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Daniel Defoe,Robinson Crusoe

CHAPTER I - START IN LIFE

I WAS born in the year 1632, in the city of York, of a good family, though not

of that country, my father being a foreigner of Bremen, who ettled firt at

!ull" !e got a good etate by merchandie, and lea#ing off hi trade, li#ed

afterward at York, from whence he had married my mother, whoe relation

were named $obinon, a #ery good family in that country, and from whom I

wa called $obinon %reut&naer' but, by the uual corru(tion of word in

)ngland, we are now called * nay we call ourel#e and write our name *+ruoe' and o my com(anion alway called me"

I had two elder brother, one of whom wa lieutenant*colonel to an )nglih

regiment of foot in lander, formerly commanded by the famou +olonel

-ockhart, and wa killed at the battle near .unkirk againt the S(aniard" What

became of my econd brother I ne#er knew, any more than my father or mother

knew what became of me"

Being the third on of the family and not bred to any trade, my head began to

be filled #ery early with rambling thought" /y father, who wa #ery ancient,had gi#en me a com(etent hare of learning, a far a houe*education and a

country free chool generally go, and deigned me for the law' but I would be

atified with nothing but going to ea' and my inclination to thi led me o

trongly againt the will, nay, the command of my father, and againt all the

entreatie and (eruaion of my mother and other friend, that there eemed to

be omething fatal in that (ro(enity of nature, tending directly to the life of

miery which wa to befall me"

/y father, a wie and gra#e man, ga#e me eriou and e0cellent counel

againt what he foreaw wa my deign" !e called me one morning into hichamber, where he wa confined by the gout, and e0(otulated #ery warmly

with me u(on thi ubect" !e aked me what reaon, more than a mere

wandering inclination, I had for lea#ing father houe and my nati#e country,

where I might be well introduced, and had a (ro(ect of raiing my fortune by

a((lication and indutry, with a life of eae and (leaure" !e told me it wa

men of de(erate fortune on one hand, or of a(iring, u(erior fortune on the



other, who went abroad u(on ad#enture, to rie by enter(rie, and make

themel#e famou in undertaking of a nature out of the common road' that

thee thing were all either too far abo#e me or too far below me' that mine wa

the middle tate, or what might be called the u((er tation of low life, which he

had found, by long e0(erience, wa the bet tate in the world, the mot uited

to human ha((ine, not e0(oed to the mierie and hardhi(, the labour and

uffering of the mechanic (art of mankind, and not embarraed with the

(ride, lu0ury, ambition, and en#y of the u((er (art of mankind" !e told me I

might udge of the ha((ine of thi tate by thi one thing * #i&" that thi wa

the tate of life which all other (eo(le en#ied' that king ha#e freuently

lamented the mierable coneuence of being born to great thing, and wihed

they had been (laced in the middle of the two e0treme, between the mean and

the great' that the wie man ga#e hi tetimony to thi, a the tandard of

felicity, when he (rayed to ha#e neither (o#erty nor riche"

!e bade me ober#e it, and I hould alway find that the calamitie of life were

hared among the u((er and lower (art of mankind, but that the middle tation

had the fewet diater, and wa not e0(oed to o many #iciitude a the

higher or lower (art of mankind' nay, they were not ubected to o many

ditem(er and uneainee, either of body or mind, a thoe were who, by

#iciou li#ing, lu0ury, and e0tra#agance on the one hand, or by hard labour,

want of necearie, and mean or inufficient diet on the other hand, bring

ditem(er u(on themel#e by the natural coneuence of their way of li#ing'

that the middle tation of life wa calculated for all kind of #irtue and all kind

of enoyment' that (eace and (lenty were the handmaid of a middle fortune'that tem(erance, moderation, uietne, health, ociety, all agreeable

di#erion, and all deirable (leaure, were the bleing attending the middle

tation of life' that thi way men went ilently and moothly through the world,

and comfortably out of it, not embarraed with the labour of the hand or of

the head, not old to a life of la#ery for daily bread, nor haraed with

(er(le0ed circumtance, which rob the oul of (eace and the body of ret, nor

enraged with the (aion of en#y, or the ecret burning lut of ambition for

great thing' but, in eay circumtance, liding gently through the world, and

enibly tating the weet of li#ing, without the bitter' feeling that they are

ha((y, and learning by e#ery day e0(erience to know it more enibly,

After thi he (reed me earnetly, and in the mot affectionate manner, not to

(lay the young man, nor to (reci(itate myelf into mierie which nature, and

the tation of life I wa born in, eemed to ha#e (ro#ided againt' that I wa

under no neceity of eeking my bread' that he would do well for me, and

endea#our to enter me fairly into the tation of life which he had ut been



recommending to me' and that if I wa not #ery eay and ha((y in the world, it

mut be my mere fate or fault that mut hinder it' and that he hould ha#e

nothing to anwer for, ha#ing thu dicharged hi duty in warning me againt

meaure which he knew would be to my hurt' in a word, that a he would do

#ery kind thing for me if I would tay and ettle at home a he directed, o he

would not ha#e o much hand in my mifortune a to gi#e me any

encouragement to go away' and to cloe all, he told me I had my elder brother

for an e0am(le, to whom he had ued the ame earnet (eruaion to kee( him

from going into the -ow +ountry war, but could not (re#ail, hi young deire

(rom(ting him to run into the army, where he wa killed' and though he aid he

would not ceae to (ray for me, yet he would #enture to ay to me, that if I did

take thi foolih te(, 4od would not ble me, and I hould ha#e leiure

hereafter to reflect u(on ha#ing neglected hi counel when there might be

none to ait in my reco#ery"

I ober#ed in thi lat (art of hi dicoure, which wa truly (ro(hetic, though I

u((oe my father did not know it to be o himelf * I ay, I ober#ed the tear

run down hi face #ery (lentifully, e(ecially when he (oke of my brother who

wa killed5 and that when he (oke of my ha#ing leiure to re(ent, and none to

ait me, he wa o mo#ed that he broke off the dicoure, and told me hi

heart wa o full he could ay no more to me"

I wa incerely affected with thi dicoure, and, indeed, who could be

otherwie and I reol#ed not to think of going abroad any more, but to ettle at

home according to my father deire" But ala7 a few day wore it all off' and,

in hort, to (re#ent any of my father further im(ortunitie, in a few week

after I reol#ed to run uite away from him" !owe#er, I did not act uite o

hatily a the firt heat of my reolution (rom(ted' but I took my mother at a

time when I thought her a little more (leaant than ordinary, and told her that

my thought were o entirely bent u(on eeing the world that I hould ne#er

ettle to anything with reolution enough to go through with it, and my father

had better gi#e me hi conent than force me to go without it' that I wa now

eighteen year old, which wa too late to go a((rentice to a trade or clerk to an

attorney' that I wa ure if I did I hould ne#er er#e out my time, but I hould

certainly run away from my mater before my time wa out, and go to ea' andif he would (eak to my father to let me go one #oyage abroad, if I came home

again, and did not like it, I would go no more' and I would (romie, by a

double diligence, to reco#er the time that I had lot"

8hi (ut my mother into a great (aion' he told me he knew it would be to

no (ur(oe to (eak to my father u(on any uch ubect' that he knew too well



what wa my interet to gi#e hi conent to anything o much for my hurt' and

that he wondered how I could think of any uch thing after the dicoure I had

had with my father, and uch kind and tender e0(reion a he knew my

father had ued to me' and that, in hort, if I would ruin myelf, there wa no

hel( for me' but I might de(end I hould ne#er ha#e their conent to it' that for

her (art he would not ha#e o much hand in my detruction' and I hould

ne#er ha#e it to ay that my mother wa willing when my father wa not"

8hough my mother refued to mo#e it to my father, yet I heard afterward that

he re(orted all the dicoure to him, and that my father, after howing a great

concern at it, aid to her, with a igh, 98hat boy might be ha((y if he would

tay at home' but if he goe abroad, he will be the mot mierable wretch that

e#er wa born5 I can gi#e no conent to it"9

It wa not till almot a year after thi that I broke looe, though, in the

meantime, I continued obtinately deaf to all (ro(oal of ettling to buine,and freuently e0(otulated with my father and mother about their being o

(oiti#ely determined againt what they knew my inclination (rom(ted me to"

But being one day at !ull, where I went caually, and without any (ur(oe of

making an elo(ement at that time' but, I ay, being there, and one of my

com(anion being about to ail to -ondon in hi father hi(, and (rom(ting

me to go with them with the common allurement of eafaring men, that it

hould cot me nothing for my (aage, I conulted neither father nor mother

any more, nor o much a ent them word of it' but lea#ing them to hear of it a

they might, without aking 4od bleing or my father, without any

conideration of circumtance or coneuence, and in an ill hour, 4od know,

on the 1t of Se(tember 16:1, I went on board a hi( bound for -ondon" ;e#er

any young ad#enturer mifortune, I belie#e, began ooner, or continued

longer than mine" 8he hi( wa no ooner out of the !umber than the wind

began to blow and the ea to rie in a mot frightful manner' and, a I had ne#er

been at ea before, I wa mot ine0(reibly ick in body and terrified in mind"

I began now eriouly to reflect u(on what I had done, and how utly I wa

o#ertaken by the udgment of !ea#en for my wicked lea#ing my father houe,

and abandoning my duty" All the good counel of my (arent, my father tear

and my mother entreatie, came now freh into my mind' and my concience,which wa not yet come to the (itch of hardne to which it ha ince,

re(roached me with the contem(t of ad#ice, and the breach of my duty to 4od

and my father"

All thi while the torm increaed, and the ea went #ery high, though nothing

like what I ha#e een many time ince' no, nor what I aw a few day after' but



it wa enough to affect me then, who wa but a young ailor, and had ne#er

known anything of the matter" I e0(ected e#ery wa#e would ha#e wallowed u

u(, and that e#ery time the hi( fell down, a I thought it did, in the trough or

hollow of the ea, we hould ne#er rie more' in thi agony of mind, I made

many #ow and reolution that if it would (leae 4od to (are my life in thi

one #oyage, if e#er I got once my foot u(on dry land again, I would go directly

home to my father, and ne#er et it into a hi( again while I li#ed' that I would

take hi ad#ice, and ne#er run myelf into uch mierie a thee any more"

;ow I aw (lainly the goodne of hi ober#ation about the middle tation of

life, how eay, how comfortably he had li#ed all hi day, and ne#er had been

e0(oed to tem(et at ea or trouble on hore' and I reol#ed that I would,

like a true re(enting (rodigal, go home to my father"

8hee wie and ober thought continued all the while the torm lated, and

indeed ome time after' but the ne0t day the wind wa abated, and the ea

calmer, and I began to be a little inured to it' howe#er, I wa #ery gra#e for all

that day, being alo a little ea*ick till' but toward night the weather cleared

u(, the wind wa uite o#er, and a charming fine e#ening followed' the un

went down (erfectly clear, and roe o the ne0t morning' and ha#ing little or no

wind, and a mooth ea, the un hining u(on it, the ight wa, a I thought, the

mot delightful that e#er I aw"

I had le(t well in the night, and wa now no more ea*ick, but #ery cheerful,

looking with wonder u(on the ea that wa o rough and terrible the day before,

and could be o calm and o (leaant in o little a time after" And now, let my

good reolution hould continue, my com(anion, who had enticed me away,

come to me' 9Well, Bob,9 ay he, cla((ing me u(on the houlder, 9how do

you do after it I warrant you were frighted, wernt you, lat night, when it

blew but a ca(ful of wind9 9A ca(ful dyou call it9 aid I' 9twa a terrible

torm"9 9A torm, you fool you,9 re(lie he' 9do you call that a torm why, it

wa nothing at all' gi#e u but a good hi( and ea*room, and we think nothing

of uch a uall of wind a that' but youre but a freh*water ailor, Bob" +ome,

let u make a bowl of (unch, and well forget all that' dye ee what charming

weather ti now9 8o make hort thi ad (art of my tory, we went the way of

all ailor' the (unch wa made and I wa made half drunk with it5 and in thatone night wickedne I drowned all my re(entance, all my reflection u(on

my (at conduct, all my reolution for the future" In a word, a the ea wa

returned to it moothne of urface and ettled calmne by the abatement of

that torm, o the hurry of my thought being o#er, my fear and a((rehenion

of being wallowed u( by the ea being forgotten, and the current of my former

deire returned, I entirely forgot the #ow and (romie that I made in my



ditre" I found, indeed, ome inter#al of reflection' and the eriou thought

did, a it were, endea#our to return again ometime' but I hook them off, and

roued myelf from them a it were from a ditem(er, and a((lying myelf to

drinking and com(any, oon matered the return of thoe fit * for o I called

them' and I had in fi#e or i0 day got a com(lete a #ictory o#er concience a

any young fellow that reol#ed not to be troubled with it could deire" But I wa

to ha#e another trial for it till' and <ro#idence, a in uch cae generally it

doe, reol#ed to lea#e me entirely without e0cue' for if I would not take thi

for a deli#erance, the ne0t wa to be uch a one a the wort and mot hardened

wretch among u would confe both the danger and the mercy of"

8he i0th day of our being at ea we came into Yarmouth $oad' the wind

ha#ing been contrary and the weather calm, we had made but little way ince

the torm" !ere we were obliged to come to an anchor, and here we lay, the

wind continuing contrary * #i&" at outh*wet * for e#en or eight day, during

which time a great many hi( from ;ewcatle came into the ame $oad, a

the common harbour where the hi( might wait for a wind for the ri#er"

We had not, howe#er, rid here o long but we hould ha#e tided it u( the ri#er,

but that the wind blew too freh, and after we had lain four or fi#e day, blew

#ery hard" !owe#er, the $oad being reckoned a good a a harbour, the

anchorage good, and our ground* tackle #ery trong, our men were

unconcerned, and not in the leat a((reheni#e of danger, but (ent the time in

ret and mirth, after the manner of the ea' but the eighth day, in the morning,

the wind increaed, and we had all hand at work to trike our to(mat, and

make e#erything nug and cloe, that the hi( might ride a eay a (oible" By

noon the ea went #ery high indeed, and our hi( rode forecatle in, hi((ed

e#eral ea, and we thought once or twice our anchor had come home' u(on

which our mater ordered out the heet*anchor, o that we rode with two

anchor ahead, and the cable #eered out to the bitter end"

By thi time it blew a terrible torm indeed' and now I began to ee terror and

ama&ement in the face e#en of the eamen themel#e" 8he mater, though

#igilant in the buine of (reer#ing the hi(, yet a he went in and out of hi

cabin by me, I could hear him oftly to himelf ay, e#eral time, 9-ord bemerciful to u7 we hall be all lot7 we hall be all undone79 and the like"

.uring thee firt hurrie I wa tu(id, lying till in my cabin, which wa in the

teerage, and cannot decribe my tem(er5 I could ill reume the firt (enitence

which I had o a((arently tram(led u(on and hardened myelf againt5 I

thought the bitterne of death had been (at, and that thi would be nothing

like the firt' but when the mater himelf came by me, a I aid ut now, and



aid we hould be all lot, I wa dreadfully frighted" I got u( out of my cabin

and looked out' but uch a dimal ight I ne#er aw5 the ea ran mountain high,

and broke u(on u e#ery three or four minute' when I could look about, I

could ee nothing but ditre round u' two hi( that rode near u, we found,

had cut their mat by the board, being dee( laden' and our men cried out that a

hi( which rode about a mile ahead of u wa foundered" 8wo more hi(,

being dri#en from their anchor, were run out of the $oad to ea, at all

ad#enture, and that with not a mat tanding" 8he light hi( fared the bet, a

not o much labouring in the ea' but two or three of them dro#e, and came

cloe by u, running away with only their (ritail out before the wind"

8oward e#ening the mate and boatwain begged the mater of our hi( to let

them cut away the fore*mat, which he wa #ery unwilling to do' but the

boatwain (roteting to him that if he did not the hi( would founder, he

conented' and when they had cut away the fore*mat, the main*mat tood o

looe, and hook the hi( o much, they were obliged to cut that away alo, and

make a clear deck"

Any one may udge what a condition I mut be in at all thi, who wa but a

young ailor, and who had been in uch a fright before at but a little" But if I

can e0(re at thi ditance the thought I had about me at that time, I wa in

tenfold more horror of mind u(on account of my former con#iction, and the

ha#ing returned from them to the reolution I had wickedly taken at firt, than

I wa at death itelf' and thee, added to the terror of the torm, (ut me into

uch a condition that I can by no word decribe it" But the wort wa not come

yet' the torm continued with uch fury that the eamen themel#e

acknowledged they had ne#er een a wore" We had a good hi(, but he wa

dee( laden, and wallowed in the ea, o that the eamen e#ery now and then

cried out he would founder" It wa my ad#antage in one re(ect, that I did not

know what they meant by =>;.)$ till I inuired" !owe#er, the torm wa

o #iolent that I aw, what i not often een, the mater, the boatwain, and

ome other more enible than the ret, at their (rayer, and e0(ecting e#ery

moment when the hi( would go to the bottom" In the middle of the night, and

under all the ret of our ditree, one of the men that had been down to ee

cried out we had (rung a leak' another aid there wa four feet water in thehold" 8hen all hand were called to the (um(" At that word, my heart, a I

thought, died within me5 and I fell backward u(on the ide of my bed where I

at, into the cabin" !owe#er, the men roued me, and told me that I, that wa

able to do nothing before, wa a well able to (um( a another' at which I

tirred u( and went to the (um(, and worked #ery heartily" While thi wa

doing the mater, eeing ome light collier, who, not able to ride out the torm



were obliged to li( and run away to ea, and would come near u, ordered to

fire a gun a a ignal of ditre" I, who knew nothing what they meant, thought

the hi( had broken, or ome dreadful thing ha((ened" In a word, I wa o

ur(ried that I fell down in a woon" A thi wa a time when e#erybody had

hi own life to think of, nobody minded me, or what wa become of me' but

another man te((ed u( to the (um(, and thruting me aide with hi foot, let

me lie, thinking I had been dead' and it wa a great while before I came to

myelf"

We worked on' but the water increaing in the hold, it wa a((arent that the

hi( would founder' and though the torm began to abate a little, yet it wa not

(oible he could wim till we might run into any (ort' o the mater

continued firing gun for hel(' and a light hi(, who had rid it out ut ahead of

u, #entured a boat out to hel( u" It wa with the utmot ha&ard the boat came

near u' but it wa im(oible for u to get on board, or for the boat to lie near

the hi( ide, till at lat the men rowing #ery heartily, and #enturing their li#e

to a#e our, our men cat them a ro(e o#er the tern with a buoy to it, and then

#eered it out a great length, which they, after much labour and ha&ard, took

hold of, and we hauled them cloe under our tern, and got all into their boat" It

wa to no (ur(oe for them or u, after we were in the boat, to think of reaching

their own hi(' o all agreed to let her dri#e, and only to (ull her in toward

hore a much a we could' and our mater (romied them, that if the boat wa

ta#ed u(on hore, he would make it good to their mater5 o (artly rowing and

(artly dri#ing, our boat went away to the northward, lo(ing toward the hore

almot a far a Winterton ;e"

We were not much more than a uarter of an hour out of our hi( till we aw

her ink, and then I undertood for the firt time what wa meant by a hi(

foundering in the ea" I mut acknowledge I had hardly eye to look u( when

the eamen told me he wa inking' for from the moment that they rather (ut

me into the boat than that I might be aid to go in, my heart wa, a it were,

dead within me, (artly with fright, (artly with horror of mind, and the thought

of what wa yet before me"

While we were in thi condition * the men yet labouring at the oar to bring the boat near the hore * we could ee ?when, our boat mounting the wa#e, we

were able to ee the hore@ a great many (eo(le running along the trand to

ait u when we hould come near' but we made but low way toward the

hore' nor were we able to reach the hore till, being (at the lighthoue at

Winterton, the hore fall off to the wetward toward +romer, and o the land

broke off a little the #iolence of the wind" !ere we got in, and though not



without much difficulty, got all afe on hore, and walked afterward on foot to

Yarmouth, where, a unfortunate men, we were ued with great humanity, a

well by the magitrate of the town, who aigned u good uarter, a by

(articular merchant and owner of hi(, and had money gi#en u ufficient to

carry u either to -ondon or back to !ull a we thought fit"

!ad I now had the ene to ha#e gone back to !ull, and ha#e gone home, I had

been ha((y, and my father, a in our bleed Sa#iour (arable, had e#en killed

the fatted calf for me' for hearing the hi( I went away in wa cat away in

Yarmouth $oad, it wa a great while before he had any aurance that I wa

not drowned"

But my ill fate (uhed me on now with an obtinacy that nothing could reit'

and though I had e#eral time loud call from my reaon and my more

com(oed udgment to go home, yet I had no (ower to do it" I know not what to

call thi, nor will I urge that it i a ecret o#erruling decree, that hurrie u on to be the intrument of our own detruction, e#en though it be before u, and that

we ruh u(on it with our eye o(en" +ertainly, nothing but ome uch decreed

una#oidable miery, which it wa im(oible for me to eca(e, could ha#e

(uhed me forward againt the calm reaoning and (eruaion of my mot

retired thought, and againt two uch #iible intruction a I had met with in

my firt attem(t"

/y comrade, who had hel(ed to harden me before, and who wa the mater

on, wa now le forward than I" 8he firt time he (oke to me after we were

at Yarmouth, which wa not till two or three day, for we were e(arated in the

town to e#eral uarter' I ay, the firt time he aw me, it a((eared hi tone

wa altered' and, looking #ery melancholy, and haking hi head, he aked me

how I did, and telling hi father who I wa, and how I had come thi #oyage

only for a trial, in order to go further abroad, hi father, turning to me with a

#ery gra#e and concerned tone 9Young man,9 ay he, 9you ought ne#er to go

to ea any more' you ought to take thi for a (lain and #iible token that you are

not to be a eafaring man"9 9Why, ir,9 aid I, 9will you go to ea no more9

98hat i another cae,9 aid he' 9it i my calling, and therefore my duty' but a

you made thi #oyage on trial, you ee what a tate !ea#en ha gi#en you ofwhat you are to e0(ect if you (erit" <erha( thi ha all befallen u on your

account, like onah in the hi( of 8arhih" <ray,9 continue he, 9what are you'

and on what account did you go to ea9 >(on that I told him ome of my

tory' at the end of which he burt out into a trange kind of (aion5 9What had

I done,9 ay he, 9that uch an unha((y wretch hould come into my hi( I

would not et my foot in the ame hi( with thee again for a thouand (ound"9



8hi indeed wa, a I aid, an e0curion of hi (irit, which were yet agitated

by the ene of hi lo, and wa farther than he could ha#e authority to go"

!owe#er, he afterward talked #ery gra#ely to me, e0horting me to go back to

my father, and not tem(t <ro#idence to my ruin, telling me I might ee a #iible

hand of !ea#en againt me" 9And, young man,9 aid he, 9de(end u(on it, if you

do not go back, where#er you go, you will meet with nothing but diater and

dia((ointment, till your father word are fulfilled u(on you"9

We (arted oon after' for I made him little anwer, and I aw him no more'

which way he went I knew not" A for me, ha#ing ome money in my (ocket, I

tra#elled to -ondon by land' and there, a well a on the road, had many

truggle with myelf what coure of life I hould take, and whether I hould go

home or to ea"

A to going home, hame o((oed the bet motion that offered to my thought,

and it immediately occurred to me how I hould be laughed at among theneighbour, and hould be ahamed to ee, not my father and mother only, but

e#en e#erybody ele' from whence I ha#e ince often ober#ed, how

incongruou and irrational the common tem(er of mankind i, e(ecially of

youth, to that reaon which ought to guide them in uch cae * #i&" that they

are not ahamed to in, and yet are ahamed to re(ent' not ahamed of the

action for which they ought utly to be eteemed fool, but are ahamed of the

returning, which only can make them be eteemed wie men"

In thi tate of life, howe#er, I remained ome time, uncertain what meaure to

take, and what coure of life to lead" An irreitible reluctance continued to

going home' and a I tayed away a while, the remembrance of the ditre I

had been in wore off, and a that abated, the little motion I had in my deire to

return wore off with it, till at lat I uite laid aide the thought of it, and looked

out for a #oyage"

CHAPTER II - SLAVERY AND ESCAPE

8!A8 e#il influence which carried me firt away from my father houe *

which hurried me into the wild and indigeted notion of raiing my fortune, and

that im(reed thoe conceit o forcibly u(on me a to make me deaf to all

good ad#ice, and to the entreatie and e#en the command of my father * I ay,

the ame influence, whate#er it wa, (reented the mot unfortunate of all

enter(rie to my #iew' and I went on board a #eel bound to the coat of

Africa' or, a our ailor #ulgarly called it, a #oyage to 4uinea"



It wa my great mifortune that in all thee ad#enture I did not hi( myelf a a

ailor' when, though I might indeed ha#e worked a little harder than ordinary,

yet at the ame time I hould ha#e learnt the duty and office of a fore*mat

man, and in time might ha#e ualified myelf for a mate or lieutenant, if not for

a mater" But a it wa alway my fate to chooe for the wore, o I did here'

for ha#ing money in my (ocket and good clothe u(on my back, I would

alway go on board in the habit of a gentleman' and o I neither had any

buine in the hi(, nor learned to do any"

It wa my lot firt of all to fall into (retty good com(any in -ondon, which

doe not alway ha((en to uch looe and miguided young fellow a I then

wa' the de#il generally not omitting to lay ome nare for them #ery early' but

it wa not o with me" I firt got acuainted with the mater of a hi( who had

been on the coat of 4uinea' and who, ha#ing had #ery good ucce there, wa

reol#ed to go again" 8hi ca(tain taking a fancy to my con#eration, which

wa not at all diagreeable at that time, hearing me ay I had a mind to ee the

world, told me if I would go the #oyage with him I hould be at no e0(ene' I

hould be hi memate and hi com(anion' and if I could carry anything with

me, I hould ha#e all the ad#antage of it that the trade would admit' and

(erha( I might meet with ome encouragement"

I embraced the offer' and entering into a trict friendhi( with thi ca(tain, who

wa an honet, (lain*dealing man, I went the #oyage with him, and carried a

mall ad#enture with me, which, by the diintereted honety of my friend the

ca(tain, I increaed #ery coniderably' for I carried about C (ound in uch

toy and trifle a the ca(tain directed me to buy" 8hee C (ound I had

mutered together by the aitance of ome of my relation whom I

corre(onded with' and who, I belie#e, got my father, or at leat my mother, to

contribute o much a that to my firt ad#enture"

8hi wa the only #oyage which I may ay wa ucceful in all my ad#enture,

which I owe to the integrity and honety of my friend the ca(tain' under whom

alo I got a com(etent knowledge of the mathematic and the rule of

na#igation, learned how to kee( an account of the hi( coure, take an

ober#ation, and, in hort, to undertand ome thing that were needful to beundertood by a ailor' for, a he took delight to intruct me, I took delight to

learn' and, in a word, thi #oyage made me both a ailor and a merchant' for I

brought home fi#e (ound nine ounce of gold*dut for my ad#enture, which

yielded me in -ondon, at my return, almot 3CC (ound' and thi filled me with

thoe a(iring thought which ha#e ince o com(leted my ruin"



hand of !ea#en had o#ertaken me, and I wa undone without redem(tion' but,

ala7 thi wa but a tate of the miery I wa to go through, a will a((ear in the

euel of thi tory"

A my new (atron, or mater, had taken me home to hi houe, o I wa in

ho(e that he would take me with him when he went to ea again, belie#ing thatit would ome time or other be hi fate to be taken by a S(anih or <ortugal

man*of*war' and that then I hould be et at liberty" But thi ho(e of mine wa

oon taken away' for when he went to ea, he left me on hore to look after hi

little garden, and do the common drudgery of la#e about hi houe' and when

he came home again from hi cruie, he ordered me to lie in the cabin to look

after the hi("

!ere I meditated nothing but my eca(e, and what method I might take to

effect it, but found no way that had the leat (robability in it' nothing (reented

to make the u((oition of it rational' for I had nobody to communicate it tothat would embark with me * no fellow*la#e, no )nglihman, Irihman, or

Scotchman there but myelf' o that for two year, though I often (leaed

myelf with the imagination, yet I ne#er had the leat encouraging (ro(ect of

(utting it in (ractice"

After about two year, an odd circumtance (reented itelf, which (ut the old

thought of making ome attem(t for my liberty again in my head" /y (atron

lying at home longer than uual without fitting out hi hi(, which, a I heard,

wa for want of money, he ued contantly, once or twice a week, ometime

oftener if the weather wa fair, to take the hi( (innace and go out into the

road a* fihing' and a he alway took me and young /areco with him to row

the boat, we made him #ery merry, and I (ro#ed #ery de0terou in catching

fih' inomuch that ometime he would end me with a /oor, one of hi

kinmen, and the youth * the /areco, a they called him * to catch a dih of

fih for him"

It ha((ened one time, that going a*fihing in a calm morning, a fog roe o

thick that, though we were not half a league from the hore, we lot ight of it'

and rowing we knew not whither or which way, we laboured all day, and all the

ne0t night' and when the morning came we found we had (ulled off to ea

intead of (ulling in for the hore' and that we were at leat two league from

the hore" !owe#er, we got well in again, though with a great deal of labour

and ome danger' for the wind began to blow (retty freh in the morning' but

we were all #ery hungry"



But our (atron, warned by thi diater, reol#ed to take more care of himelf

for the future' and ha#ing lying by him the longboat of our )nglih hi( that he

had taken, he reol#ed he would not go a* fihing any more without a com(a

and ome (ro#iion' o he ordered the car(enter of hi hi(, who alo wa an

)nglih la#e, to build a little tate*room, or cabin, in the middle of the long*

boat, like that of a barge, with a (lace to tand behind it to teer, and haul home

the main*heet' the room before for a hand or two to tand and work the ail"

She ailed with what we call a houlder*of*mutton ail' and the boom ibed

o#er the to( of the cabin, which lay #ery nug and low, and had in it room for

him to lie, with a la#e or two, and a table to eat on, with ome mall locker to

(ut in ome bottle of uch liuor a he thought fit to drink' and hi bread, rice,

and coffee"

We went freuently out with thi boat a*fihing' and a I wa mot de0terou to

catch fih for him, he ne#er went without me" It ha((ened that he had a((ointed

to go out in thi boat, either for (leaure or for fih, with two or three /oor of

ome ditinction in that (lace, and for whom he had (ro#ided e0traordinarily,

and had, therefore, ent on board the boat o#ernight a larger tore of (ro#iion

than ordinary' and had ordered me to get ready three fuee with (owder and

hot, which were on board hi hi(, for that they deigned ome (ort of

fowling a well a fihing"

I got all thing ready a he had directed, and waited the ne0t morning with the

boat wahed clean, her ancient and (endant out, and e#erything to

accommodate hi guet' when by*and*by my (atron came on board alone, and

told me hi guet had (ut off going from ome buine that fell out, and

ordered me, with the man and boy, a uual, to go out with the boat and catch

them ome fih, for that hi friend were to u( at hi houe, and commanded

that a oon a I got ome fih I hould bring it home to hi houe' all which I

(re(ared to do"

8hi moment my former notion of deli#erance darted into my thought, for

now I found I wa likely to ha#e a little hi( at my command' and my mater

being gone, I (re(ared to furnih myelf, not for fihing buine, but for a

#oyage' though I knew not, neither did I o much a conider, whither I houldteer * anywhere to get out of that (lace wa my deire"

/y firt contri#ance wa to make a (retence to (eak to thi /oor, to get

omething for our ubitence on board' for I told him we mut not (reume to

eat of our (atron bread" !e aid that wa true' o he brought a large baket of

ruk or bicuit, and three ar of freh water, into the boat" I knew where my

(atron cae of bottle tood, which it wa e#ident, by the make, were taken



out of ome )nglih (ri&e, and I con#eyed them into the boat while the /oor

wa on hore, a if they had been there before for our mater" I con#eyed alo a

great lum( of beewa0 into the boat, which weighed about half a hundred*

weight, with a (arcel of twine or thread, a hatchet, a aw, and a hammer, all of

which were of great ue to u afterward, e(ecially the wa0, to make candle"

Another trick I tried u(on him, which he innocently came into alo5 hi name

wa Imael, which they call /uley, or /oely' o I called to him * 9/oely,9 aid

I, 9our (atron gun are on board the boat' can you not get a little (owder and

hot It may be we may kill ome alcamie ?a fowl like our curlew@ for

ourel#e, for I know he kee( the gunner tore in the hi("9 9Ye,9 ay he,

9Ill bring ome'9 and accordingly he brought a great leather (ouch, which held

a (ound and a half of (owder, or rather more' and another with hot, that had

fi#e or i0 (ound, with ome bullet, and (ut all into the boat" At the ame

time I had found ome (owder of my mater in the great cabin, with which I

filled one of the large bottle in the cae, which wa almot em(ty, (ouring

what wa in it into another' and thu furnihed with e#erything needful, we

ailed out of the (ort to fih" 8he catle, which i at the entrance of the (ort,

knew who we were, and took no notice of u' and we were not abo#e a mile out

of the (ort before we hauled in our ail and et u down to fih" 8he wind blew

from the ;";")", which wa contrary to my deire, for had it blown outherly I

had been ure to ha#e made the coat of S(ain, and at leat reached to the bay

of +adi&' but my reolution were, blow which way it would, I would be gone

from that horrid (lace where I wa, and lea#e the ret to fate"

After we had fihed ome time and caught nothing * for when I had fih on myhook I would not (ull them u(, that he might not ee them * I aid to the /oor,

98hi will not do' our mater will not be thu er#ed' we mut tand farther

off"9 !e, thinking no harm, agreed, and being in the head of the boat, et the

ail' and, a I had the helm, I ran the boat out near a league farther, and then

brought her to, a if I would fih' when, gi#ing the boy the helm, I te((ed

forward to where the /oor wa, and making a if I too(ed for omething

behind him, I took him by ur(rie with my arm under hi wait, and toed

him clear o#erboard into the ea" !e roe immediately, for he wam like a cork,

and called to me, begged to be taken in, told me he would go all o#er the world

with me" !e wam o trong after the boat that he would ha#e reached me #eryuickly, there being but little wind' u(on which I te((ed into the cabin, and

fetching one of the fowling*(iece, I (reented it at him, and told him I had

done him no hurt, and if he would be uiet I would do him none" 9But,9 aid I,

9you wim well enough to reach to the hore, and the ea i calm' make the bet

of your way to hore, and I will do you no harm' but if you come near the boat

Ill hoot you through the head, for I am reol#ed to ha#e my liberty'9 o he



turned himelf about, and wam for the hore, and I make no doubt but he

reached it with eae, for he wa an e0cellent wimmer"

I could ha#e been content to ha#e taken thi /oor with me, and ha#e drowned

the boy, but there wa no #enturing to trut him" When he wa gone, I turned to

the boy, whom they called Dury, and aid to him, 9Dury, if you will be faithfulto me, Ill make you a great man' but if you will not troke your face to be true

to me9 * that i, wear by /ahomet and hi father beard * 9I mut throw you

into the ea too"9 8he boy miled in my face, and (oke o innocently that I

could not ditrut him, and wore to be faithful to me, and go all o#er the world

with me"

While I wa in #iew of the /oor that wa wimming, I tood out directly to ea

with the boat, rather tretching to windward, that they might think me gone

toward the Strait mouth ?a indeed any one that had been in their wit mut

ha#e been u((oed to do@5 for who would ha#e u((oed we were ailed on tothe outhward, to the truly Barbarian coat, where whole nation of negroe

were ure to urround u with their canoe and detroy u' where we could not

go on hore but we hould be de#oured by a#age beat, or more mercile

a#age of human kind"

But a oon a it grew duk in the e#ening, I changed my coure, and teered

directly outh and by eat, bending my coure a little toward the eat, that I

might kee( in with the hore' and ha#ing a fair, freh gale of wind, and a

mooth, uiet ea, I made uch ail that I belie#e by the ne0t day, at three

oclock in the afternoon, when I firt made the land, I could not be le than one

hundred and fifty mile outh of Sallee' uite beyond the )m(eror of

/orocco dominion, or indeed of any other king thereabout, for we aw no

(eo(le"

Yet uch wa the fright I had taken of the /oor, and the dreadful

a((rehenion I had of falling into their hand, that I would not to(, or go on

hore, or come to an anchor' the wind continuing fair till I had ailed in that

manner fi#e day' and then the wind hifting to the outhward, I concluded alo

that if any of our #eel were in chae of me, they alo would now gi#e o#er'

o I #entured to make to the coat, and came to an anchor in the mouth of a

little ri#er, I knew not what, nor where, neither what latitude, what country,

what nation, or what ri#er" I neither aw, nor deired to ee any (eo(le' the

(rinci(al thing I wanted wa freh water" We came into thi creek in the

e#ening, reol#ing to wim on hore a oon a it wa dark, and dico#er the

country' but a oon a it wa uite dark, we heard uch dreadful noie of the

barking, roaring, and howling of wild creature, of we knew not what kind,



that the (oor boy wa ready to die with fear, and begged of me not to go on

hore till day" 9Well, Dury,9 aid I, 9then I wont' but it may be that we may ee

men by day, who will be a bad to u a thoe lion"9 98hen we gi#e them the

hoot gun,9 ay Dury, laughing, 9make them run wey"9 Such )nglih Dury

(oke by con#ering among u la#e" !owe#er, I wa glad to ee the boy o

cheerful, and I ga#e him a dram ?out of our (atron cae of bottle@ to cheer

him u(" After all, Dury ad#ice wa good, and I took it' we dro((ed our little

anchor, and lay till all night' I ay till, for we le(t none' for in two or three

hour we aw #at great creature ?we knew not what to call them@ of many

ort, come down to the ea*hore and run into the water, wallowing and

wahing themel#e for the (leaure of cooling themel#e' and they made uch

hideou howling and yelling, that I ne#er indeed heard the like"

Dury wa dreadfully frighted, and indeed o wa I too' but we were both more

frighted when we heard one of thee mighty creature come wimming toward

our boat' we could not ee him, but we might hear him by hi blowing to be a

montrou huge and furiou beat" Dury aid it wa a lion, and it might be o

for aught I know' but (oor Dury cried to me to weigh the anchor and row away'

9;o,9 ay I, 9Dury' we can li( our cable, with the buoy to it, and go off to

ea' they cannot follow u far"9 I had no ooner aid o, but I (ercei#ed the

creature ?whate#er it wa@ within two oar length, which omething ur(ried

me' howe#er, I immediately te((ed to the cabin door, and taking u( my gun,

fired at him' u(on which he immediately turned about and wam toward the

hore again"

But it i im(oible to decribe the horrid noie, and hideou crie and

howling that were raied, a well u(on the edge of the hore a higher within

the country, u(on the noie or re(ort of the gun, a thing I ha#e ome reaon to

belie#e thoe creature had ne#er heard before5 thi con#inced me that there

wa no going on hore for u in the night on that coat, and how to #enture on

hore in the day wa another uetion too' for to ha#e fallen into the hand of

any of the a#age had been a bad a to ha#e fallen into the hand of the lion

and tiger' at leat we were eually a((reheni#e of the danger of it"

Be that a it would, we were obliged to go on hore omewhere or other forwater, for we had not a (int left in the boat' when and where to get to it wa the

(oint" Dury aid, if I would let him go on hore with one of the ar, he would

find if there wa any water, and bring ome to me" I aked him why he would

go why I hould not go, and he tay in the boat 8he boy anwered with o

much affection a made me lo#e him e#er after" Say he, 9If wild man come,

they eat me, you go wey"9 9Well, Dury,9 aid I, 9we will both go and if the wild



man come, we will kill them, they hall eat neither of u"9 So I ga#e Dury a

(iece of ruk bread to eat, and a dram out of our (atron cae of bottle which I

mentioned before' and we hauled the boat in a near the hore a we thought

wa (ro(er, and o waded on hore, carrying nothing but our arm and two ar

for water"

I did not care to go out of ight of the boat, fearing the coming of canoe with

a#age down the ri#er' but the boy eeing a low (lace about a mile u( the

country, rambled to it, and by*and*by I aw him come running toward me" I

thought he wa (urued by ome a#age, or frighted with ome wild beat, and

I ran forward toward him to hel( him' but when I came nearer to him I aw

omething hanging o#er hi houlder, which wa a creature that he had hot,

like a hare, but different in colour, and longer leg' howe#er, we were #ery glad

of it, and it wa #ery good meat' but the great oy that (oor Dury came with,

wa to tell me he had found good water and een no wild man"

But we found afterward that we need not take uch (ain for water, for a little

higher u( the creek where we were we found the water freh when the tide wa

out, which flowed but a little way u(' o we filled our ar, and feated on the

hare he had killed, and (re(ared to go on our way, ha#ing een no footte( of

any human creature in that (art of the country"

A I had been one #oyage to thi coat before, I knew #ery well that the iland

of the +anarie, and the +a(e de Eerde Iland alo, lay not far off from the

coat" But a I had no intrument to take an ober#ation to know what latitude

we were in, and not e0actly knowing, or at leat remembering, what latitude

they were in, I knew not where to look for them, or when to tand off to ea

toward them' otherwie I might now eaily ha#e found ome of thee iland"

But my ho(e wa, that if I tood along thi coat till I came to that (art where

the )nglih traded, I hould find ome of their #eel u(on their uual deign

of trade, that would relie#e and take u in"

By the bet of my calculation, that (lace where I now wa mut be that country

which, lying between the )m(eror of /orocco dominion and the negroe,

lie wate and uninhabited, e0ce(t by wild beat' the negroe ha#ing

abandoned it and gone farther outh for fear of the /oor, and the /oor not

thinking it worth inhabiting by reaon of it barrenne' and indeed, both

foraking it becaue of the (rodigiou number of tiger, lion, leo(ard, and

other furiou creature which harbour there' o that the /oor ue it for their

hunting only, where they go like an army, two or three thouand men at a time'

and indeed for near a hundred mile together u(on thi coat we aw nothing



but a wate, uninhabited country by day, and heard nothing but howling and

roaring of wild beat by night"

=nce or twice in the daytime I thought I aw the <ico of 8eneriffe, being the

high to( of the /ountain 8eneriffe in the +anarie, and had a great mind to

#enture out, in ho(e of reaching thither' but ha#ing tried twice, I wa forced inagain by contrary wind, the ea alo going too high for my little #eel' o, I

reol#ed to (urue my firt deign, and kee( along the hore"

Se#eral time I wa obliged to land for freh water, after we had left thi (lace'

and once in (articular, being early in morning, we came to an anchor under a

little (oint of land, which wa (retty high' and the tide beginning to flow, we

lay till to go farther in" Dury, whoe eye were more about him than it eem

mine were, call oftly to me, and tell me that we had bet go farther off the

hore' 9or,9 ay he, 9look, yonder lie a dreadful monter on the ide of that

hillock, fat alee("9 I looked where he (ointed, and aw a dreadful monterindeed, for it wa a terrible, great lion that lay on the ide of the hore, under

the hade of a (iece of the hill that hung a it were a little o#er him" 9Dury,9

ay I, 9you hall on hore and kill him"9 Dury, looked frighted, and aid, 9/e

kill7 he eat me at one mouth79 * one mouthful he meant" !owe#er, I aid no

more to the boy, but bade him lie till, and I took our bigget gun, which wa

almot muket*bore, and loaded it with a good charge of (owder, and with two

lug, and laid it down' then I loaded another gun with two bullet' and the

third ?for we had three (iece@ I loaded with fi#e maller bullet" I took the bet

aim I could with the firt (iece to ha#e hot him in the head, but he lay o with

hi leg raied a little abo#e hi noe, that the lug hit hi leg about the knee and

broke the bone" !e tarted u(, growling at firt, but finding hi leg broken, fell

down again' and then got u(on three leg, and ga#e the mot hideou roar that

e#er I heard" I wa a little ur(ried that I had not hit him on the head' howe#er,

I took u( the econd (iece immediately, and though he began to mo#e off, fired

again, and hot him in the head, and had the (leaure to ee him dro( and make

but little noie, but lie truggling for life" 8hen Dury took heart, and would

ha#e me let him go on hore" 9Well, go,9 aid I5 o the boy um(ed into the

water and taking a little gun in one hand, wam to hore with the other hand,

and coming cloe to the creature, (ut the mu&&le of the (iece to hi ear, andhot him in the head again, which de(atched him uite"

8hi wa game indeed to u, but thi wa no food' and I wa #ery orry to loe

three charge of (owder and hot u(on a creature that wa good for nothing to

u" !owe#er, Dury aid he would ha#e ome of him' o he come on board, and

aked me to gi#e him the hatchet" 9or what, Dury9 aid I" 9/e cut off hi



head,9 aid he" !owe#er, Dury could not cut off hi head, but he cut off a foot,

and brought it with him, and it wa a montrou great one"

I bethought myelf, howe#er, that, (erha( the kin of him might, one way or

other, be of ome #alue to u' and I reol#ed to take off hi kin if I could" So

Dury and I went to work with him' but Dury wa much the better workman atit, for I knew #ery ill how to do it" Indeed, it took u both u( the whole day, but

at lat we got off the hide of him, and (reading it on the to( of our cabin, the

un effectually dried it in two day time, and it afterward er#ed me to lie

u(on"

CHAPTER III - WRECKED N A DESERT ISLAND

A8)$ thi to(, we made on to the outhward continually for ten or twel#e

day, li#ing #ery (aringly on our (ro#iion, which began to abate #ery much,

and going no oftener to the hore than we were obliged to for freh water" /y

deign in thi wa to make the ri#er 4ambia or Senegal, that i to ay anywhere

about the +a(e de Eerde, where I wa in ho(e to meet with ome )uro(ean

hi(' and if I did not, I knew not what coure I had to take, but to eek for the

iland, or (erih there among the negroe" I knew that all the hi( from

)uro(e, which ailed either to the coat of 4uinea or to Bra&il, or to the )at

Indie, made thi ca(e, or thoe iland' and, in a word, I (ut the whole of my

fortune u(on thi ingle (oint, either that I mut meet with ome hi( or mut

(erih"

When I had (urued thi reolution about ten day longer, a I ha#e aid, I

began to ee that the land wa inhabited' and in two or three (lace, a we

ailed by, we aw (eo(le tand u(on the hore to look at u' we could alo

(ercei#e they were uite black and naked" I wa once inclined to ha#e gone on

hore to them' but Dury wa my better counellor, and aid to me, 9;o go, no

go"9 !owe#er, I hauled in nearer the hore that I might talk to them, and I

found they ran along the hore by me a good way" I ober#ed they had no

wea(on in their hand, e0ce(t one, who had a long lender tick, which Duryaid wa a lance, and that they could throw them a great way with good aim' o

I ke(t at a ditance, but talked with them by ign a well a I could' and

(articularly made ign for omething to eat5 they beckoned to me to to( my

boat, and they would fetch me ome meat" >(on thi I lowered the to( of my

ail and lay by, and two of them ran u( into the country, and in le than half*

an* hour came back, and brought with them two (iece of dried fleh and ome



corn, uch a i the (roduce of their country' but we neither knew what the one

or the other wa' howe#er, we were willing to acce(t it, but how to come at it

wa our ne0t di(ute, for I would not #enture on hore to them, and they were

a much afraid of u' but they took a afe way for u all, for they brought it to

the hore and laid it down, and went and tood a great way off till we fetched it

on board, and then came cloe to u again"

We made ign of thank to them, for we had nothing to make them amend'

but an o((ortunity offered that #ery intant to oblige them wonderfully' for

while we were lying by the hore came two mighty creature, one (uruing the

other ?a we took it@ with great fury from the mountain toward the ea'

whether it wa the male (uruing the female, or whether they were in (ort or

in rage, we could not tell, any more than we could tell whether it wa uual or

trange, but I belie#e it wa the latter' becaue, in the firt (lace, thoe ra#enou

creature eldom a((ear but in the night' and, in the econd (lace, we found the

(eo(le terribly frighted, e(ecially the women" 8he man that had the lance or

dart did not fly from them, but the ret did' howe#er, a the two creature ran

directly into the water, they did not offer to fall u(on any of the negroe, but

(lunged themel#e into the ea, and wam about, a if they had come for their

di#erion' at lat one of them began to come nearer our boat than at firt I

e0(ected' but I lay ready for him, for I had loaded my gun with all (oible

e0(edition, and bade Dury load both the other" A oon a he came fairly

within my reach, I fired, and hot him directly in the head' immediately he ank

down into the water, but roe intantly, and (lunged u( and down, a if he were

truggling for life, and o indeed he wa' he immediately made to the hore' but between the wound, which wa hi mortal hurt, and the trangling of the water,

he died ut before he reached the hore"

It i im(oible to e0(re the atonihment of thee (oor creature at the noie

and fire of my gun5 ome of them were e#en ready to die for fear, and fell down

a dead with the #ery terror' but when they aw the creature dead, and unk in

the water, and that I made ign to them to come to the hore, they took heart

and came, and began to earch for the creature" I found him by hi blood

taining the water' and by the hel( of a ro(e, which I lung round him, and ga#e

the negroe to haul, they dragged him on hore, and found that it wa a motcuriou leo(ard, (otted, and fine to an admirable degree' and the negroe held

u( their hand with admiration, to think what it wa I had killed him with"

8he other creature, frighted with the flah of fire and the noie of the gun,

wam on hore, and ran u( directly to the mountain from whence they came'

nor could I, at that ditance, know what it wa" I found uickly the negroe



wihed to eat the fleh of thi creature, o I wa willing to ha#e them take it a a

fa#our from me' which, when I made ign to them that they might take him,

they were #ery thankful for" Immediately they fell to work with him' and

though they had no knife, yet, with a har(ened (iece of wood, they took off hi

kin a readily, and much more readily, than we could ha#e done with a knife"

8hey offered me ome of the fleh, which I declined, (ointing out that I would

gi#e it them' but made ign for the kin, which they ga#e me #ery freely, and

brought me a great deal more of their (ro#iion, which, though I did not

undertand, yet I acce(ted" I then made ign to them for ome water, and held

out one of my ar to them, turning it bottom u(ward, to how that it wa

em(ty, and that I wanted to ha#e it filled" 8hey called immediately to ome of

their friend, and there came two women, and brought a great #eel made of

earth, and burnt, a I u((oed, in the un, thi they et down to me, a before,

and I ent Dury on hore with my ar, and filled them all three" 8he women

were a naked a the men"

I wa now furnihed with root and corn, uch a it wa, and water' and lea#ing

my friendly negroe, I made forward for about ele#en day more, without

offering to go near the hore, till I aw the land run out a great length into the

ea, at about the ditance of four or fi#e league before me' and the ea being

#ery calm, I ke(t a large offing to make thi (oint" At length, doubling the

(oint, at about two league from the land, I aw (lainly land on the other ide,

to eaward' then I concluded, a it wa mot certain indeed, that thi wa the

+a(e de Eerde, and thoe the iland called, from thence, +a(e de Eerde

Iland" !owe#er, they were at a great ditance, and I could not well tell what Ihad bet to do' for if I hould be taken with a freh of wind, I might neither

reach one or other"

In thi dilemma, a I wa #ery (eni#e, I te((ed into the cabin and at down,

Dury ha#ing the helm' when, on a udden, the boy cried out, 9/ater, mater, a

hi( with a ail79 and the foolih boy wa frighted out of hi wit, thinking it

mut need be ome of hi mater hi( ent to (urue u, but I knew we were

far enough out of their reach" I um(ed out of the cabin, and immediately aw,

not only the hi(, but that it wa a <ortuguee hi(' and, a I thought, wa

bound to the coat of 4uinea, for negroe" But, when I ober#ed the coure heteered, I wa oon con#inced they were bound ome other way, and did not

deign to come any nearer to the hore' u(on which I tretched out to ea a

much a I could, reol#ing to (eak with them if (oible"

With all the ail I could make, I found I hould not be able to come in their

way, but that they would be gone by before I could make any ignal to them5



but after I had crowded to the utmot, and began to de(air, they, it eem, aw

by the hel( of their glae that it wa ome )uro(ean boat, which they

u((oed mut belong to ome hi( that wa lot' o they hortened ail to let

me come u(" I wa encouraged with thi, and a I had my (atron ancient on

board, I made a waft of it to them, for a ignal of ditre, and fired a gun, both

which they aw' for they told me they aw the moke, though they did not hear

the gun" >(on thee ignal they #ery kindly brought to, and lay by for me' and

in about three hour' time I came u( with them"

8hey aked me what I wa, in <ortuguee, and in S(anih, and in rench, but I

undertood none of them' but at lat a Scotch ailor, who wa on board, called

to me5 and I anwered him, and told him I wa an )nglihman, that I had made

my eca(e out of la#ery from the /oor, at Sallee' they then bade me come on

board, and #ery kindly took me in, and all my good"

It wa an ine0(reible oy to me, which any one will belie#e, that I wa thudeli#ered, a I eteemed it, from uch a mierable and almot ho(ele

condition a I wa in' and I immediately offered all I had to the ca(tain of the

hi(, a a return for my deli#erance' but he generouly told me he would take

nothing from me, but that all I had hould be deli#ered afe to me when I came

to the Bra&il" 9or,9 ay he, 9I ha#e a#ed your life on no other term than I

would be glad to be a#ed myelf5 and it may, one time or other, be my lot to be

taken u( in the ame condition" Beide,9 aid he, 9when I carry you to the

Bra&il, o great a way from your own country, if I hould take from you what

you ha#e, you will be tar#ed there, and then I only take away that life I ha#e

gi#en" ;o, no,9 ay he5 9Seignior Inglee9 ?/r" )nglihman@, 9I will carry you

thither in charity, and thoe thing will hel( to buy your ubitence there, and

your (aage home again"9

A he wa charitable in thi (ro(oal, o he wa ut in the (erformance to a

tittle' for he ordered the eamen that none hould touch anything that I had5

then he took e#erything into hi own (oeion, and ga#e me back an e0act

in#entory of them, that I might ha#e them, e#en to my three earthen ar"

A to my boat, it wa a #ery good one' and that he aw, and told me he would

buy it of me for hi hi( ue' and aked me what I would ha#e for it I told

him he had been o generou to me in e#erything that I could not offer to make

any (rice of the boat, but left it entirely to him5 u(on which he told me he

would gi#e me a note of hand to (ay me eighty (iece of eight for it at Bra&il'

and when it came there, if any one offered to gi#e more, he would make it u("

!e offered me alo i0ty (iece of eight more for my boy Dury, which I wa

loth to take' not that I wa unwilling to let the ca(tain ha#e him, but I wa #ery



loth to ell the (oor boy liberty, who had aited me o faithfully in (rocuring

my own" !owe#er, when I let him know my reaon, he owned it to be ut, and

offered me thi medium, that he would gi#e the boy an obligation to et him

free in ten year, if he turned +hritian5 u(on thi, and Dury aying he wa

willing to go to him, I let the ca(tain ha#e him"

We had a #ery good #oyage to the Bra&il, and I arri#ed in the Bay de 8odo

lo Santo, or All Saint Bay, in about twenty*two day after" And now I wa

once more deli#ered from the mot mierable of all condition of life' and what

to do ne0t with myelf I wa to conider"

8he generou treatment the ca(tain ga#e me I can ne#er enough remember5 he

would take nothing of me for my (aage, ga#e me twenty ducat for the

leo(ard kin, and forty for the lion kin, which I had in my boat, and caued

e#erything I had in the hi( to be (unctually deli#ered to me' and what I wa

willing to ell he bought of me, uch a the cae of bottle, two of my gun, anda (iece of the lum( of beewa0 * for I had made candle of the ret5 in a word, I

made about two hundred and twenty (iece of eight of all my cargo' and with

thi tock I went on hore in the Bra&il"

I had not been long here before I wa recommended to the houe of a good

honet man like himelf, who had an I;4);I=, a they call it ?that i, a

(lantation and a ugar*houe@" I li#ed with him ome time, and acuainted

myelf by that mean with the manner of (lanting and making of ugar' and

eeing how well the (lanter li#ed, and how they got rich uddenly, I reol#ed,

if I could get a licence to ettle there, I would turn (lanter among them5

reol#ing in the meantime to find out ome way to get my money, which I had

left in -ondon, remitted to me" 8o thi (ur(oe, getting a kind of letter of

naturaliation, I (urchaed a much land that wa uncured a my money would

reach, and formed a (lan for my (lantation and ettlement' uch a one a might

be uitable to the tock which I (ro(oed to myelf to recei#e from )ngland"

I had a neighbour, a <ortuguee, of -ibon, but born of )nglih (arent, whoe

name wa Well, and in much uch circumtance a I wa" I call him my

neighbour, becaue hi (lantation lay ne0t to mine, and we went on #ery

ociably together" /y tock wa but low, a well a hi' and we rather (lanted

for food than anything ele, for about two year" !owe#er, we began to

increae, and our land began to come into order' o that the third year we

(lanted ome tobacco, and made each of u a large (iece of ground ready for

(lanting cane in the year to come" But we both wanted hel(' and now I found,

more than before, I had done wrong in (arting with my boy Dury"



But, ala7 for me to do wrong that ne#er did right, wa no great wonder" I hail

no remedy but to go on5 I had got into an em(loyment uite remote to my

geniu, and directly contrary to the life I delighted in, and for which I forook

my father houe, and broke through all hi good ad#ice" ;ay, I wa coming

into the #ery middle tation, or u((er degree of low life, which my father

ad#ied me to before, and which, if I reol#ed to go on with, I might a well

ha#e tayed at home, and ne#er ha#e fatigued myelf in the world a I had

done' and I ued often to ay to myelf, I could ha#e done thi a well in

)ngland, among my friend, a ha#e gone fi#e thouand mile off to do it

among tranger and a#age, in a wilderne, and at uch a ditance a ne#er to

hear from any (art of the world that had the leat knowledge of me"

In thi manner I ued to look u(on my condition with the utmot regret" I had

nobody to con#ere with, but now and then thi neighbour' no work to be done,

but by the labour of my hand' and I ued to ay, I li#ed ut like a man cat

away u(on ome deolate iland, that had nobody there but himelf" But how

ut ha it been * and how hould all men reflect, that when they com(are their

(reent condition with other that are wore, !ea#en may oblige them to make

the e0change, and be con#inced of their former felicity by their e0(erience * I

ay, how ut ha it been, that the truly olitary life I reflected on, in an iland of

mere deolation, hould be my lot, who had o often unutly com(ared it with

the life which I then led, in which, had I continued, I had in all (robability been

e0ceeding (ro(erou and rich"

I wa in ome degree ettled in my meaure for carrying on the (lantation

before my kind friend, the ca(tain of the hi( that took me u( at ea, went back

* for the hi( remained there, in (ro#iding hi lading and (re(aring for hi

#oyage, nearly three month * when telling him what little tock I had left

behind me in -ondon, he ga#e me thi friendly and incere ad#ice5* 9Seignior

Inglee,9 ay he ?for o he alway called me@, 9if you will gi#e me letter, and

a (rocuration in form to me, with order to the (eron who ha your money in

-ondon to end your effect to -ibon, to uch (eron a I hall direct, and in

uch good a are (ro(er for thi country, I will bring you the (roduce of them,

4od willing, at my return' but, ince human affair are all ubect to change

and diater, I would ha#e you gi#e order but for one hundred (oundterling, which, you ay, i half your tock, and let the ha&ard be run for the

firt' o that, if it come afe, you may order the ret the ame way, and, if it

micarry, you may ha#e the other half to ha#e recoure to for your u((ly"9

8hi wa o wholeome ad#ice, and looked o friendly, that I could not but be

con#inced it wa the bet coure I could take' o I accordingly (re(ared letter



to the gentlewoman with whom I had left my money, and a (rocuration to the

<ortuguee ca(tain, a he deired"

I wrote the )nglih ca(tain widow a full account of all my ad#enture * my

la#ery, eca(e, and how I had met with the <ortuguee ca(tain at ea, the

humanity of hi beha#iour, and what condition I wa now in, with all otherneceary direction for my u((ly' and when thi honet ca(tain came to

-ibon, he found mean, by ome of the )nglih merchant there, to end o#er,

not the order only, but a full account of my tory to a merchant in -ondon, who

re(reented it effectually to her' whereu(on he not only deli#ered the money,

but out of her own (ocket ent the <ortugal ca(tain a #ery handome (reent for

hi humanity and charity to me"

8he merchant in -ondon, #eting thi hundred (ound in )nglih good, uch

a the ca(tain had written for, ent them directly to him at -ibon, and he

brought them all afe to me to the Bra&il' among which, without my direction?for I wa too young in my buine to think of them@, he had taken care to ha#e

all ort of tool, ironwork, and utenil neceary for my (lantation, and which

were of great ue to me"

When thi cargo arri#ed I thought my fortune made, for I wa ur(ried with

the oy of it' and my tood teward, the ca(tain, had laid out the fi#e (ound,

which my friend had ent him for a (reent for himelf, to (urchae and bring

me o#er a er#ant, under bond for i0 year er#ice, and would not acce(t of

any conideration, e0ce(t a little tobacco, which I would ha#e him acce(t,

being of my own (roduce"

;either wa thi all' for my good being all )nglih manufacture, uch a

cloth, tuff, bai&e, and thing (articularly #aluable and deirable in the

country, I found mean to ell them to a #ery great ad#antage' o that I might

ay I had more than four time the #alue of my firt cargo, and wa now

infinitely beyond my (oor neighbour * I mean in the ad#ancement of my

(lantation' for the firt thing I did, I bought me a negro la#e, and an )uro(ean

er#ant alo * I mean another beide that which the ca(tain brought me from

-ibon"

But a abued (ro(erity i oftentime made the #ery mean of our greatet

ad#erity, o it wa with me" I went on the ne0t year with great ucce in my

(lantation5 I raied fifty great roll of tobacco on my own ground, more than I

had di(oed of for necearie among my neighbour' and thee fifty roll,

being each of abo#e a hundredweight, were well cured, and laid by againt the

return of the fleet from -ibon5 and now increaing in buine and wealth, my



head began to be full of (roect and undertaking beyond my reach' uch a

are, indeed, often the ruin of the bet head in buine" !ad I continued in the

tation I wa now in, I had room for all the ha((y thing to ha#e yet befallen

me for which my father o earnetly recommended a uiet, retired life, and of

which he had o enibly decribed the middle tation of life to be full of' but

other thing attended me, and I wa till to be the wilful agent of all my own

mierie' and (articularly, to increae my fault, and double the reflection u(on

myelf, which in my future orrow I hould ha#e leiure to make, all thee

micarriage were (rocured by my a((arent obtinate adhering to my foolih

inclination of wandering abroad, and (uruing that inclination, in contradiction

to the clearet #iew of doing myelf good in a fair and (lain (uruit of thoe

(ro(ect, and thoe meaure of life, which nature and <ro#idence concurred

to (reent me with, and to make my duty"

A I had once done thu in my breaking away from my (arent, o I could not

be content now, but I mut go and lea#e the ha((y #iew I had of being a rich

and thri#ing man in my new (lantation, only to (urue a rah and immoderate

deire of riing fater than the nature of the thing admitted' and thu I cat

myelf down again into the dee(et gulf of human miery that e#er man fell

into, or (erha( could be conitent with life and a tate of health in the world"

8o come, then, by the ut degree to the (articular of thi (art of my tory"

You may u((oe, that ha#ing now li#ed almot four year in the Bra&il, and

beginning to thri#e and (ro(er #ery well u(on my (lantation, I had not only

learned the language, but had contracted acuaintance and friendhi( among

my fellow*(lanter, a well a among the merchant at St" Sal#ador, which wa

our (ort' and that, in my dicoure among them, I had freuently gi#en them

an account of my two #oyage to the coat of 4uinea5 the manner of trading

with the negroe there, and how eay it wa to (urchae u(on the coat for

trifle * uch a bead, toy, kni#e, cior, hatchet, bit of gla, and the like

* not only gold*dut, 4uinea grain, ele(hant teeth, Fc", but negroe, for the

er#ice of the Bra&il, in great number"

8hey litened alway #ery attenti#ely to my dicoure on thee head, but

e(ecially to that (art which related to the buying of negroe, which wa a tradeat that time, not only not far entered into, but, a far a it wa, had been carried

on by aiento, or (ermiion of the king of S(ain and <ortugal, and

engroed in the (ublic tock5 o that few negroe were bought, and thee

e0cei#ely dear"

It ha((ened, being in com(any with ome merchant and (lanter of my

acuaintance, and talking of thoe thing #ery earnetly, three of them came to



me ne0t morning, and told me they had been muing #ery much u(on what I

had dicoured with them of the lat night, and they came to make a ecret

(ro(oal to me' and, after enoining me to ecrecy, they told me that they had a

mind to fit out a hi( to go to 4uinea' that they had all (lantation a well a I,

and were traitened for nothing o much a er#ant' that a it wa a trade that

could not be carried on, becaue they could not (ublicly ell the negroe when

they came home, o they deired to make but one #oyage, to bring the negroe

on hore (ri#ately, and di#ide them among their own (lantation' and, in a

word, the uetion wa whether I would go their u(ercargo in the hi(, to

manage the trading (art u(on the coat of 4uinea' and they offered me that I

hould ha#e my eual hare of the negroe, without (ro#iding any (art of the

tock"

8hi wa a fair (ro(oal, it mut be confeed, had it been made to any one that

had not had a ettlement and a (lantation of hi own to look after, which wa in

a fair way of coming to be #ery coniderable, and with a good tock u(on it'

but for me, that wa thu entered and etablihed, and had nothing to do but to

go on a I had begun, for three or four year more, and to ha#e ent for the

other hundred (ound from )ngland' and who in that time, and with that little

addition, could carce ha#e failed of being worth three or four thouand (ound

terling, and that increaing too * for me to think of uch a #oyage wa the mot

(re(oterou thing that e#er man in uch circumtance could be guilty of"

But I, that wa born to be my own detroyer, could no more reit the offer than

I could retrain my firt rambling deign when my father good counel wa

lot u(on me" In a word, I told them I would go with all my heart, if they would

undertake to look after my (lantation in my abence, and would di(oe of it to

uch a I hould direct, if I micarried" 8hi they all engaged to do, and entered

into writing or co#enant to do o' and I made a formal will, di(oing of my

(lantation and effect in cae of my death, making the ca(tain of the hi( that

had a#ed my life, a before, my uni#eral heir, but obliging him to di(oe of

my effect a I had directed in my will' one half of the (roduce being to

himelf, and the other to be hi((ed to )ngland"

