared for jjutting it in pnvctice.

And first, as .soon a.-* it began 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 Tartai-s might
conclude we were still there ; but as soon as it wivs dark, and we could see the stjirs (for
our guide would not stir before), having all our hoi-ses and camels ready loaded, we
followed our new guide, who I soon found steered himself by the north star.

After we hatl travelled two hours very haiil, it began to bo lighter still ; not that it
w.is dark all night, but the moon began to rise, so that, in .short, it was rather lighter

39-

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=&-i~^^=^

m

ROBINSON CRUSOE.

thiin wo M-isheil it to be ; but by six o'clock the next morning, we had got above thirty
miles, liaviog almost spoiled our hoi'ses. Here wo found a Russian village, named
Kermazinskoy, where we rested, and heax'd nothing of the Kalmiick Tartars that day.
About two lioui-s before night we set out again, and travelled till eight the next
morning, though not quite so hard as before; and about .seven o'clock we p.assed a little
river called Kirtza, and came to a good large town inhabited by Ru-ssians, called
Ozomoys ; there wo heard that sevei-al ti'oops of Kalmucks liad been abroad upon the
desert, but that we were now completely out of danger of them, which was to our great
.satisfaction. Here we wore ol)liged to get some fresh horse.<?, and having need enough
of rest, JVC stayed five day.s ; and my partner and I agreed to give Ihe honest Siberi:iu
who brought us thither the value of ten pistoles.

In five days more we came to Yeuslima upon the river "Wirtzogda, and running into
tijo Dwina: we were there, veiy happily, near the end of our tiavels by land, that river
being navigable, in seven days' passage, to Archangel. From hence, we came to La w-
renskoy, the 3rd of July ; and, jiroviding ourselves with two luggage boats, and a barge
for our own convenience, we embai-ked the 7th, and arrived all safe at Archangel the
lyth ; having been a year, five months, and three days on the journey, including our
stay of eight months at Tol>ol3ki. We were obliged to stay at this place six weeks for
the arrival of the ships, and must have tarried longer had not an Hamburgher come in
above a month sooner tlian any of the English ships ; when, after some consideration
that the city of Hambuigli might happen to be as good a market for our goods as
London, we all took freight with him ; and, having put our goods on board, it was most
natural for mo 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
:ill the time we stayed there ; and this ho did that he might not be .seen in ^he city,
where some of the Moscow mci'chants would certainly have seen and discovei'cd him.

We then sot sail from Ai-changel the 20th of August, the same year; and, after no
fxtraordinary bad voyage, arrived safe in the Elbe the 18th of September. Here my
partner and I found a very good sale for our good.s, as well those of China as the
sables, Jcc, of Siberia ; and, dividing the produce, my share amounted to
£3,47.3 17s. Oil, including about six hundred i->ound.s' woi'th of diamonds, which \
piirchascd at Bengal.

Here the young lord took his loavo of us, and went up the Elbe, in order to go to
the court of Vienna, whore ho resolved to seek protection, and could correspond with
ihoso of his father's friends who wore left alive. lie did not part without testinioniea
(.f gratitude for the service I had done him, and for my kindno-^s to the i)riuco, his fothcr.

To conclude : having stayed near four months in Hamburgh, I came from thcucQ
by land to the ILigue, wkere I embarked, in the packet, and arrived in London the
10th of Januaiy, 1705, having been absent from England ten years and nine months.
Anil here I resolved to prepare for a longer journey than all these, having lived a Ufe
of infinite variety seventy-two yeai-s, and learned sulliciontly to know tli.' v:ilii.> of
retirement, and the blessing of ending our days in peace.

TlIK KND.

J

394

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