In hort, I took all (oible caution to (reer#e my effect and to kee( u( my (lantation" !ad I ued half a much (rudence to ha#e looked into my own

interet, and ha#e made a udgment of what I ought to ha#e done and not to

ha#e done, I had certainly ne#er gone away from o (ro(erou an undertaking,

lea#ing all the (robable #iew of a thri#ing circumtance, and gone u(on a

#oyage to ea, attended with all it common ha&ard, to ay nothing of the

reaon I had to e0(ect (articular mifortune to myelf"



But I wa hurried on, and obeyed blindly the dictate of my fancy rather than

my reaon' and, accordingly, the hi( being fitted out, and the cargo furnihed,

and all thing done, a by agreement, by my (artner in the #oyage, I went on

board in an e#il hour, the 1t Se(tember 16:G, being the ame day eight year

that I went from my father and mother at !ull, in order to act the rebel to their

authority, and the fool to my own interet"

=ur hi( wa about one hundred and twenty ton burden, carried i0 gun and

fourteen men, beide the mater, hi boy, and myelf" We had on board no

large cargo of good, e0ce(t of uch toy a were fit for our trade with the

negroe, uch a bead, bit of gla, hell, and other trifle, e(ecially little

looking*glae, kni#e, cior, hatchet, and the like"

8he ame day I went on board we et ail, tanding away to the northward u(on

our own coat, with deign to tretch o#er for the African coat when we came

about ten or twel#e degree of northern latitude, which, it eem, wa themanner of coure in thoe day" We had #ery good weather, only e0cei#ely

hot, all the way u(on our own coat, till we came to the height of +a(e St"

Augutino' from whence, kee(ing further off at ea, we lot ight of land, and

teered a if we were bound for the ile ernando de ;oronha, holding our

coure ;")" by ;", and lea#ing thoe ile on the eat" In thi coure we (aed

the line in about twel#e day time, and were, by our lat ober#ation, in e#en

degree twenty*two minute northern latitude, when a #iolent tornado, or

hurricane, took u uite out of our knowledge" It began from the outh*eat,

came about to the north*wet, and then ettled in the north*eat' from whence it

blew in uch a terrible manner, that for twel#e day together we could do

nothing but dri#e, and, cudding away before it, let it carry u whither fate and

the fury of the wind directed' and, during thee twel#e day, I need not ay

that I e0(ected e#ery day to be wallowed u(' nor, indeed, did any in the hi(

e0(ect to a#e their li#e"

In thi ditre we had, beide the terror of the torm, one of our men die of the

calenture, and one man and the boy wahed o#erboard" About the twelfth day,

the weather abating a little, the mater made an ober#ation a well a he could,

and found that he wa in about ele#en degree north latitude, but that he watwenty*two degree of longitude difference wet from +a(e St" Augutino' o

that he found he wa u(on the coat of 4uiana, or the north (art of Bra&il,

beyond the ri#er Ama&on, toward that of the ri#er =rinoco, commonly called

the 4reat $i#er' and began to conult with me what coure he hould take, for

the hi( wa leaky, and #ery much diabled, and he wa going directly back to

the coat of Bra&il"



I wa (oiti#ely againt that' and looking o#er the chart of the ea*coat of

America with him, we concluded there wa no inhabited country for u to ha#e

recoure to till we came within the circle of the +aribbee Iland, and therefore

reol#ed to tand away for Barbadoe' which, by kee(ing off at ea, to a#oid

the indraft of the Bay or 4ulf of /e0ico, we might eaily (erform, a we

ho(ed, in about fifteen day ail' wherea we could not (oibly make our

#oyage to the coat of Africa without ome aitance both to our hi( and to

ourel#e"

With thi deign we changed our coure, and teered away ;"W" by W", in

order to reach ome of our )nglih iland, where I ho(ed for relief" But our

#oyage wa otherwie determined' for, being in the latitude of twel#e degree

eighteen minute, a econd torm came u(on u, which carried u away with

the ame im(etuoity wetward, and dro#e u o out of the way of all human

commerce, that, had all our li#e been a#ed a to the ea, we were rather in

danger of being de#oured by a#age than e#er returning to our own country"

In thi ditre, the wind till blowing #ery hard, one of our men early in the

morning cried out, 9-and79 and we had no ooner run out of the cabin to look

out, in ho(e of eeing whereabout in the world we were, than the hi( truck

u(on a and, and in a moment her motion being o to((ed, the ea broke o#er

her in uch a manner that we e0(ected we hould all ha#e (erihed

immediately' and we were immediately dri#en into our cloe uarter, to helter

u from the #ery foam and (ray of the ea"

It i not eay for any one who ha not been in the like condition to decribe or

concei#e the conternation of men in uch circumtance" We knew nothing

where we were, or u(on what land it wa we were dri#en * whether an iland or

the main, whether inhabited or not inhabited" A the rage of the wind wa till

great, though rather le than at firt, we could not o much a ho(e to ha#e the

hi( hold many minute without breaking into (iece, unle the wind, by a

kind of miracle, hould turn immediately about" In a word, we at looking u(on

one another, and e0(ecting death e#ery moment, and e#ery man, accordingly,

(re(aring for another world' for there wa little or nothing more for u to do in

thi" 8hat which wa our (reent comfort, and all the comfort we had, wa that,contrary to our e0(ectation, the hi( did not break yet, and that the mater aid

the wind began to abate"

;ow, though we thought that the wind did a little abate, yet the hi( ha#ing

thu truck u(on the and, and ticking too fat for u to e0(ect her getting off,

we were in a dreadful condition indeed, and had nothing to do but to think of

a#ing our li#e a well a we could" We had a boat at our tern ut before the



torm, but he wa firt ta#ed by dahing againt the hi( rudder, and in the

ne0t (lace he broke away, and either unk or wa dri#en off to ea' o there

wa no ho(e from her" We had another boat on board, but how to get her off

into the ea wa a doubtful thing" !owe#er, there wa no time to debate, for we

fancied that the hi( would break in (iece e#ery minute, and ome told u he

wa actually broken already"

In thi ditre the mate of our #eel laid hold of the boat, and with the hel( of

the ret of the men got her lung o#er the hi( ide' and getting all into her, let

go, and committed ourel#e, being ele#en in number, to 4od mercy and the

wild ea' for though the torm wa abated coniderably, yet the ea ran

dreadfully high u(on the hore, and might be well called .); WI-. H)), a

the .utch call the ea in a torm"

And now our cae wa #ery dimal indeed' for we all aw (lainly that the ea

went o high that the boat could not li#e, and that we hould be ine#itablydrowned" A to making ail, we had none, nor if we had could we ha#e done

anything with it' o we worked at the oar toward the land, though with hea#y

heart, like men going to e0ecution' for we all knew that when the boat came

near the hore he would be dahed in a thouand (iece by the breach of the

ea" !owe#er, we committed our oul to 4od in the mot earnet manner' and

the wind dri#ing u toward the hore, we hatened our detruction with our

own hand, (ulling a well a we could toward land"

What the hore wa, whether rock or and, whether tee( or hoal, we knew

not" 8he only ho(e that could rationally gi#e u the leat hadow of e0(ectation

wa, if we might find ome bay or gulf, or the mouth of ome ri#er, where by

great chance we might ha#e run our boat in, or got under the lee of the land,

and (erha( made mooth water" But there wa nothing like thi a((eared' but

a we made nearer and nearer the hore, the land looked more frightful than the

ea"

After we had rowed, or rather dri#en about a league and a half, a we reckoned

it, a raging wa#e, mountain*like, came rolling atern of u, and (lainly bade u

e0(ect the +=>< .) 4$A+)" It took u with uch a fury, that it o#eret the

boat at once' and e(arating u a well from the boat a from one another, ga#e

u no time to ay, 9= 4od79 for we were all wallowed u( in a moment"

;othing can decribe the confuion of thought which I felt when I ank into the

water' for though I wam #ery well, yet I could not deli#er myelf from the

wa#e o a to draw breath, till that wa#e ha#ing dri#en me, or rather carried

me, a #at way on toward the hore, and ha#ing (ent itelf, went back, and



left me u(on the land almot dry, but half dead with the water I took in" I had o

much (reence of mind, a well a breath left, that eeing myelf nearer the

mainland than I e0(ected, I got u(on my feet, and endea#oured to make on

toward the land a fat a I could before another wa#e hould return and take

me u( again' but I oon found it wa im(oible to a#oid it' for I aw the ea

come after me a high a a great hill, and a furiou a an enemy, which I had

no mean or trength to contend with5 my buine wa to hold my breath, and

raie myelf u(on the water if I could' and o, by wimming, to (reer#e my

breathing, and (ilot myelf toward the hore, if (oible, my greatet concern

now being that the ea, a it would carry me a great way toward the hore

when it came on, might not carry me back again with it when it ga#e back

toward the ea"

8he wa#e that came u(on me again buried me at once twenty or thirty feet dee(

in it own body, and I could feel myelf carried with a mighty force and

wiftne toward the hore * a #ery great way' but I held my breath, and

aited myelf to wim till forward with all my might" I wa ready to burt

with holding my breath, when, a I felt myelf riing u(, o, to my immediate

relief, I found my head and hand hoot out abo#e the urface of the water' and

though it wa not two econd of time that I could kee( myelf o, yet it

relie#ed me greatly, ga#e me breath, and new courage" I wa co#ered again

with water a good while, but not o long but I held it out' and finding the water

had (ent itelf, and began to return, I truck forward againt the return of the

wa#e, and felt ground again with my feet" I tood till a few moment to

reco#er breath, and till the water went from me, and then took to my heel andran with what trength I had further toward the hore" But neither would thi

deli#er me from the fury of the ea, which came (ouring in after me again' and

twice more I wa lifted u( by the wa#e and carried forward a before, the

hore being #ery flat"

8he lat time of thee two had well*nigh been fatal to me, for the ea ha#ing

hurried me along a before, landed me, or rather dahed me, againt a (iece of

rock, and that with uch force, that it left me enele, and indeed hel(le, a

to my own deli#erance' for the blow taking my ide and breat, beat the breath

a it were uite out of my body' and had it returned again immediately, I mutha#e been trangled in the water' but I reco#ered a little before the return of the

wa#e, and eeing I hould be co#ered again with the water, I reol#ed to hold

fat by a (iece of the rock, and o to hold my breath, if (oible, till the wa#e

went back" ;ow, a the wa#e were not o high a at firt, being nearer land, I

held my hold till the wa#e abated, and then fetched another run, which brought

me o near the hore that the ne0t wa#e, though it went o#er me, yet did not o



wallow me u( a to carry me away' and the ne0t run I took, I got to the

mainland, where, to my great comfort, I clambered u( the cliff of the hore

and at me down u(on the gra, free from danger and uite out of the reach of

the water"

I wa now landed and afe on hore, and began to look u( and thank 4od thatmy life wa a#ed, in a cae wherein there wa ome minute before carce any

room to ho(e" I belie#e it i im(oible to e0(re, to the life, what the ectaie

and tran(ort of the oul are, when it i o a#ed, a I may ay, out of the #ery

gra#e5 and I do not wonder now at the cutom, when a malefactor, who ha the

halter about hi neck, i tied u(, and ut going to be turned off, and ha a

re(rie#e brought to him * I ay, I do not wonder that they bring a urgeon with

it, to let him blood that #ery moment they tell him of it, that the ur(rie may

not dri#e the animal (irit from the heart and o#erwhelm him"

9or udden oy, like grief, confound at firt"9

I walked about on the hore lifting u( my hand, and my whole being, a I may

ay, wra((ed u( in a contem(lation of my deli#erance' making a thouand

geture and motion, which I cannot decribe' reflecting u(on all my comrade

that were drowned, and that there hould not be one oul a#ed but myelf' for,

a for them, I ne#er aw them afterward, or any ign of them, e0ce(t three of

their hat, one ca(, and two hoe that were not fellow"

I cat my eye to the tranded #eel, when, the breach and froth of the ea being

o big, I could hardly ee it, it lay o far of' and conidered, -ord7 how wa it

(oible I could get on hore

After I had olaced my mind with the comfortable (art of my condition, I began

to look round me, to ee what kind of (lace I wa in, and what wa ne0t to be

done' and I oon found my comfort abate, and that, in a word, I had a dreadful

deli#erance' for I wa wet, had no clothe to hift me, nor anything either to eat

or drink to comfort me' neither did I ee any (ro(ect before me but that of

(erihing with hunger or being de#oured by wild beat' and that which wa

(articularly afflicting to me wa, that I had no wea(on, either to hunt and kill

any creature for my utenance, or to defend myelf againt any other creature

that might deire to kill me for their" In a word, I had nothing about me but a

knife, a tobacco*(i(e, and a little tobacco in a bo0" 8hi wa all my (ro#iion'

and thi threw me into uch terrible agonie of mind, that for a while I ran

about like a madman" ;ight coming u(on me, I began with a hea#y heart to



conider what would be my lot if there were any ra#enou beat in that

country, a at night they alway come abroad for their (rey"

All the remedy that offered to my thought at that time wa to get u( into a

thick buhy tree like a fir, but thorny, which grew near me, and where I

reol#ed to it all night, and conider the ne0t day what death I hould die, fora yet I aw no (ro(ect of life" I walked about a furlong from the hore, to ee

if I could find any freh water to drink, which I did, to my great oy' and ha#ing

drank, and (ut a little tobacco into my mouth to (re#ent hunger, I went to the

tree, and getting u( into it, endea#oured to (lace myelf o that if I hould lee(

I might not fall" And ha#ing cut me a hort tick, like a truncheon, for my

defence, I took u( my lodging' and ha#ing been e0cei#ely fatigued, I fell fat

alee(, and le(t a comfortably a, I belie#e, few could ha#e done in my

condition, and found myelf more refrehed with it than, I think, I e#er wa on

uch an occaion"

CHAPTER IV - FIRST WEEKS N THE ISLAND

W!); I waked it wa broad day, the weather clear, and the torm abated, o

that the ea did not rage and well a before" But that which ur(ried me mot

wa, that the hi( wa lifted off in the night from the and where he lay by the

welling of the tide, and wa dri#en u( almot a far a the rock which I at firt

mentioned, where I had been o bruied by the wa#e dahing me againt it" 8hi

being within about a mile from the hore where I wa, and the hi( eeming to

tand u(right till, I wihed myelf on board, that at leat I might a#e ome

neceary thing for my ue"

When I came down from my a(artment in the tree, I looked about me again,

and the firt thing I found wa the boat, which lay, a the wind and the ea had

toed her u(, u(on the land, about two mile on my right hand" I walked a far

a I could u(on the hore to ha#e got to her' but found a neck or inlet of water

between me and the boat which wa about half a mile broad' o I came back for

the (reent, being more intent u(on getting at the hi(, where I ho(ed to findomething for my (reent ubitence"

A little after noon I found the ea #ery calm, and the tide ebbed o far out that I

could come within a uarter of a mile of the hi(" And here I found a freh

renewing of my grief' for I aw e#idently that if we had ke(t on board we had

been all afe * that i to ay, we had all got afe on hore, and I had not been o

mierable a to be left entirety detitute of all comfort and com(any a I now



wa" 8hi forced tear to my eye again' but a there wa little relief in that, I

reol#ed, if (oible, to get to the hi(' o I (ulled off my clothe * for the

weather wa hot to e0tremity * and took the water" But when I came to the hi(

my difficulty wa till greater to know how to get on board' for, a he lay

aground, and high out of the water, there wa nothing within my reach to lay

hold of" I wam round her twice, and the econd time I (ied a mall (iece of

ro(e, which I wondered I did not ee at firt, hung down by the fore*chain o

low, a that with great difficulty I got hold of it, and by the hel( of that ro(e I

got u( into the forecatle of the hi(" !ere I found that the hi( wa bulged, and

had a great deal of water in her hold, but that he lay o on the ide of a bank of

hard and, or, rather earth, that her tern lay lifted u( u(on the bank, and her

head low, almot to the water" By thi mean all her uarter wa free, and all

that wa in that (art wa dry' for you may be ure my firt work wa to earch,

and to ee what wa (oiled and what wa free" And, firt, I found that all the

hi( (ro#iion were dry and untouched by the water, and being #ery well

di(oed to eat, I went to the bread room and filled my (ocket with bicuit,

and ate it a I went about other thing, for I had no time to loe" I alo found

ome rum in the great cabin, of which I took a large dram, and which I had,

indeed, need enough of to (irit me for what wa before me" ;ow I wanted

nothing but a boat to furnih myelf with many thing which I foreaw would

be #ery neceary to me"

It wa in #ain to it till and wih for what wa not to be had' and thi e0tremity

roued my a((lication" We had e#eral (are yard, and two or three large (ar

of wood, and a (are to(mat or two in the hi(' I reol#ed to fall to work withthee, and I flung a many of them o#erboard a I could manage for their

weight, tying e#ery one with a ro(e, that they might not dri#e away" When thi

wa done I went down the hi( ide, and (ulling them to me, I tied four of

them together at both end a well a I could, in the form of a raft, and laying

two or three hort (iece of (lank u(on them croway, I found I could walk

u(on it #ery well, but that it wa not able to bear any great weight, the (iece

being too light" So I went to work, and with a car(enter aw I cut a (are

to(mat into three length, and added them to my raft, with a great deal of

labour and (ain" But the ho(e of furnihing myelf with necearie

encouraged me to go beyond what I hould ha#e been able to ha#e done u(onanother occaion"

/y raft wa now trong enough to bear any reaonable weight" /y ne0t care

wa what to load it with, and how to (reer#e what I laid u(on it from the urf

of the ea' but I wa not long conidering thi" I firt laid all the (lank or

board u(on it that I could get, and ha#ing conidered well what I mot wanted,



I got three of the eamen chet, which I had broken o(en, and em(tied, and

lowered them down u(on my raft' the firt of thee I filled with (ro#iion *

#i&" bread, rice, three .utch cheee, fi#e (iece of dried goat fleh ?which we

li#ed much u(on@, and a little remainder of )uro(ean corn, which had been laid

by for ome fowl which we brought to ea with u, but the fowl were killed"

8here had been ome barley and wheat together' but, to my great

dia((ointment, I found afterward that the rat had eaten or (oiled it all" A

for liuor, I found e#eral, cae of bottle belonging to our ki((er, in which

were ome cordial water' and, in all, about fi#e or i0 gallon of rack" 8hee I

towed by themel#e, there being no need to (ut them into the chet, nor any

room for them" While I wa doing thi, I found the tide begin to flow, though

#ery calm' and I had the mortification to ee my coat, hirt, and waitcoat,

which I had left on the hore, u(on the and, wim away" A for my breeche,

which were only linen, and o(en* kneed, I wam on board in them and my

tocking" !owe#er, thi et me on rummaging for clothe, of which I found

enough, but took no more than I wanted for (reent ue, for I had other thing

which my eye wa more u(on * a, firt, tool to work with on hore" And it

wa after long earching that I found out the car(enter chet, which wa,

indeed, a #ery ueful (ri&e to me, and much more #aluable than a hi(load of

gold would ha#e been at that time" I got it down to my raft, whole a it wa,

without loing time to look into it, for I knew in general what it contained"

/y ne0t care wa for ome ammunition and arm" 8here were two #ery good

fowling*(iece in the great cabin, and two (itol" 8hee I ecured firt, with

ome (owder*horn and a mall bag of hot, and two old ruty word" I knewthere were three barrel of (owder in the hi(, but knew not where our gunner

had towed them' but with much earch I found them, two of them dry and

good, the third had taken water" 8hoe two I got to my raft with the arm" And

now I thought myelf (retty well freighted, and began to think how I hould get

to hore with them, ha#ing neither ail, oar, nor rudder' and the leat ca(ful of

wind would ha#e o#eret all my na#igation"

I had three encouragement * 1t, a mooth, calm ea' 2ndly, the tide riing, and

etting in to the hore' 3rdly, what little wind there wa blew me toward the

land" And thu, ha#ing found two or three broken oar belonging to the boat *and, beide the tool which were in the chet, I found two aw, an a0e, and a

hammer' with thi cargo I (ut to ea" or a mile or thereabout my raft went

#ery well, only that I found it dri#e a little ditant from the (lace where I had

landed before' by which I (ercei#ed that there wa ome indraft of the water,

and coneuently I ho(ed to find ome creek or ri#er there, which I might make

ue of a a (ort to get to land with my cargo"



A I imagined, o it wa" 8here a((eared before me a little o(ening of the land,

and I found a trong current of the tide et into it' o I guided my raft a well a

I could, to kee( in the middle of the tream"

But here I had like to ha#e uffered a econd hi(wreck, which, if I had, I think

#erily would ha#e broken my heart' for, knowing nothing of the coat, my raftran aground at one end of it u(on a hoal, and not being aground at the other

end, it wanted but a little that all my cargo had li((ed off toward the end that

wa afloat, and to fallen into the water" I did my utmot, by etting my back

againt the chet, to kee( them in their (lace, but could not thrut off the raft

with all my trength' neither durt I tir from the (oture I wa in' but holding

u( the chet with all my might, I tood in that manner near half*an*hour, in

which time the riing of the water brought me a little more u(on a le#el' and a

little after, the water till*riing, my raft floated again, and I thrut her off with

the oar I had into the channel, and then dri#ing u( higher, I at length found

myelf in the mouth of a little ri#er, with land on both ide, and a trong

current of tide running u(" I looked on both ide for a (ro(er (lace to get to

hore, for I wa not willing to be dri#en too high u( the ri#er5 ho(ing in time to

ee ome hi( at ea, and therefore reol#ed to (lace myelf a near the coat

a I could"

At length I (ied a little co#e on the right hore of the creek, to which with

great (ain and difficulty I guided my raft, and at lat got o near that, reaching

ground with my oar, I could thrut her directly in" But here I had like to ha#e

di((ed all my cargo into the ea again' for that hore lying (retty tee( * that i

to ay lo(ing * there wa no (lace to land, but where one end of my float, if it

ran on hore, would lie o high, and the other ink lower, a before, that it

would endanger my cargo again" All that I could do wa to wait till the tide wa

at the highet, kee(ing the raft with my oar like an anchor, to hold the ide of it

fat to the hore, near a flat (iece of ground, which I e0(ected the water would

flow o#er' and o it did" A oon a I found water enough * for my raft drew

about a foot of water * I thrut her u(on that flat (iece of ground, and there

fatened or moored her, by ticking my two broken oar into the ground, one on

one ide near one end, and one on the other ide near the other end' and thu I

lay till the water ebbed away, and left my raft and all my cargo afe on hore"

/y ne0t work wa to #iew the country, and eek a (ro(er (lace for my

habitation, and where to tow my good to ecure them from whate#er might

ha((en" Where I wa, I yet knew not' whether on the continent or on an iland'

whether inhabited or not inhabited' whether in danger of wild beat or not"

8here wa a hill not abo#e a mile from me, which roe u( #ery tee( and high,



and which eemed to o#erto( ome other hill, which lay a in a ridge from it

northward" I took out one of the fowling*(iece, and one of the (itol, and a

horn of (owder' and thu armed, I tra#elled for dico#ery u( to the to( of that

hill, where, after I had with great labour and difficulty got to the to(, I aw any

fate, to my great affliction * #i&" that I wa in an iland en#ironed e#ery way

with the ea5 no land to be een e0ce(t ome rock, which lay a great way off'

and two mall iland, le than thi, which lay about three league to the wet"

I found alo that the iland I wa in wa barren, and, a I aw good reaon to

belie#e, uninhabited e0ce(t by wild beat, of whom, howe#er, I aw none" Yet

I aw abundance of fowl, but knew not their kind' neither when I killed them

could I tell what wa fit for food, and what not" At my coming back, I hot at a

great bird which I aw itting u(on a tree on the ide of a great wood" I belie#e

it wa the firt gun that had been fired there ince the creation of the world" I

had no ooner fired, than from all (art of the wood there aroe an innumerable

number of fowl, of many ort, making a confued creaming and crying, and

e#ery one according to hi uual note, but not one of them of any kind that I

knew" A for the creature I killed, I took it to be a kind of hawk, it colour and

beak reembling it, but it had no talon or claw more than common" It fleh

wa carrion, and fit for nothing"

+ontented with thi dico#ery, I came back to my raft, and fell to work to bring

my cargo on hore, which took me u( the ret of that day" What to do with

myelf at night I knew not, nor indeed where to ret, for I wa afraid to lie

down on the ground, not knowing but ome wild beat might de#our me,

though, a I afterward found, there wa really no need for thoe fear"

!owe#er, a well a I could, I barricaded myelf round with the chet and

board that I had brought on hore, and made a kind of hut for that night

lodging" A for food, I yet aw not which way to u((ly myelf, e0ce(t that I

had een two or three creature like hare run out of the wood where I hot the

fowl"

I now began to conider that I might yet get a great many thing out of the hi(

which would be ueful to me, and (articularly ome of the rigging and ail,

and uch other thing a might come to land' and I reol#ed to make another

#oyage on board the #eel, if (oible" And a I knew that the firt torm that

blew mut necearily break her all in (iece, I reol#ed to et all other thing

a(art till I had got e#erything out of the hi( that I could get" 8hen I called a

council * that i to ay in my thought * whether I hould take back the raft' but

thi a((eared im(racticable5 o I reol#ed to go a before, when the tide wa

down' and I did o, only that I tri((ed before I went from my hut, ha#ing



nothing on but my cheuered hirt, a (air of linen drawer, and a (air of (um(

on my feet"

I got on board the hi( a before, and (re(ared a econd raft' and, ha#ing had

e0(erience of the firt, I neither made thi o unwieldy, nor loaded it o hard,

but yet I brought away e#eral thing #ery ueful to me' a firt, in thecar(enter tore I found two or three bag full of nail and (ike, a great

crew* ack, a do&en or two of hatchet, and, abo#e all, that mot ueful thing

called a grindtone" All thee I ecured, together with e#eral thing belonging

to the gunner, (articularly two or three iron crow, and two barrel of muket

bullet, e#en muket, another fowling*(iece, with ome mall uantity of

(owder more' a large bagful of mall hot, and a great roll of heet*lead' but

thi lat wa o hea#y, I could not hoit it u( to get it o#er the hi( ide"

Beide thee thing, I took all the men clothe that I could find, and a (are

fore*to(ail, a hammock, and ome bedding' and with thi I loaded my econdraft, and brought them all afe on hore, to my #ery great comfort"

I wa under ome a((rehenion, during my abence from the land, that at leat

my (ro#iion might be de#oured on hore5 but when I came back I found no

ign of any #iitor' only there at a creature like a wild cat u(on one of the

chet, which, when I came toward it, ran away a little ditance, and then tood

till" She at #ery com(oed and unconcerned, and looked full in my face, a if

he had a mind to be acuainted with me" I (reented my gun at her, but, a he

did not undertand it, he wa (erfectly unconcerned at it, nor did he offer to

tir away' u(on which I toed her a bit of bicuit, though by the way, I wa not

#ery free of it, for my tore wa not great5 howe#er, I (ared her a bit, I ay, and

he went to it, melled at it, and ate it, and looked ?a if (leaed@ for more' but I

thanked her, and could (are no more5 o he marched off"

!a#ing got my econd cargo on hore * though I wa fain to o(en the barrel of

(owder, and bring them by (arcel, for they were too hea#y, being large cak *

I went to work to make me a little tent with the ail and ome (ole which I cut

for that (ur(oe5 and into thi tent I brought e#erything that I knew would (oil

either with rain or un' and I (iled all the em(ty chet and cak u( in a circle

round the tent, to fortify it from any udden attem(t, either from man or beat"

When I had done thi, I blocked u( the door of the tent with ome board

within, and an em(ty chet et u( on end without' and (reading one of the

bed u(on the ground, laying my two (itol ut at my head, and my gun at

length by me, I went to bed for the firt time, and le(t #ery uietly all night,

for I wa #ery weary and hea#y' for the night before I had le(t little, and had



laboured #ery hard all day to fetch all thoe thing from the hi(, and to get

them on hore"

I had the bigget maga&ine of all kind now that e#er wa laid u(, I belie#e, for

one man5 but I wa not atified till, for while the hi( at u(right in that

(oture, I thought I ought to get e#erything out of her that I could' o e#ery dayat low water I went on board, and brought away omething or other' but

(articularly the third time I went I brought away a much of the rigging a I

could, a alo all the mall ro(e and ro(e*twine I could get, with a (iece of

(are can#a, which wa to mend the ail u(on occaion, and the barrel of wet

gun(owder" In a word, I brought away all the ail, firt and lat' only that I

wa fain to cut them in (iece, and bring a much at a time a I could, for they

were no more ueful to be ail, but a mere can#a only"

But that which comforted me more till, wa, that lat of all, after I had made

fi#e or i0 uch #oyage a thee, and thought I had nothing more to e0(ectfrom the hi( that wa worth my meddling with * I ay, after all thi, I found a

great hoghead of bread, three large runlet of rum, or (irit, a bo0 of ugar,

and a barrel of fine flour' thi wa ur(riing to me, becaue I had gi#en o#er

e0(ecting any more (ro#iion, e0ce(t what wa (oiled by the water" I oon

em(tied the hoghead of the bread, and wra((ed it u(, (arcel by (arcel, in

(iece of the ail, which I cut out' and, in a word, I got all thi afe on hore

alo"

8he ne0t day I made another #oyage, and now, ha#ing (lundered the hi( of

what wa (ortable and fit to hand out, I began with the cable" +utting the great

cable into (iece, uch a I could mo#e, I got two cable and a hawer on hore,

with all the ironwork I could get' and ha#ing cut down the (ritail*yard, and

the mi&&en* yard, and e#erything I could, to make a large raft, I loaded it with

all thee hea#y good, and came away" But my good luck began now to lea#e

me' for thi raft wa o unwieldy, and o o#erladen, that, after I had entered the

little co#e where I had landed the ret of my good, not being able to guide it o

handily a I did the other, it o#eret, and threw me and all my cargo into the

water" A for myelf, it wa no great harm, for I wa near the hore' but a to

my cargo, it wa a great (art of it lot, e(ecially the iron, which I e0(ectedwould ha#e been of great ue to me' howe#er, when the tide wa out, I got mot

of the (iece of the cable ahore, and ome of the iron, though with infinite

labour' for I wa fain to di( for it into the water, a work which fatigued me #ery

much" After thi, I went e#ery day on board, and brought away what I could

get"



I had been now thirteen day on hore, and had been ele#en time on board the

hi(, in which time I had brought away all that one (air of hand could well be

u((oed ca(able to bring' though I belie#e #erily, had the calm weather held, I

hould ha#e brought away the whole hi(, (iece by (iece" But (re(aring the

twelfth time to go on board, I found the wind began to rie5 howe#er, at low

water I went on board, and though I thought I had rummaged the cabin o

effectually that nothing more could be found, yet I dico#ered a locker with

drawer in it, in one of which I found two or three ra&or, and one (air of large

cior, with ome ten or a do&en of good kni#e and fork5 in another I found

about thirty*i0 (ound #alue in money * ome )uro(ean coin, ome Bra&il,

ome (iece of eight, ome gold, and ome il#er"

I miled to myelf at the ight of thi money5 9= drug79 aid I, aloud, 9what art

thou good for 8hou art not worth to me * no, not the taking off the ground' one

of thoe kni#e i worth all thi hea(' I ha#e no manner of ue for thee * een

remain where thou art, and go to the bottom a a creature whoe life i not

worth aying"9 !owe#er, u(on econd thought I took it away' and wra((ing

all thi in a (iece of can#a, I began to think of making another raft' but while I

wa (re(aring thi, I found the ky o#ercat, and the wind began to rie, and in

a uarter of an hour it blew a freh gale from the hore" It (reently occurred to

me that it wa in #ain to (retend to make a raft with the wind offhore' and that

it wa my buine to be gone before the tide of flood began, otherwie I might

not be able to reach the hore at all" Accordingly, I let myelf down into the

water, and wam acro the channel, which lay between the hi( and the and,

and e#en that with difficulty enough, (artly with the weight of the thing I hadabout me, and (artly the roughne of the water' for the wind roe #ery hatily,

and before it wa uite high water it blew a torm"

But I had got home to my little tent, where I lay, with all my wealth about me,

#ery ecure" It blew #ery hard all night, and in the morning, when I looked out,

behold, no more hi( wa to be een7 I wa a little ur(ried, but reco#ered

myelf with the atifactory reflection that I had lot no time, nor abated any

diligence, to get e#erything out of her that could be ueful to me' and that,

indeed, there wa little left in her that I wa able to bring away, if I had had

more time"

I now ga#e o#er any more thought of the hi(, or of anything out of her,

e0ce(t what might dri#e on hore from her wreck' a, indeed, di#er (iece of

her afterward did' but thoe thing were of mall ue to me"

/y thought were now wholly em(loyed about ecuring myelf againt either

a#age, if any hould a((ear, or wild beat, if any were in the iland' and I



had many thought of the method how to do thi, and what kind of dwelling to

make * whether I hould make me a ca#e in the earth, or a tent u(on the earth'

and, in hort, I reol#ed u(on both' the manner and decri(tion of which, it may

not be im(ro(er to gi#e an account of"

I oon found the (lace I wa in wa not fit for my ettlement, becaue it wau(on a low, moorih ground, near the ea, and I belie#ed it would not be

wholeome, and more (articularly becaue there wa no freh water near it' o I

reol#ed to find a more healthy and more con#enient (ot of ground"

I conulted e#eral thing in my ituation, which I found would he (ro(er for

me5 1t, health and freh water, I ut now mentioned' 2ndly, helter from the

heat of the un' 3rdly, ecurity from ra#enou creature, whether man or beat'

thly, a #iew to the ea, that if 4od ent any hi( in ight, I might not loe any

ad#antage for my deli#erance, of which I wa not willing to banih all my

e0(ectation yet"

In earch of a (lace (ro(er for thi, I found a little (lain on the ide of a riing

hill, whoe front toward thi little (lain wa tee( a a houe*ide, o that

nothing could come down u(on me from the to(" =n the one ide of the rock

there wa a hollow (lace, worn a little way in, like the entrance or door of a

ca#e but there wa not really any ca#e or way into the rock at all"

=n the flat of the green, ut before thi hollow (lace, I reol#ed to (itch my

tent" 8hi (lain wa not abo#e a hundred yard broad, and about twice a long,

and lay like a green before my door' and, at the end of it, decended irregularlye#ery way down into the low ground by the eaide" It wa on the ;";"W" ide

of the hill' o that it wa heltered from the heat e#ery day, till it came to a W"

and by S" un, or thereabout, which, in thoe countrie, i near the etting"

Before I et u( my tent I drew a half*circle before the hollow (lace, which took

in about ten yard in it emi*diameter from the rock, and twenty yard in it

diameter from it beginning and ending"

In thi half*circle I (itched two row of trong take, dri#ing them into the

ground till they tood #ery firm like (ile, the bigget end being out of theground abo#e fi#e feet and a half, and har(ened on the to(" 8he two row did

not tand abo#e i0 inche from one another"

8hen I took the (iece of cable which I had cut in the hi(, and laid them in

row, one u(on another, within the circle, between thee two row of take, u(

to the to(, (lacing other take in the inide, leaning againt them, about two



feet and a half high, like a (ur to a (ot' and thi fence wa o trong, that

neither man nor beat could get into it or o#er it" 8hi cot me a great deal of

time and labour, e(ecially to cut the (ile in the wood, bring them to the

(lace, and dri#e them into the earth"

8he entrance into thi (lace I made to be, not by a door, but by a hort ladder togo o#er the to(' which ladder, when I wa in, I lifted o#er after me' and o I

wa com(letely fenced in and fortified, a I thought, from all the world, and

coneuently le(t ecure in the night, which otherwie I could not ha#e done'

though, a it a((eared afterward, there wa no need of all thi caution from the

enemie that I a((rehended danger from"

Into thi fence or fortre, with infinite labour, I carried all my riche, all my

(ro#iion, ammunition, and tore, of which you ha#e the account abo#e' and I

made a large tent, which to (reer#e me from the rain that in one (art of the

year are #ery #iolent there, I made double * one maller tent within, and onelarger tent abo#e it' and co#ered the u((ermot with a large tar(aulin, which I

had a#ed among the ail"

And now I lay no more for a while in the bed which I had brought on hore, but

in a hammock, which wa indeed a #ery good one, and belonged to the mate of

the hi("

Into thi tent I brought all my (ro#iion, and e#erything that would (oil by

the wet' and ha#ing thu encloed all my good, I made u( the entrance, which

till now I had left o(en, and o (aed and re(aed, a I aid, by a hort ladder"

When I had done thi, I began to work my way into the rock, and bringing all

the earth and tone that I dug down out through my tent, I laid them u( within

my fence, in the nature of a terrace, o that it raied the ground within about a

foot and a half' and thu I made me a ca#e, ut behind my tent, which er#ed

me like a cellar to my houe"

It cot me much labour and many day before all thee thing were brought to

(erfection' and therefore I mut go back to ome other thing which took u(

ome of my thought" At the ame time it ha((ened, after I had laid my chemefor the etting u( my tent, and making the ca#e, that a torm of rain falling from

a thick, dark cloud, a udden flah of lightning ha((ened, and after that a great

cla( of thunder, a i naturally the effect of it" I wa not o much ur(ried with

the lightning a I wa with the thought which darted into my mind a wift a

the lightning itelf * =h, my (owder7 /y #ery heart ank within me when I

thought that, at one blat, all my (owder might be detroyed' on which, not my



defence only, but the (ro#iding my food, a I thought, entirely de(ended" I wa

nothing near o an0iou about my own danger, though, had the (owder took

fire, I hould ne#er ha#e known who had hurt me"

Such im(reion did thi make u(on me, that after the torm wa o#er I laid

aide all my work, my building and fortifying, and a((lied myelf to make bag and bo0e, to e(arate the (owder, and to kee( it a little and a little in a

(arcel, in the ho(e that, whate#er might come, it might not all take fire at once'

and to kee( it o a(art that it hould not be (oible to make one (art fire

another" I finihed thi work in about a fortnight' and I think my (owder, which

in all wa about two hundred and forty (ound weight, wa di#ided in not le

than a hundred (arcel" A to the barrel that had been wet, I did not a((rehend

any danger from that' o I (laced it in my new ca#e, which, in my fancy, I

called my kitchen' and the ret I hid u( and down in hole among the rock, o

that no wet might come to it, marking #ery carefully where I laid it"

In the inter#al of time while thi wa doing, I went out once at leat e#ery day

with my gun, a well to di#ert myelf a to ee if I could kill anything fit for

food' and, a near a I could, to acuaint myelf with what the iland (roduced"

8he firt time I went out, I (reently dico#ered that there were goat in the

iland, which wa a great atifaction to me' but then it wa attended with thi

mifortune to me * #i&" that they were o hy, o ubtle, and o wift of foot,

that it wa the mot difficult thing in the world to come at them' but I wa not

dicouraged at thi, not doubting but I might now and then hoot one, a it oon

ha((ened' for after I had found their haunt a little, I laid wait in thi manner

for them5 I ober#ed if they aw me in the #alley, though they were u(on the

rock, they would run away, a in a terrible fright' but if they were feeding in

the #alley, and I wa u(on the rock, they took no notice of me' from whence I

concluded that, by the (oition of their o(tic, their ight wa o directed

downward that they did not readily ee obect that were abo#e them' o

afterward I took thi method * I alway climbed the rock firt, to get abo#e

them, and then had freuently a fair mark"

8he firt hot I made among thee creature, I killed a he*goat, which had a

little kid by her, which he ga#e uck to, which grie#ed me heartily' for whenthe old one fell, the kid tood tock till by her, till I came and took her u(' and

not only o, but when I carried the old one with me, u(on my houlder, the kid

followed me uite to my encloure' u(on which I laid down the dam, and took

the kid in my arm, and carried it o#er my (ale, in ho(e to ha#e bred it u(

tame' but it would not eat' o I wa forced to kill it and eat it myelf" 8hee two



u((lied me with fleh a great while, for I ate (aringly, and a#ed my

(ro#iion, my bread e(ecially, a much a (oibly I could"

!a#ing now fi0ed my habitation, I found it abolutely neceary to (ro#ide a

(lace to make a fire in, and fuel to burn5 and what I did for that, and alo how I

enlarged my ca#e, and what con#enience I made, I hall gi#e a full account ofin it (lace' but I mut now gi#e ome little account of myelf, and of my

thought about li#ing, which, it may well be u((oed, were not a few"

I had a dimal (ro(ect of my condition' for a I wa not cat away u(on that

iland without being dri#en, a i aid, by a #iolent torm, uite out of the

coure of our intended #oyage, and a great way, #i&" ome hundred of league,

out of the ordinary coure of the trade of mankind, I had great reaon to

conider it a a determination of !ea#en, that in thi deolate (lace, and in thi

deolate manner, I hould end my life" 8he tear would run (lentifully down

my face when I made thee reflection' and ometime I would e0(otulatewith myelf why <ro#idence hould thu com(letely ruin !i creature, and

render them o abolutely mierable' o without hel(, abandoned, o entirely

de(reed, that it could hardly be rational to be thankful for uch a life"

But omething alway returned wift u(on me to check thee thought, and to

re(ro#e me' and (articularly one day, walking with my gun in my hand by the

eaide, I wa #ery (eni#e u(on the ubect of my (reent condition, when

reaon, a it were, e0(otulated with me the other way, thu5 9Well, you are in a

deolate condition, it i true' but, (ray remember, where are the ret of you

.id not you come, ele#en of you in the boat Where are the ten Why were

they not a#ed, and you lot Why were you ingled out I it better to be here

or there9 And then I (ointed to the ea" All e#il are to be conidered with the

good that i in them, and with what wore attend them"

8hen it occurred to me again, how well I wa furnihed for my ubitence, and

what would ha#e been my cae if it had not ha((ened ?which wa a hundred

thouand to one@ that the hi( floated from the (lace where he firt truck, and

wa dri#en o near to the hore that I had time to get all thee thing out of her'

what would ha#e been my cae, if I had been forced to ha#e li#ed in the

condition in which I at firt came on hore, without necearie of life, or

necearie to u((ly and (rocure them 9<articularly,9 aid I, aloud ?though to

myelf@, 9what hould I ha#e done without a gun, without ammunition, without

any tool to make anything, or to work with, without clothe, bedding, a tent, or

any manner of co#ering9 and that now I had all thee to ufficient uantity,

and wa in a fair way to (ro#ide myelf in uch a manner a to li#e without my

gun, when my ammunition wa (ent5 o that I had a tolerable #iew of



ubiting, without any want, a long a I li#ed' for I conidered from the

beginning how I would (ro#ide for the accident that might ha((en, and for the

time that wa to come, e#en not only after my ammunition hould be (ent, but

e#en after my health and trength hould decay"

I confe I had not entertained any notion of my ammunition being detroyed atone blat * I mean my (owder being blown u( by lightning' and thi made the

thought of it o ur(riing to me, when it lightened and thundered, a I

ober#ed ut now"

And now being about to enter into a melancholy relation of a cene of ilent

life, uch, (erha(, a wa ne#er heard of in the world before, I hall take it

from it beginning, and continue it in it order" It wa by my account the 3Cth

of Se(tember, when, in the manner a abo#e aid, I firt et foot u(on thi

horrid iland' when the un, being to u in it autumnal euino0, wa almot

o#er my head' for I reckoned myelf, by ober#ation, to be in the latitude ofnine degree twenty*two minute north of the line"

After I had been there about ten or twel#e day, it came into my thought that I

hould loe my reckoning of time for want of book, and (en and ink, and

hould e#en forget the Sabbath day' but to (re#ent thi, I cut with my knife

u(on a large (ot, in ca(ital letter * and making it into a great cro, I et it u(

on the hore where I firt landed * 9I came on hore here on the 3Cth Se(tember

16:G"9

>(on the ide of thi uare (ot I cut e#ery day a notch with my knife, ande#ery e#enth notch wa a long again a the ret, and e#ery firt day of the

month a long again a that long one' and thu I ke(t my calendar, or weekly,

monthly, and yearly reckoning of time"

In the ne0t (lace, we are to ober#e that among the many thing which I

brought out of the hi(, in the e#eral #oyage which, a abo#e mentioned, I

made to it, I got e#eral thing of le #alue, but not at all le ueful to me,

which I omitted etting down before' a, in (articular, (en, ink, and (a(er,

e#eral (arcel in the ca(tain, mate, gunner and car(enter kee(ing' three

or four com(ae, ome mathematical intrument, dial, (er(ecti#e, chart,

and book of na#igation, all which I huddled together, whether I might want

them or no' alo, I found three #ery good Bible, which came to me in my

cargo from )ngland, and which I had (acked u( among my thing' ome

<ortuguee book alo' and among them two or three <o(ih (rayer*book, and

e#eral other book, all which I carefully ecured" And I mut not forget that we

had in the hi( a dog and two cat, of whoe eminent hitory I may ha#e



occaion to ay omething in it (lace' for I carried both the cat with me' and

a for the dog, he um(ed out of the hi( of himelf, and wam on hore to me

the day after I went on hore with my firt cargo, and wa a truty er#ant to me

many year' I wanted nothing that he could fetch me, nor any com(any that he

could make u( to me' I only wanted to ha#e him talk to me, but that would not

do" A I ober#ed before, I found (en, ink, and (a(er, and I hubanded them to

the utmot' and I hall how that while my ink lated, I ke(t thing #ery e0act,

but after that wa gone I could not, for I could not make any ink by any mean

that I could de#ie"

And thi (ut me in mind that I wanted many thing notwithtanding all that I

had amaed together' and of thee, ink wa one' a alo a (ade, (icka0e, and

ho#el, to dig or remo#e the earth' needle, (in, and thread' a for linen, I oon

learned to want that without much difficulty"

8hi want of tool made e#ery work I did go on hea#ily' and it wa near awhole year before I had entirely finihed my little (ale, or urrounded my

habitation" 8he (ile, or take, which were a hea#y a I could well lift, were a

long time in cutting and (re(aring in the wood, and more, by far, in bringing

home' o that I (ent ometime two day in cutting and bringing home one of

thoe (ot, and a third day in dri#ing it into the ground' for which (ur(oe I

got a hea#y (iece of wood at firt, but at lat bethought myelf of one of the

iron crow' which, howe#er, though I found it, made dri#ing thoe (ot or

(ile #ery laboriou and tediou work" But what need I ha#e been concerned at

the tedioune of anything I had to do, eeing I had time enough to do it in

nor had I any other em(loyment, if that had been o#er, at leat that I could

foreee, e0ce(t the ranging the iland to eek for food, which I did, more or

le, e#ery day"

I now began to conider eriouly my condition, and the circumtance I wa

reduced to' and I drew u( the tate of my affair in writing, not o much to

lea#e them to any that were to come after me * for I wa likely to ha#e but few

heir * a to deli#er my thought from daily (oring o#er them, and afflicting my

mind' and a my reaon began now to mater my de(ondency, I began to

comfort myelf a well a I could, and to et the good againt the e#il, that Imight ha#e omething to ditinguih my cae from wore' and I tated #ery

im(artially, like debtor and creditor, the comfort I enoyed againt the mierie

I uffered, thu5*

)#il5 I am cat u(on a horrible, deolate iland, #oid of all ho(e of reco#ery"



4ood5 But I am ali#e' and not drowned, a all my hi( com(any were"

)#il5 I am ingled out and e(arated, a it were, from all the world, to be

mierable"

4ood5 But I am ingled out, too, from all the hi( crew, to be (ared fromdeath' and !e that miraculouly a#ed me from death can deli#er me from thi

condition"

)#il5 I am di#ided from mankind * a olitaire' one banihed from human

ociety"

4ood5 But I am not tar#ed, and (erihing on a barren (lace, affording no

utenance"

)#il5 I ha#e no clothe to co#er me"

4ood5 But I am in a hot climate, where, if I had clothe, I could hardly wear

them"

)#il5 I am without any defence, or mean to reit any #iolence of man or beat"

4ood5 But I am cat on an iland where I ee no wild beat to hurt me, a I aw

on the coat of Africa' and what if I had been hi(wrecked there

)#il5 I ha#e no oul to (eak to or relie#e me"

4ood5 But 4od wonderfully ent the hi( in near enough to the hore, that I

ha#e got out a many neceary thing a will either u((ly my want or enable

me to u((ly myelf, e#en a long a I li#e"

>(on the whole, here wa an undoubted tetimony that there wa carce any

condition in the world o mierable but there wa omething negati#e or

omething (oiti#e to be thankful for in it' and let thi tand a a direction from

the e0(erience of the mot mierable of all condition in thi world5 that wemay alway find in it omething to comfort ourel#e from, and to et, in the

decri(tion of good and e#il, on the credit ide of the account"

!a#ing now brought my mind a little to relih my condition, and gi#en o#er

looking out to ea, to ee if I could (y a hi( * I ay, gi#ing o#er thee thing, I



begun to a((ly myelf to arrange my way of li#ing, and to make thing a eay

to me a I could"

I ha#e already decribed my habitation, which wa a tent under the ide of a

rock, urrounded with a trong (ale of (ot and cable5 but I might now rather

call it a wall, for I raied a kind of wall u( againt it of turf, about two feetthick on the outide' and after ome time ?I think it wa a year and a half@ I

raied rafter from it, leaning to the rock, and thatched or co#ered it with

bough of tree, and uch thing a I could get, to kee( out the rain' which I

found at ome time of the year #ery #iolent"

I ha#e already ober#ed how I brought all my good into thi (ale, and into the

ca#e which I had made behind me" But I mut ober#e, too, that at firt thi wa

a confued hea( of good, which, a they lay in no order, o they took u( all my

(lace' I had no room to turn myelf5 o I et myelf to enlarge my ca#e, and

work farther into the earth' for it wa a looe andy rock, which yielded eailyto the labour I betowed on it5 and o when I found I wa (retty afe a to

beat of (rey, I worked ideway, to the right hand, into the rock' and then,

turning to the right again, worked uite out, and made me a door to come out

on the outide of my (ale or fortification" 8hi ga#e me not only egre and

regre, a it wa a back way to my tent and to my torehoue, but ga#e me

room to tore my good"

And now I began to a((ly myelf to make uch neceary thing a I found I

mot wanted, (articularly a chair and a table' for without thee I wa not able to

enoy the few comfort I had in the world' I could not write or eat, or do e#eral

thing, with o much (leaure without a table5 o I went to work" And here I

mut need ober#e, that a reaon i the ubtance and origin of the

mathematic, o by tating and uaring e#erything by reaon, and by making

the mot rational udgment of thing, e#ery man may be, in time, mater of

e#ery mechanic art" I had ne#er handled a tool in my life' and yet, in time, by

labour, a((lication, and contri#ance, I found at lat that I wanted nothing but I

could ha#e made it, e(ecially if I had had tool" !owe#er, I made abundance

of thing, e#en without tool' and ome with no more tool than an ad&e and a

hatchet, which (erha( were ne#er made that way before, and that with infinitelabour" or e0am(le, if I wanted a board, I had no other way but to cut down a

tree, et it on an edge before me, and hew it flat on either ide with my a0e, till

I brought it to be thin a a (lank, and then dub it mooth with my ad&e" It i

true, by thi method I could make but one board out of a whole tree' but thi I

had no remedy for but (atience, any more than I had for the (rodigiou deal of



time and labour which it took me u( to make a (lank or board5 but my time or

labour wa little worth, and o it wa a well em(loyed one way a another"

!owe#er, I made me a table and a chair, a I ober#ed abo#e, in the firt (lace'

and thi I did out of the hort (iece of board that I brought on my raft from

the hi(" But when I had wrought out ome board a abo#e, I made largehel#e, of the breadth of a foot and a half, one o#er another all along one ide

of my ca#e, to lay all my tool, nail and ironwork on' and, in a word, to

e(arate e#erything at large into their (lace, that I might come eaily at them" I

knocked (iece into the wall of the rock to hang my gun and all thing that

would hang u(' o that, had my ca#e been to be een, it looked like a general

maga&ine of all neceary thing' and had e#erything o ready at my hand, that

it wa a great (leaure to me to ee all my good in uch order, and e(ecially

to find my tock of all necearie o great"

And now it wa that I began to kee( a ournal of e#ery day em(loyment' for,indeed, at firt I wa in too much hurry, and not only hurry a to labour, but in

too much dicom(oure of mind' and my ournal would ha#e been full of many

dull thing' for e0am(le, I mut ha#e aid thu5 93C8!" * After I had got to

hore, and eca(ed drowning, intead of being thankful to 4od for my

deli#erance, ha#ing firt #omited, with the great uantity of alt water which

had got into my tomach, and reco#ering myelf a little, I ran about the hore

wringing my hand and beating my head and face, e0claiming at my miery,

and crying out, I wa undone, undone7 till, tired and faint, I wa forced to lie

down on the ground to re(oe, but durt not lee( for fear of being de#oured"9

Some day after thi, and after I had been on board the hi(, and got all that I

could out of her, yet I could not forbear getting u( to the to( of a little mountain

and looking out to ea, in ho(e of eeing a hi(' then fancy at a #at ditance I

(ied a ail, (leae myelf with the ho(e of it, and then after looking teadily,

till I wa almot blind, loe it uite, and it down and wee( like a child, and

thu increae my miery by my folly"

But ha#ing gotten o#er thee thing in ome meaure, and ha#ing ettled my

houehold taff and habitation, made me a table and a chair, and all a

handome about me a I could, I began to kee( my ournal' of which I hall

here gi#e you the co(y ?though in it will be told all thee (articular o#er again@

a long a it lated' for ha#ing no more ink, I wa forced to lea#e it off"

CHAPTER V - !"ILDS A H"SE - THE #"RNAL



S)<8)/B)$ 3C, 16:G" * I, (oor mierable $obinon +ruoe, being

hi(wrecked during a dreadful torm in the offing, came on hore on thi

dimal, unfortunate iland, which I called 98he Iland of .e(air9' all the ret

of the hi( com(any being drowned, and myelf almot dead"

All the ret of the day I (ent in afflicting myelf at the dimal circumtance Iwa brought to * #i&" I had neither food, houe, clothe, wea(on, nor (lace to fly

to' and in de(air of any relief, aw nothing but death before me * either that I

hould be de#oured by wild beat, murdered by a#age, or tar#ed to death

for want of food" At the a((roach of night I le(t in a tree, for fear of wild

creature' but le(t oundly, though it rained all night"

=+8=B)$ 1" * In the morning I aw, to my great ur(rie, the hi( had floated

with the high tide, and wa dri#en on hore again much nearer the iland'

which, a it wa ome comfort, on one hand * for, eeing her et u(right, and

not broken to (iece, I ho(ed, if the wind abated, I might get on board, and getome food and necearie out of her for my relief * o, on the other hand, it

renewed my grief at the lo of my comrade, who, I imagined, if we had all

tayed on board, might ha#e a#ed the hi(, or, at leat, that they would not

ha#e been all drowned a they were' and that, had the men been a#ed, we

might (erha( ha#e built u a boat out of the ruin of the hi( to ha#e carried u

to ome other (art of the world" I (ent great (art of thi day in (er(le0ing

myelf on thee thing' but at length, eeing the hi( almot dry, I went u(on

the and a near a I could, and then wam on board" 8hi day alo it continued

raining, though with no wind at all"

$=/ 8!) 1S8 = =+8=B)$ 8= 8!) 28!" * All thee day entirely

(ent in many e#eral #oyage to get all I could out of the hi(, which I brought

on hore e#ery tide of flood u(on raft" /uch rain alo in the day, though with

ome inter#al of fair weather' but it eem thi wa the rainy eaon"

=+8" 2C" * I o#eret my raft, and all the good I had got u(on it' but, being in

hoal water, and the thing being chiefly hea#y, I reco#ered many of them

when the tide wa out"

=+8" 2:" * It rained all night and all day, with ome gut of wind' during

which time the hi( broke in (iece, the wind blowing a little harder than

before, and wa no more to be een, e0ce(t the wreck of her, and that only at

low water" I (ent thi day in co#ering and ecuring the good which I had

a#ed, that the rain might not (oil them"



=+8" 26" * I walked about the hore almot all day, to find out a (lace to fi0 my

habitation, greatly concerned to ecure myelf from any attack in the night,

either from wild beat or men" 8oward night, I fi0ed u(on a (ro(er (lace,

under a rock, and marked out a emicircle for my encam(ment' which I

reol#ed to trengthen with a work, wall, or fortification, made of double (ile,

lined within with cable, and without with turf"

rom the 26th to the 3Cth I worked #ery hard in carrying all my good to my

new habitation, though ome (art of the time it rained e0ceedingly hard"

8he 31t, in the morning, I went out into the iland with my gun, to eek for

ome food, and dico#er the country' when I killed a he*goat, and her kid

followed me home, which I afterward killed alo, becaue it would not feed"

;=E)/B)$ 1" * I et u( my tent under a rock, and lay there for the firt night'

making it a large a I could, with take dri#en in to wing my hammock u(on"

;=E" 2" * I et u( all my chet and board, and the (iece of timber which

made my raft, and with them formed a fence round me, a little within the (lace

I had marked out for my fortification"

;=E" 3" * I went out with my gun, and killed two fowl like duck, which were

#ery good food" In the afternoon went to work to make me a table"

;=E" " * 8hi morning I began to order my time of work, of going out with

my gun, time of lee(, and time of di#erion * #i&" e#ery morning I walked outwith my gun for two or three hour, if it did not rain' then em(loyed myelf to

work till about ele#en oclock' then eat what I had to li#e on' and from twel#e

to two I lay down to lee(, the weather being e0cei#ely hot' and then, in the

e#ening, to work again" 8he working (art of thi day and of the ne0t were

wholly em(loyed in making my table, for I wa yet but a #ery orry workman,

though time and neceity made me a com(lete natural mechanic oon after, a

I belie#e they would do any one ele"

;=E" :" * 8hi day went abroad with my gun and my dog, and killed a wild

cat' her kin (retty oft, but her fleh good for nothing' e#ery creature that Ikilled I took of the kin and (reer#ed them" +oming back by the ea*hore, I

aw many ort of ea*fowl, which I did not undertand' but wa ur(ried,

and almot frightened, with two or three eal, which, while I wa ga&ing at, not

well knowing what they were, got into the ea, and eca(ed me for that time"



;=E" 6" * After my morning walk I went to work with my table again, and

finihed it, though not to my liking' nor wa it long before I learned to mend it"

;=E" " * ;ow it began to be ettled fair weather" 8he th, Jth, Gth, 1Cth, and

(art of the 12th ?for the 11th wa Sunday@ I took wholly u( to make me a chair,

and with much ado brought it to a tolerable ha(e, but ne#er to (leae me' ande#en in the making I (ulled it in (iece e#eral time"

;=8)" * I oon neglected my kee(ing Sunday' for, omitting my mark for them

on my (ot, I forgot which wa which"

;=E" 13" * 8hi day it rained, which refrehed me e0ceedingly, and cooled the

earth' but it wa accom(anied with terrible thunder and lightning, which

frightened me dreadfully, for fear of my (owder" A oon a it wa o#er, I

reol#ed to e(arate my tock of (owder into a many little (arcel a (oible,

that it might not be in danger"

;=E" 1, 1:, 16" * 8hee three day I (ent in making little uare chet, or

bo0e, which might hold about a (ound, or two (ound at mot, of (owder' and

o, (utting the (owder in, I towed it in (lace a ecure and remote from one

another a (oible" =n one of thee three day I killed a large bird that wa

good to eat, but I knew not what to call it"

;=E" 1" * 8hi day I began to dig behind my tent into the rock, to make room

for my further con#eniency"

;=8)" * 8hree thing I wanted e0ceedingly for thi work * #i&" a (icka0e, a

ho#el, and a wheelbarrow or baket' o I deited from my work, and began to

conider how to u((ly that want, and make me ome tool" A for the (icka0e,

I made ue of the iron crow, which were (ro(er enough, though hea#y' but the

ne0t thing wa a ho#el or (ade' thi wa o abolutely neceary, that, indeed,

I could do nothing effectually without it' but what kind of one to make I knew

not"

;=E" 1J" * 8he ne0t day, in earching the wood, I found a tree of that wood,

or like it, which in the Bra&il they call the iron* tree, for it e0ceedinghardne" =f thi, with great labour, and almot (oiling my a0e, I cut a (iece,

and brought it home, too, with difficulty enough, for it wa e0ceeding hea#y"

8he e0cei#e hardne of the wood, and my ha#ing no other way, made me a

long while u(on thi machine, for I worked it effectually by little and little into

the form of a ho#el or (ade' the handle e0actly ha(ed like our in )ngland,

only that the board (art ha#ing no iron hod u(on it at bottom, it would not lat



me o long' howe#er, it er#ed well enough for the ue which I had occaion

to (ut it to' but ne#er wa a ho#el, I belie#e, made after that fahion, or o long

in making"

I wa till deficient, for I wanted a baket or a wheelbarrow" A baket I could

not make by any mean, ha#ing no uch thing a twig that would bend tomake wicker*ware * at leat, none yet found out' and a to a wheelbarrow, I

fancied I could make all but the wheel' but that I had no notion of' neither did I

know how to go about it' beide, I had no (oible way to make the iron

gudgeon for the (indle or a0i of the wheel to run in' o I ga#e it o#er, and o,

for carrying away the earth which I dug out of the ca#e, I made me a thing like

a hod which the labourer carry mortar in when they er#e the bricklayer" 8hi

wa not o difficult to me a the making the ho#el5 and yet thi and the ho#el,

and the attem(t which I made in #ain to make a wheelbarrow, took me u( no

le than four day * I mean alway e0ce(ting my morning walk with my gun,

which I eldom failed, and #ery eldom failed alo bringing home omething fit

to eat"

;=E" 23" * /y other work ha#ing now tood till, becaue of my making thee

tool, when they were finihed I went on, and working e#ery day, a my

trength and time allowed, I (ent eighteen day entirely in widening and

dee(ening my ca#e, that it might hold my good commodiouly"

;=8)" * .uring all thi time I worked to make thi room or ca#e (aciou

enough to accommodate me a a warehoue or maga&ine, a kitchen, a dining*

room, and a cellar" A for my lodging, I ke(t to the tent' e0ce(t that ometime,

in the wet eaon of the year, it rained o hard that I could not kee( myelf dry,

which caued me afterward to co#er all my (lace within my (ale with long

(ole, in the form of rafter, leaning againt the rock, and load them with flag

and large lea#e of tree, like a thatch"

.)+)/B)$ 1C" * I began now to think my ca#e or #ault finihed, when on a

udden ?it eem I had made it too large@ a great uantity of earth fell down

from the to( on one ide' o much that, in hort, it frighted me, and not without

reaon, too, for if I had been under it, I had ne#er wanted a gra#edigger" I had

now a great deal of work to do o#er again, for I had the looe earth to carry out'

and, which wa of more im(ortance, I had the ceiling to (ro( u(, o that I might

be ure no more would come down"

.)+" 11" * 8hi day I went to work with it accordingly, and got two hore or

(ot (itched u(right to the to(, with two (iece of board acro o#er each

(ot' thi I finihed the ne0t day' and etting more (ot u( with board, in



about a week more I had the roof ecured, and the (ot, tanding in row,

er#ed me for (artition to (art off the houe"

.)+" 1" * rom thi day to the 2Cth I (laced hel#e, and knocked u( nail on

the (ot, to hang e#erything u( that could be hung u(' and now I began to be

in ome order within door"

.)+" 2C" * ;ow I carried e#erything into the ca#e, and began to furnih my

houe, and et u( ome (iece of board like a dreer, to order my #ictual

u(on' but board began to be #ery carce with me' alo, I made me another

table"

.)+" 2" * /uch rain all night and all day" ;o tirring out"

.)+" 2:" * $ain all day"

.)+" 26" * ;o rain, and the earth much cooler than before, and (leaanter"

.)+" 2" * %illed a young goat, and lamed another, o that I caught it and led it

home in a tring' when I had it at home, I bound and (lintered u( it leg,

which wa broke"

;"B" * I took uch care of it that it li#ed, and the leg grew well and a trong a

e#er' but, by my nuring it o long, it grew tame, and fed u(on the little green at

my door, and would not go away" 8hi wa the firt time that I entertained a

thought of breeding u( ome tame creature, that I might ha#e food when my (owder and hot wa all (ent"

.)+" 2J,2G,3C,31" * 4reat heat, and no bree&e, o that there wa no tirring

abroad, e0ce(t in the e#ening, for food' thi time I (ent in (utting all my

thing in order within door"

A;>A$Y 1" * Eery hot till5 but I went abroad early and late with my gun,

and lay till in the middle of the day" 8hi e#ening, going farther into the

#alley which lay toward the centre of the iland, I found there were (lenty of

goat, though e0ceedingly hy, and hard to come at' howe#er, I reol#ed to tryif I could not bring my dog to hunt them down"

A;" 2" * Accordingly, the ne0t day I went out with my dog, and et him u(on

the goat, but I wa mitaken, for they all faced about u(on the dog, and he

knew hi danger too well, for he would not come near them"



A;" 3" * I began my fence or wall' which, being till ealou of my being

attacked by omebody, I reol#ed to make #ery thick and trong"

;"B" * 8hi wall being decribed before, I (ur(oely omit what wa aid in the

ournal' it i ufficient to ober#e, that I wa no le time than from the 2nd of

anuary to the 1th of A(ril working, finihing, and (erfecting thi wall, thoughit wa no more than about twenty*four yard in length, being a half*circle from

one (lace in the rock to another (lace, about eight yard from it, the door of the

ca#e being in the centre behind it"

All thi time I worked #ery hard, the rain hindering me many day, nay,

ometime week together' but I thought I hould ne#er be (erfectly ecure till

thi wall wa finihed' and it i carce credible what ine0(reible labour

e#erything wa done with, e(ecially the bringing (ile out of the wood and

dri#ing them into the ground' for I made them much bigger than I needed to

ha#e done"

When thi wall wa finihed, and the outide double fenced, with a turf wall

raied u( cloe to it, I (ercei#ed myelf that if any (eo(le were to come on

hore there, they would not (ercei#e anything like a habitation' and it wa #ery

well I did o, a may be ober#ed hereafter, u(on a #ery remarkable occaion"

.uring thi time I made my round in the wood for game e#ery day when the

rain (ermitted me, and made freuent dico#erie in thee walk of omething

or other to my ad#antage' (articularly, I found a kind of wild (igeon, which

build, not a wood*(igeon in a tree, but rather a houe*(igeon, in the hole ofthe rock' and taking ome young one, I endea#oured to breed them u( tame,

and did o' but when they grew older they flew away, which (erha( wa at

firt for want of feeding them, for I had nothing to gi#e them' howe#er, I

freuently found their net, and got their young one, which were #ery good

meat" And now, in the managing my houehold affair, I found myelf wanting

in many thing, which I thought at firt it wa im(oible for me to make' a,

indeed, with ome of them it wa5 for intance, I could ne#er make a cak to be

hoo(ed" I had a mall runlet or two, a I ober#ed before' but I could ne#er

arri#e at the ca(acity of making one by them, though I (ent many week about

it' I could neither (ut in the head, or oin the ta#e o true to one another a to

make them hold water' o I ga#e that alo o#er" In the ne0t (lace, I wa at a

great lo for candle' o that a oon a e#er it wa dark, which wa generally

by e#en oclock, I wa obliged to go to bed" I remembered the lum( of

beewa0 with which I made candle in my African ad#enture' but I had none of

that now' the only remedy I had wa, that when I had killed a goat I a#ed the

tallow, and with a little dih made of clay, which I baked in the un, to which I



added a wick of ome oakum, I made me a lam(' and thi ga#e me light, though

not a clear, teady light, like a candle" In the middle of all my labour it

ha((ened that, rummaging my thing, I found a little bag which, a I hinted

before, had been filled with corn for the feeding of (oultry * not for thi

#oyage, but before, a I u((oe, when the hi( came from -ibon" 8he little

remainder of corn that had been in the bag wa all de#oured by the rat, and I

aw nothing in the bag but huk and dut' and being willing to ha#e the bag for

ome other ue ?I think it wa to (ut (owder in, when I di#ided it for fear of the

lightning, or ome uch ue@, I hook the huk of corn out of it on one ide of

my fortification, under the rock"

It wa a little before the great rain ut now mentioned that I threw thi tuff

away, taking no notice, and not o much a remembering that I had thrown

anything there, when, about a month after, or thereabout, I aw ome few

talk of omething green hooting out of the ground, which I fancied might be

ome (lant I had not een' but I wa ur(ried, and (erfectly atonihed, when,

after a little longer time, I aw about ten or twel#e ear come out, which were

(erfect green barley, of the ame kind a our )uro(ean * nay, a our )nglih

barley"

It i im(oible to e0(re the atonihment and confuion of my thought on

thi occaion" I had hitherto acted u(on no religiou foundation at all' indeed, I

had #ery few notion of religion in my head, nor had entertained any ene of

anything that had befallen me otherwie than a chance, or, a we lightly ay,

what (leae 4od, without o much a inuiring into the end of <ro#idence in

thee thing, or !i order in go#erning e#ent for the world" But after I aw

barley grow there, in a climate which I knew wa not (ro(er for corn, and

e(ecially that I knew not how it came there, it tartled me trangely, and I

began to ugget that 4od had miraculouly caued !i grain to grow without

any hel( of eed own, and that it wa o directed (urely for my utenance on

that wild, mierable (lace"

8hi touched my heart a little, and brought tear out of my eye, and I began to

ble myelf that uch a (rodigy of nature hould ha((en u(on my account' and

thi wa the more trange to me, becaue I aw near it till, all along by the ideof the rock, ome other traggling talk, which (ro#ed to be talk of rice, and

which I knew, becaue I had een it grow in Africa when I wa ahore there"

I not only thought thee the (ure (roduction of <ro#idence for my u((ort, but

not doubting that there wa more in the (lace, I went all o#er that (art of the

iland, where I had been before, (eering in e#ery corner, and under e#ery rock,

to ee for more of it, but I could not find any" At lat it occurred to my thought



that I hook a bag of chicken meat out in that (lace' and then the wonder

began to ceae' and I mut confe my religiou thankfulne to 4od

(ro#idence began to abate, too, u(on the dico#ering that all thi wa nothing

but what wa common' though I ought to ha#e been a thankful for o trange

and unforeeen a (ro#idence a if it had been miraculou' for it wa really the

work of <ro#idence to me, that hould order or a((oint that ten or twel#e grain

of corn hould remain un(oiled, when the rat had detroyed all the ret, a if

it had been dro((ed from hea#en' a alo, that I hould throw it out in that

(articular (lace, where, it being in the hade of a high rock, it (rang u(

immediately' wherea, if I had thrown it anywhere ele at that time, it had been

burnt u( and detroyed"

I carefully a#ed the ear of thi corn, you may be ure, in their eaon, which

wa about the end of une' and, laying u( e#ery corn, I reol#ed to ow them all

again, ho(ing in time to ha#e ome uantity ufficient to u((ly me with bread"

But it wa not till the fourth year that I could allow myelf the leat grain of thi

corn to eat, and e#en then but (aringly, a I hall ay afterward, in it order'

for I lot all that I owed the firt eaon by not ober#ing the (ro(er time' for I

owed it ut before the dry eaon, o that it ne#er came u( at all, at leat not a

it would ha#e done' of which in it (lace"

Beide thi barley, there were, a abo#e, twenty or thirty talk of rice, which I

(reer#ed with the ame care and for the ame ue, or to the ame (ur(oe * to

make me bread, or rather food' for I found way to cook it without baking,

though I did that alo after ome time"

But to return to my ournal"

I worked e0cei#e hard thee three or four month to get my wall done' and

the 1th of A(ril I cloed it u(, contri#ing to go into it, not by a door but o#er

the wall, by a ladder, that there might be no ign on the outide of my

habitation"

A<$I- 16" * I finihed the ladder' o I went u( the ladder to the to(, and then

(ulled it u( after me, and let it down in the inide" 8hi wa a com(lete

encloure to me' for within I had room enough, and nothing could come at me

from without, unle it could firt mount my wall"

8he #ery ne0t day after thi wall wa finihed I had almot had all my labour

o#erthrown at once, and myelf killed" 8he cae wa thu5 A I wa buy in the

inide, behind my tent, ut at the entrance into my ca#e, I wa terribly frighted

with a mot dreadful, ur(riing thing indeed' for all on a udden I found the



earth come crumbling down from the roof of my ca#e, and from the edge of the

hill o#er my head, and two of the (ot I had et u( in the ca#e cracked in a

frightful manner" I wa heartily cared' but thought nothing of what wa really

the caue, only thinking that the to( of my ca#e wa fallen in, a ome of it had

done before5 and for fear I hould be buried in it I ran forward to my ladder,

and not thinking myelf afe there neither, I got o#er my wall for fear of the

(iece of the hill, which I e0(ected might roll down u(on me" I had no ooner

te((ed do ground, than I (lainly aw it wa a terrible earthuake, for the

ground I tood on hook three time at about eight minute ditance, with three

uch hock a would ha#e o#erturned the tronget building that could be

u((oed to ha#e tood on the earth' and a great (iece of the to( of a rock

which tood about half a mile from me ne0t the ea fell down with uch a

terrible noie a I ne#er heard in all my life" I (ercei#ed alo the #ery ea wa

(ut into #iolent motion by it' and I belie#e the hock were tronger under the

water than on the iland"

I wa o much ama&ed with the thing itelf, ha#ing ne#er felt the like, nor

dicoured with any one that had, that I wa like one dead or tu(efied' and the

motion of the earth made my tomach ick, like one that wa toed at ea' but

the noie of the falling of the rock awakened me, a it were, and rouing me

from the tu(efied condition I wa in, filled me with horror' and I thought of

nothing then but the hill falling u(on my tent and all my houehold good, and

burying all at once' and thi unk my #ery oul within me a econd time"

After the third hock wa o#er, and I felt no more for ome time, I began to

take courage' and yet I had not heart enough to go o#er my wall again, for fear

of being buried ali#e, but at till u(on the ground greatly cat down and

diconolate, not knowing what to do" All thi while I had not the leat eriou

religiou thought' nothing but the common 9-ord ha#e mercy u(on me79 and

when it wa o#er that went away too"

While I at thu, I found the air o#ercat and grow cloudy, a if it would rain"

Soon after that the wind aroe by little and little, o that in le than half*an*

hour it blew a mot dreadful hurricane' the ea wa all on a udden co#ered

o#er with foam and froth' the hore wa co#ered with the breach of the water,the tree were torn u( by the root, and a terrible torm it wa" 8hi held about

three hour, and then began to abate' and in two hour more it wa uite calm,

and began to rain #ery hard" All thi while I at u(on the ground #ery much

terrified and deected' when on a udden it came into my thought, that thee

wind and rain being the coneuence of the earthuake, the earthuake itelf

wa (ent and o#er, and I might #enture into my ca#e again" With thi thought



my (irit began to re#i#e' and the rain alo hel(ing to (eruade me, I went in

and at down in my tent" But the rain wa o #iolent that my tent wa ready to

be beaten down with it' and I wa forced to go into my ca#e, though #ery much

afraid and uneay, for fear it hould fall on my head" 8hi #iolent rain forced

me to a new work * #i&" to cut a hole through my new fortification, like a ink,

to let the water go out, which would ele ha#e flooded my ca#e" After I had

been in my ca#e for ome time, and found till no more hock of the

earthuake follow, I began to be more com(oed" And now, to u((ort my

(irit, which indeed wanted it #ery much, I went to my little tore, and took a

mall u( of rum' which, howe#er, I did then and alway #ery (aringly,

knowing I could ha#e no more when that wa gone" It continued raining all that

night and great (art of the ne0t day, o that I could not tir abroad' but my mind

being more com(oed, I began to think of what I had bet do' concluding that if

the iland wa ubect to thee earthuake, there would be no li#ing for me in a

ca#e, but I mut conider of building a little hut in an o(en (lace which I might

urround with a wall, a I had done here, and o make myelf ecure from wild

beat or men' for I concluded, if I tayed where I wa, I hould certainly one

time or other be buried ali#e"

With thee thought, I reol#ed to remo#e my tent from the (lace where it

tood, which wa ut under the hanging (reci(ice of the hill' and which, if it

hould be haken again, would certainly fall u(on my tent' and I (ent the two

ne0t day, being the 1Gth and 2Cth of A(ril, in contri#ing where and how to

remo#e my habitation" 8he fear of being wallowed u( ali#e made me that I

ne#er le(t in uiet' and yet the a((rehenion of lying abroad without any fencewa almot eual to it' but till, when I looked about, and aw how e#erything

wa (ut in order, how (leaantly concealed I wa, and how afe from danger, it

made me #ery loath to remo#e" In the meantime, it occurred to me that it would

reuire a #at deal of time for me to do thi, and that I mut be contented to

#enture where I wa, till I had formed a cam( for myelf, and had ecured it o

a to remo#e to it" So with thi reolution I com(oed myelf for a time, and

reol#ed that I would go to work with all (eed to build me a wall with (ile

and cable, Fc", in a circle, a before, and et my tent u( in it when it wa

finihed' but that I would #enture to tay where I wa till it wa finihed, and fit

to remo#e" 8hi wa the 21t"

A<$I- 22" * 8he ne0t morning I begin to conider of mean to (ut thi reol#e

into e0ecution' but I wa at a great lo about my tool" I had three large a0e,

and abundance of hatchet ?for we carried the hatchet for traffic with the

Indian@' but with much cho((ing and cutting knotty hard wood, they were all

full of notche, and dull' and though I had a grindtone, I could not turn it and



grind my tool too" 8hi cot me a much thought a a tateman would ha#e

betowed u(on a grand (oint of (olitic, or a udge u(on the life and death of a

man" At length I contri#ed a wheel with a tring, to turn it with my foot, that I

might ha#e both my hand at liberty" ;=8)" * I had ne#er een any uch thing

in )ngland, or at leat, not to take notice how it wa done, though ince I ha#e

ober#ed, it i #ery common there' beide that, my grindtone wa #ery large

and hea#y" 8hi machine cot me a full week work to bring it to (erfection"

A<$I- 2J, 2G" * 8hee two whole day I took u( in grinding my tool, my

machine for turning my grindtone (erforming #ery well"

A<$I- 3C" * !a#ing (ercei#ed my bread had been low a great while, now I

took a ur#ey of it, and reduced myelf to one bicuit cake a day, which made

my heart #ery hea#y"

/AY 1" * In the morning, looking toward the ea ide, the tide being low, Iaw omething lie on the hore bigger than ordinary, and it looked like a cak'

when I came to it, I found a mall barrel, and two or three (iece of the wreck

of the hi(, which were dri#en on hore by the late hurricane' and looking

toward the wreck itelf, I thought it eemed to lie higher out of the water than

it ued to do" I e0amined the barrel which wa dri#en on hore, and oon found

it wa a barrel of gun(owder' but it had taken water, and the (owder wa caked

a hard a a tone' howe#er, I rolled it farther on hore for the (reent, and went

on u(on the and, a near a I could to the wreck of the hi(, to look for more"

CHAPTER VI - ILL AND CNSCIENCE-STRICKEN

W!); I came down to the hi( I found it trangely remo#ed" 8he forecatle,

which lay before buried in and, wa hea#ed u( at leat i0 feet, and the tern,

which wa broke in (iece and (arted from the ret by the force of the ea, oon

after I had left rummaging her, wa toed a it were u(, and cat on one ide'

and the and wa thrown o high on that ide ne0t her tern, that wherea there

wa a great (lace of water before, o that I could not come within a uarter of a

mile of the wreck without wimming I could now walk uite u( to her when the

tide wa out" I wa ur(ried with thi at firt, but oon concluded it mut be

done by the earthuake' and a by thi #iolence the hi( wa more broke o(en

than formerly, o many thing came daily on hore, which the ea had looened,

and which the wind and water rolled by degree to the land"



8hi wholly di#erted my thought from the deign of remo#ing my habitation,

and I buied myelf mightily, that day e(ecially, in earching whether I could

make any way into the hi(' but I found nothing wa to be e0(ected of that

kind, for all the inide of the hi( wa choked u( with and" !owe#er, a I had

learned not to de(air of anything, I reol#ed to (ull e#erything to (iece that I

could of the hi(, concluding that e#erything I could get from her would be of

ome ue or other to me"

/AY 3" * I began with my aw, and cut a (iece of a beam through, which I

thought held ome of the u((er (art or uarter*deck together, and when I had

cut it through, I cleared away the and a well a I could from the ide which

lay highet' but the tide coming in, I wa obliged to gi#e o#er for that time"

/AY " * I went a*fihing, but caught not one fih that I durt eat of, till I wa

weary of my (ort' when, ut going to lea#e off, I caught a young dol(hin" I

had made me a long line of ome ro(e* yarn, but I had no hook' yet Ifreuently caught fih enough, a much a I cared to eat' all which I dried in the

un, and ate them dry"

/AY :" * Worked on the wreck' cut another beam aunder, and brought three

great fir (lank off from the deck, which I tied together, and made to float on

hore when the tide of flood came on"

/AY 6" * Worked on the wreck' got e#eral iron bolt out of her and other

(iece of ironwork" Worked #ery hard, and came home #ery much tired, and

had thought of gi#ing it o#er"

/AY " * Went to the wreck again, not with an intent to work, but found the

weight of the wreck had broke itelf down, the beam being cut' that e#eral

(iece of the hi( eemed to lie looe, and the inide of the hold lay o o(en

that I could ee into it' but it wa almot full of water and and"

/AY J" * Went to the wreck, and carried an iron crow to wrench u( the deck,

which lay now uite clear of the water or and" I wrenched o(en two (lank,

and brought them on hore alo with the tide" I left the iron crow in the wreck

for ne0t day"

/AY G" * Went to the wreck, and with the crow made way into the body of the

wreck, and felt e#eral cak, and looened them with the crow, but could not

break them u(" I felt alo a roll of )nglih lead, and could tir it, but it wa too

hea#y to remo#e"



/AY 1C*1" * Went e#ery day to the wreck' and got a great many (iece of

timber, and board, or (lank, and two or three hundredweight of iron"

/AY 1:" * I carried two hatchet, to try if I could not cut a (iece off the roll of

lead by (lacing the edge of one hatchet and dri#ing it with the other' but a it

lay about a foot and a half in the water, I could not make any blow to dri#e thehatchet"

/AY 16" * It had blown hard in the night, and the wreck a((eared more broken

by the force of the water' but I tayed o long in the wood, to get (igeon for

food, that the tide (re#ented my going to the wreck that day"

/AY 1" * I aw ome (iece of the wreck blown on hore, at a great ditance,

near two mile off me, but reol#ed to ee what they were, and found it wa a

(iece of the head, but too hea#y for me to bring away"

/AY 2" * )#ery day, to thi day, I worked on the wreck' and with hard labour

I looened ome thing o much with the crow, that the firt flowing tide

e#eral cak floated out, and two of the eamen chet' but the wind blowing

from the hore, nothing came to land that day but (iece of timber, and a

hoghead, which had ome Bra&il (ork in it' but the alt water and the and had

(oiled it" I continued thi work e#ery day to the 1:th of une, e0ce(t the time

neceary to get food, which I alway a((ointed, during thi (art of my

em(loyment, to be when the tide wa u(, that I might be ready when it wa

ebbed out' and by thi time I had got timber and (lank and ironwork enough to

ha#e built a good boat, if I had known how' and alo I got, at e#eral time andin e#eral (iece, near one hundredweight of the heet lead"

>;) 16" * 4oing down to the eaide, I found a large tortoie or turtle" 8hi

wa the firt I had een, which, it eem, wa only my mifortune, not any

defect of the (lace, or carcity' for had I ha((ened to be on the other ide of the

iland, I might ha#e had hundred of them e#ery day, a I found afterward' but

(erha( had (aid dear enough for them"

>;) 1" * I (ent in cooking the turtle" I found in her three* core egg' and

her fleh wa to me, at that time, the mot a#oury and (leaant that e#er Itated in my life, ha#ing had no fleh, but of goat and fowl, ince I landed in

thi horrid (lace"

>;) 1J" * $ained all day, and I tayed within" I thought at thi time the rain

felt cold, and I wa omething chilly' which I knew wa not uual in that

latitude"



>;) 1G" * Eery ill, and hi#ering, a if the weather had been cold"

>;) 2C" * ;o ret all night' #iolent (ain in my head, and fe#erih"

>;) 21" * Eery ill' frighted almot to death with the a((rehenion of my ad

condition * to be ick, and no hel(" <rayed to 4od, for the firt time ince thetorm off !ull, but carce knew what I aid, or why, my thought being all

confued"

>;) 22" * A little better' but under dreadful a((rehenion of ickne"

>;) 22" * Eery bad again' cold and hi#ering, and then a #iolent headache"

>;) 2" * /uch better"

>;) 2:" * An ague #ery #iolent' the fit held me e#en hour' cold fit and hot,with faint weat after it"

>;) 26" * Better' and ha#ing no #ictual to eat, took my gun, but found

myelf #ery weak" !owe#er, I killed a he*goat, and with much difficulty got it

home, and broiled ome of it, and ate, I would fain ha#e tewed it, and made

ome broth, but had no (ot"

>;) 2" * 8he ague again o #iolent that I lay a*bed all day, and neither ate

nor drank" I wa ready to (erih for thirt' but o weak, I had not trength to

tand u(, or to get myelf any water to drink" <rayed to 4od again, but walight*headed' and when I wa not, I wa o ignorant that I knew not what to

ay' only I lay and cried, 9-ord, look u(on me7 -ord, (ity me7 -ord, ha#e

mercy u(on me79 I u((oe I did nothing ele for two or three hour' till, the fit

wearing off, I fell alee(, and did not wake till far in the night" When I awoke, I

found myelf much refrehed, but weak, and e0ceeding thirty" !owe#er, a I

had no water in my habitation, I wa forced to lie till morning, and went to

lee( again" In thi econd lee( I had thi terrible dream5 I thought that I wa

itting on the ground, on the outide of my wall, where I at when the torm

blew after the earthuake, and that I aw a man decend from a great black

cloud, in a bright flame of fire, and light u(on the ground" !e wa all o#er a bright a a flame, o that I could but ut bear to look toward him' hi

countenance wa mot ine0(reibly dreadful, im(oible for word to decribe"

When he te((ed u(on the ground with hi feet, I thought the earth trembled,

ut a it had done before in the earthuake, and all the air looked, to my

a((rehenion, a if it had been filled with flahe of fire" !e wa no ooner

landed u(on the earth, but he mo#ed forward toward me, with a long (ear or



wea(on in hi hand, to kill me' and when he came to a riing ground, at ome

ditance, he (oke to me * or I heard a #oice o terrible that it i im(oible to

e0(re the terror of it" All that I can ay I undertood wa thi5 9Seeing all

thee thing ha#e not brought thee to re(entance, now thou halt die'9 at which

word, I thought he lifted u( the (ear that wa in hi hand to kill me"

;o one that hall e#er read thi account will e0(ect that I hould be able to

decribe the horror of my oul at thi terrible #iion" I mean, that e#en while it

wa a dream, I e#en dreamed of thoe horror" ;or i it any more (oible to

decribe the im(reion that remained u(on my mind when I awaked, and

found it wa but a dream"

I had, ala7 no di#ine knowledge" What I had recei#ed by the good intruction

of my father wa then worn out by an uninterru(ted erie, for eight year, of

eafaring wickedne, and a contant con#eration with none but uch a were,

like myelf, wicked and (rofane to the lat degree" I do not remember that Ihad, in all that time, one thought that o much a tended either to looking

u(ward toward 4od, or inward toward a reflection u(on my own way' but

a certain tu(idity of oul, without deire of good, or concience of e#il, had

entirely o#erwhelmed me' and I wa all that the mot hardened, unthinking,

wicked creature among our common ailor can be u((oed to be' not ha#ing

the leat ene, either of the fear of 4od in danger, or of thankfulne to 4od in

deli#erance"

In the relating what i already (at of my tory, thi will be the more eaily

belie#ed when I hall add, that through all the #ariety of mierie that had to

thi day befallen me, I ne#er had o much a one thought of it being the hand of

4od, or that it wa a ut (unihment for my in * my rebelliou beha#iour

againt my father * or my (reent in, which were great * or o much a a

(unihment for the general coure of my wicked life" When I wa on the

de(erate e0(edition on the deert hore of Africa, I ne#er had o much a one

thought of what would become of me, or one wih to 4od to direct me whither

I hould go, or to kee( me from the danger which a((arently urrounded me, a

well from #oraciou creature a cruel a#age" But I wa merely thoughtle of

a 4od or a <ro#idence, acted like a mere brute, from the (rinci(le of nature,and by the dictate of common ene only, and, indeed, hardly that" When I wa

deli#ered and taken u( at ea by the <ortugal ca(tain, well ued, and dealt utly

and honourably with, a well a charitably, I had not the leat thankfulne in

my thought" When, again, I wa hi(wrecked, ruined, and in danger of

drowning on thi iland, I wa a far from remore, or looking on it a a



fe#er a of the dreadful re(roache of my concience, e0torted ome word

from me like (raying to 4od, though I cannot ay they were either a (rayer

attended with deire or with ho(e5 it wa rather the #oice of mere fright and

ditre" /y thought were confued, the con#iction great u(on my mind, and

the horror of dying in uch a mierable condition raied #a(our into my head

with the mere a((rehenion' and in thee hurrie of my oul I knew not what

my tongue might e0(re" But it wa rather e0clamation, uch a, 9-ord, what a

mierable creature am I7 If I hould be ick, I hall certainly die for want of

hel(' and what will become of me79 8hen the tear burt out of my eye, and I

could ay no more for a good while" In thi inter#al the good ad#ice of my

father came to my mind, and (reently hi (rediction, which I mentioned at the

beginning of thi tory * #i&" that if I did take thi foolih te(, 4od would not

ble me, and I would ha#e leiure hereafter to reflect u(on ha#ing neglected

hi counel when there might be none to ait in my reco#ery" 9;ow,9 aid I,

aloud, 9my dear father word are come to (a' 4od utice ha o#ertaken

me, and I ha#e none to hel( or hear me" I reected the #oice of <ro#idence,

which had mercifully (ut me in a (oture or tation of life wherein I might ha#e

been ha((y and eay' but I would neither ee it myelf nor learn to know the

bleing of it from my (arent" I left them to mourn o#er my folly, and now I

am left to mourn under the coneuence of it" I abued their hel( and

aitance, who would ha#e lifted me in the world, and would ha#e made

e#erything eay to me' and now I ha#e difficultie to truggle with, too great

for e#en nature itelf to u((ort, and no aitance, no hel(, no comfort, no

ad#ice"9 8hen I cried out, 9-ord, be my hel(, for I am in great ditre"9 8hi

wa the firt (rayer, if I may call it o, that I had made for many year"

But to return to my ournal"

>;) 2J" * !a#ing been omewhat refrehed with the lee( I had had, and the

fit being entirely off, I got u(' and though the fright and terror of my dream wa

#ery great, yet I conidered that the fit of the ague would return again the ne0t

day, and now wa my time to get omething to refreh and u((ort myelf

when I hould be ill' and the firt thing I did, I filled a large uare cae*bottle

with water, and et it u(on my table, in reach of my bed' and to take off the

chill or aguih di(oition of the water, I (ut about a uarter of a (int of ruminto it, and mi0ed them together" 8hen I got me a (iece of the goat fleh and

broiled it on the coal, but could eat #ery little" I walked about, but wa #ery

weak, and withal #ery ad and hea#y*hearted under a ene of my mierable

condition, dreading, the return of my ditem(er the ne0t day" At night I made

my u((er of three of the turtle egg, which I roated in the ahe, and ate, a

we call it, in the hell, and thi wa the firt bit of meat I had e#er aked 4od



bleing to, that I could remember, in my whole life" After I had eaten I tried to

walk, but found myelf o weak that I could hardly carry a gun, for I ne#er

went out without that' o I went but a little way, and at down u(on the ground,

looking out u(on the ea, which wa ut before me, and #ery calm and mooth"

A I at here ome uch thought a thee occurred to me5 What i thi earth

and ea, of which I ha#e een o much Whence i it (roduced And what am I,

and all the other creature wild and tame, human and brutal Whence are we

Sure we are all made by ome ecret <ower, who formed the earth and ea, the

air and ky" And who i that 8hen it followed mot naturally, it i 4od that ha

made all" Well, but then it came on trangely, if 4od ha made all thee thing,

!e guide and go#ern them all, and all thing that concern them' for the <ower

that could make all thing mut certainly ha#e (ower to guide and direct them"

If o, nothing can ha((en in the great circuit of !i work, either without !i

knowledge or a((ointment"

And if nothing ha((en without !i knowledge, !e know that I am here, and

am in thi dreadful condition' and if nothing ha((en without !i a((ointment,

!e ha a((ointed all thi to befall me" ;othing occurred to my thought to

contradict any of thee concluion, and therefore it reted u(on me with the

greater force, that it mut need be that 4od had a((ointed all thi to befall me'

that I wa brought into thi mierable circumtance by !i direction, !e ha#ing

the ole (ower, not of me only, but of e#erything that ha((ened in the world"

Immediately it followed5 Why ha 4od done thi to me What ha#e I done to

be thu ued /y concience (reently checked me in that inuiry, a if I had

bla(hemed, and methought it (oke to me like a #oice5 9Wretch7 dot 8!=>ak what thou hat done -ook back u(on a dreadful mi(ent life, and ak

thyelf what thou hat ;=8 done Ak, why i it that thou wert not long ago

detroyed Why wert thou not drowned in Yarmouth $oad' killed in the fight

when the hi( wa taken by the Sallee man*of*war' de#oured by the wild beat

on the coat of Africa' or drowned !)$), when all the crew (erihed but

thyelf .ot 8!=> ak, what ha#e I done9 I wa truck dumb with thee

reflection, a one atonihed, and had not a word to ay * no, not to anwer to

myelf, but roe u( (eni#e and ad, walked back to my retreat, and went u(

o#er my wall, a if I had been going to bed' but my thought were adly

diturbed, and I had no inclination to lee(' o I at down in my chair, andlighted my lam(, for it began to be dark" ;ow, a the a((rehenion of the return

of my ditem(er terrified me #ery much, it occurred to my thought that the

Bra&ilian take no (hyic but their tobacco for almot all ditem(er, and I had

a (iece of a roll of tobacco in one of the chet, which wa uite cured, and

ome alo that wa green, and not uite cured"



I went, directed by !ea#en no doubt' for in thi chet I found a cure both for

oul and body" I o(ened the chet, and found what I looked for, the tobacco'

and a the few book I had a#ed lay there too, I took out one of the Bible

which I mentioned before, and which to thi time I had not found leiure or

inclination to look into" I ay, I took it out, and brought both that and the

tobacco with me to the table" What ue to make of the tobacco I knew not, in

my ditem(er, or whether it wa good for it or no5 but I tried e#eral

e0(eriment with it, a if I wa reol#ed it hould hit one way or other" I firt

took a (iece of leaf, and chewed it in my mouth, which, indeed, at firt almot

tu(efied my brain, the tobacco being green and trong, and that I had not been

much ued to" 8hen I took ome and tee(ed it an hour or two in ome rum, and

reol#ed to take a doe of it when I lay down' and latly", I burnt ome u(on a

(an of coal, and held my noe cloe o#er the moke of it a long a I could

bear it, a well for the heat a almot for uffocation" In the inter#al of thi

o(eration I took u( the Bible and began to read' but my head wa too much

diturbed with the tobacco to bear reading, at leat at that time' only, ha#ing

o(ened the book caually, the firt word that occurred to me were thee, 9+all

on /e in the day of trouble, and I will deli#er thee, and thou halt glorify /e"9

8hee word were #ery a(t to my cae, and made ome im(reion u(on my

thought at the time of reading them, though not o much a they did

afterward' for, a for being .)-IE)$)., the word had no ound, a I may

ay, to me' the thing wa o remote, o im(oible in my a((rehenion of

thing, that I began to ay, a the children of Irael did when they were

(romied fleh to eat, 9+an 4od (read a table in the wilderne9 o I began to

ay, 9+an 4od !imelf deli#er me from thi (lace9 And a it wa not for manyyear that any ho(e a((eared, thi (re#ailed #ery often u(on my thought' but,

howe#er, the word made a great im(reion u(on me, and I mued u(on them

#ery often" It grew now late, and the tobacco had, a I aid, do&ed my head o

much that I inclined to lee(' o I left my lam( burning in the ca#e, let I

hould want anything in the night, and went to bed" But before I lay down, I did

what I ne#er had done in all my life * I kneeled down, and (rayed to 4od to

fulfil the (romie to me, that if I called u(on !im in the day of trouble, !e

would deli#er me" After my broken and im(erfect (rayer wa o#er, I drank the

rum in which I had tee(ed the tobacco, which wa o trong and rank of the

tobacco that I could carcely get it down' immediately u(on thi I went to bed" Ifound (reently it flew u( into my head #iolently' but I fell into a ound lee(,

and waked no more till, by the un, it mut necearily be near three oclock in

the afternoon the ne0t day * nay, to thi hour I am (artly of o(inion that I le(t

all the ne0t day and night, and till almot three the day after' for otherwie I

know not how I hould loe a day out of my reckoning in the day of the week,

a it a((eared ome year after I had done' for if I had lot it by croing and



recroing the line, I hould ha#e lot more than one day' but certainly I lot a

day in my account, and ne#er knew which way" Be that, howe#er, one way or

the other, when I awaked I found myelf e0ceedingly refrehed, and my (irit

li#ely and cheerful' when I got u( I wa tronger than I wa the day before, and

my tomach better, for I wa hungry' and, in hort, I had no fit the ne0t day, but

continued much altered for the better" 8hi wa the 2Gth"

8he 3Cth wa my well day, of coure, and I went abroad with my gun, but did

not care to tra#el too far" I killed a ea*fowl or two, omething like a

brandgooe, and brought them home, but wa not #ery forward to eat them' o I

ate ome more of the turtle egg, which were #ery good" 8hi e#ening I

renewed the medicine, which I had u((oed did me good the day before * the

tobacco tee(ed in rum' only I did not take o much a before, nor did I chew

any of the leaf, or hold my head o#er the moke' howe#er, I wa not o well the

ne0t day, which wa the firt of uly, a I ho(ed I hould ha#e been' for I had a

little (ice of the cold fit, but it wa not much"

>-Y 2" * I renewed the medicine all the three way' and doed myelf with it

a at firt, and doubled the uantity which I drank"

>-Y 3" * I mied the fit for good and all, though I did not reco#er my full

trength for ome week after" While I wa thu gathering trength, my

thought ran e0ceedingly u(on thi Scri(ture, 9I will deli#er thee9' and the

im(oibility of my deli#erance lay much u(on my mind, in bar of my e#er

e0(ecting it' but a I wa dicouraging myelf with uch thought, it occurred to

my mind that I (ored o much u(on my deli#erance from the main affliction,

that I diregarded the deli#erance I had recei#ed, and I wa a it were made to

ak myelf uch uetion a thee * #i&" !a#e I not been deli#ered, and

wonderfully too, from ickne * from the mot ditreed condition that could

be, and that wa o frightful to me and what notice had I taken of it !ad I

done my (art 4od had deli#ered me, but I had not glorified !im * that i to

ay, I had not owned and been thankful for that a a deli#erance' and how could

I e0(ect greater deli#erance 8hi touched my heart #ery much' and

immediately I knelt down and ga#e 4od thank aloud for my reco#ery from my

ickne"

>-Y " * In the morning I took the Bible' and beginning at the ;ew

8etament, I began eriouly to read it, and im(oed u(on myelf to read a

while e#ery morning and e#ery night' not tying myelf to the number of

cha(ter, but long a my thought hould engage me" It wa not long after I et

eriouly to thi work till I found my heart more dee(ly and incerely affected

with the wickedne of my (at life" 8he im(reion of my dream re#i#ed' and



the word, 9All thee thing ha#e not brought thee to re(entance,9 ran eriouly

through my thought" I wa earnetly begging of 4od to gi#e me re(entance,

when it ha((ened (ro#identially, the #ery day, that, reading the Scri(ture, I

came to thee word5 9!e i e0alted a <rince and a Sa#iour, to gi#e re(entance

and to gi#e remiion"9 I threw down the book' and with my heart a well a my

hand lifted u( to hea#en, in a kind of ectay of oy, I cried out aloud, 9eu,

thou on of .a#id7 eu, thou e0alted <rince and Sa#iour7 gi#e me

re(entance79 8hi wa the firt time I could ay, in the true ene of the word,

that I (rayed in all my life' for now I (rayed with a ene of my condition, and

a true Scri(ture #iew of ho(e, founded on the encouragement of the Word of

4od' and from thi time, I may ay, I began to ho(e that 4od would hear me"

;ow I began to contrue the word mentioned abo#e, 9+all on /e, and I will

deli#er thee,9 in a different ene from what I had e#er done before' for then I

had no notion of anything being called .)-IE)$A;+), but my being

deli#ered from the ca(ti#ity I wa in' for though I wa indeed at large in the

(lace, yet the iland wa certainly a (rion to me, and that in the wore ene in

the world" But now I learned to take it in another ene5 now I looked back

u(on my (at life with uch horror, and my in a((eared o dreadful, that my

oul ought nothing of 4od but deli#erance from the load of guilt that bore

down all my comfort" A for my olitary life, it wa nothing" I did not o much

a (ray to be deli#ered from it or think of it' it wa all of no conideration in

com(arion to thi" And I add thi (art here, to hint to whoe#er hall read it,

that whene#er they come to a true ene of thing, they will find deli#erance

from in a much greater bleing than deli#erance from affliction"

But, lea#ing thi (art, I return to my ournal"

/y condition began now to be, though not le mierable a to my way of

li#ing, yet much eaier to my mind5 and my thought being directed, by a

contant reading the Scri(ture and (raying to 4od, to thing of a higher nature,

I had a great deal of comfort within, which till now I knew nothing of' alo, my

health and trength returned, I betirred myelf to furnih myelf with

e#erything that I wanted, and make my way of li#ing a regular a I could"

rom the th of uly to the 1th I wa chiefly em(loyed in walking about with

my gun in my hand, a little and a little at a time, a a man that wa gathering u(

hi trength after a fit of ickne' for it i hardly to be imagined how low I wa,

and to what weakne I wa reduced" 8he a((lication which I made ue of wa

(erfectly new, and (erha( which had ne#er cured an ague before' neither can I

recommend it to any to (ractie, by thi e0(eriment5 and though it did carry off

the fit, yet it rather contributed to weakening me' for I had freuent con#ulion



in my ner#e and limb for ome time" I learned from it alo thi, in (articular,

that being abroad in the rainy eaon wa the mot (erniciou thing to my

health that could be, e(ecially in thoe rain which came attended with torm

and hurricane of wind' for a the rain which came in the dry eaon wa

almot alway accom(anied with uch torm, o I found that rain wa much

more dangerou than the rain which fell in Se(tember and =ctober"

CHAPTER VII - A$RIC"LT"RAL E%PERIENCE

I !A. now been in thi unha((y iland abo#e ten month" All (oibility of

deli#erance from thi condition eemed to be entirely taken from me' and I

firmly belie#e that no human ha(e had e#er et foot u(on that (lace" !a#ing

now ecured my habitation, a I thought, fully to my mind, I had a great deire

to make a more (erfect dico#ery of the iland, and to ee what other

(roduction I might find, which I yet knew nothing of"

It wa on the 1:th of uly that I began to take a more (articular ur#ey of the

iland itelf" I went u( the creek firt, where, a I hinted, I brought my raft on

hore" I found after I came about two mile u(, that the tide did not flow any

higher, and that it wa no more than a little brook of running water, #ery freh

and good' but thi being the dry eaon, there wa hardly any water in ome

(art of it * at leat not enough to run in any tream, o a it could be (ercei#ed"

=n the bank of thi brook I found many (leaant a#annah or meadow,

(lain, mooth, and co#ered with gra' and on the riing (art of them, ne0t to

the higher ground, where the water, a might be u((oed, ne#er o#erflowed, I

found a great deal of tobacco, green, and growing to a great and #ery trong

talk" 8here were di#er other (lant, which I had no notion of or undertanding

about, that might, (erha(, ha#e #irtue of their own, which I could not find

out" I earched for the caa#a root, which the Indian, in all that climate, make

their bread of, but I could find none" I aw large (lant of aloe, but did not

undertand them" I aw e#eral ugar*cane, but wild, and, for want of

culti#ation, im(erfect" I contented myelf with thee dico#erie for thi time,

and came back, muing with myelf what coure I might take to know the#irtue and goodne of any of the fruit or (lant which I hould dico#er, but

could bring it to no concluion' for, in hort, I had made o little ober#ation

while I wa in the Bra&il, that I knew little of the (lant in the field' at leat,

#ery little that might er#e to any (ur(oe now in my ditre"



8he ne0t day, the i0teenth, I went u( the ame way again' and after going

omething further than I had gone the day before, I found the brook and the

a#annah ceae, and the country become more woody than before" In thi (art

I found different fruit, and (articularly I found melon u(on the ground, in

great abundance, and gra(e u(on the tree" 8he #ine had (read, indeed, o#er

the tree, and the cluter of gra(e were ut now in their (rime, #ery ri(e and

rich" 8hi wa a ur(riing dico#ery, and I wa e0ceeding glad of them' but I

wa warned by my e0(erience to eat (aringly of them' remembering that when

I wa ahore in Barbary, the eating of gra(e killed e#eral of our )nglihmen,

who were la#e there, by throwing them into flu0e and fe#er" But I found an

e0cellent ue for thee gra(e' and that wa, to cure or dry them in the un, and

kee( them a dried gra(e or raiin are ke(t, which I thought would be, a

indeed they were, wholeome and agreeable to eat when no gra(e could be

had"

I (ent all that e#ening there, and went not back to my habitation' which, by the

way, wa the firt night, a I might ay, I had lain from home" In the night, I

took my firt contri#ance, and got u( in a tree, where I le(t well' and the ne0t

morning (roceeded u(on my dico#ery' tra#elling nearly four mile, a I might

udge by the length of the #alley, kee(ing till due north, with a ridge of hill on

the outh and north ide of me" At the end of thi march I came to an o(ening

where the country eemed to decend to the wet' and a little (ring of freh

water, which iued out of the ide of the hill by me, ran the other way, that i,

due eat' and the country a((eared o freh, o green, o flourihing, e#erything

being in a contant #erdure or flourih of (ring that it looked like a (lantedgarden" I decended a little on the ide of that deliciou #ale, ur#eying it with a

ecret kind of (leaure, though mi0ed with my other afflicting thought, to

think that thi wa all my own' that I wa king and lord of all thi country

indefenibly, and had a right of (oeion' and if I could con#ey it, I might

ha#e it in inheritance a com(letely a any lord of a manor in )ngland" I aw

here abundance of cocoa tree, orange, and lemon, and citron tree' but all wild,

and #ery few bearing any fruit, at leat not then" !owe#er, the green lime that

I gathered were not only (leaant to eat, but #ery wholeome' and I mi0ed their

uice afterward with water, which made it #ery wholeome, and #ery cool and

refrehing" I found now I had buine enough to gather and carry home' and Ireol#ed to lay u( a tore a well of gra(e a lime and lemon, to furnih

myelf for the wet eaon, which I knew wa a((roaching" In order to do thi, I

gathered a great hea( of gra(e in one (lace, a leer hea( in another (lace, and

a great (arcel of lime and lemon in another (lace' and taking a few of each

with me, I tra#elled homeward' reol#ing to come again, and bring a bag or

ack, or what I could make, to carry the ret home" Accordingly, ha#ing (ent



three day in thi ourney, I came home ?o I mut now call my tent and my

ca#e@' but before I got thither the gra(e were (oiled' the richne of the fruit

and the weight of the uice ha#ing broken them and bruied them, they were

good for little or nothing' a to the lime, they were good, but I could bring but

a few"

8he ne0t day, being the nineteenth, I went back, ha#ing made me two mall

bag to bring home my har#et' but I wa ur(ried, when coming to my hea(

of gra(e, which were o rich and fine when I gathered them, to find them all

(read about, trod to (iece, and dragged about, ome here, ome there, and

abundance eaten and de#oured" By thi I concluded there were ome wild

creature thereabout, which had done thi' but what they were I knew not"

!owe#er, a I found there wa no laying them u( on hea(, and no carrying

them away in a ack, but that one way they would be detroyed, and the other

way they would be cruhed with their own weight, I took another coure' for I

gathered a large uantity of the gra(e, and hung them tree, that they might

cure and dry in the un' and a for the lime and lemon, I carried a many back

a I could well tand under"

When I came home from thi ourney, I contem(lated with great (leaure the

fruitfulne of that #alley, and the (leaantne of the ituation' the ecurity

from torm on that ide of the water, and the wood5 and concluded that I had

(itched u(on a (lace to fi0 my abode which wa by far the wort (art of the

country" >(on the whole, I began to conider of remo#ing my habitation, and

looking out for a (lace eually afe a where now I wa ituate, if (oible, in

that (leaant, fruitful (art of the iland"

8hi thought ran long in my head, and I wa e0ceeding fond of it for ome time,

the (leaantne of the (lace tem(ting me' but when I came to a nearer #iew of

it, I conidered that I wa now by the eaide, where it wa at leat (oible that

omething might ha((en to my ad#antage, and, by the ame ill fate that brought

me hither might bring ome other unha((y wretche to the ame (lace' and

though it wa carce (robable that any uch thing hould e#er ha((en, yet to

encloe myelf among the hill and wood in the centre of the iland wa to

antici(ate my bondage, and to render uch an affair not only im(robable, butim(oible' and that therefore I ought not by any mean to remo#e" !owe#er, I

wa o enamoured of thi (lace, that I (ent much of my time there for the

whole of the remaining (art of the month of uly' and though u(on econd

thought, I reol#ed not to remo#e, yet I built me a little kind of a bower, and

urrounded it at a ditance with a trong fence, being a double hedge, a high a

I could reach, well taked and filled between with bruhwood' and here I lay



#ery ecure, ometime two or three night together' alway going o#er it with

a ladder' o that I fancied now I had my country houe and my ea* coat

houe' and thi work took me u( to the beginning of Augut"

I had but newly finihed my fence, and began to enoy my labour, when the

rain came on, and made me tick cloe to my firt habitation' for though I hadmade me a tent like the other, with a (iece of a ail, and (read it #ery well, yet

I had not the helter of a hill to kee( me from torm, nor a ca#e behind me to

retreat into when the rain were e0traordinary"

About the beginning of Augut, a I aid, I had finihed my bower, and began

to enoy myelf" 8he 3rd of Augut, I found the gra(e I had hung u( (erfectly

dried, and, indeed, were e0cellent good raiin of the un' o I began to take

them down from the tree, and it wa #ery ha((y that I did o, for the rain

which followed would ha#e (oiled them, and I had lot the bet (art of my

winter food' for I had abo#e two hundred large bunche of them" ;o ooner hadI taken them all down, and carried the mot of them home to my ca#e, than it

began to rain' and from hence, which wa the 1th of Augut, it rained, more or

le, e#ery day till the middle of =ctober' and ometime o #iolently, that I

could not tir out of my ca#e for e#eral day"

In thi eaon I wa much ur(ried with the increae of my family' I had been

concerned for the lo of one of my cat, who ran away from me, or, a I

thought, had been dead, and I heard no more tiding of her till, to my

atonihment, he came home about the end of Augut with three kitten" 8hi

wa the more trange to me becaue, though I had killed a wild cat, a I called

it, with my gun, yet I thought it wa uite a different kind from our )uro(ean

cat' but the young cat were the ame kind of houe*breed a the old one' and

both my cat being female, I thought it #ery trange" But from thee three cat

I afterward came to be o (etered with cat that I wa forced to kill them like

#ermin or wild beat, and to dri#e them from my houe a much a (oible"

rom the 1th of Augut to the 26th, inceant rain, o that I could not tir, and

wa now #ery careful not to be much wet" In thi confinement, I began to be

traitened for food5 but #enturing out twice, I one day killed a goat' and the lat

day, which wa the 26th, found a #ery large tortoie, which wa a treat to me,

and my food wa regulated thu5 I ate a bunch of raiin for my breakfat' a

(iece of the goat fleh, or of the turtle, for my dinner, broiled * for, to my

great mifortune, I had no #eel to boil or tew anything' and two or three of

the turtle egg for my u((er"



.uring thi confinement in my co#er by the rain, I worked daily two or three

hour at enlarging my ca#e, and by degree worked it on toward one ide, till I

came to the outide of the hill, and made a door or way out, which came

beyond my fence or wall' and o I came in and out thi way" But I wa not

(erfectly eay at lying o o(en' for, a I had managed myelf before, I wa in a

(erfect encloure' wherea now I thought I lay e0(oed, and o(en for anything

to come in u(on me' and yet I could not (ercei#e that there wa any li#ing thing

to fear, the bigget creature that I had yet een u(on the iland being a goat"

S)<8" 3C" * I wa now come to the unha((y anni#erary of my landing" I cat

u( the notche on my (ot, and found I had been on hore three hundred and

i0ty*fi#e day" I ke(t thi day a a olemn fat, etting it a(art for religiou

e0ercie, (rotrating myelf on the ground with the mot eriou humiliation,

confeing my in to 4od, acknowledging !i righteou udgment u(on me,

and (raying to !im to ha#e mercy on me through eu +hrit' and not ha#ing

tated the leat refrehment for twel#e hour, e#en till the going down of the

un, I then ate a bicuit*cake and a bunch of gra(e, and went to bed, finihing

the day a I began it" I had all thi time ober#ed no Sabbath day' for a at firt I

had no ene of religion u(on my mind, I had, after ome time, omitted to

ditinguih the week, by making a longer notch than ordinary for the Sabbath

day, and o did not really know what any of the day were' but now, ha#ing

cat u( the day a abo#e, I found I had been there a year' o I di#ided it into

week, and et a(art e#ery e#enth day for a Sabbath' though I found at the end

of my account I had lot a day or two in my reckoning" A little after thi, my

ink began to fail me, and o I contented myelf to ue it more (aringly, and towrite down only the mot remarkable e#ent of my life, without continuing a

daily memorandum of other thing"

8he rainy eaon and the dry eaon began now to a((ear regular to me, and I

learned to di#ide them o a to (ro#ide for them accordingly' but I bought all

my e0(erience before I had it, and thi I am going to relate wa one of the mot

dicouraging e0(eriment that I made"

I ha#e mentioned that I had a#ed the few ear of barley and rice, which I had

o ur(riingly found (ring u(, a I thought, of themel#e, and I belie#e therewere about thirty talk of rice, and about twenty of barley' and now I thought

it a (ro(er time to ow it, after the rain, the un being in it outhern (oition,

going from me" Accordingly, I dug u( a (iece of ground a well a I could with

my wooden (ade, and di#iding it into two (art, I owed my grain' but a I

wa owing, it caually occurred to my thought that I would not ow it all at

firt, becaue I did not know when wa the (ro(er time for it, o I owed about



two*third of the eed, lea#ing about a handful of each" It wa a great comfort

to me afterward that I did o, for not one grain of what I owed thi time came

to anything5 for the dry month following, the earth ha#ing had no rain after the

eed wa own, it had no moiture to ait it growth, and ne#er came u( at all

till the wet eaon had come again, and then it grew a if it had been but newly

own" inding my firt eed did not grow, which I eaily imagined wa by the

drought, I ought for a moiter (iece of ground to make another trial in, and I

dug u( a (iece of ground near my new bower, and owed the ret of my eed in

ebruary, a little before the #ernal euino0' and thi ha#ing the rainy month of

/arch and A(ril to water it, (rung u( #ery (leaantly, and yielded a #ery good

cro(' but ha#ing (art of the eed left only, and not daring to ow all that I had, I

had but a mall uantity at lat, my whole cro( not amounting to abo#e half a

(eck of each kind" But by thi e0(eriment I wa made mater of my buine,

and knew e0actly when the (ro(er eaon wa to ow, and that I might e0(ect

two eed*time and two har#et e#ery year"

While thi corn wa growing I made a little dico#ery, which wa of ue to me

afterward" A oon a the rain were o#er, and the weather began to ettle,

which wa about the month of ;o#ember, I made a #iit u( the country to my

bower, where, though I had not been ome month, yet I found all thing ut a

I left them" 8he circle or double hedge that I had made wa not only firm and

entire, but the take which I had cut out of ome tree that grew thereabout

were all hot out and grown with long branche, a much a a willow*tree

uually hoot the firt year after lo((ing it head" I could not tell what tree to

call it that thee take were cut from" I wa ur(ried, and yet #ery well (leaed, to ee the young tree grow' and I (runed them, and led them u( to

grow a much alike a I could' and it i carce credible how beautiful a figure

they grew into in three year' o that though the hedge made a circle of about

twenty*fi#e yard in diameter, yet the tree, for uch I might now call them,

oon co#ered it, and it wa a com(lete hade, ufficient to lodge under all the

dry eaon" 8hi made me reol#e to cut ome more take, and make me a

hedge like thi, in a emi*circle round my wall ?I mean that of my firt

dwelling@, which I did' and (lacing the tree or take in a double row, at about

eight yard ditance from my firt fence, they grew (reently, and were at firt a

fine co#er to my habitation, and afterward er#ed for a defence alo, a I hallober#e in it order"

I found now that the eaon of the year might generally be di#ided, not into

ummer and winter, a in )uro(e, but into the rainy eaon and the dry

eaon, which were generally thu5* 8he half of ebruary, the whole of /arch,

and the half of A(ril * rainy, the un being then on or near the euino0"



8he half of A(ril, the whole of /ay, une, and uly, and the half of Augut *

dry, the un being then to the north of the line"

8he half of Augut, the whole of Se(tember, and the half of =ctober

rainy, the un being then come back"

8he half of =ctober, the whole of ;o#ember, .ecember, and anuary, and the

half of ebruary * dry, the un being then to the outh of the line"

8he rainy eaon ometime held longer or horter a the wind ha((ened to

blow, but thi wa the general ober#ation I made" After I had found by

e0(erience the ill coneuence of being abroad in the rain, I took care to

furnih myelf with (ro#iion beforehand, that I might not be obliged to go

out, and I at within door a much a (oible during the wet month" 8hi

time I found much em(loyment, and #ery uitable alo to the time, for I foundgreat occaion for many thing which I had no way to furnih myelf with but

by hard labour and contant a((lication' (articularly I tried many way to make

myelf a baket, but all the twig I could get for the (ur(oe (ro#ed o brittle

that they would do nothing" It (ro#ed of e0cellent ad#antage to me now, that

when I wa a boy, I ued to take great delight in tanding at a baket*maker, in

the town where my father li#ed, to ee them make their wicker*ware' and

being, a boy uually are, #ery officiou to hel(, and a great ober#er of the

manner in which they worked thoe thing, and ometime lending a hand, I

had by thee mean full knowledge of the method of it, and I wanted nothing

but the material, when it came into my mind that the twig of that tree fromwhence I cut my take that grew might (oibly be a tough a the allow,

willow, and oier in )ngland, and I reol#ed to try" Accordingly, the ne0t day

I went to my country houe, a I called it, and cutting ome of the maller

twig, I found them to my (ur(oe a much a I could deire' whereu(on I

came the ne0t time (re(ared with a hatchet to cut down a uantity, which I

oon found, for there wa great (lenty of them" 8hee I et u( to dry within my

circle or hedge, and when they were fit for ue I carried them to my ca#e' and

here, during the ne0t eaon, I em(loyed myelf in making, a well a I could, a

great many baket, both to carry earth or to carry or lay u( anything, a I had

occaion' and though I did not finih them #ery handomely, yet I made them

ufficiently er#iceable for my (ur(oe' thu, afterward, I took care ne#er to

be without them' and a my wicker*ware decayed, I made more, e(ecially

trong, dee( baket to (lace my corn in, intead of ack, when I hould come

to ha#e any uantity of it"



!a#ing matered thi difficulty, and em(loyed a world of time about it, I

betirred myelf to ee, if (oible, how to u((ly two want" I had no #eel

to hold anything that wa liuid, e0ce(t two runlet, which were almot full of

rum, and ome gla bottle

ome of the common i&e, and other which were cae bottle, uare, for the holdingof water, (irit, Fc" I had not o much a a (ot to boil anything, e0ce(t a great kettle,

which I a#ed out of the hi(, and which wa too big for uch a I deired it * #i&" to

make broth, and tew a bit of meat by itelf" 8he econd thing I fain would ha#e had

wa a tobacco*(i(e, but it wa im(oible to me to make one' howe#er, I found acontri#ance for that, too, at lat" I em(loyed myelf in (lanting my econd row of

take or (ile, and in thi wicker*working all the ummer or dry eaon, when another

buine took me u( more time than it could be imagined I could (are"

CHAPTER VIII - S"RVEYS HIS PSITIN

I /);8I=;). before that I had a great mind to ee the whole iland, and that

I had tra#elled u( the brook, and o on to where I built my bower, and where I

had an o(ening uite to the ea, on the other ide of the iland" I now reol#ed

to tra#el uite acro to the ea*hore on that ide' o, taking my gun, a hatchet,

and my dog, and a larger uantity of (owder and hot than uual, with two

bicuit*cake and a great bunch of raiin in my (ouch for my tore, I began my

ourney" When I had (aed the #ale where my bower tood, a abo#e, I came

within #iew of the ea to the wet, and it being a #ery clear day, I fairlydecried land * whether an iland or a continent I could not tell' but it lay #ery

high, e0tending from the W" to the W"S"W" at a #ery great ditance' by my

gue it could not be le than fifteen or twenty league off"

I could not tell what (art of the world thi might be, otherwie than that I knew

it mut be (art of America, and, a I concluded by all my ober#ation, mut be

near the S(anih dominion, and (erha( wa all inhabited by a#age, where,

if I had landed, I had been in a wore condition than I wa now' and therefore I

acuieced in the di(oition of <ro#idence, which I began now to own and to

belie#e ordered e#erything for the bet' I ay I uieted my mind with thi, andleft off afflicting myelf with fruitle wihe of being there"

Beide, after ome thought u(on thi affair, I conidered that if thi land wa

the S(anih coat, I hould certainly, one time or other, ee ome #eel (a or

re(a one way or other' but if not, then it wa the a#age coat between the

S(anih country and Bra&il, where are found the wort of a#age' for they are



cannibal or men*eater, and fail not to murder and de#our all the human bodie

that fall into their hand"

With thee conideration, I walked #ery leiurely forward" I found that ide of

the iland where I now wa much (leaanter than mine * the o(en or a#annah

field weet, adorned with flower and gra, and full of #ery fine wood" I awabundance of (arrot, and fain I would ha#e caught one, if (oible, to ha#e

ke(t it to be tame, and taught it to (eak to me" I did, after ome (aintaking,

catch a young (arrot, for I knocked it down with a tick, and ha#ing reco#ered

it, I brought it home' but it wa ome year before I could make him (eak'

howe#er, at lat I taught him to call me by name #ery familiarly" But the

accident that followed, though it be a trifle, will be #ery di#erting in it (lace"

I wa e0ceedingly di#erted with thi ourney" I found in the low ground hare

?a I thought them to be@ and fo0e' but they differed greatly from all the other

kind I had met with, nor could I atify myelf to eat them, though I killede#eral" But I had no need to be #enturou, for I had no want of food, and of

that which wa #ery good too, e(ecially thee three ort, #i&" goat, (igeon,

and turtle, or tortoie, which added to my gra(e, -eadenhall market could not

ha#e furnihed a table better than I, in (ro(ortion to the com(any' and though

my cae wa de(lorable enough, yet I had great caue for thankfulne that I

wa not dri#en to any e0tremitie for food, but had rather (lenty, e#en to

daintie"

I ne#er tra#elled in thi ourney abo#e two mile outright in a day, or

thereabout' but I took o many turn and re*turn to ee what dico#erie I

could make, that I came weary enough to the (lace where I reol#ed to it down

all night' and then I either re(oed myelf in a tree, or urrounded myelf with a

row of take et u(right in the ground, either from one tree to another, or o a

no wild creature could come at me without waking me"

A oon a I came to the ea*hore, I wa ur(ried to ee that I had taken u(

my lot on the wort ide of the iland, for here, indeed, the hore wa co#ered

with innumerable turtle, wherea on the other ide I had found but three in a

year and a half" !ere wa alo an infinite number of fowl of many kind, ome

which I had een, and ome which I had not een before, and many of them

#ery good meat, but uch a I knew not the name of, e0ce(t thoe called

(enguin"

I could ha#e hot a many a I (leaed, but wa #ery (aring of my (owder and

hot, and therefore had more mind to kill a he*goat if I could, which I could

better feed on' and though there were many goat here, more than on my ide



the iland, yet it wa with much more difficulty that I could come near them,

the country being flat and e#en, and they aw me much ooner than when I wa

on the hill"

I confe thi ide of the country wa much (leaanter than mine' but yet I had

not the leat inclination to remo#e, for a I wa fi0ed in my habitation it becamenatural to me, and I eemed all the while I wa here to be a it were u(on a

ourney, and from home" !owe#er, I tra#elled along the hore of the ea

toward the eat, I u((oe about twel#e mile, and then etting u( a great (ole

u(on the hore for a mark, I concluded I would go home again, and that the

ne0t ourney I took hould be on the other ide of the iland eat from my

dwelling, and o round till I came to my (ot again"

I took another way to come back than that I went, thinking I could eaily kee(

all the iland o much in my #iew that I could not mi finding my firt

dwelling by #iewing the country' but I found myelf mitaken, for being comeabout two or three mile, I found myelf decended into a #ery large #alley, but

o urrounded with hill, and thoe hill co#ered with wood, that I could not ee

which wa my way by any direction but that of the un, nor e#en then, unle I

knew #ery well the (oition of the un at that time of the day" It ha((ened, to

my further mifortune, that the weather (ro#ed ha&y for three or four day

while I wa in the #alley, and not being able to ee the un, I wandered about

#ery uncomfortably, and at lat wa obliged to find the eaide, look for my

(ot, and come back the ame way I went5 and then, by eay ourney, I turned

homeward, the weather being e0ceeding hot, and my gun, ammunition, hatchet,

and other thing #ery hea#y"

In thi ourney my dog ur(ried a young kid, and ei&ed u(on it' and I, running

in to take hold of it, caught it, and a#ed it ali#e from the dog" I had a great

mind to bring it home if I could, for I had often been muing whether it might

not be (oible to get a kid or two, and o raie a breed of tame goat, which

might u((ly me when my (owder and hot hould be all (ent" I made a collar

for thi little creature, and with a tring, which I made of ome ro(e*yam,

which I alway carried about me, I led him along, though with ome difficulty,

till I came to my bower, and there I encloed him and left him, for I wa #eryim(atient to be at home, from whence I had been abent abo#e a month"

I cannot e0(re what a atifaction it wa to me to come into my old hutch,

and lie down in my hammock*bed" 8hi little wandering ourney, without

ettled (lace of abode, had been o un(leaant to me, that my own houe, a I

called it to myelf, wa a (erfect ettlement to me com(ared to that' and it



rendered e#erything about me o comfortable, that I reol#ed I would ne#er go

a great way from it again while it hould be my lot to tay on the iland"

I re(oed myelf here a week, to ret and regale myelf after my long ourney'

during which mot of the time wa taken u( in the weighty affair of making a

cage for my <oll, who began now to be a mere dometic, and to be wellacuainted with me" 8hen I began to think of the (oor kid which I had (enned

in within my little circle, and reol#ed to go and fetch it home, or gi#e it ome

food' accordingly I went, and found it where I left it, for indeed it could not get

out, but wa almot tar#ed for want of food" I went and cut bough of tree,

and branche of uch hrub a I could find, and threw it o#er, and ha#ing fed

it, I tied it a I did before, to lead it away' but it wa o tame with being hungry,

that I had no need to ha#e tied it, for it followed me like a dog5 and a I

continually fed it, the creature became o lo#ing, o gentle, and o fond, that it

became from that time one of my dometic alo, and would ne#er lea#e me

afterward"

8he rainy eaon of the autumnal euino0 wa now come, and I ke(t the 3Cth

of Se(tember in the ame olemn manner a before, being the anni#erary of

my landing on the iland, ha#ing now been there two year, and no more

(ro(ect of being deli#ered than the firt day I came there, I (ent the whole

day in humble and thankful acknowledgment of the many wonderful mercie

which my olitary condition wa attended with, and without which it might

ha#e been infinitely more mierable" I ga#e humble and hearty thank that 4od

had been (leaed to dico#er to me that it wa (oible I might be more ha((y

in thi olitary condition than I hould ha#e been in the liberty of ociety, and in

all the (leaure of the world' that !e could fully make u( to me the

deficiencie of my olitary tate, and the want of human ociety, by !i

(reence and the communication of !i grace to my oul' u((orting,

comforting, and encouraging me to de(end u(on !i (ro#idence here, and ho(e

for !i eternal (reence hereafter"

It wa now that I began enibly to feel how much more ha((y thi life I now

led wa, with all it mierable circumtance, than the wicked, cured,

abominable life I led all the (at (art of my day' and now I changed both myorrow and my oy' my #ery deire altered, my affection changed their

gut, and my delight were (erfectly new from what they were at my firt

coming, or, indeed, for the two year (at"

Before, a I walked about, either on my hunting or for #iewing the country, the

anguih of my oul at my condition would break out u(on me on a udden, and

my #ery heart would die within me, to think of the wood, the mountain, the



deert I wa in, and how I wa a (rioner, locked u( with the eternal bar and

bolt of the ocean, in an uninhabited wilderne, without redem(tion" In the

midt of the greatet com(oure of my mind, thi would break out u(on me like

a torm, and make me wring my hand and wee( like a child" Sometime it

would take me in the middle of my work, and I would immediately it down

and igh, and look u(on the ground for an hour or two together' and thi wa

till wore to me, for if I could burt out into tear, or #ent myelf by word, it

would go off, and the grief, ha#ing e0hauted itelf, would abate"

But now I began to e0ercie myelf with new thought5 I daily read the word of

4od, and a((lied all the comfort of it to my (reent tate" =ne morning, being

#ery ad, I o(ened the Bible u(on thee word, 9I will ne#er, ne#er lea#e thee,

nor forake thee"9 Immediately it occurred that thee word were to me' why

ele hould they be directed in uch a manner, ut at the moment when I wa

mourning o#er my condition, a one foraken of 4od and man 9Well, then,9

aid I, 9if 4od doe not forake me, of what ill coneuence can it be, or what

matter it, though the world hould all forake me, eeing on the other hand, if I

had all the world, and hould loe the fa#our and bleing of 4od, there would

be no com(arion in the lo9

rom thi moment I began to conclude in my mind that it wa (oible for me

to be more ha((y in thi foraken, olitary condition than it wa (robable I

hould e#er ha#e been in any other (articular tate in the world' and with thi

thought I wa going to gi#e thank to 4od for bringing me to thi (lace" I know

not what it wa, but omething hocked my mind at that thought, and I durt not

(eak the word" 9!ow cant thou become uch a hy(ocrite,9 aid I, e#en

audibly, 9to (retend to be thankful for a condition which, howe#er thou mayet

endea#our to be contented with, thou wouldt rather (ray heartily to be

deli#ered from9 So I to((ed there' but though I could not ay I thanked 4od

for being there, yet I incerely ga#e thank to 4od for o(ening my eye, by

whate#er afflicting (ro#idence, to ee the former condition of my life, and to

mourn for my wickedne, and re(ent" I ne#er o(ened the Bible, or hut it, but

my #ery oul within me bleed 4od for directing my friend in )ngland,

without any order of mine, to (ack it u( among my good, and for aiting me

afterward to a#e it out of the wreck of the hi("

8hu, and in thi di(oition of mind, I began my third year' and though I ha#e

not gi#en the reader the trouble of o (articular an account of my work thi

year a the firt, yet in general it may be ober#ed that I wa #ery eldom idle,

but ha#ing regularly di#ided my time according to the e#eral daily

em(loyment that were before me, uch a5 firt, my duty to 4od, and the



reading the Scri(ture, which I contantly et a(art ome time for thrice e#ery

day' econdly, the going abroad with my gun for food, which generally took me

u( three hour in e#ery morning, when it did not rain' thirdly, the ordering,

cutting, (reer#ing, and cooking what I had killed or caught for my u((ly'

thee took u( great (art of the day" Alo, it i to be conidered, that in the

middle of the day, when the un wa in the &enith, the #iolence of the heat wa

too great to tir out' o that about four hour in the e#ening wa all the time I

could be u((oed to work in, with thi e0ce(tion, that ometime I changed

my hour of hunting and working, and went to work in the morning, and abroad

with my gun in the afternoon"

8o thi hort time allowed for labour I deire may be added the e0ceeding

laborioune of my work' the many hour which, for want of tool, want of

hel(, and want of kill, e#erything I did took u( out of my time" or e0am(le, I

wa full two and forty day in making a board for a long helf, which I wanted

in my ca#e' wherea, two awyer, with their tool and a aw*(it, would ha#e

cut i0 of them out of the ame tree in half a day"

/y cae wa thi5 it wa to be a large tree which wa to be cut down, becaue

my board wa to be a broad one" 8hi tree I wa three day in cutting down, and

two more cutting off the bough, and reducing it to a log or (iece of timber"

With ine0(reible hacking and hewing I reduced both the ide of it into chi(

till it began to be light enough to mo#e' then I turned it, and made one ide of it

mooth and flat a a board from end to end' then, turning that ide downward,

cut the other ide til I brought the (lank to be about three inche thick, and

mooth on both ide" Any one may udge the labour of my hand in uch a

(iece of work' but labour and (atience carried me through that, and many other

thing" I only ober#e thi in (articular, to how the reaon why o much of my

time went away with o little work * #i&" that what might be a little to be done

with hel( and tool, wa a #at labour and reuired a (rodigiou time to do

alone, and by hand" But notwithtanding thi, with (atience and labour I got

through e#erything that my circumtance made neceary to me to do, a will

a((ear by what follow"

I wa now, in the month of ;o#ember and .ecember, e0(ecting my cro( of barley and rice" 8he ground I had manured and dug u( for them wa not great'

for, a I ober#ed, my eed of each wa not abo#e the uantity of half a (eck,

for I had lot one whole cro( by owing in the dry eaon" But now my cro(

(romied #ery well, when on a udden I found I wa in danger of loing it all

again by enemie of e#eral ort, which it wa carcely (oible to kee( from

it' a, firt, the goat, and wild creature which I called hare, who, tating the



weetne of the blade, lay in it night and day, a oon a it came u(, and eat it

o cloe, that it could get no time to hoot u( into talk"

8hi I aw no remedy for but by making an encloure about it with a hedge'

which I did with a great deal of toil, and the more, becaue it reuired (eed"

!owe#er, a my arable land wa but mall, uited to my cro(, I got it totallywell fenced in about three week time' and hooting ome of the creature in

the daytime, I et my dog to guard it in the night, tying him u( to a take at the

gate, where he would tand and bark all night long' o in a little time the

enemie forook the (lace, and the corn grew #ery trong and well, and began

to ri(en a(ace"

But a the beat ruined me before, while my corn wa in the blade, o the bird

were a likely to ruin me now, when it wa in the ear' for, going along by the

(lace to ee how it thro#e, I aw my little cro( urrounded with fowl, of I

know not how many ort, who tood, a it were, watching till I hould be gone"I immediately let fly among them, for I alway had my gun with me" I had no

ooner hot, but there roe u( a little cloud of fowl, which I had not een at all,

from among the corn itelf"

8hi touched me enibly, for I foreaw that in a few day they would de#our

all my ho(e' that I hould be tar#ed, and ne#er be able to raie a cro( at all'

and what to do I could not tell' howe#er, I reol#ed not to loe my corn, if

(oible, though I hould watch it night and day" In the firt (lace, I went

among it to ee what damage wa already done, and found they had (oiled a

good deal of it' but that a it wa yet too green for them, the lo wa not o

great but that the remainder wa likely to be a good cro( if it could be a#ed"

I tayed by it to load my gun, and then coming away, I could eaily ee the

thie#e itting u(on all the tree about me, a if they only waited till I wa gone

away, and the e#ent (ro#ed it to be o' for a I walked off, a if I wa gone, I

wa no ooner out of their ight than they dro((ed down one by one into the

corn again" I wa o (ro#oked, that I could not ha#e (atience to tay till more

came on, knowing that e#ery grain that they ate now wa, a it might be aid, a

(eck*loaf to me in the coneuence' but coming u( to the hedge, I fired again,

and killed three of them" 8hi wa what I wihed for' o I took them u(, and

er#ed them a we er#e notoriou thie#e in )ngland * hanged them in chain,

for a terror to of them" It i im(oible to imagine that thi hould ha#e uch an

effect a it had, for the fowl would not only not come at the corn, but, in hort,

they forook all that (art of the iland, and I could ne#er ee a bird near the

(lace a long a my carecrow hung there" 8hi I wa #ery glad of, you may be



ure, and about the latter end of .ecember, which wa our econd har#et of

the year, I rea(ed my corn"

I wa adly (ut to it for a cythe or ickle to cut it down, and all I could do wa

to make one, a well a I could, out of one of the broadword, or cutlae,

which I a#ed among the arm out of the hi(" !owe#er, a my firt cro( wa but mall, I had no great difficulty to cut it down' in hort, I rea(ed it in my

way, for I cut nothing off but the ear, and carried it away in a great baket

which I had made, and o rubbed it out with my hand' and at the end of all my

har#eting, I found that out of my half*(eck of eed I had near two buhel of

rice, and about two buhel and a half of barley' that i to ay, by my gue, for

I had no meaure at that time"

!owe#er, thi wa a great encouragement to me, and I foreaw that, in time, it

would (leae 4od to u((ly me with bread" And yet here I wa (er(le0ed

again, for I neither knew how to grind or make meal of my corn, or indeed howto clean it and (art it' nor, if made into meal, how to make bread of it' and if

how to make it, yet I knew not how to bake it" 8hee thing being added to my

deire of ha#ing a good uantity for tore, and to ecure a contant u((ly, I

reol#ed not to tate any of thi cro( but to (reer#e it all for eed againt the

ne0t eaon' and in the meantime to em(loy all my tudy and hour of working

to accom(lih thi great work of (ro#iding myelf with corn and bread"

It might be truly aid, that now I worked for my bread" I belie#e few (eo(le

ha#e thought much u(on the trange multitude of little thing neceary in the

(ro#iding, (roducing, curing, dreing, making, and finihing thi one article of

bread"

I, that wa reduced to a mere tate of nature, found thi to my daily

dicouragement' and wa made more enible of it e#ery hour, e#en after I had

got the firt handful of eed*corn, which, a I ha#e aid, came u( une0(ectedly,

and indeed to a ur(rie"

irt, I had no (lough to turn u( the earth * no (ade or ho#el to dig it" Well,

thi I conuered by making me a wooden (ade, a I ober#ed before' but thi

did my work but in a wooden manner' and though it cot me a great many day

to make it, yet, for want of iron, it not only wore out oon, but made my work

the harder, and made it be (erformed much wore" !owe#er, thi I bore with,

and wa content to work it out with (atience, and bear with the badne of the

(erformance" When the corn wa own, I had no harrow, but wa forced to go

o#er it myelf, and drag a great hea#y bough of a tree o#er it, to cratch it, a it

may be called, rather than rake or harrow it" When it wa growing, and grown, I



ha#e ober#ed already how many thing I wanted to fence it, ecure it, mow or

rea( it, cure and carry it home, thrah, (art it from the chaff, and a#e it" 8hen I

wanted a mill to grind it ie#e to dre it, yeat and alt to make it into bread,

and an o#en to bake it' but all thee thing I did without, a hall be ober#ed'

and yet the corn wa an inetimable comfort and ad#antage to me too" All thi,

a I aid, made e#erything laboriou and tediou to me' but that there wa no

hel( for" ;either wa my time o much lo to me, becaue, a I had di#ided it,

a certain (art of it wa e#ery day a((ointed to thee work' and a I had

reol#ed to ue none of the corn for bread till I had a greater uantity by me, I

had the ne0t i0 month to a((ly myelf wholly, by labour and in#ention, to

furnih myelf with utenil (ro(er for the (erforming all the o(eration

neceary for making the corn, when I had it, fit for my ue"

CHAPTER I% - A !AT

B>8 firt I wa to (re(are more land, for I had now eed enough to ow abo#e

an acre of ground" Before I did thi, I had a week work at leat to make me a

(ade, which, when it wa done, wa but a orry one indeed, and #ery hea#y,

and reuired double labour to work with it" !owe#er, I got through that, and

owed my eed in two large flat (iece of ground, a near my houe a I could

find them to my mind, and fenced them in with a good hedge, the take of

which were all cut off that wood which I had et before, and knew it would

grow' o that, in a year time, I knew I hould ha#e a uick or li#ing hedge,that would want but little re(air" 8hi work did not take me u( le than three

month, becaue a great (art of that time wa the wet eaon, when I could not

go abroad" Within*door, that i when it rained and I could not go out, I found

em(loyment in the following occu(ation * alway ober#ing, that all the while

I wa at work I di#erted myelf with talking to my (arrot, and teaching him to

(eak' and I uickly taught him to know hi own name, and at lat to (eak it

out (retty loud, 9<oll,9 which wa the firt word I e#er heard (oken in the

iland by any mouth but my own" 8hi, therefore, wa not my work, but an

aitance to my work' for now, a I aid, I had a great em(loyment u(on my

hand, a follow5 I had long tudied to make, by ome mean or other, omeearthen #eel, which, indeed, I wanted orely, but knew not where to come at

them" !owe#er, conidering the heat of the climate, I did not doubt but if I

could find out any clay, I might make ome (ot that might, being dried in the

un, be hard enough and trong enough to bear handling, and to hold anything

that wa dry, and reuired to be ke(t o' and a thi wa neceary in the

(re(aring corn, meal, Fc", which wa the thing I wa doing, I reol#ed to make



ome a large a I could, and fit only to tand like ar, to hold what hould be

(ut into them"

It would make the reader (ity me, or rather laugh at me, to tell how many

awkward way I took to raie thi (ate' what odd, miha(en, ugly thing I

made' how many of them fell in and how many fell out, the clay not being tiffenough to bear it own weight' how many cracked by the o#er*#iolent heat of

the un, being et out too hatily' and how many fell in (iece with only

remo#ing, a well before a after they were dried' and, in a word, how, after

ha#ing laboured hard to find the clay * to dig it, to tem(er it, to bring it home,

and work it * I could not make abo#e two large earthen ugly thing ?I cannot

call them ar@ in about two month labour"

!owe#er, a the un baked thee two #ery dry and hard, I lifted them #ery

gently u(, and et them down again in two great wicker baket, which I had

made on (ur(oe for them, that they might not break' and a between the (otand the baket there wa a little room to (are, I tuffed it full of the rice and

barley traw' and thee two (ot being to tand alway dry I thought would hold

my dry corn, and (erha( the meal, when the corn wa bruied"

8hough I micarried o much in my deign for large (ot, yet I made e#eral

maller thing with better ucce' uch a little round (ot, flat dihe, (itcher,

and (i(kin, and any thing my hand turned to' and the heat of the un baked

them uite hard"

But all thi would not anwer my end, which wa to get an earthen (ot to holdwhat wa liuid, and bear the fire, which none of thee could do" It ha((ened

after ome time, making a (retty large fire for cooking my meat, when I went to

(ut it out after I had done with it, I found a broken (iece of one of my

earthenware #eel in the fire, burnt a hard a a tone, and red a a tile" I wa

agreeably ur(ried to ee it, and aid to myelf, that certainly they might be

made to burn whole, if they would burn broken"

8hi et me to tudy how to order my fire, o a to make it burn ome (ot" I

had no notion of a kiln, uch a the (otter burn in, or of gla&ing them with

lead, though I had ome lead to do it with' but I (laced three large (i(kin and

two or three (ot in a (ile, one u(on another, and (laced my firewood all round

it, with a great hea( of ember under them" I (lied the fire with freh fuel round

the outide and u(on the to(, till I aw the (ot in the inide red*hot uite

through, and ober#ed that they did not crack at all" When I aw them clear red,

I let them tand in that heat about fi#e or i0 hour, till I found one of them,

though it did not crack, did melt or run' for the and which wa mi0ed with the



clay melted by the #iolence of the heat, and would ha#e run into gla if I had

gone on' o I lacked my fire gradually till the (ot began to abate of the red

colour' and watching them all night, that I might not let the fire abate too fat,

in the morning I had three #ery good ?I will not ay handome@ (i(kin, and

two other earthen (ot, a hard burnt a could be deired, and one of them

(erfectly gla&ed with the running of the and"

After thi e0(eriment, I need not ay that I wanted no ort of earthenware for

my ue' but I mut need ay a to the ha(e of them, they were #ery

indifferent, a any one may u((oe, when I had no way of making them but a

the children make dirt (ie, or a a woman would make (ie that ne#er learned

to raie (ate"

;o oy at a thing of o mean a nature wa e#er eual to mine, when I found I

had made an earthen (ot that would bear the fire' and I had hardly (atience to

tay till they were cold before I et one on the fire again with ome water in itto boil me ome meat, which it did admirably well' and with a (iece of a kid I

made ome #ery good broth, though I wanted oatmeal, and e#eral other

ingredient reuiite to make it a good a I would ha#e had it been"

/y ne0t concern wa to get me a tone mortar to tam( or beat ome corn in'

for a to the mill, there wa no thought of arri#ing at that (erfection of art with

one (air of hand" 8o u((ly thi want, I wa at a great lo' for, of all the

trade in the world, I wa a (erfectly unualified for a tone*cutter a for any

whate#er' neither had I any tool to go about it with" I (ent many a day to find

out a great tone big enough to cut hollow, and make fit for a mortar, and could

find none at all, e0ce(t what wa in the olid rock, and which I had no way to

dig or cut out' nor indeed were the rock in the iland of hardne ufficient, but

were all of a andy, crumbling tone, which neither would bear the weight of a

hea#y (etle, nor would break the corn without filling it with and" So, after a

great deal of time lot in earching for a tone, I ga#e it o#er, and reol#ed to

look out for a great block of hard wood, which I found, indeed, much eaier'

and getting one a big a I had trength to tir, I rounded it, and formed it on the

outide with my a0e and hatchet, and then with the hel( of fire and infinite

labour, made a hollow (lace in it, a the Indian in Bra&il make their canoe"After thi, I made a great hea#y (etle or beater of the wood called the iron*

wood' and thi I (re(ared and laid by againt I had my ne0t cro( of corn, which

I (ro(oed to myelf to grind, or rather (ound into meal to make bread"

/y ne0t difficulty wa to make a ie#e or earce, to dre my meal, and to (art

it from the bran and the huk' without which I did not ee it (oible I could

ha#e any bread" 8hi wa a mot difficult thing e#en to think on, for to be ure I



had nothing like the neceary thing to make it * I mean fine thin can#a or tuff

to earce the meal through" And here I wa at a full to( for many month' nor

did I really know what to do" -inen I had none left but what wa mere rag' I

had goat hair, but neither knew how to wea#e it or (in it' and had I known

how, here were no tool to work it with" All the remedy that I found for thi

wa, that at lat I did remember I had, among the eamen clothe which were

a#ed out of the hi(, ome neckcloth of calico or mulin' and with ome

(iece of thee I made three mall ie#e (ro(er enough for the work' and thu I

made hift for ome year5 how I did afterward, I hall how in it (lace"

8he baking (art wa the ne0t thing to be conidered, and how I hould make

bread when I came to ha#e corn' for firt, I had no yeat" A to that (art, there

wa no u((lying the want, o I did not concern myelf much about it" But for

an o#en I wa indeed in great (ain" At length I found out an e0(eriment for that

alo, which wa thi5 I made ome earthen*#eel #ery broad but not dee(, that

i to ay, about two feet diameter, and not abo#e nine inche dee(" 8hee I

burned in the fire, a I had done the other, and laid them by' and when I wanted

to bake, I made a great fire u(on my hearth, which I had (a#ed with ome

uare tile of my own baking and burning alo' but I hould not call them

uare"

When the firewood wa burned (retty much into ember or li#e coal, I drew

them forward u(on thi hearth, o a to co#er it all o#er, and there I let them lie

till the hearth wa #ery hot" 8hen wee(ing away all the ember, I et down my

loaf or loa#e, and whelming down the earthen (ot u(on them, drew the ember

all round the outide of the (ot, to kee( in and add to the heat' and thu a well

a in the bet o#en in the world, I baked my barley*loa#e, and became in little

time a good (atrycook into the bargain' for I made myelf e#eral cake and

(udding of the rice' but I made no (ie, neither had I anything to (ut into them

u((oing I had, e0ce(t the fleh either of fowl or goat"

It need not be wondered at if all thee thing took me u( mot (art of the third

year of my abode here' for it i to be ober#ed that in the inter#al of thee

thing I had my new har#et and hubandry to manage' for I rea(ed my corn in

it eaon, and carried it home a well a I could, and laid it u( in the ear, in mylarge baket, till I had time to rub it out, for I had no floor to thrah it on, or

intrument to thrah it with"

And now, indeed, my tock of corn increaing, I really wanted to build my

barn bigger' I wanted a (lace to lay it u( in, for the increae of the corn now

yielded me o much, that I had of the barley about twenty buhel, and of the

rice a much or more' inomuch that now I reol#ed to begin to ue it freely' for



my bread had been uite gone a great while' alo I reol#ed to ee what

uantity would be ufficient for me a whole year, and to ow but once a year"

>(on the whole, I found that the forty buhel of barley and rice were much

more than I could conume in a year' o I reol#ed to ow ut the ame

uantity e#ery year that I owed the lat, in ho(e that uch a uantity wouldfully (ro#ide me with bread, Fc"

All the while thee thing were doing, you may be ure my thought ran many

time u(on the (ro(ect of land which I had een from the other ide of the

iland' and I wa not without ecret wihe that I were on hore there, fancying

that, eeing the mainland, and an inhabited country, I might find ome way or

other to con#ey myelf further, and (erha( at lat find ome mean of eca(e"

But all thi while I made no allowance for the danger of uch an undertaking,

and how I might fall into the hand of a#age, and (erha( uch a I mightha#e reaon to think far wore than the lion and tiger of Africa5 that if I once

came in their (ower, I hould run a ha&ard of more than a thouand to one of

being killed, and (erha( of being eaten' for I had heard that the (eo(le of the

+aribbean coat were cannibal or man*eater, and I knew by the latitude that I

could not be far from that hore" 8hen, u((oing they were not cannibal, yet

they might kill me, a many )uro(ean who had fallen into their hand had

been er#ed, e#en when they had been ten or twenty together * much more I,

that wa but one, and could make little or no defence' all thee thing, I ay,

which I ought to ha#e conidered well' and did come into my thought

afterward, yet ga#e me no a((rehenion at firt, and my head ran mightily

u(on the thought of getting o#er to the hore"

;ow I wihed for my boy Dury, and the long*boat with houlder*of* mutton

ail, with which I ailed abo#e a thouand mile on the coat of Africa' but thi

wa in #ain5 then I thought I would go and look at our hi( boat, which, a I

ha#e aid, wa blown u( u(on the hore a great way, in the torm, when we

were firt cat away" She lay almot where he did at firt, but not uite' and

wa turned, by the force of the wa#e and the wind, almot bottom u(ward,

againt a high ridge of beachy, rough and, but no water about her" If I had had

hand to ha#e refitted her, and to ha#e launched her into the water, the boat

would ha#e done well enough, and I might ha#e gone back into the Bra&il with

her eaily enough' but I might ha#e foreeen that I could no more turn her and

et her u(right u(on her bottom than I could remo#e the iland' howe#er, I

went to the wood, and cut le#er and roller, and brought them to the boat

reol#ing to try what I could do' uggeting to myelf that if I could but turn her



down, I might re(air the damage he had recei#ed, and he would be a #ery

good boat, and I might go to ea in her #ery eaily"

I (ared no (ain, indeed, in thi (iece of fruitle toil, and (ent, I think, three

or four week about it' at lat finding it im(oible to hea#e it u( with my little

trength, I fell to digging away the and, to undermine it, and o to make it falldown, etting (iece of wood to thrut and guide it right in the fall"

But when I had done thi, I wa unable to tir it u( again, or to get under it,

much le to mo#e it forward toward the water' o I wa forced to gi#e it o#er'

and yet, though I ga#e o#er the ho(e of the boat, my deire to #enture o#er for

the main increaed, rather than decreaed, a the mean for it eemed

im(oible"

8hi at length (ut me u(on thinking whether it wa not (oible to make myelf

a canoe, or (eriagua, uch a the nati#e of thoe climate make, e#en withouttool, or, a I might ay, without hand, of the trunk of a great tree" 8hi I not

only thought (oible, but eay, and (leaed myelf e0tremely with the

thought of making it, and with my ha#ing much more con#enience for it than

any of the negroe or Indian' but not at all conidering the (articular

incon#enience which I lay under more than the Indian did * #i&" want of

hand to mo#e it, when it wa made, into the water * a difficulty much harder

for me to urmount than all the coneuence of want of tool could be to them'

for what wa it to me, if when I had choen a #at tree in the wood, and with

much trouble cut it down, if I had been able with my tool to hew and dub the

outide into the (ro(er ha(e of a boat, and burn or cut out the inide to make it

hollow, o a to make a boat of it * if, after all thi, I mut lea#e it ut there

where I found it, and not be able to launch it into the water

=ne would ha#e thought I could not ha#e had the leat reflection u(on my mind

of my circumtance while I wa making thi boat, but I hould ha#e

immediately thought how I hould get it into the ea' but my thought were o

intent u(on my #oyage o#er the ea in it, that I ne#er once conidered how I

hould get it off the land5 and it wa really, in it own nature, more eay for me

to guide it o#er forty*fi#e mile of ea than about forty*fi#e fathom of land,

where it lay, to et it afloat in the water"

I went to work u(on thi boat the mot like a fool that e#er man did who had

any of hi ene awake" I (leaed myelf with the deign, without determining

whether I wa e#er able to undertake it' not but that the difficulty of launching

my boat came often into my head' but I (ut a to( to my inuirie into it by thi



foolih anwer which I ga#e myelf * 9-et me firt make it' I warrant I will find

ome way or other to get it along when it i done"9

8hi wa a mot (re(oterou method' but the eagerne of my fancy (re#ailed,

and to work I went" I felled a cedar*tree, and I uetion much whether Solomon

e#er had uch a one for the building of the 8em(le of erualem' it wa fi#e feetten inche diameter at the lower (art ne0t the tum(, and four feet ele#en inche

diameter at the end of twenty*two feet' after which it leened for a while, and

then (arted into branche" It wa not without infinite labour that I felled thi

tree' I wa twenty day hacking and hewing at it at the bottom' I wa fourteen

more getting the branche and limb and the #at (reading head cut off, which

I hacked and hewed through with a0e and hatchet, and ine0(reible labour'

after thi, it cot me a month to ha(e it and dub it to a (ro(ortion, and to

omething like the bottom of a boat, that it might wim u(right a it ought to

do" It cot me near three month more to clear the inide, and work it out o a

to make an e0act boat of it' thi I did, indeed, without fire, by mere mallet and

chiel, and by the dint of hard labour, till I had brought it to be a #ery

handome (eriagua, and big enough to ha#e carried i0*and*twenty men, and

coneuently big enough to ha#e carried me and all my cargo"

When I had gone through thi work I wa e0tremely delighted with it" 8he boat

wa really much bigger than e#er I aw a canoe or (eriagua, that wa made of

one tree, in my life" /any a weary troke it had cot, you may be ure' and had

I gotten it into the water, I make no uetion, but I hould ha#e begun the

maddet #oyage, and the mot unlikely to be (erformed, that e#er wa

undertaken"

But all my de#ice to get it into the water failed me' though they cot me

infinite labour too" It lay about one hundred yard from the water, and not

more' but the firt incon#enience wa, it wa u( hill toward the creek" Well, to

take away thi dicouragement, I reol#ed to dig into the urface of the earth,

and o make a decli#ity5 thi I began, and it cot me a (rodigiou deal of (ain

?but who grudge (ain who ha#e their deli#erance in #iew@' but when thi wa

worked through, and thi difficulty managed, it wa till much the ame, for I

could no more tir the canoe than I could the other boat" 8hen I meaured theditance of ground, and reol#ed to cut a dock or canal, to bring the water u( to

the canoe, eeing I could not bring the canoe down to the water" Well, I began

thi work' and when I began to enter u(on it, and calculate how dee( it wa to

be dug, how broad, how the tuff wa to be thrown out, I found that, by the

number of hand I had, being none but my own, it mut ha#e been ten or twel#e

year before I could ha#e gone through with it' for the hore lay o high, that at



been in my cae' for I (oeed infinitely more than I knew what to do with" I

had no room for deire, e0ce(t it wa of thing which I had not, and they were

but trifle, though, indeed, of great ue to me" I had, a I hinted before, a (arcel

of money, a well gold a il#er, about thirty*i0 (ound terling" Ala7 there

the orry, uele tuff lay' I had no more manner of buine for it' and often

thought with myelf that I would ha#e gi#en a handful of it for a gro of

tobacco*(i(e' or for a hand*mill to grind my corn' nay, I would ha#e gi#en it

all for a i0(enny*worth of turni( and carrot eed out of )ngland, or for a

handful of (ea and bean, and a bottle of ink" A it wa, I had not the leat

ad#antage by it or benefit from it' but there it lay in a drawer, and grew mouldy

with the dam( of the ca#e in the wet eaon' and if I had had the drawer full of

diamond, it had been the ame cae * they had been of no manner of #alue to

me, becaue of no ue"

I had now brought my tate of life to be much eaier in itelf than it wa at firt,

and much eaier to my mind, a well a to my body" I freuently at down to

meat with thankfulne, and admired the hand of 4od (ro#idence, which had

thu (read my table in the wilderne" I learned to look more u(on the bright

ide of my condition, and le u(on the dark ide, and to conider what I

enoyed rather than what I wanted' and thi ga#e me ometime uch ecret

comfort, that I cannot e0(re them' and which I take notice of here, to (ut

thoe dicontented (eo(le in mind of it, who cannot enoy comfortably what

4od ha gi#en them, becaue they ee and co#et omething that !e ha not

gi#en them" All our dicontent about what we want a((eared to me to (ring

from the want of thankfulne for what we ha#e"

Another reflection wa of great ue to me, and doubtle would be o to any

one that hould fall into uch ditre a mine wa' and thi wa, to com(are my

(reent condition with what I at firt e0(ected it would be' nay, with what it

would certainly ha#e been, if the good (ro#idence of 4od had not wonderfully

ordered the hi( to be cat u( nearer to the hore, where I not only could come

at her, but could bring what I got out of her to the hore, for my relief and

comfort' without which, I had wanted for tool to work, wea(on for defence,

and gun(owder and hot for getting my food"

I (ent whole hour, I may ay whole day, in re(reenting to myelf, in the

mot li#ely colour, how I mut ha#e acted if I had got nothing out of the hi("

!ow I could not ha#e o much a got any food, e0ce(t fih and turtle' and that,

a it wa long before I found any of them, I mut ha#e (erihed firt' that I

hould ha#e li#ed, if I had not (erihed, like a mere a#age' that if I had killed a

goat or a fowl, by any contri#ance, I had no way to flay or o(en it, or (art the



fleh from the kin and the bowel, or to cut it u(' but mut gnaw it with my

teeth, and (ull it with my claw, like a beat"

8hee reflection made me #ery enible of the goodne of <ro#idence to me,

and #ery thankful for my (reent condition, with all it hardhi( and

mifortune' and thi (art alo I cannot but recommend to the reflection ofthoe who are a(t, in their miery, to ay, 9I any affliction like mine9 -et

them conider how much wore the cae of ome (eo(le are, and their cae

might ha#e been, if <ro#idence had thought fit"

I had another reflection, which aited me alo to comfort my mind with

ho(e' and thi wa com(aring my (reent ituation with what I had deer#ed,

and had therefore reaon to e0(ect from the hand of <ro#idence" I had li#ed a

dreadful life, (erfectly detitute of the knowledge and fear of 4od" I had been

well intructed by father and mother' neither had they been wanting to me in

their early endea#our to infue a religiou awe of 4od into my mind, a eneof my duty, and what the nature and end of my being reuired of me" But, ala7

falling early into the eafaring life, which of all li#e i the mot detitute of the

fear of 4od, though !i terror are alway before them' I ay, falling early into

the eafaring life, and into eafaring com(any, all that little ene of religion

which I had entertained wa laughed out of me by my memate' by a

hardened de(iing of danger, and the #iew of death, which grew habitual to

me by my long abence from all manner of o((ortunitie to con#ere with

anything but what wa like myelf, or to hear anything that wa good or tended

toward it"

So #oid wa I of e#erything that wa good, or the leat ene of what I wa, or

wa to be, that, in the greatet deli#erance I enoyed * uch a my eca(e from

Sallee' my being taken u( by the <ortuguee mater of the hi(' my being

(lanted o well in the Bra&il' my recei#ing the cargo from )ngland, and the

like * I ne#er had once the word 98hank 4od79 o much a on my mind, or in

my mouth' nor in the greatet ditre had I o much a a thought to (ray to

!im, or o much a to ay, 9-ord, ha#e mercy u(on me79 no, nor to mention the

name of 4od, unle it wa to wear by, and bla(heme it"

I had terrible reflection u(on my mind for many month, a I ha#e already

ober#ed, on account of my wicked and hardened life (at' and when I looked

about me, and conidered what (articular (ro#idence had attended me ince

my coming into thi (lace, and how 4od had dealt bountifully with me * had

not only (unihed me le than my iniuity had deer#ed, but had o (lentifully

(ro#ided for me * thi ga#e me great ho(e that my re(entance wa acce(ted,

and that 4od had yet mercy in tore for me"



With thee reflection I worked my mind u(, not only to a reignation to the

will of 4od in the (reent di(oition of my circumtance, but e#en to a

incere thankfulne for my condition' and that I, who wa yet a li#ing man,

ought not to com(lain, eeing I had not the due (unihment of my in' that I

enoyed o many mercie which I had no reaon to ha#e e0(ected in that (lace'

that I ought ne#er more to re(ine at my condition, but to reoice, and to gi#e

daily thank for that daily bread, which nothing but a crowd of wonder could

ha#e brought' that I ought to conider I had been fed e#en by a miracle, e#en a

great a that of feeding )liah by ra#en, nay, by a long erie of miracle' and

that I could hardly ha#e named a (lace in the uninhabitable (art of the world

where I could ha#e been cat more to my ad#antage' a (lace where, a I had no

ociety, which wa my affliction on one hand, o I found no ra#enou beat,

no furiou wol#e or tiger, to threaten my life' no #enomou creature, or

(oion, which I might feed on to my hurt' no a#age to murder and de#our

me" In a word, a my life wa a life of orrow one way, o it wa a life of mercy

another' and I wanted nothing to make it a life of comfort but to be able to

make my ene of 4od goodne to me, and care o#er me in thi condition, be

my daily conolation' and after I did make a ut im(ro#ement on thee thing,

I went away, and wa no more ad" I had now been here o long that many

thing which I had brought on hore for my hel( were either uite gone, or #ery

much wated and near (ent"

/y ink, a I ober#ed, had been gone ome time, all but a #ery little, which I

eked out with water, a little and a little, till it wa o (ale, it carce left any

a((earance of black u(on the (a(er" A long a it lated I made ue of it tominute down the day of the month on which any remarkable thing ha((ened to

me' and firt, by cating u( time (at, I remembered that there wa a trange

concurrence of day in the #ariou (ro#idence which befell me, and which, if I

had been u(ertitiouly inclined to ober#e day a fatal or fortunate, I might

ha#e had reaon to ha#e looked u(on with a great deal of curioity"

irt, I had ober#ed that the ame day that I broke away from my father and

friend and ran away to !ull, in order to go to ea, the ame day afterward I

wa taken by the Sallee man*of*war, and made a la#e' the ame day of the year

that I eca(ed out of the wreck of that hi( in Yarmouth $oad, that ame day*year afterward I made my eca(e from Sallee in a boat' the ame day of the

year I wa born on * #i&" the 3Cth of Se(tember, that ame day I had my life o

miraculouly a#ed twenty*i0 year after, when I wa cat on hore in thi

iland' o that my wicked life and my olitary life began both on a day"



8he ne0t thing to my ink being wated wa that of my bread * I mean the

bicuit which I brought out of the hi(' thi I had hubanded to the lat degree,

allowing myelf but one cake of bread a*day for abo#e a year' and yet I wa

uite without bread for near a year before I got any corn of my own, and great

reaon I had to be thankful that I had any at all, the getting it being, a ha been

already ober#ed, ne0t to miraculou"

/y clothe, too, began to decay' a to linen, I had had none a good while,

e0ce(t ome cheuered hirt which I found in the chet of the other eamen,

and which I carefully (reer#ed' becaue many time I could bear no other

clothe on but a hirt' and it wa a #ery great hel( to me that I had, among all

the men clothe of the hi(, almot three do&en of hirt" 8here were alo,

indeed, e#eral thick watch*coat of the eamen which were left, but they

were too hot to wear' and though it i true that the weather wa o #iolently hot

that there wa no need of clothe, yet I could not go uite naked * no, though I

had been inclined to it, which I wa not

nor could I abide the thought of it, though I wa alone" 8he reaon why I could not gonaked wa, I could not bear the heat of the un o well when uite naked a with ome

clothe on' nay, the #ery heat freuently blitered my kin5 wherea, with a hirt on, the

air itelf made ome motion, and whitling under the hirt, wa twofold cooler than

without it" ;o more could I e#er bring myelf to go out in the heat of the un without aca( or a hat' the heat of the un, beating with uch #iolence a it doe in that (lace,

would gi#e me the headache (reently, by darting o directly on my head, without a

ca( or hat on, o that I could not bear it' wherea, if I (ut on my hat it would (reentlygo away"

>(on thee #iew I began to conider about (utting the few rag I had, which I

called clothe, into ome order' I had worn out all the waitcoat I had, and my

buine wa now to try if I could not make acket out of the great watch*coat

which I had by me, and with uch other material a I had' o I et to work,

tailoring, or rather, indeed, botching, for I made mot (iteou work of it"

!owe#er, I made hift to make two or three new waitcoat, which I ho(ed

would er#e me a great while5 a for breeche or drawer, I made but a #ery

orry hift indeed till afterward"

I ha#e mentioned that I a#ed the kin of all the creature that I killed, I mean

four*footed one, and I had them hung u(, tretched out with tick in the un,

by which mean ome of them were o dry and hard that they were fit for little,

but other were #ery ueful" 8he firt thing I made of thee wa a great ca( for

my head, with the hair on the outide, to hoot off the rain' and thi I (erformed

o well, that after I made me a uit of clothe wholly of thee kin * that i to

ay, a waitcoat, and breeche o(en at the knee, and both looe, for they were



rather wanting to kee( me cool than to kee( me warm" I mut not omit to

acknowledge that they were wretchedly made' for if I wa a bad car(enter, I

wa a wore tailor" !owe#er, they were uch a I made #ery good hift with,

and when I wa out, if it ha((ened to rain, the hair of my waitcoat and ca(

being outermot, I wa ke(t #ery dry"

After thi, I (ent a great deal of time and (ain to make an umbrella' I wa,

indeed, in great want of one, and had a great mind to make one' I had een

them made in the Bra&il, where they are #ery ueful in the great heat there,

and I felt the heat e#ery ot a great here, and greater too, being nearer the

euino0' beide, a I wa obliged to be much abroad, it wa a mot ueful

thing to me, a well for the rain a the heat" I took a world of (ain with it,

and wa a great while before I could make anything likely to hold5 nay, after I

had thought I had hit the way, I (oiled two or three before I made one to my

mind5 but at lat I made one that anwered indifferently well5 the main

difficulty I found wa to make it let down" I could make it (read, but if it did

not let down too, and draw in, it wa not (ortable for me any way but ut o#er

my head, which would not do" !owe#er, at lat, a I aid, I made one to anwer,

and co#ered it with kin, the hair u(ward, o that it cat off the rain like a

(ent*houe, and ke(t off the un o effectually, that I could walk out in the

hottet of the weather with greater ad#antage than I could before in the coolet,

and when I had no need of it could cloe it, and carry it under my arm

8hu I li#ed mighty comfortably, my mind being entirely com(oed by

reigning myelf to the will of 4od, and throwing myelf wholly u(on the

di(oal of !i (ro#idence" 8hi made my life better than ociable, for when I

began to regret the want of con#eration I would ak myelf, whether thu

con#ering mutually with my own thought, and ?a I ho(e I may ay@ with

e#en 4od !imelf, by eaculation, wa not better than the utmot enoyment of

human ociety in the world

CHAPTER % - TA&ES $ATS

I +A;;=8 ay that after thi, for fi#e year, any e0traordinary thing ha((ened

to me, but I li#ed on in the ame coure, in the ame (oture and (lace, a

before' the chief thing I wa em(loyed in, beide my yearly labour of (lanting

my barley and rice, and curing my raiin, of both which I alway ke(t u( ut

enough to ha#e ufficient tock of one year (ro#iion beforehand' I ay,

beide thi yearly labour, and my daily (uruit of going out with my gun, I had



one labour, to make a canoe, which at lat I finihed5 o that, by digging a canal

to it of i0 feet wide and four feet dee(, I brought it into the creek, almot half a

mile" A for the firt, which wa o #atly big, for I made it without conidering

beforehand, a I ought to ha#e done, how I hould be able to launch it, o, ne#er

being able to bring it into the water, or bring the water to it, I wa obliged to let

it lie where it wa a a memorandum to teach me to be wier the ne0t time5

indeed, the ne0t time, though I could not get a tree (ro(er for it, and wa in a

(lace where I could not get the water to it at any le ditance than, a I ha#e

aid, near half a mile, yet, a I aw it wa (racticable at lat, I ne#er ga#e it

o#er' and though I wa near two year about it, yet I ne#er grudged my labour,

in ho(e of ha#ing a boat to go off to ea at lat"

!owe#er, though my little (eriagua wa finihed, yet the i&e of it wa not at all

anwerable to the deign which I had in #iew when I made the firt' I mean of

#enturing o#er to the 8)$$A I$/A, where it wa abo#e forty mile broad'

accordingly, the mallne of my boat aited to (ut an end to that deign, and

now I thought no more of it" A I had a boat, my ne0t deign wa to make a

cruie round the iland' for a I had been on the other ide in one (lace,

croing, a I ha#e already decribed it, o#er the land, o the dico#erie I made

in that little ourney made me #ery eager to ee other (art of the coat' and

now I had a boat, I thought of nothing but ailing round the iland"

or thi (ur(oe, that I might do e#erything with dicretion and conideration, I

fitted u( a little mat in my boat, and made a ail too out of ome of the (iece

of the hi( ail which lay in tore, and of which I had a great tock by me"

!a#ing fitted my mat and ail, and tried the boat, I found he would ail #ery

well' then I made little locker or bo0e at each end of my boat, to (ut

(ro#iion, necearie, ammunition, Fc", into, to be ke(t dry, either from rain

or the (ray of the ea' and a little, long, hollow (lace I cut in the inide of the

boat, where I could lay my gun, making a fla( to hang down o#er it to kee( it

dry"

I fi0ed my umbrella alo in the te( at the tern, like a mat, to tand o#er my

head, and kee( the heat of the un off me, like an awning' and thu I e#ery now

and then took a little #oyage u(on the ea, but ne#er went far out, nor far fromthe little creek" At lat, being eager to #iew the circumference of my little

kingdom, I reol#ed u(on my cruie' and accordingly I #ictualled my hi( for

the #oyage, (utting in two do&en of loa#e ?cake I hould call them@ of barley*

bread, an earthen (ot full of (arched rice ?a food I ate a good deal of@, a little

bottle of rum, half a goat, and (owder and hot for killing more, and two large

watch*coat, of thoe which, a I mentioned before, I had a#ed out of the



eamen chet' thee I took, one to lie u(on, and the other to co#er me in the

night"

It wa the 6th of ;o#ember, in the i0th year of my reign * or my ca(ti#ity,

which you (leae * that I et out on thi #oyage, and I found it much longer than

I e0(ected' for though the iland itelf wa not #ery large, yet when I came tothe eat ide of it, I found a great ledge of rock lie out about two league into

the ea, ome abo#e water, ome under it' and beyond that a hoal of and,

lying dry half a league more, o that I wa obliged to go a great way out to ea

to double the (oint"

When I firt dico#ered them, I wa going to gi#e o#er my enter(rie, and come

back again, not knowing how far it might oblige me to go out to ea' and abo#e

all, doubting how I hould get back again5 o I came to an anchor' for I had

made a kind of an anchor with a (iece of a broken gra((ling which I got out of

the hi("

!a#ing ecured my boat, I took my gun and went on hore, climbing u( a hill,

which eemed to o#erlook that (oint where I aw the full e0tent of it, and

reol#ed to #enture"

In my #iewing the ea from that hill where I tood, I (ercei#ed a trong, and

indeed a mot furiou current, which ran to the eat, and e#en came cloe to the

(oint' and I took the more notice of it becaue I aw there might be ome

danger that when I came into it I might be carried out to ea by the trength of

it, and not be able to make the iland again' and indeed, had I not got firt u(onthi hill, I belie#e it would ha#e been o' for there wa the ame current on the

other ide the iland, only that it et off at a further ditance, and I aw there

wa a trong eddy under the hore' o I had nothing to do but to get out of the

firt current, and I hould (reently be in an eddy"

I lay here, howe#er, two day, becaue the wind blowing (retty freh at )S)",

and that being ut contrary to the current, made a great breach of the ea u(on

the (oint5 o that it wa not afe for me to kee( too cloe to the hore for the

breach, nor to go too far off, becaue of the tream"

8he third day, in the morning, the wind ha#ing abated o#ernight, the ea wa

calm, and I #entured5 but I am a warning to all rah and ignorant (ilot' for no

ooner wa I come to the (oint, when I wa not e#en my boat length from the

hore, but I found myelf in a great de(th of water, and a current like the luice

of a mill' it carried my boat along with it with uch #iolence that all I could do

could not kee( her o much a on the edge of it' but I found it hurried me



farther and farther out from the eddy, which wa on my left hand" 8here wa no

wind tirring to hel( me, and all I could do with my (addle ignified nothing5

and now I began to gi#e myelf o#er for lot' for a the current wa on both

ide of the iland, I knew in a few league ditance they mut oin again, and

then I wa irreco#erably gone' nor did I ee any (oibility of a#oiding it' o

that I had no (ro(ect before me but of (erihing, not by the ea, for that wa

calm enough, but of tar#ing from hunger" I had, indeed, found a tortoie on the

hore, a big almot a I could lift, and had toed it into the boat' and I had a

great ar of freh water, that i to ay, one of my earthen (ot' but what wa all

thi to being dri#en into the #at ocean, where, to be ure, there wa no hore,

no mainland or iland, for a thouand league at leat

And now I aw how eay it wa for the (ro#idence of 4od to make e#en the

mot mierable condition of mankind wore" ;ow I looked back u(on my

deolate, olitary iland a the mot (leaant (lace in the world and all the

ha((ine my heart could wih for wa to be but there again" I tretched out my

hand to it, with eager wihe * 9= ha((y deert79 aid I, 9I hall ne#er ee thee

more" = mierable creature7 whither am going9 8hen I re(roached myelf with

my unthankful tem(er, and that I had re(ined at my olitary condition' and now

what would I gi#e to be on hore there again7 8hu, we ne#er ee the true tate

of our condition till it i illutrated to u by it contrarie, nor know how to

#alue what we enoy, but by the want of it" It i carcely (oible to imagine the

conternation I wa now in, being dri#en from my belo#ed iland ?for o it

a((eared to me now to be@ into the wide ocean, almot two league, and in the

utmot de(air of e#er reco#ering it again" !owe#er, I worked hard till, indeed,my trength wa almot e0hauted, and ke(t my boat a much to the northward,

that i, toward the ide of the current which the eddy lay on, a (oibly I

could' when about noon, a the un (aed the meridian, I thought I felt a little

bree&e of wind in my face, (ringing u( from SS)" 8hi cheered my heart a

little, and e(ecially when, in about half* an*hour more, it blew a (retty gentle

gale" By thi time I had got at a frightful ditance from the iland, and had the

leat cloudy or ha&y weather inter#ened, I had been undone another way, too'

for I had no com(a on board, and hould ne#er ha#e known how to ha#e

teered toward the iland, if I had but once lot ight of it' but the weather

continuing clear, I a((lied myelf to get u( my mat again, and (read my ail,tanding away to the north a much a (oible, to get out of the current"

ut a I had et my mat and ail, and the boat began to tretch away, I aw

e#en by the clearne of the water ome alteration of the current wa near' for

where the current wa o trong the water wa foul' but (ercei#ing the water

clear, I found the current abate' and (reently I found to the eat, at about half a



mile, a breach of the ea u(on ome rock5 thee rock I found caued the

current to (art again, and a the main tre of it ran away more outherly,

lea#ing the rock to the north*eat, o the other returned by the re(ule of the

rock, and made a trong eddy, which ran back again to the north*wet, with a

#ery har( tream"

8hey who know what it i to ha#e a re(rie#e brought to them u(on the ladder,

or to be recued from thie#e ut going to murder them, or who ha#e been in

uch e0tremitie, may gue what my (reent ur(rie of oy wa, and how

gladly I (ut my boat into the tream of thi eddy' and the wind alo frehening,

how gladly I (read my ail to it, running cheerfully before the wind, and with

a trong tide or eddy underfoot"

8hi eddy carried me about a league on my way back again, directly toward

the iland, but about two league more to the northward than the current which

carried me away at firt' o that when I came near the iland, I found myelfo(en to the northern hore of it, that i to ay, the other end of the iland,

o((oite to that which I went out from"

When I had made omething more than a league of way by the hel( of thi

current or eddy, I found it wa (ent, and er#ed me no further" !owe#er, I

found that being between two great current * #i&" that on the outh ide, which

had hurried me away, and that on the north, which lay about a league on the

other ide' I ay, between thee two, in the wake of the iland, I found the water

at leat till, and running no way' and ha#ing till a bree&e of wind fair for me, I

ke(t on teering directly for the iland, though not making uch freh way a I

did before"

About four oclock in the e#ening, being then within a league of the iland, I

found the (oint of the rock which occaioned thi diater tretching out, a i

decribed before, to the outhward, and cating off the current more outherly,

had, of coure, made another eddy to the north' and thi I found #ery trong, but

not directly etting the way my coure lay, which wa due wet, but almot full

north" !owe#er, ha#ing a freh gale, I tretched acro thi eddy, lanting

north*wet' and in about an hour came within about a mile of the hore, where,

it being mooth water, I oon got to land"

When I wa on hore, 4od I fell on my knee and ga#e 4od thank for my

deli#erance, reol#ing to lay aide all thought of my deli#erance by my boat'

and refrehing myelf with uch thing a I had, I brought my boat cloe to the

hore, in a little co#e that I had (ied under ome tree, and laid me down to

lee(, being uite (ent with the labour and fatigue of the #oyage"



I wa now at a great lo which way to get home with my boat7 I had run o

much ha&ard, and knew too much of the cae, to think of attem(ting it by the

way I went out' and what might be at the other ide ?I mean the wet ide@ I

knew not, nor had I any mind to run any more #enture' o I reol#ed on the

ne0t morning to make my way wetward along the hore, and to ee if there

wa no creek where I might lay u( my frigate in afety, o a to ha#e her again

if I wanted her" In about three mile or thereabout, coating the hore, I came

to a #ery good inlet or bay, about a mile o#er, which narrowed till it came to a

#ery little ri#ulet or brook, where I found a #ery con#enient harbour for my

boat, and where he lay a if he had been in a little dock made on (ur(oe for

her" !ere I (ut in, and ha#ing towed my boat #ery afe, I went on hore to look

about me, and ee where I wa"

I oon found I had but a little (aed by the (lace where I had been before,

when I tra#elled on foot to that hore' o taking nothing out of my boat but my

gun and umbrella, for it wa e0ceedingly hot, I began my march" 8he way wa

comfortable enough after uch a #oyage a I had been u(on, and I reached my

old bower in the e#ening, where I found e#erything tanding a I left it' for I

alway ke(t it in good order, being, a I aid before, my country houe"

I got o#er the fence, and laid me down in the hade to ret my limb, for I wa

#ery weary, and fell alee(' but udge you, if you can, that read my tory, what

a ur(rie I mut be in when I wa awaked out of my lee( by a #oice calling

me by my name e#eral time, 9$obin, $obin, $obin +ruoe5 (oor $obin

+ruoe7 Where are you, $obin +ruoe Where are you Where ha#e you

been9

I wa o dead alee( at firt, being fatigued with rowing, or (art of the day, and

with walking the latter (art, that I did not wake thoroughly' but do&ing thought

I dreamed that omebody (oke to me' but a the #oice continued to re(eat,

9$obin +ruoe, $obin +ruoe,9 at lat I began to wake more (erfectly, and wa

at firt dreadfully frightened, and tarted u( in the utmot conternation' but no

ooner were my eye o(en, but I aw my <oll itting on the to( of the hedge'

and immediately knew that it wa he that (oke to me' for ut in uch

bemoaning language I had ued to talk to him and teach him' and he hadlearned it o (erfectly that he would it u(on my finger, and lay hi bill cloe to

my face and cry, 9<oor $obin +ruoe7 Where are you Where ha#e you been

!ow came you here9 and uch thing a I had taught him"

!owe#er, e#en though I knew it wa the (arrot, and that indeed it could be

nobody ele, it wa a good while before I could com(oe myelf" irt, I wa

ama&ed how the creature got thither' and then, how he hould ut kee( about



the (lace, and nowhere ele' but a I wa well atified it could be nobody but

honet <oll, I got o#er it' and holding out my hand, and calling him by hi

name, 9<oll,9 the ociable creature came to me, and at u(on my thumb, a he

ued to do, and continued talking to me, 9<oor $obin +ruoe7 and how did I

come here and where had I been9 ut a if he had been o#eroyed to ee me

again' and o I carried him home along with me"

I had now had enough of rambling to ea for ome time, and had enough to do

for many day to it till and reflect u(on the danger I had been in" I would

ha#e been #ery glad to ha#e had my boat again on my ide of the iland' but I

knew not how it wa (racticable to get it about" A to the eat ide of the iland,

which I had gone round, I knew well enough there wa no #enturing that way'

my #ery heart would hrink, and my #ery blood run chill, but to think of it' and

a to the other ide of the iland, I did not know how it might be there' but

u((oing the current ran with the ame force againt the hore at the eat a it

(aed by it on the other, I might run the ame rik of being dri#en down the

tream, and carried by the iland, a I had been before of being carried away

from it5 o with thee thought, I contented myelf to be without any boat,

though it had been the (roduct of o many month labour to make it, and of o

many more to get it into the ea"

In thi go#ernment of my tem(er I remained near a year' and li#ed a #ery

edate, retired life, a you may well u((oe' and my thought being #ery much

com(oed a to my condition, and fully comforted in reigning myelf to the

di(oition of <ro#idence, I thought I li#ed really #ery ha((ily in all thing

e0ce(t that of ociety"

I im(ro#ed myelf in thi time in all the mechanic e0ercie which my

neceitie (ut me u(on a((lying myelf to' and I belie#e I hould, u(on

occaion, ha#e made a #ery good car(enter, e(ecially conidering how few

tool I had"

Beide thi, I arri#ed at an une0(ected (erfection in my earthenware, and

contri#ed well enough to make them with a wheel, which I found infinitely

eaier and better' becaue I made thing round and ha(ed, which before were

filthy thing indeed to look on" But I think I wa ne#er more #ain of my own

(erformance, or more oyful for anything I found out, than for my being able to

make a tobacco*(i(e' and though it wa a #ery ugly, clumy thing when it wa

done, and only burned red, like other earthenware, yet a it wa hard and firm,

and would draw the moke, I wa e0ceedingly comforted with it, for I had been

alway ued to moke' and there were (i(e in the hi(, but I forgot them at



firt, not thinking there wa tobacco in the iland' and afterward, when I

earched the hi( again, I could not come at any (i(e"

In my wicker*ware alo I im(ro#ed much, and made abundance of neceary

baket, a well a my in#ention howed me' though not #ery handome, yet

they were uch a were #ery handy and con#enient for laying thing u( in, orfetching thing home" or e0am(le, if I killed a goat abroad, I could hang it u(

in a tree, flay it, dre it, and cut it in (iece, and bring it home in a baket' and

the like by a turtle' I could cut it u(, take out the egg and a (iece or two of the

fleh, which wa enough for me, and bring them home in a baket, and lea#e

the ret behind me" Alo, large dee( baket were the recei#er of my corn,

which I alway rubbed out a oon a it wa dry and cured, and ke(t it in great

baket"

I began now to (ercei#e my (owder abated coniderably' thi wa a want which

it wa im(oible for me to u((ly, and I began eriouly to conider what Imut do when I hould ha#e no more (owder' that i to ay, how I hould kill

any goat" I had, a i ober#ed in the third year of my being here, ke(t a young

kid, and bred her u( tame, and I wa in ho(e of getting a he*goat' but I could

not by any mean bring it to (a, till my kid grew an old goat' and a I could

ne#er find in my heart to kill her, he died at lat of mere age"

But being now in the ele#enth year of my reidence, and, a I ha#e aid, my

ammunition growing low, I et myelf to tudy ome art to tra( and nare the

goat, to ee whether I could not catch ome of them ali#e' and (articularly I

wanted a he*goat great with young" or thi (ur(oe I made nare to ham(er

them' and I do belie#e they were more than once taken in them' but my tackle

wa not good, for I had no wire, and I alway found them broken and my bait

de#oured" At length I reol#ed to try a (itfall' o I dug e#eral large (it in the

earth, in (lace where I had ober#ed the goat ued to feed, and o#er thoe (it

I (laced hurdle of my own making too, with a great weight u(on them' and

e#eral time I (ut ear of barley and dry rice without etting the tra(' and I

could eaily (ercei#e that the goat had gone in and eaten u( the corn, for I

could ee the mark of their feet" At length I et three tra( in one night, and

going the ne0t morning I found them, all tanding, and yet the bait eaten andgone' thi wa #ery dicouraging" !owe#er, I altered my tra(' and not to

trouble you with (articular, going one morning to ee my tra(, I found in one

of them a large old he*goat' and in one of the other three kid, a male and two

female"

A to the old one, I knew not what to do with him' he wa o fierce I durt not

go into the (it to him' that i to ay, to bring him away ali#e, which wa what I



wanted" I could ha#e killed him, but that wa not my buine, nor would it

anwer my end' o I e#en let him out, and he ran away a if he had been

frightened out of hi wit" But I did not then know what I afterward learned,

that hunger will tame a lion" If I had let him tay three or four day without

food, and then ha#e carried him ome water to drink and then a little corn, he

would ha#e been a tame a one of the kid' for they are mighty agaciou,

tractable creature, where they are well ued"

!owe#er, for the (reent I let him go, knowing no better at that time5 then I

went to the three kid, and taking them one by one, I tied them with tring

together, and with ome difficulty brought them all home"

It wa a good while before they would feed' but throwing them ome weet

corn, it tem(ted them, and they began to be tame" And now I found that if I

e0(ected to u((ly myelf with goat fleh, when I had no (owder or hot left,

breeding ome u( tame wa my only way, when, (erha(, I might ha#e themabout my houe like a flock of hee(" But then it occurred to me that I mut

kee( the tame from the wild, or ele they would alway run wild when they

grew u(' and the only way for thi wa to ha#e ome encloed (iece of ground,

well fenced either with hedge or (ale, to kee( them in o effectually, that thoe

within might not break out, or thoe without break in"

8hi wa a great undertaking for one (air of hand yet, a I aw there wa an

abolute neceity for doing it, my firt work wa to find out a (ro(er (iece of

ground, where there wa likely to be herbage for them to eat, water for them to

drink, and co#er to kee( them from the un"

8hoe who undertand uch encloure will think I had #ery little contri#ance

when I (itched u(on a (lace #ery (ro(er for all thee ?being a (lain, o(en (iece

of meadow land, or a#annah, a our (eo(le call it in the wetern colonie@,

which had two or three little drill of freh water in it, and at one end wa #ery

woody * I ay, they will mile at my forecat, when I hall tell them I began by

encloing thi (iece of ground in uch a manner that, my hedge or (ale mut

ha#e been at leat two mile about" ;or wa the madne of it o great a to the

com(a, for if it wa ten mile about, I wa like to ha#e time enough to do it

in' but I did not conider that my goat would be a wild in o much com(a a

if they had had the whole iland, and I hould ha#e o much room to chae

them in that I hould ne#er catch them"

/y hedge wa begun and carried on, I belie#e, about fifty yard when thi

thought occurred to me' o I (reently to((ed hort, and, for the beginning, I

reol#ed to encloe a (iece of about one hundred and fifty yard in length, and



one hundred yard in breadth, which, a it would maintain a many a I hould

ha#e in any reaonable time, o, a my tock increaed, I could add more

ground to my encloure"

8hi wa acting with ome (rudence, and I went to work with courage" I wa

about three month hedging in the firt (iece' and, till I had done it, I tetheredthe three kid in the bet (art of it, and ued them to feed a near me a

(oible, to make them familiar' and #ery often I would go and carry them

ome ear of barley, or a handful of rice, and feed them out of my hand' o that

after my encloure wa finihed and I let them looe, they would follow me u(

and down, bleating after me for a handful of corn"

8hi anwered my end, and in about a year and a half I had a flock of about

twel#e goat, kid and all' and in two year more I had three*and*forty, beide

e#eral that I took and killed for my food" After that, I encloed fi#e e#eral

(iece of ground to feed them in, with little (en to dri#e them to take them a Iwanted, and gate out of one (iece of ground into another"

But thi wa not all' for now I not only had goat fleh to feed on when I

(leaed, but milk too * a thing which, indeed, in the beginning, I did not o

much a think of, and which, when it came into my thought, wa really an

agreeable ur(rie, for now I et u( my dairy, and had ometime a gallon or

two of milk in a day" And a ;ature, who gi#e u((lie of food to e#ery

creature, dictate e#en naturally how to make ue of it, o I, that had ne#er

milked a cow, much le a goat, or een butter or cheee made only when I wa

a boy, after a great many eay and micarriage, made both butter and cheee

at lat, alo alt ?though I found it (artly made to my hand by the heat of the

un u(on ome of the rock of the ea@, and ne#er wanted it afterward" !ow

mercifully can our +reator treat !i creature, e#en in thoe condition in

which they eemed to be o#erwhelmed in detruction7 !ow can !e weeten the

bitteret (ro#idence, and gi#e u caue to (raie !im for dungeon and

(rion7 What a table wa here (read for me in the wilderne, where I aw

nothing at firt but to (erih for hunger7

CHAPTER %I - FINDS PRINT F &AN'S FT NTHE SAND

I8 would ha#e made a Stoic mile to ha#e een me and my little family it

down to dinner" 8here wa my maety the (rince and lord of the whole iland'



I had the li#e of all my ubect at my abolute command' I could hang, draw,

gi#e liberty, and take it away, and no rebel among all my ubect" 8hen, to

ee how like a king I dined, too, all alone, attended by my er#ant7 <oll, a if

he had been my fa#ourite, wa the only (eron (ermitted to talk to me" /y dog,

who wa now grown old and cra&y, and had found no (ecie to multi(ly hi

kind u(on, at alway at my right hand' and two cat, one on one ide of the

table and one on the other, e0(ecting now and then a bit from my hand, a a

mark of e(ecial fa#our"

But thee were not the two cat which I brought on hore at firt, for they were

both of them dead, and had been interred near my habitation by my own hand'

but one of them ha#ing multi(lied by I know not what kind of creature, thee

were two which I had (reer#ed tame' wherea the ret ran wild in the wood,

and became indeed troubleome to me at lat, for they would often come into

my houe, and (lunder me too, till at lat I wa obliged to hoot them, and did

kill a great many' at length they left me" With thi attendance and in thi

(lentiful manner I li#ed' neither could I be aid to want anything but ociety'

and of that, ome time after thi, I wa likely to ha#e too much"

I wa omething im(atient, a I ha#e ober#ed, to ha#e the ue of my boat,

though #ery loath to run any more ha&ard' and therefore ometime I at

contri#ing way to get her about the iland, and at other time I at myelf

down contented enough without her" But I had a trange uneaine in my mind

to go down to the (oint of the iland where, a I ha#e aid in my lat ramble, I

went u( the hill to ee how the hore lay, and how the current et, that I might

ee what I had to do5 thi inclination increaed u(on me e#ery day, and at

length I reol#ed to tra#el thither by land, following the edge of the hore" I did

o' but had any one in )ngland met uch a man a I wa, it mut either ha#e

frightened him, or raied a great deal of laughter' and a I freuently tood till

to look at myelf, I could not but mile at the notion of my tra#elling through

Yorkhire with uch an eui(age, and in uch a dre" Be (leaed to take a

ketch of my figure, a follow"

I had a great high ha(ele ca(, made of a goat kin, with a fla( hanging

down behind, a well to kee( the un from me a to hoot the rain off fromrunning into my neck, nothing being o hurtful in thee climate a the rain

u(on the fleh under the clothe"

I had a hort acket of goat kin, the kirt coming down to about the middle

of the thigh, and a (air of o(en*kneed breeche of the ame' the breeche were

made of the kin of an old he*goat, whoe hair hung down uch a length on

either ide that, like (antaloon, it reached to the middle of my leg' tocking



and hoe I had none, but had made me a (air of omething, I carce knew

what to call them, like bukin, to fla( o#er my leg, and lace on either ide like

(atterdahe, but of a mot barbarou ha(e, a indeed were all the ret of my

clothe"

I had on a broad belt of goat kin dried, which I drew together with twothong of the ame intead of buckle, and in a kind of a frog on either ide of

thi, intead of a word and dagger, hung a little aw and a hatchet, one on one

ide and one on the other" I had another belt not o broad, and fatened in the

ame manner, which hung o#er my houlder, and at the end of it, under my left

arm, hung two (ouche, both made of goat kin too, in one of which hung my

(owder, in the other my hot" At my back I carried my baket, and on my

houlder my gun, and o#er my head a great clumy, ugly, goat*kin umbrella,

but which, after all, wa the mot neceary thing I had about me ne0t to my

gun" A for my face, the colour of it wa really not o mulatto*like a one might

e0(ect from a man not at all careful of it, and li#ing within nine or ten degree

of the euino0" /y beard I had once uffered to grow till it wa about a uarter

of a yard long' but a I had both cior and ra&or ufficient, I had cut it (retty

hort, e0ce(t what grew on my u((er li(, which I had trimmed into a large (air

of /ahometan whiker, uch a I had een worn by ome 8urk at Sallee, for

the /oor did not wear uch, though the 8urk did' of thee moutachio, or

whiker, I will not ay they were long enough to hang my hat u(on them, but

they were of a length and ha(e montrou enough, and uch a in )ngland

would ha#e (aed for frightful"

But all thi i by*the*bye' for a to my figure, I had o few to ober#e me that it

wa of no manner of coneuence, o I ay no more of that" In thi kind of dre

I went my new ourney, and wa out fi#e or i0 day" I tra#elled firt along the

ea*hore, directly to the (lace where I firt brought my boat to an anchor to get

u(on the rock' and ha#ing no boat now to take care of, I went o#er the land a

nearer way to the ame height that I wa u(on before, when, looking forward to

the (oint of the rock which lay out, and which I wa obliged to double with

my boat, a i aid abo#e, I wa ur(ried to ee the ea all mooth and uiet *

no ri((ling, no motion, no current, any more there than in other (lace" I wa at

a trange lo to undertand thi, and reol#ed to (end ome time in theober#ing it, to ee if nothing from the et of the tide had occaioned it' but I

wa (reently con#inced how it wa * #i&" that the tide of ebb etting from the

wet, and oining with the current of water from ome great ri#er on the hore,

mut be the occaion of thi current, and that, according a the wind blew more

forcibly from the wet or from the north, thi current came nearer or went

farther from the hore' for, waiting thereabout till e#ening, I went u( to the



rock again, and then the tide of ebb being made, I (lainly aw the current again

a before, only that it ran farther off, being near half a league from the hore,

wherea in my cae it et cloe u(on the hore, and hurried me and my canoe

along with it, which at another time it would not ha#e done"

8hi ober#ation con#inced me that I had nothing to do but to ober#e theebbing and the flowing of the tide, and I might #ery eaily bring my boat about

the iland again' but when I began to think of (utting it in (ractice, I had uch

terror u(on my (irit at the remembrance of the danger I had been in, that I

could not think of it again with any (atience, but, on the contrary, I took u(

another reolution, which wa more afe, though more laboriou * and thi wa,

that I would build, or rather make, me another (eriagua or canoe, and o ha#e

one for one ide of the iland, and one for the other"

You are to undertand that now I had, a I may call it, two (lantation in the

iland * one my little fortification or tent, with the wall about it, under the rock,with the ca#e behind me, which by thi time I had enlarged into e#eral

a(artment or ca#e, one within another" =ne of thee, which wa the driet and

larget, and had a door out beyond my wall or fortification * that i to ay,

beyond where my wall oined to the rock * wa all filled u( with the large

earthen (ot of which I ha#e gi#en an account, and with fourteen or fifteen

great baket, which would hold fi#e or i0 buhel each, where I laid u( my

tore of (ro#iion, e(ecially my corn, ome in the ear, cut off hort from the

traw, and the other rubbed out with my hand"

A for my wall, made, a before, with long take or (ile, thoe (ile grew all

like tree, and were by thi time grown o big, and (read o #ery much, that

there wa not the leat a((earance, to any one #iew, of any habitation behind

them"

;ear thi dwelling of mine, but a little farther within the land, and u(on lower

ground, lay my two (iece of corn land, which I ke(t duly culti#ated and

owed, and which duly yielded me their har#et in it eaon' and whene#er I

had occaion for more corn, I had more land adoining a fit a that"

Beide thi, I had my country eat, and I had now a tolerable (lantation there

alo' for, firt, I had my little bower, a I called it, which I ke(t in re(air * that

i to ay, I ke(t the hedge which encircled it in contantly fitted u( to it uual

height, the ladder tanding alway in the inide" I ke(t the tree, which at firt

were no more than take, but were now grown #ery firm and tall, alway cut,

o that they might (read and grow thick and wild, and make the more

agreeable hade, which they did effectually to my mind" In the middle of thi I



had my tent alway tanding, being a (iece of a ail (read o#er (ole, et u(

for that (ur(oe, and which ne#er wanted any re(air or renewing' and under

thi I had made me a uab or couch with the kin of the creature I had killed,

and with other oft thing, and a blanket laid on them, uch a belonged to our

ea*bedding, which I had a#ed' and a great watch*coat to co#er me" And here,

whene#er I had occaion to be abent from my chief eat, I took u( my country

habitation"

Adoining to thi I had my encloure for my cattle, that i to ay my goat, and

I had taken an inconcei#able deal of (ain to fence and encloe thi ground" I

wa o an0iou to ee it ke(t entire, let the goat hould break through, that I

ne#er left off till, with infinite labour, I had tuck the outide of the hedge o

full of mall take, and o near to one another, that it wa rather a (ale than a

hedge, and there wa carce room to (ut a hand through between them' which

afterward, when thoe take grew, a they all did in the ne0t rainy eaon,

made the encloure trong like a wall, indeed tronger than any wall"

8hi will tetify for me that I wa not idle, and that I (ared no (ain to bring to

(a whate#er a((eared neceary for my comfortable u((ort, for I conidered

the kee(ing u( a breed of tame creature thu at my hand would be a li#ing

maga&ine of fleh, milk, butter, and cheee for me a long a I li#ed in the

(lace, if it were to be forty year' and that kee(ing them in my reach de(ended

entirely u(on my (erfecting my encloure to uch a degree that I might be ure

of kee(ing them together' which by thi method, indeed, I o effectually

ecured, that when thee little take began to grow, I had (lanted them o #ery

thick that I wa forced to (ull ome of them u( again"

In thi (lace alo I had my gra(e growing, which I (rinci(ally de(ended on for

my winter tore of raiin, and which I ne#er failed to (reer#e #ery carefully,

a the bet and mot agreeable dainty of my whole diet' and indeed they were

not only agreeable, but medicinal, wholeome, nourihing, and refrehing to the

lat degree"

A thi wa alo about half*way between my other habitation and the (lace

where I had laid u( my boat, I generally tayed and lay here in my way thither,

for I ued freuently to #iit my boat' and I ke(t all thing about or belonging to

her in #ery good order" Sometime I went out in her to di#ert myelf, but no

more ha&ardou #oyage would I go, carcely e#er abo#e a tone cat or two

from the hore, I wa o a((reheni#e of being hurried out of my knowledge

again by the current or wind, or any other accident" But now I come to a new

cene of my life" It ha((ened one day, about noon, going toward my boat, I

wa e0ceedingly ur(ried with the (rint of a man naked foot on the hore,



which wa #ery (lain to be een on the and" I tood like one thundertruck, or

a if I had een an a((arition" I litened, I looked round me, but I could hear

nothing, nor ee anything' I went u( to a riing ground to look farther' I went

u( the hore and down the hore, but it wa all one' I could ee no other

im(reion but that one" I went to it again to ee if there were any more, and to

ober#e if it might not be my fancy' but there wa no room for that, for there

wa e0actly the (rint of a foot * toe, heel, and e#ery (art of a foot" !ow it

came thither I knew not, nor could I in the leat imagine' but after innumerable

fluttering thought, like a man (erfectly confued and out of myelf, I came

home to my fortification, not feeling, a we ay, the ground I went on, but

terrified to the lat degree, looking behind me at e#ery two or three te(,

mitaking e#ery buh and tree, and fancying e#ery tum( at a ditance to be a

man" ;or i it (oible to decribe how many #ariou ha(e my affrighted

imagination re(reented thing to me in, how many wild idea were found

e#ery moment in my fancy, and what trange, unaccountable whimie came

into my thought by the way"

When I came to my catle ?for o I think I called it e#er after thi@, I fled into it

like one (urued" Whether I went o#er by the ladder, a firt contri#ed, or went

in at the hole in the rock, which I had called a door, I cannot remember' no, nor

could I remember the ne0t morning, for ne#er frightened hare fled to co#er, or

fo0 to earth, with more terror of mind than I to thi retreat"

I le(t none that night' the farther I wa from the occaion of my fright, the

greater my a((rehenion were, which i omething contrary to the nature of

uch thing, and e(ecially to the uual (ractice of all creature in fear' but I

wa o embarraed with my own frightful idea of the thing, that I formed

nothing but dimal imagination to myelf, e#en though I wa now a great way

off" Sometime I fancied it mut be the de#il, and reaon oined in with me in

thi u((oition, for how hould any other thing in human ha(e come into the

(lace Where wa the #eel that brought them What mark were there of any

other footte( And how wa it (oible a man hould come there But then, to

think that Satan hould take human ha(e u(on him in uch a (lace, where

there could be no manner of occaion for it, but to lea#e the (rint of hi foot

behind him, and that e#en for no (ur(oe too, for he could not be ure I houldee it * thi wa an amuement the other way" I conidered that the de#il might

ha#e found out abundance of other way to ha#e terrified me than thi of the

ingle (rint of a foot' that a I li#ed uite on the other ide of the iland, he

would ne#er ha#e been o im(le a to lea#e a mark in a (lace where it wa ten

thouand to one whether I hould e#er ee it or not, and in the and too, which

the firt urge of the ea, u(on a high wind, would ha#e defaced entirely" All



thi eemed inconitent with the thing itelf and with all the notion we uually

entertain of the ubtlety of the de#il"

Abundance of uch thing a thee aited to argue me out of all a((rehenion

of it being the de#il' and I (reently concluded then that it mut be ome more

dangerou creature * #i&" that it mut be ome of the a#age of the mainlando((oite who had wandered out to ea in their canoe, and either dri#en by the

current or by contrary wind, had made the iland, and had been on hore, but

were gone away again to ea' being a loath, (erha(, to ha#e tayed in thi

deolate iland a I would ha#e been to ha#e had them"

While thee reflection were rolling in my mind, I wa #ery thankful in my

thought that I wa o ha((y a not to be thereabout at that time, or that they

did not ee my boat, by which they would ha#e concluded that ome inhabitant

had been in the (lace, and (erha( ha#e earched farther for me" 8hen terrible

thought racked my imagination about their ha#ing found out my boat, and thatthere were (eo(le here' and that, if o, I hould certainly ha#e them come again

in greater number and de#our me' that if it hould ha((en that they hould not

find me, yet they would find my encloure, detroy all my corn, and carry away

all my flock of tame goat, and I hould (erih at lat for mere want"

8hu my fear banihed all my religiou ho(e, all that former confidence in 4od,

which wa founded u(on uch wonderful e0(erience a I had had of !i

goodne' a if !e that had fed me by miracle hitherto could not (reer#e, by

!i (ower, the (ro#iion which !e had made for me by !i goodne" I

re(roached myelf with my la&ine, that would not ow any more corn one

year than would ut er#e me till the ne0t eaon, a if no accident could

inter#ene to (re#ent my enoying the cro( that wa u(on the ground' and thi I

thought o ut a re(roof, that I reol#ed for the future to ha#e two or three

year corn beforehand' o that, whate#er might come, I might not (erih for

want of bread"

!ow trange a cheuer*work of <ro#idence i the life of man7 and by what

ecret different (ring are the affection hurried about, a different

circumtance (reent7 8o*day we lo#e what to*morrow we hate' to*day we

eek what to*morrow we hun' to*day we deire what to*morrow we fear, nay,

e#en tremble at the a((rehenion of" 8hi wa e0em(lified in me, at thi time,

in the mot li#ely manner imaginable' for I, whoe only affliction wa that I

eemed banihed from human ociety, that I wa alone, circumcribed by the

boundle ocean, cut off from mankind, and condemned to what I call ilent

life' that I wa a one whom !ea#en thought not worthy to be numbered among

the li#ing, or to a((ear among the ret of !i creature' that to ha#e een one of



my own (ecie would ha#e eemed to me a raiing me from death to life, and

the greatet bleing that !ea#en itelf, ne0t to the u(reme bleing of

al#ation, could betow' I ay, that I hould now tremble at the #ery

a((rehenion of eeing a man, and wa ready to ink into the ground at but the

hadow or ilent a((earance of a man ha#ing et hi foot in the iland"

Such i the une#en tate of human life' and it afforded me a great many curiou

(eculation afterward, when I had a little reco#ered my firt ur(rie" I

conidered that thi wa the tation of life the infinitely wie and good

(ro#idence of 4od had determined for me' that a I could not foreee what the

end of .i#ine widom might be in all thi, o I wa not to di(ute !i

o#ereignty' who, a I wa !i creature, had an undoubted right, by creation, to

go#ern and di(oe of me abolutely a !e thought fit' and who, a I wa a

creature that had offended !im, had likewie a udicial right to condemn me to

what (unihment !e thought fit' and that it wa my (art to ubmit to bear !i

indignation, becaue I had inned againt !im" I then reflected, that a 4od,

who wa not only righteou but omni(otent, had thought fit thu to (unih and

afflict me, o !e wa able to deli#er me5 that if !e did not think fit to do o, it

wa my unuetioned duty to reign myelf abolutely and entirely to !i will'

and, on the other hand, it wa my duty alo to ho(e in !im, (ray to !im, and

uietly to attend to the dictate and direction of !i daily (ro#idence,

8hee thought took me u( many hour, day, nay, I may ay week and

month5 and one (articular effect of my cogitation on thi occaion I cannot

omit" =ne morning early, lying in my bed, and filled with thought about my

danger from the a((earance of a#age, I found it dicom(oed me #ery much'

u(on which thee word of the Scri(ture came into my thought, 9+all u(on /e

in the day of trouble, and I will deli#er thee, and thou halt glorify /e"9 >(on

thi, riing cheerfully out of my bed, my heart wa not only comforted, but I

wa guided and encouraged to (ray earnetly to 4od for deli#erance5 when I

had done (raying I took u( my Bible, and o(ening it to read, the firt word that

(reented to me were, 9Wait on the -ord, and be of good cheer, and !e hall

trengthen thy heart' wait, I ay, on the -ord"9 It i im(oible to e0(re the

comfort thi ga#e me" In anwer, I thankfully laid down the book, and wa no

more ad, at leat on that occaion"

In the middle of thee cogitation, a((rehenion, and reflection, it came into

my thought one day that all thi might be a mere chimera of my own, and that

thi foot might be the (rint of my own foot, when I came on hore from my

boat5 thi cheered me u( a little, too, and I began to (eruade myelf it wa all a

deluion' that it wa nothing ele but my own foot' and why might I not come



that way from the boat, a well a I wa going that way to the boat Again, I

conidered alo that I could by no mean tell for certain where I had trod, and

where I had not' and that if, at lat, thi wa only the (rint of my own foot, I

had (layed the (art of thoe fool who try to make torie of (ectre and

a((arition, and then are frightened at them more than anybody"

;ow I began to take courage, and to (ee( abroad again, for I had not tirred out

of my catle for three day and night, o that I began to tar#e for (ro#iion'

for I had little or nothing within door but ome barley*cake and water' then I

knew that my goat wanted to be milked too, which uually wa my e#ening

di#erion5 and the (oor creature were in great (ain and incon#enience for want

of it' and, indeed, it almot (oiled ome of them, and almot dried u( their

milk" )ncouraging myelf, therefore, with the belief that thi wa nothing but

the (rint of one of my own feet, and that I might be truly aid to tart at my own

hadow, I began to go abroad again, and went to my country houe to milk my

flock5 but to ee with what fear I went forward, how often I looked behind me,

how I wa ready e#ery now and then to lay down my baket and run for my

life, it would ha#e made any one ha#e thought I wa haunted with an e#il

concience, or that I had been lately mot terribly frightened' and o, indeed, I

had" !owe#er, I went down thu two or three day, and ha#ing een nothing, I

began to be a little bolder, and to think there wa really nothing in it but my

own imagination' but I could not (eruade myelf fully of thi till I hould go

down to the hore again, and ee thi (rint of a foot, and meaure it by my own,

and ee if there wa any imilitude or fitne, that I might be aured it wa my

own foot5 but when I came to the (lace, firt, it a((eared e#idently to me, thatwhen I laid u( my boat I could not (oibly be on hore anywhere thereabout'

econdly, when I came to meaure the mark with my own foot, I found my foot

not o large by a great deal" Both thee thing filled my head with new

imagination, and ga#e me the #a(our again to the highet degree, o that I

hook with cold like one in an ague' and I went home again, filled with the

belief that ome man or men had been on hore there' or, in hort, that the

iland wa inhabited, and I might be ur(ried before I wa aware' and what

coure to take for my ecurity I knew not"

=h, what ridiculou reolution men take when (oeed with fear7 It de(ri#ethem of the ue of thoe mean which reaon offer for their relief" 8he firt

thing I (ro(oed to myelf wa, to throw down my encloure, and turn all my

tame cattle wild into the wood, let the enemy hould find them, and then

freuent the iland in (ro(ect of the ame or the like booty5 then the im(le

thing of digging u( my two corn*field, let they hould find uch a grain there,

and till be (rom(ted to freuent the iland5 then to demolih my bower and



tent, that they might not ee any #etige of habitation, and be (rom(ted to look

farther, in order to find out the (eron inhabiting"

8hee were the ubect of the firt night cogitation after I wa come home

again, while the a((rehenion which had o o#errun my mind were freh u(on

me, and my head wa full of #a(our" 8hu, fear of danger i ten thouandtime more terrifying than danger itelf, when a((arent to the eye' and we find

the burden of an0iety greater, by much, than the e#il which we are an0iou

about5 and what wa wore than all thi, I had not that relief in thi trouble that

from the reignation I ued to (ractie I ho(ed to ha#e" I looked, I thought, like

Saul, who com(lained not only that the <hilitine were u(on him, but that 4od

had foraken him' for I did not now take due way to com(oe my mind, by

crying to 4od in my ditre, and reting u(on !i (ro#idence, a I had done

before, for my defence and deli#erance' which, if I had done, I had at leat been

more cheerfully u((orted under thi new ur(rie, and (erha( carried through

it with more reolution"

8hi confuion of my thought ke(t me awake all night' but in the morning I

fell alee(' and ha#ing, by the amuement of my mind, been a it were tired,

and my (irit e0hauted, I le(t #ery oundly, and waked much better

com(oed than I had e#er been before" And now I began to think edately' and,

u(on debate with myelf, I concluded that thi iland ?which wa o

e0ceedingly (leaant, fruitful, and no farther from the mainland than a I had

een@ wa not o entirely abandoned a I might imagine' that although there

were no tated inhabitant who li#ed on the (ot, yet that there might

ometime come boat off from the hore, who, either with deign, or (erha(

ne#er but when they were dri#en by cro wind, might come to thi (lace' that

I had li#ed there fifteen year now and had not met with the leat hadow or

figure of any (eo(le yet' and that, if at any time they hould be dri#en here, it

wa (robable they went away again a oon a e#er they could, eeing they had

ne#er thought fit to fi0 here u(on any occaion' that the mot I could ugget

any danger from wa from any caual accidental landing of traggling (eo(le

from the main, who, a it wa likely, if they were dri#en hither, were here

againt their will, o they made no tay here, but went off again with all

(oible (eed' eldom taying one night on hore, let they hould not ha#e thehel( of the tide and daylight back again' and that, therefore, I had nothing to

do but to conider of ome afe retreat, in cae I hould ee any a#age land

u(on the (ot"

;ow, I began orely to re(ent that I had dug my ca#e o large a to bring a door

through again, which door, a I aid, came out beyond where my fortification



oined to the rock5 u(on maturely conidering thi, therefore, I reol#ed to draw

me a econd fortification, in the manner of a emicircle, at a ditance from my

wall, ut where I had (lanted a double row of tree about twel#e year before,

of which I made mention5 thee tree ha#ing been (lanted o thick before, they

wanted but few (ile to be dri#en between them, that they might be thicker and

tronger, and my wall would be oon finihed" So that I had now a double wall'

and my outer wall wa thickened with (iece of timber, old cable, and

e#erything I could think of, to make it trong' ha#ing in it e#en little hole,

about a big a I might (ut my arm out at" In the inide of thi I thickened my

wall to about ten feet thick with continually bringing earth out of my ca#e, and

laying it at the foot of the wall, and walking u(on it' and through the e#en

hole I contri#ed to (lant the muket, of which I took notice that I had got

e#en on hore out of the hi(' thee I (lanted like my cannon, and fitted them

into frame, that held them like a carriage, o that I could fire all the e#en gun

in two minute time' thi wall I wa many a weary month in finihing, and yet

ne#er thought myelf afe till it wa done"

When thi wa done I tuck all the ground without my wall, for a great length

e#ery way, a full with take or tick of the oier* like wood, which I found o

a(t to grow, a they could well tand' inomuch that I belie#e I might et in

near twenty thouand of them, lea#ing a (retty large (ace between them and

my wall, that I might ha#e room to ee an enemy, and they might ha#e no

helter from the young tree, if they attem(ted to a((roach my outer wall"

8hu in two year time I had a thick gro#e' and in fi#e or i0 year time I had a

wood before my dwelling, growing o montrouly thick and trong that it wa

indeed (erfectly im(aable5 and no men, of what kind oe#er, could e#er

imagine that there wa anything beyond it, much le a habitation" A for the

way which I (ro(oed to myelf to go in and out ?for I left no a#enue@, it wa

by etting two ladder, one to a (art of the rock which wa low, and then broke

in, and left room to (lace another ladder u(on that' o when the two ladder

were taken down no man li#ing could come down to me without doing himelf

michief' and if they had come down, they were till on the outide of my outer

wall"

8hu I took all the meaure human (rudence could ugget for my own

(reer#ation' and it will be een at length that they were not altogether without

ut reaon' though I foreaw nothing at that time more than my mere fear

uggeted to me"

CHAPTER %II - A CAVE RETREAT



W!I-) thi wa doing, I wa not altogether carele of my other affair' for I

had a great concern u(on me for my little herd of goat5 they were not only a

ready u((ly to me on e#ery occaion, and began to be ufficient for me,

without the e0(ene of (owder and hot, but alo without the fatigue of huntingafter the wild one' and I wa loath to loe the ad#antage of them, and to ha#e

them all to nure u( o#er again"

or thi (ur(oe, after long conideration, I could think of but two way to

(reer#e them5 one wa, to find another con#enient (lace to dig a ca#e

underground, and to dri#e them into it e#ery night' and the other wa to encloe

two or three little bit of land, remote from one another, and a much concealed

a I could, where I might kee( about half*a*do&en young goat in each (lace' o

that if any diater ha((ened to the flock in general, I might be able to raie

them again with little trouble and time5 and thi though it would reuire a gooddeal of time and labour, I thought wa the mot rational deign"

Accordingly, I (ent ome time to find out the mot retired (art of the iland'

and I (itched u(on one, which wa a (ri#ate, indeed, a my heart could wih5 it

wa a little dam( (iece of ground in the middle of the hollow and thick wood,

where, a i ober#ed, I almot lot myelf once before, endea#ouring to come

back that way from the eatern (art of the iland" !ere I found a clear (iece of

land, near three acre, o urrounded with wood that it wa almot an

encloure by nature' at leat, it did not want near o much labour to make it o

a the other (iece of ground I had worked o hard at"

I immediately went to work with thi (iece of ground' and in le than a

month time I had o fenced it round that my flock, or herd, call it which you

(leae, which were not o wild now a at firt they might be u((oed to be,

were well enough ecured in it5 o, without any further delay, I remo#ed ten

young he*goat and two he*goat to thi (iece, and when they were there I

continued to (erfect the fence till I had made it a ecure a the other' which,

howe#er, I did at more leiure, and it took me u( more time by a great deal" All

thi labour I wa at the e0(ene of, (urely from my a((rehenion on account

of the (rint of a man foot' for a yet I had ne#er een any human creature

come near the iland' and I had now li#ed two year under thi uneaine,

which, indeed, made my life much le comfortable than it wa before, a may

be well imagined by any who know what it i to li#e in the contant nare of the

fear of man" And thi I mut ober#e, with grief, too, that the dicom(oure of

my mind had great im(reion alo u(on the religiou (art of my thought' for

the dread and terror of falling into the hand of a#age and cannibal lay o



u(on my (irit, that I eldom found myelf in a due tem(er for a((lication to

my /aker' at leat, not with the edate calmne and reignation of oul which

I wa wont to do5 I rather (rayed to 4od a under great affliction and (reure

of mind, urrounded with danger, and in e0(ectation e#ery night of being

murdered and de#oured before morning' and I mut tetify, from my

e0(erience, that a tem(er of (eace, thankfulne, lo#e, and affection, i much

the more (ro(er frame for (rayer than that of terror and dicom(oure5 and that

under the dread of michief im(ending, a man i no more fit for a comforting

(erformance of the duty of (raying to 4od than he i for a re(entance on a ick*

bed' for thee dicom(oure affect the mind, a the other do the body' and the

dicom(oure of the mind mut necearily be a great a diability a that of the

body, and much greater' (raying to 4od being (ro(erly an act of the mind, not

of the body"

But to go on" After I had thu ecured one (art of my little li#ing tock, I went

about the whole iland, earching for another (ri#ate (lace to make uch

another de(oit' when, wandering more to the wet (oint of the iland than I

had e#er done yet, and looking out to ea, I thought I aw a boat u(on the ea,

at a great ditance" I had found a (er(ecti#e gla or two in one of the eamen

chet, which I a#ed out of our hi(, but I had it not about me' and thi wa o

remote that I could not tell what to make of it, though I looked at it till my eye

were not able to hold to look any longer' whether it wa a boat or not I do not

know, but a I decended from the hill I could ee no more of it, o I ga#e it

o#er' only I reol#ed to go no more out without a (er(ecti#e gla in my

(ocket" When I wa come down the hill to the end of the iland, where, indeed,I had ne#er been before, I wa (reently con#inced that the eeing the (rint of a

man foot wa not uch a trange thing in the iland a I imagined5 and but that

it wa a (ecial (ro#idence that I wa cat u(on the ide of the iland where the

a#age ne#er came, I hould eaily ha#e known that nothing wa more

freuent than for the canoe from the main, when they ha((ened to be a little

too far out at ea, to hoot o#er to that ide of the iland for harbour5 likewie,

a they often met and fought in their canoe, the #ictor, ha#ing taken any

(rioner, would bring them o#er to thi hore, where, according to their

dreadful cutom, being all cannibal, they would kill and eat them' of which

hereafter"

When I wa come down the hill to the hore, a I aid abo#e, being the SW"

(oint of the iland, I wa (erfectly confounded and ama&ed' nor i it (oible

for me to e0(re the horror of my mind at eeing the hore (read with kull,

hand, feet, and other bone of human bodie' and (articularly I ober#ed a

(lace where there had been a fire made, and a circle dug in the earth, like a



cock(it, where I u((oed the a#age wretche had at down to their human

feating u(on the bodie of their fellow*creature"

I wa o atonihed with the ight of thee thing, that I entertained no notion

of any danger to myelf from it for a long while5 all my a((rehenion were

buried in the thought of uch a (itch of inhuman, hellih brutality, and thehorror of the degeneracy of human nature, which, though I had heard of it

often, yet I ne#er had o near a #iew of before' in hort, I turned away my face

from the horrid (ectacle' my tomach grew ick, and I wa ut at the (oint of

fainting, when nature dicharged the diorder from my tomach' and ha#ing

#omited with uncommon #iolence, I wa a little relie#ed, but could not bear to

tay in the (lace a moment' o I got u( the hill again with all the (eed I could,

and walked on toward my own habitation"

When I came a little out of that (art of the iland I tood till awhile, a

ama&ed, and then, reco#ering myelf, I looked u( with the utmot affection ofmy oul, and, with a flood of tear in my eye, ga#e 4od thank, that had cat

my firt lot in a (art of the world where I wa ditinguihed from uch dreadful

creature a thee' and that, though I had eteemed my (reent condition #ery

mierable, had yet gi#en me o many comfort in it that I had till more to gi#e

thank for than to com(lain of5 and thi, abo#e all, that I had, e#en in thi

mierable condition, been comforted with the knowledge of !imelf, and the

ho(e of !i bleing5 which wa a felicity more than ufficiently eui#alent to

all the miery which I had uffered, or could uffer"

In thi frame of thankfulne I went home to my catle, and began to be much

eaier now, a to the afety of my circumtance, than e#er I wa before5 for I

ober#ed that thee wretche ne#er came to thi iland in earch of what they

could get' (erha( not eeking, not wanting, or not e0(ecting anything here'

and ha#ing often, no doubt, been u( the co#ered, woody (art of it without

finding anything to their (ur(oe" I knew I had been here now almot eighteen

year, and ne#er aw the leat footte( of human creature there before' and I

might be eighteen year more a entirely concealed a I wa now, if I did not

dico#er myelf to them, which I had no manner of occaion to do' it being my

only buine to kee( myelf entirely concealed where I wa, unle I found a better ort of creature than cannibal to make myelf known to" Yet I

entertained uch an abhorrence of the a#age wretche that I ha#e been

(eaking of, and of the wretched, inhuman cutom of their de#ouring and

eating one another u(, that I continued (eni#e and ad, and ke(t cloe within

my own circle for almot two year after thi5 when I ay my own circle, I

mean by it my three (lantation * #i&" my catle, my country eat ?which I



called my bower@, and my encloure in the wood5 nor did I look after thi for

any other ue than an encloure for my goat' for the a#erion which nature

ga#e me to thee hellih wretche wa uch, that I wa a fearful of eeing them

a of eeing the de#il himelf" I did not o much a go to look after my boat all

thi time, but began rather to think of making another' for I could not think of

e#er making any more attem(t to bring the other boat round the iland to me,

let I hould meet with ome of thee creature at ea' in which cae, if I had

ha((ened to ha#e fallen into their hand, I knew what would ha#e been my lot"

8ime, howe#er, and the atifaction I had that I wa in no danger of being

dico#ered by thee (eo(le, began to wear off my uneaine about them' and I

began to li#e ut in the ame com(oed manner a before, only with thi

difference, that I ued more caution, and ke(t my eye more about me than I

did before, let I hould ha((en to be een by any of them' and (articularly, I

wa more cautiou of firing my gun, let any of them, being on the iland,

hould ha((en to hear it" It wa, therefore, a #ery good (ro#idence to me that I

had furnihed myelf with a tame breed of goat, and that I had no need to hunt

any more about the wood, or hoot at them' and if I did catch any of them after

thi, it wa by tra( and nare, a I had done before' o that for two year after

thi I belie#e I ne#er fired my gun once off, though I ne#er went out without it'

and what wa more, a I had a#ed three (itol out of the hi(, I alway carried

them out with me, or at leat two of them, ticking them in my goat*kin belt" I

alo furbihed u( one of the great cutlae that I had out of the hi(, and made

me a belt to hang it on alo' o that I wa now a mot formidable fellow to look

at when I went abroad, if you add to the former decri(tion of myelf the (articular of two (itol, and a broadword hanging at my ide in a belt, but

without a cabbard"

8hing going on thu, a I ha#e aid, for ome time, I eemed, e0ce(ting thee

caution, to be reduced to my former calm, edate way of li#ing" All thee

thing tended to how me more and more how far my condition wa from being

mierable, com(ared to ome other' nay, to many other (articular of life

which it might ha#e (leaed 4od to ha#e made my lot" It (ut me u(on

reflecting how little re(ining there would be among mankind at any condition

of life if (eo(le would rather com(are their condition with thoe that werewore, in order to be thankful, than be alway com(aring them with thoe

which are better, to ait their murmuring and com(laining"

A in my (reent condition there were not really many thing which I wanted,

o indeed I thought that the fright I had been in about thee a#age wretche,

and the concern I had been in for my own (reer#ation, had taken off the edge



of my in#ention, for my own con#enience' and I had dro((ed a good deign,

which I had once bent my thought u(on, and that wa to try if I could not

make ome of my barley into malt, and then try to brew myelf ome beer" 8hi

wa really a whimical thought, and I re(ro#ed myelf often for the im(licity

of it5 for I (reently aw there would be the want of e#eral thing neceary to

the making my beer that it would be im(oible for me to u((ly' a, firt,

cak to (reer#e it in, which wa a thing that, a I ha#e ober#ed already, I

could ne#er com(a5 no, though I (ent not only many day, but week, nay

month, in attem(ting it, but to no (ur(oe" In the ne0t (lace, I had no ho( to

make it kee(, no yeat to made it work, no co((er or kettle to make it boil' and

yet with all thee thing wanting, I #erily belie#e, had not the fright and terror

I wa in about the a#age inter#ened, I had undertaken it, and (erha( brought

it to (a too' for I eldom ga#e anything o#er without accom(lihing it, when

once I had it in my head to began it" But my in#ention now ran uite another

way' for night and day I could think of nothing but how I might detroy ome

of the monter in their cruel, bloody entertainment, and if (oible a#e the

#ictim they hould bring hither to detroy" It would take u( a larger #olume

than thi whole work i intended to be to et down all the contri#ance I

hatched, or rather brooded u(on, in my thought, for the detroying thee

creature, or at leat frightening them o a to (re#ent their coming hither any

more5 but all thi wa aborti#e' nothing could be (oible to take effect, unle I

wa to be there to do it myelf5 and what could one man do among them, when

(erha( there might be twenty or thirty of them together with their dart, or

their bow and arrow, with which they could hoot a true to a mark a I could

with my gun

Sometime I thought if digging a hole under the (lace where they made their

fire, and (utting in fi#e or i0 (ound of gun(owder, which, when they kindled

their fire, would coneuently take fire, and blow u( all that wa near it5 but a,

in the firt (lace, I hould be unwilling to wate o much (owder u(on them,

my tore being now within the uantity of one barrel, o neither could I be ure

of it going off at any certain time, when it might ur(rie them' and, at bet,

that it would do little more than ut blow the fire about their ear and fright

them, but not ufficient to make them forake the (lace5 o I laid it aide' and

then (ro(oed that I would (lace myelf in ambuh in ome con#enient (lace,with my three gun all double*loaded, and in the middle of their bloody

ceremony let fly at them, when I hould be ure to kill or wound (erha( two or

three at e#ery hot' and then falling in u(on them with my three (itol and my

word, I made no doubt but that, if there were twenty, I hould kill them all"

8hi fancy (leaed my thought for ome week, and I wa o full of it that I

often dreamed of it, and, ometime, that I wa ut going to let fly at them in



my lee(" I went o far with it in my imagination that I em(loyed myelf

e#eral day to find out (ro(er (lace to (ut myelf in ambucade, a I aid, to

watch for them, and I went freuently to the (lace itelf, which wa now grown

more familiar to me' but while my mind wa thu filled with thought of

re#enge and a bloody (utting twenty or thirty of them to the word, a I may

call it, the horror I had at the (lace, and at the ignal of the barbarou wretche

de#ouring one another, abetted my malice" Well, at length I found a (lace in the

ide of the hill where I wa atified I might ecurely wait till I aw any of their

boat coming' and might then, e#en before they would be ready to come on

hore, con#ey myelf uneen into ome thicket of tree, in one of which there

wa a hollow large enough to conceal me entirely' and there I might it and

ober#e all their bloody doing, and take my full aim at their head, when they

were o cloe together a that it would be ne0t to im(oible that I hould mi

my hot, or that I could fail wounding three or four of them at the firt hot" In

thi (lace, then, I reol#ed to fulfil my deign' and accordingly I (re(ared two

muket and my ordinary fowling*(iece" 8he two muket I loaded with a brace

of lug each, and four or fi#e maller bullet, about the i&e of (itol bullet'

and the fowling* (iece I loaded with near a handful of wan*hot of the larget

i&e' I alo loaded my (itol with about four bullet each' and, in thi (oture,

well (ro#ided with ammunition for a econd and third charge, I (re(ared

myelf for my e0(edition"

After I had thu laid the cheme of my deign, and in my imagination (ut it in

(ractice, I continually made my tour e#ery morning to the to( of the hill, which

wa from my catle, a I called it, about three mile or more, to ee if I couldober#e any boat u(on the ea, coming near the iland, or tanding o#er

toward it' but I began to tire of thi hard duty, after I had for two or three

month contantly ke(t my watch, but came alway back without any

dico#ery' there ha#ing not, in all that time, been the leat a((earance, not only

on or near the hore, but on the whole ocean, o far a my eye or gla could

reach e#ery way"

A long a I ke(t my daily tour to the hill, to look out, o long alo I ke(t u( the

#igour of my deign, and my (irit eemed to be all the while in a uitable

frame for o outrageou an e0ecution a the killing twenty or thirty nakeda#age, for an offence which I had not at all entered into any dicuion of in

my thought, any farther than my (aion were at firt fired by the horror I

concei#ed at the unnatural cutom of the (eo(le of that country, who, it eem,

had been uffered by <ro#idence, in !i wie di(oition of the world, to ha#e

no other guide than that of their own abominable and #itiated (aion' and

coneuently were left, and (erha( had been o for ome age, to act uch



com(aion' a if the kingdom of S(ain were (articularly eminent for the

(roduce of a race of men who were without (rinci(le of tenderne, or the

common bowel of (ity to the mierable, which i reckoned to be a mark of

generou tem(er in the mind"

8hee conideration really (ut me to a (aue, and to a kind of a full to(' and I began by little and little to be off my deign, and to conclude I had taken wrong

meaure in my reolution to attack the a#age' and that it wa not my

buine to meddle with them, unle they firt attacked me' and thi it wa my

buine, if (oible, to (re#ent5 but that, if I were dico#ered and attacked by

them, I knew my duty" =n the other hand, I argued with myelf that thi really

wa the way not to deli#er myelf, but entirely to ruin and detroy myelf' for

unle I wa ure to kill e#ery one that not only hould be on hore at that time,

but that hould e#er come on hore afterward, if but one of them eca(ed to

tell their country*(eo(le what had ha((ened, they would come o#er again by

thouand to re#enge the death of their fellow, and I hould only bring u(on

myelf a certain detruction, which, at (reent, I had no manner of occaion for"

>(on the whole, I concluded that I ought, neither in (rinci(le nor in (olicy, one

way or other, to concern myelf in thi affair5 that my buine wa, by all

(oible mean to conceal myelf from them, and not to lea#e the leat ign for

them to gue by that there were any li#ing creature u(on the iland * I mean

of human ha(e" $eligion oined in with thi (rudential reolution' and I wa

con#inced now, many way, that I wa (erfectly out of my duty when I wa

laying all my bloody cheme for the detruction of innocent creature * I mean

innocent a to me" A to the crime they were guilty of toward one another, Ihad nothing to do with them' they were national, and I ought to lea#e them to

the utice of 4od, who i the 4o#ernor of nation, and know how, by national

(unihment, to make a ut retribution for national offence, and to bring

(ublic udgment u(on thoe who offend in a (ublic manner, by uch way a

bet (leae !im" 8hi a((eared o clear to me now, that nothing wa a greater

atifaction to me than that I had not been uffered to do a thing which I now

aw o much reaon to belie#e would ha#e been no le a in than that of wilful

murder if I had committed it' and I ga#e mot humble thank on my knee to

4od, that !e had thu deli#ered me from blood*guiltine' beeeching !im to

grant me the (rotection of !i (ro#idence, that I might not fall into the hand ofthe barbarian, or that I might not lay my hand u(on them, unle I had a more

clear call from !ea#en to do it, in defence of my own life"

In thi di(oition I continued for near a year after thi' and o far wa I from

deiring an occaion for falling u(on thee wretche, that in all that time I ne#er

once went u( the hill to ee whether there were any of them in ight, or to know



whether any of them had been on hore there or not, that I might not be tem(ted

to renew any of my contri#ance againt them, or be (ro#oked by any

ad#antage that might (reent itelf to fall u(on them' only thi I did5 I went and

remo#ed my boat, which I had on the other ide of the iland, and carried it

down to the eat end of the whole iland, where I ran it into a little co#e, which

I found under ome high rock, and where I knew, by reaon of the current, the

a#age durt not, at leat would not, come with their boat u(on any account

whate#er" With my boat I carried away e#erything that I had left there

belonging to her, though not neceary for the bare going thither * #i&" a mat

and ail which I had made for her, and a thing like an anchor, but which,

indeed, could not be called either anchor or gra(nel' howe#er, it wa the bet I

could make of it kind5 all thee I remo#ed, that there might not be the leat

hadow for dico#ery, or a((earance of any boat, or of any human habitation

u(on the iland" Beide thi, I ke(t myelf, a I aid, more retired than e#er,

and eldom went from my cell e0ce(t u(on my contant em(loyment, to milk

my he*goat, and manage my little flock in the wood, which, a it wa uite on

the other (art of the iland, wa out of danger' for certain, it i that thee a#age

(eo(le, who ometime haunted thi iland, ne#er came with any thought of

finding anything here, and coneuently ne#er wandered off from the coat,

and I doubt not but they might ha#e been e#eral time on hore after my

a((rehenion of them had made me cautiou, a well a before" Indeed, I

looked back with ome horror u(on the thought of what my condition would

ha#e been if I had cho((ed u(on them and been dico#ered before that' when,

naked and unarmed, e0ce(t with one gun, and that loaded often only with mall

hot, I walked e#erywhere, (ee(ing and (eering about the iland, to ee what Icould get' what a ur(rie hould I ha#e been in if, when I dico#ered the (rint

of a man foot, I had, intead of that, een fifteen or twenty a#age, and found

them (uruing me, and by the wiftne of their running no (oibility of my

eca(ing them7 8he thought of thi ometime ank my #ery oul within me,

and ditreed my mind o much that I could not oon reco#er it, to think what I

hould ha#e done, and how I hould not only ha#e been unable to reit them,

but e#en hould not ha#e had (reence of mind enough to do what I might ha#e

done' much le what now, after o much conideration and (re(aration, I

might be able to do" Indeed, after eriou thinking of thee thing, I would be

melancholy, and ometime it would lat a great while' but I reol#ed it all atlat into thankfulne to that <ro#idence which had deli#ered me from o many

uneen danger, and had ke(t me from thoe michief which I could ha#e no

way been the agent in deli#ering myelf from, becaue I had not the leat

notion of any uch thing de(ending, or the leat u((oition of it being

(oible" 8hi renewed a contem(lation which often had come into my thought

in former time, when firt I began to ee the merciful di(oition of !ea#en,



in the danger we run through in thi life' how wonderfully we are deli#ered

when we know nothing of it' how, when we are in a uandary a we call it, a

doubt or heitation whether to go thi way or that way, a ecret hint hall direct

u thi way, when we intended to go that way5 nay, when ene, our own

inclination, and (erha( buine ha called u to go the other way, yet a

trange im(reion u(on the mind, from we know not what (ring, and by we

know not what (ower, hall o#errule u to go thi way' and it hall afterward

a((ear that had we gone that way, which we hould ha#e gone, and e#en to our

imagination ought to ha#e gone, we hould ha#e been ruined and lot" >(on

thee and many like reflection I afterward made it a certain rule with me, that

whene#er I found thoe ecret hint or (reing of mind to doing or not doing

anything that (reented, or going thi way or that way, I ne#er failed to obey

the ecret dictate' though I knew no other reaon for it than uch a (reure or

uch a hint hung u(on my mind" I could gi#e many e0am(le of the ucce of

thi conduct in the coure of my life, but more e(ecially in the latter (art of my

inhabiting thi unha((y iland' beide many occaion which it i #ery likely I

might ha#e taken notice of, if I had een with the ame eye then that I ee with

now" But it i ne#er too late to be wie' and I cannot but ad#ie all conidering

men, whoe li#e are attended with uch e0traordinary incident a mine, or

e#en though not o e0traordinary, not to light uch ecret intimation of

<ro#idence, let them come from what in#iible intelligence they will" 8hat I

hall not dicu, and (erha( cannot account for' but certainly they are a (roof

of the con#ere of (irit, and a ecret communication between thoe embodied

and thoe unembodied, and uch a (roof a can ne#er be withtood' of which I

hall ha#e occaion to gi#e ome remarkable intance in the remainder of myolitary reidence in thi dimal (lace"

I belie#e the reader of thi will not think it trange if I confe that thee

an0ietie, thee contant danger I li#ed in, and the concern that wa now u(on

me, (ut an end to all in#ention, and to all the contri#ance that I had laid for my

future accommodation and con#enience" I had the care of my afety more

now u(on my hand than that of my food" I cared not to dri#e a nail, or cho( a

tick of wood now, for fear the noie I might make hould be heard5 much le

would I fire a gun for the ame reaon5 and abo#e all I wa intolerably uneay

at making any fire, let the moke, which i #iible at a great ditance in theday, hould betray me" or thi reaon, I remo#ed that (art of my buine

which reuired fire, uch a burning of (ot and (i(e, Fc", into my new

a(artment in the wood' where, after I had been ome time, I found, to my

un(eakable conolation, a mere natural ca#e in the earth, which went in a #at

way, and where, I dareay, no a#age, had he been at the mouth of it, would be



o hardy a to #enture in' nor, indeed, would any man ele, but one who, like

me, wanted nothing o much a a afe retreat"

8he mouth of thi hollow wa at the bottom of a great rock, where, by mere

accident ?I would ay, if I did not ee abundant reaon to acribe all uch thing

now to <ro#idence@, I wa cutting down ome thick branche of tree to makecharcoal' and before I go on I mut ober#e the reaon of my making thi

charcoal, which wa thi * I wa afraid of making a moke about my habitation,

a I aid before' and yet I could not li#e there without baking my bread,

cooking my meat, Fc"' o I contri#ed to burn ome wood here, a I had een

done in )ngland, under turf, till it became chark or dry coal5 and then (utting

the fire out, I (reer#ed the coal to carry home, and (erform the other er#ice

for which fire wa wanting, without danger of moke" But thi i by*the*bye"

While I wa cutting down ome wood here, I (ercei#ed that, behind a #ery

thick branch of low bruhwood or underwood, there wa a kind of hollow

(lace5 I wa curiou to look in it' and getting with difficulty into the mouth of

it, I found it wa (retty large, that i to ay, ufficient for me to tand u(right in

it, and (erha( another with me5 but I mut confe to you that I made more

hate out than I did in, when looking farther into the (lace, and which wa

(erfectly dark, I aw two broad hining eye of ome creature, whether de#il or

man I knew not, which twinkled like two tar' the dim light from the ca#e

mouth hining directly in, and making the reflection" !owe#er, after ome

(aue I reco#ered myelf, and began to call myelf a thouand fool, and to

think that he that wa afraid to ee the de#il wa not fit to li#e twenty year in

an iland all alone' and that I might well think there wa nothing in thi ca#ethat wa more frightful than myelf" >(on thi, (lucking u( my courage, I took

u( a firebrand, and in I ruhed again, with the tick flaming in my hand5 I had

not gone three te( in before I wa almot a frightened a before' for I heard a

#ery loud igh, like that of a man in ome (ain, and it wa followed by a broken

noie, a of word half e0(reed, and then a dee( igh again" I te((ed back,

and wa indeed truck with uch a ur(rie that it (ut me into a cold weat, and

if I had had a hat on my head, I will not anwer for it that my hair might not

ha#e lifted it off" But till (lucking u( my (irit a well a I could, and

encouraging myelf a little with conidering that the (ower and (reence of

4od wa e#erywhere, and wa able to (rotect me, I te((ed forward again, and by the light of the firebrand, holding it u( a little o#er my head, I aw lying on

the ground a montrou, frightful old he*goat, ut making hi will, a we ay,

and ga(ing for life, and, dying, indeed, of mere old age" I tirred him a little to

ee if I could get him out, and he eayed to get u(, but wa not able to raie

himelf' and I thought with myelf he might e#en lie there



for if he had frightened me, o he would certainly fright any of the a#age, if any of

them hould be o hardy a to come in there while he had any life in him"

I wa now reco#ered from my ur(rie, and began to look round me, when I

found the ca#e wa but #ery mall * that i to ay, it might be about twel#e feet

o#er, but in no manner of ha(e, neither round nor uare, no hand ha#inge#er been em(loyed in making it but thoe of mere ;ature" I ober#ed alo that

there wa a (lace at the farther ide of it that went in further, but wa o low

that it reuired me to cree( u(on my hand and knee to go into it, and whither

it went I knew not' o, ha#ing no candle, I ga#e it o#er for that time, but

reol#ed to go again the ne0t day (ro#ided with candle and a tinder*bo0,

which I had made of the lock of one of the muket, with ome wildfire in the

(an"

Accordingly, the ne0t day I came (ro#ided with i0 large candle of my own

making ?for I made #ery good candle now of goat tallow, but wa hard etfor candle*wick, uing ometime rag or ro(e* yarn, and ometime the dried

rind of a weed like nettle@' and going into thi low (lace I wa obliged to cree(

u(on all*four a I ha#e aid, almot ten yard * which, by the way, I thought

wa a #enture bold enough, conidering that I knew not how far it might go, nor

what wa beyond it" When I had got through the trait, I found the roof roe

higher u(, I belie#e near twenty feet' but ne#er wa uch a gloriou ight een

in the iland, I dareay, a it wa to look round the ide and roof of thi #ault

or ca#e * the wall reflected a hundred thouand light to me from my two

candle" What it wa in the rock * whether diamond or any other (reciou

tone, or gold which I rather u((oed it to be * I knew not" 8he (lace I wa inwa a mot delightful ca#ity, or grotto, though (erfectly dark' the floor wa dry

and le#el, and had a ort of a mall looe gra#el u(on it, o that there wa no

naueou or #enomou creature to be een, neither wa there any dam( or wet

on the ide or roof" 8he only difficulty in it wa the entrance * which, howe#er,

a it wa a (lace of ecurity, and uch a retreat a I wanted' I thought wa a

con#enience' o that I wa really reoiced at the dico#ery, and reol#ed,

without any delay, to bring ome of thoe thing which I wa mot an0iou

about to thi (lace5 (articularly, I reol#ed to bring hither my maga&ine of

(owder, and all my (are arm * #i&" two fowling*(iece * for I had three in all *

and three muket * for of them I had eight in all' o I ke(t in my catle only

fi#e, which tood ready mounted like (iece of cannon on my outmot fence,

and were ready alo to take out u(on any e0(edition" >(on thi occaion of

remo#ing my ammunition I ha((ened to o(en the barrel of (owder which I

took u( out of the ea, and which had been wet, and I found that the water had

(enetrated about three or four inche into the (owder on e#ery ide, which

caking and growing hard, had (reer#ed the inide like a kernel in the hell, o



that I had near i0ty (ound of #ery good (owder in the centre of the cak" 8hi

wa a #ery agreeable dico#ery to me at that time' o I carried all away thither,

ne#er kee(ing abo#e two or three (ound of (owder with me in my catle, for

fear of a ur(rie of any kind' I alo carried thither all the lead I had left for

bullet"

I fancied myelf now like one of the ancient giant who were aid to li#e in

ca#e and hole in the rock, where none could come at them' for I (eruaded

myelf, while I wa here, that if fi#e hundred a#age were to hunt me, they

could ne#er find me out * or if they did, they would not #enture to attack me

here" 8he old goat whom I found e0(iring died in the mouth of the ca#e the

ne0t day after I made thi dico#ery' and I found it much eaier to dig a great

hole there, and throw him in and co#er him with earth, than to drag him out' o

I interred him there, to (re#ent offence to my noe"

CHAPTER %III - WRECK F A SPANISH SHIP

I WAS now in the twenty*third year of my reidence in thi iland, and wa o

naturalied to the (lace and the manner of li#ing, that, could I but ha#e enoyed

the certainty that no a#age would come to the (lace to diturb me, I could

ha#e been content to ha#e ca(itulated for (ending the ret of my time there,

e#en to the lat moment, till I had laid me down and died, like the old goat in

the ca#e" I had alo arri#ed to ome little di#erion and amuement, which

made the time (a a great deal more (leaantly with me than it did before *

firt, I had taught my <oll, a I noted before, to (eak' and he did it o

familiarly, and talked o articulately and (lain, that it wa #ery (leaant to me'

and he li#ed with me no le than i0*and*twenty year" !ow long he might

ha#e li#ed afterward I know not, though I know they ha#e a notion in the

Bra&il that they li#e a hundred year" /y dog wa a (leaant and lo#ing

com(anion to me for no le than i0teen year of my time, and then died of

mere old age" A for my cat, they multi(lied, a I ha#e ober#ed, to that degree

that I wa obliged to hoot e#eral of them at firt, to kee( them from de#ouring

me and all I had' but at length, when the two old one I brought with me weregone, and after ome time continually dri#ing them from me, and letting them

ha#e no (ro#iion with me, they all ran wild into the wood, e0ce(t two or

three fa#ourite, which I ke(t tame, and whoe young, when they had any, I

alway drowned' and thee were (art of my family" Beide thee I alway ke(t

two or three houehold kid about me, whom I taught to feed out of my hand'

and I had two more (arrot, which talked (retty well, and would all call 9$obin



+ruoe,9 but none like my firt' nor, indeed, did I take the (ain with any of

them that I had done with him" I had alo e#eral tame ea*fowl, whoe name I

knew not, that I caught u(on the hore, and cut their wing' and the little take

which I had (lanted before my catle*wall being now grown u( to a good thick

gro#e, thee fowl all li#ed among thee low tree, and bred there, which wa

#ery agreeable to me' o that, a I aid abo#e, I began to he #ery well contented

with the life I led, if I could ha#e been ecured from the dread of the a#age"

But it wa otherwie directed' and it may not be ami for all (eo(le who hall

meet with my tory to make thi ut ober#ation from it5 !ow freuently, in

the coure of our li#e, the e#il which in itelf we eek mot to hun, and

which, when we are fallen into, i the mot dreadful to u, i oftentime the

#ery mean or door of our deli#erance, by which alone we can be raied again

from the affliction we are fallen into" I could gi#e many e0am(le of thi in the

coure of my unaccountable life' but in nothing wa it more (articularly

remarkable than in the circumtance of my lat year of olitary reidence in

thi iland"

It wa now the month of .ecember, a I aid abo#e, in my twenty* third year'

and thi, being the outhern oltice ?for winter I cannot call it@, wa the

(articular time of my har#et, and reuired me to be (retty much abroad in the

field, when, going out early in the morning, e#en before it wa thorough

daylight, I wa ur(ried with eeing a light of ome fire u(on the hore, at a

ditance from me of about two mile, toward that (art of the iland where I had

ober#ed ome a#age had been, a before, and not on the other ide' but, to

my great affliction, it wa on my ide of the iland"

I wa indeed terribly ur(ried at the ight, and to((ed hort within my gro#e,

not daring to go out, let I might be ur(ried' and yet I had no more (eace

within, from the a((rehenion I had that if thee a#age, in rambling o#er the

iland, hould find my corn tanding or cut, or any of my work or

im(ro#ement, they would immediately conclude that there were (eo(le in the

(lace, and would then ne#er ret till they had found me out" In thi e0tremity I

went back directly to my catle, (ulled u( the ladder after me, and made all

thing without look a wild and natural a I could"

8hen I (re(ared myelf within, (utting myelf in a (oture of defence" I loaded

all my cannon, a I called them * that i to ay, my muket, which were

mounted u(on my new fortification * and all my (itol, and reol#ed to defend

myelf to the lat ga( * not forgetting eriouly to commend myelf to the

.i#ine (rotection, and earnetly to (ray to 4od to deli#er me out of the hand

of the barbarian" I continued in thi (oture about two hour, and began to be



im(atient for intelligence abroad, for I had no (ie to end out" After itting a

while longer, and muing what I hould do in thi cae, I wa not able to bear

itting in ignorance longer' o etting u( my ladder to the ide of the hill, where

there wa a flat (lace, a I ober#ed before, and then (ulling the ladder after

me, I et it u( again and mounted the to( of the hill, and (ulling out my

(er(ecti#e gla, which I had taken on (ur(oe, I laid me down flat on my

belly on the ground, and began to look for the (lace" I (reently found there

were no le than nine naked a#age itting round a mall fire they had made,

not to warm them, for they had no need of that, the weather being e0tremely

hot, but, a I u((oed, to dre ome of their barbarou diet of human fleh

which they had brought with them, whether ali#e or dead I could not tell"

8hey had two canoe with them, which they had hauled u( u(on the hore' and

a it wa then ebb of tide, they eemed to me to wait for the return of the flood

to go away again" It i not eay to imagine what confuion thi ight (ut me

into, e(ecially eeing them come on my ide of the iland, and o near to me'

but when I conidered their coming mut be alway with the current of the ebb,

I began afterward to be more edate in my mind, being atified that I might

go abroad with afety all the time of the flood of tide, if they were not on hore

before' and ha#ing made thi ober#ation, I went abroad about my har#et work

with the more com(oure"

A I e0(ected, o it (ro#ed' for a oon a the tide made to the wetward I aw

them all take boat and row ?or (addle a we call it@ away" I hould ha#e

ober#ed, that for an hour or more before they went off they were dancing, and

I could eaily dicern their (oture and geture by my gla" I could not

(ercei#e, by my nicet ober#ation, but that they were tark naked, and had not

the leat co#ering u(on them' but whether they were men or women I could not

ditinguih"

A oon a I aw them hi((ed and gone, I took two gun u(on my houlder,

and two (itol in my girdle, and my great word by my ide without a

cabbard, and with all the (eed I wa able to make went away to the hill where

I had dico#ered the firt a((earance of all' and a oon a I get thither, which

wa not in le than two hour ?for I could not go uickly, being o loaded witharm a I wa@, I (ercei#ed there had been three canoe more of the a#age at

that (lace' and looking out farther, I aw they were all at ea together, making

o#er for the main" 8hi wa a dreadful ight to me, e(ecially a, going down to

the hore, I could ee the mark of horror which the dimal work they had been

about had left behind it * #i&" the blood, the bone, and (art of the fleh of

human bodie eaten and de#oured by thoe wretche with merriment and (ort"



I wa o filled with indignation at the ight, that I now began to (remeditate the

detruction of the ne0t that I aw there, let them be whom or how many oe#er"

It eemed e#ident to me that the #iit which they made thu to thi iland were

not #ery freuent, for it wa abo#e fifteen month before any more of them

came on hore there again * that i to ay, I neither aw them nor any footte(

or ignal of them in all that time' for a to the rainy eaon, then they are ure

not to come abroad, at leat not o far" Yet all thi while I li#ed uncomfortably,

by reaon of the contant a((rehenion of their coming u(on me by ur(rie5

from whence I ober#e, that the e0(ectation of e#il i more bitter than the

uffering, e(ecially if there i no room to hake off that e0(ectation or thoe

a((rehenion"

.uring all thi time I wa in a murdering humour, and (ent mot of my hour,

which hould ha#e been better em(loyed, in contri#ing how to circum#ent and

fall u(on them the #ery ne0t time I hould ee them * e(ecially if they hould

be di#ided, a they were the lat time, into two (artie' nor did I conider at all

that if I killed one (arty * u((oe ten or a do&en * I wa till the ne0t day, or

week, or month, to kill another, and o another, e#en A. I;I;I8>/, till I

hould be, at length, no le a murderer than they were in being man*eater *

and (erha( much more o" I (ent my day now in great (er(le0ity and an0iety

of mind, e0(ecting that I hould one day or other fall, into the hand of thee

mercile creature' and if I did at any time #enture abroad, it wa not without

looking around me with the greatet care and caution imaginable" And now I

found, to my great comfort, how ha((y it wa that I had (ro#ided a tame flock

or herd of goat, for I durt not u(on any account fire my gun, e(ecially nearthat ide of the iland where they uually came, let I hould alarm the a#age'

and if they had fled from me now, I wa ure to ha#e them come again with

(erha( two or three hundred canoe with them in a few day, and then I knew

what to e0(ect" !owe#er, I wore out a year and three month more before I

e#er aw any more of the a#age, and then I found them again, a I hall oon

ober#e" It i true they might ha#e been there once or twice' but either they

made no tay, or at leat I did not ee them' but in the month of /ay, a near a

I could calculate, and in my four*and*twentieth year, I had a #ery trange

encounter with them' of which in it (lace"

8he (erturbation of my mind during thi fifteen or i0teen month inter#al wa

#ery great' I le(t unuietly, dreamed alway frightful dream, and often tarted

out of my lee( in the night" In the day great trouble o#erwhelmed my mind'

and in the night I dreamed often of killing the a#age and of the reaon why I

might utify doing it"



But to wai#e all thi for a while" It wa in the middle of /ay, on the i0teenth

day, I think, a well a my (oor wooden calendar would reckon, for I marked

all u(on the (ot till' I ay, it wa on the i0teenth of /ay that it blew a #ery

great torm of wind all day, with a great deal of lightning and thunder, and' a

#ery foul night it wa after it" I knew not what wa the (articular occaion of it,

but a I wa reading in the Bible, and taken u( with #ery eriou thought about

my (reent condition, I wa ur(ried with the noie of a gun, a I thought, fired

at ea" 8hi wa, to be ure, a ur(rie uite of a different nature from any I had

met with before' for the notion thi (ut into my thought were uite of another

kind" I tarted u( in the greatet hate imaginable' and, in a trice, cla((ed my

ladder to the middle (lace of the rock, and (ulled it after me' and mounting it

the econd time, got to the to( of the hill the #ery moment that a flah of fire

bid me liten for a econd gun, which, accordingly, in about half a minute I

heard' and by the ound, knew that it wa from that (art of the ea where I wa

dri#en down the current in my boat" I immediately conidered that thi mut be

ome hi( in ditre, and that they had ome comrade, or ome other hi( in

com(any, and fired thee for ignal of ditre, and to obtain hel(" I had the

(reence of mind at that minute to think, that though I could not hel( them, it

might be that they might hel( me' o I brought together all the dry wood I could

get at hand, and making a good handome (ile, I et it on fire u(on the hill" 8he

wood wa dry, and bla&ed freely' and, though the wind blew #ery hard, yet it

burned fairly out' o that I wa certain, if there wa any uch thing a a hi(,

they mut need ee it" And no doubt they did' for a oon a e#er my fire

bla&ed u(, I heard another gun, and after that e#eral other, all from the ame

uarter" I (lied my fire all night long, till daybreak5 and when it wa broad day,and the air cleared u(, I aw omething at a great ditance at ea, full eat of the

iland, whether a ail or a hull I could not ditinguih * no, not with my gla5

the ditance wa o great, and the weather till omething ha&y alo' at leat, it

wa o out at ea"

I looked freuently at it all that day, and oon (ercei#ed that it did not mo#e' o

I (reently concluded that it wa a hi( at anchor' and being eager, you may be

ure, to be atified, I took my gun in my hand, and ran toward the outh ide

of the iland to the rock where I had formerly been carried away by the

current' and getting u( there, the weather by thi time being (erfectly clear, Icould (lainly ee, to my great orrow, the wreck of a hi(, cat away in the

night u(on thoe concealed rock which I found when I wa out in my boat'

and which rock, a they checked the #iolence of the tream, and made a kind

of counter*tream, or eddy, were the occaion of my reco#ering from the mot

de(erate, ho(ele condition that e#er I had been in in all my life" 8hu, what

i one man afety i another man detruction' for it eem thee men,



whoe#er they were, being out of their knowledge, and the rock being wholly

under water, had been dri#en u(on them in the night, the wind blowing hard at

);)" !ad they een the iland, a I mut necearily u((oe they did not, they

mut, a I thought, ha#e endea#oured to ha#e a#ed themel#e on hore by the

hel( of their boat' but their firing off gun for hel(, e(ecially when they aw,

a I imagined, my fire, filled me with many thought" irt, I imagined that

u(on eeing my light they might ha#e (ut themel#e into their boat, and

endea#oured to make the hore5 but that the ea running #ery high, they might

ha#e been cat away" =ther time I imagined that they might ha#e lot their

boat before, a might be the cae many way' (articularly by the breaking of

the ea u(on their hi(, which many time obliged men to ta#e, or take in

(iece, their boat, and ometime to throw it o#erboard with their own hand"

=ther time I imagined they had ome other hi( or hi( in com(any, who,

u(on the ignal of ditre they made, had taken them u(, and carried them off"

=ther time I fancied they were all gone off to ea in their boat, and being

hurried away by the current that I had been formerly in, were carried out into

the great ocean, where there wa nothing but miery and (erihing5 and that,

(erha(, they might by thi time think of tar#ing, and of being in a condition

to eat one another"

A all thee were but conecture at bet, o, in the condition I wa in, I could

do no more than look on u(on the miery of the (oor men, and (ity them'

which had till thi good effect u(on my ide, that it ga#e me more and more

caue to gi#e thank to 4od, who had o ha((ily and comfortably (ro#ided for

me in my deolate condition' and that of two hi( com(anie, who were nowcat away u(on thi (art of the world, not one life hould be (ared but mine" I

learned here again to ober#e, that it i #ery rare that the (ro#idence of 4od

cat u into any condition o low, or any miery o great, but we may ee

omething or other to be thankful for, and may ee other in wore

circumtance than our own" Such certainly wa the cae of thee men, of

whom I could not o much a ee room to u((oe any were a#ed' nothing

could make it rational o much a to wih or e0(ect that they did not all (erih

there, e0ce(t the (oibility only of their being taken u( by another hi( in

com(any' and thi wa but mere (oibility indeed, for I aw not the leat ign

or a((earance of any uch thing" I cannot e0(lain, by any (oible energy ofword, what a trange longing I felt in my oul u(on thi ight, breaking out

ometime thu5 9=h that there had been but one or two, nay, or but one oul

a#ed out of thi hi(, to ha#e eca(ed to me, that I might but ha#e had one

com(anion, one fellow*creature, to ha#e (oken to me and to ha#e con#ered

with79 In all the time of my olitary life I ne#er felt o earnet, o trong a



deire after the ociety of my fellow* creature, or o dee( a regret at the want

of it"

8here are ome ecret (ring in the affection which, when they are et a*

going by ome obect in #iew, or, though not in #iew, yet rendered (reent to

the mind by the (ower of imagination, that motion carrie out the oul, by itim(etuoity, to uch #iolent, eager embracing of the obect, that the abence of

it i inu((ortable" Such were thee earnet wihing that but one man had been

a#ed" I belie#e I re(eated the word, 9=h that it had been but one79 a thouand

time' and my deire were o mo#ed by it, that when I (oke the word my

hand would clinch together, and my finger would (re the (alm of my

hand, o that if I had had any oft thing in my hand I hould ha#e cruhed it

in#oluntarily' and the teeth in my head would trike together, and et againt

one another o trong, that for ome time I could not (art them again" -et the

naturalit e0(lain thee thing, and the reaon and manner of them" All I can

do i to decribe the fact, which wa e#en ur(riing to me when I found it,

though I knew not from whence it (roceeded' it wa doubtle the effect of

ardent wihe, and of trong idea formed in my mind, realiing the comfort

which the con#eration of one of my fellow*+hritian would ha#e been to me"

But it wa not to be' either their fate or mine, or both, forbade it' for, till the lat

year of my being on thi iland, I ne#er knew whether any were a#ed out of

that hi( or no' and had only the affliction, ome day after, to ee the cor(e of

a drowned boy come on hore at the end of the iland which wa ne0t the

hi(wreck" !e had no clothe on but a eaman waitcoat, a (air of o(en*kneed

linen drawer, and a blue linen hirt' but nothing to direct me o much a togue what nation he wa of" !e had nothing in hi (ocket but two (iece of

eight and a tobacco (i(e * the lat wa to me of ten time more #alue than the

firt"

It wa now calm, and I had a great mind to #enture out in my boat to thi

wreck, not doubting but I might find omething on board that might be ueful

to me" But that did not altogether (re me o much a the (oibility that there

might be yet ome li#ing creature on board, whoe life I might not only a#e,

but might, by a#ing that life, comfort my own to the lat degree' and thi

thought clung o to my heart that I could not be uiet night or day, but I mut#enture out in my boat on board thi wreck' and committing the ret to 4od

(ro#idence, I thought the im(reion wa o trong u(on my mind that it could

not be reited * that it mut come from ome in#iible direction, and that I

hould be wanting to myelf if I did not go"



>nder the (ower of thi im(reion, I hatened back to my catle, (re(ared

e#erything for my #oyage, took a uantity of bread, a great (ot of freh water, a

com(a to teer by, a bottle of rum ?for I had till a great deal of that left@, and

a baket of raiin' and thu, loading myelf with e#erything neceary" 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" /y econd cargo wa a great bag of

rice, the umbrella to et u( o#er my head for a hade, another large (ot of

water, and about two do&en of mall loa#e, or barley cake, more than before,

with a bottle of goat milk and a cheee' all which with great labour and weat

I carried to my boat' and (raying to 4od to direct my #oyage, I (ut out, and

rowing or (addling the canoe along the hore, came at lat to the utmot (oint

of the iland on the north*eat ide" And now I wa to launch out into the ocean,

and either to #enture or not to #enture" I looked on the ra(id current which ran

contantly on both ide of the iland at a ditance, and which were #ery

terrible to me from the remembrance of the ha&ard I had been in before, and my

heart began to fail me' for I foreaw that if I wa dri#en into either of thoe

current, I hould be carried a great way out to ea, and (erha( out of my reach

or ight of the iland again' and that then, a my boat wa but mall, if any little

gale of wind hould rie, I hould be ine#itably lot"

8hee thought o o((reed my mind that I began to gi#e o#er my enter(rie'

and ha#ing hauled my boat into a little creek on the hore, I te((ed out, and at

down u(on a riing bit of ground, #ery (eni#e and an0iou, between fear and

deire, about my #oyage' when, a I wa muing, I could (ercei#e that the tide

wa turned, and the flood come on' u(on which my going wa im(racticable foro many hour" >(on thi, (reently it occurred to me that I hould go u( to the

highet (iece of ground I could find, and ober#e, if I could, how the et of the

tide or current lay when the flood came in, that I might udge whether, if I wa

dri#en one way out, I might not e0(ect to be dri#en another way home, with the

ame ra(idity of the current" 8hi thought wa no ooner in my head than I

cat my eye u(on a little hill which ufficiently o#erlooked the ea both way,

and from whence I had a clear #iew of the current or et of the tide, and

which way I wa to guide myelf in my return" !ere I found, that a the current

of ebb et out cloe by the outh (oint of the iland, o the current of the flood

et in cloe by the hore of the north ide' and that I had nothing to do but tokee( to the north ide of the iland in my return, and I hould do well enough"

)ncouraged by thi ober#ation, I reol#ed the ne0t morning to et out with the

firt of the tide' and re(oing myelf for the night in my canoe, under the

watch*coat I mentioned, I launched out" I firt made a little out to ea, full

north, till I began to feel the benefit of the current, which et eatward, and



which carried me at a great rate' and yet did not o hurry me a the current on

the outh ide had done before, o a to take from me all go#ernment of the

boat' but ha#ing a trong teerage with my (addle, I went at a great rate directly

for the wreck, and in le than two hour I came u( to it" It wa a dimal ight

to look at' the hi(, which by it building wa S(anih, tuck fat, ammed in

between two rock" All the tern and uarter of her were beaten to (iece by the

ea' and a her forecatle, which tuck in the rock, had run on with great

#iolence, her mainmat and foremat were brought by the board * that i to ay,

broken hort off' but her bow(rit wa ound, and the head and bow a((eared

firm" When I came cloe to her, a dog a((eared u(on her, who, eeing me

coming, yel(ed and cried' and a oon a I called him, um(ed into the ea to

come to me" I took him into the boat, but found him almot dead with hunger

and thirt" I ga#e him a cake of my bread, and he de#oured it like a ra#enou

wolf that had been tar#ing a fortnight in the now' I then ga#e the (oor

creature ome freh water, with which, if I would ha#e let him, he would ha#e

burt himelf" After thi I went on board' but the firt ight I met with wa two

men drowned in the cook*room, or forecatle of the hi(, with their arm fat

about one another" I concluded, a i indeed (robable, that when the hi(

truck, it being in a torm, the ea broke o high and o continually o#er her,

that the men were not able to bear it, and were trangled with the contant

ruhing in of the water, a much a if they had been under water" Beide the

dog, there wa nothing left in the hi( that had life' nor any good, that I could

ee, but what were (oiled by the water" 8here were ome cak of liuor,

whether wine or brandy I knew not, which lay lower in the hold, and which, the

water being ebbed out, I could ee' but they were too big to meddle with" I awe#eral chet, which I belie#e belonged to ome of the eamen' and I got two

of them into the boat, without e0amining what wa in them" !ad the tern of

the hi( been fi0ed, and the fore(art broken off, I am (eruaded I might ha#e

made a good #oyage' for by what I found in thoe two chet I had room to

u((oe the hi( had a great deal of wealth on board' and, if I may gue from

the coure he teered, he mut ha#e been bound from Bueno Ayre, or the

$io de la <lata, in the outh (art of America, beyond the Bra&il to the

!a#annah, in the 4ulf of /e0ico, and o (erha( to S(ain" She had, no doubt, a

great treaure in her, but of no ue, at that time, to anybody' and what became

of the crew I then knew not"

I found, beide thee chet, a little cak full of liuor, of about twenty gallon,

which I got into my boat with much difficulty" 8here were e#eral muket in

the cabin, and a great (owder*horn, with about four (ound of (owder in it' a

for the muket, I had no occaion for them, o I left them, but took the

(owder*horn" I took a fire*ho#el and tong, which I wanted e0tremely, a alo



two little bra kettle, a co((er (ot to make chocolate, and a gridiron' and with

thi cargo, and the dog, I came away, the tide beginning to make home again *

and the ame e#ening, about an hour within night, I reached the iland again,

weary and fatigued to the lat degree" I re(oed that night in the boat and in the

morning I reol#ed to harbour what I had got in my new ca#e, and not carry it

home to my catle" After refrehing myelf, I got all my cargo on hore, and

began to e0amine the (articular" 8he cak of liuor I found to be a kind of

rum, but not uch a we had at the Bra&il' and, in a word, not at all good' but

when I came to o(en the chet, I found e#eral thing of great ue to me * for

e0am(le, I found in one a fine cae of bottle, of an e0traordinary kind, and

filled with cordial water, fine and #ery good' the bottle held about three (int

each, and were ti((ed with il#er" I found two (ot of #ery good uccade, or

weetmeat, o fatened alo on the to( that the alt*water had not hurt them'

and two more of the ame, which the water had (oiled" I found ome #ery

good hirt, which were #ery welcome to me' and about a do&en and a half of

white linen handkerchief and coloured neckcloth' the former were alo #ery

welcome, being e0ceedingly refrehing to wi(e my face in a hot day" Beide

thi, when I came to the till in the chet, I found there three great bag of (iece

of eight, which held about ele#en hundred (iece in all' and in one of them,

wra((ed u( in a (a(er, i0 doubloon of gold, and ome mall bar or wedge

of gold' I u((oe they might all weigh near a (ound" In the other chet were

ome clothe, but of little #alue' but, by the circumtance, it mut ha#e

belonged to the gunner mate' though there wa no (owder in it, e0ce(t two

(ound of fine gla&ed (owder, in three flak, ke(t, I u((oe, for charging

their fowling*(iece on occaion" >(on the whole, I got #ery little by thi#oyage that wa of any ue to me' for, a to the money, I had no manner of

occaion for it' it wa to me a the dirt under my feet, and I would ha#e gi#en it

all for three or four (air of )nglih hoe and tocking, which were thing I

greatly wanted, but had had none on my feet for many year" I had, indeed, got

two (air of hoe now, which I took off the feet of two drowned men whom I

aw in the wreck, and I found two (air more in one of the chet, which were

#ery welcome to me' but they were not like our )nglih hoe, either for eae or

er#ice, being rather what we call (um( than hoe" I found in thi eaman

chet about fifty (iece of eight, in rial, but no gold5 I u((oed thi belonged

to a (oorer man than the other, which eemed to belong to ome officer" Well,howe#er, I lugged thi money home to my ca#e, and laid it u(, a I had done

that before which I had brought from our own hi(' but it wa a great (ity, a I

aid, that the other (art of thi hi( had not come to my hare5 for I am atified

I might ha#e loaded my canoe e#eral time o#er with money' and, thought I, if

I e#er eca(e to )ngland, it might lie here afe enough till I come again and

fetch it"



CHAPTER %IV - A DREA& REALISED

!AEI;4 now brought all my thing on hore and ecured them, I went back to

my boat, and rowed or (addled her along the hore to her old harbour, where I

laid her u(, and made the bet of my way to my old habitation, where I found

e#erything afe and uiet" I began now to re(oe myelf, li#e after my old

fahion, and take care of my family affair' and for a while I li#ed eay enough,

only that I wa more #igilant than I ued to be, looked out oftener, and did not

go abroad o much' and if at any time I did tir with any freedom, it wa alway

to the eat (art of the iland, where I wa (retty well atified the a#age ne#er

came, and where I could go without o many (recaution, and uch a load of

arm and ammunition a I alway carried with me if I went the other way" I

li#ed in thi condition near two year more' but my unlucky head, that wa

alway to let me know it wa born to make my body mierable, wa all thee

two year filled with (roect and deign how, if it were (oible, I might get

away from thi iland5 for ometime I wa for making another #oyage to the

wreck, though my reaon told me that there wa nothing left there worth the

ha&ard of my #oyage' ometime for a ramble one way, ometime another *

and I belie#e #erily, if I had had the boat that I went from Sallee in, I hould

ha#e #entured to ea, bound anywhere, I knew not whither" I ha#e been, in all

my circumtance, a memento to thoe who are touched with the general (lague

of mankind, whence, for aught I know, one half of their mierie flow5 I mean

that of not being atified with the tation wherein 4od and ;ature hath (lacedthem * for, not to look back u(on my (rimiti#e condition, and the e0cellent

ad#ice of my father, the o((oition to which wa, a I may call it, my

=$I4I;A- SI;, my ubeuent mitake of the ame kind had been the mean

of my coming into thi mierable condition' for had that <ro#idence which o

ha((ily eated me at the Bra&il a a (lanter bleed me with confined deire,

and I could ha#e been contented to ha#e gone on gradually, I might ha#e been

by thi time * I mean in the time of my being in thi iland * one of the mot

coniderable (lanter in the Bra&il * nay, I am (eruaded, that by the

im(ro#ement I had made in that little time I li#ed there, and the increae I

hould (robably ha#e made if I had remained, I might ha#e been worth ahundred thouand moidore * and what buine had I to lea#e a ettled fortune,

a well*tocked (lantation, im(ro#ing and increaing, to turn u(ercargo to

4uinea to fetch negroe, when (atience and time would ha#e o increaed our

tock at home, that we could ha#e bought them at our own door from thoe

whoe buine it wa to fetch them and though it had cot u omething more,

yet the difference of that (rice wa by no mean worth a#ing at o great a



ha&ard" But a thi i uually the fate of young head, o reflection u(on the

folly of it i a commonly the e0ercie of more year, or of the dear*bought

e0(erience of time * o it wa with me now' and yet o dee( had the mitake

taken root in my tem(er, that I could not atify myelf in my tation, but wa

continually (oring u(on the mean and (oibility of my eca(e from thi

(lace' and that I may, with greater (leaure to the reader, bring on the

remaining (art of my tory, it may not be im(ro(er to gi#e ome account of my

firt conce(tion on the ubect of thi foolih cheme for my eca(e, and how,

and u(on what foundation, I acted"

I am now to be u((oed retired into my catle, after my late #oyage to the

wreck, my frigate laid u( and ecured under water, a uual, and my condition

retored to what it wa before5 I had more wealth, indeed, than I had before, but

wa not at all the richer' for I had no more ue for it than the Indian of <eru

had before the S(aniard came there"

It wa one of the night in the rainy eaon in /arch, the four* and*twentieth

year of my firt etting foot in thi iland of olitude, I wa lying in my bed or

hammock, awake, #ery well in health, had no (ain, no ditem(er, no uneaine

of body, nor any uneaine of mind more than ordinary, but could by no mean

cloe my eye, that i, o a to lee(' no, not a wink all night long, otherwie

than a follow5 It i im(oible to et down the innumerable crowd of thought

that whirled through that great thoroughfare of the brain, the memory, in thi

night time" I ran o#er the whole hitory of my life in miniature, or by

abridgment, a I may call it, to my coming to thi iland, and alo of that (art of

my life ince I came to thi iland" In my reflection u(on the tate of my cae

ince I came on hore on thi iland, I wa com(aring the ha((y (oture of my

affair in the firt year of my habitation here, with the life of an0iety, fear, and

care which I had li#ed in e#er ince I had een the (rint of a foot in the and"

;ot that I did not belie#e the a#age had freuented the iland e#en all the

while, and might ha#e been e#eral hundred of them at time on hore there'

but I had ne#er known it, and wa inca(able of any a((rehenion about it' my

atifaction wa (erfect, though my danger wa the ame, and I wa a ha((y in

not knowing my danger a if I had ne#er really been e0(oed to it" 8hi

furnihed my thought with many #ery (rofitable reflection, and (articularlythi one5 !ow infinitely good that <ro#idence i, which ha (ro#ided, in it

go#ernment of mankind, uch narrow bound to hi ight and knowledge of

thing' and though he walk in the midt of o many thouand danger, the

ight of which, if dico#ered to him, would ditract hi mind and ink hi

(irit, he i ke(t erene and calm, by ha#ing the e#ent of thing hid from hi

eye, and knowing nothing of the danger which urround him"



After thee thought had for ome time entertained me, I came to reflect

eriouly u(on the real danger I had been in for o many year in thi #ery

iland, and how I had walked about in the greatet ecurity, and with all

(oible tranuillity, e#en when (erha( nothing but the brow of a hill, a great

tree, or the caual a((roach of night, had been between me and the wort kind

of detruction * #i&" that of falling into the hand of cannibal and a#age, who

would ha#e ei&ed on me with the ame #iew a I would on a goat or turtle' and

ha#e thought it no more crime to kill and de#our me than I did of a (igeon or a

curlew" I would unutly lander myelf if I hould ay I wa not incerely

thankful to my great <reer#er, to whoe ingular (rotection I acknowledged,

with great humanity, all thee unknown deli#erance were due, and without

which I mut ine#itably ha#e fallen into their mercile hand"

When thee thought were o#er, my head wa for ome time taken u( in

conidering the nature of thee wretched creature, I mean the a#age, and

how it came to (a in the world that the wie 4o#ernor of all thing hould

gi#e u( any of !i creature to uch inhumanity * nay, to omething o much

below e#en brutality itelf

a to de#our it own kind5 but a thi ended in ome ?at that time@ fruitle (eculation,

it occurred to me to inuire what (art of the world thee wretche li#ed in how far offthe coat wa from whence they came what they #entured o#er o far from home for

what kind of boat they had and why I might not order myelf and my buine o that

I might be able to go o#er thither, a they were to come to me

I ne#er o much a troubled myelf to conider what I hould do with myelfwhen I went thither' what would become of me if I fell into the hand of thee

a#age' or how I hould eca(e them if they attacked me' no, nor o much a

how it wa (oible for me to reach the coat, and not to be attacked by ome or

other of them, without any (oibility of deli#ering myelf5 and if I hould not

fall into their hand, what I hould do for (ro#iion, or whither I hould bend

my coure5 none of thee thought, I ay, o much a came in my way' but my

mind wa wholly bent u(on the notion of my (aing o#er in my boat to the

mainland" I looked u(on my (reent condition a the mot mierable that could

(oibly be' that I wa not able to throw myelf into anything but death, that

could be called wore' and if I reached the hore of the main I might (erha(meet with relief, or I might coat along, a I did on the African hore, till I

came to ome inhabited country, and where I might find ome relief' and after

all, (erha( I might fall in with ome +hritian hi( that might take me in5 and

if the wort came to the wort, I could but die, which would (ut an end to all

thee mierie at once" <ray note, all thi wa the fruit of a diturbed mind, an

im(atient tem(er, made de(erate, a it were, by the long continuance of my



trouble, and the dia((ointment I had met in the wreck I had been on board

of, and where I had been o near obtaining what I o earnetly longed for *

omebody to (eak to, and to learn ome knowledge from them of the (lace

where I wa, and of the (robable mean of my deli#erance" I wa agitated

wholly by thee thought' all my calm of mind, in my reignation to

<ro#idence, and waiting the iue of the di(oition of !ea#en, eemed to be

u(ended' and I had a it were no (ower to turn my thought to anything but to

the (roect of a #oyage to the main, which came u(on me with uch force, and

uch an im(etuoity of deire, that it wa not to be reited"

When thi had agitated my thought for two hour or more, with uch #iolence

that it et my #ery blood into a ferment, and my (ule beat a if I had been in a

fe#er, merely with the e0traordinary fer#our of my mind about it, ;ature * a if

I had been fatigued and e0hauted with the #ery thought of it * threw me into a

ound lee(" =ne would ha#e thought I hould ha#e dreamed of it, but I did not,

nor of anything relating to it, but I dreamed that a I wa going out in the

morning a uual from my catle, I aw u(on the hore two canoe and ele#en

a#age coming to land, and that they brought with them another a#age whom

they were going to kill in order to eat him' when, on a udden, the a#age that

they were going to kill um(ed away, and ran for hi life' and I thought in my

lee( that he came running into my little thick gro#e before my fortification, to

hide himelf' and that I eeing him alone, and not (ercei#ing that the other

ought him that way, howed myelf to him, and miling u(on him, encouraged

him5 that he kneeled down to me, eeming to (ray me to ait him' u(on which

I howed him my ladder, made him go u(, and carried him into my ca#e, andhe became my er#ant' and that a oon a I had got thi man, I aid to myelf,

9;ow I may certainly #enture to the mainland, for thi fellow will er#e me a a

(ilot, and will tell me what to do, and whither to go for (ro#iion, and whither

not to go for fear of being de#oured' what (lace to #enture into, and what to

hun"9 I waked with thi thought' and wa under uch ine0(reible im(reion

of oy at the (ro(ect of my eca(e in my dream, that the dia((ointment

which I felt u(on coming to myelf, and finding that it wa no more than a

dream, were eually e0tra#agant the other way, and threw me into a #ery great

deection of (irit"

>(on thi, howe#er, I made thi concluion5 that my only way to go about to

attem(t an eca(e wa, to endea#our to get a a#age into my (oeion5 and, if

(oible, it hould be one of their (rioner, whom they had condemned to be

eaten, and hould bring hither to kill" But thee thought till were attended

with thi difficulty5 that it wa im(oible to effect thi without attacking a

whole cara#an of them, and killing them all' and thi wa not only a #ery



de(erate attem(t, and might micarry, but, on the other hand, I had greatly

cru(led the lawfulne of it to myelf' and my heart trembled at the thought

of hedding o much blood, though it wa for my deli#erance" I need not re(eat

the argument which occurred to me againt thi, they being the ame

mentioned before' but though I had other reaon to offer now * #i&" that thoe

men were enemie to my life, and would de#our me if they could' that it wa

elf*(reer#ation, in the highet degree, to deli#er myelf from thi death of a

life, and wa acting in my own defence a much a if they were actually

aaulting me, and the like' I ay though thee thing argued for it, yet the

thought of hedding human blood for my deli#erance were #ery terrible to me,

and uch a I could by no mean reconcile myelf to for a great while"

!owe#er, at lat, after many ecret di(ute with myelf, and after great

(er(le0itie about it ?for all thee argument, one way and another, truggled in

my head a long time@, the eager (re#ailing deire of deli#erance at length

matered all the ret' and I reol#ed, if (oible, to get one of thee a#age into

my hand, cot what it would" /y ne0t thing wa to contri#e how to do it, and

thi, indeed, wa #ery difficult to reol#e on' but a I could (itch u(on no

(robable mean for it, o I reol#ed to (ut myelf u(on the watch, to ee them

when they came on hore, and lea#e the ret to the e#ent' taking uch meaure

a the o((ortunity hould (reent, let what would be"

With thee reolution in my thought, I et myelf u(on the cout a often a

(oible, and indeed o often that I wa heartily tired of it' for it wa abo#e a

year and a half that I waited' and for great (art of that time went out to the wet

end, and to the outh* wet corner of the iland almot e#ery day, to look forcanoe, but none a((eared" 8hi wa #ery dicouraging, and began to trouble

me much, though I cannot ay that it did in thi cae ?a it had done ome time

before@ wear off the edge of my deire to the thing' but the longer it eemed to

be delayed, the more eager I wa for it5 in a word, I wa not at firt o careful to

hun the ight of thee a#age, and a#oid being een by them, a I wa now

eager to be u(on them" Beide, I fancied myelf able to manage one, nay, two

or three a#age, if I had them, o a to make them entirely la#e to me, to do

whate#er I hould direct them, and to (re#ent their being able at any time to do

me any hurt" It wa a great while that I (leaed myelf with thi affair' but

nothing till (reented itelf' all my fancie and cheme came to nothing, forno a#age came near me for a great while"

About a year and a half after I entertained thee notion ?and by long muing

had, a it were, reol#ed them all into nothing, for want of an occaion to (ut

them into e0ecution@, I wa ur(ried one morning by eeing no le than fi#e

canoe all on hore together on my ide the iland, and the (eo(le who



belonged to them all landed and out of my ight" 8he number of them broke all

my meaure' for eeing o many, and knowing that they alway came four or

i0, or ometime more in a boat, I could not tell what to think of it, or how to

take my meaure to attack twenty or thirty men ingle*handed' o lay till in

my catle, (er(le0ed and dicomforted" !owe#er, I (ut myelf into the ame

(oition for an attack that I had formerly (ro#ided, and wa ut ready for

action, if anything had (reented" !a#ing waited a good while, litening to hear

if they made any noie, at length, being #ery im(atient, I et my gun at the foot

of my ladder, and "clambered u( to the to( of the hill, by my two tage, a

uual' tanding o, howe#er, that my head did not a((ear abo#e the hill, o that

they could not (ercei#e me by any mean" !ere I ober#ed, by the hel( of my

(er(ecti#e gla, that they were no le than thirty in number' that they had a

fire kindled, and that they had meat dreed" !ow they had cooked it I knew

not, or what it wa' but they were all dancing, in I know not how many

barbarou geture and figure, their own way, round the fire"

While I wa thu looking on them, I (ercei#ed, by my (er(ecti#e, two

mierable wretche dragged from the boat, where, it eem, they were laid by,

and were now brought out for the laughter" I (ercei#ed one of them

immediately fall' being knocked down, I u((oe, with a club or wooden

word, for that wa their way' and two or three other were at work

immediately, cutting him o(en for their cookery, while the other #ictim wa left

tanding by himelf, till they hould be ready for him" In that #ery moment thi

(oor wretch, eeing himelf a little at liberty and unbound, ;ature in(ired him

with ho(e of life, and he tarted away from them, and ran with incrediblewiftne along the and, directly toward me' I mean toward that (art of the

coat where my habitation wa" I wa dreadfully frightened, I mut

acknowledge, when I (ercei#ed him run my way' and e(ecially when, a I

thought, I aw him (urued by the whole body5 and now I e0(ected that (art of

my dream wa coming to (a, and that he would certainly take helter in my

gro#e' but I could not de(end, by any mean, u(on my dream, that the other

a#age would not (urue him thither and find him there" !owe#er, I ke(t my

tation, and my (irit began to reco#er when I found that there wa not abo#e

three men that followed him' and till more wa I encouraged, when I found

that he outtri((ed them e0ceedingly in running, and gained ground on them'o that, if he could but hold out for half*an*hour, I aw eaily he would fairly

get away from them all"

8here wa between them and my catle the creek, which I mentioned often in

the firt (art of my tory, where I landed my cargoe out of the hi(' and thi I

aw (lainly he mut necearily wim o#er, or the (oor wretch would be taken



there' but when the a#age eca(ing came thither, he made nothing of it, though

the tide wa then u(' but (lunging in, wam through in about thirty troke, or

thereabout, landed, and ran with e0ceeding trength and wiftne" When the

three (eron came to the creek, I found that two of them could wim, but the

third could not, and that, tanding on the other ide, he looked at the other, but

went no farther, and oon after went oftly back again' which, a it ha((ened,

wa #ery well for him in the end" I ober#ed that the two who wam were yet

more than twice a trong wimming o#er the creek a the fellow wa that fled

from them" It came #ery warmly u(on my thought, and indeed irreitibly, that

now wa the time to get me a er#ant, and, (erha(, a com(anion or aitant'

and that I wa (lainly called by <ro#idence to a#e thi (oor creature life" I

immediately ran down the ladder with all (oible e0(edition, fetched my two

gun, for they were both at the foot of the ladder, a I ober#ed before, and

getting u( again with the ame hate to the to( of the hill, I croed toward the

ea' and ha#ing a #ery hort cut, and all down hill, (laced myelf in the way

between the (uruer and the (urued, hallowing aloud to him that fled, who,

looking back, wa at firt (erha( a much frightened at me a at them' but I

beckoned with my hand to him to come back' and, in the meantime, I lowly

ad#anced toward the two that followed' then ruhing at once u(on the

foremot, I knocked him down with the tock of my (iece" I wa loath to fire,

becaue I would not ha#e the ret hear' though, at that ditance, it would not

ha#e been eaily heard, and being out of ight of the moke, too, they would not

ha#e known what to make of it" !a#ing knocked thi fellow down, the other

who (urued him to((ed, a if he had been frightened, and I ad#anced toward

him5 but a I came nearer, I (ercei#ed (reently he had a bow and arrow, andwa fitting it to hoot at me5 o I wa then obliged to hoot at him firt, which I

did, and killed him at the firt hot" 8he (oor a#age who fled, but had to((ed,

though he aw both hi enemie fallen and killed, a he thought, yet wa o

frightened with the fire and noie of my (iece that he tood tock till, and

neither came forward nor went backward, though he eemed rather inclined till

to fly than to come on" I hallooed again to him, and made ign to come

forward, which he eaily undertood, and came a little way' then to((ed again,

and then a little farther, and to((ed again' and I could then (ercei#e that he

tood trembling, a if he had been taken (rioner, and had ut been to be killed,

a hi two enemie were" I beckoned to him again to come to me, and ga#e himall the ign of encouragement that I could think of' and he came nearer and

nearer, kneeling down e#ery ten or twel#e te(, in token of acknowledgment

for a#ing hi life" I miled at him, and looked (leaantly, and beckoned to him

to come till nearer' at length he came cloe to me' and then he kneeled down

again, kied the ground, and laid hi head u(on the ground, and taking me by

the foot, et my foot u(on hi head' thi, it eem, wa in token of wearing to



be my la#e for e#er" I took him u( and made much of him, and encouraged

him all I could" But there wa more work to do yet' for I (ercei#ed the a#age

whom I had knocked down wa not killed, but tunned with the blow, and

began to come to himelf5 o I (ointed to him, and howed him the a#age, that

he wa not dead' u(on thi he (oke ome word to me, and though I could not

undertand them, yet I thought they were (leaant to hear' for they were the

firt ound of a man #oice that I had heard, my own e0ce(ted, for abo#e

twenty*fi#e year" But there wa no time for uch reflection now' the a#age

who wa knocked down reco#ered himelf o far a to it u( u(on the ground,

and I (ercei#ed that my a#age began to be afraid' but when I aw that, I

(reented my other (iece at the man, a if I would hoot him5 u(on thi my

a#age, for o I call him now, made a motion to me to lend him my word,

which hung naked in a belt by my ide, which I did" !e no ooner had it, but he

run to hi enemy, and at one blow cut off hi head o cle#erly, no e0ecutioner

in 4ermany could ha#e done it ooner or better' which I thought #ery trange

for one who, I had reaon to belie#e, ne#er aw a word in hi life before,

e0ce(t their own wooden word5 howe#er, it eem, a I learned afterward,

they make their wooden word o har(, o hea#y, and the wood i o hard,

that they will e#en cut off head with them, ay, and arm, and that at one blow,

too" When he had done thi, he come laughing to me in ign of trium(h, and

brought me the word again, and with abundance of geture which I did not

undertand, laid it down, with the head of the a#age that he had killed, ut

before me" But that which atonihed him mot wa to know how I killed the

other Indian o far off' o, (ointing to him, he made ign to me to let him go to

him' and I bade him go, a well a I could" When he came to him, he tood likeone ama&ed, looking at him, turning him firt on one ide, then on the other'

looked at the wound the bullet had made, which it eem wa ut in hi breat,

where it had made a hole, and no great uantity of blood had followed' but he

had bled inwardly, for he wa uite dead" !e took u( hi bow and arrow, and

came back' o I turned to go away, and beckoned him to follow me, making

ign to him that more might come after them" >(on thi he made ign to me

that he hould bury them with and, that they might not be een by the ret, if

they followed' and o I made ign to him again to do o" !e fell to work' and

in an intant he had cra(ed a hole in the and with hi hand big enough to

bury the firt in, and then dragged him into it, and co#ered him' and did o bythe other alo' I belie#e he had him buried them both in a uarter of an hour"

8hen, calling away, I carried him, not to my catle, but uite away to my ca#e,

on the farther (art of the iland5 o I did not let my dream come to (a in that

(art, that he came into my gro#e for helter" !ere I ga#e him bread and a bunch

of raiin to eat, and a draught of water, which I found he wa indeed in great

ditre for, from hi running5 and ha#ing refrehed him, I made ign for him



to go and lie down to lee(, howing him a (lace where I had laid ome rice*

traw, and a blanket u(on it, which I ued to lee( u(on myelf ometime' o

the (oor creature lay down, and went to lee("

!e wa a comely, handome fellow, (erfectly well made, with traight, trong

limb, not too large' tall, and well*ha(ed' and, a I reckon, about twenty*i0year of age" !e had a #ery good countenance, not a fierce and urly a(ect, but

eemed to ha#e omething #ery manly in hi face' and yet he had all the

weetne and oftne of a )uro(ean in hi countenance, too, e(ecially when

he miled" !i hair wa long and black, not curled like wool' hi forehead #ery

high and large' and a great #i#acity and (arkling har(ne in hi eye" 8he

colour of hi kin wa not uite black, but #ery tawny' and yet not an ugly,

yellow, naueou tawny, a the Bra&ilian and Eirginian, and other nati#e of

America are, but of a bright kind of a dun oli#e*colour, that had in it omething

#ery agreeable, though not #ery eay to decribe" !i face wa round and

(lum(' hi noe mall, not flat, like the negroe' a #ery good mouth, thin li(,

and hi fine teeth well et, and a white a i#ory"

After he had lumbered, rather than le(t, about half*an*hour, he awoke again,

and came out of the ca#e to me5 for I had been milking my goat which I had in

the encloure ut by5 when he e(ied me he came running to me, laying

himelf down again u(on the ground, with all the (oible ign of an humble,

thankful di(oition, making a great many antic geture to how it" At lat he

lay hi head flat u(on the ground, cloe to my foot, and et my other foot

u(on hi head, a he had done before' and after thi made all the ign to me of

ubection, er#itude, and ubmiion imaginable, to let me know how he

would er#e me o long a he li#ed" I undertood him in many thing, and let

him know I wa #ery well (leaed with him" In a little time I began to (eak to

him' and teach him to (eak to me5 and firt, I let him know hi name hould be

riday, which wa the day I a#ed hi life5 I called him o for the memory of

the time" I likewie taught him to ay /ater' and then let him know that wa to

be my name5 I likewie taught him to ay Ye and ;o and to know the meaning

of them" I ga#e him ome milk in an earthen (ot, and let him ee me drink it

before him, and o( my bread in it' and ga#e him a cake of bread to do the like,

which he uickly com(lied with, and made ign that it wa #ery good for him"I ke(t there with him all that night' but a oon a it wa day I beckoned to him

to come with me, and let him know I would gi#e him ome clothe' at which he

eemed #ery glad, for he wa tark naked" A we went by the (lace where he

had buried the two men, he (ointed e0actly to the (lace, and howed me the

mark that he had made to find them again, making ign to me that we hould

dig them u( again and eat them" At thi I a((eared #ery angry, e0(reed my



abhorrence of it, made a if I would #omit at the thought of it, and beckoned

with my hand to him to come away, which he did immediately, with great

ubmiion" I then led him u( to the to( of the hill, to ee if hi enemie were

gone' and (ulling out my gla I looked, and aw (lainly the (lace where they

had been, but no a((earance of them or their canoe' o that it wa (lain they

were gone, and had left their two comrade behind them, without any earch

after them"

But I wa not content with thi dico#ery' but ha#ing now more courage, and

coneuently more curioity, I took my man riday with me, gi#ing him the

word in hi hand, with the bow and arrow at hi back, which I found he could

ue #ery de0terouly, making him carry one gun for me, and I two for myelf'

and away we marched to the (lace where thee creature had been' for I had a

mind now to get ome further intelligence of them" When I came to the (lace

my #ery blood ran chill in my #ein, and my heart unk within me, at the horror

of the (ectacle' indeed, it wa a dreadful ight, at leat it wa o to me, though

riday made nothing of it" 8he (lace wa co#ered with human bone, the

ground dyed with their blood, and great (iece of fleh left here and there, half*

eaten, mangled, and corched' and, in hort, all the token of the trium(hant

feat they had been making there, after a #ictory o#er their enemie" I aw three

kull, fi#e hand, and the bone of three or four leg and feet, and abundance

of other (art of the bodie' and riday, by hi ign, made me undertand that

they brought o#er four (rioner to feat u(on' that three of them were eaten

u(, and that he, (ointing to himelf, wa the fourth' that there had been a great

battle between them and their ne0t king, of whoe ubect, it eem, he had been one, and that they had taken a great number of (rioner' all which were

carried to e#eral (lace by thoe who had taken them in the fight, in order to

feat u(on them, a wa done here by thee wretche u(on thoe they brought

hither"

I caued riday to gather all the kull, bone, fleh, and whate#er remained,

and lay them together in a hea(, and make a great fire u(on it, and burn them

all to ahe" I found riday had till a hankering tomach after ome of the

fleh, and wa till a cannibal in hi nature' but I howed o much abhorrence at

the #ery thought of it, and at the leat a((earance of it, that he durt notdico#er it5 for I had, by ome mean, let him know that I would kill him if he

offered it"

When he had done thi, we came back to our catle' and there I fell to work for

my man riday' and firt of all, I ga#e him a (air of linen drawer, which I had

out of the (oor gunner chet I mentioned, which I found in the wreck, and



which, with a little alteration, fitted him #ery well' and then I made him a erkin

of goat kin, a well a my kill would allow ?for I wa now grown a tolerably

good tailor@' and I ga#e him a ca( which I made of hare kin, #ery con#enient,

and fahionable enough' and thu he wa clothed, for the (reent, tolerably

well, and wa mighty well (leaed to ee himelf almot a well clothed a hi

mater" It i true he went awkwardly in thee clothe at firt5 wearing the

drawer wa #ery awkward to him, and the lee#e of the waitcoat galled hi

houlder and the inide of hi arm' but a little eaing them where he

com(lained they hurt him, and uing himelf to them, he took to them at length

#ery well"

8he ne0t day, after I came home to my hutch with him, I began to conider

where I hould lodge him5 and that I might do well for him and yet be (erfectly

eay myelf, I made a little tent for him in the #acant (lace between my two

fortification, in the inide of the lat, and in the outide of the firt" A there

wa a door or entrance there into my ca#e, I made a formal framed door*cae,

and a door to it, of board, and et it u( in the (aage, a little within the

entrance' and, cauing the door to o(en in the inide, I barred it u( in the night,

taking in my ladder, too' o that riday could no way come at me in the inide

of my innermot wall, without making o much noie in getting o#er that it

mut need awaken me' for my firt wall had now a com(lete roof o#er it of

long (ole, co#ering all my tent, and leaning u( to the ide of the hill' which

wa again laid acro with maller tick, intead of lath, and then thatched

o#er a great thickne with the rice* traw, which wa trong, like reed' and at

the hole or (lace which wa left to go in or out by the ladder I had (laced a kindof tra(* door, which, if it had been attem(ted on the outide, would not ha#e

o(ened at all, but would ha#e fallen down and made a great noie * a to

wea(on, I took them all into my ide e#ery night" But I needed none of all thi

(recaution' for ne#er man had a more faithful, lo#ing, incere er#ant than

riday wa to me5 without (aion, ullenne, or deign, (erfectly obliged

and engaged' hi #ery affection were tied to me, like thoe of a child to a

father' and I dareay he would ha#e acrificed hi life to a#e mine u(on any

occaion whatoe#er * the many tetimonie he ga#e me of thi (ut it out of

doubt, and oon con#inced me that I needed to ue no (recaution for my afety

on hi account"

8hi freuently ga#e me occaion to ober#e, and that with wonder, that

howe#er it had (leaed 4od in !i (ro#idence, and in the go#ernment of the

work of !i hand, to take from o great a (art of the world of !i creature

the bet ue to which their facultie and the (ower of their oul are ada(ted,

yet that !e ha betowed u(on them the ame (ower, the ame reaon, the



ame affection, the ame entiment of kindne and obligation, the ame

(aion and reentment of wrong, the ame ene of gratitude, incerity,

fidelity, and all the ca(acitie of doing good and recei#ing good that !e ha

gi#en to u' and that when !e (leae to offer them occaion of e0erting thee,

they are a ready, nay, more ready, to a((ly them to the right ue for which

they were betowed than we are" 8hi made me #ery melancholy ometime, in

reflecting, a the e#eral occaion (reented, how mean a ue we make of all

thee, e#en though we ha#e thee (ower enlightened by the great lam( of

intruction, the S(irit of 4od, and by the knowledge of !i word added to our

undertanding' and why it ha (leaed 4od to hide the like a#ing knowledge

from o many million of oul, who, if I might udge by thi (oor a#age,

would make a much better ue of it than we did" rom hence I ometime wa

led too far, to in#ade the o#ereignty of <ro#idence, and, a it were, arraign the

utice of o arbitrary a di(oition of thing, that hould hide that ight from

ome, and re#eal it * to other, and yet e0(ect a like duty from both' but I hut it

u(, and checked my thought with thi concluion5 firt, that we did not know

by what light and law thee hould be condemned' but that a 4od wa

necearily, and by the nature of !i being, infinitely holy and ut, o it could

not be, but if thee creature were all entenced to abence from !imelf, it wa

on account of inning againt that light which, a the Scri(ture ay, wa a law

to themel#e, and by uch rule a their concience would acknowledge to be

ut, though the foundation wa not dico#ered to u' and econdly, that till a

we all are the clay in the hand of the (otter, no #eel could ay to him, 9Why

hat thou formed me thu9

But to return to my new com(anion" I wa greatly delighted with him, and

made it my buine to teach him e#erything that wa (ro(er to make him

ueful, handy, and hel(ful' but e(ecially to make him (eak, and undertand

me when I (oke' and he wa the a(tet cholar that e#er wa' and (articularly

wa o merry, o contantly diligent, and o (leaed when he could but

undertand me, or make me undertand him, that it wa #ery (leaant for me to

talk to him" ;ow my life began to be o eay that I began to ay to myelf that

could I but ha#e been afe from more a#age, I cared not if I wa ne#er to

remo#e from the (lace where I li#ed"

CHAPTER %V - FRIDAY'S ED"CATIN

A8)$ I had been two or three day returned to my catle, I thought that, in

order to bring riday off from hi horrid way of feeding, and from the relih of



a cannibal tomach, I ought to let him tate other fleh' o I took him out with

me one morning to the wood" I went, indeed, intending to kill a kid out of my

own flock' and bring it home and dre it' but a I wa going I aw a he*goat

lying down in the hade, and two young kid itting by her" I catched hold of

riday" 9!old,9 aid I, 9tand till'9 and made ign to him not to tir5

immediately I (reented my (iece, hot, and killed one of the kid" 8he (oor

creature, who had at a ditance, indeed, een me kill the a#age, hi enemy, but

did not know, nor could imagine how it wa done, wa enibly ur(ried,

trembled, and hook, and looked o ama&ed that I thought he would ha#e unk

down" !e did not ee the kid I hot at, or (ercei#e I had killed it, but ri((ed u(

hi waitcoat to feel whether he wa not wounded' and, a I found (reently,

thought I wa reol#ed to kill him5 for he came and kneeled down to me, and

embracing my knee, aid a great many thing I did not undertand' but I could

eaily ee the meaning wa to (ray me not to kill him"

I oon found a way to con#ince him that I would do him no harm' and taking

him u( by the hand, laughed at him, and (ointing to the kid which I had killed,

beckoned to him to run and fetch it, which he did5 and while he wa wondering,

and looking to ee how the creature wa killed, I loaded my gun again" By*and*

by I aw a great fowl, like a hawk, itting u(on a tree within hot' o, to let

riday undertand a little what I would do, I called him to me again, (ointed at

the fowl, which wa indeed a (arrot, though I thought it had been a hawk' I ay,

(ointing to the (arrot, and to my gun, and to the ground under the (arrot, to let

him ee I would make it fall, I made him undertand that I would hoot and kill

that bird' accordingly, I fired, and bade him look, and immediately he aw the (arrot fall" !e tood like one frightened again, notwithtanding all I had aid to

him' and I found he wa the more ama&ed, becaue he did not ee me (ut

anything into the gun, but thought that there mut be ome wonderful fund of

death and detruction in that thing, able to kill man, beat, bird, or anything

near or far off' and the atonihment thi created in him wa uch a could not

wear off for a long time' and I belie#e, if I would ha#e let him, he would ha#e

worhi((ed me and my gun" A for the gun itelf, he would not o much a

touch it for e#eral day after' but he would (eak to it and talk to it, a if it had

anwered him, when he wa by himelf' which, a I afterward learned of him,

wa to deire it not to kill him" Well, after hi atonihment wa a little o#er atthi, I (ointed to him to run and fetch the bird I had hot, which he did, but

tayed ome time' for the (arrot, not being uite dead, had fluttered away a

good ditance from the (lace where he fell5 howe#er, he found her, took her

u(, and brought her to me' and a I had (ercei#ed hi ignorance about the gun

before, I took thi ad#antage to charge the gun again, and not to let him ee me

do it, that I might be ready for any other mark that might (reent' but nothing



more offered at that time5 o I brought home the kid, and the ame e#ening I

took the kin off, and cut it out a well a I could' and ha#ing a (ot fit for that

(ur(oe, I boiled or tewed ome of the fleh, and made ome #ery good broth"

After I had begun to eat ome I ga#e ome to my man, who eemed #ery glad

of it, and liked it #ery well' but that which wa tranget to him wa to ee me

eat alt with it" !e made a ign to me that the alt wa not good to eat' and

(utting a little into hi own mouth, he eemed to naueate it, and would (it and

(utter at it, wahing hi mouth with freh water after it5 on the other hand, I

took ome meat into my mouth without alt, and I (retended to (it and (utter

for want of alt, a much a he had done at the alt' but it would not do' he

would ne#er care for alt with meat or in hi broth' at leat, not for a great

while, and then but a #ery little"

!a#ing thu fed him with boiled meat and broth, I wa reol#ed to feat him the

ne0t day by roating a (iece of the kid5 thi I did by hanging it before the fire

on a tring, a I had een many (eo(le do in )ngland, etting two (ole u(, one

on each ide of the fire, and one acro the to(, and tying the tring to the cro

tick, letting the meat turn continually" 8hi riday admired #ery much' but

when he came to tate the fleh, he took o many way to tell me how well he

liked it, that I could not but undertand him5 and at lat he told me, a well a he

could, he would ne#er eat man fleh any more, which I wa #ery glad to hear"

8he ne0t day I et him to work beating ome corn out, and ifting it in the

manner I ued to do, a I ober#ed before' and he oon undertood how to do it

a well a I, e(ecially after he had een what the meaning of it wa, and that it

wa to make bread of' for after that I let him ee me make my bread, and bake

it too' and in a little time riday wa able to do all the work for me a well a I

could do it myelf"

I began now to conider, that ha#ing two mouth to feed intead of one, I mut

(ro#ide more ground for my har#et, and (lant a larger uantity of corn than I

ued to do' o I marked out a larger (iece of land, and began the fence in the

ame manner a before, in which riday worked not only #ery willingly and

#ery hard, but did it #ery cheerfully5 and I told him what it wa for' that it wa

for corn to make more bread, becaue he wa now with me, and that I mightha#e enough for him and myelf too" !e a((eared #ery enible of that (art,

and let me know that he thought I had much more labour u(on me on hi

account than I had for myelf' and that he would work the harder for me if I

would tell him what to do"

8hi wa the (leaantet year of all the life I led in thi (lace" riday began to

talk (retty well, and undertand the name of almot e#erything I had occaion



to call for, and of e#ery (lace I had to end him to, and talked a great deal to

me' o that, in hort, I began now to ha#e ome ue for my tongue again, which,

indeed, I had #ery little occaion for before" Beide the (leaure of talking to

him, I had a ingular atifaction in the fellow himelf5 hi im(le, unfeigned

honety a((eared to me more and more e#ery day, and I began really to lo#e

the creature' and on hi ide I belie#e he lo#ed me more than it wa (oible for

him e#er to lo#e anything before"

I had a mind once to try if he had any inclination for hi own country again'

and ha#ing taught him )nglih o well that he could anwer me almot any

uetion, I aked him whether the nation that he belonged to ne#er conuered

in battle At which he miled, and aid * 9Ye, ye, we alway fight the better'9

that i, he meant alway get the better in fight' and o we began the following

dicoure5*

/AS8)$" * You alway fight the better' how came you to be taken (rioner,then, riday

$I.AY" * /y nation beat much for all that"

/AS8)$" * !ow beat If your nation beat them, how came you to be taken

$I.AY" * 8hey more many than my nation, in the (lace where me wa' they

take one, two, three, and me5 my nation o#er*beat them in the yonder (lace,

where me no wa' there my nation take one, two, great thouand"

/AS8)$" * But why did not your ide reco#er you from the hand of your

enemie, then

$I.AY" * 8hey run, one, two, three, and me, and make go in the canoe' my

nation ha#e no canoe that time"

/AS8)$" * Well, riday, and what doe your nation do with the men they

take .o they carry them away and eat them, a thee did

$I.AY" * Ye, my nation eat man too' eat all u("

/AS8)$" * Where do they carry them

$I.AY" * 4o to other (lace, where they think"

/AS8)$" * .o they come hither



$I.AY" * Ye, ye, they come hither' come other ele (lace"

/AS8)$" * !a#e you been here with them

$I.AY" * Ye, I ha#e been here ?(oint to the ;W" ide of the iland, which,

it eem, wa their ide@"

By thi I undertood that my man riday had formerly been among the a#age

who ued to come on hore on the farther (art of the iland, on the ame man*

eating occaion he wa now brought for' and ome time after, when I took the

courage to carry him to that ide, being the ame I formerly mentioned, he

(reently knew the (lace, and told me he wa there once, when they ate u(

twenty men, two women, and one child' he could not tell twenty in )nglih, but

he numbered them by laying o many tone in a row, and (ointing to me to tell

them o#er"

I ha#e told thi (aage, becaue it introduce what follow5 that after thi

dicoure I had with him, I aked him how far it wa from our iland to the

hore, and whether the canoe were not often lot" !e told me there wa no

danger, no canoe e#er lot5 but that after a little way out to ea, there wa a

current and wind, alway one way in the morning, the other in the afternoon"

8hi I undertood to be no more than the et of the tide, a going out or

coming in' but I afterward undertood it wa occaioned by the great draft and

reflu0 of the mighty ri#er =rinoco, in the mouth or gulf of which ri#er, a I

found afterward, our iland lay' and that thi land, which I (ercei#ed to be W"

and ;W", wa the great iland 8rinidad, on the north (oint of the mouth of theri#er" I aked riday a thouand uetion about the country, the inhabitant,

the ea, the coat, and what nation were near' he told me all he knew with the

greatet o(enne imaginable" I aked him the name of the e#eral nation of

hi ort of (eo(le, but could get no other name than +arib' from whence I

eaily undertood that thee were the +aribbee, which our ma( (lace on the

(art of America which reache from the mouth of the ri#er =rinoco to 4uiana,

and onward to St" /artha" !e told me that u( a great way beyond the moon,

that wa beyond the etting of the moon, which mut be wet from their

country, there dwelt white bearded men, like me, and (ointed to my great

whiker, which I mentioned before' and that they had killed much man, that

wa hi word5 by all which I undertood he meant the S(aniard, whoe

crueltie in America had been (read o#er the whole country, and were

remembered by all the nation from father to on"

I inuired if he could tell me how I might go from thi iland, and get among

thoe white men" !e told me, 9Ye, ye, you may go in two canoe"9 I could not



undertand what he meant, or make him decribe to me what he meant by two

canoe, till at lat, with great difficulty, I found he meant it mut be in a large

boat, a big a two canoe" 8hi (art of riday dicoure I began to relih #ery

well' and from thi time I entertained ome ho(e that, one time or other, I

might find an o((ortunity to make my eca(e from thi (lace, and that thi (oor

a#age might be a mean to hel( me"

.uring the long time that riday had now been with me, and that he began to

(eak to me, and undertand me, I wa not wanting to lay a foundation of

religiou knowledge in hi mind' (articularly I aked him one time, who made

him" 8he creature did not undertand me at all, but thought I had aked who

wa hi father * but I took it u( by another handle, and aked him who made the

ea, the ground we walked on, and the hill and wood" !e told me, 9It wa one

Benamuckee, that li#ed beyond all'9 he could decribe nothing of thi great

(eron, but that he wa #ery old, 9much older,9 he aid, 9than the ea or land,

than the moon or the tar"9 I aked him then, if thi old (eron had made all

thing, why did not all thing worhi( him !e looked #ery gra#e, and, with a

(erfect look of innocence, aid, 9All thing ay = to him"9 I aked him if the

(eo(le who die in hi country went away anywhere !e aid, 9Ye' they all

went to Benamuckee"9 8hen I aked him whether thoe they eat u( went thither

too" !e aid, 9Ye"9

rom thee thing, I began to intruct him in the knowledge of the true 4od' I

told him that the great /aker of all thing li#ed u( there, (ointing u( toward

hea#en' that !e go#erned the world by the ame (ower and (ro#idence by

which !e made it' that !e wa omni(otent, and could do e#erything for u,

gi#e e#erything to u, take e#erything from u' and thu, by degree, I o(ened

hi eye" !e litened with great attention, and recei#ed with (leaure the notion

of eu +hrit being ent to redeem u' and of the manner of making our

(rayer to 4od, and !i being able to hear u, e#en in hea#en" !e told me one

day, that if our 4od could hear u, u( beyond the un, he mut need be a

greater 4od than their Benamuckee, who li#ed but a little way off, and yet

could not hear till they went u( to the great mountain where he dwelt to (eak

to them" I aked him if e#er he went thither to (eak to him" !e aid, 9;o' they

ne#er went that were young men' none went thither but the old men,9 whom hecalled their =owokakee' that i, a I made him e0(lain to me, their religiou, or

clergy' and that they went to ay = ?o he called aying (rayer@, and then came

back and told them what Benamuckee aid" By thi I ober#ed, that there i

(rietcraft e#en among the mot blinded, ignorant (agan in the world' and the

(olicy of making a ecret of religion, in order to (reer#e the #eneration of the



(eo(le to the clergy, not only to be found in the $oman, but, (erha(, among

all religion in the world, e#en among the mot brutih and barbarou a#age"

I endea#oured to clear u( thi fraud to my man riday' and told him that the

(retence of their old men going u( to the mountain to ay = to their god

Benamuckee wa a cheat' and their bringing word from thence what he aidwa much more o' that if they met with any anwer, or (ake with any one

there, it mut be with an e#il (irit' and then I entered into a long dicoure

with him about the de#il, the origin of him, hi rebellion againt 4od, hi

enmity to man, the reaon of it, hi etting himelf u( in the dark (art of the

world to be worhi((ed intead of 4od, and a 4od, and the many tratagem

he made ue of to delude mankind to their ruin' how he had a ecret acce to

our (aion and to our affection, and to ada(t hi nare to our inclination, o

a to caue u e#en to be our own tem(ter, and run u(on our detruction by our

own choice"

I found it wa not o eay to im(rint right notion in hi mind about the de#il a

it wa about the being of a 4od" ;ature aited all my argument to e#idence

to him e#en the neceity of a great irt +aue, an o#erruling, go#erning

<ower, a ecret directing <ro#idence, and of the euity and utice of (aying

homage to !im that made u, and the like' but there a((eared nothing of thi

kind in the notion of an e#il (irit, of hi origin, hi being, hi nature, and abo#e

all, of hi inclination to do e#il, and to draw u in to do o too' and the (oor

creature (u&&led me once in uch a manner, by a uetion merely natural and

innocent, that I carce knew what to ay to him" I had been talking a great deal

to him of the (ower of 4od, !i omni(otence, !i a#erion to in, !i being a

conuming fire to the worker of iniuity' how, a !e had made u all, !e

could detroy u and all the world in a moment' and he litened with great

erioune to me all the while" After thi I had been telling him how the de#il

wa 4od enemy in the heart of men, and ued all hi malice and kill to

defeat the good deign of <ro#idence, and to ruin the kingdom of +hrit in the

world, and the like" 9Well,9 ay riday, 9but you ay 4od i o trong, o

great' i !e not much trong, much might a the de#il9 9Ye, ye,9 ay I,

9riday' 4od i tronger than the de#il * 4od i abo#e the de#il, and therefore

we (ray to 4od to tread him down under our feet, and enable u to reit hitem(tation and uench hi fiery dart"9 9But,9 ay he again, 9if 4od much

tronger, much might a the wicked de#il, why 4od no kill the de#il, o make

him no more do wicked9 I wa trangely ur(ried at thi uetion' and, after

all, though I wa now an old man, yet I wa but a young doctor, and ill

ualified for a cauit or a ol#er of difficultie' and at firt I could not tell what

to ay' o I (retended not to hear him, and aked him what he aid' but he wa



act u(on the ame (rinci(le will find, that in laying thing o(en to him, I really

informed and intructed myelf in many thing that either I did not know or had

not fully conidered before, but which occurred naturally to my mind u(on

earching into them, for the information of thi (oor a#age' and I had more

affection in my inuiry after thing u(on thi occaion than e#er I felt before5

o that, whether thi (oor wild wretch wa better for me or no, I had great

reaon to be thankful that e#er he came to me' my grief at lighter, u(on me'

my habitation grew comfortable to me beyond meaure5 and when I reflected

that in thi olitary life which I ha#e been confined to, I had not only been

mo#ed to look u( to hea#en myelf, and to eek the !and that had brought me

here, but wa now to be made an intrument, under <ro#idence, to a#e the life,

and, for aught I knew, the oul of a (oor a#age, and bring him to the true

knowledge of religion and of the +hritian doctrine, that he might know +hrit

eu, in whom i life eternal' I ay, when I reflected u(on all thee thing, a

ecret oy ran through e#ery (art of /y oul, and I freuently reoiced that e#er

I wa brought to thi (lace, which I had o often thought the mot dreadful of

all affliction that could (oibly ha#e befallen me"

I continued in thi thankful frame all the remainder of my time' and the

con#eration which em(loyed the hour between riday and me wa uch a

made the three year which we li#ed there together (erfectly and com(letely

ha((y, if any uch thing a com(lete ha((ine can be formed in a ublunary

tate" 8hi a#age wa now a good +hritian, a much better than I' though I

ha#e reaon to ho(e, and ble 4od for it, that we were eually (enitent, and

comforted, retored (enitent" We had here the Word of 4od to read, and nofarther off from !i S(irit to intruct than if we had been in )ngland" I alway

a((lied myelf, in reading the Scri(ture, to let him know, a well a I could, the

meaning of what I read' and he again, by hi eriou inuirie and uetioning,

made me, a I aid before, a much better cholar in the Scri(ture knowledge

than I hould e#er ha#e been by my own mere (ri#ate reading" Another thing I

cannot refrain from ober#ing here alo, from e0(erience in thi retired (art of

my life, #i&" how infinite and ine0(reible a bleing it i that the knowledge

of 4od, and of the doctrine of al#ation by +hrit eu, i o (lainly laid down

in the Word of 4od, o eay to be recei#ed and undertood, that, a the bare

reading the Scri(ture made me ca(able of undertanding enough of my duty tocarry me directly on to the great work of incere re(entance for my in, and

laying hold of a Sa#iour for life and al#ation, to a tated reformation in

(ractice, and obedience to all 4od command, and thi without any teacher or

intructor, I mean human' o the ame (lain intruction ufficiently er#ed to

the enlightening thi a#age creature, and bringing him to be uch a +hritian a

I ha#e known few eual to him in my life"



A to all the di(ute, wrangling, trife, and contention which ha#e ha((ened in

the world about religion, whether nicetie in doctrine or cheme of church

go#ernment, they were all (erfectly uele to u, and, for aught I can yet ee,

they ha#e been o to the ret of the world" We had the ure guide to hea#en, #i&"

the Word of 4od' and we had, bleed be 4od, comfortable #iew of the S(irit

of 4od teaching and intructing by !i word, leading u into all truth, and

making u both willing and obedient to the intruction of !i word" And I

cannot ee the leat ue that the greatet knowledge of the di(uted (oint of

religion, which ha#e made uch confuion in the world, would ha#e been to u,

if we could ha#e obtained it" But I mut go on with the hitorical (art of thing,

and take e#ery (art in it order"

After riday and I became more intimately acuainted, and that he could

undertand almot all I aid to him, and (eak (retty fluently, though in broken

)nglih, to me, I acuainted him with my own hitory, or at leat o much of it

a related to my coming to thi (lace5 how I had li#ed there, and how long' I let

him into the mytery, for uch it wa to him, of gun(owder and bullet, and

taught him how to hoot" I ga#e him a knife, which he wa wonderfully

delighted with' and I made him a belt, with a frog hanging to it, uch a in

)ngland we wear hanger in' and in the frog, intead of a hanger, I ga#e him a

hatchet, which wa not only a good a wea(on in ome cae, but much more

ueful u(on other occaion"

I decribed to him the country of )uro(e, (articularly )ngland, which I came

from' how we li#ed, how we worhi((ed 4od, how we beha#ed to one another,

and how we traded in hi( to all (art of the world" I ga#e him an account of

the wreck which I had been on board of, and howed him, a near a I could,

the (lace where he lay' but he wa all beaten in (iece before, and gone" I

howed him the ruin of our boat, which we lot when we eca(ed, and which I

could not tir with my whole trength then' but wa now fallen almot all to

(iece" >(on eeing thi boat, riday tood, muing a great while, and aid

nothing" I aked him what it wa he tudied u(on" At lat ay he, 9/e ee uch

boat like come to (lace at my nation"9 I did not undertand him a good while'

but at lat, when I had e0amined further into it, I undertood by him that a boat,

uch a that had been, came on hore u(on the country where he li#ed5 that i,a he e0(lained it, wa dri#en thither by tre of weather" I (reently imagined

that ome )uro(ean hi( mut ha#e been cat away u(on their coat, and the

boat might get looe and dri#e ahore' but wa o dull that I ne#er once thought

of men making their eca(e from a wreck thither, much le whence they might

come5 o I only inuired after a decri(tion of the boat"



riday decribed the boat to me well enough' but brought me better to

undertand him when he added with ome warmth, 9We a#e the white man

from drown"9 8hen I (reently aked if there were any white man, a he called

them, in the boat" 9Ye,9 he aid' 9the boat full of white man"9 I aked him

how many" !e told u(on hi finger e#enteen" I aked him then what became

of them" !e told me, 98hey li#e, they dwell at my nation"9

8hi (ut new thought into my head' for I (reently imagined that thee might

be the men belonging to the hi( that wa cat away in the ight of my iland,

a I now called it' and who, after the hi( wa truck on the rock, and they aw

her ine#itably lot, had a#ed themel#e in their boat, and were landed u(on

that wild hore among the a#age" >(on thi I inuired of him more critically

what wa become of them" !e aured me they li#ed till there' that they had

been there about four year' that the a#age left them alone, and ga#e them

#ictual to li#e on" I aked him how it came to (a they did not kill them and

eat them" !e aid, 9;o, they make brother with them'9 that i, a I undertood

him, a truce' and then he added, 98hey no eat man but when make the war

fight'9 that i to ay, they ne#er eat any men but uch a come to fight with

them and are taken in battle"

It wa after thi ome coniderable time, that being u(on the to( of the hill at

the eat ide of the iland, from whence, a I ha#e aid, I had, in a clear day,

dico#ered the main or continent of America, riday, the weather being #ery

erene, look #ery earnetly toward the mainland, and, in a kind of ur(rie,

fall a um(ing and dancing, and call out to me, for I wa at ome ditance

from him" I aked him what wa the matter" 9=h, oy79 ay he' 9=h, glad7 there

ee my country, there my nation79 I ober#ed an e0traordinary ene of (leaure

a((eared in hi face, and hi eye (arkled, and hi countenance dico#ered a

trange eagerne, a if he had a mind to be in hi own country again" 8hi

ober#ation of mine (ut a great many thought into me, which made me at firt

not o eay about my new man riday a I wa before' and I made no doubt but

that, if riday could get back to hi own nation again, he would not only forget

all hi religion but all hi obligation to me, and would be forward enough to

gi#e hi countrymen an account of me, and come back, (erha( with a hundred

or two of them, and make a feat u(on me, at which he might be a merry a heued to be with thoe of hi enemie when they were taken in war" But I

wronged the (oor honet creature #ery much, for which I wa #ery orry

afterward" !owe#er, a my ealouy increaed, and held ome week, I wa a

little more circum(ect, and not o familiar and kind to him a before5 in which

I wa certainly wrong too' the honet, grateful creature ha#ing no thought about



it but what conited with the bet (rinci(le, both a a religiou +hritian and

a a grateful friend, a a((eared afterward to my full atifaction"

While my ealouy of him lated, you may be ure I wa e#ery day (um(ing

him to ee if he would dico#er any of the new thought which I u(ected

were in him' but I found e#erything he aid wa o honet and o innocent, thatI could find nothing to nourih my u(icion' and in (ite of all my uneaine,

he made me at lat entirely hi own again' nor did he in the leat (ercei#e that I

wa uneay, and therefore I could not u(ect him of deceit"

=ne day, walking u( the ame hill, but the weather being ha&y at ea, o that

we could not ee the continent, I called to him, and aid, 9riday, do not you

wih yourelf in your own country, your own nation9 9Ye,9 he aid, 9I be

much = glad to be at my own nation"9 9What would you do there9 aid I"

9Would you turn wild again, eat men fleh again, and be a a#age a you were

before9 !e looked full of concern, and haking hi head, aid, 9;o, no, ridaytell them to li#e good' tell them to (ray 4od' tell them to eat corn*bread, cattle

fleh, milk' no eat man again"9 9Why, then,9 aid I to him, 9they will kill you"9

!e looked gra#e at that, and then aid, 9;o, no, they no kill me, they willing

lo#e learn"9 !e meant by thi, they would be willing to learn" !e added, they

learned much of the bearded man that came in the boat" 8hen I aked him if he

would go back to them" !e miled at that, and told me that he could not wim

o far" I told him I would make a canoe for him" !e told me he would go if I

would go with him" 9I go79 ay I' 9why, they will eat me if I come there"9 9;o,

no,9 ay he, 9me make they no eat you' me make they much lo#e you"9 !e

meant, he would tell them how I had killed hi enemie, and a#ed hi life, and

o he would make them lo#e me" 8hen he told me, a well a he could, how

kind they were to e#enteen white men, or bearded men, a he called them who

came on hore there in ditre"

rom thi time, I confe, I had a mind to #enture o#er, and ee if I could

(oibly oin with thoe bearded men, who I made no doubt were S(aniard and

<ortuguee' not doubting but, if I could, we might find ome method to eca(e

from thence, being u(on the continent, and a good com(any together, better

than I could from an iland forty mile off the hore, alone and without hel("So, after ome day, I took riday to work again by way of dicoure, and told

him I would gi#e him a boat to go back to hi own nation' and, accordingly, I

carried him to my frigate, which lay on the other ide of the iland, and ha#ing

cleared it of water ?for I alway ke(t it unk in water@, I brought it out, howed

it him, and we both went into it" I found he wa a mot de0terou fellow at

managing it, and would make it go almot a wift again a I could" So when he



wa in, I aid to him, 9Well, now, riday, hall we go to your nation9 !e

looked #ery dull at my aying o' which it eem wa becaue he thought the

boat wa too mall to go o far" I then told him I had a bigger' o the ne0t day I

went to the (lace where the firt boat lay which I had made, but which I could

not get into the water" !e aid that wa big enough' but then, a I had taken no

care of it, and it had lain two or three and twenty year there, the un had o

(lit and dried it, that it wa rotten" riday told me uch a boat would do #ery

well, and would carry 9much enough #ittle, drink, bread'9 thi wa hi way of

talking"

CHAPTER %VI - RESC"E F PRISNERS FR&

CANNI!ALS

><=; the whole, I wa by thi time o fi0ed u(on my deign of going o#er

with him to the continent that I told him we would go and make one a big a

that, and he hould go home in it" !e anwered not one word, but looked #ery

gra#e and ad" I aked him what wa the matter with him" !e aked me again,

9Why you angry mad with riday * what me done9 I aked him what he

meant" I told him I wa not angry with him at all" 9;o angry79 ay he,

re(eating the word e#eral time' 9why end riday home away to my nation9

9Why,9 ay I, 9riday, did not you ay you wihed you were there9 9Ye,

ye,9 ay he, 9wih we both there' no wih riday there, no mater there"9 In a

word, he would not think of going there without me" 9I go there, riday9 ayI' 9what hall I do there9 !e turned #ery uick u(on me at thi" 9You do great

deal much good,9 ay he' 9you teach wild man be good, ober, tame man'

you tell them know 4od, (ray 4od, and li#e new life"9 9Ala, riday79 ay I,

9thou knowet not what thou ayet' I am but an ignorant man myelf"9 9Ye,

ye,9 ay he, 9you teachee me good, you teachee them good"9 9;o, no,

riday,9 ay I, 9you hall go without me' lea#e me here to li#e by myelf, a I

did before"9 !e looked confued again at that word' and running to one of the

hatchet which he ued to wear, he take it u( hatily, and gi#e it to me" 9What

mut I do with thi9 ay I to him" 9You take kill riday,9 ay he" 9What mut

kill you for9 aid I again" !e return #ery uick * 9What you end riday awayfor 8ake kill riday, no end riday away"9 8hi he (oke o earnetly that I

aw tear tand in hi eye" In a word, I o (lainly dico#ered the utmot

affection in him to me, and a firm reolution in him, that I told him then and

often after, that I would ne#er end him away from me if he wa willing to tay

with me"



>(on the whole, a I found by all hi dicoure a ettled affection to me, and

that nothing could (art him from me, o I found all the foundation of hi deire

to go to hi own country wa laid in hi ardent affection to the (eo(le, and hi

ho(e of my doing them good' a thing which, a I had no notion of myelf, o I

had not the leat thought or intention, or deire of undertaking it" But till I

found a trong inclination to attem(ting my eca(e, founded on the u((oition

gathered from the dicoure, that there were e#enteen bearded men there' and

therefore, without any more delay, I went to work with riday to find out a

great tree (ro(er to fell, and make a large (eriagua, or canoe, to undertake the

#oyage" 8here were tree enough in the iland to ha#e built a little fleet, not of

(eriagua or canoe, but e#en of good, large #eel' but the main thing I

looked at wa, to get one o near the water that we might launch it when it wa

made, to a#oid the mitake I committed at firt" At lat riday (itched u(on a

tree' for I found he knew much better than I what kind of wood wa fittet for

it' nor can I tell to thi day what wood to call the tree we cut down, e0ce(t that

it wa #ery like the tree we call futic, or between that and the ;icaragua wood,

for it wa much of the ame colour and mell" riday wihed to burn the hollow

or ca#ity of thi tree out, to make it for a boat, but I howed him how to cut it

with tool' which, after I had howed him how to ue, he did #ery handily' and

in about a month hard labour we finihed it and made it #ery handome'

e(ecially when, with our a0e, which I howed him how to handle, we cut and

hewed the outide into the true ha(e of a boat" After thi, howe#er, it cot u

near a fortnight time to get her along, a it were inch by inch, u(on great

roller into the water' but when he wa in, he would ha#e carried twenty men

with great eae"

When he wa in the water, though he wa o big, it ama&ed me to ee with

what de0terity and how wift my man riday could manage her, turn her, and

(addle her along" So I aked him if he would, and if we might #enture o#er in

her" 9Ye,9 he aid, 9we #enture o#er in her #ery well, though great blow

wind"9 !owe#er I had a further deign that he knew nothing of, and that wa, to

make a mat and a ail, and to fit her with an anchor and cable" A to a mat,

that wa eay enough to get' o I (itched u(on a traight young cedar*tree,

which I found near the (lace, and which there were great (lenty of in the iland,

and I et riday to work to cut it down, and ga#e him direction how to ha(eand order it" But a to the ail, that wa my (articular care" I knew I had old

ail, or rather (iece of old ail, enough' but a I had had them now i0*and*

twenty year by me, and had not been #ery careful to (reer#e them, not

imagining that I hould e#er ha#e thi kind of ue for them, I did not doubt but

they were all rotten' and, indeed, mot of them were o" !owe#er, I found two

(iece which a((eared (retty good, and with thee I went to work' and with a



great deal of (ain, and awkward titching, you may be ure, for want of

needle, I at length made a three*cornered ugly thing, like what we call in

)ngland a houlder*of*mutton ail, to go with a boom at bottom, and a little

hort (rit at the to(, uch a uually our hi( long*boat ail with, and uch a

I bet knew how to manage, a it wa uch a one a I had to the boat in which I

made my eca(e from Barbary, a related in the firt (art of my tory"

I wa near two month (erforming thi lat work, #i&" rigging and fitting my

mat and ail' for I finihed them #ery com(lete, making a mall tay, and a

ail, or foreail, to it, to ait if we hould turn to windward' and, what wa

more than all, I fi0ed a rudder to the tern of her to teer with" I wa but a

bungling hi(wright, yet a I knew the uefulne and e#en neceity of uch a

thing, I a((lied myelf with o much (ain to do it, that at lat I brought it to

(a' though, conidering the many dull contri#ance I had for it that failed, I

think it cot me almot a much labour a making the boat"

After all thi wa done, I had my man riday to teach a to what belonged to

the na#igation of my boat' though he knew #ery well how to (addle a canoe, he

knew nothing of what belonged to a ail and a rudder' and wa the mot

ama&ed when he aw me work the boat to and again in the ea by the rudder,

and how the ail ibed, and filled thi way or that way a the coure we ailed

changed' I ay when he aw thi he tood like one atonihed and ama&ed"

!owe#er, with a little ue, I made all thee thing familiar to him, and he

became an e0(ert ailor, e0ce(t that of the com(a I could make him

undertand #ery little" =n the other hand, a there wa #ery little cloudy

weather, and eldom or ne#er any fog in thoe (art, there wa the le

occaion for a com(a, eeing the tar were alway to be een by night, and

the hore by day, e0ce(t in the rainy eaon, and then nobody cared to tir

abroad either by land or ea"

I wa now entered on the e#en*and*twentieth year of my ca(ti#ity in thi

(lace' though the three lat year that I had thi creature with me ought rather to

be left out of the account, my habitation being uite of another kind than in all

the ret of the time" I ke(t the anni#erary of my landing here with the ame

thankfulne to 4od for !i mercie a at firt5 and if I had uch caue ofacknowledgment at firt, I had much more o now, ha#ing uch additional

tetimonie of the care of <ro#idence o#er me, and the great ho(e I had of

being effectually and (eedily deli#ered' for I had an in#incible im(reion

u(on my thought that my deli#erance wa at hand, and that I hould not be

another year in thi (lace" I went on, howe#er, with my hubandry' digging,



(lanting, and fencing a uual" I gathered and cured my gra(e, and did e#ery

neceary thing a before"

8he rainy eaon wa in the meantime u(on me, when I ke(t more within door

than at other time" We had towed our new #eel a ecure a we could,

bringing her u( into the creek, where, a I aid in the beginning, I landed myraft from the hi(' and hauling her u( to the hore at high*water mark, I made

my man riday dig a little dock, ut big enough to hold her, and ut dee(

enough to gi#e her water enough to float in' and then, when the tide wa out,

we made a trong dam acro the end of it, to kee( the water out' and o he

lay, dry a to the tide from the ea5 and to kee( the rain off we laid a great many

bough of tree, o thick that he wa a well thatched a a houe' and thu we

waited for the month of ;o#ember and .ecember, in which I deigned to

make my ad#enture"

When the ettled eaon began to come in, a the thought of my deign returnedwith the fair weather, I wa (re(aring daily for the #oyage" And the firt thing I

did wa to lay by a certain uantity of (ro#iion, being the tore for our

#oyage' and intended in a week or a fortnight time to o(en the dock, and

launch out our boat" I wa buy one morning u(on omething of thi kind, when

I called to riday, and bid him to go to the ea*hore and ee if he could find a

turtle or a tortoie, a thing which we generally got once a week, for the ake of

the egg a well a the fleh" riday had not been long gone when he came

running back, and flew o#er my outer wall or fence, like one that felt not the

ground or the te( he et hi foot on' and before I had time to (eak to him he

crie out to me, 9= mater7 = mater7 = orrow7 = bad79 * 9What the matter,

riday9 ay I" 9= yonder there,9 ay he, 9one, two, three canoe' one, two,

three79 By thi way of (eaking I concluded there were i0' but on inuiry I

found there were but three" 9Well, riday,9 ay I, 9do not be frightened"9 So I

heartened him u( a well a I could" !owe#er, I aw the (oor fellow wa mot

terribly cared, for nothing ran in hi head but that they were come to look for

him, and would cut him in (iece and eat him' and the (oor fellow trembled o

that I carcely knew what to do with him" I comforted him a well a I could,

and told him I wa in a much danger a he, and that they would eat me a well

a him" 9But,9 ay I, 9riday, we mut reol#e to fight them" +an you fight,riday9 9/e hoot,9 ay he, 9but there come many great number"9 9;o matter

for that,9 aid I again' 9our gun will fright them that we do not kill"9 So I aked

him whether, if I reol#ed to defend him, he would defend me, and tand by

me, and do ut a I bid him" !e aid, 9/e die when you bid die, mater"9 So I

went and fetched a good dram of rum and ga#e him' for I had been o good a

huband of my rum that I had a great deal left" When we had drunk it, I made



him take the two fowling* (iece, which we alway carried, and loaded them

with large wan* hot, a big a mall (itol*bullet" 8hen I took four muket,

and loaded them with two lug and fi#e mall bullet each' and my two (itol

I loaded with a brace of bullet each" I hung my great word, a uual, naked by

my ide, and ga#e riday hi hatchet" When I had thu (re(ared myelf, I took

my (er(ecti#e gla, and went u( to the ide of the hill, to ee what I could

dico#er' and I found uickly by my gla that there were one*and*twenty

a#age, three (rioner, and three canoe' and that their whole buine

eemed to be the trium(hant banuet u(on thee three human bodie5 a

barbarou feat, indeed7 but nothing more than, a I had ober#ed, wa uual

with them" I ober#ed alo that they had landed, not where they had done when

riday made hi eca(e, but nearer to my creek, where the hore wa low, and

where a thick wood came almot cloe down to the ea" 8hi, with the

abhorrence of the inhuman errand thee wretche came about, filled me with

uch indignation that I came down again to riday, and told him I wa reol#ed

to go down to them and kill them all' and aked him if he would tand by me"

!e had now got o#er hi fright, and hi (irit being a little raied with the

dram I had gi#en him, he wa #ery cheerful, and told me, a before, he would

die when I bid die"

In thi fit of fury I di#ided the arm which I had charged, a before, between u'

I ga#e riday one (itol to tick in hi girdle, and three gun u(on hi houlder,

and I took one (itol and the other three gun myelf' and in thi (oture we

marched out" I took a mall bottle of rum in my (ocket, and ga#e riday a large

bag with more (owder and bullet' and a to order, I charged him to kee( cloe behind me, and not to tir, or hoot, or do anything till I bid him, and in the

meantime not to (eak a word" In thi (oture I fetched a com(a to my right

hand of near a mile, a well to get o#er the creek a to get into the wood, o that

I could come within hot of them before I hould be dico#ered, which I had

een by my gla it wa eay to do"

While I wa making thi march, my former thought returning, I began to abate

my reolution5 I do not mean that I entertained any fear of their number, for a

they were naked, unarmed wretche, it i certain I wa u(erior to them * nay,

though I had been alone" But it occurred to my thought, what call, whatoccaion, much le what neceity I wa in to go and di( my hand in blood, to

attack (eo(le who had neither done or intended me any wrong who, a to me,

were innocent, and whoe barbarou cutom were their own diater, being in

them a token, indeed, of 4od ha#ing left them, with the other nation of that

(art of the world, to uch tu(idity, and to uch inhuman coure, but did not

call me to take u(on me to be a udge of their action, much le an e0ecutioner



of !i utice * that whene#er !e thought fit !e would take the caue into !i

own hand, and by national #engeance (unih them a a (eo(le for national

crime, but that, in the meantime, it wa none of my buine * that it wa true

riday might utify it, becaue he wa a declared enemy and in a tate of war

with thoe #ery (articular (eo(le, and it wa lawful for him to attack them * but

I could not ay the ame with regard to myelf" 8hee thing were o warmly

(reed u(on my thought all the way a I went, that I reol#ed I would only go

and (lace myelf near them that I might ober#e their barbarou feat, and that I

would act then a 4od hould direct' but that unle omething offered that wa

more a call to me than yet I knew of, I would not meddle with them"

With thi reolution I entered the wood, and, with all (oible warine and

ilence, riday following cloe at my heel, I marched till I came to the kirt of

the wood on the ide which wa ne0t to them, only that one corner of the wood

lay between me and them" !ere I called oftly to riday, and howing him a

great tree which wa ut at the corner of the wood, I bade him go to the tree,

and bring me word if he could ee there (lainly what they were doing" !e did

o, and came immediately back to me, and told me they might be (lainly

#iewed there * that they were all about their fire, eating the fleh of one of their

(rioner, and that another lay bound u(on the and a little from them, whom

he aid they would kill ne0t' and thi fired the #ery oul within me" !e told me

it wa not one of their nation, but one of the bearded men he had told me of,

that came to their country in the boat" I wa filled with horror at the #ery

naming of the white bearded man' and going to the tree, I aw (lainly by my

gla a white man, who lay u(on the beach of the ea with hi hand and hifeet tied with flag, or thing like ruhe, and that he wa an )uro(ean, and had

clothe on"

8here wa another tree and a little thicket beyond it, about fifty yard nearer to

them than the (lace where I wa, which, by going a little way about, I aw I

might come at undico#ered, and that then I hould be within half a hot of

them' o I withheld my (aion, though I wa indeed enraged to the highet

degree' and going back about twenty (ace, I got behind ome buhe, which

held all the way till I came to the other tree, and then came to a little riing

ground, which ga#e me a full #iew of them at the ditance of about eightyyard"

I had now not a moment to loe, for nineteen of the dreadful wretche at u(on

the ground, all cloe huddled together, and had ut ent the other two to

butcher the (oor +hritian, and bring him (erha( limb by limb to their fire,

and they were too(ing down to untie the band at hi feet" I turned to riday"



9;ow, riday,9 aid I, 9do a I bid thee"9 riday aid he would" 98hen, riday,9

ay I, 9do e0actly a you ee me do' fail in nothing"9 So I et down one of the

muket and the fowling*(iece u(on the ground, and riday did the like by hi,

and with the other muket I took my aim at the a#age, bidding him to do the

like' then aking him if he wa ready, he aid, 9Ye"9 98hen fire at them,9 aid

I' and at the ame moment I fired alo"

riday took hi aim o much better than I, that on the ide that he hot he killed

two of them, and wounded three more' and on my ide I killed one, and

wounded two" 8hey were, you may be ure, in a dreadful conternation5 and all

of them that were not hurt um(ed u(on their feet, but did not immediately

know which way to run, or which way to look, for they knew not from whence

their detruction came" riday ke(t hi eye cloe u(on me, that, a I had bid

him, he might ober#e what I did' o, a oon a the firt hot wa made, I

threw down the (iece, and took u( the fowling*(iece, and riday did the like'

he aw me cock and (reent' he did the ame again" 9Are you ready, riday9

aid I" 9Ye,9 ay he" 9-et fly, then,9 ay I, 9in the name of 4od79 and with

that I fired again among the ama&ed wretche, and o did riday' and a our

(iece were now loaded with what I call wan*hot, or mall (itol* bullet, we

found only two dro(' but o many were wounded that they ran about yelling

and creaming like mad creature, all bloody, and mot of them mierably

wounded' whereof three more fell uickly after, though not uite dead"

9;ow, riday,9 ay I, laying down the dicharged (iece, and taking u( the

muket which wa yet loaded, 9follow me,9 which he did with a great deal of

courage' u(on which I ruhed out of the wood and howed myelf, and riday

cloe at my foot" A oon a I (ercei#ed they aw me, I houted a loud a I

could, and bade riday do o too, and running a fat a I could, which, by the

way, wa not #ery fat, being loaded with arm a I wa, I made directly

toward the (oor #ictim, who wa, a I aid, lying u(on the beach or hore,

between the (lace where they at and the ea" 8he two butcher who were ut

going to work with him had left him at the ur(rie of our firt fire, and fled in

a terrible fright to the eaide, and had um(ed into a canoe, and three more of

the ret made the ame way" I turned to riday, and bade him te( forward and

fire at them' he undertood me immediately, and running about forty yard, to be nearer them, he hot at them' and I thought he had killed them all, for I aw

them all fall of a hea( into the boat, though I aw two of them u( again uickly'

howe#er, he killed two of them, and wounded the third, o that he lay down in

the bottom of the boat a if he had been dead"



While my man riday fired at them, I (ulled out my knife and cut the flag that

bound the (oor #ictim' and looing hi hand and feet, I lifted him u(, and

aked him in the <ortuguee tongue what he wa" !e anwered in -atin,

+hritianu' but wa o weak and faint that he could carce tand or (eak" I

took my bottle out of my (ocket and ga#e it him, making ign that he hould

drink, which he did' and I ga#e him a (iece of bread, which he ate" 8hen I

aked him what countryman he wa5 and he aid, )(agniole' and being a little

reco#ered, let me know, by all the ign he could (oibly make, how much he

wa in my debt for hi deli#erance" 9Seignior,9 aid I, with a much S(anih a

I could make u(, 9we will talk afterward, but we mut fight now5 if you ha#e

any trength left, take thi (itol and word, and lay about you"9 !e took them

#ery thankfully' and no ooner had he the arm in hi hand, but, a if they had

(ut new #igour into him, he flew u(on hi murderer like a fury, and had cut

two of them in (iece in an intant' for the truth i, a the whole wa a ur(rie

to them, o the (oor creature were o much frightened with the noie of our

(iece that they fell down for mere ama&ement and fear, and had no more

(ower to attem(t their own eca(e than their fleh had to reit our hot' and

that wa the cae of thoe fi#e that riday hot at in the boat' for a three of

them fell with the hurt they recei#ed, o the other two fell with the fright"

I ke(t my (iece in my hand till without firing, being willing to kee( my charge

ready, becaue I had gi#en the S(aniard my (itol and word5 o I called to

riday, and bade him run u( to the tree from whence we firt fired, and fetch

the arm which lay there that had been dicharged, which he did with great

wiftne' and then gi#ing him my muket, I at down myelf to load all the retagain, and bade them come to me when they wanted" While I wa loading thee

(iece, there ha((ened a fierce engagement between the S(aniard and one of

the a#age, who made at him with one of their great wooden word, the

wea(on that wa to ha#e killed him before, if I had not (re#ented it" 8he

S(aniard, who wa a bold and bra#e a could be imagined, though weak, had

fought the Indian a good while, and had cut two great wound on hi head' but

the a#age being a tout, luty fellow, cloing in with him, had thrown him

down, being faint, and wa wringing my word out of hi hand' when the

S(aniard, though undermot, wiely uitting the word, drew the (itol from hi

girdle, hot the a#age through the body, and killed him u(on the (ot, before I,who wa running to hel( him, could come near him"

riday, being now left to hi liberty, (urued the flying wretche, with no

wea(on in hi hand but hi hatchet5 and with that he de(atched thoe three

who a I aid before, were wounded at firt, and fallen, and all the ret he could

come u( with5 and the S(aniard coming to me for a gun, I ga#e him one of the



fowling* (iece, with which he (urued two of the a#age, and wounded them

both' but a he wa not able to run, they both got from him into the wood,

where riday (urued them, and killed one of them, but the other wa too

nimble for him' and though he wa wounded, yet had (lunged himelf into the

ea, and wam with all hi might off to thoe two who were left in the canoe'

which three in the canoe, with one wounded, that we knew not whether he died

or no, were all that eca(ed our hand of one*and*twenty" 8he account of the

whole i a follow5 8hree killed at our firt hot from the tree' two killed at the

ne0t hot' two killed by riday in the boat' two killed by riday of thoe at firt

wounded' one killed by riday in the wood' three killed by the S(aniard' four

killed, being found dro((ed here and there, of the wound, or killed by riday

in hi chae of them' four eca(ed in the boat, whereof one wounded, if not

dead * twenty*one in all"

8hoe that were in the canoe worked hard to get out of gun*hot, and though

riday made two or three hot at them, I did not find that he hit any of them"

riday would fain ha#e had me take one of their canoe, and (urue them' and

indeed I wa #ery an0iou about their eca(e, let, carrying the new home to

their (eo(le, they hould come back (erha( with two or three hundred of the

canoe and de#our u by mere multitude' o I conented to (urue them by ea,

and running to one of their canoe, I um(ed in and bade riday follow me5 but

when I wa in the canoe I wa ur(ried to find another (oor creature lie there,

bound hand and foot, a the S(aniard wa, for the laughter, and almot dead

with fear, not knowing what wa the matter' for he had not been able to look u(

o#er the ide of the boat, he wa tied o hard neck and heel, and had been tiedo long that he had really but little life in him"

I immediately cut the twited flag or ruhe which they had bound him with,

and would ha#e hel(ed him u(' but he could not tand or (eak, but groaned

mot (iteouly, belie#ing, it eem, till, that he wa only unbound in order to

be killed" When riday came to him I bade him (eak to him, and tell him of

hi deli#erance' and (ulling out my bottle, made him gi#e the (oor wretch a

dram, which, with the new of hi being deli#ered, re#i#ed him, and he at u(

in the boat" But when riday came to hear him (eak, and look in hi face, it

would ha#e mo#ed any one to tear to ha#e een how riday kied him,embraced him, hugged him, cried, laughed, hallooed, um(ed about, danced,

ang' then cried again, wrung hi hand, beat hi own face and head' and then

ang and um(ed about again like a ditracted creature" It wa a good while

before I could make him (eak to me or tell me what wa the matter' but when

he came a little to himelf he told me that it wa hi father"



It i not eay for me to e0(re how it mo#ed me to ee what ectay and filial

affection had worked in thi (oor a#age at the ight of hi father, and of hi

being deli#ered from death' nor indeed can I decribe half the e0tra#agance of

hi affection after thi5 for he went into the boat and out of the boat a great

many time5 when he went in to him he would it down by him, o(en hi breat,

and hold hi father head cloe to hi boom for many minute together, to

nourih it' then he took hi arm and ankle, which were numbed and tiff with

the binding, and chafed and rubbed them with hi hand' and I, (ercei#ing what

the cae wa, ga#e him ome rum out of my bottle to rub them with, which did

them a great deal of good"

8hi affair (ut an end to our (uruit of the canoe with the other a#age, who

were now almot out of ight' and it wa ha((y for u that we did not, for it

blew o hard within two hour after, and before they could be got a uarter of

their way, and continued blowing o hard all night, and that from the north*

wet, which wa againt them, that I could not u((oe their boat could li#e, or

that they e#er reached their own coat"

But to return to riday' he wa o buy about hi father that I could not find in

my heart to take him off for ome time' but after I thought he could lea#e him a

little, I called him to me, and he came um(ing and laughing, and (leaed to the

highet e0treme5 then I aked him if he had gi#en hi father any bread" !e

hook hi head, and aid, 9;one' ugly dog eat all u( elf"9 I then ga#e him a

cake of bread out of a little (ouch I carried on (ur(oe' I alo ga#e him a dram

for himelf' but he would not tate it, but carried it to hi father" I had in my

(ocket two or three bunche of raiin, o I ga#e him a handful of them for hi

father" !e had no ooner gi#en hi father thee raiin but I aw him come out

of the boat, and run away a if he had been bewitched, for he wa the wiftet

fellow on hi feet that e#er I aw5 I ay, he ran at uch a rate that he wa out of

ight, a it were, in an intant' and though I called, and hallooed out too after

him, it wa all one * away he went' and in a uarter of an hour I aw him come

back again, though not o fat a he went' and a he came nearer I found hi

(ace lacker, becaue he had omething in hi hand" When he came u( to me I

found he had been uite home for an earthen ug or (ot, to bring hi father

ome freh water, and that he had got two more cake or loa#e of bread5 the bread he ga#e me, but the water he carried to hi father' howe#er, a I wa #ery

thirty too, I took a little of it" 8he water re#i#ed hi father more than all the

rum or (irit I had gi#en him, for he wa fainting with thirt"

When hi father had drunk, I called to him to know if there wa any water left"

!e aid, 9Ye9' and I bade him gi#e it to the (oor S(aniard, who wa in a



much want of it a hi father' and I ent one of the cake that riday brought to

the S(aniard too, who wa indeed #ery weak, and wa re(oing himelf u(on a

green (lace under the hade of a tree' and whoe limb were alo #ery tiff, and

#ery much welled with the rude bandage he had been tied with" When I aw

that u(on riday coming to him with the water he at u( and drank, and took

the bread and began to eat, I went to him and ga#e him a handful of raiin" !e

looked u( in my face with all the token of gratitude and thankfulne that

could a((ear in any countenance' but wa o weak, notwithtanding he had o

e0erted himelf in the fight, that he could not tand u( u(on hi feet * he tried to

do it two or three time, but wa really not able, hi ankle were o welled and

o (ainful to him' o I bade him it till, and caued riday to rub hi ankle,

and bathe them with rum, a he had done hi father"

I ober#ed the (oor affectionate creature, e#ery two minute, or (erha( le,

all the while he wa here, turn hi head about to ee if hi father wa in the

ame (lace and (oture a he left him itting' and at lat he found he wa not to

be een' at which he tarted u(, and, without (eaking a word, flew with that

wiftne to him that one could carce (ercei#e hi feet to touch the ground a

he went' but when he came, he only found he had laid himelf down to eae hi

limb, o riday came back to me (reently' and then I (oke to the S(aniard to

let riday hel( him u( if he could, and lead him to the boat, and then he hould

carry him to our dwelling, where I would take care of him" But riday, a luty,

trong fellow, took the S(aniard u(on hi back, and carried him away to the

boat, and et him down oftly u(on the ide or gunnel of the canoe, with hi

feet in the inide of it' and then lifting him uite in, he et him cloe to hifather' and (reently te((ing out again, launched the boat off, and (addled it

along the hore fater than I could walk, though the wind blew (retty hard too'

o he brought them both afe into our creek, and lea#ing them in the boat, ran

away to fetch the other canoe" A he (aed me I (oke to him, and aked him

whither he went" !e told me, 94o fetch more boat'9 o away he went like the

wind, for ure ne#er man or hore ran like him' and he had the other canoe in

the creek almot a oon a I got to it by land' o he wafted me o#er, and then

went to hel( our new guet out of the boat, which he did' but they were neither

of them able to walk' o that (oor riday knew not what to do"

8o remedy thi, I went to work in my thought, and calling to riday to bid them

it down on the bank while he came to me, I oon made a kind of hand*barrow

to lay them on, and riday and I carried them both u( together u(on it between

u"



But when we got them to the outide of our wall, or fortification, we were at a

wore lo than before, for it wa im(oible to get them o#er, and I wa

reol#ed not to break it down' o I et to work again, and riday and I, in about

two hour time, made a #ery handome tent, co#ered with old ail, and abo#e

that with bough of tree, being in the (ace without our outward fence and

between that and the gro#e of young wood which I had (lanted' and here we

made them two bed of uch thing a I had * #i&" of good rice* traw, with

blanket laid u(on it to lie on, and another to co#er them, on each bed"

/y iland wa now (eo(led, and I thought myelf #ery rich in ubect' and it

wa a merry reflection, which I freuently made, how like a king I looked" irt

of all, the whole country wa my own (ro(erty, o that I had an undoubted right

of dominion" Secondly, my (eo(le were (erfectly ubected * I wa abolutely

lord and lawgi#er * they all owed their li#e to me, and were ready to lay down

their li#e, if there had been occaion for it, for me" It wa remarkable, too, I

had but three ubect, and they were of three different religion * my man

riday wa a <rotetant, hi father wa a <agan and a cannibal, and the

S(aniard wa a <a(it" !owe#er, I allowed liberty of concience throughout my

dominion" But thi i by the way"

A oon a I had ecured my two weak, recued (rioner, and gi#en them

helter, and a (lace to ret them u(on, I began to think of making ome

(ro#iion for them' and the firt thing I did, I ordered riday to take a yearling

goat, betwi0t a kid and a goat, out of my (articular flock, to be killed' when I

cut off the hinder*uarter, and cho((ing it into mall (iece, I et riday to

work to boiling and tewing, and made them a #ery good dih, I aure you, of

fleh and broth' and a I cooked it without door, for I made no fire within my

inner wall, o I carried it all into the new tent, and ha#ing et a table there for

them, I at down, and ate my own dinner alo with them, and, a well a I

could, cheered them and encouraged them" riday wa my inter(reter,

e(ecially to hi father, and, indeed, to the S(aniard too' for the S(aniard (oke

the language of the a#age (retty well"

After we had dined, or rather u((ed, I ordered riday to take one of the

canoe, and go and fetch our muket and other firearm, which, for want oftime, we had left u(on the (lace of battle' and the ne0t day I ordered him to go

and bury the dead bodie of the a#age, which lay o(en to the un, and would

(reently be offeni#e" I alo ordered him to bury the horrid remain of their

barbarou feat, which I could not think of doing myelf' nay, I could not bear

to ee them if I went that way' all which he (unctually (erformed, and effaced

the #ery a((earance of the a#age being there' o that when I went again, I



could carce know where it wa, otherwie than by the corner of the wood

(ointing to the (lace"

I then began to enter into a little con#eration with my two new ubect' and,

firt, I et riday to inuire of hi father what he thought of the eca(e of the

a#age in that canoe, and whether we might e0(ect a return of them, with a (ower too great for u to reit" !i firt o(inion wa, that the a#age in the

boat ne#er could li#e out the torm which blew that night they went off, but

mut of neceity be drowned, or dri#en outh to thoe other hore, where they

were a ure to be de#oured a they were to be drowned if they were cat away'

but, a to what they would do if they came afe on hore, he aid he knew not'

but it wa hi o(inion that they were o dreadfully frightened with the manner

of their being attacked, the noie, and the fire, that he belie#ed they would tell

the (eo(le they were all killed by thunder and lightning, not by the hand of

man' and that the two which a((eared

#i&" riday and I * were two hea#enly (irit, or furie, come down to detroy them,

and not men with wea(on" 8hi, he aid, he knew' becaue he heard them all cry outo, in their language, one to another' for it wa im(oible for them to concei#e that a

man could dart fire, and (eak thunder, and kill at a ditance, without lifting u( the

hand, a wa done now5 and thi old a#age wa in the right' for, a I undertood ince, by other hand, the a#age ne#er attem(ted to go o#er to the iland afterward, they

were o terrified with the account gi#en by thoe four men ?for it eem they did

eca(e the ea@, that they belie#ed whoe#er went to that enchanted iland would bedetroyed with fire from the god" 8hi, howe#er, I knew not' and therefore wa under

continual a((rehenion for a good while, and ke(t alway u(on my guard, with all my

army5 for, a there were now four of u, I would ha#e #entured u(on a hundred ofthem, fairly in the o(en field, at any time"

CHAPTER %VII - VISIT F &"TINEERS

I; a little time, howe#er, no more canoe a((earing, the fear of their coming

wore off' and I began to take my former thought of a #oyage to the main into

conideration' being likewie aured by riday father that I might de(end

u(on good uage from their nation, on hi account, if I would go" But mythought were a little u(ended when I had a eriou dicoure with the

S(aniard, and when I undertood that there were i0teen more of hi

countrymen and <ortuguee, who ha#ing been cat away and made their eca(e

to that ide, li#ed there at (eace, indeed, with the a#age, but were #ery ore

(ut to it for necearie, and, indeed, for life" I aked him all the (articular of

their #oyage, and found they were a S(anih hi(, bound from the $io de la



<lata to the !a#anna, being directed to lea#e their loading there, which wa

chiefly hide and il#er, and to bring back what )uro(ean good they could

meet with there' that they had fi#e <ortuguee eamen on board, whom they

took out of another wreck' that fi#e of their own men were drowned when firt

the hi( wa lot, and that thee eca(ed through infinite danger and ha&ard,

and arri#ed, almot tar#ed, on the cannibal coat, where they e0(ected to ha#e

been de#oured e#ery moment" !e told me they had ome arm with them, but

they were (erfectly uele, for that they had neither (owder nor ball, the

wahing of the ea ha#ing (oiled all their (owder but a little, which they ued

at their firt landing to (ro#ide themel#e with ome food"

I aked him what he thought would become of them there, and if they had

formed any deign of making their eca(e" !e aid they had many conultation

about it' but that ha#ing neither #eel nor tool to build one, nor (ro#iion of

any kind, their council alway ended in tear and de(air" I aked him how he

thought they would recei#e a (ro(oal from me, which might tend toward an

eca(e' and whether, if they were all here, it might not be done" I told him with

freedom, I feared motly their treachery and ill* uage of me, if I (ut my life in

their hand' for that gratitude wa no inherent #irtue in the nature of man, nor

did men alway uare their dealing by the obligation they had recei#ed o

much a they did by the ad#antage they e0(ected" I told him it would be #ery

hard that I hould be made the intrument of their deli#erance, and that they

hould afterward make me their (rioner in ;ew S(ain, where an )nglihman

wa certain to be made a acrifice, what neceity or what accident oe#er

brought him thither' and that I had rather be deli#ered u( to the a#age, and bede#oured ali#e, than fall into the mercile claw of the (riet, and be carried

into the Inuiition" I added that, otherwie, I wa (eruaded, if they were all

here, we might, with o many hand, build a barue large enough to carry u all

away, either to the Bra&il outhward, or to the iland or S(anih coat

northward' but that if, in reuital, they hould, when I had (ut wea(on into

their hand, carry me by force among their own (eo(le, I might be ill*ued for

my kindne to them, and make my cae wore than it wa before"

!e anwered, with a great deal of candour and ingenuoune, that their

condition wa o mierable, and that they were o enible of it, that he belie#ed they would abhor the thought of uing any man unkindly that hould

contribute to their deli#erance' and that, if I (leaed, he would go to them with

the old man, and dicoure with them about it, and return again and bring me

their anwer' that he would make condition with them u(on their olemn oath,

that they hould be abolutely under my direction a their commander and

ca(tain' and they hould wear u(on the holy acrament and go(el to be true



to me, and go to uch +hritian country a I hould agree to, and no other' and

to be directed wholly and abolutely by my order till they were landed afely

in uch country a I intended, and that he would bring a contract from them,

under their hand, for that (ur(oe" 8hen he told me he would firt wear to me

himelf that he would ne#er tir from me a long a he li#ed till I ga#e him

order' and that he would take my ide to the lat dro( of hi blood, if there

hould ha((en the leat breach of faith among hi countrymen" !e told me they

were all of them #ery ci#il, honet men, and they were under the greatet

ditre imaginable, ha#ing neither wea(on nor clothe, nor any food, but at

the mercy and dicretion of the a#age' out of all ho(e of e#er returning to

their own country' and that he wa ure, if I would undertake their relief, they

would li#e and die by me"

>(on thee aurance, I reol#ed to #enture to relie#e them, if (oible, and to

end the old a#age and thi S(aniard o#er to them to treat" But when we had

got all thing in readine to go, the S(aniard himelf tarted an obection,

which had o much (rudence in it on one hand, and o much incerity on the

other hand, that I could not but be #ery well atified in it' and, by hi ad#ice,

(ut off the deli#erance of hi comrade for at leat half a year" 8he cae wa

thu5 he had been with u now about a month, during which time I had let him

ee in what manner I had (ro#ided, with the aitance of <ro#idence, for my

u((ort' and he aw e#idently what tock of corn and rice I had laid u(' which,

though it wa more than ufficient for myelf, yet it wa not ufficient, without

good hubandry, for my family, now it wa increaed to four' but much le

would it be ufficient if hi countrymen, who were, a he aid, i0teen, tillali#e, hould come o#er' and leat of all would it be ufficient to #ictual our

#eel, if we hould build one, for a #oyage to any of the +hritian colonie of

America' o he told me he thought it would be more ad#iable to let him and

the other two dig and culti#ate ome more land, a much a I could (are eed

to ow, and that we hould wait another har#et, that we might ha#e a u((ly of

corn for hi countrymen, when they hould come' for want might be a

tem(tation to them to diagree, or not to think themel#e deli#ered, otherwie

than out of one difficulty into another" 9You know,9 ay he, 9the children of

Irael, though they reoiced at firt for their being deli#ered out of )gy(t, yet

rebelled e#en againt 4od !imelf, that deli#ered them, when they came towant bread in the wilderne"9

!i caution wa o eaonable, and hi ad#ice o good, that I could not but be

#ery well (leaed with hi (ro(oal, a well a I wa atified with hi fidelity'

o we fell to digging, all four of u, a well a the wooden tool we were

furnihed with (ermitted' and in about a month time, by the end of which it



de0terou at thi (art, and often blamed me that I did not make ome thing for

defence of thi kind of work' but I aw no need of it"

And now, ha#ing a full u((ly of food for all the guet I e0(ected, I ga#e the

S(aniard lea#e to go o#er to the main, to ee what he could do with thoe he

had left behind him there" I ga#e him a trict charge not to bring any man whowould not firt wear in the (reence of himelf and the old a#age that he

would in no way inure, fight with, or attack the (eron he hould find in the

iland, who wa o kind a to end for them in order to their deli#erance' but

that they would tand by him and defend him againt all uch attem(t, and

where#er they went would be entirely under and ubected to hi command' and

that thi hould be (ut in writing, and igned in their hand" !ow they were to

ha#e done thi, when I knew they had neither (en nor ink, wa a uetion

which we ne#er aked" >nder thee intruction, the S(aniard and the old

a#age, the father of riday, went away in one of the canoe which they might

be aid to ha#e come in, or rather were brought in, when they came a (rioner

to be de#oured by the a#age" I ga#e each of them a muket, with a firelock on

it, and about eight charge of (owder and ball, charging them to be #ery good

huband of both, and not to ue either of them but u(on urgent occaion"

8hi wa a cheerful work, being the firt meaure ued by me in #iew of my

deli#erance for now twenty*e#en year and ome day" I ga#e them (ro#iion

of bread and of dried gra(e, ufficient for themel#e for many day, and

ufficient for all the S(aniard * for about eight day time' and wihing them a

good #oyage, I aw them go, agreeing with them about a ignal they hould

hang out at their return, by which I hould know them again when they came

back, at a ditance, before they came on hore" 8hey went away with a fair gale

on the day that the moon wa at full, by my account in the month of =ctober'

but a for an e0act reckoning of day, after I had once lot it I could ne#er

reco#er it again' nor had I ke(t e#en the number of year o (unctually a to be

ure I wa right' though, a it (ro#ed when I afterward e0amined my account, I

found I had ke(t a true reckoning of year"

It wa no le than eight day I had waited for them, when a trange and

unforeeen accident inter#ened, of which the like ha not, (erha(, been heardof in hitory" I wa fat alee( in my hutch one morning, when my man riday

came running in to me, and called aloud, 9/ater, mater, they are come, they

are come79 I um(ed u(, and regardle of danger I went, a oon a I could get

my clothe on, through my little gro#e, which, by the way, wa by thi time

grown to be a #ery thick wood' I ay, regardle of danger I went without my

arm, which wa not my cutom to do' but I wa ur(ried when, turning my



eye to the ea, I (reently aw a boat at about a league and a half ditance,

tanding in for the hore, with a houlder*of*mutton ail, a they call it, and the

wind blowing (retty fair to bring them in5 alo I ober#ed, (reently, that they

did not come from that ide which the hore lay on, but from the outhernmot

end of the iland" >(on thi I called riday in, and bade him lie cloe, for thee

were not the (eo(le we looked for, and that we might not know yet whether

they were friend or enemie" In the ne0t (lace I went in to fetch my

(er(ecti#e gla to ee what I could make of them' and ha#ing taken the ladder

out, I climbed u( to the to( of the hill, a I ued to do when I wa a((reheni#e

of anything, and to take my #iew the (lainer without being dico#ered" I had

carce et my foot u(on the hill when my eye (lainly dico#ered a hi( lying at

anchor, at about two league and a half ditance from me, SS)", but not abo#e a

league and a half from the hore" By my ober#ation it a((eared (lainly to be

an )nglih hi(, and the boat a((eared to be an )nglih long*boat"

I cannot e0(re the confuion I wa in, though the oy of eeing a hi(, and one

that I had reaon to belie#e wa manned by my own countrymen, and

coneuently friend, wa uch a I cannot decribe' but yet I had ome ecret

doubt hung about me * I cannot tell from whence they came * bidding me kee(

u(on my guard" In the firt (lace, it occurred to me to conider what buine

an )nglih hi( could ha#e in that (art of the world, ince it wa not the way to

or from any (art of the world where the )nglih had any traffic' and I knew

there had been no torm to dri#e them in there in ditre' and that if they were

really )nglih it wa mot (robable that they were here u(on no good deign'

and that I had better continue a I wa than fall into the hand of thie#e andmurderer"

-et no man de(ie the ecret hint and notice of danger which ometime are

gi#en him when he may think there i no (oibility of it being real" 8hat uch

hint and notice are gi#en u I belie#e few that ha#e made any ober#ation of

thing can deny' that they are certain dico#erie of an in#iible world, and a

con#ere of (irit, we cannot doubt' and if the tendency of them eem to be to

warn u of danger, why hould we not u((oe they are from ome friendly

agent ?whether u(reme, or inferior and ubordinate, i not the uetion@, and

that they are gi#en for our good

8he (reent uetion abundantly confirm me in the utice of thi reaoning'

for had I not been made cautiou by thi ecret admonition, come it from

whence it will, I had been done ine#itably, and in a far wore condition than

before, a you will ee (reently" I had not ke(t myelf long in thi (oture till I

aw the boat draw near the hore, a if they looked for a creek to thrut in at, for



the con#enience of landing' howe#er, a they did not come uite far enough,

they did not ee the little inlet where I formerly landed my raft, but ran their

boat on hore u(on the beach, at about half a mile from me, which wa #ery

ha((y for me' for otherwie they would ha#e landed ut at my door, a I may

ay, and would oon ha#e beaten me out of my catle, and (erha( ha#e

(lundered me of all I had" When they were on hore I wa fully atified they

were )nglihmen, at leat mot of them' one or two I thought were .utch, but it

did not (ro#e o' there were in all ele#en men, whereof three of them I found

were unarmed and, a I thought, bound' and when the firt four or fi#e of them

were um(ed on hore, they took thoe three out of the boat a (rioner5 one of

the three I could (ercei#e uing the mot (aionate geture of entreaty,

affliction, and de(air, e#en to a kind of e0tra#agance' the other two, I could

(ercei#e, lifted u( their hand ometime, and a((eared concerned indeed, but

not to uch a degree a the firt" I wa (erfectly confounded at the ight, and

knew not what the meaning of it hould be" riday called out to me in )nglih,

a well a he could, 9= mater7 you ee )nglih man eat (rioner a well a

a#age man"9 9Why, riday,9 ay I, 9do you think they are going to eat them,

then9 9Ye,9 ay riday, 9they will eat them"9 9;o no,9 ay I, 9riday' I am

afraid they will murder them, indeed' but you may be ure they will not eat

them"9

All thi while I had no thought of what the matter really wa, but tood

trembling with the horror of the ight, e0(ecting e#ery moment when the three

(rioner hould be killed' nay, once I aw one of the #illain lift u( hi arm

with a great cutla, a the eamen call it, or word, to trike one of the (oormen' and I e0(ected to ee him fall e#ery moment' at which all the blood in my

body eemed to run chill in my #ein" I wihed heartily now for the S(aniard,

and the a#age that had gone with him, or that I had any way to ha#e come

undico#ered within hot of them, that I might ha#e ecured the three men, for I

aw no firearm they had among them' but it fell out to my mind another way"

After I had ober#ed the outrageou uage of the three men by the inolent

eamen, I ober#ed the fellow run cattering about the iland, a if they wanted

to ee the country" I ober#ed that the three other men had liberty to go alo

where they (leaed' but they at down all three u(on the ground, #ery (eni#e,

and looked like men in de(air" 8hi (ut me in mind of the firt time when Icame on hore, and began to look about me' how I ga#e myelf o#er for lot'

how wildly I looked round me' what dreadful a((rehenion I had' and how I

lodged in the tree all night for fear of being de#oured by wild beat" A I knew

nothing that night of the u((ly I wa to recei#e by the (ro#idential dri#ing of

the hi( nearer the land by the torm and tide, by which I ha#e ince been o

long nourihed and u((orted' o thee three (oor deolate men knew nothing



how certain of deli#erance and u((ly they were, how near it wa to them, and

how effectually and really they were in a condition of afety, at the ame time

that they thought themel#e lot and their cae de(erate" So little do we ee

before u in the world, and o much reaon ha#e we to de(end cheerfully u(on

the great /aker of the world, that !e doe not lea#e !i creature o abolutely

detitute, but that in the wort circumtance they ha#e alway omething to be

thankful for, and ometime are nearer deli#erance than they imagine' nay, are

e#en brought to their deli#erance by the mean by which they eem to be

brought to their detruction"

It wa ut at high*water when thee (eo(le came on hore' and while they

rambled about to ee what kind of a (lace they were in, they had carelely

tayed till the tide wa (ent, and the water wa ebbed coniderably away,

lea#ing their boat aground" 8hey had left two men in the boat, who, a I found

afterward, ha#ing drunk a little too much brandy, fell alee(' howe#er, one of

them waking a little ooner than the other and finding the boat too fat aground

for him to tir it, hallooed out for the ret, who were traggling about5 u(on

which they all oon came to the boat5 but it wa (at all their trength to launch

her, the boat being #ery hea#y, and the hore on that ide being a oft oo&y

and, almot like a uickand" In thi condition, like true eamen, who are,

(erha(, the leat of all mankind gi#en to forethought, they ga#e it o#er, and

away they trolled about the country again' and I heard one of them ay aloud

to another, calling them off from the boat, 9Why, let her alone, ack, cant you

hell float ne0t tide'9 by which I wa fully confirmed in the main inuiry of

what countrymen they were" All thi while I ke(t myelf #ery cloe, not oncedaring to tir out of my catle any farther than to my (lace of ober#ation near

the to( of the hill5 and #ery glad I wa to think how well it wa fortified" I knew

it wa no le than ten hour before the boat could float again, and by that time

it would be dark, and I might be at more liberty to ee their motion, and to

hear their dicoure, if they had any" In the meantime I fitted myelf u( for a

battle a before, though with more caution, knowing I had to do with another

kind of enemy than I had at firt" I ordered riday alo, whom I had made an

e0cellent markman with hi gun, to load himelf with arm" I took myelf two

fowling*(iece, and I ga#e him three muket" /y figure, indeed, wa #ery

fierce' I had my formidable goat*kin coat on, with the great ca( I ha#ementioned, a naked word by my ide, two (itol in my belt, and a gun u(on

each houlder"

It wa my deign, a I aid abo#e, not to ha#e made any attem(t till it wa dark'

but about two oclock, being the heat of the day, I found that they were all gone

traggling into the wood, and, a I thought, laid down to lee(" 8he three (oor



all the ret would return to their duty" I aked him which they were" !e told me

he could not at that ditance ditinguih them, but he would obey my order in

anything I would direct" 9Well,9 ay I, 9let u retreat out of their #iew or

hearing, let they awake, and we will reol#e further"9 So they willingly went

back with me, till the wood co#ered u from them"

9-ook you, ir,9 aid I, 9if I #enture u(on your deli#erance, are you willing to

make two condition with me9 !e antici(ated my (ro(oal by telling me that

both he and the hi(, if reco#ered, hould be wholly directed and commanded

by me in e#erything' and if the hi( wa not reco#ered, he would li#e and die

with me in what (art of the world oe#er I would end him' and the two other

men aid the ame" 9Well,9 ay I, 9my condition are but two' firt, that while

you tay in thi iland with me, you will not (retend to any authority here' and

if I (ut arm in your hand, you will, u(on all occaion, gi#e them u( to me,

and do no (reudice to me or mine u(on thi iland, and in the meantime be

go#erned by my order' econdly, that if the hi( i or may be reco#ered, you

will carry me and my man to )ngland (aage free"9

!e ga#e me all the aurance that the in#ention or faith of man could de#ie

that he would com(ly with thee mot reaonable demand, and beide would

owe hi life to me, and acknowledge it u(on all occaion a long a he li#ed"

9Well, then,9 aid I, 9here are three muket for you, with (owder and ball' tell

me ne0t what you think i (ro(er to be done"9 !e howed all the tetimonie of

hi gratitude that he wa able, but offered to be wholly guided by me" I told him

I thought it wa #ery hard #enturing anything' but the bet method I could think

of wa to fire on them at once a they lay, and if any were not killed at the firt

#olley, and offered to ubmit, we might a#e them, and o (ut it wholly u(on

4od (ro#idence to direct the hot" !e aid, #ery modetly, that he wa loath to

kill them if he could hel( it' but that thoe two were incorrigible #illain, and

had been the author of all the mutiny in the hi(, and if they eca(ed, we

hould be undone till, for they would go on board and bring the whole hi(

com(any, and detroy u all" 9Well, then,9 ay I, 9neceity legitimate my

ad#ice, for it i the only way to a#e our li#e"9 !owe#er, eeing him till

cautiou of hedding blood, I told him they hould go themel#e, and manage

a they found con#enient"

In the middle of thi dicoure we heard ome of them awake, and oon after

we aw two of them on their feet" I aked him if either of them were the head

of the mutiny !e aid, 9;o"9 9Well, then,9 aid I, 9you may let them eca(e'

and <ro#idence eem to ha#e awakened them on (ur(oe to a#e themel#e"

;ow,9 ay I, 9if the ret eca(e you, it i your fault"9 Animated with thi, he



took the muket I had gi#en him in hi hand, and a (itol in hi belt, and hi two

comrade with him, with each a (iece in hi hand' the two men who were with

him going firt made ome noie, at which one of the eamen who wa awake

turned about, and eeing them coming, cried out to the ret' but wa too late

then, for the moment he cried out they fired * I mean the two men, the ca(tain

wiely reer#ing hi own (iece" 8hey had o well aimed their hot at the men

they knew, that one of them wa killed on the (ot, and the other #ery much

wounded' but not being dead, he tarted u( on hi feet, and called eagerly for

hel( to the other' but the ca(tain te((ing to him, told him it wa too late to cry

for hel(, he hould call u(on 4od to forgi#e hi #illainy, and with that word

knocked him down with the tock of hi muket, o that he ne#er (oke more'

there were three more in the com(any, and one of them wa lightly wounded"

By thi time I wa come' and when they aw their danger, and that it wa in

#ain to reit, they begged for mercy" 8he ca(tain told them he would (are

their li#e if they would gi#e him an aurance of their abhorrence of the

treachery they had been guilty of, and would wear to be faithful to him in

reco#ering the hi(, and afterward in carrying her back to amaica, from

whence they came" 8hey ga#e him all the (rotetation of their incerity that

could be deired' and he wa willing to belie#e them, and (are their li#e,

which I wa not againt, only that I obliged him to kee( them bound hand and

foot while they were on the iland"

While thi wa doing, I ent riday with the ca(tain mate to the boat with

order to ecure her, and bring away the oar and ail, which they did' and by*

and*by three traggling men, that were ?ha((ily for them@ (arted from the ret,came back u(on hearing the gun fired' and eeing the ca(tain, who wa before

their (rioner, now their conueror, they ubmitted to be bound alo' and o our

#ictory wa com(lete"

It now remained that the ca(tain and I hould inuire into one another

circumtance" I began firt, and told him my whole hitory, which he heard

with an attention e#en to ama&ement * and (articularly at the wonderful manner

of my being furnihed with (ro#iion and ammunition' and, indeed, a my

tory i a whole collection of wonder, it affected him dee(ly" But when he

reflected from thence u(on himelf, and how I eemed to ha#e been (reer#edthere on (ur(oe to a#e hi life, the tear ran down hi face, and he could not

(eak a word more" After thi communication wa at an end, I carried him and

hi two men into my a(artment, leading them in ut where I came out, #i&" at

the to( of the houe, where I refrehed them with uch (ro#iion a I had, and

howed them all the contri#ance I had made during my long, long inhabiting

that (lace"



All I howed them, all I aid to them, wa (erfectly ama&ing' but abo#e all, the

ca(tain admired my fortification, and how (erfectly I had concealed my retreat

with a gro#e of tree, which ha#ing been now (lanted nearly twenty year, and

the tree growing much fater than in )ngland, wa become a little wood, o

thick that it wa im(aable in any (art of it but at that one ide where I had

reer#ed my little winding (aage into it" I told him thi wa my catle and my

reidence, but that I had a eat in the country, a mot (rince ha#e, whither I

could retreat u(on occaion, and I would how him that too another time' but at

(reent our buine wa to conider how to reco#er the hi(" !e agreed with

me a to that, but told me he wa (erfectly at a lo what meaure to take, for

that there were till i0*and*twenty hand on board, who, ha#ing entered into a

cured con(iracy, by which they had all forfeited their li#e to the law, would

be hardened in it now by de(eration, and would carry it on, knowing that if

they were ubdued they would be brought to the gallow a oon a they came

to )ngland, or to any of the )nglih colonie, and that, therefore, there would

be no attacking them with o mall a number a we were"

I mued for ome time on what he had aid, and found it wa a #ery rational

concluion, and that therefore omething wa to be reol#ed on (eedily, a

well to draw the men on board into ome nare for their ur(rie a to (re#ent

their landing u(on u, and detroying u" >(on thi, it (reently occurred to me

that in a little while the hi( crew, wondering what wa become of their

comrade and of the boat, would certainly come on hore in their other boat to

look for them, and that then, (erha(, they might come armed, and be too

trong for u5 thi he allowed to be rational" >(on thi, I told him the firt thingwe had to do wa to ta#e the boat which lay u(on the beach, o that they might

not carry her of, and taking e#erything out of her, lea#e her o far uele a not

to be fit to wim" Accordingly, we went on board, took the arm which were

left on board out of her, and whate#er ele we found there * which wa a bottle

of brandy, and another of rum, a few bicuit*cake, a horn of (owder, and a

great lum( of ugar in a (iece of can#a ?the ugar wa fi#e or i0 (ound@5 all

which wa #ery welcome to me, e(ecially the brandy and ugar, of which I

had had none left for many year"

When we had carried all thee thing on hore ?the oar, mat, ail, and rudderof the boat were carried away before@, we knocked a great hole in her bottom,

that if they had come trong enough to mater u, yet they could not carry off

the boat" Indeed, it wa not much in my thought that we could be able to

reco#er the hi(' but my #iew wa, that if they went away without the boat, I

did not much uetion to make her again fit to carry a to the -eeward Iland,



and call u(on our friend the S(aniard in my way, for I had them till in my

thought"

CHAPTER %VIII - THE SHIP RECVERED

W!I-) we were thu (re(aring our deign, and had firt, by main trength,

hea#ed the boat u(on the beach, o high that the tide would not float her off at

high*water mark, and beide, had broke a hole in her bottom too big to be

uickly to((ed, and were et down muing what we hould do, we heard the

hi( fire a gun, and make a waft with her enign a a ignal for the boat to come

on board * but no boat tirred' and they fired e#eral time, making other

ignal for the boat" At lat, when all their ignal and firing (ro#ed fruitle,

and they found the boat did not tir, we aw them, by the hel( of my glae,

hoit another boat out and row toward the hore' and we found, a they

a((roached, that there were no le than ten men in her, and that they had

firearm with them"

A the hi( lay almot two league from the hore, we had a full #iew of them

a the came, and a (lain ight e#en of their face' becaue the tide ha#ing et

them a little to the eat of the other boat, they rowed u( under hore, to come to

the ame (lace where the other had landed, and where the boat lay' by thi

mean, I ay, we had a full #iew of them, and the ca(tain knew the (eron and

character of all the men in the boat, of whom, he aid, there were three #ery

honet fellow, who, he wa ure, were led into thi con(iracy by the ret,

being o#er*(owered and frightened' but that a for the boatwain, who it eem

wa the chief officer among them, and all the ret, they were a outrageou a

any of the hi( crew, and were no doubt made de(erate in their new

enter(rie' and terribly a((reheni#e he wa that they would be too (owerful

for u" I miled at him, and told him that men in our circumtance were (at

the o(eration of fear' that eeing almot e#ery condition that could be wa

better than that which we were u((oed to be in, we ought to e0(ect that the

coneuence, whether death or life, would be ure to be a deli#erance" I aked

him what he thought of the circumtance of my life, and whether a deli#erancewere not worth #enturing for 9And where, ir,9 aid I, 9i your belief of my

being (reer#ed here on (ur(oe to a#e your life, which ele#ated you a little

while ago or my (art,9 aid I, 9there eem to be but one thing ami in all

the (ro(ect of it"9 9What i that9 ay he" 9Why,9 aid I, 9it i, that a you ay

there are three or four honet fellow among them which hould be (ared, had

they been all of the wicked (art of the crew I hould ha#e thought 4od



(ro#idence had ingled them out to deli#er them into your hand' for de(end

u(on it, e#ery man that come ahore i our own, and hall die or li#e a they

beha#e to u"9 A I (oke thi with a raied #oice and cheerful countenance, I

found it greatly encouraged him' o we et #igorouly to our buine"

We had, u(on the firt a((earance of the boat coming from the hi(,conidered of e(arating our (rioner' and we had, indeed, ecured them

effectually" 8wo of them, of whom the ca(tain wa le aured than ordinary, I

ent with riday, and one of the three deli#ered men, to my ca#e, where they

were remote enough, and out of danger of being heard or dico#ered, or of

finding their way out of the wood if they could ha#e deli#ered themel#e"

!ere they left them bound, but ga#e them (ro#iion' and (romied them, if

they continued there uietly, to gi#e them their liberty in a day or two' but that

if they attem(ted their eca(e they hould be (ut to death without mercy" 8hey

(romied faithfully to bear their confinement with (atience, and were #ery

thankful that they had uch good uage a to ha#e (ro#iion and light left

them' for riday ga#e them candle ?uch a we made ourel#e@ for their

comfort' and they did not know but that he tood entinel o#er them at the

entrance"

8he other (rioner had better uage' two of them were ke(t (inioned, indeed,

becaue the ca(tain wa not able to trut them' but the other two were taken

into my er#ice, u(on the ca(tain recommendation, and u(on their olemnly

engaging to li#e and die with u' o with them and the three honet men we

were e#en men, well armed' and I made no doubt we hould be able to deal

well enough with the ten that were coming, conidering that the ca(tain had

aid there were three or four honet men among them alo" A oon a they got

to the (lace where their other boat lay, they ran their boat into the beach and

came all on hore, hauling the boat u( after them, which I wa glad to ee, for I

wa afraid they would rather ha#e left the boat at an anchor ome ditance from

the hore, with ome hand in her to guard her, and o we hould not be able to

ei&e the boat" Being on hore, the firt thing they did, they ran all to their other

boat' and it wa eay to ee they were under a great ur(rie to find her

tri((ed, a abo#e, of all that wa in her, and a great hole in her bottom" After

they had mued a while u(on thi, they et u( two or three great hout,hallooing with all their might, to try if they could make their com(anion hear'

but all wa to no (ur(oe" 8hen they came all cloe in a ring, and fired a #olley

of their mall arm, which indeed we heard, and the echoe made the wood

ring" But it wa all one' thoe in the ca#e, we were ure, could not hear' and

thoe in our kee(ing, though they heard it well enough, yet durt gi#e no

anwer to them" 8hey were o atonihed at the ur(rie of thi, that, a they



told u afterward, they reol#ed to go all on board again to their hi(, and let

them know that the men were all murdered, and the long*boat ta#ed'

accordingly, they immediately launched their boat again, and got all of them on

board"

8he ca(tain wa terribly ama&ed, and e#en confounded, at thi, belie#ing theywould go on board the hi( again and et ail, gi#ing their comrade o#er for

lot, and o he hould till loe the hi(, which he wa in ho(e we hould ha#e

reco#ered' but he wa uickly a much frightened the other way"

8hey had not been long (ut off with the boat, when we (ercei#ed them all

coming on hore again' but with thi new meaure in their conduct, which it

eem they conulted together u(on, #i&" to lea#e three men in the boat, and the

ret to go on hore, and go u( into the country to look for their fellow" 8hi

wa a great dia((ointment to u, for now we were at a lo what to do, a our

ei&ing thoe e#en men on hore would be no ad#antage to u if we let the boateca(e' becaue they would row away to the hi(, and then the ret of them

would be ure to weigh and et ail, and o our reco#ering the hi( would be

lot" !owe#er we had no remedy but to wait and ee what the iue of thing

might (reent" 8he e#en men came on hore, and the three who remained in

the boat (ut her off to a good ditance from the hore, and came to an anchor to

wait for them' o that it wa im(oible for u to come at them in the boat"

8hoe that came on hore ke(t cloe together, marching toward the to( of the

little hill under which my habitation lay' and we could ee them (lainly, though

they could not (ercei#e u" We hould ha#e been #ery glad if they would ha#e

come nearer u, o that we might ha#e fired at them, or that they would ha#e

gone farther off, that we might come abroad" But when they were come to the

brow of the hill where they could ee a great way into the #alley and wood,

which lay toward the north*eat (art, and where the iland lay lowet, they

houted and hallooed till they were weary' and not caring, it eem, to #enture

far from the hore, nor far from one another, they at down together under a

tree to conider it" !ad they thought fit to ha#e gone to lee( there, a the other

(art of them had done, they had done the ob for u' but they were too full of

a((rehenion of danger to #enture to go to lee(, though they could not tell

what the danger wa they had to fear"

8he ca(tain made a #ery ut (ro(oal to me u(on thi conultation of their,

#i&" that (erha( they would all fire a #olley again, to endea#our to make their

fellow hear, and that we hould all ally u(on them ut at the uncture when

their (iece were all dicharged, and they would certainly yield, and we hould

ha#e them without bloodhed" I liked thi (ro(oal, (ro#ided it wa done while



we were near enough to come u( to them before they could load their (iece

again" But thi e#ent did not ha((en' and we lay till a long time, #ery

irreolute what coure to take" At length I told them there would be nothing

done, in my o(inion, till night' and then, if they did not return to the boat,

(erha( we might find a way to get between them and the hore, and o might

ue ome tratagem with them in the boat to get them on hore" We waited a

great while, though #ery im(atient for their remo#ing' and were #ery uneay

when, after long conultation, we aw them all tart u( and march down

toward the ea' it eem they had uch dreadful a((rehenion of the danger of

the (lace that they reol#ed to go on board the hi( again, gi#e their

com(anion o#er for lot, and o go on with their intended #oyage with the

hi("

A oon a I (ercei#ed them go toward the hore, I imagined it to be a it

really wa that they had gi#en o#er their earch, and were going back again'

and the ca(tain, a oon a I told him my thought, wa ready to ink at the

a((rehenion of it' but I (reently thought of a tratagem to fetch them back

again, and which anwered my end to a tittle" I ordered riday and the ca(tain

mate to go o#er the little creek wetward, toward the (lace where the a#age

came on hore, when riday wa recued, and o oon a they came to a little

riing round, at about half a mile ditant, I bid them halloo out, a loud a they

could, and wait till they found the eamen heard them' that a oon a e#er they

heard the eamen anwer them, they hould return it again' and then, kee(ing

out of ight, take a round, alway anwering when the other hallooed, to draw

them a far into the iland and among the wood a (oible, and then wheelabout again to me by uch way a I directed them"

8hey were ut going into the boat when riday and the mate hallooed' and they

(reently heard them, and anwering, ran along the hore wetward, toward

the #oice they heard, when they were to((ed by the creek, where the water

being u(, they could not get o#er, and called for the boat to come u( and et

them o#er' a, indeed, I e0(ected" When they had et themel#e o#er, I

ober#ed that the boat being gone a good way into the creek, and, a it were, in

a harbour within the land, they took one of the three men out of her, to go along

with them, and left only two in the boat, ha#ing fatened her to the tum( of alittle tree on the hore" 8hi wa what I wihed for' and immediately lea#ing

riday and the ca(tain mate to their buine, I took the ret with me' and,

croing the creek out of their ight, we ur(ried the two men before they were

aware * one of them lying on the hore, and the other being in the boat" 8he

fellow on hore wa between lee(ing and waking, and going to tart u(' the

ca(tain, who wa foremot, ran in u(on him, and knocked him down' and then



called out to him in the boat to yield, or he wa a dead man" 8hey needed #ery

few argument to (eruade a ingle man to yield, when he aw fi#e men u(on

him and hi comrade knocked down5 beide, thi wa, it eem, one of the

three who were not o hearty in the mutiny a the ret of the crew, and therefore

wa eaily (eruaded not only to yield, but afterward to oin #ery incerely

with u" In the meantime, riday and the ca(tain mate o well managed their

buine with the ret that they drew them, by hallooing and anwering, from

one hill to another, and from one wood to another, till they not only heartily

tired them, but left them where they were, #ery ure they could not reach back

to the boat before it wa dark' and, indeed, they were heartily tired themel#e

alo, by the time they came back to u"

We had nothing now to do but to watch for them in the dark, and to fall u(on

them, o a to make ure work with them" It wa e#eral hour after riday

came back to me before they came back to their boat' and we could hear the

foremot of them, long before they came uite u(, calling to thoe behind to

come along' and could alo hear them anwer, and com(lain how lame and

tired they were, and not able to come any fater5 which wa #ery welcome new

to u" At length they came u( to the boat5 but it i im(oible to e0(re their

confuion when they found the boat fat aground in the creek, the tide ebbed

out, and their two men gone" We could hear them call one to another in a mot

lamentable manner, telling one another they were got into an enchanted iland'

that either there were inhabitant in it, and they hould all be murdered, or ele

there were de#il and (irit in it, and they hould be all carried away and

de#oured" 8hey hallooed again, and called their two comrade by their name agreat many time' but no anwer" After ome time we could ee them, by the

little light there wa, run about, wringing their hand like men in de(air, and

ometime they would go and it down in the boat to ret themel#e5 then

come ahore again, and walk about again, and o the ame thing o#er again" /y

men would fain ha#e had me gi#e them lea#e to fall u(on them at once in the

dark' but I wa willing to take them at ome ad#antage, o a to (are them, and

kill a few of them a I could' and e(ecially I wa unwilling to ha&ard the

killing of any of our men, knowing the other were #ery well armed" I reol#ed

to wait, to ee if they did not e(arate' and therefore, to make ure of them, I

drew my ambucade nearer, and ordered riday and the ca(tain to cree( u(ontheir hand and feet, a cloe to the ground a they could, that they might not be

dico#ered, and get a near them a they could (oibly before they offered to

fire"

8hey had not been long in that (oture when the boatwain, who wa the

(rinci(al ringleader of the mutiny, and had now hown himelf the mot



deected and di(irited of all the ret, came walking toward them, with two

more of the crew' the ca(tain wa o eager at ha#ing thi (rinci(al rogue o

much in hi (ower, that he could hardly ha#e (atience to let him come o near

a to be ure of him, for they only heard hi tongue before5 but when they came

nearer, the ca(tain and riday, tarting u( on their feet, let fly at them" 8he

boatwain wa killed u(on the (ot5 the ne0t man wa hot in the body, and fell

ut by him, though he did not die till an hour or two after' and the third ran for

it" At the noie of the fire I immediately ad#anced with my whole army, which

wa now eight men, #i&" myelf, generaliimo' riday, my lieutenant*general'

the ca(tain and hi two men, and the three (rioner of war whom we had

truted with arm" We came u(on them, indeed, in the dark, o that they could

not ee our number' and I made the man they had left in the boat, who wa now

one of u, to call them by name, to try if I could bring them to a (arley, and o

(erha( might reduce them to term' which fell out ut a we deired5 for

indeed it wa eay to think, a their condition then wa, they would be #ery

willing to ca(itulate" So he call out a loud a he could to one of them, 98om

Smith7 8om Smith79 8om Smith anwered immediately, 9I that $obinon9

for it eem he knew the #oice" 8he other anwered, 9Ay, ay' for 4od ake,

8om Smith, throw down your arm and yield, or you are all dead men thi

moment"9 9Who mut we yield to Where are they9 ay Smith again" 9!ere

they are,9 ay he' 9here our ca(tain and fifty men with him, ha#e been

hunting you thee two hour' the boatwain i killed' Will ry i wounded, and

I am a (rioner' and if you do not yield you are all lot"9 9Will they gi#e u

uarter, then9 ay 8om Smith, 9and we will yield"9 9Ill go and ak, if you

(romie to yield,9 aid $obinon5 o he aked the ca(tain, and the ca(tainhimelf then call out, 9You, Smith, you know my #oice' if you lay down your

arm immediately and ubmit, you hall ha#e your li#e, all but Will Atkin"9

>(on thi Will Atkin cried out, 9or 4od ake, ca(tain, gi#e me uarter'

what ha#e I done 8hey ha#e all been a bad a I59 which, by the way, wa not

true' for it eem thi Will Atkin wa the firt man that laid hold of the ca(tain

when they firt mutinied, and ued him barbarouly in tying hi hand and

gi#ing him inuriou language" !owe#er, the ca(tain told him he mut lay down

hi arm at dicretion, and trut to the go#ernor mercy5 by which he meant

me, for they all called me go#ernor" In a word, they all laid down their armand begged their li#e' and I ent the man that had (arleyed with them, and two

more, who bound them all' and then my great army of fifty men, which, with

thoe three, were in all but eight, came u( and ei&ed u(on them, and u(on their

boat' only that I ke(t myelf and one more out of ight for reaon of tate"



=ur ne0t work wa to re(air the boat, and think of ei&ing the hi(5 and a for

the ca(tain, now he had leiure to (arley with them, he e0(otulated with them

u(on the #illainy of their (ractice with him, and u(on the further wickedne

of their deign, and how certainly it mut bring them to miery and ditre in

the end, and (erha( to the gallow" 8hey all a((eared #ery (enitent, and

begged hard for their li#e" A for that, he told them they were not hi

(rioner, but the commander of the iland' that they thought they had et him

on hore in a barren, uninhabited iland' but it had (leaed 4od o to direct

them that it wa inhabited, and that the go#ernor wa an )nglihman' that he

might hang them all there, if he (leaed' but a he had gi#en them all uarter,

he u((oed he would end them to )ngland, to be dealt with there a utice

reuired, e0ce(t Atkin, whom he wa commanded by the go#ernor to ad#ie to

(re(are for death, for that he would be hanged in the morning"

8hough thi wa all but a fiction of hi own, yet it had it deired effect' Atkin

fell u(on hi knee to beg the ca(tain to intercede with the go#ernor for hi life'

and all the ret begged of him, for 4od ake, that they might not be ent to

)ngland"

It now occurred to me that the time of our deli#erance wa come, and that it

would be a mot eay thing to bring thee fellow in to be hearty in getting

(oeion of the hi(' o I retired in the dark from them, that they might not

ee what kind of a go#ernor they had, and called the ca(tain to me' when I

called, at a good ditance, one of the men wa ordered to (eak again, and ay

to the ca(tain, 9+a(tain, the commander call for you'9 and (reently the

ca(tain re(lied, 98ell hi e0cellency I am ut coming"9 8hi more (erfectly

ama&ed them, and they all belie#ed that the commander wa ut by, with hi

fifty men" >(on the ca(tain coming to me, I told him my (roect for ei&ing the

hi(, which he liked wonderfully well, and reol#ed to (ut it in e0ecution the

ne0t morning" But, in order to e0ecute it with more art, and to be ecure of

ucce, I told him we mut di#ide the (rioner, and that he hould go and take

Atkin, and two more of the wort of them, and end them (inioned to the ca#e

where the other lay" 8hi wa committed to riday and the two men who came

on hore with the ca(tain" 8hey con#eyed them to the ca#e a to a (rion5 and it

wa, indeed, a dimal (lace, e(ecially to men in their condition" 8he other Iordered to my bower, a I called it, of which I ha#e gi#en a full decri(tion5 and

a it wa fenced in, and they (inioned, the (lace wa ecure enough,

conidering they were u(on their beha#iour"

8o thee in the morning I ent the ca(tain, who wa to enter into a (arley with

them' in a word, to try them, and tell me whether he thought they might be



truted or not to go on board and ur(rie the hi(" !e talked to them of the

inury done him, of the condition they were brought to, and that though the

go#ernor had gi#en them uarter for their li#e a to the (reent action, yet that

if they were ent to )ngland they would all be hanged in chain' but that if they

would oin in o ut an attem(t a to reco#er the hi(, he would ha#e the

go#ernor engagement for their (ardon"

Any one may gue how readily uch a (ro(oal would be acce(ted by men in

their condition' they fell down on their knee to the ca(tain, and (romied, with

the dee(et im(recation, that they would be faithful to him to the lat dro(, and

that they hould owe their li#e to him, and would go with him all o#er the

world' that they would own him a a father to them a long a they li#ed"

9Well,9 ay the ca(tain, 9I mut go and tell the go#ernor what you ay, and ee

what I can do to bring him to conent to it"9 So he brought me an account of the

tem(er he found them in, and that he #erily belie#ed they would be faithful"

!owe#er, that we might be #ery ecure, I told him he hould go back again and

chooe out thoe fi#e, and tell them, that they might ee he did not want men,

that he would take out thoe fi#e to be hi aitant, and that the go#ernor

would kee( the other two, and the three that were ent (rioner to the catle

?my ca#e@, a hotage for the fidelity of thoe fi#e' and that if they (ro#ed

unfaithful in the e0ecution, the fi#e hotage hould be hanged in chain ali#e

on the hore" 8hi looked e#ere, and con#inced them that the go#ernor wa in

earnet' howe#er, they had no way left them but to acce(t it' and it wa now the

buine of the (rioner, a much a of the ca(tain, to (eruade the other fi#e

to do their duty"

=ur trength wa now thu ordered for the e0(edition5 firt, the ca(tain, hi

mate, and (aenger' econd, the two (rioner of the firt gang, to whom,

ha#ing their character from the ca(tain, I had gi#en their liberty, and truted

them with arm' third, the other two that I had ke(t till now in my bower,

(inioned, but on the ca(tain motion had now releaed' fourth, thee fi#e

releaed at lat' o that there were twel#e in all, beide fi#e we ke(t (rioner

in the ca#e for hotage"

I aked the ca(tain if he wa willing to #enture with thee hand on board thehi(' but a for me and my man riday, I did not think it wa (ro(er for u to

tir, ha#ing e#en men left behind' and it wa em(loyment enough for u to

kee( them aunder, and u((ly them with #ictual" A to the fi#e in the ca#e, I

reol#ed to kee( them fat, but riday went in twice a day to them, to u((ly

them with necearie' and I made the other two carry (ro#iion to a certain

ditance, where riday wa to take them"



When I howed myelf to the two hotage, it wa with the ca(tain, who told

them I wa the (eron the go#ernor had ordered to look after them' and that it

wa the go#ernor (leaure they hould not tir anywhere but by my direction'

that if they did, they would be fetched into the catle, and be laid in iron5 o

that a we ne#er uffered them to ee me a go#ernor, I now a((eared a

another (eron, and (oke of the go#ernor, the garrion, the catle, and the like,

u(on all occaion"

8he ca(tain now had no difficulty before him, but to furnih hi two boat, to(

the breach of one, and man them" !e made hi (aenger ca(tain of one, with

four of the men' and himelf, hi mate, and fi#e more, went in the other' and

they contri#ed their buine #ery well, for they came u( to the hi( about

midnight" A oon a they came within call of the hi(, he made $obinon hail

them, and tell them they had brought off the men and the boat, but that it wa a

long time before they had found them, and the like, holding them in a chat till

they came to the hi( ide' when the ca(tain and the mate entering firt with

their arm, immediately knocked down the econd mate and car(enter with the

butt*end of their muket, being #ery faithfully econded by their men' they

ecured all the ret that were u(on the main and uarter deck, and began to

faten the hatche, to kee( them down that were below' when the other boat

and their men, entering at the forechain, ecured the forecatle of the hi(, and

the cuttle which went down into the cook*room, making three men they found

there (rioner" When thi wa done, and all afe u(on deck, the ca(tain

ordered the mate, with three men, to break into the round*houe, where the new

rebel ca(tain lay, who, ha#ing taken the alarm, had got u(, and with two menand a boy had got firearm in their hand' and when the mate, with a crow, (lit

o(en the door, the new ca(tain and hi men fired boldly among them, and

wounded the mate with a muket ball, which broke hi arm, and wounded two

more of the men, but killed nobody" 8he mate, calling for hel(, ruhed,

howe#er, into the round*houe, wounded a he wa, and, with hi (itol, hot

the new ca(tain through the head, the bullet entering at hi mouth, and came

out again behind one of hi ear, o that he ne#er (oke a word more5 u(on

which the ret yielded, and the hi( wa taken effectually, without any more

li#e lot"

A oon a the hi( wa thu ecured, the ca(tain ordered e#en gun to be

fired, which wa the ignal agreed u(on with me to gi#e me notice of hi

ucce, which, you may be ure, I wa #ery glad to hear, ha#ing at watching

u(on the hore for it till near two oclock in the morning" !a#ing thu heard the

ignal (lainly, I laid me down' and it ha#ing been a day of great fatigue to me, I

le(t #ery ound, till I wa ur(ried with the noie of a gun' and (reently



tarting u(, I heard a man call me by the name of 94o#ernor7 4o#ernor79 and

(reently I knew the ca(tain #oice' when, climbing u( to the to( of the hill,

there he tood, and, (ointing to the hi(, he embraced me in hi arm, 9/y dear

friend and deli#erer,9 ay he, 9there your hi(' for he i all your, and o are

we, and all that belong to her"9 I cat my eye to the hi(, and there he rode,

within little more than half a mile of the hore' for they had weighed her anchor

a oon a they were mater of her, and, the weather being fair, had brought

her to an anchor ut againt the mouth of the little creek' and the tide being u(,

the ca(tain had brought the (innace in near the (lace where I had firt landed

my raft, and o landed ut at my door" I wa at firt ready to ink down with

the ur(rie' for I aw my deli#erance, indeed, #iibly (ut into my hand, all

thing eay, and a large hi( ut ready to carry me away whither I (leaed to

go" At firt, for ome time, I wa not able to anwer him one word' but a he

had taken me in hi arm I held fat by him, or I hould ha#e fallen to the

ground" !e (ercei#ed the ur(rie, and immediately (ulled a bottle out of hi

(ocket and ga#e me a dram of cordial, which he had brought on (ur(oe for

me" After I had drunk it, I at down u(on the ground' and though it brought me

to myelf, yet it wa a good while before I could (eak a word to him" All thi

time the (oor man wa in a great an ectay a I, only not under any ur(rie a

I wa' and he aid a thouand kind and tender thing to me, to com(oe and

bring me to myelf' but uch wa the flood of oy in my breat, that it (ut all

my (irit into confuion5 at lat it broke out into tear, and in a little while after

I reco#ered my (eech' I then took my turn, and embraced him a my deli#erer,

and we reoiced together" I told him I looked u(on him a a man ent by

!ea#en to deli#er me, and that the whole tranaction eemed to be a chain ofwonder' that uch thing a thee were the tetimonie we had of a ecret hand

of <ro#idence go#erning the world, and an e#idence that the eye of an infinite

<ower could earch into the remotet corner of the world, and end hel( to the

mierable whene#er !e (leaed" I forgot not to lift u( my heart in thankfulne

to !ea#en' and what heart could forbear to ble !im, who had not only in a

miraculou manner (ro#ided for me in uch a wilderne, and in uch a deolate

condition, but from whom e#ery deli#erance mut alway be acknowledged to

(roceed"

When we had talked a while, the ca(tain told me he had brought me ome littlerefrehment, uch a the hi( afforded, and uch a the wretche that had been

o long hi mater had not (lundered him of" >(on thi, he called aloud to the

boat, and bade hi men bring the thing ahore that were for the go#ernor' and,

indeed, it wa a (reent a if I had been one that wa not to be carried away

with them, but a if I had been to dwell u(on the iland till" irt, he had

brought me a cae of bottle full of e0cellent cordial water, i0 large bottle of



/adeira wine ?the bottle held two uart each@, two (ound of e0cellent good

tobacco, twel#e good (iece of the hi( beef, and i0 (iece of (ork, with a

bag of (ea, and about a hundred*weight of bicuit' he alo brought me a bo0 of

ugar, a bo0 of flour, a bag full of lemon, and two bottle of lime*uice, and

abundance of other thing" But beide thee, and what wa a thouand time

more ueful to me, he brought me i0 new clean hirt, i0 #ery good

neckcloth, two (air of glo#e, one (air of hoe, a hat, and one (air of

tocking, with a #ery good uit of clothe of hi own, which had been worn but

#ery little5 in a word, he clothed me from head to foot" It wa a #ery kind and

agreeable (reent, a any one may imagine, to one in my circumtance, but

ne#er wa anything in the world of that kind o un(leaant, awkward, and

uneay a it wa to me to wear uch clothe at firt"

After thee ceremonie were (at, and after all hi good thing were brought

into my little a(artment, we began to conult what wa to be done with the

(rioner we had' for it wa worth conidering whether we might #enture to

take them with u or no, e(ecially two of them, whom he knew to be

incorrigible and refractory to the lat degree' and the ca(tain aid he knew they

were uch rogue that there wa no obliging them, and if he did carry them

away, it mut be in iron, a malefactor, to be deli#ered o#er to utice at the

firt )nglih colony he could come to' and I found that the ca(tain himelf wa

#ery an0iou about it" >(on thi, I told him that, if he deired it, I would

undertake to bring the two men he (oke of to make it their own reuet that he

hould lea#e them u(on the iland" 9I hould be #ery glad of that,9 ay the

ca(tain, 9with all my heart"9 9Well,9 ay I, 9I will end for them u( and talkwith them for you"9 So I caued riday and the two hotage, for they were now

dicharged, their comrade ha#ing (erformed their (romie' I ay, I caued

them to go to the ca#e, and bring u( the fi#e men, (inioned a they were, to the

bower, and kee( them there till I came" After ome time, I came thither dreed

in my new habit' and now I wa called go#ernor again" Being all met, and the

ca(tain with me, I caued the men to be brought before me, and I told them I

had got a full account of their #illainou beha#iour to the ca(tain, and how they

had run away with the hi(, and were (re(aring to commit further robberie,

but that <ro#idence had ennared them in their own way, and that they were

fallen into the (it which they had dug for other" I let them know that by mydirection the hi( had been ei&ed' that he lay now in the road' and they might

ee by*and*by that their new ca(tain had recei#ed the reward of hi #illainy,

and that they would ee him hanging at the yard*arm' that, a to them, I wanted

to know what they had to ay why I hould not e0ecute them a (irate taken in

the fact, a by my commiion they could not doubt but I had authority o to do"



=ne of them anwered in the name of the ret, that they had nothing to ay but

thi, that when they were taken the ca(tain (romied them their li#e, and they

humbly im(lored my mercy" But I told them I knew not what mercy to how

them' for a for myelf, I had reol#ed to uit the iland with all my men, and

had taken (aage with the ca(tain to go to )ngland' and a for the ca(tain, he

could not carry them to )ngland other than a (rioner in iron, to be tried for

mutiny and running away with the hi(' the coneuence of which, they mut

need know, would be the gallow' o that I could not tell what wa bet for

them, unle they had a mind to take their fate in the iland" If they deired that,

a I had liberty to lea#e the iland, I had ome inclination to gi#e them their

li#e, if they thought they could hift on hore" 8hey eemed #ery thankful for

it, and aid they would much rather #enture to tay there than be carried to

)ngland to be hanged" So I left it on that iue"

!owe#er, the ca(tain eemed to make ome difficulty of it, a if he durt not

lea#e them there" >(on thi I eemed a little angry with the ca(tain, and told

him that they were my (rioner, not hi' and that eeing I had offered them o

much fa#our, I would be a good a my word' and that if he did not think fit to

conent to it I would et them at liberty, a I found them5 and if he did not like

it he might take them again if he could catch them" >(on thi they a((eared

#ery thankful, and I accordingly et them at liberty, and bade them retire into

the wood, to the (lace whence they came, and I would lea#e them ome

firearm, ome ammunition, and ome direction how they hould li#e #ery

well if they thought fit" >(on thi I (re(ared to go on board the hi(' but told

the ca(tain I would tay that night to (re(are my thing, and deired him to goon board in the meantime, and kee( all right in the hi(, and end the boat on

hore ne0t day for me' ordering him, at all e#ent, to caue the new ca(tain,

who wa killed, to be hanged at the yard* arm, that thee men might ee him"

When the ca(tain wa gone I ent for the men u( to me to my a(artment, and

entered eriouly into dicoure with them on their circumtance" I told them I

thought they had made a right choice' that if the ca(tain had carried them away

they would certainly be hanged" I howed them the new ca(tain hanging at the

yard*arm of the hi(, and told them they had nothing le to e0(ect"

When they had all declared their willingne to tay, I then told them I would

let them into the tory of my li#ing there, and (ut them into the way of making

it eay to them" Accordingly, I ga#e them the whole hitory of the (lace, and of

my coming to it' howed them my fortification, the way I made my bread,

(lanted my corn, cured my gra(e' and, in a word, all that wa neceary to

make them eay" I told them the tory alo of the e#enteen S(aniard that were



to be e0(ected, for whom I left a letter, and made them (romie to treat them in

common with themel#e" !ere it may be noted that the ca(tain, who had ink

on board, wa greatly ur(ried that I ne#er hit u(on a way of making ink of

charcoal and water, or of omething ele, a I had done thing much more

difficult"

I left them my firearm * #i&" fi#e muket, three fowling*(iece, and three

word" I had abo#e a barrel and a half of (owder left' for after the firt year or

two I ued but little, and wated none" I ga#e them a decri(tion of the way I

managed the goat, and direction to milk and fatten them, and to make both

butter and cheee" In a word, I ga#e them e#ery (art of my own tory' and told

them I hould (re#ail with the ca(tain to lea#e them two barrel of gun(owder

more, and ome garden*eed, which I told them I would ha#e been #ery glad

of" Alo, I ga#e them the bag of (ea which the ca(tain had brought me to eat,

and bade them be ure to ow and increae them"

CHAPTER %I% - RET"RN T EN$LAND

!AEI;4 done all thi I left them the ne0t day, and went on board the hi(" We

(re(ared immediately to ail, but did not weigh that night" 8he ne0t morning

early, two of the fi#e men came wimming to the hi( ide, and making the

mot lamentable com(laint of the other three, begged to be taken into the hi(

for 4od ake, for they hould be murdered, and begged the ca(tain to take

them on board, though he hanged them immediately" >(on thi the ca(tain

(retended to ha#e no (ower without me' but after ome difficulty, and after

their olemn (romie of amendment, they were taken on board, and were,

ome time after, oundly whi((ed and (ickled' after which they (ro#ed #ery

honet and uiet fellow"

Some time after thi, the boat wa ordered on hore, the tide being u(, with the

thing (romied to the men' to which the ca(tain, at my interceion, caued

their chet and clothe to be added, which they took, and were #ery thankful

for" I alo encouraged them, by telling them that if it lay in my (ower to endany #eel to take them in, I would not forget them"

When I took lea#e of thi iland, I carried on board, for relic, the great goat*

kin ca( I had made, my umbrella, and one of my (arrot' alo, I forgot not to

take the money I formerly mentioned, which had lain by me o long uele

that it wa grown ruty or tarnihed, and could hardly (a for il#er till it had

been a little rubbed and handled, a alo the money I found in the wreck of the



S(anih hi(" And thu I left the iland, the 1Gth of .ecember, a I found by the

hi( account, in the year 16J6, after I had been u(on it eight*and*twenty

year, two month, and nineteen day' being deli#ered from thi econd

ca(ti#ity the ame day of the month that I firt made my eca(e in the long*boat

from among the /oor of Sallee" In thi #eel, after a long #oyage, I arri#ed in

)ngland the 11th of une, in the year 16J, ha#ing been thirty*fi#e year

abent"

When I came to )ngland I wa a (erfect a tranger to all the world a if I had

ne#er been known there" /y benefactor and faithful teward, whom I had left

my money in trut with, wa ali#e, but had had great mifortune in the world'

wa become a widow the econd time, and #ery low in the world" I made her

#ery eay a to what he owed me, auring her I would gi#e her no trouble'

but, on the contrary, in gratitude for her former care and faithfulne to me, I

relie#ed her a my little tock would afford' which at that time would, indeed,

allow me to do but little for her' but I aured her I would ne#er forget her

former kindne to me' nor did I forget her when I had ufficient to hel( her, a

hall be ober#ed in it (ro(er (lace" I went down afterward into Yorkhire'

but my father wa dead, and my mother and all the family e0tinct, e0ce(t that I

found two iter, and two of the children of one of my brother' and a I had

been long ago gi#en o#er for dead, there had been no (ro#iion made for me' o

that, in a word, I found nothing to relie#e or ait me' and that the little money

I had would not do much for me a to ettling in the world"

I met with one (iece of gratitude indeed, which I did not e0(ect' and thi wa,

that the mater of the hi(, whom I had o ha((ily deli#ered, and by the ame

mean a#ed the hi( and cargo, ha#ing gi#en a #ery handome account to the

owner of the manner how I had a#ed the li#e of the men and the hi(, they

in#ited me to meet them and ome other merchant concerned, and all together

made me a #ery handome com(liment u(on the ubect, and a (reent of

almot 2CC (ound terling"

But after making e#eral reflection u(on the circumtance of my life, and

how little way thi would go toward ettling me in the world, I reol#ed to go

to -ibon, and ee if I might not come at ome information of the tate of my (lantation in the Bra&il, and of what wa become of my (artner, who, I had

reaon to u((oe, had ome year (at gi#en me o#er for dead" With thi #iew

I took hi((ing for -ibon, where I arri#ed in A(ril following, my man riday

accom(anying me #ery honetly in all thee rambling, and (ro#ing a mot

faithful er#ant u(on all occaion" When I came to -ibon, I found out, by

inuiry, and to my (articular atifaction, my old friend, the ca(tain of the hi(



who firt took me u( at ea off the hore of Africa" !e wa now grown old, and

had left off going to ea, ha#ing (ut hi on, who wa far from a young man,

into hi hi(, and who till ued the Bra&il trade" 8he old man did not know me,

and indeed I hardly knew him" But I oon brought him to my remembrance, and

a oon brought myelf to hi remembrance, when I told him who I wa"

After ome (aionate e0(reion of the old acuaintance between u, I

inuired, you may he ure, after my (lantation and my (artner" 8he old man

told me he had not been in the Bra&il for about nine year' but that he could

aure me that when he came away my (artner wa li#ing, but the trutee

whom I had oined with him to take cogniance of my (art were both dead5

that, howe#er, he belie#ed I would ha#e a #ery good account of the

im(ro#ement of the (lantation' for that, u(on the general belief of my being

cat away and drowned, my trutee had gi#en in the account of the (roduce of

my (art of the (lantation to the (rocurator*fical, who had a((ro(riated it, in

cae I ne#er came to claim it, one*third to the king, and two*third to the

monatery of St" Augutine, to be e0(ended for the benefit of the (oor, and for

the con#erion of the Indian to the +atholic faith5 but that, if I a((eared, or any

one for me, to claim the inheritance, it would be retored' only that the

im(ro#ement, or annual (roduction, being ditributed to charitable ue, could

not be retored5 but he aured me that the teward of the king re#enue from

land, and the (ro#idore, or teward of the monatery, had taken great care all

along that the incumbent, that i to ay my (artner, ga#e e#ery year a faithful

account of the (roduce, of which they had duly recei#ed my moiety" I aked

him if he knew to what height of im(ro#ement he had brought the (lantation,and whether he thought it might be worth looking after' or whether, on my

going thither, I hould meet with any obtruction to my (oeing my ut right

in the moiety" !e told me he could not tell e0actly to what degree the (lantation

wa im(ro#ed' but thi he knew, that my (artner wa grown e0ceeding rich

u(on the enoying hi (art of it' and that, to the bet of hi remembrance, he had

heard that the king third of my (art, which wa, it eem, granted away to

ome other monatery or religiou houe, amounted to abo#e two hundred

moidore a year5 that a to my being retored to a uiet (oeion of it, there

wa no uetion to be made of that, my (artner being ali#e to witne my title,

and my name being alo enrolled in the regiter of the country' alo he told methat the ur#i#or of my two trutee were #ery fair, honet (eo(le, and #ery

wealthy' and he belie#ed I would not only ha#e their aitance for (utting me

in (oeion, but would find a #ery coniderable um of money in their hand

for my account, being the (roduce of the farm while their father held the trut,

and before it wa gi#en u(, a abo#e' which, a he remembered, wa for about

twel#e year"



I howed myelf a little concerned and uneay at thi account, and inuired of

the old ca(tain how it came to (a that the trutee hould thu di(oe of my

effect, when he knew that I had made my will, and had made him, the

<ortuguee ca(tain, my uni#eral heir, Fc"

!e told me that wa true' but that a there wa no (roof of my being dead, hecould not act a e0ecutor until ome certain account hould come of my death'

and, beide, he wa not willing to intermeddle with a thing o remote5 that it

wa true he had regitered my will, and (ut in hi claim' and could he ha#e

gi#en any account of my being dead or ali#e, he would ha#e acted by

(rocuration, and taken (oeion of the ingenio ?o they call the ugar*houe@,

and ha#e gi#en hi on, who wa now at the Bra&il, order to do it" 9But,9 ay

the old man, 9I ha#e one (iece of new to tell you, which (erha( may not be o

acce(table to you a the ret' and that i, belie#ing you were lot, and all the

world belie#ing o alo, your (artner and trutee did offer to account with me,

in your name, for the firt i0 or eight year (rofit, which I recei#ed" 8here

being at that time great diburement for increaing the work, building an

ingenio, and buying la#e, it did not amount to near o much a afterward it

(roduced' howe#er,9 ay the old man, 9I hall gi#e you a true account of what

I ha#e recei#ed in all, and how I ha#e di(oed of it"9

After a few day further conference with thi ancient friend, he brought me an

account of the firt i0 year income of my (lantation, igned by my (artner

and the merchant*trutee, being alway deli#ered in good, #i&" tobacco in roll,

and ugar in chet, beide rum, molae, Fc", which i the coneuence of a

ugar*work' and I found by thi account, that e#ery year the income

coniderably increaed' but, a abo#e, the diburement being large, the um at

firt wa mall5 howe#er, the old man let me ee that he wa debtor to me four

hundred and e#enty moidore of gold, beide i0ty chet of ugar and fifteen

double roll of tobacco, which were lot in hi hi(' he ha#ing been

hi(wrecked coming home to -ibon, about ele#en year after my ha#ing the

(lace" 8he good man then began to com(lain of hi mifortune, and how he

had been obliged to make ue of my money to reco#er hi loe, and buy him a

hare in a new hi(" 9!owe#er, my old friend,9 ay he, 9you hall not want a

u((ly in your neceity' and a oon a my on return you hall be fullyatified"9 >(on thi he (ull out an old (ouch, and gi#e me one hundred and

i0ty <ortugal moidore in gold' and gi#ing the writing of hi title to the hi(,

which hi on wa gone to the Bra&il in, of which he wa uarter*(art owner,

and hi on another, he (ut them both into my hand for ecurity of the ret"



I wa too much mo#ed with the honety and kindne of the (oor man to be

able to bear thi' and remembering what he had done for me, how he had taken

me u( at ea, and how generouly he had ued me on all occaion, and

(articularly how incere a friend he wa now to me, I could hardly refrain

wee(ing at what he had aid to me' therefore I aked him if hi circumtance

admitted him to (are o much money at that time, and if it would not traiten

him !e told me he could not ay but it might traiten him a little' but,

howe#er, it wa my money, and I might want it more than he"

)#erything the good man aid wa full of affection, and I could hardly refrain

from tear while he (oke' in hort, I took one hundred of the moidore, and

called for a (en and ink to gi#e him a recei(t for them5 then I returned him the

ret, and told him if e#er I had (oeion of the (lantation I would return the

other to him alo ?a, indeed, I afterward did@' and that a to the bill of ale of

hi (art in hi on hi(, I would not take it by any mean' but that if I wanted

the money, I found he wa honet enough to (ay me' and if I did not, but came

to recei#e what he ga#e me reaon to e0(ect, I would ne#er ha#e a (enny more

from him"

When thi wa (at, the old man aked me if he hould (ut me into a method to

make my claim to my (lantation" I told him I thought to go o#er to it myelf"

!e aid I might do o if I (leaed, but that if I did not, there were way enough

to ecure my right, and immediately to a((ro(riate the (rofit to my ue5 and a

there were hi( in the ri#er of -ibon ut ready to go away to Bra&il, he made

me enter my name in a (ublic regiter, with hi affida#it, affirming, u(on oath,

that I wa ali#e, and that I wa the ame (eron who took u( the land for the

(lanting the aid (lantation at firt" 8hi being regularly atteted by a notary,

and a (rocuration affi0ed, he directed me to end it, with a letter of hi writing,

to a merchant of hi acuaintance at the (lace' and then (ro(oed my taying

with him till an account came of the return"

;e#er wa anything more honourable than the (roceeding u(on thi

(rocuration' for in le than e#en month I recei#ed a large (acket from the

ur#i#or of my trutee, the merchant, for whoe account I went to ea, in

which were the following, (articular letter and (a(er encloed5*

irt, there wa the account*current of the (roduce of my farm or (lantation,

from the year when their father had balanced with my old <ortugal ca(tain,

being for i0 year' the balance a((eared to be one thouand one hundred and

e#enty*four moidore in my fa#our"



Secondly, there wa the account of four year more, while they ke(t the effect

in their hand, before the go#ernment claimed the adminitration, a being the

effect of a (eron not to be found, which they called ci#il death' and the

balance of thi, the #alue of the (lantation increaing, amounted to nineteen

thouand four hundred and forty*i0 cruadoe, being about three thouand two

hundred and forty moidore"

8hirdly, there wa the <rior of St" Augutine account, who had recei#ed the

(rofit for abo#e fourteen year' but not being able to account for what wa

di(oed of by the ho(ital, #ery honetly declared he had eight hundred and

e#enty*two moidore not ditributed, which he acknowledged to my account5

a to the king (art, that refunded nothing"

8here wa a letter of my (artner, congratulating me #ery affectionately u(on

my being ali#e, gi#ing me an account how the etate wa im(ro#ed, and what it

(roduced a year' with the (articular of the number of uare, or acre that itcontained, how (lanted, how many la#e there were u(on it5 and making two*

and*twenty croe for bleing, told me he had aid o many AE) /A$IAS

to thank the Bleed Eirgin that I wa ali#e' in#iting me #ery (aionately to

come o#er and take (oeion of my own, and in the meantime to gi#e him

order to whom he hould deli#er my effect if I did not come myelf'

concluding with a hearty tender of hi friendhi(, and that of hi family' and

ent me a a (reent e#en fine leo(ard kin, which he had, it eem, recei#ed

from Africa, by ome other hi( that he had ent thither, and which, it eem,

had made a better #oyage than I" !e ent me alo fi#e chet of e0cellent

weetmeat, and a hundred (iece of gold uncoined, not uite o large a

moidore" By the ame fleet my two merchant*trutee hi((ed me one

thouand two hundred chet of ugar, eight hundred roll of tobacco, and the

ret of the whole account in gold"

I might well ay now, indeed, that the latter end of ob wa better than the

beginning" It i im(oible to e0(re the fluttering of my #ery heart when I

found all my wealth about me' for a the Bra&il hi( come all in fleet, the

ame hi( which brought my letter brought my good5 and the effect were

afe in the ri#er before the letter came to my hand" In a word, I turned (ale,and grew ick' and, had not the old man run and fetched me a cordial, I belie#e

the udden ur(rie of oy had o#eret nature, and I had died u(on the (ot5 nay,

after that I continued #ery ill, and wa o ome hour, till a (hyician being ent

for, and omething of the real caue of my illne being known, he ordered me

to be let blood' after which I had relief, and grew well5 but I #erify belie#e, if I



had not been eaed by a #ent gi#en in that manner to the (irit, I hould ha#e

died"

I wa now mater, all on a udden, of abo#e fi#e thouand (ound terling in

money, and had an etate, a I might well call it, in the Bra&il, of abo#e a

thouand (ound a year, a ure a an etate of land in )ngland5 and, in aword, I wa in a condition which I carce knew how to undertand, or how to

com(oe myelf for the enoyment of it" 8he firt thing I did wa to recom(ene

my original benefactor, my good old ca(tain, who had been firt charitable to

me in my ditre, kind to me in my beginning, and honet to me at the end" I

howed him all that wa ent to me' I told him that, ne0t to the (ro#idence of

!ea#en, which di(oed all thing, it wa owing to him' and that it now lay on

me to reward him, which I would do a hundred*fold5 o I firt returned to him

the hundred moidore I had recei#ed of him' then I ent for a notary, and

caued him to draw u( a general releae or dicharge from the four hundred and

e#enty moidore, which he had acknowledged he owed me, in the fullet and

firmet manner (oible" After which I caued a (rocuration to be drawn,

em(owering him to be the recei#er of the annual (rofit of my (lantation5 and

a((ointing my (artner to account with him, and make the return, by the uual

fleet, to him in my name' and by a claue in the end, made a grant of one

hundred moidore a year to him during hi life, out of the effect, and fifty

moidore a year to hi on after him, for hi life5 and thu I reuited my old

man"

I had now to conider which way to teer my coure ne0t, and what to do with

the etate that <ro#idence had thu (ut into my hand' and, indeed, I had more

care u(on my head now than I had in my tate of life in the iland where I

wanted nothing but what I had, and had nothing but what I wanted' wherea I

had now a great charge u(on me, and my buine wa how to ecure it" I had

not a ca#e now to hide my money in, or a (lace where it might lie without lock

or key, till it grew mouldy and tarnihed before anybody would meddle with it'

on the contrary, I knew not where to (ut it, or whom to trut with it" /y old

(atron, the ca(tain, indeed, wa honet, and that wa the only refuge I had" In

the ne0t (lace, my interet in the Bra&il eemed to ummon me thither' but

now I could not tell how to think of going thither till I had ettled my affair,and left my effect in ome afe hand behind me" At firt I thought of my old

friend the widow, who I knew wa honet, and would be ut to me' but then

he wa in year, and but (oor, and, for aught I knew, might be in debt5 o that,

in a word, I had no way but to go back to )ngland myelf and take my effect

with me"



It wa ome month, howe#er, before I reol#ed u(on thi' and, therefore, a I

had rewarded the old ca(tain fully, and to hi atifaction, who had been my

former benefactor, o I began to think of the (oor widow, whoe huband had

been my firt benefactor, and he, while it wa in her (ower, my faithful

teward and intructor" So, the firt thing I did, I got a merchant in -ibon to

write to hi corre(ondent in -ondon, not only to (ay a bill, but to go find her

out, and carry her, in money, a hundred (ound from me, and to talk with her,

and comfort her in her (o#erty, by telling her he hould, if I li#ed, ha#e a

further u((ly5 at the ame time I ent my two iter in the country a hundred

(ound each, they being, though not in want, yet not in #ery good

circumtance' one ha#ing been married and left a widow' and the other ha#ing

a huband not o kind to her a he hould be" But among all my relation or

acuaintance I could not yet (itch u(on one to whom I durt commit the gro

of my tock, that I might go away to the Bra&il, and lea#e thing afe behind

me' and thi greatly (er(le0ed me"

I had once a mind to ha#e gone to the Bra&il and ha#e ettled myelf there, for

I wa, a it were, naturalied to the (lace' but I had ome little cru(le in my

mind about religion, which inenibly drew me back" !owe#er, it wa not

religion that ke(t me from going there for the (reent' and a I had made no

cru(le of being o(enly of the religion of the country all the while I wa among

them, o neither did I yet' only that, now and then, ha#ing of late thought more

of it than formerly, when I began to think of li#ing and dying among them, I

began to regret ha#ing (rofeed myelf a <a(it, and thought it might not be

the bet religion to die with"

But, a I ha#e aid, thi wa not the main thing that ke(t me from going to the

Bra&il, but that really I did not know with whom to lea#e my effect behind

me' o I reol#ed at lat to go to )ngland, where, if I arri#ed, I concluded that I

hould make ome acuaintance, or find ome relation, that would be faithful

to me' and, accordingly, I (re(ared to go to )ngland with all my wealth"

In order to (re(are thing for my going home, I firt ?the Bra&il fleet being ut

going away@ reol#ed to gi#e anwer uitable to the ut and faithful account of

thing I had from thence' and, firt, to the <rior of St" Augutine I wrote a letterfull of thank for hi ut dealing, and the offer of the eight hundred and

e#enty*two moidore which were undi(oed of, which I deired might be

gi#en, fi#e hundred to the monatery, and three hundred and e#enty*two to the

(oor, a the (rior hould direct' deiring the good (adre (rayer for me, and

the like" I wrote ne0t a letter of thank to my two trutee, with all the

acknowledgment that o much utice and honety called for5 a for ending



them any (reent, they were far abo#e ha#ing any occaion of it" -atly, I wrote

to my (artner, acknowledging hi indutry in the im(ro#ing the (lantation, and

hi integrity in increaing the tock of the work' gi#ing him intruction for hi

future go#ernment of my (art, according to the (ower I had left with my old

(atron, to whom I deired him to end whate#er became due to me, till he

hould hear from me more (articularly' auring him that it wa my intention

not only to come to him, but to ettle myelf there for the remainder of my life"

8o thi I added a #ery handome (reent of ome Italian ilk for hi wife and

two daughter, for uch the ca(tain on informed me he had' with two (iece

of fine )nglih broadcloth, the bet I could get in -ibon, fi#e (iece of black

bai&e, and ome lander lace of a good #alue"

!a#ing thu ettled my affair, old my cargo, and turned all my effect into

good bill of e0change, my ne0t difficulty wa which way to go to )ngland5 I

had been accutomed enough to the ea, and yet I had a trange a#erion to go

to )ngland by the ea at that time, and yet I could gi#e no reaon for it, yet the

difficulty increaed u(on me o much, that though I had once hi((ed my

baggage in order to go, yet I altered my mind, and that not once but two or

three time"

It i true I had been #ery unfortunate by ea, and thi might be one of the

reaon' but let no man light the trong im(ule of hi own thought in cae

of uch moment5 two of the hi( which I had ingled out to go in, I mean more

(articularly ingled out than any other, ha#ing (ut my thing on board one of

them, and in the other ha#ing agreed with the ca(tain' I ay two of thee hi(

micarried" =ne wa taken by the Algerine, and the other wa lot on the Start,

near 8orbay, and all the (eo(le drowned e0ce(t three' o that in either of thoe

#eel I had been made mierable"

!a#ing been thu haraed in my thought, my old (ilot, to whom I

communicated e#erything, (reed me earnetly not to go by ea, but either to

go by land to the 4royne, and cro o#er the Bay of Bicay to $ochelle, from

whence it wa but an eay and afe ourney by land to <ari, and o to +alai

and .o#er' or to go u( to /adrid, and o all the way by land through rance" In

a word, I wa o (re(oeed againt my going by ea at all, e0ce(t from+alai to .o#er, that I reol#ed to tra#el all the way by land' which, a I wa

not in hate, and did not #alue the charge, wa by much the (leaanter way5 and

to make it more o, my old ca(tain brought an )nglih gentleman, the on of a

merchant in -ibon, who wa willing to tra#el with me' after which we (icked

u( two more )nglih merchant alo, and two young <ortuguee gentlemen, the

lat going to <ari only' o that in all there were i0 of u and fi#e er#ant' the



two merchant and the two <ortuguee, contenting themel#e with one er#ant

between two, to a#e the charge' and a for me, I got an )nglih ailor to tra#el

with me a a er#ant, beide my man riday, who wa too much a tranger to

be ca(able of u((lying the (lace of a er#ant on the road"

In thi manner I et out from -ibon' and our com(any being #ery wellmounted and armed, we made a little troo(, whereof they did me the honour to

call me ca(tain, a well becaue I wa the oldet man, a becaue I had two

er#ant, and, indeed, wa the origin of the whole ourney"

A I ha#e troubled you with none of my ea ournal, o I hall trouble you now

with none of my land ournal' but ome ad#enture that ha((ened to u in thi

tediou and difficult ourney I mut not omit"

When we came to /adrid, we, being all of u tranger to S(ain, were willing

to tay ome time to ee the court of S(ain, and what wa worth ober#ing' butit being the latter (art of the ummer, we hatened away, and et out from

/adrid about the middle of =ctober' but when we came to the edge of ;a#arre,

we were alarmed, at e#eral town on the way, with an account that o much

now wa falling on the rench ide of the mountain, that e#eral tra#eller

were obliged to come back to <am(eluna, after ha#ing attem(ted at an e0treme

ha&ard to (a on"

When we came to <am(eluna itelf, we found it o indeed' and to me, that had

been alway ued to a hot climate, and to countrie where I could carce bear

any clothe on, the cold wa inufferable' nor, indeed, wa it more (ainful thanur(riing to come but ten day before out of =ld +atile, where the weather

wa not only warm but #ery hot, and immediately to feel a wind from the

<yrenean /ountain o #ery keen, o e#erely cold, a to be intolerable and to

endanger benumbing and (erihing of our finger and toe"

<oor riday wa really frightened when he aw the mountain all co#ered with

now, and felt cold weather, which he had ne#er een or felt before in hi life"

8o mend the matter, when we came to <am(eluna it continued nowing with o

much #iolence and o long, that the (eo(le aid winter wa come before it

time' and the road, which were difficult before, were now uite im(aable'

for, in a word, the now lay in ome (lace too thick for u to tra#el, and being

not hard fro&en, a i the cae in the northern countrie, there wa no going

without being in danger of being buried ali#e e#ery te(" We tayed no le

than twenty day at <am(eluna' when ?eeing the winter coming on, and no

likelihood of it being better, for it wa the e#eret winter all o#er )uro(e that

had been known in the memory of man@ I (ro(oed that we hould go away to



ontarabia, and there take hi((ing for Bordeau0, which wa a #ery little

#oyage" But, while I wa conidering thi, there came in four rench

gentlemen, who, ha#ing been to((ed on the rench ide of the (ae, a we

were on the S(anih, had found out a guide, who, tra#ering the country near

the head of -anguedoc, had brought them o#er the mountain by uch way that

they were not much incommoded with the now' for where they met with now

in any uantity, they aid it wa fro&en hard enough to bear them and their

hore" We ent for thi guide, who told u he would undertake to carry u the

ame way, with no ha&ard from the now, (ro#ided we were armed ufficiently

to (rotect ourel#e from wild beat' for, he aid, in thee great now it wa

freuent for ome wol#e to how themel#e at the foot of the mountain,

being made ra#enou for want of food, the ground being co#ered with now"

We told him we were well enough (re(ared for uch creature a they were, if

he would inure u from a kind of two*legged wol#e, which we were told we

were in mot danger from, e(ecially on the rench ide of the mountain" !e

atified u that there wa no danger of that kind in the way that we were to go'

o we readily agreed to follow him, a did alo twel#e other gentlemen with

their er#ant, ome rench, ome S(anih, who, a I aid, had attem(ted to go,

and were obliged to come back again"

Accordingly, we et out from <am(eluna with our guide on the 1:th of

;o#ember' and indeed I wa ur(ried when, intead of going forward, he came

directly back with u on the ame road that we came from /adrid, about

twenty mile' when, ha#ing (aed two ri#er, and come into the (lain country,

we found ourel#e in a warm climate again, where the country wa (leaant,and no now to be een' but, on a udden, turning to hi left, he a((roached the

mountain another way' and though it i true the hill and (reci(ice looked

dreadful, yet he made o many tour, uch meander, and led u by uch

winding way, that we inenibly (aed the height of the mountain without

being much encumbered with the now' and all on a udden he howed u the

(leaant and fruitful (ro#ince of -anguedoc and 4acony, all green and

flourihing, though at a great ditance, and we had ome rough way to (a

till"

We were a little uneay, howe#er, when we found it nowed one whole day anda night o fat that we could not tra#el' but he bid u be eay' we hould oon

be (at it all5 we found, indeed, that we began to decend e#ery day, and to

come more north than before' and o, de(ending u(on our guide, we went on"

It wa about two hour before night when, our guide being omething before

u, and not ut in ight, out ruhed three montrou wol#e, and after them a



bear, from a hollow way adoining to a thick wood' two of the wol#e made at

the guide, and had he been far before u, he would ha#e been de#oured before

we could ha#e hel(ed him' one of them fatened u(on hi hore, and the other

attacked the man with uch #iolence, that he had not time, or (reence of mind

enough, to draw hi (itol, but hallooed and cried out to u mot lutily" /y

man riday being ne0t me, I bade him ride u( and ee what wa the matter" A

oon a riday came in ight of the man, he hallooed out a loud a the other,

9= mater7 = mater79 but like a bold fellow, rode directly u( to the (oor man,

and with hi (itol hot the wolf in the head that attacked him"

It wa ha((y for the (oor man that it wa my man riday' for, ha#ing been ued

to uch creature in hi country, he had no fear u(on him, but went cloe u( to

him and hot him' wherea, any other of u would ha#e fired at a farther

ditance, and ha#e (erha( either mied the wolf or endangered hooting the

man"

But it wa enough to ha#e terrified a bolder man than I' and, indeed, it alarmed

all our com(any, when, with the noie of riday (itol, we heard on both ide

the mot dimal howling of wol#e' and the noie, redoubled by the echo of the

mountain, a((eared to u a if there had been a (rodigiou number of them'

and (erha( there wa not uch a few a that we had no caue of a((rehenion5

howe#er, a riday had killed thi wolf, the other that had fatened u(on the

hore left him immediately, and fled, without doing him any damage, ha#ing

ha((ily fatened u(on hi head, where the boe of the bridle had tuck in hi

teeth" But the man wa mot hurt' for the raging creature had bit him twice,

once in the arm, and the other time a little abo#e hi knee' and though he had

made ome defence, he wa ut tumbling down by the diorder of hi hore,

when riday came u( and hot the wolf"

It i eay to u((oe that at the noie of riday (itol we all mended our (ace,

and rode u( a fat a the way, which wa #ery difficult, would gi#e u lea#e, to

ee what wa the matter" A oon a we came clear of the tree, which blinded

u before, we aw clearly what had been the cae, and how riday had

diengaged the (oor guide, though we did not (reently dicern what kind of

creature it wa he had killed"

CHAPTER %% - FI$HT !ETWEEN FRIDAY AND A

!EAR



B>8 ne#er wa a fight managed o hardily, and in uch a ur(riing manner a

that which followed between riday and the bear, which ga#e u all, though at

firt we were ur(ried and afraid for him, the greatet di#erion imaginable" A

the bear i a hea#y, clumy creature, and doe not gallo( a the wolf doe, who

i wift and light, o he ha two (articular ualitie, which generally are the rule

of hi action' firt, a to men, who are not hi (ro(er (rey ?he doe not uually

attem(t them, e0ce(t they firt attack him, unle he be e0cei#ely hungry,

which it i (robable might now be the cae, the ground being co#ered with

now@, if you do not meddle with him, he will not meddle with you' but then

you mut take care to be #ery ci#il to him, and gi#e him the road, for he i a

#ery nice gentleman' he will not go a te( out of hi way for a (rince' nay, if

you are really afraid, your bet way i to look another way and kee( going on'

for ometime if you to(, and tand till, and look teadfatly at him, he take

it for an affront' but if you throw or to anything at him, though it were but a

bit of tick a big a your finger, he think himelf abued, and et all other

buine aide to (urue hi re#enge, and will ha#e atifaction in (oint of

honour * that i hi firt uality5 the ne0t i, if he be once affronted, he will

ne#er lea#e you, night or day, till he ha hi re#enge, but follow at a good

round rate till he o#ertake you"

/y man riday had deli#ered our guide, and when we came u( to him he wa

hel(ing him off hi hore, for the man wa both hurt and frightened, when on a

udden we e(ied the bear come out of the wood' and a montrou one it wa,

the bigget by far that e#er I aw" We were all a little ur(ried when we aw

him' but when riday aw him, it wa eay to ee oy and courage in thefellow countenance" 9=7 =7 =79 ay riday, three time, (ointing to him' 9=

mater, you gi#e me te lea#e, me hakee te hand with him' me makee you good

laugh"9

I wa ur(ried to ee the fellow o well (leaed" 9You fool,9 ay I, 9he will

eat you u("9 * 9)atee me u(7 eatee me u(79 ay riday, twice o#er again' 9me

eatee him u(' me makee you good laugh' you all tay here, me how you good

laugh"9 So down he it, and get off hi boot in a moment, and (ut on a (air

of (um( ?a we call the flat hoe they wear, and which he had in hi (ocket@,

gi#e my other er#ant hi hore, and with hi gun away he flew, wift like thewind"

8he bear wa walking oftly on, and offered to meddle with nobody, till riday

coming (retty near, call to him, a if the bear could undertand him" 9!ark ye,

hark ye,9 ay riday, 9me (eakee with you"9 We followed at a ditance, for

now being down on the 4acony ide of the mountain, we were entered a #at



foret, where the country wa (lain and (retty o(en, though it had many tree in

it cattered here and there" riday, who had, a we ay, the heel of the bear,

came u( with him uickly, and took u( a great tone, and threw it at him, and

hit him ut on the head, but did him no more harm than if he had thrown it

againt a wall' but it anwered riday end, for the rogue wa o #oid of fear

that he did it (urely to make the bear follow him, and how u ome laugh a he

called it" A oon a the bear felt the blow, and aw him, he turn about and

come after him, taking #ery long tride, and huffling on at a trange rate, o

a would ha#e (ut a hore to a middling gallo(' away rein riday, and take

hi coure a if he ran toward u for hel(' o we all reol#ed to fire at once

u(on the bear, and deli#er my man' though I wa angry at him for bringing the

bear back u(on u, when he wa going about hi own buine another way'

and e(ecially I wa angry that he had turned the bear u(on u, and then ran

away' and I called out, 9You dog7 i thi your making u laugh +ome away,

and take your hore, that we may hoot the creature"9 !e heard me, and cried

out, 9;o hoot, no hoot' tand till, and you get much laugh59 and a the

nimble creature ran two feet for the bear one, he turned on a udden on one

ide of u, and eeing a great oak*tree fit for hi (ur(oe, he beckoned to u to

follow' and doubling hi (ace, he got nimbly u( the tree, laying hi gun down

u(on the ground, at about fi#e or i0 yard from the bottom of the tree" 8he

bear oon came to the tree, and we followed at a ditance5 the firt thing he did

he to((ed at the gun, melt at it, but let it lie, and u( he cramble into the tree,

climbing like a cat, though o montrou hea#y" I wa ama&ed at the folly, a I

thought it, of my man, and could not for my life ee anything to laugh at, till

eeing the bear get u( the tree, we all rode near to him"

When we came to the tree, there wa riday got out to the mall end of a large

branch, and the bear got about half*way to him" A oon a the bear got out to

that (art where the limb of the tree wa weaker, 9!a79 ay he to u, 9now you

ee me teachee the bear dance59 o he began um(ing and haking the bough, at

which the bear began to totter, but tood till, and began to look behind him, to

ee how he hould get back' then, indeed, we did laugh heartily" But riday had

not done with him by a great deal' when eeing him tand till, he called out to

him again, a if he had u((oed the bear could (eak )nglih, 9What, you

come no farther (ray you come farther'9 o he left um(ing and haking thetree' and the bear, ut a if he undertood what he aid, did come a little

farther' then he began um(ing again, and the bear to((ed again" We thought

now wa a good time to knock him in the head, and called to riday to tand

till and we hould hoot the bear5 but he cried out earnetly, 9=h, (ray7 =h,

(ray7 no hoot, me hoot by and then59 he would ha#e aid by*and*by"

!owe#er, to horten the tory, riday danced o much, and the bear tood o



ticklih, that we had laughing enough, but till could not imagine what the

fellow would do5 for firt we thought he de(ended u(on haking the bear off'

and we found the bear wa too cunning for that too' for he would not go out far

enough to be thrown down, but clung fat with hi great broad claw and feet,

o that we could not imagine what would be the end of it, and what the et

would be at lat" But riday (ut u out of doubt uickly5 for eeing the bear

cling fat to the bough, and that he would not be (eruaded to come any farther,

9Well, well,9 ay riday, 9you no come farther, me go' you no come to me, me

come to you'9 and u(on thi he went out to the maller end, where it would

bend with hi weight, and gently let himelf down by it, liding down the bough

till he came near enough to um( down on hi feet, and away he ran to hi gun,

took it u(, and tood till" 9Well,9 aid I to him, 9riday, what will you do now

Why dont you hoot him9 9;o hoot,9 ay riday, 9no yet' me hoot now,

me no kill' me tay, gi#e you one more laugh59 and, indeed, o he did' for when

the bear aw hi enemy gone, he came back from the bough, where he tood,

but did it #ery cautiouly, looking behind him e#ery te(, and coming backward

till he got into the body of the tree, then, with the ame hinder end foremot, he

came down the tree, gra(ing it with hi claw, and mo#ing one foot at a time,

#ery leiurely" At thi uncture, and ut before he could et hi hind foot on the

ground, riday te((ed u( cloe to him, cla((ed the mu&&le of hi (iece into hi

ear, and hot him dead" 8hen the rogue turned about to ee if we did not laugh'

and when he aw we were (leaed by our look, he began to laugh #ery loud"

9So we kill bear in my country,9 ay riday" 9So you kill them9 ay I' 9why,

you ha#e no gun"9 * 9;o,9 ay he, 9no gun, but hoot great much long arrow"9

8hi wa a good di#erion to u' but we were till in a wild (lace, and our guide#ery much hurt, and what to do we hardly knew' the howling of wol#e ran

much in my head' and, indeed, e0ce(t the noie I once heard on the hore of

Africa, of which I ha#e aid omething already, I ne#er heard anything that

filled me with o much horror"

8hee thing, and the a((roach of night, called u off, or ele, a riday would

ha#e had u, we hould certainly ha#e taken the kin of thi montrou creature

off, which wa worth a#ing' but we had near three league to go, and our

guide hatened u' o we left him, and went forward on our ourney"

8he ground wa till co#ered with now, though not o dee( and dangerou a

on the mountain' and the ra#enou creature, a we heard afterward, were

come down into the foret and (lain country, (reed by hunger, to eek for

food, and had done a great deal of michief in the #illage, where they ur(ried

the country (eo(le, killed a great many of their hee( and hore, and ome

(eo(le too" We had one dangerou (lace to (a, and our guide told u if there



a econd #olley to be fired in their rear, which (ut them to the gallo(, and away

they went to the wood" 8hi ga#e u leiure to charge our (iece again' and

that we might loe no time, we ke(t going' but we had but little more than

loaded our fuee, and (ut ourel#e in readine, when we heard a terrible

noie in the ame wood on our left, only that it wa farther onward, the ame

way we were to go"

8he night wa coming on, and the light began to be duky, which made it wore

on our ide' but the noie increaing, we could eaily (ercei#e that it wa the

howling and yelling of thoe hellih creature' and on a udden we (ercei#ed

three troo( of wol#e, one on our left, one behind u, and one in our front, o

that we eemed to be urrounded with them5 howe#er, a they did not fall u(on

u, we ke(t our way forward, a fat a we could make our hore go, which,

the way being #ery rough, wa only a good hard trot" In thi manner, we came

in #iew of the entrance of a wood, through which we were to (a, at the farther

ide of the (lain' but we were greatly ur(ried, when coming nearer the lane or

(a, we aw a confued number of wol#e tanding ut at the entrance" =n a

udden, at another o(ening of the wood, we heard the noie of a gun, and

looking that way, out ruhed a hore, with a addle and a bridle on him, flying

like the wind, and i0teen or e#enteen wol#e after him, full (eed5 the hore

had the ad#antage of them' but a we u((oed that he could not hold it at that

rate, we doubted not but they would get u( with him at lat5 no uetion but

they did"

But here we had a mot horrible ight' for riding u( to the entrance where the

hore came out, we found the carcae of another hore and of two men,

de#oured by the ra#enou creature' and one of the men wa no doubt the ame

whom we heard fire the gun, for there lay a gun ut by him fired off' but a to

the man, hi head and the u((er (art of hi body wa eaten u(" 8hi filled u

with horror, and we knew not what coure to take' but the creature reol#ed u

oon, for they gathered about u (reently, in ho(e of (rey' and I #erily belie#e

there were three hundred of them" It ha((ened, #ery much to our ad#antage,

that at the entrance into the wood, but a little way from it, there lay ome large

timber*tree, which had been cut down the ummer before, and I u((oe lay

there for carriage" I drew my little troo( in among thoe tree, and (lacingourel#e in a line behind one long tree, I ad#ied them all to alight, and

kee(ing that tree before u for a breatwork, to tand in a triangle, or three

front, encloing our hore in the centre" We did o, and it wa well we did' for

ne#er wa a more furiou charge than the creature made u(on u in thi (lace"

8hey came on with a growling kind of noie, and mounted the (iece of timber,

which, a I aid, wa our breatwork, a if they were only ruhing u(on their



(rey' and thi fury of their, it eem, wa (rinci(ally occaioned by their

eeing our hore behind u" I ordered our men to fire a before, e#ery other

man' and they took their aim o ure that they killed e#eral of the wol#e at the

firt #olley' but there wa a neceity to kee( a continual firing, for they came

on like de#il, thoe behind (uhing on thoe before"

When we had fired a econd #olley of our fuee, we thought they to((ed a

little, and I ho(ed they would ha#e gone off, but it wa but a moment, for

other came forward again' o we fired two #olley of our (itol' and I belie#e

in thee four firing we had killed e#enteen or eighteen of them, and lamed

twice a many, yet they came on again" I wa loth to (end our hot too hatily'

o I called my er#ant, not my man riday, for he wa better em(loyed, for,

with the greatet de0terity imaginable, he had charged my fuee and hi own

while we were engaged * but, a I aid, I called my other man, and gi#ing him a

horn of (owder, I had him lay a train all along the (iece of timber, and let it be

a large train" !e did o, and had but ut time to get away, when the wol#e

came u( to it, and ome got u(on it, when I, na((ing an unchanged (itol cloe

to the (owder, et it on fire' thoe that were u(on the timber were corched with

it, and i0 or e#en of them fell' or rather um(ed in among u with the force

and fright of the fire' we de(atched thee in an intant, and the ret were o

frightened with the light, which the night * for it wa now #ery near dark *

made more terrible that they drew back a little' u(on which I ordered our lat

(itol to be fired off in one #olley, and after that we ga#e a hout' u(on thi the

wol#e turned tail, and we allied immediately u(on near twenty lame one that

we found truggling on the ground, and fell to cutting them with our word,which anwered our e0(ectation, for the crying and howling they made wa

better undertood by their fellow' o that they all fled and left u"

We had, firt and lat, killed about threecore of them, and had it been daylight

we had killed many more" 8he field of battle being thu cleared, we made

forward again, for we had till near a league to go" We heard the ra#enou

creature howl and yell in the wood a we went e#eral time, and ometime

we fancied we aw ome of them' but the now da&&ling our eye, we were not

certain" In about an hour more we came to the town where we were to lodge,

which we found in a terrible fright and all in arm' for, it eem, the night before the wol#e and ome bear had broken into the #illage, and (ut them in

uch terror that they were obliged to kee( guard night and day, but e(ecially in

the night, to (reer#e their cattle, and indeed their (eo(le"

8he ne0t morning our guide wa o ill, and hi limb welled o much with the

rankling of hi two wound, that he could go no farther' o we were obliged to



take a new guide here, and go to 8ouloue, where we found a warm climate, a

fruitful, (leaant country, and no now, no wol#e, nor anything like them' but

when we told our tory at 8ouloue, they told u it wa nothing but what wa

ordinary in the great foret at the foot of the mountain, e(ecially when the

now lay on the ground' but they inuired much what kind of guide we had got

who would #enture to bring u that way in uch a e#ere eaon, and told u it

wa ur(riing we were not all de#oured" When we told them how we (laced

ourel#e and the hore in the middle, they blamed u e0ceedingly, and told u

it wa fifty to one but we had been all detroyed, for it wa the ight of the

hore which made the wol#e o furiou, eeing their (rey, and that at other

time they are really afraid of a gun' but being e0cei#ely hungry, and raging

on that account, the eagerne to come at the hore had made them enele

of danger, and that if we had not by the continual fire, and at lat by the

tratagem of the train of (owder, matered them, it had been great odd but that

we had been torn to (iece' wherea, had we been content to ha#e at till on

horeback, and fired a horemen, they would not ha#e taken the hore o

much for their own, when men were on their back, a otherwie' and withal,

they told u that at lat, if we had tood altogether, and left our hore, they

would ha#e been o eager to ha#e de#oured them, that we might ha#e come off

afe, e(ecially ha#ing our firearm in our hand, being o many in number" or

my (art, I wa ne#er o enible of danger in my life' for, eeing abo#e three

hundred de#il come roaring and o(en* mouthed to de#our u, and ha#ing

nothing to helter u or retreat to, I ga#e myelf o#er for lot' and, a it wa, I

belie#e I hall ne#er care to cro thoe mountain again5 I think I would much

rather go a thouand league by ea, though I wa ure to meet with a tormonce a*week"

I ha#e nothing uncommon to take notice of in my (aage through rance *

nothing but what other tra#eller ha#e gi#en an account of with much more

ad#antage than I can" I tra#elled from 8ouloue to <ari, and without any

coniderable tay came to +alai, and landed afe at .o#er the 1th of anuary,

after ha#ing had a e#ere cold eaon to tra#el in"

I wa now come to the centre of my tra#el, and had in a little time all my new*

dico#ered etate afe about me, the bill of e0change which I brought with meha#ing been currently (aid"

/y (rinci(al guide and (ri#y*counellor wa my good ancient widow, who, in

gratitude for the money I had ent her, thought no (ain too much nor care too

great to em(loy for me' and I truted her o entirely that I wa (erfectly eay a



to the ecurity of my effect' and, indeed, I wa #ery ha((y from the beginning,

and now to the end, in the un(otted integrity of thi good gentlewoman"

And now, ha#ing reol#ed to di(oe of my (lantation in the Bra&il, I wrote to

my old friend at -ibon, who, ha#ing offered it to the two merchant, the

ur#i#or of my trutee, who li#ed in the Bra&il, they acce(ted the offer, andremitted thirty*three thouand (iece of eight to a corre(ondent of their at

-ibon to (ay for it"

In return, I igned the intrument of ale in the form which they ent from

-ibon, and ent it to my old man, who ent me the bill of e0change for thirty*

two thouand eight hundred (iece of eight for the etate, reer#ing the

(ayment of one hundred moidore a year to him ?the old man@ during hi life,

and fifty moidore afterward to hi on for hi life, which I had (romied

them, and which the (lantation wa to make good a a rent*charge" And thu I

ha#e gi#en the firt (art of a life of fortune and ad#enture * a life of<ro#idence cheuer*work, and of a #ariety which the world will eldom be

able to how the like of' beginning foolihly, but cloing much more ha((ily

than any (art of it e#er ga#e me lea#e o much a to ho(e for"

Any one would think that in thi tate of com(licated good fortune I wa (at

running any more ha&ard * and o, indeed, I had been, if other circumtance

had concurred' but I wa inured to a wandering life, had no family, nor many

relation' nor, howe#er rich, had I contracted freh acuaintance' and though I

had old my etate in the Bra&il, yet I could not kee( that country out of my

head, and had a great mind to be u(on the wing again' e(ecially I could not

reit the trong inclination I had to ee my iland, and to know if the (oor

S(aniard were in being there" /y true friend, the widow, earnetly diuaded

me from it, and o far (re#ailed with me, that for almot e#en year he

(re#ented my running abroad, during which time I took my two ne(hew, the

children of one of my brother, into my care' the eldet, ha#ing omething of

hi own, I bred u( a a gentleman, and ga#e him a ettlement of ome addition

to hi etate after my deceae" 8he other I (laced with the ca(tain of a hi(' and

after fi#e year, finding him a enible, bold, enter(riing young fellow, I (ut

him into a good hi(, and ent him to ea' and thi young fellow afterwarddrew me in, a old a I wa, to further ad#enture myelf"

In the meantime, I in (art ettled myelf here' for, firt of all, I married, and that

not either to my diad#antage or diatifaction, and had three children, two

on and one daughter' but my wife dying, and my ne(hew coming home with

good ucce from a #oyage to S(ain, my inclination to go abroad, and hi



im(ortunity, (re#ailed, and engaged me to go in hi hi( a a (ri#ate trader to

the )at Indie' thi wa in the year 16G"

In thi #oyage I #iited my new colony in the iland, aw my ucceor the

S(aniard, had the old tory of their li#e and of the #illain I left there' how at

firt they inulted the (oor S(aniard, how they afterward agreed, diagreed,united, e(arated, and how at lat the S(aniard were obliged to ue #iolence

with them' how they were ubected to the S(aniard, how honetly the

S(aniard ued them * a hitory, if it were entered into, a full of #ariety and

wonderful accident a my own (art * (articularly, alo, a to their battle with

the +aribbean, who landed e#eral time u(on the iland, and a to the

im(ro#ement they made u(on the iland itelf, and how fi#e of them made an

attem(t u(on the mainland, and brought away ele#en men and fi#e women

(rioner, by which, at my coming, I found about twenty young children on the

iland"

!ere I tayed about twenty day, left them u((lie of all neceary thing, and

(articularly of arm, (owder, hot, clothe, tool, and two workmen, which I

had brought from )ngland with me, #i&" a car(enter and a mith"

Beide thi, I hared the land into (art with them, reer#ed to myelf the

(ro(erty of the whole, but ga#e them uch (art re(ecti#ely a they agreed on'

and ha#ing ettled all thing with them, and engaged them not to lea#e the

(lace, I left them there"

rom thence I touched at the Bra&il, from whence I ent a bark, which I bought there, with more (eo(le to the iland' and in it, beide other u((lie, I

ent e#en women, being uch a I found (ro(er for er#ice, or for wi#e to

uch a would take them" A to the )nglihmen, I (romied to end them ome

women from )ngland, with a good cargo of necearie, if they would a((ly

themel#e to (lanting * which I afterward could not (erform" 8he fellow

(ro#ed #ery honet and diligent after they were matered and had their

(ro(ertie et a(art for them" I ent them, alo, from the Bra&il, fi#e cow,

three of them being big with calf, ome hee(, and ome hog, which when I

came again were coniderably increaed"

But all thee thing, with an account how three hundred +aribbee came and

in#aded them, and ruined their (lantation, and how they fought with that

whole number twice, and were at firt defeated, and one of them killed' but at

lat, a torm detroying their enemie canoe, they famihed or detroyed

almot all the ret, and renewed and reco#ered the (oeion of their

(lantation, and till li#ed u(on the iland"



All thee thing, with ome #ery ur(riing incident in ome new ad#enture

of my own, for ten year more, I hall gi#e a farther account of in the Second

<art of my Story"

defoe,robinson crusoe

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